Brian makes the Deadspin top 125

Submitted by Benoit Balls on

I know, Deadspin, but their "Top 125" is a unscientific and sometimes humorous ranking of all 125 FBS teams each week. This week, the author singles out Brians "Fickle" post from the other day (one of his finest pieces of writering) To wit:

Dedicated opponents of bullshit should read this response to coach Brady Hoke, who attributed the inevitable swathes of scarlet and gray invading Michigan Stadium this weekend to the fact* that "people are fickle" and "that's the world we live in." We also live in a world where the cost of attending a Michigan game has increased exponentially, and in inverse proportion to the quality of the product. But I don't want to steal any of Brian Cook's thunder–just click on it.

Link to the entire article is here

I hope everyone is having a happy and safe Thanksgiving

MGoBoard

French West Indian

November 28th, 2013 at 4:24 PM ^

...one hundred and twenty five?!  Shit, what's the point of a list that long?  I might be on it too for all I know.

Joined: 12/28/2011

MGoPoints: 1840

Yeoman

November 28th, 2013 at 4:33 PM ^

....the more people will link to it because they know somebody on it.

And the more links to your page, the more pageviews you get.

Joined: 06/08/2011

MGoPoints: 21390

Elwood

November 28th, 2013 at 5:07 PM ^

was a shot at the athletic department and in defense of Hoke's remark about the fans.

Still, fans are fans. We're going to endure lows and highs, we're always going to hate OSU/MSU/ and ND and we're going to overoptimistically follow recruiting. Embrace it. 

Joined: 01/16/2010

MGoPoints: 5087

LSAClassOf2000

November 28th, 2013 at 5:45 PM ^

It sort of makes sense that it would make a list of some kind - if not Deadspin, then somewhere else certainly. I believe "Fickle" managed to get close to 550 replies from bloggers here alone, and who knows how many anonymous reads from other people. That was definitely bound to reappear somewhere. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130603

nickb

November 28th, 2013 at 6:23 PM ^

it allowed Brian to vent for most of us and call out Hoke (or is it Hoax?) for his lack of understanding remark.

Joined: 11/03/2010

MGoPoints: 2

dnak438

November 28th, 2013 at 7:18 PM ^

because although it's primarily about Michigan, it is immediately comprehensible to fans of all sports.

By the way, if you haven't seen BC's Andre Williams yet, you definitely should. He is some player:

Joined: 08/12/2009

MGoPoints: 7912

UMMAN83

November 28th, 2013 at 7:27 PM ^

to stop supporting the team. Check the seat number of every fickle fan that sold out to ohio and post it here. Can't wait to expose the so called fans that hide when we are having a tough go ... Go away forever ....please.

Joined: 11/26/2009

MGoPoints: 1491

93Grad

November 29th, 2013 at 11:05 AM ^

is a bad fan because it may have been bought by an opposing fan?  The continuous questioning of people's fanhood on this site is ridiculous.  Who the fuck are you to tell anyone ele what they can and cant do with their tickets?

Joined: 07/26/2011

MGoPoints: 13569

Blue in Yarmouth

November 29th, 2013 at 8:03 AM ^

If you don't agree that's fine, people don't always agree and frankly I'm so sick of all the negativity around here I almost (ALMOST) didn't come on here today. I do wonder though, how people could look at what was said and not have an issue with it. 

BH has proven nothing if not that he is very calculated in what he says to the media. Everyone is always complaining about how he never gives answers and is never critical about his coaches etc. etc. etc. Now I do like BH and don't want him fired in the least way, but that comment bothered me a bit too (and I'm not even one of the fans he is talking about).

BH has put a sub par product on the field this year no matter how you slice it (I don't blame him for most of it however). He has resisted the urge to throw any of his coaches under the bus or even attribute any of the losses to them, even though it has been clear what has been wrong. The first time he is asked a question about fans, what does he do? Does he give those fans, the ones who pay the ticket prices that pay his pay check, the same type of loyalty? No, he throws them under the bus.

Again, if you don't have an issue with that, that's cool, it's your business but let others others convey their frustrations with it. To conclude, if BH thinks fans are fickle now, imagine what he would have thought if he were here in 2008-2010. What he has experienced is extremely mild in comparison. My final beef with the whole thing is that I don't believe fickle is the right word for it anyway. He should have called them fair weather fans if he had to say anything at all. 

 

Joined: 02/18/2009

MGoPoints: 6522

Magnus

November 29th, 2013 at 8:24 AM ^

"The first time he is asked a question about fans, what does he do? Does he give those fans, the ones who pay the ticket prices that pay his pay check, the same type of loyalty? No, he throws them under the bus."

Is this *really* the first time he was asked a question about fans? Really?

And besides that, you don't know what he's doing behind closed doors. Calling out your coaches and players in the media is a bad idea. It's a recipe for losing your team, losing your fans, and losing your job. For all we know, he's put Borges, Funk, etc. on notice. There's NO OTHER WAY to talk to the fans. If there are issues, the fans need to be addressed publicly.

And on top of that, it was one damn word in a press conference. It's been blown way out of proportion on this blog and, apparently, all over the internet. Let alone whether it was accurately used or not, there's no need to blow this out of proportion further.

Joined: 07/17/2008

MGoPoints: 166006

Blue in Yarmouth

November 29th, 2013 at 8:58 AM ^

I don't want an arguement and actually like you as a poster so I hope you don't take offense when I say you completely missed my point.

So Maybe it wasn't the FIRST time he was asked a question about the fans (but it isn't something that's asked often. I also wasn't saying he should throw anyone under the bus. The point was he is very good at NOT throwing people under the bus when it suites him and yet he took the opportunity to do it to fans.

How many times has been asked about offensive playcalling? Has he ever even came close to saying it wasn't up to par? Should he say that it wasn't up to par? No, I agree. So when he is asked about the fans that have supported him since he has been here (with the exception of a small few) shouldn't they be given that same courtesy? I mean, he evades questions or gives non-answers all the time and I think this would have been a great time for one of those. 

Now you seem to be one of those people who didn't take offense to this, and that's fine...everyone is entitled to their opinion. But for a guy like me, who supported this program while RR was here (through the good and the bad....but it was mostly bad back then) and then got behind BH as soon as he arrived here and have supported both he and the program the entire time, it hurts a bit. 

Are there people who could be called fair weather fans in this (and every other) fanbase? Absolutely there are, but there are also lots who aren't. He didn't differentiate, he lumped us all in the same bunch. He didn't say "lots of our fans stick by us, or only a few fans are "fickle". 

Again, to my main point: Had this come from a notorious hothead who was always making strange comments to the media I might not even raise an eyebrow. This, however, comes from a guy who has never made a misstep in a press conference in three years so you have to think he said exactly what he meant to say. To a guy who has been a loyal fan of this team since I first watched a game 30 years ago, that hurts a bit. It doesn't bother you and that's fine, but let others express how they feel as well.

Joined: 02/18/2009

MGoPoints: 6522