A fireable Offense
First, let me preface this post - which might end up being pretty long - by noting that I have been a die hard fan of the team since my freshman year in 1994. I haven't missed a single televised game since, regularly fly back from NY to attend games, donate $$ to the university, hold season tickets (that I donate to local AA charities for the majority of games that I cannot attend), and own / wear more Michigan-related items (clothing, office and home decor, etc.) than most professionals approaching 40. MY fandome may not be equal to that of Wolverine Devotee, but it is pretty close.
For the first time, I am not sure that I am going to watch next week's Michigan game. I have no interest, and quite frankly, I am not sure what to root for. In my opinion, Hoke is gone, and he should be. Not only are we not winning, but we look worse every single week. Our 4-5* talent is not developing AT ALL, one glance at the sideline shows that the players have given up, there is tension between factions of players (even the commentators noticed that Devin and Shane barely acknowledged each other on the sidelines), and the team just looks like a total tire fire. I keep waiting for this team to show some spark, some attitude, some moxie - hell, a good old fashioned fight (which I would never want to see) would at least show me that these kids give half a shit. Instead, the team looks defeated, lost and confused. Watching this game, it is pretty obvious that Hoke has lost the team. Sure, the players might come out in his defense, and soe will lobby for him, but that just means that they like him as a person. As a coach, he has lost the ability to rally this team to do much of anything.
All of this is bad enough - hell, even putting 10 men on the field on special teams to give up a return TD - but this week's conduct in my opinion is a FIREABLE OFFENSE.
IT was pretty obvious at halftime that Morris wasn't ready for primetime. Now, why a sophmore (who arrived in the spring of his truefreshman year) isn't ready to step in against a crappy Minny team, is a whole different issue, but regardless, it was obvious that Morris couldn't do anything of use out there. Thanks to our defense, the game was still pretty close. Why the hell not go Gardner at this point to give us a chance to win.
Then, once it became obvious to everyone in attendance or watching on TV that Morris was limping, in severe pain, and unable to put pressure ON HIS PLANT FOOT (!!!), why the hell was he left in there? EVen the announcers commented that it was unsafe as Morris was unable to protect himself. Yet there is Hoke, stubbornly clapping and leaving Morris in to (a) lose the game, and (b) potentially get hurt.
Then, the hit. Either Hoke was lying that he didn't know that MOrris was wobbly, or he is a complete moron who is unaware of anything going on. I tend to think that it is the latter, but either way, this man does not have what it takes to lead this program. Either way, he should be gone.
Now, if this week was an isolated incident, this would be merely a FIREABLE offense, but not necessarily one that would REQUIRE firing. Perhaps a public apology and a suspension? Some charitable work with the concussion center, whatever. But, when coupled with his tenure, I do not see what Hoke has shown that, when weighed against this incident, would lead anyone to retain him past tomorrow. Specificially:
1. 2013 - all of it
2. 2014 ND
3. 2014 Utah
4. His record against MSU / Ohio State
5. His road record
6. Leaving Bellamy in against Nebraska in 2012 when we had a real shot at a Big Championship title, when it was obvious that he was getting murdered and was completely unprepared
7. total lack of player development (including a number of 5* can't miss types)
8. The handling of the Lewan / Gibbons incident
9. playing 10 guys on special teams
10. His post game presser last night (I could not care less about any of his prior pressers - this one was over the top)
Now if this were not enough, the media has taken hold of the story. Hoke is publicly done and will be unable recruit a 3* to come to Michigan going forward. He is, for all intents, dead coach walking.
So, in light of the above, I think that the only logical move that the school can do to save face is to remove Hoke effective immediately. Yes, interim coaches rarely work out. But, the one benefit of firing hoke now is that the media gives the team a pass for this season - the understanding is that this is all temporary and that next year there will be a new staff brought in to clean house. It also allows the university to form a search committee early and publicly search for the best candidate out there. Remember that OSU went an entire season with Luke Fickell as interim coach and their coaching search turned out pretty ok.
September 28th, 2014 at 6:50 PM ^
Got any cat photos?
September 28th, 2014 at 6:52 PM ^
In a Michigan cup
September 28th, 2014 at 6:52 PM ^
......BUT!
Somehwere in there, I'm sure you called for Hoke and DB to be fired. So I agree. Fire them.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:08 PM ^
i just tweeted out something with firehoke and your name was the number one trending on twitter. Congrats dude.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:26 PM ^
What do you mean?
September 28th, 2014 at 7:27 PM ^
double post
September 28th, 2014 at 7:44 PM ^
One of your posts has been retweeted and is now the most active Tweet in the world. Makes sense, Hoke was Tranding in my newsfeed, while on ABC News, the college football postgame show I was watching.... impressive to be front page news in that many venues.
September 28th, 2014 at 6:53 PM ^
...another kitten post.
September 28th, 2014 at 6:54 PM ^
no cups?
