contact Athletic Department and Brandon?
I'm figuring there's going to be an onslaught of negativity toward RichRod after today's debacle. It really was a bad day for Michigan and the football team (not too great for hoops, either). But I want to write to Brandon and tell him that I support the coach for at least one more year. For me, the calculus is pretty simple: a pattern of improvement against considerable odds and the chance to show, with a maturing team, that he can win. If we're changing horses we might as well do it a year from now, as RichRod's kids begin to move out of the program. Harbaugh can go screw up in the NFL, which won't be as much fun as Michigan would be anyway, and come here with NFL cache after fooling around there for a while; it doesn't follow that we'll never get him if we don't strike now.
Has anyone got Brandon' s email address? (When you look up AD at UMich Athletics, surprisingly, a picture of Martin comes up--not super-professional, or expected, given that Brandon has elevated the office considerably since coming on board.)
Thanks in advance, and I hope others will consider following suit.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^
I reeeeeeally don't thing DB is going to read every e-mail from fans giving their opinion on RR. Donors maybe; but not anonymous fans.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:51 PM ^
did my grandfather; my family's connection to the U goes back a century. My nephews are there now. I grew up in Ann Arbor and have family there still. I give--not big, but I give.
But I would encourage everyone to write--that is, if you care enough to do so. He says he examines all his emails and I believe him. He will, I expect, judge the way the tide is running. While that alone won't govern his final decision, it will influence, I expect.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^
The day has been hard enough, so this is not intended to come off as rude, but I did email the athletic department when the whole Freep thing blew up and within 48 hours I received a genuine reply. No way it could have been a form response because it cited things from my email throughout. They do listen, and it does help.
In general, an exponentially larger quantity of people are willing to send negative comments than positive comments. Don't want the AD office to think there are only viewpoints out there.
November 27th, 2010 at 9:20 PM ^
I did a diary addressing this type of thing.
Just kidding, it was in jest, but it poked fun at the automated response system that cites certain parts of your email. I agree that it was an actual response, by the way, it was just a funny thought I had when this was brought up before.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:30 PM ^
I wonder if he's confusing DB for Martin. I could see Martin sending a form letter... at least to the rich alumns. I'd be shocked to see if Martin ever responded to a nobody... and we all know now how Martin treated nobodys at the stadium.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:48 PM ^
November 27th, 2010 at 9:07 PM ^
Brandon answers every email he gets. I've emailed him many, many times and he personally responds to every one.....and I'm a nobody.
He has commented as such publiclly.
November 27th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
On the RR subject, I imagine that he is flooded with emails and would not get much done if he personally reads and responds to each one. Maybe I am wrong, but I imagine a bunch of opposing fans sending him emails posing as Michigan fans as well just to be dicks. He may very well respond to every fan that expresses an opinion regarding the coaching situation, but I would be very surprised.
I also don't think this girl got an email response from the real Steve Jerbs http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=7680638November 27th, 2010 at 7:48 PM ^
I'm sure DB has assistants to filter his email. You'll get a generic reply and a thank you for your consideration, but it is likely that DB won't even read it nor have knowledge of its existence.
November 27th, 2010 at 9:08 PM ^
See above post. He answers every one.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:47 PM ^
But having his email out in the open could do a looooooot more harm than good at the current moment
November 27th, 2010 at 7:52 PM ^
emails. It's just AD, etc. He may have several private addresses, too, but he's a public official.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:21 PM ^
Write - you never know who is reading, you might be surprised.
The email address has been posted here, if no one offers it up, a bit of searching would probably turn it up.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:50 PM ^
Don't be too sure. The day after "the decision" I sent an email to Dan Gilbert telling him that I was a Cavs season ticket holder and that I supported his public fileting of #23. About 10 minutes later a rep from the Cavs was on the phone asking me if I had a minute to talk to Mr. Gilbert. He came on and said "thanks...I appreciate the email" and some small talk. I was blown away.
You never know what these guys read and what they don't.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:55 PM ^
You were just being sarcastic? You didn't really approve of Dan Gilbert's public bullshit spectacle, right?
November 27th, 2010 at 8:01 PM ^
I thought it was awesome and completely approved of his antics. Someone has to say something about what a bone head Lebron is.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:12 PM ^
Come on. That whole thing was the worst example of sports hypocrisy I have ever seen. Lebron didn't owe Cleveland, their fans, or their management shit. He didn't quit either. He was just a professional athlete going where he wanted after his contract was up. If management doesn't want a player anymore, they don't resign him. The player rarely throws a big whiny temper tantrum about how he felt management abandoned him, or quit on him, or quit on his family. In short, Lebron put the Cavs on the map for a while, then he took them off. Done and done.
November 27th, 2010 at 9:56 PM ^
I watched the playoffs and it looked like Lebron quit to me.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:27 PM ^
You're mostly right.
But what LeBron did owe the owner was showing up in the playoffs and not that pity party he threw culminating with BronBron stripping off his jersey after the Cavs were eliminated.
But what LeBron did owe the owner was some respect of at least placing a courtesy call to his employer saying that he was movng on... instead of letting Gilbert find out on that look at me special on ESPN.
