Sporting News RR article
Here's an article in the Sporting News that was linked by the paper that shall not be named: http://www.sportingnews.com/college-football/article/2010-01-18/rodrigu…
Nothing most of us here didn't know except that RR watched all of the bowl games this year.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:22 AM ^
Hayes has been less-than-charitible to UM before, so the tone of this doesn't surprise me. He is rehashing two years' worth of UM misery and trying to sell it as currently relevant.
With a last name like Hayes, I guess I shouldn't expect him to have a good attitude toward Michigan.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:24 AM ^
...watched all of the bowl games this year.RichRod and I have something in common.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^
"There are no five-star commitments."
Devin Gardner's name ring a bell?
"The class isn't nearly as successful as previous seasons or even Rodriguez's second class last winter."
Scout currently rates Michigan at #9 for 2010. Scout ranked Michigan's 2009 class at #14. If I understand how those tough things called numbers work, a #9 means it's more highly regarded than a #14.
That's OK, though... larnin' and readin' and cypherin' are all really difficult thangs to do, so we shouldn't expect too much from our journalists, seeing as how they all seem to be "challenged" in a variety of ways.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:30 AM ^
I agree with your post, but according to Rivals:
DG is a 4 star and we have no 5 stars, and
Our class is ranked lower than last year.
I think most of us will agree with the second point, the only thing this class has over the last class is quantity. I'm not upset with this class, but I don't think it's as good as 2009, and that's fine.
As far as the 5 star comment, Devin Gardner is a 5 star in my heart.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:22 PM ^
I think what this class has is lots of potential. That approach makes 2010 recruiting considerably more palatable. I also believe that some of the recent recruits, given some time, may pay huge dividends.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:27 PM ^
what it cannot recruit
why did i suddenly think of patrick swayze?
January 19th, 2010 at 11:26 AM ^
is the sole punishment for the practice infractions by the NCAA. he had to watch with the sound on, too.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
is that I'm looking forward to all the broken limbs and deep puncture wounds sustained by guys like Hayes in the mad rush to jump on the Michigan bandwagon.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:31 AM ^
Kudos to Hayes for regurgitating stale information, then capping it off with a particularly weak ending. Please win RR, so we don't have to endure reading the same exact story from the national publications.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
I love reading the comments under stories like this. There is one guy claiming to be a Michigan fan saying something along the lines of, "Dick Rod should be fired because his losing seasons have forever ruined the reputation of Michigan. He should be fired now before he begins winning Big10 titles."
January 19th, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
"He played his first season in Ann Arbor with quarterbacks ill-suited for his successful spread option offense. A year later, he played with two freshmen and has had zero consistency at the most important position on the field."
Really? Wow... Who'd a thunk that there would be zero consistency with 2 true freshmen at the most important position on the field...
Someone get this guy a Mitchie! (From Marley and Me)
January 19th, 2010 at 5:35 PM ^
Sure... but the issues on D probably cost us more games, see Purdue game.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:49 AM ^
a sweet Spiro Agnew phrase ...
January 19th, 2010 at 11:57 AM ^
I presume that that means that Matt Hayes works out of Orlando, and that he was too lazy to go to Ann Arbor to, like, talk to anybody, interview anybody, or do any of what some people call "reporting."
Not that Matt Hayes was even taking a stab at "reporting" anything anyway.
My question is, who is Matt Hayes? Really. Who is Matt Hayes? It's hard to find any biography of any kind for the guy.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:17 PM ^
It took me a second while reading the article, but then it came to me.
I guess Robert Picardo made a career change now that his role as the Emergency Medical Hologram on Star Trek Voyager is over.
I guess Robert Picardo made a career change now that his role as the Emergency Medical Hologram on Star Trek Voyager is over.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:04 PM ^
Anyone else walk away from the article thinking it was poorly researched and thrown together as an afterthought – as if to meet a deadline at the last minute?
I hate how Matt Hayes sprinkles in a comment here and there attempting convince the reader he is remaining neutral when in reality he jabs at the program and coach time after time forgetting to report all of the factual information. Poor recruiting class? How about a recruiting class is in the top 10. Steering clear of the NCAA for more than a century? Most experts agree that the investigation will result in a slap on the hand for Michigan and reformed regulations by the NCAA on what can be considered voluntary versus mandatory.
I like the idea of profiling RR during the offseason, the idea of the article was solid. Too bad it seems it was put together as an academic exercise, not for a national publication.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:42 PM ^
When asked for his thoughts on the Sporting News ranking the Wolverines pre-season #1 in college football one year, Bo responded: "That's a baseball magazine, right?" We can all enjoy it as Rich and our team turn it around, and the bandwagon will fill up fast. The rest of us have already got our seats.
WOLVERINES!
January 19th, 2010 at 12:53 PM ^
Here is my guess at how this "article" was created:
Phone rings, rings, rings . . .
Hayes (waking up and answering phone): Ummm, hello?
Editor: Hayes? Hayes! You weren't asleep were you? Your article is due at noon.
Hayes: Huh? No . . . not asleep. (Looks at clock and swears sliently.)
Editor: Damn it! I knew it was a bad idea to let you spend the winter in fuckin' Florida. Tell me your article is ready?
Hayes: Article? Oh, yeah, its great . . . its about . . .
Editor: Holy shit! You haven't even started it, have you? Look, its due in like 40 minutes! Just pick a team and throw together a bunch of shit that everybobdy knows and get it in here. This is the last time I cover you! (Hangs up phone.)
January 19th, 2010 at 1:02 PM ^
Everyone seems to be throwing Rich under the bus. I can't wait to see the expressions on the opposing coaches when we start pummeling other teams.
January 19th, 2010 at 1:17 PM ^
This is just further evidience that Journalists are losing there once highly regarded place in sports to bloggers. The Journalist will soon be the romantic after-thought of a time now passed much like the Cavalry in warfare replaced by a faster, more responsive and efficient machine.
January 19th, 2010 at 7:14 PM ^
It's negative journalism man. Just like sex sells, negativity sells too. Even if RR becomes very successfull at UM I don't think it'll change mainly because these guys are making money off being gynormous dicks to the fan base by writing these articles.