Message for Brian
January 13th, 2011 at 10:05 AM ^
Chill out people. It's been two days. I'm sure by the time the season starts he's going to be fully behind Hoke. Not agreeing with the hire =/= not supporting the coach. For the next few days, Brian is entitled to say that the process was arbitrarily limited and that Michigan should have gotten a coach with a higher probability of success. I would expect, after a week or two, not to hear criticism of Hoke's resume again, unless Michigan loses 4-6 games a year over the next three years. Then he'll have the right to say "I told you so."
January 13th, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
about RR being let go due to what I think is poor support from the "Michigan Men", but I do think he need to be let go...the situation was too toxic for him to continue. I am not happy about Brady Hoke being our new coach. But first and foremost, I want the program to succeed and because of that I will support Brady. He is now the head coach of the Michigan football program, so just like RR, Lloyd, Mo, Bo, etc....he has my support.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
You go on Brian's blog and call him out for being skeptical of the hire based on the data at hand?
For everyone accusing Brian of being "whiny", you sure do whine a lot.
January 13th, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^
I had no idea data came with such unbelievable snarkiness. Not like Brian put any words around that data. Or interpreted it or anything.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
Brian Cook is acting a lot like Drew Sharp... I wonder if Brian realizes that recruits are all over the web looking at the biggest and best UM blog in the country stating that Brady Hoke hire is doom. Brian is allowed to have his opinion as are the Freep writers but calling a hire doom just because he wasnt a brand name does not make any sense. Also UM needs a schematic advantage over everyone because they are playing second fiddle in recruiting? Come on its Michigan! Also lets make it known that recruiting rankings are flawed and even if you consistently have the number one recruiting class in the country, it is up to the coach to make them better. If there is no player development then the program will not reap the rewards of the so called high recruiting rankings.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:15 AM ^
Just look at Wisconsin. They never have a class rated as highly as Michigan's, yet they consistently compete effectively in the Big Ten, and also seem to be able to beat Ohio State about half the time. Someone on the coaching staff must be doing something right, and I don't think it is offensive "scheeming."
January 13th, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^
In fact, what Wisconsin is doing is anti "scheeming". As more and more teams move towards the spread, the more defenses adapt. As a result, offenses like Wisconsin's and Stanford's can be very successful. Ohio State has this problem. The OSU defense has fully adapted to defend the spread, but what gives them trouble is MANBALL. I also think you see it with Big 12 defenses, which all need to stop the spread. When paired up against physical running teams like Illinois and Iowa, they had issues.
Point is, this year's MANBALL is next year's spread n' shread (and vice versa).
January 13th, 2011 at 12:52 PM ^
Brian=Sharp. Your logic needs work. That is all. I am refraining from calling you an asshole even though I think it.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
IS IT JUST ME OR IS THE DAY-SHIFT AROUND HERE WAY MORE CROTCHETY???
you guys should show up around 1-2 am. This place is fucking kegger party.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
Brian,
Go Blue! Not Go Rich Rod. Not Go Harbaugh. Not Go Hoke. Not Go Bo! But, Go Blue!
The team.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:47 AM ^
Yes clearly Brian does not give a damn about anything but Rich Rodriguez. Shit.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:03 AM ^
Rich Rod is gone. Its over. He had his chance and he blew it.
what is this crap.
for not wanting people to hate on RR some pepole are really hating on Hoke.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
Dude what?!? Criticising the hire is not submarining the program.
Is there a clean up crew around here? Clean up in aisle 6.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:10 AM ^
Brian has never personally attacked Hoke. He's said that Hoke is a great guy. He has tried to accentuate the positive even though in Brian's opinion Hoke was the last option.
Brian's criticism was more about the decision-making process leading to the hire. He also has a philosophical disagreement with the direction of the offense. Brian has not said that Hoke should be fired. I have no doubt Brian will be rooting for our team next fall.
I go to this site for insight and analysis, not for some inspirational and mindless "let's go blue" propaganda (well, I do like that sometimes I guess).
