Snake Oil Sales = Effective

Submitted by Raback Omaba on
Well, I have the flu and am sitting at home feeling like crap.... But the one silver lining about today is the play of Roy Roundtree and the chemistry between him and Forcier. I really liked how he's stepped up in the absence of Tay Odoms. We're starting to see flashes of what we saw during the spring game. Also, we're starting to see flashes of what we saw during the spring game from our defense. They are pretty bad...like MAC bad. Here's to snake oil sales - Hopefully Coach Rod can stay around long enough to hit his quota.
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Raback Omaba

November 7th, 2009 at 7:12 PM ^

But this loss hurts recruiting badly.... Coach Rod is truly on the hot seat...there's no question about it. I've always been a three year guy, but if he loses out....well, let's say that I don't know what's gonna happen. He's gotta take the next two.....or at least OSU at home. A pounding by the Buckeyes at home on Nov 21, esp if bowl eligibility is at stake, will cause a riot within the fan base.

Joined: 03/07/2009

MGoPoints: 1629

Raback Omaba

November 7th, 2009 at 7:28 PM ^

your assessment about Martin not firing RR before he leaves. But, we have to admit, his tenure here SO FAR has been a COMPLETE DISASTER. I don't think anyone could have imagined a worse scenario than what has happened here over the past two years. On and off the field. Although some of the off field stuff is media frenzy, you have to admit, the guy kind of attracts it. I expect better on the field and better from the face of our program. This is coming from an RR supporter from day 1. At some point, results matter, and you have to take off your maize and blue colored glasses. He has been a complete joke. I've always had faith in his abilities as a pure football coach...on field stuff I've never worried about. But I've always wondered if he was the GUY.....to be the new face of this program. Like Bo and Lloyd were. Like JoePa is for PSU. Like Tressel is for OSU I hate to say it but, at this point, I don't think he has what it takes. He always seems to say the WRONG thing. He doesn't seem to have any fire at all. I'm just sick of this whole "Aww Shucks, I'm just a football coach" attitude of his. The guy needs to realize that he is the face of this program, our fearless leader...whether he likes it or not. Oh, and the losses are starting to mount...that's a bad thing

Joined: 03/07/2009

MGoPoints: 1629

909Dewey

November 7th, 2009 at 7:38 PM ^

Kudos to you Omaba. I started two threads today with the title "Eventually Results Matter". Not because I am anti RR but rather because, despite all of the fabled well-reasoned arguments around these parts, I had yet to see that meme come out. RR is right now responsible for 30% of our losses since 1997 MNC. He is responsible for 39% of our Big Ten losses since the same season. My point is this - if you are not currently re-examining every a priori notion you had about RR being a great coach and being somebody who was going to be good for UM, then you are just an apologist.

Joined: 08/21/2009

MGoPoints: 327

Raback Omaba

November 7th, 2009 at 7:41 PM ^

I read that thread. We can talk scheme, youth, recruiting, attrition, speed, new offense, new defense all day. But it means nothing if we keep losing. Look, I still support the guy...but it's getting harder to defend. We need to beat Ohio State...he needs to deliver that game. If not for bowl eligibility (let's be honest, Wisky is gonna be tough at Camp Randall), but for a pure statement game. We need OSU..Bottom Line

Joined: 03/07/2009

MGoPoints: 1629

blues next

November 7th, 2009 at 8:49 PM ^

i am with you raback... maybe i am just emotionally drained, but for the first time in his tenure, i am feeling the frustration... firing rr would be ridiculous, but you have to start wondering how big the price has been to turn the program. if we win 7-8 games in 2010, was it worth all the pain of the past 2 years... i have stated before that the blame rests on martin's shoulders. the rr hire was thrown in his lap and he did nothing to set expectations, manage the process, coach his new coach on managing relations at um, etc... he had plenty of time to prepare for lc's retirement and managed the process like a novice. my frustration with rich is his ongoing poor pr. his body language is that of a guy who is not happy to be here. i know he wants people to see him as an experienced guy who deserves his pay, but once in a while humor us with a statement about how great it is to be here. use some language that suggests you want to be here. we know he is a great offensive mind...but a head coach needs to sell a vision and communicate with the public-at least a bit, and esp during the hard times.

