Bielema ordered chop block on Mike Martin
From TheWolverine.com
After the game Saturday, Bielema said his offensive line -- which grinds opposing defenses into dust by pulling its guards and ramming them into linebackers downfield -- was prevented from pulling by Michigan. He used the word "tactics," which is coaching code for "holding," to describe what Michigan's defensive line was doing.
"But we rectified the situation," Bielema said.
When asked how, Bielema recalled a chop-block penalty that went against his team -- and took a touchdown off the scoreboard -- in the second quarter. Wisconsin lost seven points but delivered a message.
So yeah, he's a good coach, and Wisconsin was clearly the better team on Saturday, but this is just wrong.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:03 PM ^
What a douche, he did it knowing that Martin was injured and to get him out of the game. He should be penalized for asking his players to do something with the intent of injuring another player.
November 21st, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^
Contact info for UW's office of the president and board of regents can be found on the web easily. (I'm getting a spam warning try to post this, so I'm removing links.)
Here is most of the text I just sent to them:
Dear Mr. Reilly, Ms. Brady, and Regents of the University of Wisconsin:
I am compelled to write to you after Mr. Bielema’s public acknowledgment that he and his staff ordered Wisconsin players to engage in illegal chop blocks to take out Michigan players in yesterday’s game. This is not a sportsmanship issue; this is a safety issue. Mr. Bielema’s decision to authorize and encourage his players to engage in illegal tactics that have the potential to seriously injure opposing players is, at a minimum, revolting, and unbecoming of the University of Wisconsin. My respect for your university has been diminished. I would never have imagined that you would condone a coach who willfully orders his players to engage in such conduct. (By the way, the possible injuries caused by such conduct are not hypothetical. The Michigan player attacked, Michael Martin, was recovering from an ankle injury, and could not play the second half of the game. Congratulations to Mr. Bielema, who, as he described it, “rectified the situation.”)
I also find it ironic that UW Health Sports Medicine is currently conducting a study regarding ankle injuries in football. I have copied the researchers, Dr. Alison Brooks, an assistant professor of sports medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, Tim McGuine, a UW sports medicine researcher, and Dr. John Wilson, a UW sports medicine physician, on this email. I am sure they can inform you of the effects of coaches, including University-affiliated coaches, ordering their players to engage in illegal chop blocks to deliberately attack the ankles of engaged linemen from opposing teams.
In this era where we hear of more and more programs willing to do anything to win games, I am saddened that Wisconsin-Madison has become one of those programs, willing to sacrifice the safety of student-athletes.
Yours truly,
[signed]
November 21st, 2010 at 9:16 PM ^
Could have added not suspending a Wisconsin player for deliberately trying to injure Steve Breaston in 2006.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:05 PM ^
That's about a completely different comment.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:26 PM ^
It's in there. Here. I think it deserves more discussion though.
November 21st, 2010 at 8:56 PM ^
I think my post was misunderstood. I posted the link to add to his thread, not to be that mgoblogger who shoves a previous thread in someone's face and say, "SOMEONE ALREADY POSTED OMG".
Anyway hate the negs but life goes on
November 21st, 2010 at 5:05 PM ^
Bielema is a meathead. I am not shocked. His mother walks on her hands and has no elbows. Let's get ready for osu.
November 21st, 2010 at 6:52 PM ^
I have a hard time believing the word "rectify" is in his vocabulary.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:07 PM ^
Kidding. Douche move on Bielema's part.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:10 PM ^
by showing class.
November 21st, 2010 at 8:34 PM ^
We're going to keep our cool.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:11 PM ^
That's.....appalling. What a piece of shit, if in fact he ordered one of his players to do that. Douchebag isn't an appropriate word for it. Justin Boren is a douchebag. Ordering one of your players to injure another is disgustingly felonious.
November 21st, 2010 at 6:33 PM ^
would ask his players to resort to dirty tactics. I thought we agreed that is probably not ever the case. Dammit for our reasonable sensibilities.
November 22nd, 2010 at 6:38 AM ^
And Bielema is Exhibit A on coaches asking players to injure the other team.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:17 PM ^
Karma will come for Bielema. That all cheese diet and scrounging for undergrads at bars will end poorly.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:19 PM ^
So this is the point of the program where we get blown out and then find ways to pat ourselves on the back for being classier while demonizing the other team based on a random quote? Come on guys.
<br>
November 21st, 2010 at 5:27 PM ^
I agree, this happens. However, in this particular case, Bielema admitted it to the press, and I think we'd be pissed about it even if we had won. As we were in 2006.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:22 PM ^
This is Michigan. We do this after every game, win or lose.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:43 PM ^
we used to be talking Ohio State on this Sunday. Now it's "Bielema sounded arrogant in his press conference." Sigh.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:55 PM ^
People are talking up OSU, but that doesn't mean you can't point out that the coach from yesterday's game was a massive tool and could have ended a kid's career. Bitch to the refs if you want, but to basically order a hit on a college kid isn't copacetic.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:56 PM ^
Good point. The only logical conclusion is to fire Rodriguez.
