the just released schedules were a flat-out statement that the B10 doesn't believe SOS will matter in playoff selection
No coffee for Brandon
January 5th, 2011 at 6:38 PM | 
I agree with $$$$ = no Hoke and poach
I agree with $$$$ = no Hoke and poach
January 5th, 2011 at 6:14 PM |
Harbaugh
Harbaugh
Harbaugh gets 0% of the blame unless he promised Brandon that he would definitely come here and went back on his word. It looks like Brandon rolled the dice on this one, and it came up snake eyes.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:36 PM |
Bull. If JH goes to the NFL
Bull. If JH goes to the NFL
Bull. If JH goes to the NFL I will hate his teams with a passion for the rest of my life.
Abort, Retry, Fail?
January 5th, 2011 at 6:51 PM |
Up Until Yesterday
Up Until Yesterday
Up until yesterday at least Brandon could have pulled back by retaining RichRod. No doubt he would have caught a lot of flack any which way, but most of us would have understood that decision even if we disagreed with it.
As it is, there's no doubt Brandon's got himself a PR fiasco and a coach search under very tough conditions. Maybe he recovers from this with a solid hire. Maybe he catches a break and Harbaugh winds up in AA anyway, or Brady Hoke turns out to be the steal of the century. Brandon's a smart guy and the thing about smart guys is not that that they never make mistakes, but that they recover from them quickly. That's what I'm hoping for here. But there's no denying he's taking a huge, and probably unnecessary, risk.
He doesn't want to go down!
January 5th, 2011 at 7:30 PM |
What did DB know and when did
What did DB know and when did
What did DB know and when did he know it? I have to assume he knew something -- that there was an "understanding" of some sort. Otherwise, DB's simply a madman. What we need to know is whether there was, for all intents, a deal: verbal, wink-and-a-nod, whatever. If so, then Jimbo is a weasel and fuck him.
But, quite possibly, Jim (or his intermediary) said, "Gee, Dave, that's an exciting thought. And I'd love to discuss it at some point. But not until after our bowl game." In which case, DB is a fool and fuck him.
In either scenario, though, DB would have surrendered the power in the negotiation. I think many strong ADs would have made an offer on the school's timeline, not the candidate's. Can't get burned that way.
Assuming we do not land Jim, one side or both will begin leaking their version of the story. One of the other will fail the sniff-test. Then, hopefully, we'll know.
January 5th, 2011 at 7:45 PM |
Not sure I agree. JH's market
Not sure I agree. JH's market
Not sure I agree. JH's market value may have changed (possibly because of Michigan alum Stephen Ross) between the verbal and now. What if a junior player states his intention to finish his degree, but then over the course of the season becomes projected as a top 5 pick in the draft? Can you really blame him for going pro?
January 5th, 2011 at 6:35 PM |
I don't blame Harbaugh
I don't blame Harbaugh
My guess is that Harbaugh has options and doesn't want to work for an idiot. Personnel-wise, the cards are now almost as stacked against a pro set guy as they were against RR. Maybe JH realizes what a loose cannon DB is and doesn't want to be the next guy that "didn't work out."
Besides, JH's brother let it slip that there was contact before anything was announced, so there would always be conspiracy theories/facts if JH took the Michigan job. Maybe JH just doesn't want to walk into the cesspool that David Brandon has created when he can make more money in the NFL.
The only way we aren't in for two more years of waiting for next year is if a spread-based coach comes to Michigan. Maybe JH is a lot better off in a league where the spread is still verboten. If he goes to the NFL, he won't ever have to defend against it or be compared to it, and he won't have to remember giving up 55, 35, 51, and 52 points for an average of 48.25 a game against Oregon's spread during his tenure at Stanford.
