Michigan an Experienced Team; Per Rothstein

Sorry - he acknowledges improvements will only come with more time, then puts M on the cross for taking too much time.

lolmedia

I am in agreement with him one one thing: there are 60ish freshman and sophomores, not 85ish (still a pretty high number). RS sophomores should not be included in a count of "young" players. A RS soph is in his 3rd year on campus and should be viewed as a veteran-ish player

Ah, you beat me to posting this poor attempt to refute Mispogon's diaries. He completely fails to provide the context that those diaries had, especially the second. He lists five players on both offense and defense with 19 starts as an example of experience (he even includes Martavious Odoms, a true sophomore!), while ignoring things like ND, OSU, MSU, and Alabama having complete two-deeps full of players who have been in college as long as those guys.

Secondly, the number continuously thrown about by the guys on WTKA is approx. 85 Frosh & Soph, I wonder if the WTKA # includes RS Soph. while Rothstein does not in his tally of 60.

He says in the comments:

When you look at years on campus, there are 60 freshmen and sophomores. Just because a guy has a certain number of eligibility years remaining doesn't mean they haven't been on campus lifting and practicing and all of that. They are just preserving a year. But they are still learning the system and practicing.

So yeah, the 85 includes redshirt sophomores. He's discounting them because that makes his argument sound better.

Rothstien is terrible. I hate to say it but I really miss carty.

Just goes to show you that you shouldn't trust the mainstream media to know more about your team than you do.

EDIT: Apparently he should know as much as we do, since he works around here. I retract that statement in this case, but in general it holds true.

I don't miss Mr. Sanctimonious Carty one bit, but Rothstein makes him look like David Halberstam. There isn't a single thing Rothstein has written that isn't something you could read on a hundred message boards or hear in a hundred sports bars.

He does have nice shiny hair, though.

That is all.

So a guy who hasn't even completed 2 seasons of eligibility as a player, assuming he's getting playing time at all, should be viewed as "veteran-ish?"

This team currently has 39 guys on scholarship who aren't freshmen by my count (23 on offense and 16 on defense). That list even counts former walk-ons like Sheridan and Moundros. Out of 85 available scholarship slots, 39 guys aren't freshmen.

Saying this team is experienced is the equivalent of me telling girls I have an eight foot dong.

Stupid Blackberry

realize that he sounds like a jackass to people who follow M football closely? Apparently not. Oh no, I get it, if he writes it, it must be true because nobody will check his statements.

I cant remember if it is him or Birkett..pretty sure it is rothstein though. Guy was/still is a ND slappy and has basicly tried to take shots at Michigan any chance he could get this year!

Just when he appears to be covering the team in a balanced way, he pulls this shit. The headline makes RR look dishonest, and is running in mlive, too. I wish these douchebag writers would apply the same standards of honesty to themselves that they do to RR.

I don't expect the press to be sycophants and shills like they are in Columbus, but couldn't they at least try to be fair and objective once in awhile? If it wasn't for Birkett, Angel, and sometimes Wojo, there wouldn't be any objective coverage of the team in the entire state.

I guess the only bright side is that not a lot of people outside of the hardcore fans bother to read mlive or A2.com.

Per Rothstein

i think he made a good point re freshmen players vs walk ons. specifically, i dont know why vlad hasnt seen the field as avsafety. he's already burned the redshirt, why not throw him back there? it certainly cant hurt, and if he really is "the future" at safety why not get him some valuable real-game reps?

I thought Drew Sharp wrote this article and was shocked to see Rothstein's name on it. Very Sharpean, if I can make up a term.

It's not that I think he is baised or hates michigan. He is just a joker. He writes like an 8 year old and his critical thinking skills are somewhere below that. Honestly I am a horrible writer, but I could pump that junk out in 10 min.

This is a failure pile in a sadness bowl.

but I just emailed sports@annarbor.com and told them I wouldn't visit their site until such time as they've sacked Rothstein.

What they don't know is that I wouldn't have in any case, because I can, you know, think.

First time poster... long time reader...

I have to admit that I was one of the angriest Michigan fans on Saturday. I ranted and raved to my family, including a letter winner from the 70’s, about how RR may not be the coach… that I no longer believed that RR could get the job done in the Big 10, backed up mainly by the personnel, namely Carlos Brown instead of Brandon Minor, on 2nd and 3rd from 18 inches. Watching the meltdown from this point was, sorry to say, predictable. I admit it, I blamed RichRod.

I’ve spent the last couple of days settling down and backing away from the window ledge. My brother was so concerned at my hostility that he took it upon himself to forward me a few emails that have been circulating between some of the teams and players he was associated with. Safe to say, I’m back in the RR camp, and growing more disgusted with Lloyd with each passing moment. Please note some of the excerpts below.

