October 18th, 2010 at 2:36 PM ^
oh this is what I hear in my head when I hear sports talk hosts and their callers talk
*sidenote: yes, I know this clip was posted earlier this morning...
October 18th, 2010 at 2:38 PM ^
What is wrong with what he said?
"They may not love you at the time, but they will later." - Vince Lombardi
October 18th, 2010 at 3:27 PM ^
By your line of reasoning, because you are okay with what Rodriguez said you are a bigger Michigan fan (or worse, those who question whether what he said should have been said are not Michigan fans)? You premise is off. I bet there are many, many alumni and fans that have been fans longer than you've been alive that question why he made that statement at a press conference. They may even question whether you are, in fact, a fan for questioning their loyalty. So there.
October 18th, 2010 at 4:39 PM ^
B/c I never question Rich Rod and I will support everything he says and does. I will never criticize him or accept when others do. I am a real Michigan fan. You're obviously not.
/s
October 19th, 2010 at 9:33 AM ^
RR is the Coach of this Michigan football team. He is at practice EVERYDAY. He sees what happens, day in, day out. He, unlike you, is entitled to state the condition of his team. No "real fan" continually questions the Coach. No "real fan" continually boos the players, on their home field. You think these 18, 19, 20 year old players want to fail? Do you boo the local High School team because you've been a fan LONGER? Have you ever heard of the word "support"? As in, support your team, not, I give money to a school, so I "need" to see the results "I" want to see.
Loyalty......please. Have you written a different definition? If not, look it up and try and comprehend what it means.
Read what Coach said again. This time, try and understand what he meant. Don't interpret what YOU want it to mean.
October 18th, 2010 at 2:44 PM ^
All I see is...
-He is obviously aware of the deficiencies presented by this defense.
-He is aware a lot of that has to do with retention, depth, and youth.
-He is most aware that a lot of this can't and won't be fixed this year or probably next.
I don't see this as pointing the blame at anyone, just acknowledging and relaying that it is likely under construction for a while.
October 18th, 2010 at 2:53 PM ^
But its just not something you say at a press conference. How is that supposed to give the young D confidence? Michigan Football has been the butt end of jokes in the midwest for the past 2 years, and these comments just add fuel to that fire. Its like John L slapping himself in the face, or Bobby Williams acknowledging that he lost control of the team. Its not a good thing to say publicly.
October 18th, 2010 at 5:23 PM ^
SHUT UP YOU NAZI!!!
P.S I agree with you I just liked your tagline.
October 18th, 2010 at 2:53 PM ^
DITKA
October 18th, 2010 at 2:54 PM ^
Lombardi was before my time, but I'm guessing that his teams knew how to tackle.
Dumb comment by Rich Rod. It accentuates a glaring weakness on the team, and it is also factually incorrect. The comment effectively blames the players, while at the same time admits that the current staff doesn't know what to do to fix it.
October 18th, 2010 at 2:57 PM ^
It's completely true. There is no magic to fix the problems on defense. The only solution is "next year."
I expect next year to be better. I don't expect this year to change much. Reality is a cruel mistress.
October 18th, 2010 at 3:28 PM ^
Its not about whether the statement is true or not. Its about whether Rodriguez should make that kind of statement while in the public eye. Even if everyone knows the defense is weak, sometimes the obvious does not need to be stated, especially in a way that is demeaning to the players and coaches.
October 18th, 2010 at 6:06 PM ^
Rich Rodriguez does a lot of self-deprecating humor. He is not above poking fun at himself or his team. Lighten up.
October 18th, 2010 at 10:45 PM ^
October 19th, 2010 at 12:34 AM ^
But it's not self-deprecating. It is defensive personnel-deprecating.
October 18th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^
... I have no problem with the quote. These pressers serve only to catch people off guard and create drama where no drama exists.
