mbrummer

My basis of this Diary is to access the potential and rumored coaches that Michigan considered last year. My thought is to play a hypothetical game, where Lloyd Carr stayed another year and then retired and assessing the potential coaches on this year of coaching with hindsight being 20/20. I have listed the coaches in the order of my wish list from last year, starting with the top.

THE CREAM
1. John Gruden, Tampa Bay 9-3
This is maybe a pipe dream, but I believe Gruden would make a phenomenal college coach. The NFL pedigree, the Super Bowl rings, the ridiculous will to win, would make him a Pete Carroll like recruiter. He had a SI interview where he quoted he had a life goal to be the Head Coach of Michigan by 40. I would be scared as hell if ND gets Gruden next year. Anyway, he's 9-3, leading the NFC South, with a 40 year old QB cast off from the Lions. He's doing well.

2. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan 3-9
Yes, he was my first real choice. Everyone knows how's he's done, so I offer a quick couple comments of pure conjecture, I am not an insider or Rich's psychologist. In some circles, it was widely assumed that Rodriguez was ticketed for FSU, after Bowden finally retired. However, Fisher was named coach in waiting, and Rodriguez looked around, saw that not many big jobs were going to open up in the next 5 years. He didn't want to be possibly stuck at WVU, so jumped at the chance.

3. Les Miles, LSU 7-5
Wait so Les isn't a miracle worker? Led his damn strong football team to a pedestrian 7-5 with 4 straight losses in conference, and needed a minor miracle to avoid 5 straight with a huge comeback vs Troy at home. Even with his otherwise damn strong team, Miles learned like Rodriguez did that it's hard to win with your 3rd string qb. Failed to live up to the top 15 preseason ranking LSU is in good hands, but really he's not the second coming of BO.

THE CROP
4. Greg Schiano, Rutgers 7-5
When he turned us down, it seemed all is lost in the Michigan coaching search. I never thought that much of him, besides of him being a good solid coach. In this season, he proved me right. Finished 2nd in the conference, however failed to live up to the top 30 Preseason ranking. Started 0-3 with losses to UNC and Fresno State and Navy, so really took some hard hits this year. I still think he is waiting for the PSU job and with more seasons like this and with PSU going the coach by committee and possibly a coach in waiting, he will have to wait a lot longer.

5. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa 8-4
When Brian reported Ferentz was the new coach, I responded with a shrug. My feeling at the time was that it could be worse, but definitely I thought it was status quo move. Now, after his team outperformed all expectations. He pulled off the biggest upset in the Big Ten and without it the fun Texas-Oklahoma debate is moot. His losses with a first year starting sophomore qb were 1 point at Pittsburgh, 5 points vs. NW, 3 points at Little Brother, and 3 points at Illinois. He was a couple plays from getting 10 wins with this pedestrian team. No coach on the list did more with less, and I'm not looking forward to our trip to Iowa City next year.

THE REST (Cronies)

6. Brady Hoke, Ball State 12-1
With the season, Hoke is probably a better option than he was last year. However, Ball State was probably the worst undefeated team in recent memory. Congratulations to them on their season, but I don't think he ever will be a legitimate candidate for this job. He outperformed all expectations and led Ball State to a top 15 BCS ranking before tonight and is probably looking at a possible lower tier Big ten job in the next few years if he can stay some what consistent.

7. Ron English, Louisville, DC 5-7 (1-6)
His star isn't rising so highly now. I don't know why he chose Louisville. Only held two teams under 21 points, Middle Tennessee State, and South Florida. Allowed 63 points to Rutgers and it could have been worse. Didn't see much besides that, but definitely not ready for a big time position yet

8. Mike Deboard, Seattle Seahawks Asst. Line Coach
Perhaps the fact that NO college team he offered him a Offensive Coordinator job is the biggest indictment of them all.

What We Learned
That another year older, doesn't make us another year wiser. The options were mostly marginal, however I would guess some people would be more excited about a Ferentz. Some people would be less excited about Miles. I'm still more excited about Rodriguez bringing us into the 21st century.

I can't personally wait until Brian gets a New T-shirt provider. I have wanted to buy a "In Rod We Trust" shirt since September. I think Brian should have 2008, put on the shirt in a small manner, so that those of us on board now can wear it with a certain pride, when Coach Rodriguez is bashing OSU, and leading us to BCS games. This way we can distinguish the true believers from the bandwagon jumpers.