September 28th, 2014 at 6:56 PM ^
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September 28th, 2014 at 8:17 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 6:58 PM ^
This is what we call a snowflake, and a very redundant one at that.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:32 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 6:57 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 7:02 PM ^
the Kitten is an innocent victim in all of this.
September 28th, 2014 at 6:57 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 6:59 PM ^
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September 28th, 2014 at 11:48 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 11:53 PM ^
I think he's unsure whether a loss to Rutgers that results in Hoke being fired is actually a loss.
September 28th, 2014 at 6:59 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 7:15 PM ^
Now that damned kitten in a cup has made me reconsider.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:16 PM ^
has sharp pointy teeth
September 28th, 2014 at 8:43 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 7:03 PM ^
Maybe people would be more receptive towards your opinion if this wasn't the 100th Shane Morris thread posted today.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:06 PM ^
total lack of player development
I don't disagree with most of what you are saying, but this argument drives me crazy because, frankly, it isn't true. Yes, UM has whiffed on a couple of 5*s and high-ranked kids, but Hoke has also just had two of his offensive linemen get drafted, helped turn a mountain goat from the swamps of Florida into the all-time season record holder at WR, turned a middling 2* in Jake Ryan into a clear NFL-type player, helped Frank Clark, Henry, Glasgow, etc. grow into a pretty solid defensive line, Jourdan Lewis becoming a very good corner, etc. People around here love to crap on Hoke's "player development" by only focusing on the negatives; I hate when people say Taylor Lewas was a 1st-rounder the minute he stepped on campus and Hoke just stood out of the way because, well, there are a couple of guys on the roster who had the same profiles (Kalis jumps to mind) who haven't come close to that.
Hoke isn't an idiot; he knows more about football and player development than anyone here. That doesn't make him infallible, but he has made players better under his tutelage, and just because some have flamed out doesn't invalidate those successes. And yes, I recognize that the whole staff is involved in player development, but that is true at every school.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:12 PM ^
Mountain goat?
September 28th, 2014 at 7:26 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 9:28 PM ^
Sorry, should have made it clearer. Jeremy Gallon was that goat, and he turned into a pretty good player.
September 28th, 2014 at 10:42 PM ^
Goats play football? I don't get it.
September 28th, 2014 at 11:13 PM ^
He was an Army All American.
I still don't get the mountain goat thing. Is it a reference to his height? His hands? He was one of the recruits I was most excited about that year and I knew he would be a weapon.
September 29th, 2014 at 5:57 AM ^
Martavious Odoms is the mountain goat from the swamps of Florida (Pahokee, to be specific).
Jeremy Gallon was a HS All American, and is from Apopka, FL, which is basically an Orlando suburb.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:19 PM ^
I'm not sure you can stack up the quality of the player development job Hoke has done with any other top program in the country. Especially Michigan State.
We simply don't get as much from our talent as top programs do.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:21 PM ^
I think this week proved pretty clearly that Hoke is something close to an idiot.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:25 PM ^
All players do get better because they are getting older, stronger and more experienced. The natural growth will take place if they are playing football -- for almost anyone.
The point is that there are very few developments above the normal trendline and far too many below the trendline. I would say that the above trendline players are:
Jake, Morgan and Gallon
Below trendline players:
The entire OL, most of WR (Funchess is a trendline), all DBs (wait and see on Lewis), many of the LBs
September 28th, 2014 at 7:38 PM ^
I am not a good cook and I am pretty sure that every cook knows more about cooking than me. But I can certainly tell if I am being served a crappy dish.
Hoke may "know" more than most of us, but it is not translating into a competitive product. In fact, every single coach probably knows more about football than most of us, but it does not mean that they cannot be worthless coaches.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:46 PM ^
My doctor may know more about medicine than anyone here, too, but if the majority of his patients die as a result of malpractice, I might go looking for another doctor.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:10 PM ^
What this program really needs is a bunch of fans saying they're not going to watch the games anymore. Way to show your support!
September 28th, 2014 at 7:34 PM ^
I don't support gross negligence and incompetence.
September 28th, 2014 at 8:14 PM ^
Absolutely my stance as well.
September 28th, 2014 at 9:54 PM ^
Nobody's suggesting you should. That doesn't mean you should stop rooting for the players. This isn't about you, and it's not about Brandon, and it's not about Hoke. Being a fan of Michigan (or any program) is about the team. Michigan fans aren't going to help the situation by turning their backs on the program.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^
Meow meow meow meow kitten in a cup boop.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:23 PM ^
Did something happen?
September 28th, 2014 at 7:26 PM ^
Brady Hoke represents a total failure of leadership.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:27 PM ^
Is there a point to this thread?
September 28th, 2014 at 7:56 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 7:30 PM ^
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September 28th, 2014 at 7:37 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 7:37 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 7:39 PM ^
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