So what was that hand thing Denard was doing? Stay hungry?

Submitted by Blue Blue Blue on

Do we have an official word on the meaning of Denard's hand thing after scores?  It looked as if he was "eating", was it "stay hungry"?

 

Anybody know?

Blue_Bull_Run

November 29th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^

There's a youtube video of some top chef going through a bunch of motions, including Denard's eating motion. A poster posted that video on here the first time Denard did that, claiming that the team was mimmicking the chef. I think the whole board though that poster was crazy at the time, but now I think he may have been on to something.

snakedog

November 29th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^

Stay hungry is a good guess, because we all see Denard as the humble kid, who is shocked that he recieves any praise at all for his play.

But I think it means that the chef is serving touchdowns for dinner and "We eating, bitch!"

Erik_in_Dayton

November 29th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^

it wasn't taunting, as some OSU fans seem to have suggested.  I don't see a difference between what Denard and Tay Odoms were doing and Greg Schiano's "keep chopping wood" hand gestures. 

Section 1

November 29th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^

but it seems like taunting in every other sense to me.  I don't blame the OSU fans for stating their disapproval.  Michigan fans woujld say the same about an equivalent OSU stunt.  I dare say that Bo Schemebechler would not have tolerated it, and it will make for an interesting question for Hoke as to whether he will.  I hope that Hoke isn't let off with one of his coachspeak non-answers.  He should either state his approval (and square it with decades of Michigan's informal code against on-field demonstrations), or say that he's told Denard that was quite enough, and there should be no more stunts like that.

julesh

November 29th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^

But this isn't something that they were doing just at The Game. If they just brought it out for that, yeah, I can see that as taunting. But they have been doing it for at least two weeks, so I see it as just a team thing, and don't see how that's taunting. And Borges was signaling hunger, so the coaching staff seems to be in on it, too.

Section 1

November 29th, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^

Let's just agree on two things:

  1. It is unneccessary.  There's absolutely no way Denard has to do it.  It is all about Denard being Denard.  And I am not so sure it has to do with Denard firing up the team, which might not be so bad.
  2. Denard risks a penalty by doing it.  NCAA football Rule 9, Section 2, Article 1(a)1(d), which specifically lists as an unsportsmanlike act "Any delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed act by which a player (or players) attempts to focus attention upon himself (or themselves). 

I submit that Denard's air-eating is a "choreographed act...which attempts to focus attention on himself."

It may not be a big deal, but I also thought that OSU's putting their hands up to the crowd to from the block "O" with their pro-combat gloves a year ago was not a big deal, and THAT drew penalties!

www.fwfo.org/Files/2011Rules.pdf 

Yo_Blue

November 29th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^

The team has done this for the last half of the season.  It is mostly done on the sidelines, but after a score it is a reminder to the other players to not let up and to stay hungry.  There is NO GRANDSTANDING or self-aggrandizing infolved.  Maybe in the bowl game they can sit up straight and stare at the field - no smiles allowed, Section 1 may see that as showing up the other team!  LIGHTEN UP!

Section 1

November 29th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^

You seem to want to make up your own definition of "unsportsmanlike conduct," instead of applying the NCAA's definition.

A YouTube roundup of about ten different examples of Denard doing that gesture, on the field (albeit while play was not occurring) seems to me to be an easy call as "choreography."  It doesn't have to be demeaning to the other team; all that the choreography must do is to call attention to the player himself.

And while we can disagree about whether an unsportsmanlike penalty should have been called (having been there and seen it live for myself, I confess that I am not so sure that I would have thrown a flag), a careful reading of the rule should not leave anyone surprised if a flag had been thrown.  And that raises the obvious question -- WHY RISK IT?  WHY RUN THE GRAVE RISK OF A 15-YARD PENALTY ON A KICKOFF?  Those are really questions for Hoke, because it is his responsibility for allowing Denard to do what he did, right in front of the coaching staff.  What is the benefit, Coach Hoke, for risking that sort of penalty?

Section 1

November 29th, 2011 at 12:09 PM ^

Because all I am suggesting is that any act like Denard's risks the penalty.  That is all.  Is the risk of a penalty worth it?

So that's the legalistic NCAA-rule part of the issue.

Then, there is the issue of the appearance of the Michigan football team on the field.  Do these stunts look like "Michigan football," played by Michigan Men?  Or does it look like an NFL game game between the Ravens and the Raiders?  Part athletic event, part hip-hop concert.  I am actually pretty open-minded about that aspect, and I wouldn't mind so much, if the press and the Michigan fanbase hadn't gone so completely over the top in proclaiming Brady Hoke as the savior of all that was Michigan, in the spirit of Bo, Mo and Llo.

readyourguard

November 29th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^

Usually it's the losing team bitching about a celebration, no matter how insignificant and minute.  It's refreshing that our very own Buzz Killington is irritated with Denard's gesture. 

I have a neighbor who doesn't want the neighborhood kids playing ball near his driveway.  He fears that they'll retrieve a ball on the lawn then walk across his driveway and potentially stain it.   Yes, you heard me.  He doesn't want kids getting grass stains on his cement driveway.

Section 1, are your initials MR by any chance?

Section 1

November 29th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^

I don't think you'll see one negative word out of the Free Press regarding Michigan football for a very long time.  They probably feel like "Mission Accomplished" in Ann Arbor.  The Free Press doesn't hate Michigan football.  "Michigan" is the paper's bread and butter.  The Free Press hated, and no doubt still hates, Rich Rodriguez.  The paper will remain forever defensive about what it has done.  Part of that is pouring dumpsters full of praise on Brady Hoke. 

