January 31st, 2012 at 6:19 AM ^
That was neat reading the likes and dislikes and why they did or didn't choose said school. I can see why Burbridge didn't choose U-M, it's not where his heart was and I can accept that, I want guys that love U-M and have their heart in it.
A lot of the guys that chose M you can really tell the love they have for the school, those guys will make an impact for sure.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:34 AM ^
Good read. It's actually refreshing to hear the negatives that these guys have in the recruiting process because most of the stuff on the mgoblog interviews is about the positives. I like that too but this seems a bit more real.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:51 AM ^
That was a great read. Very interesting. That should make people feel better about recruiting seeing that most of the guys on the list are going to Michigan.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:00 AM ^
They should really change the format with the kids who did not get MSU-UM offers. A simply look on rivals or scout and they could easily adjust the questions so those kids don't feel like crap for not getting an offer.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:36 AM ^
I still find it interesting when a guy says he had interest from UM or MSU and was contacted but that it never led to an offer.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:03 AM ^
The Richardson story is odd. LSU and Bama offered him scholarships, but MSU didn't? It's their loss.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:41 AM ^
A kid from Cass Tech with offers from LSU, Bama, Michigan and Michigan State...what school doesn't fit?
Clearly it's State. Michigan fits because Cass Tech is a Michigan pipeline school so it can compete with LSU and Bama. MSU is definitely the odd man out of that group - it's no wonder why they didn't offer...they never had a shot.
January 31st, 2012 at 2:04 PM ^
must have been verbal, correct? They can't offer for sophmores, officially. Maybe he offered his family jobs as well....along with some snake oil.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:08 AM ^
Was striking too.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:20 AM ^
After watching that defense as a highschooler, I can see why it wouldn't be as desireable to play for RR as a defensive recruit.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:00 AM ^
Yup. It may not be completely fair, but very understandable.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:18 AM ^
"Why not U-M? I liked coach (Brady) Hoke a lot, too. He turned things around there. I just don't like Ann Arbor. It's a little too liberal for me."
January 31st, 2012 at 7:31 AM ^
January 31st, 2012 at 7:53 AM ^
My cousin is a Senior at Flint Powers, played with Danny O for his whole high school career and he comes from a very conservative family and lives out in the Country. Ann Arbor is totally different than where DOB grew up, as is a city like East Lansing, but he felt like Knoxville, TN was more his style. It just speaks to how he was raised and that his decision was about where he felt comfortable.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:02 AM ^
College campus is liberal? Say it ain't so.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:32 AM ^
Someone posted a reply re: Garnett with two non-overlapping circles, one labeled "Comfort zone" the other "where the magic happpens" Seems pretty fitting here. I feel like kids (not just recruits) making decisions on colleges based on closeness to family, political leaning, or worst of all where their friends are going, are missing out on what college is all about, getting out of your comfort zone and meeting different people and viewpoints. It's a great big world out there, your sphere of experience as a high school student is very small indeed.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:45 AM ^
Ann Arbor is liberal...but let's not act like it's Cal-Davis or Brooklyn, NY (depending on your definition of liberal)
January 31st, 2012 at 11:04 AM ^
I'm not sure you're giving convincing reasons to go someplace else....
January 31st, 2012 at 2:06 PM ^
Nice, nice, very smooth.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:08 AM ^
Danny, it's too liberal for me too. But I went anyway and had a great time. You don't have to actually permenently live and vote there just because you went to school there.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:41 AM ^
January 31st, 2012 at 7:50 AM ^
"...he was the linebackers coach, talked as if we (players from northern schools) were inferior." Not sure that's the best way to attract a player...just sayin'.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:55 AM ^
January 31st, 2012 at 8:03 AM ^
You would turn away good football players based on their political leanings? Thats a good way to loose about half of your recruiting base, regardless of which half.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:27 AM ^
Didn't DOB get into some Yuri Wright-type drama over comments he made of the redneck variety? If that's the case, then the south is where he should head. It's not political; it's a bad fit.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:32 AM ^
If I'm not mistaken the comment you're talking about was in a live chat he said he likes hunting. Someone asked "bow hunting or with firearms". He said something to the extent of I am paraphrasing off memory here) "I like using guns b/c I'm white. That is why white people beat the Native Americans".
So while not PC, definitely not to the level of Wright's twitter in my opinion.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:51 AM ^
I don't recall the specifics either, but such a comment (even as paraphrased) falls into the category of "you have to be an idiot to say it".