On some of the humor that's been used on the site, including the banner, people have to realize that none of it is serious. Brian is an M fan like the rest of us, and for us, making fun of the program (in a humorous way) is a form of self-deprecation. Time to relax on that front.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:18 AM ^
I think D.B./B.H. regime is going to be "Get on the Train or get Thrown on the Tracks". Good or bad, former players endorsed him so hence the organization in unified. Fans can complain but what they/we say doesn't matter. For the record I was a "JH guy" so now I'm in the "BH is the less sexy version of JH" guy and UM will be fine. M's O might take a step back but they also might have a longer T.O.P. and that alone will help the D. A the D getting Floyd/Woolfolk back is enough to make me happy regardless of scheme. Let us wait to see how M finishes recruiting before guys start jumping off the ledge.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:18 AM ^
Judas Priest you all sound like a bunch of fucking babies. Bring back the Lloyd Brady photoshop thread to improve morale around here.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:20 AM ^
We need a meeting between Hoke and Brian and someone one on hand to snap the picture of the handshake with Brian cheesing like Denard...
I love/ed RR and his offense! I even argued with my kids principal (a WVU alumn and husband coached the secondary under Nehlan) who said, "Aren't you glad their going to fire Rich Rod"? It was a school day with kids around and I put her in her place...but just like "facts are facts", Brian, RR just didn't pan out against the big boyz and we struggled against teams like IU and Illinois. It was time for a change and it just seems like you're bitter that we didn't get your hire, I understand. I was a Les Miles supporter...and felt a deep pain when we didn't get him (again). I even felt another "sting" when he did an interview with College Football Live yesterday and sounded like he was about to cry that he wasn't offered.
But...life goes on! Brian, we bleed maize and blue! We don't want to root for another university or team. Our kids know the victors and look forward to enrolling even though their still in diapers. These past 3 years have been the roughest years of our fandom and our heads have been hanging quite low for sometime. We are all hurting because we are not accustomed to losing...well, at least losing like this. This is the time to be more united than ever. Give this ball coach a chance and support Michigan even more! I don't give a damn who agrees with this saying or not...THIS IS MICHIGAN! We will return (however you define that) and we will be fine. I don't care about Oregon, USC, Stanford, whatever the hell is going on at Auburn, SEC, Big 12, yada, yada, yada...I only care about Michigan! So, we got your point and you have made those points clear on this blog and on the radio....NOW IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON
January 13th, 2011 at 10:22 AM ^
Brian spends more time than anyone here analyzing and writing about the program. He knows what is going on. In all probability, his opinion is much more educated than that of the OP, and those of 99 percent of those who are so relieved that RR is gone. And he has the right to experess his opinion on the radio.
I would have gotten sick of callers like the last one, who said,"Brady Hoke gets it," as if RR didn't. Those who are happy for Hoke should learn some balance from Brian; they should celebrate Hoke without trashing RR.
I will support Hoke for four years, but I am also concerned with the direction of the program, because I don't want to see Carr-tel, v2. Brian is correct that a return to the "good old days" will guarantee that Michigan always disappoints us in BCS bowls, just like they did almost every year except one under Carr.
I think Brian is doing a good job of balancing his concerns without trying to run Hoke out of town on a rail, as was pretty much done to RR.
It's like the '00's meme: "don't hate the player, hate the game." I am pretty much the same way. I don't like the game Brandon played and continues to play, but I am not going to take it out on Brady Hoke. And I don't think Brian is, either.
And, as someone already mentioned, it is pretty classless to trash Brian on his own blog. The fact that he proably puts at least 80 hours a week into a website called "MGoBlog" says much more about whether or not he is "blue" than someone coming here to berate the blog owner for having the unadulterated nerve to express his opinion.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:49 AM ^
If we are regularly in BCS bowls again, that would be the time to worry about winning them, not now when we are as likely to not be in any bowl as we are a BCS bowl.
This is an instructive comment:
Those who are happy for Hoke should learn some balance from Brian; they should celebrate Hoke without trashing RR.
Brian might want to learn some balance from the pions down here. People need to realize that celebrating Hoke and what he might be able to accomplish around here is not akin to trashing RR, not akin to supporting the process that got us here, and not akin to being alright with the mafia that torpedoed RR. Supporting Hoke is 100% exclusive of each of the others, yet certain folks seems to think there is some inalienable and intrinsic connection.
