Wolverine Devotee

May 22nd, 2015 at 12:16 AM ^

This should really make people think twice before they hit "send" on a comment on here (or in DISCUSS MAN'S case, hit it 38 times). 

If S&C coaches are reading this site, what makes you think the players that are more internet savvy aren't? There are past players that are members of the site.

Tater

May 22nd, 2015 at 1:04 AM ^

I have probably "preached" a bit too much about this, but whenever I post, I ask myself, "Would this comment help make a recruit or a parent think we are a shitty fanbase and decide they would rather go somewhere else?"

It's why I get so pissed when people criticize players who are busting their asses every day for their team and their coaches.  It's also why I would much rather see comments about how great everything is now be more focused toward the moment than comparing them to player X or coach Y.  It's also why I think it's counterproductive to criticize the coaches beyond the typical "why did he make that call" second-guesses that are so popular today.

I have never believed for a moment that players and recruits don't read the newspapers and high-profile blogs such as this one.  I can't imagine a parent who is trying to find the best place for his or her child to attend college not checking out the blogs to see if the fanbase is positive or negative toward "their" team.

Whether we realize it or not, we are representing the University every time we post here.  At the very least, we are representing the fanbase because we are the segment of the fanbase that chooses to express our opinions in the highest quality forum that exists for University of Michigan athletics.

It really doesn't take that long to self-edit and ask whether we are helping the program or hurting it.

Bando Calrissian

May 22nd, 2015 at 1:05 AM ^

I get it, but I also tend to think that this is a fan blog. Representing the university? Meh. We're just fans chattering away. If a recruit or a family doesn't get that fans are gonna fan, they're probably taking either the internet or themselves too seriously.

Not saying we should trash recruits (hell, I'm on record as being one of those "doesn't follow or care about recruiting because it's creepy" types), not saying we should trash players. But we can't sit here and say players and coaches above criticism. Don't like the pressure? Don't sign up to play in front of 100,000 fans and the university with the largest living alumni base on the planet. That's the nature of the beast.

trustBlue

May 22nd, 2015 at 2:06 AM ^

Fans gonna fan, but that's not really issue.  The point is that people shouldn't act like players, coaches, or parents aren't reading the things that get posted here.

There are a lot things that get said here that people probably would (or at least hopefully) tone down or rephrase if they realized that a players, recruits and parents were actually reading (which they are).

Tthe forum is not like some small tightly knit group where anything said stays between us fellas. If you are going to criticize, fine, but realize that what you post is actually public not just some brainless remark that you might say to your friends at your backyard bar-b-que.

UMxWolverines

May 22nd, 2015 at 4:53 PM ^

I think there's a definite difference between "player X is really playing awful" to "player x is a nword and should have his scholarship pulled". 99% of people on here get it because they're die-hard. It's things like Twitter and Facebook which really bring out the worst of the worst.

ElBictors

May 22nd, 2015 at 3:57 PM ^

I think the kids/recruits are 10x more tech savvy and social media savvy and grew up that way in a manner very different from most members and posters.  And it's not just former athletes or parents, there are plenty of posters who have other connections, current or former, to the school and many of its programs and departments. 

This is fans being fans and the moderators do a decent job of eliminating the truly offensive or inappropriate content.  People know what to expect from a message board.  It's like hearing gossip about your firm at a happy hour.  It's fun to indulge in from time to time, but you know it can't be taken as the full "truth."

 Just my two cents and as someone who moderated a different forum for years.  It's the regulars who create multiple log-ins and who troll one another that's what is most annoying to deal with.  The content and comments are taken at face value. 

 

I also think the recruiting services and all that is creepy. 

Ronnie Kaye

May 22nd, 2015 at 1:39 AM ^

Ugh. If that's your mentality, Michigan recruiting is way too big a part of your life and thought process. You're living vicariously.

When Michigan loses a game, the last thing I'm going to do is open a message board thread about it. But a lot of people choose to vent there and that will never change. If a Michigan athlete or coach chooses to open those threads during tough times, they know what they are getting into. 

This isn't like an average Joe having his life scrutinized. Fan attention on a mass scale is what feeds the beast in college athletics and it's not always going to be rosy, even if most can show restraint. Moralizing about it makes you sound like a blowhard.

LDNfan

May 22nd, 2015 at 4:34 AM ^

I get what you are saying and generally agree..BUT no fanbase is immune to the fanatical response that goes over the top in their message boards. And for the most part, it seems recruits and parents are aware of this. Otherwise, OSU would never sign a top 20 class. 

So, I think recruits and parents after looking around will see that element is every fanbase..at least those with fans that expect better than .500 seasons. 

The real problem is that when a program is sinking..ala RR and Hoke fans are going to vent and rightfully so. Of course a recruit or parent isn't going to see nice things on this board about the players and coaches...but yeah..of course. 