November 22nd, 2010 at 12:23 AM ^
oh wait, you were being sarcastic
November 21st, 2010 at 5:53 PM ^
Basically saying you ordered a chop block against a college kid really isn't something a grown man should be doing. I would think the same way if the score had been reversed. Plus, this is not new for him - point to Breaston in 2006, and I think there was a similar complaint by Minny or Illinois (I could be way off) a year or two ago about a similar tactic. Plus, the guy ran up the score against IU last week, and did the same against Austin Peay earlier in the season. Sure, it sucks to lose and that might fuel a bit of the rage, but identifying a jerk for what he is doesn't mean you are whining.
November 21st, 2010 at 6:07 PM ^
I think you have to give him a pass on the score thing. Think back to Delaware State, when we were playng every kid on the bench. You're going to tell a kid playing in his one game all year, to hold back and try less? IU's coach understood.
Not arguing with the fact that Bielema is a jerk, but last week's score isn't why IMO.
November 21st, 2010 at 6:19 PM ^
I would agree if he just ran the ball every down (like he did against UM) and IU couldn't stop them. But looking at some of the playcalling at the end of the game (passing up 76-13, trying two straight throws up 59-13 when you are 20+ yards away from the endzone, heck playing your starter later into the 3rd quarter and throwing for TDs) you can't really compare it to Del. St. I am from the camp that if you don't like them scoring, stop them on defense, but that doesn't excuse a guy clearly trying to run up the score in a game that was decided.
November 21st, 2010 at 6:12 PM ^
I'm not so preoccupied with losing that I'm indifferent about a head coach all but confessing to ordering a dirty hit on one of our players. The last three years appears to have deadened your sense of moral outrage. Mine, however, remains fully operational and intact. Apologies.
November 21st, 2010 at 6:21 PM ^
good call jackass
November 21st, 2010 at 5:20 PM ^
Someone should go Nancy Kerrigan on Bielema and see how he likes it.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:28 PM ^
I mean, it's all just tactics to Bielema, right? Eventually the Big Ten needs to step in a send a message by suspending him for a game. It is getting out of hand.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:33 PM ^
It would be quite easy for the offense to run a play that takes a bunch of guys right into the sideline where Meathead is standing. That would be so fucking beautiful.
November 21st, 2010 at 9:40 PM ^
November 22nd, 2010 at 12:15 AM ^
Michigan Daily article says it was Brandon Graham:
While covering a second-quarter punt, defensive end Brandon Graham blocked Notre Dame linebacker John Ryan onto the sideline. Ryan crashed into the back of Weis’s leg. The Notre Dame coach fell backwards over Ryan, awkwardly bending his knee as he went down.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:20 PM ^
I wanted to run out of the Stadium after the game to tell Kamoku what I thought of him and his teammates as they boarded the Badgers team bus. At the time, I had no idea that Chris Spielman was at that moment telling the broadcast audience that he hoped and expected (wrongly) that Bielema would actually do something about it.
Go to 7:20 of this YouTube segment, to see the Stevie Breaston punt return that precipitated it all.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:22 PM ^
I'm sure they'll send it in for review. Heck, they probably review the chop blocking calls every week.
November 21st, 2010 at 8:34 PM ^
He should be reprimanded by the conference.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:31 PM ^
Someone get a piece of paper and jot this down.
Dear coach,
You are a jackass of John Kreese proportions. Do us all a favor and close down your Cobra Kai dojo. The 80's are over, dude.
Sincerly,
Me
PS: You have a fat face.
November 21st, 2010 at 6:09 PM ^
Yeah... and it comes across as too "matchy".
November 21st, 2010 at 5:36 PM ^
I'd rather lose every game from now until the end of time than be coached by someone like Bret Bielema.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:40 PM ^
Chop blocks aren't illegal, it was on one play in the game. Its more of a compliment to how hard Martin was playing throughout the game.
I have a hard time believing he was trying to intentionally injure martin, I can understand trying to send him a message but you guys are fishing if you take it for more than that.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:44 PM ^
Not illegal? That's funny, because they called a penalty for doing it. And Bielema didn't seem too upset about the call.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:48 PM ^
you want try to read my post again?
Its a good thing UM doesn't play navy
November 21st, 2010 at 5:51 PM ^
Cut blocks are legal, but chop blocks aren't.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:54 PM ^
yeah messed that up
November 21st, 2010 at 5:55 PM ^
You want to try and read the article again? A penalty was called for a chop block. Gee, let's put our thinking caps on: why would the referees call a penalty for a chop block if chop blocks were legal?
November 21st, 2010 at 6:49 PM ^
that ND doesn't play Michigan. I can only imagine what Denard would....oh wait....
November 21st, 2010 at 5:45 PM ^
I know ND hasn't played against Wisconsin under Bielema...but like, really? Even Wisconsin fans admit that Bret is a classless dickhead that isn't above this kind of shit.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:49 PM ^
The play in question resulted in a touchdown, which was called back because of the penalty.