Thank You Coach Rod, For Having Some Sense.
When RR arrived here at Michigan, I personaly Liked the hire. I thought we needed a change of pace, an up to date offense, and a new attitude on the field. But as RR began to speak, I saw the hesitation to fire up the Big 3 rivals and the rest of the Big Ten. No punches toward OSU, No little brother jokes, never sent Notre Dame to hell, you know the stuff Bo was made of. Of course I know he will never be BO.
Then the team took the field and I saw why. The talent he needed wasn't there, the youth was spread all over, so it made sense that he left the trash talking to others. So I began to except it. I told myself " Thank the good Lord that he didn't go stating any stupidity". Maybe this guy that I thought had some flare, has more sense than flare. I like it!!!
Now this brings me to my reason of typing this. Tennessee Coach Lane Kiffin has not once, BUT twice, ran his mouth and accused 2 of Tennessee Big rivals of cheating and even called out beating one. First with less than 2 days on the job he accuses Spurrier of recruiting violations, only to be told he was wrong in his accusations the same day.Strike 1. Then the other day at a breakfast he accuses Meyer of another Recruiting violation, only again, to be shot down and called out to apologize by Florida AD and SEC commisioner. Strike 2! In turn coach Kiffin doesn't know what kind of team he has yet, but come the Florida game he will find out the team isn't what he thought and blowout brings strike 3 thanks ti his comments.
So I sat back and told myself, this is the kind of guy I originally expected and wanted to take over my program. I wanted the "We will commit sins at ND, punch the little brother in the mouth, and crack open every Buckeye in November." But after watching how STUPID Kiffin is sounding right now, I thank Mr. Martin,and Ms. Coleman for making a choice that has some sense.
While we took our lumps on the field, the common sense of Coach Rod, kept us from taking lumps off of it. Now a year later, RR and Michigan are gaining momentum, and the respect of others. As everyone and every team can see the rise up again of The University Of Michigan and they fear it, with no trash talking attatched, just sense!
So thank you Coach Rodriquez, for having better sense than most, including me. The right man was hired and I am greatful we didn't end up with an idiot that makes this University look stupid and myself. I have learned something new. Knowing your boundries, makes you more sensable than others.
Our Time Is Coming. Go Blue!!!! Hail To The Victors!!!
February 7th, 2009 at 11:28 AM ^
Good point. Though most coaches aren't as arrogant as Kiffin, and I'm wondering if most of it, (if not all) is just flare for the fans/players and alumni etc.
Believe me I wouldn't want to be Kiffin when Florida comes to town...
February 7th, 2009 at 11:48 AM ^
I will admit that I wanted to see RR stirring the kettle, especially at the UM-OSU Bball game last year but when they kicked us in the teeth on the field it would have made that crow taste that much worse.
February 7th, 2009 at 12:53 PM ^
I agree 100% It was wise for RR to be quiet. I don't really like when coaches (or players) in general talk smack. Let results on the field speak for themselves. I love Mike Hart, but he started to get a little too vocal and ostentatious for my taste. I think I started to notice it the time when he scored a rushing TD against ohio state in 2006 and did that weird hand gesture as a celebration.
And a side note... (not to be an ass) but there's no Q in Rodriguez. It's just a family name and I've seen people misspell it a trillion times.
February 7th, 2009 at 1:17 PM ^
Great post. I never really thought about it coming from that angle. I think his actions/comments, or lack thereof are maybe more a product of his audience. Let me explain.
I had the opportunity to meet RR at an alumni event in La Jolla last spring. He was not quite as "Rah Rah" as I would have guessed. That said his demeanor matched the audience perfectly. Most in attendence were of the "I own a $5M house on overlooking the ocean" category. Yeah there were a few younger alums and ex athlete types there. But I think RR knows who butters his bread and it's not the "Rah Rah" alums. It's the classier, more conservative type.
RR realizes that his important fanbase, those that indirectly pay his salary and would be most influential in showing him the door if it comes to that, is not the same fanbase that he had in Morgantown or for that matter in Knoxville. Maybe Rich changed his off field approach a bit when he got to AA and looked around. Personally I don't think he changed at all. I think his personality probably always fit in well at Schembechler Hall, albeit with an odd little southern drawl.
Go Blue.
February 7th, 2009 at 1:39 PM ^
I like me a southern drawled out "Meeechigan."