I usually like the TMQ on ESPN, even when he's ripping on coaches en masse, however he did something of which he is a huge criticizer. He didn't Check his FACTS!!

IF you are familiar with the article, he often critisizes other writers, annnouncers, and sports figures for not checking his facts, when he did not in his newest article on ESPN. He often notes that mistakes are printed on page 1 in the New York Times, but corrections are printed on page 37.

"Abney notes public money is being thrown in to make the Michigan
Stadium super-lavish for the well-off, even as the university's tuition
price has risen almost two-thirds in this decade. He writes, "Not only
are public funds being used to build luxury suites the average fan and
typical university alum will never be able to afford, the cost to
purchase access to said seating areas is considered a charitable
contribution and therefore billed to the federal taxpayer."

 

Now we know that the athletic department completely funds itself, which may be a rarity in college sports, but is true in the case of Michigan. In fact the stadium construction is being funded by private donations and the Athletic Department. So public funds are not being used to build luxury tax shelters for the very rich.

Now many people will aruge that the since many of the "donations" needed to have a suite are tax deductible that it is a tax shelter for the very rich. Possibly they are right, but it's not the sinister thing Easterbrook makes it out to be.

".... federal taxpayers will be hit for about $16 million in a year in
subsidies for the rich people sitting in the fancy new parts of the
facility. That's fairly disgusting. Perhaps a fitting punishment for
all those subsidized wealthy twits is … Rich Rodriguez. The football
gods have, after all, a sense of humor. "

He then finished with the cheap shot at Coach Rod, which for a NFL columnist, is out of line.

Like I said, I usually like his articles, and even enjoyed some of the other points in the article but this one was way out of line and unfounded. He should be complaining about schools that DON'T self sufficiently fund their athletic departments, you know like all of the rest of the country. (ok not all)

I wrote him a comment to his email, with the link to the correct information. I am not expecting a reply.

Don't Believe Everything you Read

Nice article on Espn from Mark Schlabach, detailing how CMU and Dan Levour are going to prepare for their game versus Georgia this week.

In the article Schlabach tails Levour for the entire week. He follows him to his classes, the first one he mentions is this:

"Tuesday, 11 a.m., Billiards Class

LeFevour takes his position near a pool table in the Student Athletic
Center, which is known as "SAC" on the CMU campus. For the next 45
minutes, LeFevour practices breaking balls on the felt-covered table.
The class is taught by a graduate assistant coach on the school's
softball team. She carries a textbook entitled "Precision Pool,"
apparently teaching as she learns."

So apparently CMU not only has classes designed for football players to take, not only are they not taught by real professors, but by other people in the athletic department, who are learning as they go along, Who wants to bet that normal students are allowed to take this class?

How you feel about academic integrity now. Of course if the Ann Arbor News had this on Umich it would take 4 days of front page news, when other schools do it, it's mainly filler information in a fluff piece.

Basically the whole summer the Ann Arbor News held us hostage saying it was going to bomb the Michigan Programs, however it was things that not only occur at big time programs such as Michigan, but small time as well!!

To be fair, the article also mentions him taking a Yoga class and says that he is on track to graduate in interpersonal communication, you know instead of just personal communication, which I geuss is just communication with yourself or extraterrestial comminication. I don't know how Yoga and Billiards help you get there, but I digress.

"I took all that algebra and calculus when I was a freshman," LeFevour said.

As a math teacher and former engineering grad, I find this dubious. For two reasons, for his major it is doubtful that he needed calculus even with the focus in insurance. Very few people take calculus for fun. Second, if he did take algebra in college, which is quite possible , he would at least have to take some other classes such as trignometry, or geometry before he could even attempt calculus. Possibly, he took stats.

Again, I'm not belittling Lefour or CMU just pointing out the double standard. How one media source's fluff, is another's hard hitting atom bomb news.

Good luck to CMU with their game on Saturday, and I wish Lefour was in the maize in blue.

"The more physical attack will come under a new play-caller. Weis, who helped
guide the New England Patriots to three Super Bowls, has turned the
play-calling duties over to Haywood."

quote from Tom Coyne Assosicated Press

Um...big
departure from the man who according to the national media (NBC)
announcers invented football, came up with the West Coast Offense,
cured cancer, and invented the modern forward pass.