January 13th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^
I respect this (and +1'ed and all) but I respectfully disagree. It's hard for me to separate the coach, cherry-picked as he was from the "mafia" from that "mafia" itself. He may not have led the coup, per se, but he's their guy and he's their guy for bad reasons and those bad reasons torpedoed the previous guy. The whole affair will always leave a bad taste in my mouth, honestly, even if he goes on to win, a possibility of which I reserve the right to be skeptical. I'm personally still coming to terms with why it upsets me so much. I think, if I put myself on the couch for a sec, it's that it violates both my sense of fairness while validating nostalgia, traditionalism, and cronyism — three things that I despise — and while constantly repudiating talent and genius, two things that I admire. It's a whole narrative, really, and each part of the story is important to the next.
Now, I doubt that Brian feels this way, though. Once, I mentioned to him my penchant for narrative in thinking about sports and fandom and he said something like "I was an engineering major, I deal with numbers not narrative." And he's sill dealing with numbers and figures with this thing. If you take away the narrative aspects, either from my end of things (i.e. that this was a coup brought on by conservative cronyism) or from the opposite end (i.e. that this was a necessary return to basics and family values after an interloper came in and destroyed the tradition), then there's not a lot here with this hire. It literally makes no sense sans narrative. The numbers say this is a risky hire. When there are more numbers to analyze (or in the case of +/-, invent), Brian will be on firmer ground either way. But that's months from now. In the meantime he can only analyze the situation based on what's known.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
Brian is a grown man (at least i think he is, i've never seen him) and therefore can speak on his own behalf and defend himself if need be. What are you guys his bodyguards???
If someone wants to say that what Brian did was in some way negative to the overall goals of the Program whats so wrong with that? That person is entitled to his own opinion as well and in some form or another the OP is right in this case. The MGoBlog "President" goes on radio where he is expected to represent the opinion of the fan base and casts what the OP believes is a somewhat negative shadow over the hire. Yes Brian is entitled to his opinion, but yes he does have certain responsibiliies that go beyond those of your normal Michigan fan. He is looked at differently because of his position amongst us.
There are ways to say things and there are ways to say things. He could've expressed his opinion in a way that was more beneficial to the program. Do I hate the guy? No. Do I think he could've expressed himself in a more "beneficial" way? Yes.
Neg me all you want. That is My Opinion... and last time I checked this is still America.
ps. I am a Michigan Graduate. So for some of you to say that those who went to Michigan have to say certain things or think a certain way is ignorant. If anything, you should applaud diverse input. People are not going to agree on everything. Be mature about it.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:34 AM ^
Brian is not 40
January 13th, 2011 at 10:34 AM ^
It's one person's opinion! Brian speaks for himself not the entire U of M fanbase. He has no obligation to speak for any of us. If you don't like what he says then don't listen to him.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:37 AM ^
So Brian is responsible for promoting the views of people who read his blog with whom he disagrees? I don't think so. As you say, this is still America.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:28 AM ^
R nu coch has nevr had a signfikent win in his life! He can pound hard on teh po-dee-um! If u questun his rezoomay you are baaaaad!!!
I have yet to hear Brian say ons thing about Brady Hoke that is not well reasoned. Anyone who thinks that we should blindly support the HIRING of a coach based solely on one press conference also probably thinks that George W. Bush was a great President. You can bag on Brian all you want but it won't change one thing. THIS IS HIS BLOG. If you like this hire, great. But don't act like those of us who don't are the ones taking the crazy pills around here. Facts are facts and the ones about Brady Hoke's head coaching tenure are mediocre at best. Lastly, if you don't like open discourse about U of M sports then you can kindly GTFO. I never neg bombed someone for not liking the RR hire and I don't think anyone should be neg bombed for disagreeing with the BH hire.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:36 AM ^
there's nowhere to go to stick to the basics. MLive? Hell no. Rivals? Format is awful and it's MLive light. Scout? I don't think I've even seen the Scout message board. MGoBlog draws people because it feels like the message board of you and your buddy's fantasy football league. i can speak only for myself when i say it doesn't feel that way anymore.
this was the 'indy third option' with a more laid back format and a chance to be an idiot but within reason. it's changed quickly since about... mid-October. and some people are unhappy with that.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:56 AM ^
But I couldn't agree with your sentiments about the discourse here more. +1 decent sir.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:35 AM ^
For being able to respectfully disagree with your fellow mgobloggers. I appreciate your levelheadedness kind sir.
