Chill. Out
Quit being a bunch of pussies guys....what happened, happened. The media's gonna rail on the program because they can. They will sell advertising, get internet clicks, and gain listeners because this is a huge story.
Who gives a shit what anyone else say's? The program is moving forward. These allegations have been known for some time, the University is dealing with them and Coach Rod remains the football coach.
Haters will hate and rivals will say we "cheated." Whatever, let them say what they want to say - If we really wanted to cheat, we could've done a lot worse....
The team will prove it on the field next year, and that's all that matters. Bottom line.
Quit being a bunch of pussies and crying about everything that you're hearing on the radio. The media is paid to report the news and put their sensational spin on that news. Michigan sells, this story really sells.
We're talking about Practice. PRACTICE. In many instances, 20 minutes of practice. PRACTICE. If that's all the NCAA found, then that shit is weak.
Frankly I'm sick of hearing about this shit.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:34 AM ^
You forgot "Fuck."
February 24th, 2010 at 8:35 AM ^
but use ALL CAPS for emphasis please.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:40 AM ^
Also, "Shreebleverg".
What? That's not a swear word at your house?
February 24th, 2010 at 10:05 AM ^
I'm not quite sure but I think I saw Rodriguez mumbling that under his breath yesterday at the press conference.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:00 AM ^
but when I shout "Veeblefetzer", the dog and cat go into hiding because they know a storm is brewing.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:40 AM ^
I realized that after I saw my own headline.
Seriously though, chill out. It's practice. We're not talking academic improprieties. We're not talking about recruiting violations, or that Barwis fed our team steriods.
We're talking about 20 minutes of practice overages, kids being punished for not attending class (the horror!), and glorified high schools coaches (sorry) giving instruction when they're not supposed to.
The team was young and thin for the past two years and the coaches obviously felt the need to push them hard - this obviously backfired
We broke the rules. Bottom line. We will deal with the consequences. Everyone does it, but we got caught and will pay the price.
This price will be nominal, but a price at that. Let's just concentrate on giving Coach the support for where he really needs it - on the field.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:07 AM ^
if i could give you a +1 i would.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:39 AM ^
Agreed.
Sometimes you just have to hunker down and accept criticism. That's what Brandon, Rodriguez, and Coleman are doing. I don't see why we can't do the same thing.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:40 AM ^
I'm a fan, a grad. I'm about winning, but I'm also about Michigan being the finest institution in the world when you combine everything. It's a college 'ecosystem' that is pretty special. It does piss me off that 'haters' are trying to bring down our Camelot. It's hard not to take it personal, for me.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:52 AM ^
We're 8-16 in the past two years
If that's camelot, then shoot me.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:56 AM ^
I believe he was referring to more than just the football team.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:29 AM ^
this is equivalent to when sir gallahad got VD and had to sit out a few crusades.
it was not all heroics back then.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:54 AM ^
Your first two sentences describe my stance as well. However, as I posted over on annarbor.com, we are alleged to be guilty of:
- Assuring players attend class and get an education
- Helping players develop skills while they are voluntarily practicing
- Exceeding mandatory practice times by 20 minutes to 2 hours a week because of a misinterpretation of how you count to doing stretch exercises and warm-ups
I know NCAA allegations of any type are not a good thing. Frankly, the allegations pale in comparison to the types of infractions being discussed at USC, or even our own Ed Martin basketball scandal.
Gee, we asked them to do stretches and go to class, and showed them how to improve their skills when voluntarily practicing .... OMG! [sarcasm]
Seriously though, it is an embarrassment sure, but to me it appears that our infractions are in line with our values: dedication to succeeding in football, and in the classroom.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:44 AM ^
"Quit being a bunch of pussies guys" This should immediately be put as the header on the front page of this site. After the Conway commit meltdown and now practicegate a little reminder to keep it real is just what some people need around here.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:45 AM ^
It's not the "haters" trying to bring down our Camelot. This is what Michigan fans are having a difficult time understanding.
These allegations are from the NCAA, not "haters." The NCAA gains nothing from sanctioning its members. The NCAA does not enjoy this.
