New Hoke comments, Q&A (Monday AM) on mgoblue.com

Submitted by pearlw on

The regularly scheduled weekly interview with Hoke on the Mich football website was just released a few minutes ago and has new comments on the incident. Among other things, he comments that the medical staff said "Yeah, he can go" and that he was medically cleared to go on that play. Relevant section is below:

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Q. What is your quarterback situation moving forward, with Saturday starter Shane Morris and Devin Gardner, who started the first four games?

A. Well, number one, we would never put a quarterback who was hurt (in there). That would never happen. As far as where we're at with it, we usually don't talk about injuries and stay away from them. But this has kind of become an issue to some degree, and Shane Morris has got a leg injury, and that's why we pulled him from the game. We'll see where he's at.

On the down where Devin's helmet came off, there was a discussion about the timeout with the referee that I wanted to take to buy him back into the game. When I talked to the referee -- because he kind of came to the sideline -- and he said, 'No.' So, a couple seconds later the line judge comes up and says, 'Now, you can buy a timeout.' But by that time, Shane was already back in the football game.

(Shane) was on the bench and (senior football athletic trainer) Paul Schmidt was looking at his leg, and (reserve quarterback) Russell (Bellomy) was there. Russell is signaling in, him and the other quarterbacks. And when Shane heard his name, the medical staff said, 'Yeah, he can go.' And he went out on the field. We'd never put a kid out there who wasn't capable. He was medically cleared to go in on that play.

 

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/092914aaa.html

Magnus

September 29th, 2014 at 8:05 AM ^

It probably means that he was trying to get an injury timeout for Morris so Hoke wouldn't have to burn one. The ref wouldn't let him. Finally, the line judge said that he could.

It's not that hard to figure out...if you try, which you don't seem willing to do.

Magnus

September 29th, 2014 at 8:25 AM ^

That's an interesting take, considering it came from somebody who was insulting Brady Hoke's language skills...

So let me get this straight:

1. Brady Hoke uses football language you can't understand.

2. You insult him.

3. I explain it for you in a somewhat demeaning way.

4. You call me an "asshat" for being rude.

Can you find where the negativity started?

pearlw

September 29th, 2014 at 8:06 AM ^

I think this is a great point and we really dont know the answer yet from what Ive read. Hopefully there will be more disclosure at the 12:30 presser.

There are 2 possibilities:

1) They are specifically not mentioning the head injury to try to sweep it under the rug and hope people focus only on the leg. If this is the case, this is awful and ridiculous and is attempting to cover it up

OR

2) There never was a head injury. Perhaps Shane was almost falling over because he buckled due to the pain in his leg. And the reason they fail to mention it was that there was never any focus on a head injury.

 

Rage

September 29th, 2014 at 8:29 AM ^

If you have a leg injury, it would be easy to buckle when you first put some weight on it.  That is why he needed help getting his balance and to adjust the way he was walking.

It seems like everyone here wants to Shane to have a concussion for the sake of firing Hoke, but it could just as easily be his leg only.  I absolutely want Hoke to be fired but I don't want him to be fired for being a piece of crap if he is not one.  Hoke is terrible coach but I want to give hime the benefit of the doubt and say that he is not a terrible person.  I hope this situation resolves itself positively for Hoke.  And then he is fired for his crappy coaching record.

Blue in Yarmouth

September 29th, 2014 at 8:56 AM ^

but having watched the play a few times in slow motion and watching SM following benig removed from the game I'm inclined to think there wasn't a concussion. Now that doesn't mean he shouldn't have been taken out of the game and assessed for one, because he should have. What I saw was what looked like SM buckling under the pain in his leg, falling over and grabbing on his OL to take weight off his leg. 

I think there after a hit like that he should have been removed and asessed for a concussion, but I do think the finding would be that he didn't have one. He was clearly injured, but I don't think it was his head. 

