EDSBS on Rosenberg

Submitted by BiSB on

In today's Curious Index, Spencer Hall over at Every Day Should Be Saturday threw in this little gem about Mike Rosenberg's commentary regarding the Cam Newton situation.

Michael Rosenberg, better known to the world as the man who would connect Somali food supply instability to Rich Rodriguez's improper and excessive use of athletic tape on Michigan's shoulder pads, takes the ice to the tune of Nickelbacks "Hurrg Gurngle Fartbuckle Urngh" 'and executes a perfect triple Salchow of stupidity.

What I find remarkable is that, if all of this is true, the under-the-table payments are what would upset people the most. I mean, yes, it is against NCAA rules. But in any other segment of society, if a college kid found a way to use his talents to bring in money to support his father's church, he would be a hero. There would be glowing newspaper profiles and probably a few humanitarian awards. If a kid does it in college football, he's a villain.

There are few words. But the one that comes to mind is HOLYFUCKROSENBERGYOUGODDAMNHYPOCRITE.  On the bright side, I am reminded again of how much I like Spencer Hall.

BGG34

November 11th, 2010 at 10:58 AM ^

"Michael Rosenberg, better known to the world as the man who would connect Somali food supply instability to Rich Rodriguez's improper and excessive use of athletic tape on Michigan's shoulder pads"

haha

Beavis

November 11th, 2010 at 11:03 AM ^

if a college kid found a way to use his talents to bring in money to support his father's church, he would be a hero. There would be glowing newspaper profiles and probably a few humanitarian awards. If a kid does it in college football, he's a villain.

Using this logic - drug dealers who give back to the community (for reference: Avon giving Cutty money for his gym) should also be given glowing newspaper profiles.

What. A. F***ing. Moron. 

profitgoblue

November 11th, 2010 at 11:15 AM ^

Rosenberg's logic is flawed on so many levels and in so many areas its almost impossible to break it down.  He's like a shock-and-awe military strike - its so overwhelming all anyone can do is leave disgusted feeling dumber than they were before reading his garbage.  Yet, somehow, you found a way to counterattack that statement of his and I appreciate it.

 

Don

November 11th, 2010 at 11:14 AM ^

out of someone who steals laptops, cheats on tests, and buys term papers online, while vilifying a man who, with his team, routinely engages in volunteer activities for hospitals and other good causes and makes possible the near-miraculous physical rehabilitation of a paraplegic who is neither a member of his football team nor a UM student.

Michael Rosenberg is a sad little man.

jblaze

November 11th, 2010 at 11:18 AM ^

He's write that his own mom's a whore, it it got him page views. That is all this is about. Make no mistake, he's trying to get people to notice him (and he has been successful at this task) so he can improve his job prospects.

This is why journalism is no longer honorable (but it is profitable to some), and Rosendouche is well...Rosendouche.

briangoblue

November 11th, 2010 at 12:00 PM ^

He already dug his climbing shoes into Rich Rod's back to get to SI. That part is over. Now we're in phase 2, where the no-talent hack gets exposed through his own incompetence. He reminds me of Skip Bayless, who while in Dallas, claimed with no substance that Troy Aikman was homosexual and blustered his way upstairs to the Mothership.

Wolverine Pride

November 11th, 2010 at 11:21 AM ^

This guy is an absolute ass bag.  How is it that SI puts any credibility in his work.  What will it take to send him packing?

Let me get this right...  If I obtain money illegaly and give it to my dad's "church", I can have a "get out of jail free" card?  Wow what a world we live in. 

bluenyc

November 11th, 2010 at 11:29 AM ^

Not sure what will make SI fire him, but I recently canceled my subscription.  They asked me why since I was a member since college which was more than a decade ago.  I told him Michael Rosenberg brought the quality down.  They said they were going to note that.  Not that it will make a difference.

blueheron

November 11th, 2010 at 11:37 AM ^

What's awesome here is that someone outside Michigan (so, no clear conflicts of interest, etc.) with a national following is calling out that cretin.

Why, again, does SI use this guy?  Is he really among the best they could get?

In a logically and ethically ordered universe, Rosenberg would be fetching coffee (and sausage, and pastries, and pizza, and beer) for Pat Caputo.

SaigonBlue

November 11th, 2010 at 1:12 PM ^

Dear SI.com,

I am appalled at the hypocrisy displayed by Michael Rosenberg in the article about Cam Newton.

In Rosenberg's mind, a drug dealer would be a hero if he built a basketball court for his community. This is akin to the modus operandi of a Somalian warlord.

This being said, we do not know whether Cam Newton, his father, and Auburn University are guilty of these violations. Let due process run its course.

However, Rosenberg is the guy who led the charge against Coach Rich Rodriguez for having his players stretch too much. Clearly it was an agenda of hate and demonization of a fine family man and a good coach, who does give back to the community in admirable ways. While Coach Rodriguez has been exonerated, Rosenberg continues to commit the "crime" of hypocrisy.

I will never click on an SI.com link or subscribe to Sports Illustrated again while he is writing for you.

Don

November 11th, 2010 at 11:49 AM ^

Jon has been the only "mainstream" journalist to level any real biting criticism at Rosenberg, and this would provide a fresh box of ammo to Chait.

mgoblue0970

November 11th, 2010 at 4:11 PM ^

jihad = more page clicks for the freep.

The moral of this story?  Folks (in general, not directing this at you as such) need to quit going to the freep, quit talking about the freep, quit feeding the trolls.

There's nothing but shit there anyway.  What are people doing when going there?  Just checking to make sure it's shit?  Yep, it is.  It's still there.  The shit isn't going away because more often than not, the people COMPLAINING ABOUT IT ARE CONSUMERS OF IT!

