CC: Bigelow predicts, dishes

Submitted by mackbru on

I know some people here dismiss certain local reporters out of hand. But anyway. Pete Bigelow, who covers the team for AA.com, just predicted (via live-chat) that Harbaugh will take over for RR on January 4th. That's the day after the Orange Bowl.

(Caveat: Bigelow very clearly emphasized that this is merely his gut sense. He also stated that, although he can see it both ways, he'd give RR a fourth year.)

He also stated that, if Harbaugh does indeed take over, he would not install a hybrid offense; he would install the pro-set a la Stanford. As such, Bigelow said, JH would really have to sell Denard in order to keep him. 

Here was the dishy news item: Bigelow said he interviewed several players following the bust-dinner. His words:  "95 percent of them were stunned -- yes, stunned -- by what took place there."

MGoBoard

Section 1

December 28th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^

January 4, eh?  That would put him exactly 36 days behind Lynn Henning, who predicted (just his gut feeling, ya know?) that there would be a Monday, November 29 press conference to fire RR.

Anybody remember Lynn Henning?

Joined: 06/29/2009

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MGoSoftball

December 28th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^

@ss.  Thanks for the post.  We shall never forget about that post.  Sparty hacked into Lynn's account and posted that I'm sure.  I just dont understand, Sparty isnt smart enough for that.

Joined: 10/18/2010

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Section 1

December 28th, 2010 at 1:42 PM ^

Because afterward, Henning was really pissed off.  He wrote a News column just a couple of days later, wondering how anybody could have been so silly to misinterpret what he said as a "prediction."  "Monday" sounds sort of like a prediction to me, but whatever.  Henning was peeved that he had been subjected to a Michigan Daily inteview, asking him what he meant.  The funny thing about all of this is that Henning's radio interview was on a Lansing station, and within seconds, it was the Red Cedar Message Board that exploded with the "RICHROD TO BE FIRED ON MONDAY" rumor.  The shockwave that hit the internet before Henning even got out of his car came right out of Lansing.

Joined: 06/29/2009

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MGoSoftball

December 28th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^

I just received my M pen set from M Den via UPS.  I was so excited until I read this post.  Now I am going to stick a pen directly in my eye as penalty for opening any CC post.  Why do I open these?   Was it something I did when I was 5?  Or maybe that lab I skipped to head over to the bar to watch the game.

Joined: 10/18/2010

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MichiganFootball

December 29th, 2010 at 12:25 AM ^

I wonder how much of this is because RichRod is not David Brandon's "guy.". If Brandon had been the one to hire him I feel like he probably would have gotten a fourth season because Brandon would have felt invested in him. It's not his legacy on the line if RichRod is a failure at Michigan. Instead maybe it's a situation where Brandon wants his handpicked guy.

Joined: 11/02/2008

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jvp123

December 28th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^

If you read the whole story, it is a grand pile of nothing.

"I believe that something will happen, but not because I want it to."

" I want something else to happen. That way, if either happens, I will be in the clear."

By the way, "95 percent of them were stunned" is meant to make the reader believe that it means 95% of ALL players, when in all honesty, it doesn't.

By the way, is there a website that tracks writers/analysts predictions (or better yet, preseason polls vs post-season polls)? Something to actually being accountability and a checks and balance mentality to sports media?

Joined: 07/10/2009

MGoPoints: 205

michgoblue

December 28th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^

it's a comment in a live chat - it was obviously not meant to be a statistical sampling - but his point, which is valid, is that the overwhelming majority of former players cringed at RR's conduct.  Personally, I still don't see the problem with RR's conduct, aside from him having bad taste in music.

Joined: 11/16/2009

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A Real Toe Tapper

December 28th, 2010 at 12:58 PM ^

...that he was talking about FORMER players re: the 95% comment.  Might want to make that distinction clear because it makes a big difference.

 

All of the rest is pure opinion / conjecture / guessing. 

Joined: 09/07/2008

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mackbru

December 28th, 2010 at 12:59 PM ^

No. You're taking a hysterical view of what he said. He ventured a considered opinion. He carefully contextualized what he was saying. If he'd just come out bellowing that he was absolutely certain x and y would happen, you'd accuse him of being irresponsible. So knock it off. He covers the team. He's entitled to give his opinion. 

Joined: 09/01/2009

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BRCE

December 28th, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^

Bigelow has no earthly idea what kind of offense Harbaugh would install if hired. Harbaugh himself might not even know for sure until after spring ball. What a garbage comment.

I do appreciate his reporting on the players being stunned after the banquet. No joke - that's the kind of info I want from someone with access. I think we all thought "what the hell did the players think of this?"

Joined: 12/30/2008

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tenerson

December 28th, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^

The thing that is really beginning to bug me is that Harbaugh is going to come in and immedialy install a power run offense. The thing that bug me even more is when they refer to such a sche as "pro-style" because it is incorrect. The Patriots don't run a power running game and last i knew they are professional. The term is is old and missused. Furthermore, we have seen Standord run the read option. Sure, they very seldom use it, however Harbaugh does know it exists and I think it would be very tough to take perhaps the most explosive player in the game and not used him in the same way he has been so successful this year.

Joined: 10/04/2009

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michgoblue

December 28th, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^

Like many on this blog, I want to read whatever is out there on Michigan, especially in relation to the biggest issue related to our program.  This includes summaries of what people in the media say, articles from publications, respectable or not, the opinion of random M fans - whatever.  During the time between the end of the season and the bowl game, there really isn't much else M related content to discuss.

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mackbru

December 28th, 2010 at 1:27 PM ^

You're correct. Former players. Sorry if I was unclear.

I don't think he meant stunned in a good way. Here's what he said:

 

" I have talked with quite a few [players]. I'd say there's no consensus on whether Rich should stay or go, but of the ones who attended the team banquet, I'd say that 95 percent of them were stunned - yes, stunned - by what took place there."

Joined: 09/01/2009

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Laveranues

December 28th, 2010 at 1:28 PM ^

The best friend of the brother-in-law of the former University of San Diego AD knows the sister of one of the organizers of the under-10 girls T-Ball league in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.  Supposedly, he's already agreed to a 3-year deal worth $3.5M quetzals, plus .08% (pre-tax) of the region's cobalt exports and a thatch-roofed hut.

Joined: 02/09/2009

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joeyb

December 28th, 2010 at 1:37 PM ^

I, too, think that RR is gone. I can also see both sides of the argument, but lean toward keeping RR.

What I don't agree with is that we would go to a Pro-style offense. How could Harbaugh completely scrap what we have going for us on offense? It just doesn't make sense. I think that Harbaugh would hire a spread OC (maybe keep Magee). If he doesn't hire a new OC, I still think the work from the spread most of the time.

Joined: 10/12/2008

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jg2112

December 28th, 2010 at 1:47 PM ^

Well, Harbaugh ran the spread read at San Diego, and runs the spread at times at Stanford. In a combination of pro-style and spread offenses Stanford scored over 40 a game this year. Michigan would be just fine next year.

And the idea that RR doesn't mix it up formation-wise is a stupid meme we ought to be destroying. The fact that we all got frustrated over Vinny Smits running out of I-formation, instead of Stephen Hopkins, obscured the fact that RR's spread team was running I-formation power football. Also, what spread runs the 2-tight-end look like Michigan did this year?

Michigan mixes it up, Stanford mixes it up, everyone mixes it up. The team will adapt either way in 2011.

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