Miserable Fans
I was listening to the WTKa podcast today and Sam seemed to have a nice stretch of callers that sounded like they were just subjected to watching the 08 Toledo game for 24hrs straight as opposed to a last second comeback against a rival on the road. I realize we have problems and it's fine to bring them up, but to be that depressed about a big win is just crazy.
So I got to thinking how miserable of a person/fan you must be to not be overjoyed with that victory. If you're not happy with that win then when have you been happy following Mich football? If you are only happy after your team has completed a perfect season and a national championship, What sense does it make to follow a team when 99% of the time you are miserable about it? I thinkit's time for a new hobby
I'm a golfer and that is the only thing I can think of that comes close to the way these people think. "Sir can I pay you $60 for the privlege of being miserable for the next 4.5 hours while I complain about every shot I hit."
I think this is also exposing the RR haters vs the fans upset about the wins. The haters are just hanging onto crap as the momentum has swung...
September 14th, 2010 at 3:20 PM ^
yeah i don't get it either. buncha fart butts, they are
September 14th, 2010 at 6:15 PM ^
September 14th, 2010 at 3:22 PM ^
The legend of Dave Brandon grows.
There are some out there that will never believe in this team until they win x amont of games x amount of years in a row with 300 lb o-linemen. Haters gonna hate. I'm going to enjoy the ride after the past two years.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:25 PM ^
Even worse, for most of them, x = infinity.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:30 PM ^
If we don't win 16 games in the regular season, RichRod needs to be fired!
Ummm, this is college, we only play 12 regular season games, 1 conference championship game, and a bowl game at the max.
FIRED I SAY! FIRED!
*I shake my head and walk away*
September 14th, 2010 at 3:23 PM ^
Go root for Sparty if you're going to be that pessimistic.
September 14th, 2010 at 4:03 PM ^
1. Wait until next year.
2. You're nothing but Arrogant Assholes.
3. Wait until next year.
4. Wait until basketball season starts.
5. We were so much better when we had Spartan Bob running the clock.
6. Didn't Eddie Brown have another year or two of eligibility?
7. Wait until next year!!!!
September 14th, 2010 at 3:26 PM ^
I thought this would be another post about sparty. They're more miserable than Lions fans.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:39 PM ^
Lions fans have legitimate cause to be miserable.
Sparty fans are miserable because deep down, they know they will never be Michigan, and they foolishly base their satisfaction on attaining something unrealistic.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:27 PM ^
...this sort of "fan" will increasingly show themselves to be the idiots that they are.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:36 PM ^
Wow +1 for the Session 9 clip. That's the most underrated scary movie of the last 10 years.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:41 PM ^
I just searched for "fuck you" on youtube... but I'll check that movie out.
September 14th, 2010 at 4:00 PM ^
HA it was too good to be true. No one has ever seen that movie. It didn't do well in the box office or with the critics but I loved it. Short synopsis: a crew is hired to clean asbestos from an abandoned mental hosptial. One guy finds a series of 9 tape recordings of a psychiatrist's "sessions" with a patient. By the time they get to Session 9 crazy stuff is going on with the crew and it's pretty damn scary.
September 14th, 2010 at 4:16 PM ^
Looks good and scary
September 14th, 2010 at 3:34 PM ^
He said, “We’re going to enjoy this one for 28 hours, then get back to work.” He also said, “We have a lot of things to correct, but it’s more fun to learn from a win than to learn from a loss.” I don’t find any contradiction in being elated about the win, while at the same time recognizing that the team has a ton of work left to do.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:50 PM ^
The part I didn't understand about that statement is why he was giving his players 28 hours to enjoy the win. Wouldn't it make more sense to round it off at 24 hours? Or was he being precise to mean that they get to take the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday off where 24 hours would only get them part of Sunday off to enjoy the win?
(Just giving you a hard time)
September 14th, 2010 at 4:22 PM ^
With no Quality Control GA's observing. Players need to phone in to their parents and to Mark Snyder at his Free Press office when stretching is done, and then turn in their signed stretching forms to Compliance Services.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:34 PM ^
Some people look for positives in life and other people are Magnus and Big Redacted.
September 14th, 2010 at 4:42 PM ^
This is the correct reponse to the OP. The people that are complaining right now are the ones who are not happy with their personal lives and thus it is reflected in other areas. In this instance it is Michigan football. They should hand out Xanax for the UMASS game.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:39 PM ^
September 14th, 2010 at 3:55 PM ^
Does anyone remember that plenty of people complained during the '97 Natl Championship season? The offense wasn't consistent enough...blah, blah,....if it weren't for the waggle play Griese wouldn't complete a pass...blah, blah. Some people like to pick pepper out of fly excrement.
September 14th, 2010 at 5:10 PM ^
I distincly recall being in arguments after the '97 season with people who insisted Carr hadn't proven himself yet, and how it was still Moeller's players who won the title, etc. It was pathetic.