+1 to you.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^
The whole last two years have been miserable for me. From Freepgate to expectations to Gerg to injuries. I'm not happy. But it bugs me that Brian is getting crucified for expressing doubts. Of course he will support Hoke & the team. But it sucks that RR got a raw deal and that people turn a blind eye to some of the stats on Hoke. The reason many of us come here is because Brian gives facts and links to support his opinions. I think Brian is completely justified to take a "wait and see" attitude. To my way of thinking, Brian never advocated blind support of RR. He is fully justified in not advocating blind support of Brady Hoke.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^
I will not comment on any coach who doesn't work for the University of Michigan.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^
Was ok for people to not like rr but if brian doesnt like this hire its not ok?
January 13th, 2011 at 11:06 AM ^
In all fairness, Brian was critical of those who didn't support RR, going so far as to say or infer they were uninformed and had no idea what they were talking about. Of course Brian has the right to have a differing opinion, but is this blog an RR blog or a Michigan football blog? That's the bigger question Brian has to answer, and how he wants to handle it given that it is his blog but now, it's really more than just a blog - it's a legitimate news source, too.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:31 AM ^
January 13th, 2011 at 10:33 AM ^
IS NOT DREW FUCKING SHARPTON!
<br>Im sure brian will come around if the hokester wins big.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^
is that like the idiot who's even worse at advocating issues than his cousin Al Sharpton?
also: there's a term for people who 'come around once (insert name) starts winning'
January 13th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
Brian made his opinion of Brady Hoke clear in 2007. He made it clear before RR was fired. He made it clear when RR was fired. He made it clear during WorldHeldHostageFest. And he is making it clear now. And it is the same opinion that he has held the entire time
What, pray tell, is Brian supposed to do here? After stating the opinion time and again that Hoke is not a good fit, is he now supposed to think differently because Hoke was hired? Or was Hoke's press conference ("He'd walk to Ann Arbor!!!") supposed to change Brian's mind?
He was asked his opinion, and he gave it. There is 'team loyalty', and then there is blatant disingenuity. I invite everyone to remember what they were saying about Brady Hoke a month ago, and ask yourself which side of the line you fall on.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:28 AM ^
Brian's under no obligation to say it was a good hire if he doesn't think so, but his confidence in his assessment is misplaced. The truth is we really have little idea of how this is going to play out- instant "good hire or bad hire" judgments are often wrong, and dramatically so. Rich Rodriguez, Pete Carroll, Jim Tressel, Dan Hawkins. Bo didn't have a Harbuagh-strong resume when he took over, not even close.
Hoke seems like a really good guy. He's passionate about this school, about coaching football and most importantly, about having a positive impact on the lives of these young men. And he might be a great coach. So why is Brian pouting?
January 13th, 2011 at 11:34 AM ^
Great quote in the WTKA thread on how Brian said nothing will change between now and the end of the season, and how bleating about it is just noise and detrimental to the program. That's just one example of him complaining about how negative messages are bad for the program, and pointless since he's going to be the coach for the foreseeable future. But not that he's the one all hurt because he doesn't like things, that goes out the window, and because "I'mmmmm maddddddd"...well, everything I said before on how others should act doesn't apply, because, well, I've never liked Hoke, am being proven to never really have liked Carr, all false claims to the contrary, and I shouldn't have to go against MY beliefs before I actually even see a game like I told everyone else to do for 3 years (even after LOTS of game data...have faith, I have a chart). That's not consistency.
January 13th, 2011 at 1:14 PM ^
In 2007, Brian was a big supporter of Les Miles. Based on events that have transpired since then, he changed his mind. Since 2007, Hoke had an undefeated regular season at Ball State and turned SDSU around pretty quickly. That, to me, provides pretty good basis for rethinking the 2007 Hoke opinion.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
Harbaugh didn't come. I wanted him, you wanted him, but that doesn't change the fact he didn't come. Hoke was never one of my top choices, but now that he is here and after listening to him, I am okay with him. I, like you, just want the team to succeed. Unfortunately the past three years, we never achieved this.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:07 AM ^
Brian is entitled to his reaction. It has been a couple days. We're all still processing. If you find him rooting against Hoke in September I think these lectures about positivity will be more deserved.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^
Opinion and a wait and see attitude are fine, but that banner has got to be changed. Can't be much more anti-Hoke than that banner. You don't have to like the coach, but you need to show your support of the program. We all love Michigan football. It is time to accentuate the positives of Michigan football.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
For all the people complaining about how Brian's take is going to "alienate" visitors to this site, I counter that the blind devotion I'm seeing about Hoke from everyone is turning me off a bit. The guy was a meh choice that may very well work out, but saying all this "but he loves UM" crap doesn't hide the fact that he is a risky hire and brings into question Brandon's handling of this situation.