Since i'm sure Weis spends no time with the defense, what does weis
do. Hand over his playbook after implementing his offesne in practice ,
which any guy who can dissect the NFL can give you. Well at least he's
good with the media and doesn't put his foot in his mouth. Oh wait to
hell with michigan. At least he inspirational. Um ok maybe not.

So the guy who led the New England offesne to 3 Super Bowls can't
even be counted on to beat Navy? Maybe like all of Notre Dame the hype
outweighs production and don't tell anybody but Bill Belichek is pretty
good and New England has been better (offensively) since he left.

However with Notre Dame will rebound with 8-9 wins because of Cupcake rich schedule and Weis will be considered a genius for putting aside his ego to let his offensive coordinator take over and everyone dies a little inside once more.

Nice Article by Drew Sharp on Sunday saying that Pudge's Detroit Jersey should be retired.

However even the the fact that it is rediculously short doesnt mean Drew decided to fact check it.

"It's unlikey that Rodriguez will insist upon the Olde English D on his ceremonial Hall of Fame plaque. He'll probably pick Texas because it was the Rangers who gave him his start."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080803/SPORTS02/808030...

Of course this is simply not how the Hall of Fame works. The Hall of Fame chooses which cap to put the Hall of Famer under. Now this was changed about 1o years ago, beause Wade Boggs wanted to have a Tampa Bay cap, and some players were having auctions on which team they would go under. So it did make news and oh its on the FAQ of the Hall of Fame website. So it didnt take much looking up, maybe 2 minutes.

"

"Who decides what team logo will be used on Hall of Fame plaques?

The choice of which team’s logo appears on a player’s plaque is the Museum's decision, though we always consider the wishes of an inductee. As a history Museum, it's important that the logo be emblematic of the historical accomplishments of that player's career. A player's election to the Hall of Fame is a career achievement, and as such, every team for whom he played is listed on the plaque; however, the logo selection is based on where that player makes his most indelible mark."

 http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/faq.jsp#logo

Why does the Free Press put up with such a lackadaisical and horrible writer that makes all its sports coverage suffer? He drags the whole quality of their sports section down. There's probably 50 more sports writers in the area who would spend more time and energy than Mr. Sharp, I think Brian spends more time on his writing in a day than Drew Sharp does in a month.

UTAH: Announced ABC Regional Coverage 330

MIAMI OH: Announced ESPN or ESPN 2 National Coverage Noon

@Notre Dame: Annoucned NBC National Coverage 330

@Wisconsin : Estimate ABC Regional coverage 330; No 330 game for the Big -10 has been announced. However Illinois at PSU is at 8. So the othre options for ABC are MSU @ IND and Minny @ OSU. So we probably get the regional nod here

Illinois: Announced ABC 330 Regional Coverage

Toledo: Estimate National Coverage Big Ten Network Noon: ABC will probably go with Purdue at OSU for the 330 Regional Coverage. While PSU @ Wisco is a night game. So we're relegated to the BTN or ESPN2

@Penn State: Annoucned ESPN or ESPN2 430 National Coverage

MSU : Estimate 330 ABC Regional Coveage. All other Big 10 games have been annoucned with no 330 game. So by process of elimination. Things could change if MSU and Umich are combined 0-12

Purdue: Estimate NOOn ESPN National coverage; This is the hardest to estimate. There's no OSU game. So the other options for ABC are Wisco @ MSU, and Iowa @ Illinois. Depending on Purdue's record and assuming they aren't undefeated I think they go with Iowa @ Illinois. Leaving us on ESPN or ESPN2.

@MINNESOTA: Estimate Noon or One BTN Natiional Coverage. Minnesota will be horrible. However the Central Time zone problem as well as that this is probably the least marketable Big Ten game of the week. This also might be one of those ESPN Classic games

Northwestern: Estimate Noon I'm geussing ESPN2 Or the BTN. No way this gets ABC coverage I'm thinking this is 3rd or 4th choice. So The deuce or BTN.

OSU: Estimate ABC National Coverage. Pretty easy. Only question is whether its a 330 or Noon game. I'll assume we have a couple losses and make it a Noon. Allowing ABC to make it a doubleheader with MSU @ PSU