It never ceases to amaze me how a group of highly educated fans can freak out over such an innocuous throw away quote that was more joke than anaything else. People need to lighten up and do not judge others (in sports, business, or politics), by what they say to the Press in these settings.
October 18th, 2010 at 3:24 PM ^
I cannot imagine he went into the press conference planning to say this, and it just came out, and he probably immediately regretted saying it.
At least that's my interpretation based on Chengelis's article on this, which is titled Rich Rodriguez trusts defensive coaches to fix U-M’s problems. Later in the press conference, he tried to clarify his comments to make it clear he was referring to the defense's youth, not the quality of the players:
Rodriguez laughed a bit when he was asked if even Lombardi couldn't help Michigan because of the overall youth of the defense.
"Maybe he could (help)," Rodriguez said. "I say on some of the issues, I should clear this up, some of the issues we have defensively, the only way to get experience is to get experience. You'd like to accelerate the time clock and say, 'OK, this first-year or second-year player is going to play like a veteran right now.' Some have the ability to do that, no question. (But) there are going to be freshmen who have freshmen moments; you just have to try to limit that. That's what we have to do."
October 18th, 2010 at 4:05 PM ^
You should repost that block quote at the top of the page to inform and educate any RABBLE passing through. I wish Rodriguez would just give the media nothing instead of trying to be humorous and "folksy" like he was in this instance. Most of us 'get it' but it's pure bluehair fuel. Can't wait to ignore all the articles that bite the hand that feeds on this one. At least Chengelis has continued to somehow maintain rationality.
October 18th, 2010 at 4:48 PM ^
Maybe there won't be many articles for you to ignore. Pete Bigelow at annarbor.com placed Rodriguez's quote into a similar context:
In his line of the day, Rodriguez said, “Vince Lombardi could come in and not fix some of the problems on defense,” in the short-term.
That wasn't a knock on his defense or his coaches. The comment came in the context of discussing the seven of true freshmen who have seen extensive playing time on defense this season.
“The only way to get experience is to get experience,” he said. “How can we limit those dangerous freshmen moments?”
October 18th, 2010 at 3:27 PM ^
Be high if this bugs you. Can we just put up a board called groundhog day? Then everyone saying the same old shit over and over may post there.
October 18th, 2010 at 3:41 PM ^
ever field a defense full of rookies and position switches?
October 18th, 2010 at 4:03 PM ^
But lordy. There is nothing here
October 18th, 2010 at 4:06 PM ^
Personally, I prefer the Lombardi quote from Minnesota's AD:
Minnesota Athletic Director Joel Maturi delivered this parting shot Sunday when delivering a message to Brewster's hypothetical successor. "You're not following Vince Lombardi here," said Maturi.
October 18th, 2010 at 4:12 PM ^
And some of these 5* defensemen are going to commit based on the assumption that he WONT be back...
October 18th, 2010 at 4:22 PM ^
You know, pretty much the only people who pay attention to this stuff are diehard fans.
October 18th, 2010 at 4:48 PM ^
I'm going to go to my backups, Iowa and Oklahoma. You guys have fun with RR and the decaying Wolverines. Tell me when Jim Harbaugh shows up.
October 18th, 2010 at 4:59 PM ^
Jim Harbaugh. Now that there is a real fan! You would NEVER hear him making disparaging comments about Michigan football to the press. If he had a problem with the program, he would raise his issues behind closed doors and work through them privately.
October 18th, 2010 at 10:23 PM ^
(Some slow clapping Gif I can't access from the App inserted here)
October 18th, 2010 at 5:24 PM ^
Did I like him as a QB? Yes.
Do I like the way his Stanford team plays? Yes.
Do I think he would do a pretty good job at Michigan ? Yeah, I do.
Is the job available? Not at the moment, and probably not next year either. We'll see after that. So put that on ice until the job is actually available.
