The Wreck of the RR Fitzgerald

Submitted by Franc-O on

So when I read the post earlier "Perfect Storm" 

http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/perfect-storm

I thought to myself ahhhh, what!?!? I have now heard it all, Rich's tenure compared to the Edmund Fitzgerald. After wondering what the hell was going on I decided the next logical step in this crazy comparison was to rewrite the damn song, (crazy in itself, I know)  it makes about as much sense as the damn OP. 

Props to my boy Gordon Lightfoot for the original words I was able to parody. 

So here it is in all its glory boys...now I just hope you enjoy it!

 

The Wreck of the Richard Rodriguez

The legend lives on from The Brown Jug on down

Of the stadium that they call the Big House
The House, it is said, never gives up her Stead

When the games of November turn gloomy.



With a roster and core – Just as good as before?

Some said Lloyd Carr left the cupboard empty

This good team of blue was a bone to be chewed

When the games of November came early



The new coach was the pride of the hillbilly side
In a state people call West Virginia

As big coaches go his name was bigger than most

But not as big as his buyout

Some papers went POOF? Phone calls to recruits

Then they left fully loaded for A squared

Its all for naught but 3 terrible years for a yacht
Les was a Hailing, while Martin was sailing

The ire of the freep and alums dug in deep
And no more waves broke out in the Big House

And every fan knew, as the Coach did, too,

T'was the games of 08’ left them seething.



First downs came too late and the touchdowns had to wait

When the games of 09’ came a slashing

Saturday afternoons came and we cried like a dame

Leaving us long for Saturdays of hash bashing

With 2010 done “to watch them was fun”

Some said David, its too rough to keep um

As a man tried and true, David gave him his due
Some said Coach it's been good to know ya.



The Coach wired in not even here Vince L. could win
And the great team and fans was in peril

Sanctions, the Freep, no wins against a rivalry

Came the wreck of Richard Rodriguez.

Does anyone know where the love of Josh Grobin goes

When the waves hello turn to flipping the bird

The Walmart-a-rines say, its time to lean Spartys way
But us true fans we never did wonder

David flew here to there, our concerns not a care
Jim, Pat,Les, A flying pizza,  Flight Tracker
And through all that smoke is left one Coach Brady Hoke
Hail to the Victors our Maize and Blue backer

Ohio State rolls, Sparty nation sings

In the down years of our historic program

Old Michigan will be back, Big Ten asses we’ll stack
The Big House is for Mich-i-gan Men.



And the future will show that school in O-hi-oooo
Takes players that Michigan sends her
And Big Ten championships go as the players all know

With the games of November remembered.



In a musty old hall in Livonia they sang

At the Michigan Football Banquet

“You Raise Me Up” was sang almost 85 times

For each man coached by Richard Rodriguez.



The legend lives on from the deck of Dominics on down

Of the stadium that they call The Big House
It’s Michigan for God Sake, he said at the wake
Captain Hoke its been sure great to meet yaaaaa

 

ADingwall

February 7th, 2011 at 7:13 PM ^

I can't believe it, Gordie makes MgoBlog twice in the same week, amazing.

A TV newscaster in Grand Rapids once called The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the national anthem of Michigan.

 

 

 

Franc-O

February 7th, 2011 at 7:19 PM ^

My bad guys. I was just parodying the song and original post, that's it. No deep seeded meanings, no ill-will intended etc. My apologies to all who are upset or were offended.

tf

February 7th, 2011 at 11:05 PM ^

As was noted elsewhere, I think the title set some people off (probably mostly those who aren't familiar with the original song).  Add in the fact that the length probably kept most of those people from reading it and discovering it didn't really have anything particularly negative to say about Rodriguez, and I guess you get a negative backlash.  Regardless, as a work of parody, I thought it was spectacular.  That was either a fair amount of work or you have a gift.

Tater

February 7th, 2011 at 7:24 PM ^

Ths may be a +1 for effort, but to me it's a  -10 for another lame attack on someone who doesn't coach here anymore.  

You can whine about RR all you want, but it won't make Brady Hoke a bit better or worse than he is, and it won't make David Brandon's bumbling, lying, and general incompetence any more palatable to those who see the unctuous layer just beneath his smooth facade.