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 9:01 AM ^

Are you kidding with that "pain in his leg" bit? We are seeing totally different things. He looks like someone who is about to lose consciousness. Then afterwards, he makes these wild hand motions like someone whose losing control of their limbs. 

Again, I don't know if he had a concussion, but there was something going on beyond a bum ankle. At the very least a timeout should have been taken. 

Magnum P.I.

September 29th, 2014 at 9:11 AM ^

There are a lot of possible explanations. Ankle. Concussion. Wind knocked out of him. Being a little verklempt. Et cetera. The main point is that if concussion is one of the possible explanations, it should be treated with all seriousness--like, at a minimum,  checking the player out before he's sent out to drop back to pass again.

Reader71

September 29th, 2014 at 10:36 AM ^

He's right. Look at the GIF on the front page now.

And refs can be wrong, but they didn't call helmet to helmet here. They usually make that judgment based on the sound of the hit. Helmet to helmet sounds different than helmet to pads.

He could still have suffered a concussion, but the hit is not a huge red flag like the blog is making it out to be.

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 10:43 AM ^

Dude he's not right. And I'm not surprised that you agree with him, but Jesus this is beyond dumb at this point. Its a direct shot to the chin with the top of the helment. I know you love Hoke, but its time to get over it. 

Watch his neck snap back and get back to me. This is truly mind-boggling that there are people out there trying to argue the bit of insanity you just laid down

Get out of here with some credibility. 

Reader71

September 29th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^

I had given up on Hoke as Michigan football coach before the Morris incident. If that's worth anything to you.

But I AM looking at that hit, and I just don't see it. It's a hard hit, and the helmet certainly did hit the facemask, and that may have caused a concussion. But I don't see that hit being the same one that has led people to believe that a concussion was obvious.

I dunno man, I'm kinda checked out. Maybe I'm losing it. But my eyes are telling me that the hit was helmet to shoulder pads with a glancing blow to the chin.

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 11:06 AM ^

Okay, at least your argument has some basis in reality in that he does probably get part of the shoulder afterwards, but if you watch the clip on youtube and slow it down you can get a pretty good still of Morris' chin being the direct recipient of the a slightly off-center helmet blow. Cochran's helmet is fully under his chin and in the next instant you see Morris' chin snap back. Its still a pretty clear, full forced shot to the chin. 

Magnus is trying to say he got hit in the chest, which isn't even remotely true. 

Reader71

September 29th, 2014 at 11:32 AM ^

Oh yeah, he got hit in the facemask. But that happens on every play. It just does. It wasn't a direct hit like the blog is making it out to be. Like I said, he still could have suffered a concussion. A direct hit isn't necessary. But the people on here are insisting that it is an open and shut case -- "look at the hit, of course he should have been tested for concussion."

But look at that hit honestly if you can; that's not an obvious "check for concussion" hit. At least I don't see it, and I've had concussions both obvious and not.

I mean, you say his head snaps back, and it does. But not in any way different than most hard hits. His neck doesn't go limp like it commonly does when a player is concussed. I don't know, man, I just do not see it.

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 11:44 AM ^

So on every single play a player takes a free headshot to the underside of the facemask/chin/neck area with the crown of the helmet? 

Its open and shut. I don't know why some people are the way that they are and feel that they have to disagree just for the sake of it, but they are out there and you appear to be one of them. You keep singing that very wrong song. 

At the very least: Why were you coming on here and saying that Magnus was right that Morris got hit mostly in the chest, which isn't even remotely true?

Reader71

September 29th, 2014 at 12:15 PM ^

He was hit mostly on the chest! Magnus is right. Look at the tape. The problem is that even a small hit to the head can lead to a concussion anyways.

I'm not arguing for the sake of arguing. I'm arguing because my conscience will not let me look at that hit and say 'negligence!' Coaches and trainers have a duty to not put the kids in harms way (reasonable harm, they are playing a football game). I don't think anyone breached that duty, because I don't see how this hit screams concussion. And because I know what the sideline is like and I can say with relative certainty that all coaching staffs would have handled this in the same way in the face of the evidence.