Don

November 11th, 2010 at 1:01 PM ^

of poor, abused, and downtrodden college football players against their mean, hypocritical coaches and NCAA administrators.

What was the fundamental argument that Roseberg was making in his Practicegate allegations? That RR & Co were basically running a sweatshop that took advantage of helpless kids for their own nefarious purposes.

In the Newton article, Rosenberg is making the argument that the meanies in control of the NCAA, along with their slavemaster stooges in the coaching ranks, are preventing selfless heroes like Cam Newton from helping their communities and struggling parents.

Rosenberg knows very well that his arguments will resonate with a particular segment of those who pay attention to college football. The fact that he couldn't have chosen the targets for his irrational hatreds and his gullible affections more poorly doesn't matter to him at all. In his mind, he's being perfectly consistent.

Section 1

November 11th, 2010 at 1:36 PM ^

Rosenberg, with Mark Snyder, in the August 29 (online) / August 30 (print) Free Press:

Chuck Wynne, director of Communications Strategy for the NCAA, said the time limits went “to one of the central tenets of the NCAA, which is: We’re all about student-athlete well-being. We recognize that student-athletes need a balance in their lives.”

Wynne was commenting generally, not about the specifics of the U-M players’ accounts. Former coaches at other schools, also speaking generally, said the rules were important and, they believed, widely followed.

“All the rules are pretty clear,” said former Baylor University coach Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association since 1994. “Rules are rules. Some carry greater penalties than others. The rules are to be adhered to, period. You’re not partially married. You’re either married or you’re not married. …

“If you’re my neighbor, and I see you’re breaking the rules, my responsibility if I want to criticize you for breaking the rule is turn you in. It’s not to turn around and start breaking the rule because you are doing it.”

Teaff said most of these rules were instituted in the last 20 years for the health and safety of players.



 

Wolfman

November 13th, 2010 at 1:13 AM ^

There were many journalists around the country, most notable Jon Chait speaking on The Wolverine. com that took him to task for the many, some clearly written, rules of reporting that Rosie employed in pretense of caring for the student athlete. He called on many student-athletes that had transferred from Michigan which was guaranteed to give a slanted perception to his ruse as one of his largest blunders. Hell, I have a bad sinus headache right now, but I think we all know what went on. "RR did not meet his standards" for whatever reason, as if he has reason to judge anyone. He should, however, when publishing something that will be read by about 100 people, take care not to slander intentionally to make his claims seem more credible than they actually are. He's a fuckin hack.

tk47

November 11th, 2010 at 3:03 PM ^

This is why I cancelled my subscription to SI a year ago.  The fact that they would hire this asshole is utterly unforgiveable.

As bad as this burning shit-pile of a column is, it still might not even be as bad as his "Why I'm rooting for Coach Calipari" column from back in March.  Fuck him, and fuck SI for hiring him.

P.S. Orson Swindle is the MAN

Blue boy johnson

November 12th, 2010 at 7:51 AM ^

I fail to see how this makes Rosenberg a hypocrite. In the M investigation, he proceeded under the guise of protecting student athletes, against the abuses of a rogue coach. In the Cam Newton situation, Rosenberg is again siding with the student athlete against the hypocrisy of the NCAA, Rosenberg is consistent in his thoughts, even if you don't agree with him.

I, like many of you, thought Rosenberg was on a bit of  a witch hunt regarding RR, but in this instance, concerning Newton, I agree with Rosenberg.

Section 1

November 12th, 2010 at 9:52 AM ^

Let's just start at the beginning, shall we?

Wherein neither Rosenberg, nor Snyder, started with any complaints from student-athletes or their parents.  Rosenberg and Snyder, by their own admission, approached all of their subjects.  None of the subjects approached them.

Rosenberg started with a CARA-forms audit memo.  In which the auditors thought that no NCAA violations had occurred, but that the forms had not been filed.

We next jump to the conclusion of the NCAA investigation, in which first Michigan, and then the NCAA, both agreed that in no way, shape or form did Michigan do anything that put the safety and welfare of its student athletes at risk.  So there's like, that.  I haven't heard any apologies from Rosenberg or the Free Press on that issue.

Finally, we get to Rosenberg's latest, in which he regards the entire Cam Newton thing as apparently innocent hijinx, with only some oddly antiquated NCAA-amateurism principles at risk.  Except, uh, that the FBI (and quite possibly the IRS) now appears to be involved.  Money laundering, anybody?  Tax evasion?  Conspiracy?  Not exactly the sort of thing that we might hope for, for the modern 21st century intercollegiate student-athlete.

I don't mean to come down too hard on you, Gordie Bell -- especially the way that you closed; that Rosenberg "was on a bit of a witch hunt regarding RR..."  Indeed, at the beginning of L'Affiaire Cam Newton, I opted out.  My position was, Michigan knows all too well how a phony, fraudulent press report can lead to an NCAA investigation.  So I was going to let Cam Newton's deal play out.

But your last point is my first point.  Rosenberg was and is on a witch hunt with respect to Michigan and particularly Rich Rodriguez.  It now appears that most of the national press corps is picking up on it, and that the last people to figure it out, will be our erstwhile local sporting press.  And Rosenberg's laughably inconsistent trash-heap of a column on Cam Newton shows how little he cares for the authority and rules of the NCAA, unless it helps him in his vendetta against a certain coach in Ann Arbor.

Rosenberg might have said whatever he wanted to about Cam Newton, without much protest from these precincts.  What I am angry about, what I've always been angry about, is what he did to our school.  And for that, Rosenberg has never been left more defenseless.