August 31st, 2009 at 3:10 PM ^
Sheesh. RichRod looks like he's had about enough. He and his fam have been put through quite the last 18 months -- you wonder at some point if he'll consider leaving M.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:26 PM ^
I think RR is such a competitor that he wants to shove a National Championship up Rosenpuke and Shyster's asses, not to mention those of his "friends" at WVU.
I liked the players' comments. It is pretty apparent that nothing will come of this, other than the initial shitstorm.
I did, incidentally, send a copy of Maxwell's comments to the NCAA enforcement staff.....
August 31st, 2009 at 3:23 PM ^
Did these current players volunteer to speak today or were they asked by the coaching staff? I do love how they are backing the program and hopefully they will rally around this and use it this saturday!
August 31st, 2009 at 3:30 PM ^
This was originally scheduled as the standard Monday press conference where there are usually 3-4 players. The SID made it very clear that they weren't taking questions on the allegations.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:30 PM ^
A few players speak each week.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:32 PM ^
Voluntary?! Press conferences are voluntary, but so is playing time.
(Too soon?)
August 31st, 2009 at 3:23 PM ^
... the Seniors.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:26 PM ^
If, somehow, they win 8-9 games this season, I think everyone will shut the hell up and move on. I hope the team uses all this adversity as motivation.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:29 PM ^
Based on a continued decline in circulation, the Detroit Free Press has now switched over to a tabloid format.
August 31st, 2009 at 6:59 PM ^
Barwis rumored to be overtraining Britney Spears, leading to her breakdown some months ago.
Heidi and Spencer claim to have been kept in Schembechler Hall past noon.
TMZ at 11.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:32 PM ^
The first one, as Brian alluded to, will be after Michigan investigates, finds no or minimal infractions. The Freep will wail that it's evidence -- not of its baseless and highly biased reporting -- but of Michigan's unwillingness to confront the problems in its midst.
The second one will ask why Michigan continues to employ as head coach someone who brings so much unwanted attention to the program, and will cite this, the Feagin thing, the Boren thing, and every other ridiculous thing that's gotten blown up by the Freep & Co. over the past two years. I'm eagerly awaiting that article.
This cannot be stressed enough among the Michigan faithful: Rich Rodriguez is the right man for the job. I wasn't sure of it a year ago. I am now. The hatred and ill-will he has engendered come internally from his willingness to confront head-on an entrenched culture of "good enough," and externally from the realization that he is turning our program into the great beast of the North. That makes him dangerous to all the right people and, to my mind, a goddamn hero.
Thanks, Freep. You did something I never thought possible. I'm no longer the Morrissey Michigan fan, who shrugs at last-minute losses and figures that at the root of my fandom is pain and sorrow and unhappiness. You've helped me become the raving partisan, the loyal soldier who's going to support Coach Rod from here to goddamn eternity. You've made me an SEC fan. Great fucking job.
Y'know what? If Coach Rod wants piped-in noise, why the hell not?
August 31st, 2009 at 4:18 PM ^
Yeah, I wrote +1 AND clicked the arrow. This is how I feel too. Bring in the RAWK music just to piss off the old gueard who is obviously not able to the cord. I can't wait until he throws up the NC trophy, wherever he is. No one deserves his last 18 months.(some self inflicted, but raise your hand if you have never made a poor choice here or there)
August 31st, 2009 at 6:58 PM ^
tracking with you all the way. Nicely done.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:42 PM ^
He looks like he needs a hug. Somebody send him an e-card!
August 31st, 2009 at 6:12 PM ^
Thanks for the great coverage of this, Brian.
EDIT: And Tim! Ack! Sorry!
You guys rock.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:48 PM ^
Thank you for posting it since mgoblue's is not working at the moment.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:50 PM ^
I'm not saying anyone should do this (disclaimer) but it would be a really good idea for someone to go throw rocks through the windows at the free press. Also, never click on their links again.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:51 PM ^
When I have two young freshmen that come into my office yesterday upset, saying, "Coach, what did I do? What did we do? We just said we worked hard, and it was harder than it was in high school and we were committed to helping win a championship." I said, "You didn't do nothing wrong. You did nothing wrong."
I've harped and harped on this and I don't care if I sound like a broken record, I'll harp some more. I'm absolutely livid about this. It makes my blood boil. Most of the rest of the article is scurrilous but doesn't step completely over the line of bad journalism. This does. It's scummy, disgusting, low, and filthy.
Those kids were asked seemingly innocuous questions about their regimen and answered respectfully and honestly. Then their words were twisted around and they became the ONLY quoted sources in an expose that was considered so damaging, all the other sources were anonymous to protect them from ramifications. Yet the two people that potentially are directly in the line of fire get their identities blasted out there for everyone to see and unwittingly become the star witnesses in the case against their program.
I haven't seen worse sports journalism since Rob Parker called Hank Aaron a coward in print. This might be worse. It's just about the fucking shittiest thing Rosenberg could have done. Good for Coach Rod for sticking up for his boys. Good for him. Outstanding.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^
Co-signed.
This has bugged me more and more as the story grew....especially since its likely these are the "current players" that everyone in the media is harping about vis a vis dissension in the ranks.
These quotes were either taken out of context and dropped into this story, or they were from questions asked under false pretenses.
That ticks me off. I did tons of investigative work and was always up front with folks at what I was doing. It didnt hinder anything I did. It made me more credible.