I wish it didn't play out this way. I would like to think we are better than everyone else. But I know how football games are run, and I can't see anyone doing anything differently.

For God's sake, Coach Rod, who wears a headset, focuses on offense, always talks to his QBs, and is presumed to be smarter and less aloof than Hoke put in a concussed QB at Arizona who threw up all over the field. Do I think that is a fireball offense? No. Its a fuckup that is inherent to coaching on gateways. That's why the trainer can pull a guy whenever he wants and the coach can go fuck himself. Our trainer let Morris return. Was he wrong? I hope not.

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^

The helmet, does not mostly or really in anyway hit Morris in the chest which is what we were talking about.

You are legitimately crazy if you think othwise. It was a full on shot to the chin and neck cheapshot. End of. Stop trying to do whatever it is you think you are doing because it's pathetic.

Also if you read anything about Matt Scott you'll realize he was tested and found not to have a concussion and Arizona actually came out and said it. Given RRs track record with pulling Denard and Tate I'm inclined to believe him.

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 12:50 PM ^

You can slow the video down and see it connect directly with the underside of his chin. That would place the full force of the blow on his chin and most of the helmet on his chin and neck. But being the total fucking idiot that you are going to keep repeating how wrong you are over and over again.

Magnus

September 29th, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^

Did you not see where I said that the helmet slammed "mostly into his chest"? I have acknowledged elsewhere in this same comment stream that it hit him in the bottom of his facemask, but most of the force ended up on Morris's shoulder/chest.

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^

It hits him right in the chin. Unless you count the neck as part of the chin you are completely wrong.

This is remarkable to see someone be so totally wrong and have video prove him wrong and be unable to admit it.

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 9:25 AM ^

Sure, its possible. 

However, I don't think that him simply having a bum ankle is a possibility for what we saw, which is what Brady Hoke seems to be attempting to argue. 

But you keep saying that he may have gotten the wind knocked out of him. Usually that occurs when you take a blow to the mid-section. I don't know if you actually have seen the play that occurred - I seriously have to ask due to your line of comments - but Morris takes a direct shot to his chin and slams his head against the ground. That's why I'm leaning towards a head injury over simply having the wind knocked out of him. 

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 10:23 AM ^

Holy shit dude. You might be a bigger fucking idiot than Brady Hoke. The top of his helmet connects directly with his chin guard area. You are either blind or have an IQ of 67. 

Aren't you a football coach? What is your name and where do you coach? You shouldn't be allowed near a football player with your attitude and people should be directed to comments like this to understand why. 

Please shut the fuck up you embarrassment. 

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^

Nah, you know what? Sometimes people need to be called out for saying things that are really, really dumb. And the fact that this guy coaches football and can't even see that a guy gets blasted in the chin with a headhunting blow makes it both worrying and dangerous. 

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^

You claiming a guy who got hit by a cheap shot to the neck and chin actually got hit in the chest means rationality went out the window a long time ago. You're an idiot and you should never be allowed near a football field again if you're actually as dumb as you are playing at right now. So again: shut the fuck up.

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 1:05 PM ^

Getting you to admit you're wrong and hopelessly pathetic for trying to downplay a cheap shot to the head by saying it was a blow to the chest for reasons I cant fathom other than your own stupidity? Nah, you're too ignorant for that. But I do feel your delusion shouldn't be allowed to stand and that calling you a fucking idiot is all the rebuttal you deserve at this point. Anyway I'm done here. You are what you are and at least now it's out there for everyone to see.

westwardwolverine

September 29th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^

You claiming a guy who got hit by a cheap shot to the neck and chin actually got hit in the chest means rationality went out the window a long time ago. You're an idiot and you should never be allowed near a football field again if you're actually as dumb as you are playing at right now. So again: shut the fuck up.