You Don't Want to Hear this
Simple statement: no matter how bad you feel and how much you now dislike RRod, you should probably not turn on the team right now. We need just one more win for a bowl game, and we can't afford to go bowl-less two straight years. It would be best if (even if you don't like RRod or are sick of our poor performances the last few weeks) you still supported the team.
It doesn't help to have fan heat bearing down on you along with the pressure of being on the edge of bowl eligibility. Nobody wants to see this team implode two weeks before The Game, so just support them now. After the season's over, THEN start complaining, but wait until the season's done first so that we can salvage what's left!
October 31st, 2009 at 6:59 PM ^
this week with Purdue coming to the Big House next week....
October 31st, 2009 at 6:59 PM ^
Good point
October 31st, 2009 at 6:59 PM ^
I totally agree. However, if we can’t stop juice then how the hell do we stop pryor? The Game is looking less appetizing this year. I’m still “all in” for Michigan, but I can understand the comments everybody’s making.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:33 PM ^
Pryor is still young and relatively inexperienced, which is not the case with Juice.. I'm not going to say that Juice is better than Pryor, but they're at different stages developmentally as QBs. We got the best of Juice in '07, so there is a chance that we can do the same with Pryor '09.
I can't say that I'm really all that optimistic about the game, but Pryor is not the end all be all.
October 31st, 2009 at 9:41 PM ^
The other difference is that Juice is made of Kryptonite. The guy shows up when it's Michigan on the field. Pryor is not made of Kryptonite (that we know of...).
October 31st, 2009 at 6:59 PM ^
We could go 0-12 for 8 years in a row and I would still support this team (please don't let that happen) but it doesn't mean I'm not going to get bummed out when losses like this happen.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:32 PM ^
I'm bummed too and i don't think there's an excuse for this loss...but if we turn on them now, we'll just wonder what could've been.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:00 PM ^
Go blue.
Go blue.
If you're not rooting for this team two hours after dying their death with them, you don't deserve to root for this team.
Go Blue.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:00 PM ^
that we have to pray for just one more win to be bowl eligible speaks volumes for where this program is right now.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:13 PM ^
Yes it does. Improving. Last year at this time we were praying for three wins to be bowl eligible.
October 31st, 2009 at 9:24 PM ^
A dose of perspective is indicated.
Well played Block M.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:05 PM ^
"Nobody wants to see this team implode"
too late.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:06 PM ^
I LOVE Michigan football, and I think that's why it's hard to just swallow the fact that we are actually bad....I'll never quit supporting this team, but being supportive of a program has a lot to do with being realistic.......Saying that RR is a good coach or that bitching about people complaining does not make anyone a better fan, it just makes them look unrealistic.... I thought about next year a lot after watching this game, and when I say were screwed, I am being realistic.....
October 31st, 2009 at 7:10 PM ^
The Michigan Football team is an institution within the greater institution of the University of Michigan. My loyalty to Michigan is unwavering, as is my loyalty to the institutions under its flag.
This does not necessarily apply to the coaches of this team. I will still support RichRod, though my confidence in him has been badly shaken, not because of any particular call he made, but because our faults that were noted at the beginning of the season (ball protection, defensive positioning, etc.) seem to be getting worse, not better as the year goes on. That support does not extend to all of the position coaches (*cough* Jay Hopson *cough*).
Supporting a team (or not giving up on a team) is not dependent on supporting all of its components. For instance, I am a Red Wings fan, but I will never support Todd Bertuzzi, because he has committed what I consider to be felonies on the ice. Just because Todd Bertuzzi is a Red Wing does not mean I will stop supporting the team. It will just piss me off.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:16 PM ^
At at time like this, everyone one should hear the following:
October 31st, 2009 at 7:23 PM ^
The negative reaction, in my opinion, is due to how the schedule has played out, Delaware St aside. 2 impressive wins, then 2 "whoa that got ugly at times" wins, followed by 2 close gut-wrenching losses, followed by 2 unanticipated blow-outs. It's understandable for some to look at this and say "regression!" Especially after such a promising start.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:27 PM ^
has just done is the definition of regression.