WE (as in the University of Michigan) did something wrong. It's true. Accept it and move on. You're placing the blame on outsiders when it's the insiders who brought this on themselves.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:51 AM ^
that misled the NCAA investigators?
February 24th, 2010 at 8:57 AM ^
He was tarred and covered in scarlet and gray feathers.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:11 AM ^
Thanks Magnus. Your posts the last 36 hours have been appreciated. For the most part, I think you've been passionately objective.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:22 AM ^
God damn you are completely moronic. These allegations were prompted by a bullshit, hack job by Rosendouche and Co at the sparty propaganda machine (aka the Freep).
The investigation discovered (if you actually read the report, which judging from your posts the last 24 hours, you did not) that the freep's allegations and research was blown way out proportion. Oh boo hoo, practice went 20 minutes too long. I would love for the NCAA to investigate my graduate program at the University where classes regularly go longer than 30 minutes over. GA/QC were at practices at these time periods for stretching, thats right stretching...Boo hoo GA/QC were in coaches meetings, which is now allowed by the NCAA. I would actually research your posts before spout out your oh so educated opinion next time.
Really it is in the insiders. The facts are this, like at the majority of D1 programs (99.9%) would have stayed in house if it wasn't for the petty faction inside Schembechler Hall that are crying because Debord/English/Miles was not hired for the position.
You know what Fuck you and fuck morgan trent and any other person that threw Rich under the bus the moment he stepped into Ann Arbor.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:32 AM ^
I agree with you, but let it go.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:35 AM ^
No you cannot tell me to let it go. This is fucking america and I have a right guaranteed by the first amendment to say whatever the fuck i want. If you do not support Rich, then in my book, fuck you.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:46 AM ^
I am steadfast Rich supporter. However, I will take that "Fuck You" and throw it right back at you for doubting me.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:47 AM ^
1.) carrying this much rage around with you about sports cannot be healthy.
2.) i am sure that if the founding fathers knew that you were invoking the Bill of Rights of the United States of America (since technically "America" stretches from Argentina to Alaska) so that you could be unreasonably exasperated about an uncertain ruling from the legislative body of college sports that you will hear about in 6 months, they would not be that proud.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^
Wow, well now I see why your at almost -100,000 points. I support RR 100% and I think he can get us back to where we wanna be. We all want nothing more than to see the maize and blue tearing it up on the field every Saturday like we are all used to. But if we don't turn it around by 2011 I think he's probably gone.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:55 AM ^
No, I have -98,000 because I called a sparty that posted on here spartina, which was banned by Brian the previous day. Thanks for your assumption.
If Rich is fired by the factions within the university that never gave him a chance in the first place, then I am completely done with Michigan.
February 24th, 2010 at 12:07 PM ^
and you will be sorely missed.
February 24th, 2010 at 12:22 PM ^
I said ALMOST -100,000 dick. You probably got negged 49,000 times because you tried so hard to be funny, but your lame-ass "insult" was indeed, not funny.
February 24th, 2010 at 1:27 PM ^
Wrong again. Here is the email Brian sent me for proof that he neg hammered me since you are new...
Wolverine318, Hi. You must have annoyed people, because they voted against
you and yoinked this role from you: Role: basic user Points Required: 20.
Sucks to be you! Try to be less annoying in the future.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:08 AM ^
actually, you know what - I am with this man. To the ramparts; 'Michigan, Michigan, fight for Michigan!'
you're either part of the solution (defining, deconstructing, creating, or interpreting the public narrative of Michigan football) or you're part of the problem.
pacifists can stay at home with the womenfolk and children or go hang out with the nihilists in the pool.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:34 AM ^
the gist of this thread is that the freep doesn't matter, other schools don't matter, GA/GCs don't matter, MSC or Brandon don't matter, morgan trent does not matter. how we got here is in the past and the simple present is this:
1. UM violated the rules (however inconsequently),
2. UM got caught (no matter by whom or what their agenda),
3. UM will be punished (and this will include internet board taunting),
4. UM should go all Braveheart on everyone next year.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:51 AM ^
Two sets of mounted soldiers approach midfield, from opposite directions. The head man for the media horde from one side begins to speak as everyone meets.
