(UPDATE!) STUDENTS: BRANDON IS NOT MICHIGAN, WE ARE. BOYCOTT PENN STATE KICKOFF
Working on pulling this together, talking with CSG members to figure out best way to get this moving. In the meantime, I created a facebook event below (at the very least, this will confirm or deny my assumption about students desire to boycott kickoff)
Here is the link to the event page: if you are sympathetic to the cause please join! support our team and student-athletes while making a poignant statement about this inept administration.
https://www.facebook.com/events/305485896305048/
Share this with your friends and across social media; lets bring more attention to our cause.
GO BLUE
October 7th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
October 7th, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^
I'll be there Saturday. If this "protest" happens it'll really move me... to be better seats.
October 7th, 2014 at 12:51 PM ^
Real fans support the team. You are just hurting the program when you do stupid stuff like this.
October 7th, 2014 at 4:41 PM ^
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October 7th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
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October 7th, 2014 at 5:18 PM ^
Bo would be spinning so fucking hard in his grave at this point, he wouldn't even see the protest as he rotated by.
We would never be at this point if Bo were still alive.
Fuck complaining about what he'd think of the protest. Bo would have FUCKING KILLED SOMEONE BY NOW.
October 7th, 2014 at 10:11 PM ^
October 7th, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^
A rally, signs etc show that we still care about and support the program but want a new ad.
A boycott doesn't show any support for anything and makes it look like we just don't care.
If this actually happens the headline won't read "students boycott kickoff to protest Brandon" it will read "Michigan students no longer cafe about football team after recent struggles"
October 7th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^
It's an intersting idea, but its pretty unlikely you are going to get more than 1/4 of the student section to participate, and then it is just going to look like drunken students late to the game filing in after kick-off (so, more like a Miami (NTM) game than a protest). Maybe you could get people in the seats to stand facing away from the field or something more visually obvious.
October 7th, 2014 at 1:46 PM ^
but it's America, so whatever. If they really want the boycott to happen, they have to have a big "free beer" party on the way to the game. Because that would really cause the students to be late. Also, free beer.
October 7th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^
Sorry, I continue to believe this is a bad idea.
October 7th, 2014 at 2:00 PM ^
Sorry double post, I'm actually not that concerned
October 7th, 2014 at 1:01 PM ^
CAN SOMEONE WITH ENOUGH POINTS PLEASE START THE ANTI-BOYCOTT THREAD?
I appreciate that people want to be pro-active to try and create action, but this is not the way to do it. There has to be a way to express displeasure with our AD while simultaneously showing support and love for our University, its athletes, and game day experience. All this will do is create more negative press for the school and divide the fan base. You honestly think the media will direct all this bad press onto DB? Hell no, this will turn into way more (i.e. "Students protest coach", "Students don't support players" etc). When you start flinging shit, everyone gets messy.
We need to make a show of solidarity. Make a statement that even with this play on the field and the AD actions, the Michigan community stilcks together. You can hate DB all you want (I certainly do), but you can't let emotions cause you to take stupid actions that could end up hurting to University even more.
Don't show up for DB or Brady Hoke. Show up for Devin Gardner, show up so the 17 year old recruit see's what the Michigan family is really like, show up because in the face of adversity you can still have pride in your program. Don't get all whiney because you're upset your MSU friends have been able to shit on you for the last several year. Be a man, support your school and players. Find another way to get DB out of here.
October 7th, 2014 at 1:49 PM ^
IN ALL CAPS??
I'm kidding. I will never start a thread Some posters scare me. But I agree with you. Not a boycott fan.
October 7th, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^
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October 7th, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^
My advice would be to get everybody wearing black instead of not showing up. Make it known why you're wearing black, and continue to do so for every game until something happens.
Then, instead of a one time thing, you have a constant reminder that will pop up every time the cameras pan by, and there will be a good chance you'll get the TV personalities talking about it.
October 7th, 2014 at 1:03 PM ^
It's fall break this week so I imagine a large amount of students aren't going to be there strictly because of this. If you want to boycott a game you should do it for one where all the students are on campus.
This is also a reason why I think the ticket sales are down, the one marquee game at the beginning of the year and they do it when all the students are gone.
October 7th, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^
LOL at this "fall break." Been in classes for, what, a month? Already getting a break? I'm not blaming the students and clearly would have liked that when I was in college, but man, that "fall break" is hilarious.
October 7th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^
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October 7th, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^
how does Brandon compare to other B1G and Power 5 ADs?