SWFLWolverine

November 29th, 2011 at 12:12 PM ^

hmmmm....so is taking a knee and praying after every touchdown a choreographed event as well? If the Big Ten has a problem with it, they should give him a warning first...just as they did twice to Ohio last year before actually throwing the flag. Perhaps they should throw the flag when a receiver gives the incomplete motion when they break-up a pass, or the lock-down sign. Where do you stop with the interpretations? 

If the officials warn him...he should stop. If they don't say anything, let it go.

Section 1

November 29th, 2011 at 12:30 PM ^

From an officiating standpoint, what you say is exactly right.  I would hope that they DO warn before throwing a flag in those circusmtances.

But as I say, the game is over.  No flag was thrown.  And I have already made it clear that I don't have much of an opinion about whether a flag shouold have been thrown.

All I am asking is, "Coach Hoke, what is your answer?  Are you going to let this go on?"  There is the potential penalty-call issue.  And there is the appearance of Michigan football as a separate issue.  Respond with respect to both things, please."

jonvalk

November 29th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^

Seriously, do you ever have something positive to say? Lighten the hell up. I understand that there's a risk of penalty, but that's a risk I'm good with. It kept the players excited about their scores and almost everyone liked it. If they'd done it in the face of a Buckeye player, it'd be different, but this was innocent fun. Damn. Eight years waiting for a win and people already bitching.

Section 1

November 29th, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^

one more poster, attempting to supply his own rule, instead of applying the NCAA rule.

It does not matter who you do it to.  It does not matter if you do it "to the other team."  You don't even have to be specifically signalling to the crowd, as OSU did with their pro combat gloves.  (Although what is the freaking difference, in which direction you are facing, as you perform your choreogrpahed gesture?)

Read the rule.  A choreographed gesture... drawing attention to oneself.

OSU was penalized, in the 2010 edition of this same game, for simply displaying the block O on their gloves to the crowd.

And again for the umpteenth time; while we may be able to argue about whether a flag should have been thrown, the fact is that it wasn't.  But why do it again?  What is the benefit, when the risk is a 15-yard penalty on a kickoff, possibly exposing the kick-cover team to a real risk of a huge play?  We can leave Denard out of it if you wish.  Hoke has to answer that question.

Erik_in_Dayton

November 29th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^

As to "choreographed," what the players did after the game with the "grenade' was choreographed in a metaphorical sense.  From Merriam Webster:

cho·reo·graph /ˈkorijəˌgræf, Brit ˈkɒrijəˌgrɑ:f/ verb

cho·reo·graphs; cho·reo·graphed; cho·reo·graph·ing

[+ obj] : to decide how a dancer or group of dancers will move during a performance

She was hired to choreograph the ballet routines.often used figuratively He carefully choreographed the meeting. [=he arranged the details of the meeting very carefully] The group had choreographed all aspects of the banquet. 

I'm not sure that the NCAA really intends to punish celebrations that someone thought of beforehand and not celebrations that they thought of on the spot.  How would the NCAA know?  More, praying after a TD or pointing to your mom could be "choreographed" if you thought about doing it ahead of time...I also don't think that Denard was drawing attention to himself much more than he would have been by pumping his fist in the air a bunch of times.  I understand your point about the OSU "O" thing, but I also (as I said) don't see what's different about what Denard did and what Schiano did/does(?) with his "chopping wood" hand gestures.

As for the direction you're pointing when you make a gesture, it makes a huge difference.  Denard has been jumping up and being held up by Lewan all year when he throws a TD.  No one has complained, and rightly so, as they never do it in a way that shows anyone up.  Jimmy Clausen, on the other hand, used to jump up on his center and stare over at the opposing sideline.  That was taunting, though not penalized.

 

 
As for the a;ldkfajlk
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G0B1U3

November 29th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^

1. I feel as though I speak for many when I say...shut up and stop demeaning other people's opinions.

2. Why are you so uptight/anti-celebrations? You keep shoving the NCAA's rules down our throats, pardon me if I am not so NCAA-abiding when Ohio is partnered with car dealerships and tattoo parlors, and Miami players have as many yachts as wins, and yet it appears as they will escape with a tap on the wrist, not even a slap!

go16blue

November 29th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^

Its part of a series of dance moves by Lil B (a rapper). It's called his eating dance. Lil B (aka Based God) is fairly popular among us young people, he's kind of a rapper who is bad for the sake of being bad (a bit of a parody of other rappers, but not the Weird Al kind). Lots of people think he's funny.

goblue20111

November 29th, 2011 at 11:10 AM ^

u mad based god fucked your bitch?

/s

I actually kinda dig him because he's exploded so big without being signed.  He's just been using social media and stuff like that.  His CD and other stuff has some decent stuff on it.  He's objectively not good but he's fun and I take him for that. 

Gorgeous Borges

November 29th, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^

Denard Robinson doesn't always eat, but when he does, he likes to feast on the hearts of Buckeye fans everywhere by scoring five touchdowns on them.

EDIT: Stay hungry, my friends.

Row Blue

November 29th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^

"This program's been starving for a while," Robinson said Monday. "It's time for us to make something happen. We've been starving. It's time for us to eat."