Media Horde Head Man: "These are the media's terms. Lead this team off the field, and surrender your head coach, and the Media will grant to you each 2 years of respite in our papers, from which you will pay an annual homma-"
Rich Rodriguez from the other side interrupts: "I have an offer for you."
MHHM Continues, annoyed: "-From which you will pay an annual hom-"
RR Interrupts again: "I said, I have an offer for you. You will turn around, and march straight back to your media outlets, stopping at every Michigan Fan's house you see, to appologize for 24 months of assaults on intelligence, exaggeration and deliberate inflamation. Do that, and you shall survive. Do it not, and every one of you shall be horribly embarrased today."
MHHM Laughs, speaks incredulously: "You have no credibility. In a hundred years, no team has stood up to the media without at least one MNC in the last decade."
RR: "I hadn't finished! Before we let you leave, Drew Sharpe must cross this field, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse."
February 24th, 2010 at 9:55 AM ^
I was pretty happy they had that on repeat with "the Patriot" for a couple of days this past weekend. I watched both twice.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:53 AM ^
I believe he was reffering to Braveheart. It was on this weekend as well, probably just mixed them up. TIMMMMMMMMAAAAAAYYYYYY!!
February 25th, 2010 at 7:51 AM ^
That's why I said that "that" was playing on repeat along with the Patriot. I love both of those movies. I wasn't very clear though, so I see how it got confused.
February 24th, 2010 at 5:28 PM ^
it does matter how fans/people react.
Piling on to further your own agenda only helps besmirch the program and I would question the loyality of any fan that does that simply because they long for a bygone era or coach.
I would also implore them to do a little research into RR and his policies and actions. I think they would find someone that in reality upholds all the values they hold so dear and in fact is enhancing them with a work ethic that seems to have diminished a bit under previous staffs.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:11 AM ^
are going 30 minutes over?! Sounds like we have a story.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:49 AM ^
although an inherent suspicion of the organization and their remarkably inconsistent disciplinary decisions seems pretty reasonable.
The haters work at the local, evidently biased media outlets in Detroit. I would agree that the university staff are in the wrong; I imagine people get frustrated as a result of the inequity within the local coverage.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^
The freep brought this on. If you don't think that similar violations could be found at every single other Div 1 football team, including UM under Lloyd Carr, well then you would be wrong again.
This was a freep driven witch hunt that was supported by all the other RR haters who hate him simply because he talks funny and is not Lloyd Carr. The animosity towards change amongst the press, administration and fans is staggering.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:05 AM ^
Does it matter if the Freep is biased? Did we still commit violations? The dislike for RR is mostly due to the epic losing he brought to A2. The most upsetting "change" is the losing - not the spread offense.
In any event, this isn't the media's fault - it is the coach's fault. If anyone else can be blamed, it's only his staff.
February 24th, 2010 at 5:25 PM ^
By definition.
Support your team when they win and pile on when they lose. I hope they leave and never come back.
It would be one thing if i thought the character of the program were being impuned, or that the athletes were being impacted negatively, or that in any way the coach was turning the program into one that doesn't care about the welfare of the student athletes.
I see in this a program that was trying to be sure they were attending class. The rise in the team GPA indicates that they are prospering in the classroom and that this is a priority for the coaching staff. That seems to get lost in the shuffle.
I do not see anything that would cause me to have any reduction in my esteem for the program and the coaching staff, quite the contrary and no amount of slander from the Free PRess or other biased parties will divest me of that opinion until I see some shred of evidence that the athletes are not being taken care of with their best interestes at the forefront at all times.
February 24th, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^
Tressel and a few others practically admitted that they were doing the same thing.
Yes, yes, yes, yes... UM did wrong and, by the rules they should be punished. I get it.
But, Trepps is at least partly right about the Freep. Why hasn't the Columbus Dispatch (or whatever) reported on tOSU? It seems a bit unfair that UM has to have this experience.
This is all partly a distraction from the biggest problem: Lack of upperclass talent the past couple of years.
