Am I the only one who isn't a fan of Tate?

So we don't think it is fair that Tate reads all the Denard love, and feels frustrated that no one (in the press) really acknowledged that he was playing with the two offense against the one defense and vice versa, and he vents it out on his wall of shame???

I have no problem with it. Neither should Denard really.

What if the guy has been hounded, gawked at, and facebook stalked by wide eyed fans for the last three or four years, and his way of dealing with it is to keep to a closer circle of trusted freinds???

I mean really, come on. Granted, anecdotally is has been alluded to that his early success went to his head, and maybe he isn't towing the line as much as he should have. Still, he's all of 19, and is in an incredibly challenging situation (how to be somewhat normal in a fishbowl, and how to make the transition from a lifetime of a father overseeing most aspects of your life to being successful and managing your own life).

There are some great guys on this team, who are clearly extroverts and fun to be around: funny dog stories, rap videos, and smiles, etc. Just because someone keeps to themself, doesn't mean they're not a great guy.

I say unless Tate walks up to you at the Union and says "bow down lowly commoner", maybe you cut him a break.

... i'm surprised by the negative reaction to the OP.   As if you haven't insulted opposing 19-year-old amateur athletes?  There is a certain emu and OSU QB who would beg to differ. 

While I agree that we should always root for him because he is on our team, I can say that I don't like the way he interacts with the media and he does come off as insincere.  Strike it up to immaturity, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.  The OP should be entitled to his opinion without people making hypocritical statements about how we shouldn’t negatively speak of “unpaid” athletes.  If you don’t think we should insult unpaid athletes, hold to that rule for all teams not just UM.  If you think we shouldn’t be critical of our own team than you should just state you are circling the wagons and are refusing to listen to alternative viewpoints.

I don't know Tate but I'm guessing if he reads this thread he has more reasons to call a couple people "douchenozzles" than they claim to have...

I met Tate once outside the Union. I was like "sup brah" and he was like "sup"

Then I punched him in the face and he was like "haha ow u punched me bro"

And I decided he was a chill brohammer after all

So I have no beef with Torts Falconer

a 19 year old star quarterback of a major college football program acting smug and entitled!!!???!?!?!?!?!!?!???!

...causes MGoShitStorm.  Film at eleven.

This topic is absolutely incredible to me.  You mean our putative starting quarterback is cocky?  Really?  A cocky football player?  A cocky quarterback?  These things are unheard of on a college campus.  I'm shocked, I tell you.  Shocked.

Just say hi to the dude next time you see him and tell him that you're pulling for him.  Do the same thing with Denard.

The public isn't entitled to know which athletes are genuinely good people, which are douches, and which are in between. Sometimes you get to learn a bit about their real personalities, but I don't think there has ever in history been a guy who you can judge one way or another after one year in the public spotlight.

Things you might not choose in a friend are fine qualities for an athlete on a team you root for. As mentioned above, Hart was a loudmouth with a Napolean complex, but when he held a football, he fought for every yard as of he didn't know the difference between 36 inches and salvation, and in doing so earned our undying admiration.

Forcier stood for an entire season opposite dozens of future NFL defensemen, with only Ortmann, Schilling, Moosman, Huyge and Dorrestein between him and them. Before his shoulder exploded, Forcier's gutsy play won the Notre Dame game, sparked a thrilling comeback win against Indiana, and tied an MSU game that shouldn't have been close (unless offsides suddenly became a penalty in the Big Ten...which...if they haven't they really should make offsides a penalty in the Big Ten, even if it would ruin Dantonio's career).

For that, he has my respect.

Unless he starts dating Misopogal's sister or something, that's really all I need to root for him.

reads this blog then I hope he does see this thread.  Maybe it will be a wake up call.  And it also may go a lot farther to Tate hearing it from hear vs. other sources.

I would put money down that he would have greater success with less attitude and is'nt that what college is really about.  Figuring out who and what you are? 

How soon we forget him giving it his all last year in the MSU game. 

So you want the guy who would be our most experienced QB to transfer because he's cocky? And you justify it by saying he's quiet and citing a webpage his dad runs... I see no flaws in your logic.

Here's my take, which means next to nothing in the scheme of things.

I will be interested to see how Tate handles adversity this season. And I'm not talking on the field. Denard has made some significant gains since 2009 and he has a higher ceiling than Tate in terms of potential, IMO.

I think the two will split a lot of playing time early, and it is very possible that Denard wins the job outright.

Now, should this happen, I will be curious to see how Tate handles himself off the field. Will he complain about it or will he continue to work hard and support Denard?

Wow, the season really needs to get here.  These threads are getting ridiculous.  Maybe we can talk about actual football soon?  Probably not, we're just going to cluck like a circle of chickens for a few months.

All kinds of threads get deleted/locked by the mods...

...and yet this one is left to stand?

how about eliot mealer? that guys the biggest jerk. he is so selfish to come back after a tragedy and guilt everyone into giving him attention. and barwis, that fraud. i cant believe he would donate his own time to help out someone recovering from a spinal injury. some people.

No, but your opinion is the only one Tate cares about.