Illinois is a bad football team in every sense, thats not debateable. Their only win coming into this weekend was against Illinois State.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:27 PM ^
This. And until todays loss to an Illinois team that had been playing terribly even with large amounts of talent, people were ignoring the fact that we had been winning the games we should win and more.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:20 PM ^
We pride ourselves of a rich tradition, and through the late 50s to the mid 60s, we were pretty darn bad.
Two different coaches during that time too. And yet the tradition persevered. The team persevered. And we fans persevered.
Let us continue to persevere, take the good and the bad, and stay true to the school and the team we hold so dear.
| Year | Record |
|---|---|
| 1957 | 5-3-1 |
| 1958 | 2-6-1 |
| 1959 | 4-5-0 |
| 1960 | 5-4-0 |
| 1961 | 6-3-0 |
| 1962 | 2-7-0 |
| 1963 | 3-4-2 |
| 1964 | 9-1-0 |
| 1965 | 4-6-0 |
| 1966 | 6-4-0 |
October 31st, 2009 at 7:25 PM ^
You should make this a diary and post it once the posting embargo is over. Could be epic.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:28 PM ^
If there's any way to call dibs on this, I do.
I'll start working on it and hopefully have it up by the end of the embargo. This dark time needs to be explored.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:58 PM ^
...remember that in those dark days, the Big House was only half-filled for everything except the Ohio State game. So the tradition was there, but it's not quite the same tradition we know of today. People were NOT going into the games with the same expectations and enthusiasm that we take for granted today. So all in with the tradition, but I certainly hope we're not returnng to those years.
The current fanbase expectations lie closer to the days of Fielding Yost.
By the way, those were my Mom's years on campus and so I've heard many stories... and I still have the sweatshirt that she wore to the games. It's so beat-up and full of holes that I now call it the "Holy Shirt".
She's more upset than me about today's game!
October 31st, 2009 at 7:42 PM ^
even with 6 wins we arent guaranteed a bowl game at 6-6. We are the last teams to get picked. So that will be a waiting game. After today do you really see us beating Purdue? Oh how things have changed when were talking about IF we can beat illinois and purdue.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:46 PM ^
Rarely would a bowl pass up a 6-6 team like Michigan that would bring in ridiculous amounts of revenue.
That being said, yes, this isn't the glory days, but we'll look up these days and chuckle someday.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:52 PM ^
Do you really think that the Little Caesars' Pizza Bowl in Detroit is going to pass up the draw of a team like Michigan?
October 31st, 2009 at 7:50 PM ^
part of the problem is the fact that we are MICHIGAN! now stay with me. even though we are a very young team, a true freshman at qb, and what seems to be very poor play at lb. for crying out loud i saw one linebacker run into the ball carrier and he still didn't know he had the ball and didn't tackle him. but again we are MICHIGAN, even when we are "down" we get everyones best game. no one else in the big 10 can say that. NO ONE! not ever, not gonna happen. we just ran into a very inspired Ill team. we need to have people step up and so far it's not happening, but when you get everyone's best game your gonna have days when you look bad. and we did. very bad.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:04 PM ^
in the conference right now. #11 in the Big Ten.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:06 PM ^
Indiana.
October 31st, 2009 at 9:17 PM ^
Also: Illinois. Percentage points, people!
October 31st, 2009 at 10:38 PM ^
Illinois? I must have had nightmare.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:16 PM ^
I'm not really sure that fan support is an issue at this point. The players don't need to perform better for the fans, they need to perform better for their own personal pride. The same goes for the coaches.
I don't think that "outside influences" will have any bearing on the balance of the season. It's up to the team how the rest of this plays out. As you said, everything else can be evaluated after the season.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:40 PM ^
I am thoroughly excited at the toss up of A. Little Ceasars Pizza Bowl B. No Bowl
October 31st, 2009 at 9:22 PM ^
Shouldn't the Meineke Carquest Bowl be mentioned...
Well played