Not only do I not blame Harbaugh for this situation, I applaud him for washing his hands of it. I am confident in saying that the next time we see Jim Harbaugh on the Michigan sideline, it will be in a situation that won't risk compromising his repuation. And that is fine with me.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:49 PM |
I agree that if it was
I agree that if it was
I agree that if it was Brandon's plan all along to announce an open search on January 5 he's an idiot. But I am not so sure that's the case. Why are you so sure that Harbaugh didn't waffle once it became clear that he would field multiple NFL offers and could play hardball to get favorable terms? Isn't it at least plausible that it's Harbaugh who has put Brandon in a tough spot by getting cold feet?
Missing Ann Arbor
January 5th, 2011 at 6:55 PM |
Or Maybe
Or Maybe
Or maybe the sheer awfulness of the team's performance in the Gator Bowl led him to the conclusion that a change was needed.
If all that happened was Harbaugh backing out, Brandon had a way out: keep Rich Rod for another year. Folks would have been disappointed but most of us would have understood.
He doesn't want to go down!
January 6th, 2011 at 9:01 AM |
Guh. He took over a 1-11
Guh. He took over a 1-11
Guh. He took over a 1-11 team. That didn't scare him away.
"the Spirit of Michigan...is based on a deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways....and a conviction that nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours" - Fielding Yost
January 5th, 2011 at 7:39 PM |
If JH had led DB to believe
If JH had led DB to believe
If JH had led DB to believe he would come, then some of the fault would have to lay on him. On the other hand, when billionaires are throwing money at you to come coach their NFL franchises, it's hard to complain about his decision-making. Sort of like Stanford fans complaining if/when Andrew Luck decides to declare for the NFL draft. Can you really blame him?
January 5th, 2011 at 6:10 PM |
I'm in shock
I'm in shock
How bad can things get. We're as bad or worse than Notre Dame.
"It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up." Vince Lombardi
January 5th, 2011 at 6:12 PM |
How so? Come on...we're not
How so? Come on...we're not
How so? Come on...we're not there...yet.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:41 AM |
we're there and we did it
we're there and we did it
we're there and we did it faster than they did too(thats what she said).
January 5th, 2011 at 6:24 PM |
Worse than Notre Dame
Worse than Notre Dame
Let's not say things we can't take back.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:29 PM |
Chill!
Chill!
We are two failed coaching changes at a minimum from getting anywhere near Notre Dame status!
January 5th, 2011 at 6:32 PM |
I think you're right, but
I think you're right, but
I think you're right, but it's not that bad. Let's look at it like this: pretend we're already dead. We've already achieved ND status in the eyes of the sports-watching world (read Maisel's ESPN article, which skewers Michigan's "arrogance" and "championship" culture). Ofer 3 against Sparty, Ofer 7 against Ohio St. Only bowl appearance in three year was a total disaster.
I thought RR should have been given the chance to improve upon this year, which showed promise. But the next guy has to beat 15-22 over three years. We're not a school who fires coaches who win 58% of their games--that's what ND did. We're a historically-strong program in need of rebuilding. There's no shame in that. We have a proud past, outstanding facilities, a rabid fanbase, and still offer a big stage (like ND, people will tune in because it's Michigan, just to hate/gawk). Even if we hire Hoke, I think we will improve on the last three years.
Missing Ann Arbor
January 5th, 2011 at 8:22 PM |
Even if we hire Hoke, I think
Even if we hire Hoke, I think
Even if we hire Hoke, I think we will improve on the last three years.
If we kept RR and got a new DC (hell, even if we didn't) we'd be guaranteed to improve due to new players and players getting older/more experienced. If we hire Hoke, we'll have no players left.
January 6th, 2011 at 2:19 AM |
What new players? And what
What new players? And what
What new players? And what players that are getting older and more experienced are really going to get better under Rodriguez? Is Roundtree going to suddenly realize his potential under Rodriguez? How about Stonum?
And the defense? Please.
These guys are underachieving under Rodriguez and I'm frankly tired of it.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:40 PM |
I find myself surprisingly attracted to your avatar...