I remember seeing John Navarre (!) a couple of times on campus and, based on my completely uneducated eye, he looked pretty "cocky", what with his height and athletic ability and his name in the UM record books.  I knew right then, staring at him silently while he passed, that he was a total d-bag who was a horrible teammate and who never should be allowed to wear a UM jersey, especially not one worn by suck humble characters as Desmond, Woodson, and Hart. 

/s

Come on!  This is big-time college football, and Tate Forcier is the presumptive favorite to be the starting QB at UM.  I fully expect him to be a bit cocky, and given his size and the number of times people have doubted him, about the only chance he has to survive and succeed is to go out and believe that he is the best player on the field, in the Union, in the classroom, etc.  The minute he stops believing that he is the best QB at UM is the day he might as well pack up his bag and sit on the bench.

And while I am all for Denard becoming the starting QB if he earns it on the field, let's look at this situation from Tate's perspective.  Last year, as a true freshman, he took a pretty mediocre offense into one of the better ones in the conference, put together some transcedent performances, and played injured for most of the 2nd half of the season.  Along the way, he was dissected and analyzed by all types of pundits, from ESPN personalities to the random MGoPoster.  His coach, perhaps as motiviation, pointed out to the press when he succeeded and when he failed.  He also had to contend with a new living situation, thousands of miles from home, in an academically-rigorous school. 

All the while, he didn't complain to the press, he didn't say anything stupid along the lines of "everyone murders", and he kept his nose out of trouble (at least headline-generating trouble). 

And for that, as soon as Denard showed some flashes of brilliance in summer workouts and the spring game, everyone annointed Denard the heir apparent and threw Tate behind both him and uber-recruit Gardner.  People said he was immature, that he couldn't cut it in this system, that maybe he should transfer somewhere else.  The local press treated him as an afterthought, and random bloggers started calling him an ass because he is quiet and isn't laughing all the time (and let's see how Denard acts after the fans skewer him for throwing 3 picks or fumbles twice in a game). 

So yeah, taking all of this into account, I don't blame him for being a bit down, for being annoyed that he played against the #1 defense with the #2 offense while Denard received heaps of praise for his ability to carve up walk-ons.  Is it a bit immature to post it on Facebook?  Sure, but then again, show me a mature 19-year-old's Facebook page and I'll show a potential sting operation by Chris Hanson. 

People don't freak out here if you question Tate because we have some crazy man-crush on him (okay, some of us do) provided you supply some tangible, coherent points behind your criticism.  Questioning the kid's heart because he didn't shake everyone's hand as he walked across campus or struggles to adjust to constant criticism gives you absolutely no leg to stand on.

In terms of football maturity: injury dramatics, holding that ball out there, taking off and scrambling too soon (even before protection breaks down). 

But he's a great player, and he'll be even better when realizes that working hard with his teammates and listening to his coaches is what's best for him right now.

Just needs to realize: there will be enough drama when he wins a National Championship for Michigan.  Need only ask his dad

Edit: remember he was also gracious re. Denard's PT last year "you can't keep a talent like that off the field."  We learned a lot about Denard in terms of not giving up when Tate took over.  We'll learn a lot more about them both this year.  I'm optimistic

Were you one of the people calling for him to win the Heisman after the ND game too?

I'm a fan of anyone who helps us win football games. End of story.

If this thread gets jumpbalya banned than it's the best tread ever. If it doesn't well at least you got to get some shit off your chest. Should Tate read this thread and have tears in his eyes, I will never be able to forgive you MgoDC.

I think people are way over reacting here.  This guy is entitled to his opinion first of all.  Everyone here keeps saying, "well as long as he wins I don't care."  Well, this guy is saying he does care and he is allowed to think so.

Also, I think it is a valid topic to say hey, i don't really like player x, what does this rather large and representative group of michigan fans think about him.  What is wrong with that? 

I think he is perfectly entitled to not like Tate and to wonder what other peoples feelings are on him.  To neg bang him and say that this topic and his opinion are dumb is imo...dumb.

For the record, I think Tate does come off as immature and a bit douchy, but you can put me in the camp of people who say as long as he wins I don't care.  I am not saying he is that way, I am just saying he comes off that way and if he were on another team, I would make fun of my friends who were fans of said team

If Tate wins games and steers clear of the law or NCAA then I don't care what kind of a person he is.

If Tate loses games and sucks or gets arrested or busted by the NCAA then I don't care what kind of a person he is.

I guess I just don't care. Partially, because I will never know Tate or talk to Tate so I have no way to judge his personality. But also because Tate is just a football player to me so I will tend to judge him on how he plays football.

p>

This guy was basically the Isner v. Mahut of douchiness; after such an epic display, no other douchiness will ever seem impressive.

I think it's one thing to have the private opinion that a person is a kind of a dick, and its something else entirely to post your opinion that that somebody is kind of a dick on the interenets.

That's kind of a dick move.

you take some potatos, hopefully from IDAHO, and you cook em and thrown in some musturd and mayo and carrots and celery and blueberries and onions and a spoon of sassafrass.  mix it all up real good like and serve at 4000 degrees centegrade.

potato salad

I always miss the morning negbangs!!