I am not sure who the author is, but it’s remarkable food for thought.

“Bill Martin, Mary Sue Coleman and Lloyd Carr are equally responsible for the off-field turmoil and on-field failure of the past 18 months. Coach Rich Rodriguez bailed out Martin and Coleman by accepting the Michigan job. Yes, the cupboards were empty & this staff did not inherit anything like the talent of Bo or Lloyd (see below).

Put the blame where it belongs. Get behind Coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff and allow him to rebuild the stale Michigan program and outdated conditioning.

"Our issues did not appear overnight, and will not be solved overnight. I promise you, I'm less patient than any of you or our fans - and we have great fans. Progress is being made. I wish it was faster. It's not going as fast as I would like, trust me."

"We're not talented enough right now to play poorly and win, at any phase. That might be hard for some people to understand, but that's where we're at. We've got to play well and get a few breaks and then we're capable of winning any game we play " says Coach Rich Rodriguez

Bo inherited from Bump Elliot nine All Americans and twenty eight All Big Ten players, four college football Hall of Famers PLUS DON CANHAM and went 8-3 his first year. Carr was 9-4 his first year despite inheriting nine All Americans, twenty four All Big Ten players and a Heisman Trophy winner from Gary Moeller.

Lloyd Carr came into the position in 1995 with the Michigan brand glowing (Big Ten record five consecutive championships, Ohio State had beaten Michigan only 2 of previous 10 games. With the Fab Five success, recruiting buzz was much more favorable during LC's initial years than what anything current staff is competing with .

Last year's team had the fewest Michigan NFL draft picks since 1994 & no All Big Ten player for the first time since 1962! Remember the previous year with Lloyd & current NFL players Henne, Hart, Long, Manningham, Arrington, Crable and Adams they still lost four games.

Let's remember the SHAMBLES Lloyd Carr left the program in. No QB, No OL, No experienced RB, same sieve defense that suffered the worst defeat in the Michigan football programs 130 year history (Appy State), an equally embarrassing loss to Oregon, couldn't tackle Wisconsin and losses in five of the last six years to Ohio State---something Michigan had not previously done in 17 years!

Lloyd Carr's communication/encouraging Ryan Mallett and Justin Boren to transfer, was indicative of his bitterness once one of his staff members was not picked to succeed him. Lloyd continues to draw $387,883 a year salary from the Michigan Athletic department and his lone job description appears to be a whisper campaign against the current regime.

Coach Rich Rodriguez came to Michigan based on it's successful tradition not it's current sleepy situation. He has to re-establish Michigan's on-field dominance and the luster to the Michigan brand that was bolstered and dominant throughout college football during the Canham/Schembechler/Moeller reign and declined during Lloyds final years at Michigan.

Coach Rich Rodriguez will win, but he obviously needs three or more years of recruiting class's and perhaps some coaching adjustments. He will compete for the Big Ten championship soon and in time will have National Championship potential.

University of Michigan Football supporters have to give it time, we can question everything they do but we have to support Coach Rich Rodriguez through the transition. It's tougher than anyone thought it would be but in the long run the status quo was proven that it was not going to compete with the elite teams in the country.

We saw what USC did to us in Pasadena, we saw what App State and Oregon did to us at home. It was time for change, transition is not always smooth but now more than any time in it's time to stand behind Michigan football.

Lets face it no Big Ten team can compete with the top teams in the country right now. It's a matter of time before the pieces of the puzzle are in all the right places and Michigan is back at the top of the Big Ten and can compete with the best.

We are ahead of the curve in the Big Ten in terms of what we are schematically doing on O and D, obviously behind the curve on the transition, and paying a premium to get there but have faith we are going to get there.

Former players I have spoken with support Coach Rich Rodriguez 100%. I think the comments of current NFL player (Carr recruit) Larry Foote sum up the situation best when he states, "I respect what he's doing, putting a program in place even if it might sacrifice some victories now. He's a proven winner and when they get it right, they're going to dominate. They're gonna be a powerhouse sooner than people think."

This is the attitude and approach all Michigan supporters should take.’

The Lloyd Carr shadow government conspiracy meme is back.

Phew, I've been lonely without it that last week or so.

Yeah, thats right, Carr got Mallett and Boren to transfer to spite the school he loves and the new coach. Sure makes perfect sense to me.

How ridiculous.

Its one thing to blame him for recruiting circa 2004-2007. I think he admit it was subpar. Just look to his comments during his retirment pressser when he said there were just things he didnt have the energy for anymore. Thats about the recruiting trail.

But, this whole whisper campaign theory is bullcrap.