Joined: 08/14/2009

MGoPoints: 42

jmblue

November 8th, 2009 at 5:39 PM ^

Certainly, the price we've paid to transition from the Carr system to RR's has been steep. But that's reality; what's done is done. We have to think about what's best for the Michigan program in 2009, not what might have been best in 2007. To fire RR because we've lost too many games in his first two games would be a reactive move. Good ADs are proactive. You change coaches not to punish the guy for past performance, but because you think that going forward, the program will not do as well under his leadership as it will under someone else's. Just as the pre-2008 program was built to carry out Lloyd's coaching philosophy, the 2009 program is being built to carry out RR's. Next year, for the first time, a majority of the scholarship players on the team will be guys RR actually recruited. These are players who knew what the system would be coming in, and whom RR felt would be good fits for it. Which is more likely to produce a desireable outcome next year: having those players play for the coach who actually recruited them, or having them try to re-learn yet another system, under a new coach? (To say nothing of the fact that our already-low scholarship numbers would likely drop further in the inevitable wave of attrition.) They most likely would perform better under RR. That is reason to support his continued employment. We need to move forward from where we are. A couple of years from now, if we still aren't winning with an experienced, more talented team, then we can conclude that RR won't be the answer going forward. Bill Martin correctly came to that conclusion about Tommy Amaker after two straight senior-led Amaker teams went nowhere. Right now, we don't have anywhere near that kind of evidence on RR. All we know is that it's hard for him to win with a team that is inexperienced, has little depth, and not that much talent.

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 102720

ATrain32

November 7th, 2009 at 8:55 PM ^

"...but if he loses out....well, let's say that I don't know what's gonna happen." If M loses out we'll be 5-7 and no bowl game. As fans, we'll be disappointed, cranky and bah humbugging while watching other team's bowl games. Or maybe we can enjoy M hockey and bb while hoping for a solid recruiting class despite a tough year. Or maybe we'll look back fondly at Bo's time and realize how damn lucky we have been to be so good for so long and that winning football, while desired, is earned and not a god given right. Either way, it seems fairly obvious win v. OSU or no, RR will be coach next year.

Joined: 11/23/2008

MGoPoints: 122

Maize and Blue…

November 7th, 2009 at 7:19 PM ^

JB Fitzgerald played decent today. I expect Big Will to be good next year. Roh with 15-20lbs can replace BG. Need safeties to step up whoever they may be. I still am baffled by no Justin Turner. I know he got here late, but do the coaches really thing he is going to stay around another four years if he lives up to expectations. At least if he makes a mistake he may be able to make up for it with some athleticism not seen from Kovacs or Williams. In other words screw the redshirt try everything possible to win now. 15 extra practices would do next year's team a world of good.

Joined: 03/15/2009

MGoPoints: 6750

those.who.stay.

November 7th, 2009 at 7:33 PM ^

Anyone can see what this team will be like once we get upperclassmen skill players and healthy line. I thought we looked pretty decent today despite the heartbrealing loss deal. Our players play tough.

Joined: 12/30/2008

MGoPoints: 3986

.ghost.

November 8th, 2009 at 4:58 PM ^

purdue trots out a 5th year starter and one of the best (if not the best) wide receiving tandem in the big 10. we trot out a true freshman, and our number 1 receiver is out. i am so sick of having to defend this team. ya, we suck. we also are young, inexperienced, and many of our defenders wouldn't start for central. i want more wins, but OVERALL the improvement from last year to this year has been fairly impressive imo.

Joined: 10/01/2009

MGoPoints: 1813