Do I think he would take the job? Hell no. Why would he leave a top 15 team that he built in the part of the country he loves to come rebuild another team? Also, why would he come to a place where a good portion of the fans hate him for speaking his mind? Finally, there is a good chance we would be competing with some Pro offers, and I don't see us putting up the money to compete.
October 18th, 2010 at 5:04 PM ^
How can RR make a comment like this? How will this affect the "D"? I think he just signed his death warrant!
October 18th, 2010 at 5:04 PM ^
How can RR make a comment like this? How will this affect the "D"? I think he just signed his death warrant!
October 18th, 2010 at 5:28 PM ^
Reagan had the ability to say the right things at the right time and in a way that made people comfortable with whatever the situation was. He could make something very fearful seem like it was not so bad or so daunting. Head a calmness that put people at ease.
RichRod is not an eloquent speaker. Most, if not all football coaches are not eloquent speakers. He speaks from the heart and sometimes shoots from the hip and misses badly. He seemed to be doing less of the latter this season, but as things have started to turn south, he is getting defensive again.
If the defense doesn't start at least performing the fundamentals (block, tackling) correctly, this season will get away from him again.
The stats don't lie, 4-15 in the Big 10, the worst defense in the conference in the last two years and averaging more than 10 ppg less in the Big 10 than in non-conference. We don't need to review the defensive numbers they're atrocious. In the last nine Big 10 games, this team has given up 30+ ppg. All this is a receipe for disaster.
I think Michigan should beat PSU and probably Purdue, but I'm not overly confident at this time.
October 18th, 2010 at 5:40 PM ^
If Ronnie has an analog in the recent past of college football, it's post-2004 Bobby Bowden. Not Rodriguez.
/didn't start the politics fire.
October 18th, 2010 at 5:46 PM ^
Rich Rodriguez just signed legislation outlawing Ohio State forever. The bombing begins in five minutes.
October 18th, 2010 at 6:00 PM ^
Delaware State = Grenada
October 18th, 2010 at 6:13 PM ^
In addition to his moronic comments of the day, RR has lost 9 Big 10 games by double digits in just over 2 years here,(unfortunately it is likely there will be more added on this year), and Lloyd Carr had 5 double digit losses in Big 10 play from 1997-2007. How much more do we have to endure here?
October 18th, 2010 at 6:26 PM ^
meh, i think everything RR says after a loss is going to be scrutinized. Personally I don't see a problem with what was said. Although i would like to hear Gerg speak. Been a little bit since he has spoke for a presser. I could be wrong. I think 75% of the bloggers here understand whats going on with the defense, youth, inexperience, etc. The other 25% is oblivious to that, and expect shut outs from this group. Thats why threads are still made of this scheme, and Gerg this and that. And well Haters of the he's not a michigan man, blah blah blah...i don't know, i just don't know.
October 18th, 2010 at 7:17 PM ^
More fuel for the fire....from 1997-2007, 11 seasons, Lloyd Carr's UM teams won 46 Big 10 games by double digits, RR's UM teams have 1 double digit Big 10 win. Is this acceptable for The University of Michigan football? I say NOT!!!!
October 18th, 2010 at 7:36 PM ^
It is easy to state that this is unacceptable because this is these stats not a desirable result. However, instead of spouting off these conclusory statements, what are your solutions?
You cannot just fire RR and go through another coaching hire debacle. Who is going to guarantee that Harbaugh will be coming to UM and if he does who is to say that he would not field a professional offer after 3 to 5 years.
October 18th, 2010 at 7:50 PM ^
My solution is for a qualified AD to hire a coach, any coach not RR. It is always a risk for any coach that is hired, you never know what his intentions are related to staying or leaving. Hiring a new coach does not mean that we have to suffer more, a good coach can be competitive with talent in year 1, we have seen it elsewhere. Martin made such a mess of this hiring, and should have never been AD and allowed to hire coaches for a prestigous University. We have too much tradition to settle for a less than mediocre football team given out history and tradition. We don't have the string of 100,000+ crowds for no reason!