I think what happens is, you have people who decide they don't like a coach--either when he's first hired or some time thereafter-and then they are constantly looking for evidence to support their position. With Carr, there were already a lot of people who wanted Moeller fired becuase he had two consecutive 8-4 seasons with 10-2, 11-1 type talent. When they got their break after Moeller's drunken incident, they were bummed that UM didn't go outside the program and bring in a high-profile replacement. So, nothing Carr could do would ever be enough.
Now with Rodriguez, it's the same thing--either he wasn't the guy they wanted, or thy're pissed about 3-9, or it's practicegate, or it's Joe Tiller calling him a snake oil salesman, whatever: some people have their minds made up, and nothing is ever going to change it. Fortunately for the rest of us, none of those people seem to be especially relevant to the program.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:56 PM ^
The ability of people to be sour about the team right now amazes me. No, they're not a perfect team by any means, but they're 2-0 and they've been incredibily fun (and/or heart-attack-inducing) to watch...I used to be a (typical, I think) Michigan fan in that I shrugged my shoulders at wins but suffered terribly through losses. After App. State and the last two years, I've learned to enjoy the heck out of every win. At the risk of sounding preachy, no one is guaranteed to win any more games, so we might as well enjoy the ones that Michigan gets.
Having said the above, I also hope people don't get carried away. I very much hope not to see anyone say at the end of the year that an 8-4 season was disappointing.
September 14th, 2010 at 3:59 PM ^
I agree the RR haters are livid and are looking for reasons to complain so justify their position on RR.
September 14th, 2010 at 4:41 PM ^
The elephant in the room is that we've undergone a culture change analogous to what we experienced when the Fab Five arrived on the scene. We have a black, dreadlocked quarterback. Our backup quarterback is also black, and so is our QB recruit for next year. It's possible that Tate will turn out to be our last white QB for awhile. No one will say this publicly, but this fact probably bothers some fans on a subconscious level. And so they look for reasons to be "concerned" about RR's system.
These are probably the same people who were uncomfortable with the fact that the Fab Five dared to wear long shorts, black socks, and shave their heads. Not that they disliked the Fab Five, but they looked at Bobby Knight's system and, well, in their heart of hearts they wanted that here. Today, it's not that they dislike Denard, or think RR's system will fail . . . but they'd just be more "comfortable" with a pro-style system.
September 14th, 2010 at 4:54 PM ^
So what you're saying is that Denard should wear short shorts to play in?! I like it!
September 14th, 2010 at 5:29 PM ^
While I don't think Bo would have put up with the dreads, he did start multiple black quarterbacks (Denny Franklin, Demetrius Brown and Michael Taylor). Franklin was a three-year starter.
To be honest, I think these are the same sort of fans who almost regardless of what was happening on the field spent the Schembechler era complaining about how Bo couldn't adjust with the times and how the defense was too soft. Some people just like bitching.
September 14th, 2010 at 9:43 PM ^
Before Denard, we hadn't started a black QB in 21 years. That's long enough for people to get a fixed idea in their heads of what a "Michigan QB" is supposed to look like.
September 14th, 2010 at 9:50 PM ^
...who wouldn't look fondly on a black quarterback are also old enough to remember Taylor, Brown and Franklin.
Or at least I hope so.
September 14th, 2010 at 5:57 PM ^
This is what I think is happening to a great number of fans. Last year we were on a high with the great start; a bowl seemed like a foregone conclusion... only to have the year end at 5 - 7. I know I was very disappointed. So I find myself this year once again very excited about what I am seeing, but "cautiously" optimistic.
But what these fans (and myself at times) seem to forget is this year is not last year. The team is more mature, more experienced in the offense, they seem to be on a mission to prove all naysayers wrong, sort of like Charles Woodson saying prior to the 97 season "I'm tired of losing, we gotta win". No, I don't think this team is going to win a BCS Championship, but I do think this team is united around being tired losing and taking care of business.
September 14th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^
C'mon now...The "culture shock thing" is off base. Your casual allegations that those who don't love the option offense are racists is offensive.
The "shock" is the change in offense from one style to a very different style. It's a huge difference to have a QB account for 92% of the offense. Huge. It's not a huge difference for a football player to be black or have dreads. It is a huge difference for all pass plays to be short and only 10 RB carries per game. That is shocking. Denard is amazing, exciting and unstoppable...but it's not his skin that "concerns" people about RR's system. While I'm excitied to win these games and know that 3rd-and-17 is very doable with Denard, I tend to prefer a non-option offense. That's just my personal preference as I like watching Michigan QBs and WRs in the NFL. Because I like winning and don't want to wait, however, I can bend.