February 24th, 2010 at 5:24 PM ^
If people go digging for dirt at an institution the size and magnitude of the Michigan football program, they will find something. This is true of any major Div 1 team. I'm not saying 'everyone does it, so it is okay', I'm saying that I think it nearly impossible to run an organization of that size in perfect accordance with every rule and bylaw of the NCAA rule book. You do your best to comply.
The problem is that there is a clear agenda involved in those that are presenting the information originally and throughout the entire process. I don't like muck-raking andI don't think that in this case the end justifies the means, if the best they can come up with us a few hours of stretching not counted as CARA and 20 minutes of overage during the season. I actually am pretty astonished that this is the most that that they could come up with in backing their initially overblown assertions. Seriously? The best they can find are 2 hours of stretching and 20 mins?
Should we fix these things? Yes. Are they major? No.
To me the test is, was there an intentional flouting of the rules toward gaining some sort of an illicit competitive advantage? In my opinion, no.
My other problem with the whole media circus is that this is a systemic problem, not a coaching ethics problem and too many are trying to use this to denegrate RR, which I think is a reprehensible way to further your own agenda.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:46 AM ^
to have what amounts to trying too hard to improve the quality of the players through hard work (and not steroids or buying better players) discussed in the same breath as the USC investigation.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:56 AM ^
But man who the hell broke a mirror at Michigan or walked under a ladder? We have had a run of bad luck these past 4 years... That team from Boone NC, winning 8 games in 2 years and now the NCAA thing?
Ok so my mom always said to me what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger so I hope we come out this season and bring it because this blows!
Go Blue
February 24th, 2010 at 9:14 AM ^
I know it sounds sort of silly, but part of me will always attribute the string of disasters (yes, with some bright spots in there) following Nov. 17, 2006 to that loss.
But I'm sure he's pulling whatever strings he can to get things sorted out. Probably dropping a few SONOFABITCHes as he goes.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:03 AM ^
Your interpretation of the infractions is what I believe to be a misconception. Those rules are in place for a reason.
Virtually every "infraction" can be interpreted in a good way.
USC is on the verge of getting infractions because they allegedly paid Bush and his family. Yeah, it's illegal, but they were helping his family and giving money to an amateur player, who many people feel should be paid anyway. There's been an argument for years that college players should be paid wages for the money they bring in to the university.
FSU got in trouble for an academic scandal. They kept their players eligible, which a) could have helped them get a degree and b) could have helped them continue to train for their ultimate goal of reaching the realm of professional sports.
Infractions usually aren't "Coach X beat Player Y with a broom handle." They're usually things that can be positive, depending on your perspective. Trying to pass Michigan's infractions off as "We were trying to help our players" is pure, unadulterated homer bias.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:06 AM ^
Are you saying we should start handing out broom handles? BEcause nothing says motivation to attend class like a stinger to the back of the knees.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^
Virtually every "infraction" can be interpreted in a good way.
USC is on the verge of getting infractions because they allegedly paid Bush and his family. Yeah, it's illegal, but they were helping his family and giving money to an amateur player, who many people feel should be paid anyway.
This is not remotely comparable to Michigan fans sayign that the twenty minutes of stretching after practice is not a big deal.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:40 AM ^
Magnus - I was talking victors2000 off the ledge, he (or she) seemed to have a pretty bad case of koolaid hangover, and was thinking about jumping.
While I don't agree that giving a player a Escalade via his girl friend is done in anyway with good intention, nor for that matter dispatching ambassadors to rub their breasts against recruits, I do agree that allegations against our football program should be taken seriously, and is an embarrassment.
Amazingly, I actually agree with the editorial in the Free Press today (If you can get past the third and fourth paragraph the rest actually is pretty balanced: http://www.freep.com/fdcp/?1267028045481 ). The real question is how the University let this happen? And the real requirement is for David Brandon and Rich Rod to make sure it doesn't happen again.
While we're at it, if it is found that Alex Herron did obstruct the investigation or lie, then he should be fired. I also think a few heads ought to roll in the compliance department, and on Rich's administrative staff if they're found not to have been doing their jobs.
Anyway, I'm upset that it happened, but the context of the intent of what was done (other than the Herron thing) is not so horrible.