Beyond that, I personally try not to say anything in a message board that I wouldn't say to a person face to face...that helps keep my ego in check....to a degree :)

True Blue Grit

May 22nd, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^

it's very important to be fair and highly objective, while staying away from judgemental statements like "I don't know what the coaches were thinking by offering this kid".   As we all saw with the Dunaway commitment, parents DO read this blog.  And parents have a big influence where their sons/daughters go to college.  I don't doubt that in the past, comments made here have negatively influenced decisions by recruits.  Is that fair or right?  It doesn't matter really.  With some parents/recruits it can make a difference. 

TheLastHarbaugh

May 22nd, 2015 at 3:12 AM ^

Yeah. People need to know. All of the players, the coaches, the recruits....They are fully aware MGoBlog exists. They read it. They comment (anonymously like everyone else) and they're all here. When you rip on a player, odds are that they're reading it. When you question their heart, chances are they see it.

Just something to think about.

Hardware Sushi

May 22nd, 2015 at 3:56 AM ^

They all read it. All the time. Everyone.

No one should ever say anything negative. Just positive encouragement and participation trophies.

Anytime you say "that guy blew a play" or "he is killing us", remember sports are all about feelings and we should never speak what we actually think.

If you do say something that could be construed as anything but a compliment, delete it immediately. People can read, man. Have you no soul? Imagine, had thadmottasgoblin said he thinks Jon Sanderson eats a high carb diet and maxes out at 135 on bench, he probably would quit. And then where would our basketball team be? I can't believe Brian even gives put negative numbers in his UFRs. Playing with fire, IMHO.

Just something to think about.

Hardware Sushi

May 22nd, 2015 at 10:27 AM ^

Not sure it's called Jacks, but probably.

I lived at State and Hoover senior year and the half hardware half sushi place was in my backyard so I ate there like 3x a week. I always just called them hardware sushi because I thought it was such a random combination and liked to emphasize it.

LSAClassOf2000

May 22nd, 2015 at 7:12 AM ^

It's all in how people approach it *puts on mod cap*.

Typically, technical critiques stand as always - you can criticize play pretty much all you want around here and there's nothing wrong with that. The comments that go - when we catch them - are the ones that get personal with players. I tend to look at it like this - by now, a lot of these kids / coaches / what-have-you are used to hearing the odd critique of their play and probably brush off a lot of what fans on a blog say about it as we're not their coach. What is universally unacceptable is calling those same people names or questioning their emotional investment, intelligence or attributes like that. 

Gr1mlock

May 22nd, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^

Out of curiosity, and i realize this is kinda a moving target, where does the line get drawn?   Obviously "damn I wish he had caught that" is ok and a string of racial slurs is not.  But, i mean, we had roughly ten billionty threads and comments questioning Hoke's competence and intelligence, and those seemed fine.  Hell, the (wonderful and enjoyable) tirade against DB defintely would fall into the "questioning intelligence and attributes" category.  Is kinda like, if it's tied to performance it's ok, but if it's done maliciously then no?  For instance, if I complain about a basketball player playing ole defense and not crashing the boards by saying "I think he plays soft", or about a receiver who alligator arms passes and doesn't make sharp cuts by saying "it looks like he doesn't care out there", is that acceptable critique or a personal attack?  I'm not trying to be annoying, and I realize that a lot of the answer is "the mods can only get to so much so stuff slips through", but I am genuinely curious what you/the mod team sees as the acceptable level of complaining.

DealerCamel

May 22nd, 2015 at 4:37 PM ^

To use your example, a base questioning of Dave Brandon and some of the decisions he makes is one thing, and fairly acceptable.

Calling him a sorry ass-faced shitbag who knows nothing and should go back to delivering pizza for a living is not.

justingoblue

May 22nd, 2015 at 4:54 PM ^

Like you say, it's tricky (and some people take pleasure towing the line) but I try to get rid of anything that clearly extends off the field/court/ice or is just malicious and mean spirited.

I don't have a problem with even (IMO) overly harsh criticism of something that we all just watched happen, but "Jordan Morgan is a bitch" was something several people had posts deleted and/or were banned over, for example.

We're more lenient with things directed at coaches and administrators, but I must have taken down two dozen threads in the last weeks of football season that went beyond even "Hoke can't comprehend this" to the point where someone posted a thread looking for job suggestions for Hoke with the OP suggesting cleaning toilets at Spartan Stadium.

HollywoodHokeHogan

May 22nd, 2015 at 10:52 PM ^

             I'm sure a lot of players know about this blog (and the boards at rivals, etc) and I'm sure some of them have even occasionally commented.  But I don't believe that every single athlete in every single sport at Michigan reads and comments on this blog.  It's one thing to know that the blog is out there, but it's another to read it and comment.  I know from talking with players when I was at Michigan that at least some of them stay away from blogs and what not (wisely, I might add).  Things might be different now, but I doubt that they so different that EVERYONE reads the blog. 



I could see some of the more internet-interested coaches reading the blog, but I can't imagine Belien sitting down to read Ace's recaps (no offense to Ace). 

Ty Butterfield

May 22nd, 2015 at 12:17 AM ^

Certainly puts things in perspective. You never know who might be reading the blog.