February 7th, 2009 at 2:40 PM ^
I always prefer a more reserved approach; letting actions speak for themselves and letting idiots talk themselves into corners just makes sense. But you are right, in Rodriguez's case it was not just preferable, it was necessary! Thanks, indeed, to the Great Rodriguez, peace be upon him.
I was watching ESPN's coverage of the Kiffin nonsense, and just thought to myself how pissed off I would be right now if I were a Vol.
February 7th, 2009 at 3:45 PM ^
the kind of no nonsence coach I like. Talking shit never won a game. And as you so well alluded it makes you look like dumb-ass jerk of an idiot to talk shit and don't know or can't possibly back it up. Yeah, he's got some Michigan Man in him. Sometimes I think that MM is another word for Classy old school. And I don't hate that at all.
He seems to have a cold calculated I'm gonna kick the shit out of you business as usual aire. But then again it be all the kool-aid I've been drinking. either way I'm excited really excited abiut Michigan Fooball again.
February 7th, 2009 at 4:14 PM ^
My guess is Don Nehlen "coached" RR a bit on the correct demeanor to have in Ann Arbor in order to be successful with his audience.
February 7th, 2009 at 5:40 PM ^
not the other way around.
February 7th, 2009 at 8:13 PM ^
This is a nice post. We have a lot to look forward to and I am tired of everyone downing RR. He may not be what everyone expected (or wanted), but I think he has the potential to put us out on top. I thought it was great when he told all the people who were ripping him to "get a life". He was right - they do need to get a life. Sure, the transition could have been smoother. But if a smoother transition meant one extra year of mediocrity - I would rather have one year of bad bad play and then M on top! Thanks for the post, you said it well.
Go Blue!
February 7th, 2009 at 9:50 PM ^
I also like this post. However, I personally think that there really aren't as many anti-RR people as it appears in the newspapers. In the freep and mlive, when you take away the MSU fans, it is mostly one troll posting eight hours a day using multiple identities. I have tripped her up a few times; she has said "I predicted such and such" under one identity when the prediction was made with another one. I have seen her post as many as fifteen of nineteen posts in one UM thread. She may look like a lot of people, but she definitely is NOT a consensus.
UM fans have a right to be PO'd about last season, but not to blame RR for the obvious lack of talent on defense and, most importantly, at the QB position. I still think UM would have won six or seven with a real QB last year. Hopefully, the QB situation was corrected with this recruiting class. At any rate, the program was in severe need of an update; consider the program now updated.
I think most real UM fans are somewhere between, me, who thinks that RR is doing as good of a job as possible given the circumstances and is 100 percent correct to install his offense now instead of creating some hybrid offense for one year, and those with more of a "wait and see" attitude. I really haven't run into any actual UM fans who think hiring RR was a bad idea or that he deserves to have shit piled on him for last year.
Hopefully, it will all become a moot point this year.
February 8th, 2009 at 9:50 AM ^
When WVU lost to Pittsburgh, with a trip to the BCS Natiional Championship on the line, I remember the press conference that took place after the game. At the time, I don't think anyone would have expected RR to our next coach (maybe the KNOWLEDGE knew). At that point, we were looking at Greg Schiano most seriously and lamenting Les Miles. In his press conference, I was impressed by the way he handled the loss - some emotion, but a calm demeanor and honesty; and the highest regard for his players. I remember thinking to myself that this was the kind of person I would want for a head coach.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:49 PM ^
Great post. I agree that RR keeping quiet and keeping the gloves on against UM's big rivals speaks far more to his character than anything that could have been gained by mouthing off. You look at Weiss and all the stupid things that have come out of his mouth and the "countdown clock" and press-room spouting Dantonio has been guilty of, and you see what happens when a coach allows his ego to supersede the best interest's of his team. Kiffin is going down that same road, and it actually makes Al Davis look prescient with his decision to remove him as the HC. Vols fans, by and large, seem embarrassed by his shenanigans, and you get a sense that Kiffin will be on a shorter leash than he thinks once Florida or some of the other SEC big dogs run over his team.
Sure, Michigan players and fans will continue to mouth off and ridicule opponents, and to any extent that is expected. But I have always been far more impressed by the coaches who keep their head above that than the guys who "understand the rivalry" by calling out student-athletes on the other team or taking snipes in the media about other teams' programs.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:24 PM ^
One of the coaches I feared the most was Lou Holtz. Now there was a guy who could take the wind out of your sails. All he would DO is talk about how talented and well coached his opponents were. And state something like "We are going to have to give our greatest effort if we hope to have ANY chance of beating these guys"
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