What specificaly has Brandon done that no other AD has done that negatively impacts the student experience?
Let me see:
-Rawk (everybody has this)
-Rising ticket prices (everybody has this)
-No outside water bottles (not sure, but I know RU does not allow this)
-Cares about making a "profit" (that's good, otherwise your student fees would rise)
What else?
October 7th, 2014 at 1:14 PM ^
We are not "everybody" else. Never have been.
John U. Bacon is absolutely right.
October 7th, 2014 at 1:54 PM ^
So... "This IS Michigan!" is your retort? It seems like you and this blog like to employ that phrase at convenient (to your argument) times, then villify it others.
October 7th, 2014 at 3:05 PM ^
What, exactly?
October 7th, 2014 at 1:20 PM ^
program.
Is not moving in the direction of becoming a relevant.
Gets caught in lies.
Embarrasses the school.
October 7th, 2014 at 2:17 PM ^
This is a good argument: Brandon should be blamed for making the hire that's led the football program back down to RR levels, after a stellar first year.
This is the same argument as above.
I think there have been several occasions where he's said one thing and then later said another. This is a fair criticism. $100 says nobody gives a shit if we were 10-2 every year.
This is a matter of opinion, recognize that not everyone shares it. It's not a particular action, it's a result of an action. So if you feel that way, it's a repeat of one of the other criticized actions that he's taken.
October 7th, 2014 at 1:23 PM ^
He's done this:
October 7th, 2014 at 2:12 PM ^
Again if you strip away the ANGAR these don't seem rebellion worthy.
- Michigan has raised prices, just like err'body.
- Probable concussion, despite the would-be amateur doctors on this board, is a valid term. It is often difficult to gauge witih certainty whether a concussion occurred.
- Moving The Game b/c it interfered with the B1G championship is a new one to me. Congrats on the creative searching. I think he was open to moving OSU because he had an argument that it could be More meaningful at a different time in the season, not less. That argument being, depending on how expansion went and how divisions were aligned, Michigan meeting OSU at the end of the year could actually be anti-climactic because the championship game could already have been decided. You can argue against his position, but to say he didn't "get it" is reactionary in a way that this blog typically scoffs at, and to say he did for profit motive is paranoid.
- I'm not even sure how you came to this - is there evidence that Brandon commanded athletes support him? That would be hilarious, please present it if available - that would be very meaningful. I would dislike Brandon doing this very much. But if you have no data, this sounds like a crazed construction of a - at least on this subject - totally irrational mind.
October 7th, 2014 at 4:44 PM ^
"Probable concussion, despite the would-be amateur doctors on this board, is a valid term."
No it's not. "Probable mild concussion" is not a diagnosis.
/ICD 10'ed
October 7th, 2014 at 4:52 PM ^
So you're saying that a diagnosis can always determine exactly whether a concussion has occurred? And it would never be possible for a physician to complete an examination, and tell a patient "it's probable that you have a concussion, if you do, it's a mild one."
October 7th, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
Well lets consider a few things. First, concussions are horrifically underdiagnosed. Not always the physicians' or patients' fault. Secondly, yes, if anybody knows how to diagnose a concussion, it's the Michigan football team's neurologist (he's a BAMF look him up). If Shane was not diagnosed with a concussion, Dave Brandon would thrown it everyone's face.
"Probable concussion" or "mild concussion" are horrible descriptors that minimize the severity of a concussion. That's (partly) why they aren't reflected in billable diagnoses. The fact of the matter is, when you suffer a concussion your brain bounces around inside your skull. No amount of salemanship from Dave Brandon can take that away. Even "mild" concussions can have serious long lasting sequelae and put you at an increased risk for reinjury. So no, a good physician should not minimize concussions like that.
October 8th, 2014 at 9:57 AM ^
Brandon specifically noted, during one of the bitchy responses during his snarky PR tour of local TV stations, that he had much higher priority things to do after the 1 a.m. press release, like meeting with our 931 (or whatever number he constantly cites) student-athletes.
Why would he need to urgently meet with all of "his" sports teams and student-athletes -- that aren't otherwise causing problems and aren't under any sort of scrutiny or crisis -- at a time when the program and University are under national scrutiny for what happened on the football field? Do you suppose he makes it a point to meet with all 931 student-athletes each week?
I mean, yes, you're right, there's no hard evidence that he "commanded" student-athletes to support him and the football team in a time of personal and team crisis. But when's the last time all of the teams dropped what they're doing to give the football team a touch-feely "sendoff" to a road game against a would-be division bottom-feeder?