This is a lame practice. There's no way these guys say anything if the reporters were honest with them.
The reporters purposely found the weakest of the flock and exploited them.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:55 PM ^
I liked the "I don't think we're working hard enough" comment the most.
August 31st, 2009 at 5:38 PM ^
For sure, that gave me warm fuzzies.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:04 PM ^
With all the comments coming out supporting RR and the program, I wonder if the Free Press will finally write a balanced article, with a fair look at both sides? Sorry everyone, I went delusional for a moment. The odds of the Free Press providing neutral coverage on RR are about the same as the Lions winning the Super Bowl this year.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:05 PM ^
I'm not saying "People should go throw rocks through rosenberg's windows", I'm just saying if they did, I wouldn't be sad...
August 31st, 2009 at 4:08 PM ^
Some comments:
1.) Obviously, Rich is incredibly pissed off. I don't know where that kind of anger will take him, his staff and these football players. I'm sort of hoping it's to the more powerful Dark Side of the Force.
2.) I'm waiting for a Big Ten coach to flap his gums about this situation. Who will be the first?
3.) Rosenberg and Snyder are earning national press accolades for now. But when the facts finally come out, they'll be joined by crickets.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:16 PM ^
I would imagine that most coaches across the country were too busy making sure they had they're own "T's" crossed and "I's" dotted as this could have been any of them.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:27 PM ^
he was somehow able to keep his fat mouth shut re: justin feagin, this will be too much for his self-righteousness to allow.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:46 PM ^
$10 or 300 MGoPoints he's already loading up a zinger to throw out that sounds stoic and firm, perhaps even Biblical, when someone asks him during his Montana St presser to respond.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:13 PM ^
But I would like to see the director's cut also. You know, the one where a well informed, level headed person in the crowd asks a member of the press to explain the process in which he "researched" for this article? Then, said member of press ducks out the back door and well informed, level headed person in the crowd is greeted by "OOOH SNAP!" from others in the vicinity.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:25 PM ^
...and probably in the wrong place, but brian alluded to rosenberg's "stated hatred of u of m" or some such in one of these posts, and i can't seem to find brian's original post...what i'm really looking for is rosenberg's 'stated hatred,' whatever that might be. anyone know what he's talking about? or have a link to whatever he's alluding to?
i HATE "anyone have a link" comments, but i want some context for a state fan i'm soon-to-be-ex-friends with.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:33 PM ^
Checkout the part under "Why is Michael Rosenberg on a crusade?"
September 1st, 2009 at 9:52 AM ^
...if we're going to use the phrase "publicly-professed hatred of michigan," which brian uses in the post i'm thinking of (it's here: http://mgoblog.com/content/jihad-second-they-dont-know-rules#comments), we really need to find the source material.
finding a list of negative articles or saying "he must hate us, he blew up the buyout story" simply isn't the same thing.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:40 PM ^
Use the search function above and type in Rosenberg and you get this:
http://mgoblog.com/search/node/rosenberg
Pages and pages on Rosenberg's anti-RR antics here at Mgoblog.com Some of it are Brians posts, others are user posts.
Another thing you can do is google Rosenberg Rich Rodriguez and you will find tons of other links to hatchet job Freep articles that Rosenberg has written denouncing RR.
Its out there...trust me...and it aint pretty
August 31st, 2009 at 4:54 PM ^
that is all about Rosenberg's clear disdain for RR.
August 31st, 2009 at 5:40 PM ^
Thank you for supporting the team and our University, Coach Rodriguez! This is the type of baptism under fire which will transform him into a legendary Michigan Man! We support you, we're proud of you, and Go Blue!
August 31st, 2009 at 5:43 PM ^
Rich Rodriguez's response and the response of the players has made me proud to be a Michigan fan.
Go blue!!
August 31st, 2009 at 5:47 PM ^
Why is Brown's beard so lopsided? Someone get that man some trimmers!
August 31st, 2009 at 7:03 PM ^
This has been my team since I was seven years old. That was 1967! I'm now 48 years old. Now I'm really angry about this mess. Last year's story stated, academic issues at Michigan. Another one stated family values don't exist at Michigan. Still another article, this article states cheating. I tell you this is strategic. Someone wants to undermine Michigan's Leaders and Best mantra.
I used to wonder why Bo and Carr did not deal much with the media. Now I know. RR should now know what to expect from story hungry journalists. Forget them!
Also I hope Michigan uses this stuff to become a juggernaut again. "Show No Mercy!"
August 31st, 2009 at 7:23 PM ^
Wow, Rich Rod and all of the players that spoke seemed genuinely hurt by these accusations. I have had my doubts about him in the past, but this only makes me feel more strongly that we made the right decision in hiring him. I hope that this situation will help to assuage some of the doubts that Michigan fans have had in him, and help him to gain 100% backing from the fan base.
Here is a link to tweets of fans showing support for him...I wish there were more.
August 31st, 2009 at 8:17 PM ^
Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview was the focus on Barwis. That's probably the issue, the time Barwis spent with players as a "trainer" and whether or not those workouts were voluntary, involuntary or simply not covered by the NCAA rules. Like I said before, Barwis and S&C is a clever way to stay engaged with players. It does not appear, however, as though there is a direct football gameplan connection between Barwis and the coaching staff.
September 7th, 2011 at 4:25 PM ^
I read this back in the day, but never created an account and commented to get the MgoPoint. Rectifying in 3... 2... 1...
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