I find myself surprisingly attracted to your avatar...
is that bad???
January 5th, 2011 at 6:50 PM |
IIRC that's his wife, dude.
IIRC that's his wife, dude.
IIRC that's his wife, dude.
Missing Ann Arbor
January 5th, 2011 at 6:52 PM |
Uh oh
Uh oh
Dude, that's his wife! Stephen R, you can blame yourself for the creeped out/jealous feeling you're having right now.
January 6th, 2011 at 10:59 AM |
If so
If so
I say, well done, StephenRKass, well done!
January 5th, 2011 at 6:18 PM |
God damn it
God damn it
In my amcult 208 class and my teacher is trying to explain what history means...
"Rich Rod is history" booooo
January 5th, 2011 at 6:21 PM |
We Gave Rich Rod Three Years...
We Gave Rich Rod Three Years...
...can we at least give the next guy the time it takes for him to step up to the podium before we declare him a failure?
He doesn't want to go down!
January 6th, 2011 at 4:44 AM |
again, I like Rodriguez and
again, I like Rodriguez and
again, I like Rodriguez and know he's a good coach who was trying to drag michigan football kicking and screaming out of the great depression era. the new coach will get the respect Rich got from alledged fans from day 1.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:21 PM |
You Guys
You Guys
You guys are borderline ridiculous. I'm sad and frustrated too, but lets not treat this like the end of the world. It's not.
Sit back and see what happens. And, by God, support the new coach.
I will be so disappointed if this blog and its members do to Hoke, what y'all keep bitching people did to Rich
Go Blue, Beat Western
Help My Friend Allison Fight ALS
MSU/IU at the JCB
January 5th, 2011 at 6:29 PM |
It's gonna happen jamiemac.
It's gonna happen jamiemac.
It's gonna happen jamiemac. If anyone but JH or Les Miles come in here, you know the "Ol guard" will bitch about them not being Michigan men. And they'll bitch about Hoke having "not won at a big program", book it.
cheat, cheat, and cheat some more, and when you get caught, do the right thing, lie!
January 5th, 2011 at 6:41 PM |
Doesn't matter who it is,
Doesn't matter who it is,
Doesn't matter who it is, this is what Michigan fans do. We cannabalize. I'm sure even Bo got bitched about by Op-Eds and Armchair QBs before Gore invented the internet. We don't venerate our coaches or players till after they're gone (see Lloyd Carr and John Navarre).
January 5th, 2011 at 6:49 PM |
We don't venerate our coaches
We don't venerate our coaches
We don't venerate our coaches or players till after they're gone
Mike Hart?
Denard Robinson?
Charles Woodson?
Jake Long?
Lamarr Woodley?
Brandon Graham?
Yeah, our fanbase does have a bunch of whiny idiots. But the current situation is a complete cluster.
This is home...
January 5th, 2011 at 6:51 PM |
I wonder how much
I wonder how much
of this could have been avoided with just a little support from Carr after he left.
January 5th, 2011 at 11:58 PM |
Haven't you
Haven't you
Left yet?
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
January 5th, 2011 at 11:57 PM |
"Bo can't win the Rose Bowl"
"Bo can't win the Rose Bowl"
"He's boring and predictable and conservative". It was the same. I was in the bus back from his final Rose Bowl, and heard stuff like "well maybe now our offense can enter the 20th century". There's just more ways for your "opinion" to be "heard" now. There's a reason outside of press conferences coaches and players really don't like or give a damn about fans.
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
January 5th, 2011 at 6:31 PM |
Guys, I'm really scared.
Guys, I'm really scared.
Guys, I'm really scared.
It's during times like these that I wish DB would hold me and tell me its going to be ok. So much is riding on the next coach. We can't afford to have back-to-back failed coaching tenures. I don't want to see a decade of losing/mediocre seasons. This is Michigan. The greatest and most admired university in the world. We are great at everything, except football. We need to change that and it needs to happen soon. Please reassure me everything will be ok.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:37 PM |
Amen to that....