Again, nothing is shocking about black football players. Was Ann Arbor shocked by Webb and J Rose being black? No, the shocking part was that they were cocky and boastful, and that they were beasts who went to the Final Four. The actual game on the court, the X's and O's, really wasn't different. RR's crew, by contrast, is not cocky and boastful. They're actually extremely controlled on the field (see, for example, the handing of the post-touchdown football), but the X's and O's are vastly different. Your example and conclusion are really the reverse of the truth.
p.s. Loy Vaught, Rumeal Robinson, Sean Higgins and Glen Rice were all black. Crazy, isn't it?
September 14th, 2010 at 6:26 PM ^
I think it would be naive to deny that at least some of the criticism toward this team is colored by racism. If you don't think so, just go look at some of the disgraceful things the State fans are writing about Denard.
September 14th, 2010 at 9:30 PM ^
State fans aren't the fans being discussed by jmblue. He's talking about Michigan fans who he insinuates may be racists because they prefer a pro-set. It's a ridiculous comment. The criticism toward the team is not colored by racism; it's colored by two terrible seasons. If RR keeps up the winning, the criticism will dissipate. That would show a correlation between losing and criticism, not race.
September 14th, 2010 at 9:58 PM ^
I think most people are racist on a subconscious level. It's probably human nature to be most comfortable around people that resemble you. I don't fault people for that. However, if they act upon those racist impulses, then it becomes a problem.
I think a lot of fans are uncomfortable with Rodriguez's system, but can't really put their finger as to why. Even when presented with evidence that it works extremely well with the right QB, and that most of today's best offenses employ at least some of its principles, they find themselves still preferring the pro-style offense. Does that have something to do with the fact that pro-style teams generally have white QBs while most of RR's QBs are black? I wouldn't rule that out.
As for the Fab Five, if you failed to notice the huge cultural change they brought to our program (and college basketball in general), then I can't help you.
September 15th, 2010 at 10:01 AM ^
That last sentence...wow...I was a freshman with the Fab Five. That's my era. Those aren't strangers to me. Your "help" isn't needed.
The problem I noted with your comments is the way you carelessly blended race with "culture change". Of course the Fab Five "shocked the world", but it wasn't their skin color that did so. It was the on-the-court mannerisms, the shorts, the socks, the shit-talking. The X's and O's did not change with the Fab Five. That is the opposite of the RR situation.
The X's and O's absolutely changed with RR's offense. The race of the players did not change. People don't generally take issue with RR's offense because of the race of the players (which is not a change from previous UofM teams). Some folks just prefer a pro-style offense. Some folks prefer a passing spread. Some folks prefer RR's spread option. It's just preference, not racism. Of course, maybe you think that Pete Carroll is a racist, Jim Tressel, Mike Singletary, etc. I generally require more evidence than one's favorite offensive football scheme before calling someone a racist.
September 14th, 2010 at 9:51 PM ^
I can tell you first hand that racism is quite a strong element for some people with this team. When I asked one of my coworkers (who makes absolutely no effort to hide his prejudice whatsoever) if he had watched the UConn game, his response was, "Yes, and I was so fucking pissed off. That's not Michigan football. Michigan football is not some little n***** with dreadlocks running around like he's running from the cops."
September 15th, 2010 at 3:19 AM ^
As an African American, I feel like getting sick after reading that. That asshole wants to shit on a very happy time for us with some vile shit like that. Denard has not only wowed us with his talents on the field, but with his leadership and demeanor as well. Fuck him. Tell him to say that shit in a dark alley in Detroit. He's going to have a rough time when he goes because like my grandma used to say , "Heaven ain't segregated."
September 15th, 2010 at 10:03 AM ^
WTF? Where do you work? A white hood factory?
September 14th, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
You guys do realize that the most iconic figure in this program ran an option offense right? If anything RR is going back to "tradition".
September 14th, 2010 at 4:48 PM ^
If you listen to most of the arguments, you are simply hearing something some media pundit wrote or spoke about being parroted back by someone that is happy to let the media do their thinking for them.
Many of the remainder are football fans who see no difference between the NFL and the NCAA. The student-athlete does not exist for them, the tickets cost a lot, you know! College football exists to provide players to the NFL, or fantasy football opportunities.
The balance are just miserable individuals.
The student-athlete, the annual change dictated by the fact that graduations occur (well, not so many in Columbus, but hey). The continual cycle of rebuilding, watching players and teams grow and any number of other sappy things are exactly what attracts me to college football.
I've said it before, and it bears repeating. This is a special group of young men that have stayed to bring Michigan Football to a place where they can compete anywhere, anytime and win. Not just until November, but in January. We have strengths and weaknesses, stars and bit players. The really cool thing is this: we get to watch the story as it is being written.
September 14th, 2010 at 4:58 PM ^
First, I'm thrilled with the win, and incredibly optimistic about the future of the team. So please don't knee-jerk dismiss this comment as the grumblings of a negative nancy. But . . .