Those of us who supported RR get it: those who wanted to bitch about RR and thought it wasn't "cool" now feel vindicated, and have a pent-up desire to bitch and whine.  I just wish you wouldn't all be so Sparty about it.  

And really, that is who gained here: Sparty and Brutus.  Sparty and Brutus fans were about to have their worst fears realized; now, they have gotten what they wanted.  Two more years of patience, and Michigan would have transformed itself from "mediocre anachronism with great name" to "leaders and best" again.  Their offense was giving the Big Ten fits with underclassmen and was about to kick into another gear with a QB who actually had a year of starting experience.  

Now, unless Brady Hoke can transcend his Carr-tel background, Michigan is dangerously close to never winning another National Championship in the lifetimes of many in the fanbase, including me.  Michigan was "this close" to transcending the stereotype of "Big Ten football;" now, there is a very good chance that they are going to be just another Big Ten team that tries to push people around, loses between one and three games a year, and loses its BCS bowl more years than not.  

Anyway, I get it: you're happy a "Michigan Man" is running the team, even though our "Michigan Man" graduated from Ball State.  You see a return to "tradition" because one of Lloyd Carr's old assistants is now running the team, even though Carr's "tradition" included a 1-5 record against Jim Tressel, including four straight, and also included The Horror and The Oregon Debacle.  You are happy that a coach who is 120-84-2 was fired for a guy who is 47-50.  That, to me, begs a question:

If you are so happy about Hoke, why can't you just be happy and write positive stuff about Hoke instead of shitting on RR?  It would look a lot less like RCMB that way.

And it might help bring hope that if I live another twenty years or so, I might see the University of Michigan celebrate another National Championship.  

NateVolk

February 7th, 2011 at 7:41 PM ^

Why can't you  and others spare us the "we gave up on a National Championship firing Rodriguez" talking point? Do you have any idea how comical that sounds not only to rival fans but anyone who watched this team this season?   

He got outschemed, prepared and coached by Dantonio worse each year. Dantonio. The same guy that Brian belittled as a being a position coach. 

I don't mean any disrespect but it is an argument way beneath your usual well thought out comments.

BigBlue02

February 7th, 2011 at 8:23 PM ^

Ha! Yes, Tater's comment was the commical part. Not the dumb as fuck title and content of the OP.

With all due respect, and remember I'm sayin it with all due respect, Nate Volk, your opinions aint worth a velvet painting of a whale and a dolphin gettin it on.

M-Wolverine

February 7th, 2011 at 10:24 PM ^

Who uses terms like "Carr-tel" and is basically the laughingstock of MLive and lord only knows how he adopted Michigan as his team to "wait for" doesn't add a lot of credibility to your criticism of the OP. Tater calling someone too RCMB = irony.

PurpleStuff

February 7th, 2011 at 8:01 PM ^

First off, I don't think the OP was trying to make an argument, just writing a parody of a really long song most people have probably never heard of.

Second, while I share your anger over the dismissal and your opinion of Dave Brandon, I don't think you paint Hoke with a fair brush based on what we've seen so far.  With both of his coordinator hires he directly refuted the Carr era tradition of simply promoting from within (Carr never hired a guy who was actually coordinating a defense or offense successfully some place else, but instead just gave promotions to guys on the staff).  Unlike Brandon, Hoke went out and hired the guys with the best resumes.  He's also done a decent job (albeit aided by an adoring press) in the arena where he can/will have his biggest impact, rallying support and attracting positive attention as the public face of the program.  If he can succeed there and on the recruiting trail, he has a chance to be very successful here assumine he can retain and if need be hire again the kinds of guys he's already brought in to run the team from an X's and O's standpoint.

While I disagree vehemently with Brandon's decision making process, hiring Borges and Mattison isn't the kind of step backward you make it out to be. 

Also, Carr was 1-6 against Tressel.  I think Brian misquoted this on the front page and I've seen a few people do it since.  Doesn't really hurt your case, but there it is.