And for all the people trumpetting Hoke wanting to be here, do you honestly think RR didn't want to be here as well? The guy has been busting his ass for 3 years here under near-constant scrutiny from local and national media personalities, from a faction of the fanbase that hated him from the moment he was hired, and who had to revamp a team that was dangerously shallow in depth at various positions. He suffered through the same losing streaks everyone else did, and this is from a guy who won over 100 CFB before he came to UM. He recruited reasonably well, brought an innovative offense to the school, groomed the B1G offensive POY, and honestly was making strides. Sure his defenses sucked and he made some dumb mistakes, but every coach in America has his flaws, and RR just kept plugging along and tried to fix them. He wanted to be here as much as anyone, but Brandon decided he needed to go so he was let go. He didn't leave UM - UM kicked him out. So stop it with the argument that RR didn't care about being here - I'm certain he wanted it to work out, and is probably prety beat up that it didn't.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
...reminds me of this scene from Hoosiers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0nv0UxI0xY
They're even chanting, "We want Jimmy!"
January 13th, 2011 at 11:29 AM ^
But blind optimism is another. Brian has said all along that he didn't think this was going to happen because Hoke was unqualified. He has been preaching this stance for the past six months and you shouldn't ask him to change his tune now. He obviously bleeds Maize and Blue - hence creating this fucking awesome site - and it's because of that that he feels so upset over Dave Brandon's decision and process. Brian is allowed to voice his opinion, and if nothing else we should all trust his opinion.
I love America but that doesn't mean I have to support every decision every President makes. Brian hopes just as much as I do and just as much as anyone that Michigan will win every game it ever plays from now until the end of eternity, but he can also be realistic about his projections and expectations. We aren't a bunch of babies who need to hear positive news. He shouldn't demean us by only saying positive things. Please don't censor yourself Brian!
January 13th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
Whole lot of opinions, but there is only one that matters.
Did you know that if you have enough MGoPoints when a new coach is hired, you get annointed as the new Brian? All the MGoCardinals convene to posbang and negbang their favored candidates and when the dust clears, a new Brian is crowned. This happens every time Michigan changes coaches.
Old Brian was the Brian voted in when Lloyd Carr retired, and he has now ascended to MGoHeaven, but soon, our New Brian will be crowned and all the MGoWorld will rejoice. So save up those MGoPoints, because who knows? IT COULD BE YOU!
January 13th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
just get along?
January 13th, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
Are we going McCarthyist on MGoBlog? Brian has a right to voice whatever opinion he has. He's not employed by the athletic department as a media cheerleader.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:57 AM ^
This is Brian's baby, and he's a genius. I'm sure he'll be man enough to admit that reasonable people can disagree. My only issue has been the frequency of his attacks on other reporters, when his own reporting of late has been less than accurate. Just saying. In the spirit of candor and constructive engagement. I'm sure the experience will prove edifying in the long run. Long live Brian. We need him.
January 13th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
So Brian is roiling in emotion right now. Good, I wouldn't have it any other way. The man who hurls empty water bottles at disagreeable codgers also puts that passion into a blog that we would prefer to not live without. Item: The leopard is spotted. Welcome to Mgoblog, nothing to see there. But Brian's also talking meta right now and it's depressing that so many Mgoblog posters are revealing their ignorance of that. Meta: what's happened in the last couple weeks revealed stories, some of them rather unpleasant. In addition to venting, Brian is talking about those stories right now and while it's understandable to want/need to feel AWESOME and ONLY awesome about a charasmatic new coach, understand also that those stories are insightful, important and reflective of the spirit that is Mgoblog. It's my nature to lurk; I'm rarely moved to post. But the added value of Mgoblog has always been thoughtful commentary from a relatively sophisticated fan-base and it's terribly lacking in this thread and beyond. A victim of its success? Maybe. But if you are impatient with those qualities that make Mgoblog special then I invite you to lurk silently as well.