Former M players tweet during OSU

i just got an image of people negging desmond to oblivion and not knowing it. even funnier.

What did they say that could be construed as kicking us while we are down? I didn't think they said anything that could be categorized as unfair or malevolent. In fact,  I would say our performance yesterday was more of a kick in the gut to them than the other way around.

They are the ones that have literally bled and sweat for the school, sacrificing their bodies and becoming heroes to so many of us. Probably more than us, they expect greatness both on and off the field. If they want to express concern about the direction of the program, I will listen with all ears!

As former players they are entitled to say whatever the Hell they want with this being Rich's third year.

just because they are pissed and voice their opinion, doesn't make them traitors from the program.  it would be great to have all these recent  players on board, and be vocal in their support.  herbie is a tuos slappy, and everyone knows that.  desmond is our face in the major media, and it sucks that he isn't outwardly supportive

It wasn't your drinking. Desmond stated, although not specifically, that a coach needed to have his players in place, with experience, before he could be judged on how well, or not well, his program and system would be.

I have no problem with people criticizing aspects of the program that are definitively within RR's control. The special teams is one area that needs addressing. The only part of the special teams that seemed to improve over the course of the season was punting(yesterday can be overlooked as our punter was held out). The FG kicking never got better, and one could say, was never very good since he's been here. The return games should be much better than they are, given the speedy athletes we have.

I do, however, have a problem with people dumping on RR as a coach when the offense has improved, and has the potential to be tops not only in the B10, but nationally as well. I do have a problem with people dumping on RR as a coach when the defense, which has had to start inexperienced and non-recruited players because of injuries and transfers(which no one should necessarily hold over RR's head since none of us know the real reasons for the transfers), and the non-improvement of other players on the team while other players in the same positions have improved(Campbell vs Martin and RVB). I do have a problem when people are dumping on RR for those things, and then pulling a ND fan favorite in believing that bringing in the latest, greatest "hot" coach will magically solve all of the team's ills, completely discounting the real progress of the team and the potential, under RR to be a dominant program again in cfb for years to come.

The defense, as shown by the first half yesterday, will be better with more depth and experience. The offense, as shown by it's ability to move the ball on everyone this season, including some of the best B10 defenses, will be one of the better offenses in all of cfb when the youthful mistakes are no longer made. Given both of those, and with the recruiting that will allow us to "reload" and not "rebuild", we WILL be a top team for quite a while. I'd rather give the coach the BOD this season, given the flashes of brilliance the team has shown at times, rather than 'Hope" that bringing in another coach, whether it's Harbaugh or anyone else, can turn the team completely around in a year. That is the ND fan's viewpoint. They want it all, right now, without having to work towards greatness.

To all those who wish to make a change now, think of this:  With RR, we could have a very, very good team next year, based on O and D improvement and resemble what Oregon's team is this year, or.........the team doesn't improve like it's thought to(although stats from O during RR's tenure tell otherwise) and we end up nearly the same as this year.

-OR-

We take Harbaugh, if he would come, and we end up nearly in the same boat as we've been the past 3 years due to changing O philosophy, and maybe he has the same issues with the D that RR has had with transfers, injuries and players not developing. Then, if we are still a middling B10 team after 3 years of Harbaugh, what do we do then? Remember, RR had a history of turning programs into very good teams too before he came here, so to say that the same issues couldn't plague Harbaugh, as did RR, is not looking at things very objectively.

My dad always told me that, "the grass isn't always greener". What that means is that what can look good, doesn't always mean that it will be.