Perspective, anyone?

Submitted by Gandalf the White on

When it comes to sports in general, admittedly, I have tunnel vision. I love my wolverines, a few professional teams, and that's about it. For the sake of perspective, with the exception of outright scandals, is there a similar implosion that comes to mind? I have seen teams slowly erode into mediocrity (which we have already done); but, this team, THIS STAFF, seems to have spiraled into complete chaos in very short order.

Maybe I'm looking for an inspirational story...

bluins

September 28th, 2014 at 1:21 AM ^

Same stuff at the end of his tenure: baffling special teams errors, poor game decisions, players that didn't look like they cared, arrogant and defiant statements from the coach, complete lack of fire despite there clearly being talent. Rivers was making mistakes largely because he was pressing himself as a leader to make up for other deficiencies on the team.

Tomorrow I will watch my Chargers control the shit out of the ball and roll over a bottom feeder two weeks after they beat the crap out of the Seahawks. Last year they made the playoffs in inspiring fashion, winning games they should have lost instead of losing games they should have won with almost the same team as the year before. We're not the most talented team and won't win every game, but I have every confidence they are a well-coached team, and that's nice. Guys will make plays on them and outrun them, but they won't shoot themselves in the foot. 

There is hope. 

Elwood

September 28th, 2014 at 1:22 AM ^

Anyone think it'd be this bad? I thought we'd

Today's Morris incident was horrible and will result in Brady losing his job. I hope he broke his contract too.

Brandon will be gone soon enough.

mgoblue78

September 28th, 2014 at 8:08 AM ^

Bump's '62 team made this team look like Superbowl champs. Four shutouts. 2-7.

The '63 squad wasn't a whole lot better.  

'64 team was a 1 point loss to the Bob Griese-led Boilermakers from an undefeated season, Big 10 and Rose Bowl champs, #4 in AP/UPI.   And if you count national championships like the Sparties up the road do, you'd add 1964 to Michigan's list of national titles, per the Dunkel Rankings.

This too shall pass.

 

BlueGoM

September 28th, 2014 at 8:39 AM ^

And Bump was replaced.



The rate this team turns the ball over, we may match that 4 shutout record.

And furthermore, is that what we've come to?  We go back 50 f'ing years to find an offense as bad as this one and just sit back and say "oh well."?

EDIT:

MSU and OSU will shut us out.  That's a total of 3 shutouts.  So yeah, we just might match Bump's four shutout team.

chatster

September 28th, 2014 at 9:00 AM ^

I partied in Kenmore Square after the Red Sox won the pennant on the final day of the regular season in 1967 . . . and then sulked for days whenever I walked through Kenmore Square again after Bob Gibson outpitched Jim Lonborg in Game Seven of the World Series.
 
I ran all over my house, screaming when Carlton Fisk waved that home run fair in Game Six of the 1975 World Series . . . and then fell back down hard when all hopes were crushed in Game Seven after the Reds rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the third to tie it in the seventh and then go ahead 4-3 in the ninth, with Yaz flying out to center to end the game.
 
I was ready to set off fireworks and pop the cork on the champagne bottle after the Red Sox went up 5-3 in the top of the tenth in Game Six of the 1986 World Series; and then came Mookie Wilson’s grounder through Bill Buckner’s legs.
 
But I still kept the faith as I sat in the stands at Shea Stadium, watching the Red Sox hold a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth behind Bruce Hurst’s solid pitching in Game Seven of the 1986 World Series, hoping that I’d be able to say that I was there when the Curse of the Bambino finally was broken.  Little did I know that Oil Can Boyd was getting drunk in the clubhouse, instead of warming up in the bullpen, so that after the Mets tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, a tired Calvin Schiraldi was called in to relieve Hurst and immediately give up three runs to let the Mets take the lead . . . and then Jesse Orosco struck out Marty Barrett to save the Mets’ 8-5 win and make my subway ride from Queens to Manhattan after the game a sad one.
 
After Game Three of the 2004 American League Championship Series, I never thought I’d live to see the Red Sox win a World Series. . . and then came those incredible Four Days In October and the magical night in St. Louis when Pedro, Papi, Manny and the rest of The Idiots got to Reverse The Curse.
 
Ten years later, despite their most recent worst-to-first-to-worst experience, I’ve lived to see not only one, but THREE Red Sox World Series championships.
 