January 31st, 2012 at 8:53 AM ^
I'd say a good fraction of these kids (17-18 yrs old) if given enough time and chances to interact with fans will say something stupid. Thats why I tend to think twitter for highschoolers and "live chats" with fans are a terrible idea.
January 31st, 2012 at 11:55 AM ^
January 31st, 2012 at 9:04 AM ^
Well, at least he said "Native Americans."
January 31st, 2012 at 9:15 AM ^
Racism isn't bad unless you're splashing Jewish people.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:27 AM ^
Is it racist to claim that whites had guns and native americans didn't? While somewhat insensitive, I'm not sure that is racism.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:06 AM ^
January 31st, 2012 at 10:15 AM ^
I guess we'll agree to disagree. I just don't think saying something like "The British imperial conquest in Africa was aided by superior technology" is racist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxim_gun).
I mean, I do agree that saying "I'm white so I want to be like that" crosses a line though.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:22 AM ^
I'm with you on this. One of the fundamental points of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel is that the West conquered most of the rest of the world because of environmental factors that allowed it to produce guns...That said, saying that you like guns because you're white, with the possible implication that you're more advanced than American Indians, who even in 2012 (he appears to think) prefer bows, crosses a line and is stupid.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:34 AM ^
No one is denying that Europe's superior technological base allowed them to easily conquer many parts of the world. The deal is though when asked about hunting you don't say "I don't use a bow because the Native Americans used bows and they suck."
Beside as an Ann Arborite, bows are awesome because they make no noise and don't bring AAPD around to ask why all your neighbors called in screaming about WWIII happening because they heard you fire a .177 air pistol.
January 31st, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^
- Native Americans HAVE had firearms in the vast majority of their armed conflicts with the US so his point is more ignorant than anything.
- If it were true reciting it as fact would be neither racist nor insensitive.
- Surely Danny O'brien knows that Native Americans could freely buy firearms today, but he suggests that white people are naturally disposed to the technologically superior weapon. The subtext is obvious: white people = smart, native americans = backward. If you can't see the racism in it you are either dumb or playing dumb.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:09 PM ^
I'm less worried about the political correctness of the statement than how plain, goddamned stupid it makes O'Brien sound.
January 31st, 2012 at 2:02 PM ^
January 31st, 2012 at 8:19 AM ^
God forbid someone doesn't agree with your political views.
I thought DOB's response about Ann Arbor was pretty funny. A2 is definitely a more liberal town than most in Michigan, but no more so than dozens of other college campuses.
At the same time, I'm not really sure how one picks up 'a liberal' vibe in the absence of 'Occupy' encampments, public Communist Party meetings, etc.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:27 AM ^
Consists of two tents in the little park on Liberty off of 5th(?).
January 31st, 2012 at 9:07 AM ^
Why would A2 need to occupied? It already is by the UM faculty.
January 31st, 2012 at 10:38 AM ^
LOL HAI GUYS POLITICS
January 31st, 2012 at 11:24 AM ^
I'm still not convinced that "Occupy Ann Arbor" isn't just some homeless guys using it as an excuse not to get evicted by the Cops for loitering or something
January 31st, 2012 at 8:53 AM ^
I think it's reputation by this point. There's nothing crazier in AA than you'd find anywhere else but it's rep was made in the 60's and has hardened in people's minds.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:15 AM ^
Fascinating tidbits of information. The one I would have like to hear more from was Ron Thompson to expand on this answer:
Why not U-M? It's not so much a negative about Michigan. Syracuse is just better because of the position (tight end) I play.
We know Hoke and Borges want to feature tight ends much more in the offense. It's frustrating that so many recruits at TE are going elsewhere. I don't blame recruits for watching certain teams through their high school year that have successful players at their position, and let's face it, Michigan wasn't a tight end school under RR's offensive philosophy. Koger was great this year, but it's almost like a catch 22: prospects want to see the TE used regularly,but we don't have the players to do that.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:13 AM ^
I miss the days of Riemersma, Joppru, Shea and so on......let's bring it back dammit!!
January 31st, 2012 at 9:18 AM ^
don't fall for that...
every spartan i know who didn't get into michigan, always would give a "reason" why they didn't go to michigan, that is, until i reminded them that they APPLIED and were REJECTED.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:39 AM ^
Ron had an unfortunate incident at school that no longer made his offer to UM commitable. Some of these quotes you just have to take with a grain of salt.