Seems like there's less news out of the football program this year compared to recent years
Does anyone else share that sentiment?
It's not necessarily a bad thing for our program to not be on blast as the season approaches, since it leaves the opposition less certain as to what our game strategy will be and how they should prepare for us.
I know that practice hasn't started yet and the new crop of cadets just reported for duty, but even at this time last year, it seemed like we were getting fairly regular quotes from players and coaches regarding the goings on within the program.
This year, it seems like someone ordered radio silence.
The Fort once more.
Hoke gets it.
is how people are upvoting you because they really believe in this idiotic, empty sentiment. Reverse-trolled.
No, I think His Dudeness has seen the light.
You get it.
If you are a fan of the program and actually want "The Fort" mentality to come back you are stupid. It means you will have less access to the program you love. Basically, if you are here on MGoBlog and you like "The Fort" mentality then you are a George divided against himself (and probably not very foresighted).
A George divided against himself cannot stand!!
Color me stupid, then. I think to many fans have begun to think that it is some God given right to know every damn thing that goes on in the football program. It is not. Those of us lucky enough to have jobs should all understand that if someone followed you around all day and wanted to know the whats and whys of every last little thing you did, you would end up looking less than steller, probably start worrying more about how your actions look to others rather than their actual usefullness to your job, and be overall distracted and annoyed. Hoke doesn't need to tell you why he gave the third string QB two more reps today than yesterday, or hold a press conference every time a lineman stubs a toe. One of the things I initially liked about RR was his 'tell you whatever was on his mind' approach, but it flat bit him in the ass. Every misstep he made was paraded around by local media and hounded on boards like these. I fell right into the same trap, making fun of his press conference answers or his choice of banquet songs like the university had hired him as a professional speaker. He was a football coach. Hoke should worry about football and we should be happy if we get the occasional bone thrown our way with a little video from practice or insight from the coaching staff.
I think I'll color His Dudeness stupid instead.
I think to many fans too, but usually they can't hear me.
I'm just not as telepathic as I had hoped.
Actually, it's likely that this has little to do with a fort mentality and more to do with the fact that it's July 1. I don't remember much news about the team coming out at this time under RR, either. Most of the news around this time last year revolved around the Practicegate story and his job security.
what is to blame?
All we hear is he gets it. I am just curious, it UM stays at the 7 to 10 win level and does not go to a BCS bowl, what is the blame?
Not a flame, just curious, just hearing alot of the the "get's it" stuff before playing a game.
We need to get to that 7-10 win level before we can worry about plateauing there. Eeking out a 7-6 record last year (with four single-digit wins and six double-digit losses) does not imply that we are it now.
NO sunken ships this year!
What would they talk about really? Recruiting is really all that is going on and I believe they can't talk about that.
I wonder if the team is up in the arctic tundra running in deep snow...doing pullups on barn timbers.
I agree. And I'm thrilled. As long as I've lived (27) it seems that there is some sort of correlation between success and lack of news over the summer.
I agree with the OP and am very happy that is happening. As soon as RR was announced as the new coach, there was so much backlash and a ridiculous amount of stories and drama in the media. This is refreshing.
Less controversy = less news
Hoke has been doing great, but most coaches and football programs don't have a lot going on before practice starts again. Most of the news that we heard the last few years but not this year was either about RR being on the hot seat or our NCAA violations. "Coach Hoke is doing great" sells a lot less than those stories, so we hear less.
I really think that might be at least part of what DB is doing with a lot of his BS comments. I think (hope?) he never really wanted a mascot, but guess what? In a down time for sports in general he got M Football on the front page of ESPN.com all by saying "maybe we should get a mascot..... nah"
I think every month or so he'll do something to get people talking about Michigan. the UTL jerseys, mascot talk, etc. he's definitely done a good job of keeping the "Brand" in the news
...DB mascot musings:
DaveBrandonAD Receiving many ideas/drawings re: mascots-time for Mascot-mania to end! Not a FB game idea-maybe certain sports someday-but not now-move on!
Methinks he now realizes what a minefield he'd put himself into.
I think he's crazy like a fox, and wandered into the minefield on purpose, knowing just where to step to keep us in the news, and then once the news cycle ran it's course, he ran out of the minefield
...could be the case. He's a crafty one, for sure.
"Let's run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it."
I just hope that Brandon got his answer.
If there is anything the last 3 years have taught me, it is that no news = good news.
With the Press being pre-disposed to only reporting negative stories about Michigan, I'd rather be hearing silence right now.