LSAClassOf2000

February 7th, 2011 at 8:07 PM ^

"And it might help bring hope that if I live another twenty years or so, I might see the University of Michigan celebrate another National Championship.  " - Tater

Surely it will be sooner than this......I mean, we actually recruited defense this year and everything!

LSAClassOf2000

February 7th, 2011 at 8:22 PM ^

It was pretty lopsided in  favor of offense and offensive line. I seem  to recall a lot of OL in each class, not to mention a fair number of receivers. There were  defensive recruits, obviously, but now you have a DC who didn't have 3-3-5  talent, at least nothing that would  work in the Big Ten. 

BigBlue02

February 7th, 2011 at 8:31 PM ^

You probably shouldn't recall if you are going to do it so poorly.

RichRod's first full class:

11 defensive and 10 offensive recruits (10 for D and 11 for O if we switch Cam Gordon to O)

 

RichRod's second and final full class:

16 defensive and 10 offensive (I left the kickers out of both classes as there was 1 punter and 1 kicker)

 

So if by "now we recruited some defense" you meant "now we recruited less defense than in RichRod's classes," then yes, I agree. The amount of people getting their information from the freep and from tired incorrect memes is astounding.

PurpleStuff

February 7th, 2011 at 8:33 PM ^

Rodriguez signed 21 offensive recruits in his two full classes (11 in 2009 and 10 in 2010).  He signed 26 defensive recruits (again, more if you count Cam Gordon on D). 

But you're right, only a total dumbass would ever run the 3-3-5 defense.  I'm glad Brandon took your well thought out position into consideration when deciding who to hire.

PurpleStuff

February 7th, 2011 at 8:18 PM ^

Hoke signed 13 defensive recruits this year.  In his two full classes, Rodriguez signed an average of 13 defensive recruits each year (16 in 2010 and 10 in 2009).  More if you count Cam Gordon who just earned freshman all-American honors while playing on defense.

Not your best effort if your goal was to put yourself on the side of reason and intelligence.

 

Hugh Jass

February 7th, 2011 at 8:49 PM ^

Hey - next time you get fired -  let us know so we can ridicule you about it for a few months.  I am not necessarily a big time Richrod supporter, but come on.....move on

IPFW_Wolverines

February 7th, 2011 at 9:18 PM ^

the RR haters want those who supported RR to just move on and stop talking about him. "Just support Hoke" they say.  Yet then they turn around and do things like what the OP did. Basically its saying "You can't support RR but we can bash him". 

M-Wolverine

February 7th, 2011 at 10:34 PM ^

It's like no one even read the song (it was long), just reflexively "MUST...DEFEND...RICH....!". Other than the title, it doesn't really make fun of Rich Rod. It kind of blasts the whole situation. Takes shots at bare cupboards, Martin sailing, Brandon flying around, the media frenzy...pretty much the disaster of the last 3 years.
<br>
<br>You can find it unamusing, or too obscure. I clicked on it thinking what new horrible idea had hit the board...but found creative parody. Certainly not the worst post of the day I expected. But somehow it gets turned into how we'll never win another National Championship since Rich is gone. People are so wrapped up in defending him they even defend him from nothing.

Franc-O

February 7th, 2011 at 10:46 PM ^

I couldn't of said it better myself, you described my whole process to a T. From my process down to the final result. People can hate the song, the wording, length, whatever, but it was a parody of the last 3 yrs and the song, it was never intended to be a bashing of RIch. Unfortunately the title set the tone and that was my ultimate mistake and I agree I don't think everyone read the entire thing. 

gobluemich

February 7th, 2011 at 10:43 PM ^

Seriously, I know that it was an attempt at humor, but I didn't like it.  I have been one of the most vocal critics of RR (although I was a supporter while he was here), but the guy was a good guy who was a class act from day one until the end.  HE led us through some tough times - we can debate whether or not he caused, partially caused or had no role in causing those bad times - but for three hard years, he led us giving maximum effort the entire time.  He doesn't deserve this.

And, it is yet another RR post-mortem post that I, and many others, will get sucked into, where we will all rehash the same viewpoints over and over again.  Let's let the RR era end gracefully and just move on.