Amen to that....
...some of these people drink way to much coffee.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:38 PM |
Thank you !!!!
Thank you !!!!
Well said.
Go Blue !!!
Dave Brandon: Detailed and thorough investigation proves that Freep report was intentionally misleading.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:49 PM |
Thank you jamie.
Seriously,
Thank you jamie.
Seriously,
Thank you jamie.
Seriously, everyone else, chill the fuck out.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:59 PM |
Meh
Meh
I'd rather people bitch now and back the eventual choice than the other way around.
With RichRod, people were largely supportive right up until he started, you know, doing stuff.
January 5th, 2011 at 11:53 PM |
Jamiemac
Jamiemac
You might want to talk to your fellow podcaster Brian on that one. He's leading that band here.
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
January 5th, 2011 at 6:32 PM |
Say it ain't so
Say it ain't so
Apparently there are limits to what even the pimp hand can accomplish. DB must have had some kind of verbal agreement with JH at the time of the OSU game and decided to wait to announce it so everyone could save face and coach their teams through the bowl games. Otherwise why wait to can RR? Only a funny thing happened on the way to the altar - JH became THE hottest thing in the land. a bunch of NFL jobs opened up and now we're Notre Dame. Who would have thought we'd be going through ANOTHER coaching search debacle three years after the last with a supposedly brilliant executive driving the bus? OTOH, if DB does pull off some kind of miracle and deliver JH, I will build a shrine to him in my backyard.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:49 AM |
why? what the hell is he
why? what the hell is he
why? what the hell is he going to do in the next 3 years that Rodriguez didn't do. take over a bad team with transfer hell, no recruiting class, no experienced QB and a change from the spread back to prehistoric offensive scheme. his first three seasons at stanford were horrible and the same will ring true at michigan.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:34 PM |
Didn't DB say " we have a
Didn't DB say " we have a
Didn't DB say " we have a coaching list with no shortages"? If it had no shortages, why don't we have a coach in place?
cheat, cheat, and cheat some more, and when you get caught, do the right thing, lie!
January 5th, 2011 at 6:35 PM |
What about Barwis?
What about Barwis?
What happens to our crazy S&C difference maker?
Remember: Everyone rises to their own level of mediocrity.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:38 PM |
Going, going...gone.
Going, going...gone.
Going, going...gone.
Abort, Retry, Fail?
January 5th, 2011 at 8:10 PM |
Separate contract, according
Separate contract, according
Separate contract, according to the News. The only staff member who has not been fired.
Missing Ann Arbor
January 6th, 2011 at 4:51 AM |
barwis has been with
barwis has been with
barwis has been with rodriguez for a while and he'll follow him to the next school.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:42 PM |
Packing his Wolves and is Gone!
Packing his Wolves and is Gone!
But we get to keep the redesigned S&C facilities
January 5th, 2011 at 6:53 PM |
We'll probably have to renovate the facilities
We'll probably have to renovate the facilities
for the next S&C coach. No one can accuse DB of not knowing about pizzas.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:37 PM |
At this point I trust DB.
At this point I trust DB.
Obviously the "search" has not started today. He is not stupid. Once he concludes his review and makes a choice I will stand by the decision. To me, if I don't, then I'm part of the problem. We all need to support the program. Most of you got what you wanted today. A new coach will be coming so support him. Heck, if its some no-name with the right qualities so be it. This will be done soon. Let the media speculate and fabricate ... they do that well.
Go Blue !!!
Dave Brandon: Detailed and thorough investigation proves that Freep report was intentionally misleading.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:48 PM |
I am all in for Michigan... but DB is not on my fav list today
I am all in for Michigan... but DB is not on my fav list today
but don't agree with the debacle part - too bad for the other program if we have more tradition and can out-spend them.