P. S. Also having been a long-time New York Rangers fan who'd watched them play at the old Madison Square Garden when there were only six NHL teams and no helmets or goalie masks, I never thought I'd live to see the Rangers win the Stanley Cup . . . and then came Mark Messier in 1994 and the waiting and all those "1940" chants ended when I finally heard, "The New York Rangers are the Stanley Cup Champions . . . and this one will last a lifetime!"
 

ryanlove12

September 28th, 2014 at 10:13 AM ^

A great deal off and on since year two of Rich Rod. Wether you supported or turned on either/both guys is irrelevant at this point. The point is, that a good portion of our fan base has supported both. They have called for consistency to not "start all over". I'm not saying that I have this all figured out, but I think we can learn from successful teams.



When Rodriguez got here, we buried him before he started. I wanted him fired after year two, but even I didn't hate him when he took the job. Then, in year two/three, we had the whole stay/go argument. Now we are here with Hike, and have been since last Fall.



My stance is this: The SEC, Texas, USC, and others have teams with short down periods and returns to the top ten because they do not accept losing. One losing season and you're gone. Mac Brown won a national title and was shown the door because 8-4 every year wasn't good enough.



I know, "we are too good to be ess eee see". I agree, but our administration is too academic to ever let our institutional integrity fall like that. I'm saying, as a fan base, just vote with your wallet. Stop going, make them see a loss of money and set a win or else mentality.

BornInAA

September 28th, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^

I think there is a fester in the football program from AD down that is now a lazy culture of "do as little as it takes".

I see no accountablity, leadership from anyone associated with this program and yes that does include the players. Why do you think you have no captians? How many times did I see to sluggish OL stand around looking at the QB or runner getting tackled? 

I would clean house top to bottom every trainer, coach, staff hire a strong-willed coach to build from ground up he can dump as many people as he wants including players.

 

 

bjk

September 28th, 2014 at 11:28 AM ^

led M to to consecutive MNCs early in his career, then to the (T-) worst season in M history in 1934 (Gerald Ford's team). (I'm sorry, but for the mathematically challenged among you, 1-7 is worse than 3-9.)

That year, the student body was wrent down the middle when M pulled its black players from a home game (A - 20,901) to meet the demands of visiting Ga. Tech. (Gerald Ford had to be talked out of boycotting that game.) This was M's sole victory that year.

Kipke tied his 1934 mark two years later. He was back up to .500 by the time he was fired for violating Big Ten rules and possibly for cavorting with gangsters themselves associated with Henry Ford and his violent suppression of labor unionism.

mrawatson

September 28th, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^

I was born in Columbus and come from a long-time Buckeye family. We did move to Ann Arbor when I was young (in the 1960s) and I attended John Allen Elementary and Scarlett Jr. High. I attended many UM football games. I even wore an OSU tshirt to the first summer football clinic Bo put on in Michgan Stadium (noticed by Bo but I lived to tell the tale). I was at the '69 game.

The OSU-UM game was always the highlight of the schedule and usually determined the Big Ten Champion. Beating UM was always a thrill because they were great teams - it meant something. It gave you a good feeling that carried over all year until the next Game. Being a Buckeye in Ann Arbor was never easy, but it was fun. Woody vs. Bo.

Things have changed since that time. The UM program seems to have lost its way. In his post-game interview Coach Hoke seemed lost, unfocused, unsure what to do. Dysfunction in the athletic department. The Coke ticket debacle. I have read that many former UM lettermen have weighed in that AD Dave Brandon needs to go.

Michigan recruits great players year after year. Sure, that the program has not turned around starts with the coaches. But I can’t help feel that the problem goes deeper than the coaches and is more systemic - meaning the Athletic Department as a whole. That starts with Dave Brandon.

It is my sincere hope that UM gets some new blood in the Athletic Department and turns things around. I would like nothing better than beating a UM team that is top notch. Meyer vs. Harbaugh, Meyer vs. Miles - kind of has a nice ring, doesn’t it?

worric123

September 28th, 2014 at 10:46 PM ^

I have a bit of history hear as I was a child when I first was introduced to football.  I was coming in the early 70's with my parents to Michigan stadium.   They always seemed to win and they had the greatest band and fight song.  I was hooked but it wasn't just the winning.  It was the way they did it.  It was with integrity, hard work and this crazy guy saying... the team, the team, the team.  

I don't think people realize what booing the team reflects on everyone.   For shame to those who do know better.  Lets pick it up and encourage the team.  Stop this course language and back bitting.  Lets be different,  we all know that change is a constant.  Parity has come to college football.   No longer do teams have 100 scholarships or are the only team that is on TV.

Consistency, effort, faith and enouragement are needed more than ever.  Lets be different, the Michigan difference.  Lets have class and show what type of character exists at Michigan and its fan base.

 Change will occur if we do not have the right leaders but lets support them and not make it harder.  Perhaps I'm a throwback, but I think high principles win in the end.