This team is flawed. As great as Denard is, this team still has major problems, and there is nothing wrong with the fact that some fans choose to recognize that and want to discuss it. They should be able to do so without there being a bitchy thread or a neg-banging every time someone makes a critical comment.
The simple fact is, as great as it is that we won, we were 40 seconds away from what would have been a truly horrible loss to a mediocre team that had no functioning QB for half the game. We were unable to score until the final possession of the second half. As miraculous as Denard is, his final drive doesn't erase all of the concerns that led up to that near disaster.
To be clear, I'M NOT ONE OF THE PEOPLE COMPLAINING. I've been on a high for the past few days, and am optimistic that our offense will get even better once Touissant starts playing. But I recognize that some fans have legitimate concerns, and they are allowed to voice those concerns even if it offends your delicate eardrums.
September 14th, 2010 at 5:06 PM ^
I.e. that we as fans can have a reasoned discussion regarding the pros AND cons of the team (of which there are a number).
However, I am uncertain that with "we were 40 seconds away from what would have been a truly horrible loss to a mediocre team that had no functioning QB for half the game." Would the loss have sucked? Yes. Would it have been horrible? No. The Horror was horrible. Getting blown out by Oregon was horrible. Losing by a few points on a rain-soaked day at Notre Dame Stadium with a first year starter, eh I don't think that is horrible. Also, I have no idea if ND is mediocre- seems a little premature.
PS "Fuzzy Dunlop" is an awesome name.
September 14th, 2010 at 5:15 PM ^
Thanks. Fair point, horrible is certainly relative, and it is too early to know whether Notre Dame is mediocre, good, or utter shite. But the key factor that would have made it a crushing loss of despair in my mind is that Notre Dame didn't have a real QB for nearly half the game. Losing to Notre Dame I can bear. But if we had lost that game in those cirumstances, and despite having a 3-0 turnover advantage, 90% of the people currently thrilled about the team would have been saying "we have a QB who can get 500 yards by himself, got a ton of breaks, played against high school quarterbacks and still couldn't win." If we would have lost that game, the general zeitgeist and attitude towards the program would be the polar opposite of what it is now.
Not to say that would have been the appropriate attitude, but it is the case that the line between thrilled optimism and crushing pessimism was a pretty thin one. Especially after last year's experience, I don't blame some fans for adopting a wait and see attitude.
September 14th, 2010 at 8:47 PM ^
We know the defense sucks we knew that 9 months ago we knew it would be worse when Troy went down, we have several glaring problems we need addressed. The point was a guy called up and chided Sam for being optimistic because we suck, Cam Gordon sucks and he has this team for 5 wins and then he got 3 more callers all with the down in the dumps attitude. My point was we knew all this before the season started, no one had us for the NC and 12-0(except The Knowledge)...name me 1 person who would not have taken this after Troy went down.
2-0
Denard leading Heisman race
Defense giving up 17pts a game
Enjoy the ride!
September 14th, 2010 at 8:56 PM ^
to get to the point where you are not entering the season with areas of concern is reaching a state where you have recruited (and retained, hur hur) 5-star athletes 2-deep at every position, with all of them having some form of playing time experience. That would be nice, but not even OSU, Texas or Florida have that.....Alabama, after watching Trent Richardson, might be close (I keed, kind of).
September 14th, 2010 at 10:11 PM ^
you know what a low looks like. Good and bad exist relative to one another, just like positive is to negative.
Imagine this. Let me send you to a place where your team never loses. 30 years, same coach, same stadium, no one standing up in front of you. Championships every year, no losses, ever. Now there is a flawless team. How long before you are bored? Leave, oh no, time for the Clockwork Orange treatment. Yes, your nirvana is now your hell.
I would submit that it is the rise and fall, the recruitment of new athletes and their response to coaching, the luck and angry Michigan hating gods that make this exciting.
Now, I don't like losing, and I don't want to get too philosophical, because it doesn't mesh with Roh and Martin each grabbing a leg and making a wish, but you see someone complaining, I see some moron bad-mouthing a Michigan *freshman*, as if he were a first round draft pick.
September 14th, 2010 at 5:20 PM ^
It's obviously fans that do not follow this team as in depth as we do. These past couple of seasons have made me even more of a fan if that is at all possible. I was very happy about the win against ND because when you look at it we missed 2 chip shot field goals, the refs were against us all day long (giving warnings to ND), terrible angles taken by our secondary that went for a 95 yard touchdown, and of course the phantom TD that was of course allowed. All things even we would have won by two scores or more. I am stoked going forward because this team is capable of beating anyone. All of these miserable fans should just jump ship to Boise State or TCU where undefeated each year is a realistic possibility.
September 14th, 2010 at 5:49 PM ^