"Commanded" may not be the right word. Maybe, strongly encouraged. Either way, it looks suspect.
October 7th, 2014 at 1:31 PM ^
October 7th, 2014 at 1:36 PM ^
As stated above. This is Michigan. We aren't everybody else.
October 7th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^
I'm about 50-50 on the uniforms, and I love the ones we'll be wearing this weekend. I get the argument that Michigan's are iconic and we don't need to change... but if you're being rational, you can see the advantage of a unique uniform here an there, can't you? It really can't be disputed at this point that the players and recruits really like them. I don't think one uniform change every other season is grounds for dismissal. Or even belongs on list of other things being grounds for dismissal. I think most college footbal fans would agree with that.
And when people say the design cues harken back to older uniforms, they don't mean the exact older uniforms. They aren't taking the 1956 jersey and sewing it on to the 1916. It's cues from this old picture, it's the feeling of that one. It's not literal. Similar to an automotive design, when GM says their new XX has styling cues from 1956, the car does not include tail fins and bench seats. It's a subtle pick up of that car's impression. This is how design often works. You can certainly debate the end result, but again it seems silly to say HE LIED IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THAT OLD UNIFORM. This is the language of design.
October 7th, 2014 at 2:12 PM ^
" otherwise your student fees would rise'
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *deep breath*HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
October 7th, 2014 at 4:36 PM ^
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October 7th, 2014 at 1:17 PM ^
October 7th, 2014 at 1:44 PM ^
"YOU AREN'T COMING HERE"!
October 7th, 2014 at 1:54 PM ^
October 7th, 2014 at 4:36 PM ^
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October 7th, 2014 at 8:19 PM ^
October 7th, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^
The OP fails to acknowledge that his (rash, counter-productive) plan is not being received here with widespread support. Imagine how the players will feel when they step onto the field and see nobody in the student-section. The players have dealt with enough negatively already. Don't make your support for them conditional. If you want to protest, march on the Diag or somesuch. But the gameday "protest" will only serve to bring more negative publicity -- when it already seems quite likely that both DB and Hoke will be gone by season's end. Put down the pitchforks. This isn't a JoPa situation. Let due process play out. And don't make the environment even uglier in the meantime; it won't go over well.
October 7th, 2014 at 2:27 PM ^
This. Having a protest in this way just takes away what little home field advantage there would be, shows the recruits that may be visiting that the big house is empty, and makes the stadium that much quieter. This is an all around bad idea. Chants, signs, and all kinds of other stuff seems fine, but this just looks like one way to sink team and fan morale even more.
October 7th, 2014 at 5:55 PM ^
Everything this program has been doing this season
October 7th, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
he posted this one during the day, which is when the pacifist faction is strongest here.
Come tonight, things may change.
Passivity is killing this program. Brandon's counting on it. The players can handle an empty kickoff. And if they can't, holy shit do we have fucking problems.
October 7th, 2014 at 2:09 PM ^
and one more thing: Dave Brandon is Michigan, OP. He played for the team and graduated from the school, so saying he isn't Michigan is factually incorrect. He is not doing a good job as AD, but the fact remains he is Michigan.
October 7th, 2014 at 6:06 PM ^
my ass.
October 8th, 2014 at 5:26 AM ^
Dave Brandon played for Michigan is about the same as Darko Millicic playing for the Pistons...Brandon sat on the bench the entire time.
Brandon is not Michigan. He is a corporate stooge. He represents the ever shifting of capital in this country from the middle class to the top 1%.
October 8th, 2014 at 2:48 PM ^
If you go read the stories written when Brandon was hired as AD you'll find an interview with a former player. I found this looking for a copy of his employment contract when I was curious about his metrics. In that interview the player acknowledges that Brandon only appeared on the field a couple of times, but stated that he was very active mentoring young players to help them achieve their best. In his senior year, Brandon, while never a starter, was one of the seniors that undeclassmen relied on for support. So at least while he was a student athlete here, he clearly was "Michigan" in the best sense of that description.
I understand that doesn't fit your preferred narrative, but it appears to be true.
October 7th, 2014 at 2:10 PM ^
This is a terrible idea, you guys. All that is going to be achieved is "hey, it looks like it always does." Support the players and the band.
Do chants, or even bring signs. TV loves signs, especially ones that have to do with controversy. Heck, get your asses down to the front row and wear body paint if you really want.