There is an inverse relationship between the number of Freep articles posted on Mgoboard and the mental health of the MGoPosters.
I can understand your saying it just for the sake of being snarky and funny. But not seriously.
Because all that we've done with regard to the Free Press is to write about what an injustice they have been responsible for. They singlehandedly fomented an NCAA investigation, and the investigation hurt our program.
Do you think that our writing about an injustice is contrary to "mental health"? Has the MGoBlogoshpere done anything else, other than "writing about an injustice"?
This had been a subject that at one time or another infuriated and/or hurt all of the following: Brian Cook; Bill Martin; David Brandon; Rich Rodriguez; Mike Barwis; Je'Ron Stokes, and his family; Brandin Hawthorne, and his family; and, probably too many Michigan football players (and coaches, and staff, and their families) to list.
Now for the people inside the program, they may feel that it is just time to move on. They have jobs to do and are responsible for putting together a string of wins starting in about eight weeks. But that's not my responsibility. I have the freedom and the leisure to engage in more, uh, "retributive analysis."
I think you're proving his point...
I'm unbelievably happy with the lack of press for the team. Of course, my thirst for knowledge of our team forces me to look as many places as I can to find out new information, but the lack of media coverage means that the team, and coaching staff, can focus on bringing Michigan Football back to where it belongs; number 1 in the nation. Can't wait for the fall!
Thsi is true. If only RR had learned.
July, 2010, to today.
The hot topics in July 2010? A new MGoBanner contest. Kenny Chesney visits Glick Fieldhouse. Some recruiting (Kellen Jones and -- sigh -- Dee Hart). And a cool .gif with cool bears flying jets. Cool. Oh, and don't forget "Worst plays of the decade Part II"!
http://mgoblog.com/archive/201007
Clear, overwhelming evidence that if only RR had learned...
Ohio State is getting blitzkreig'd.
Michigan back in the cone of silence.
Coaches and players that give TMI generally slip up and say something stupid - see: Pryor.
I hope Hoke is currently practicing his Lloyd Carr Presser Glare and Scowl for the season.
negative news reports as others have stated. Nearly all the news coming out has been positive which is natural given that there is a new coach. However, some of the lack of press is because there are pretty low expectations for us this year in the press. That is probably fair given our recent record and the changeover.
A few, certainly not all, factors that came to my mind when I saw this post:
1. Some of the staff left over from the Carr regime and disappointed with the hiring of Coach Rodriguez but stuck around long enough to complain about him to the media and others now no longer work at Michigan.
2. The folks who didn't like Coach Rodriguez from day one are happy because they finally got what they wanted.
3. Coach Carr finally being escorted to the exit last August probably helped.
I'm sure others have different and valid points of view.
How do tin foil hats really fit?
I think this comment is less "tinfoil-hatty" and more "cynical" in today's Michigan political landscape. JMO.
what the average Joe fan's expectation is. Brady Hoke has been beginning a lot of speeches with "we haven't won a game yet", but they average Joe fan hype is that Brady Hoke = Michigan football is back. There's a big love in going right now, but what happens if the recovery and progression of the defense, combined with the transition on the offense puts us in 6-6 territory?
No news is good news right now, but next off season may not be as pretty.
I honestly dont think a 6-6 season would be too controvercial. With RR a 6-6 season would "RR sending the program in the wrong direction" and "The spread won't work in the big ten." With Hoke it would be "Rebuilding takes time" and "He's a michigan man, its going to take time for us to recover from RR."
People are predisposed to like Hoke and what he does. If we went 3-9, then there might be trouble, but as long as we make it to a bowl game I think were fine.
6-6 would suck. I'm with Brady Hoke 100% and believe he is doing and saying all the right things but don't tell me 6-6 would not be controversial.
RR's first season? Wouldn't 6-6 be at least semi-acceptable if 4+ of those came in conference when compared to 3-9? Don't give me the "cupboard was bare" speech either. Go back and look at who we had on D (Graham, Warren, Trent, Taylor, ezeh before the self destruct, etc). That alone should have been enough for a few more wins. Offense was not bad short of QB and Threet probably could have been a little better given more opportunity.
how many would be against the top of the conference?
If we started poorly and finished strong, 6-6 might be ok.
is a direct result of people keeping their mouths shut when words are not needed.
It's true, and it's a soothing balm on my soul.
Personally, I don't care about "Fort Schembechler" or any other media relations stuff if Michigan wins a ton of games and isn't getting in trouble doing it.
That said, August has been awful the last few years. Let's get through that and into the season before we start hailing any of the staff's policies.
Loose lips sink ships.