That's what grown ups do.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:51 PM ^
http://www.mgoblue.com/school-bio/staffdir.html
i think you're pulling up the wrong athletics page.
snail mail it IMO. likely more tangible than an email that can be deleted in 8 seconds
November 27th, 2010 at 7:55 PM ^
there's a template to contact the AD; I just worry that's it's out of date, since it contains a picture of Martin:
http://www.ath.umich.edu/index.php?option=com_contact&task=view&contact_id=7&Itemid=50
November 27th, 2010 at 7:59 PM ^
Copyright © 2005
my guess is it's on a dedicated no-expire and nobody's gotten around to pulling it.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:54 PM ^
I think he should be given next year, if we are not competing with the good teams on our schedule then the program should look for someone else to take over. We have shown improvement but really only over mediocre teams. I support Rodriguez but at some point he needs to start winning.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:55 PM ^
True, he can't possibly read every email from every fan or alum. But I'm sure the department keeps track and lets him know which way the wind is blowing. To ignore these things would be bad for business.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:57 PM ^
this board, some hate him and most think that he needs one more year
November 27th, 2010 at 7:58 PM ^
Love the thinking behind keeping RR ......... if only others would see the light. People don't realize that firing RR will extend this "rebuilding" process even more.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:00 PM ^
i do think there's an element of integrity behind saying we stood by the gentleman's agreement of four years (and when his buy-out drops by millions of dollars) and it didn't work out - best of luck to you, etc.
i'm hoping they have GERG resign/retire so it can be a graceful departure once they have the new D Coordinator on the line.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:05 PM ^
I've got "spend more time with the hair"
November 27th, 2010 at 9:34 PM ^
Of GERG's contract?
November 27th, 2010 at 8:06 PM ^
I know this is michigan and all that but have most people failed to realize who we have actually been beat by? Going into the season if someone had told me we would win the games we did and loose the ones we did, I would be fairly happy with the season. We beat who we were suppose to and failed to steal 1 or 2. Just a thought I've had all year long, all the teams that have beat us other than PSU are either top 10 or Iowa. If we had Minni and NW on our schedule this year and had PSU and WIsci rotated off we go 9-3.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:13 PM ^
style points matter to some people. just as much as we "could have lost some of those games" we didn't. for a multitude of contrary reasons. etc.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:23 PM ^
It goes both ways. For the close games Michigan won, the Iowa, PSU, and Moo U., games could have been a very different story sans all the stupid penalties and turnovers.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:22 PM ^
justify mediocore results? Should we throw a party because Wisconsin didn't score 70+?
November 27th, 2010 at 9:43 PM ^
In light of what they did to IU and NW, only giving up 48 (or whatever it was) might be a sign that our defense did improve over the season and played decent that day considering we weren't any better than IU's earlier in the year.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:23 PM ^
It takes 5 years to establish a program.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:45 PM ^
Yeah, and if we played in the Big East, we win our conference. Unfortunately, you have to play the teams on your schedule. Besides, who's to say we beat Minnesota or NW anyway? U-M lost to mediocre Iowa and PSU teams, needed 3OT to get past a subpar Illinois team, and barely squeaked by an awful Purdue team. This is a team that has won six Big Ten games in three years, and yet you just want to hand them two free victories. Sorry, this Michigan team does not deserve that type of respect.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:20 PM ^
I think these guys read their emails sometimes. Pat Williams (Orlando Magic) said in his book to contact him if you have questions, etc. He called me the next day. Pretty cool guy...
November 27th, 2010 at 10:21 PM ^
I have more faith that Brandon would read an email than Barnacle Bill Martin would.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:49 PM ^
I have thought about writing the AD about the coaching situation. Then I reasoned that David Brandon doesn't give a shit about my opinion.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:56 PM ^
Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny ! Too late for the Great Pumpkin ...
Really now ... posting on a board is fan - tasy. Being the Michigan AD is real & please let him do his job. He understands much more than ANY of us do !!!
Go Blue !
November 27th, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^
Please don't split words in half. They can feel pain. If anything let them snuggle up and make love. Traintracks, velvetdong, vanilladrip, coldforger. It's very Cormac McCarthian. Now, between the N and T, droplets of blood spew, and the word screams, "Why. Oh Why did you pull my wings off. Help me. I Love you, IndianaBlue."
November 27th, 2010 at 9:09 PM ^
dislocated my fingers typing today !!! The pain is real-ly bad
Go Blue !
November 27th, 2010 at 9:11 PM ^
some of us really do feel invested, and lots of people email the AD. Read his interviews--he says he often gets 300-plus a day. Respect yourself enough to believe that if you're an alum you have some say, and don't disrespect others who want to have theirs.
November 27th, 2010 at 9:36 PM ^
Grass roots and combat boots.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:00 PM ^
OP says: "RichRod's kids begin to move out of the program."
Dude, they *just* got here. His first full recruiting class is in its second year (redshirt freshmen or true sophomores). After next year they'll have either one/two years eligibility left.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:16 PM ^
omores, but we'll have a team approaching maturity as a CFB squad, and my point was clear. If you're making a point that he should be retained two years, great; personally, I'll wait on next year.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:17 PM ^
and hope to hear back at some point. My message? Keep RR. Don't start a N.Dame coaching carousel.
November 28th, 2010 at 12:52 AM ^
I don't usually email ADs or things like that, but I think it may have helped in keeping the OSU game at the end of the season. You are also entitled to your opinions, although I don't quite understand how someone could be such a strong supporter to send an email like that at this point. I don't know how you can see the last three years as anything but a disaster. Like I said though, if you feel strongly about it, sending an email can't hurt.