gbdub

November 28th, 2013 at 12:59 AM ^

You mean the sort of cartoon character who fires a coach when it's too late for his staff to get other jobs, doesn't send him his bowl ring, and takes a cheap passive aggressive shot at him three years after he fired the guy?



Or the guy who pretends that the noodle was never meant to stay and that water bottles and seat cushions are a security threat?



DB may not be a cartoon character, but he doesn't always act like a cool-headed professional either.

Don

November 28th, 2013 at 9:10 AM ^

I thought I recognized him...Brandon plays one of the rotting zombies in episode 5 of the first season of "The Walking Dead." He gets dispatched on a local high school football field when Grimes takes a running start and kick's the prone Brandon's noggin, separating the head entirely, and it goes sailing over the crossbar for a FG.

Sione's Flow

November 27th, 2013 at 8:16 PM ^

I applaud DB for handling the rumor mill head on. It should help with alleviating some recruits concerns. But also pointing out Saban's problems in year four, is kind of taking the easy way out. That was also the year they took on B10 co-champs MSU and humbled them.

DeBored

November 27th, 2013 at 8:18 PM ^

^^^^First of all is that Dave Brandon in that avatar?  Bwah!

This was mentioned in another thread, but what about Tedford?  I'm sure he wants a HC job, but coming here to do OC/QB coaching for a season or two would raise his HC stock, IMO.  He's got a 5 star in Morris who could potentially make him look very good for his next HC job.  Plus he could kill it in recruiting.  "Son, have you ever heard of Aaron Rodgers?"

goblue16

November 27th, 2013 at 8:20 PM ^

My only concern is the only QBs he sent to the nfl was Rodgers and boeller. Other then them the rest never panned out with Kevin Riley, Nate longshore, and joe ayoob

1329 S. University

November 27th, 2013 at 8:48 PM ^

He was a name during the RR coaching search. He likely is familiar with Hoke due to their time in Cali. I'd support this hire. Tedford would probably look to bolt in a few years for a HC gig but were he offered that it would be because Michigan was looking so much better on Offense.



Much better shot at Tedford than Cameron.

mayhem033

November 27th, 2013 at 8:21 PM ^

This had to be done. The snowball was getting too big. I agree with the assumption that Al Borges will be fired. And Brady will definitly listen to Dave's opnions on a new OC. But at the end of the day, it will be Brady's call. Dave just writes the checks! 

This puts out one fire(recruiting), but another may pop up Saturday if we get hammered by the suckeyes. So let's just pull ourselves together and redirect our frustrations on the tsds!

Magnum P.I.

November 27th, 2013 at 8:25 PM ^

Wow, very surprising letter on many levels:



1. Generally very unprofessional, in my opinion, making desperate comparisons to other programs, including that of the coaching candidate everyone wanted in 2010.



2. Blatant disrespect of Rich Rodriguez. I would be pissed if I were RR and I read that statement. Does not look good for your AD to publicly trash former coaches.



3. Said "Al Borges is fired" as clearly as you can say it without directly saying it.

IPFW_Wolverines

November 27th, 2013 at 8:30 PM ^

I suspect that Denard Robinson guy had a bit more impact than DB is letting on. Of course, that wouldn't fit the agenda, since he was an RR recruit.

michiganfanforlife

November 27th, 2013 at 8:32 PM ^

in the face of adversity than we don't want him anyways. I think the character of the elite players is more important than that of less talented ones. The highschool stars get told about how great they are for four years and I think they are more prone to becoming premadonnas. We need our stars to be leaders; young men who grit their teeth and persevere. I think his decision will tell us a good deal about what kind of character he posesses.

Coldwater

November 27th, 2013 at 9:01 PM ^

That's some crazy thinking there. Lets see. You don't want Peppers now because he had the audacity to consider taking other visits. To you that doesn't show grit? What?



I don't want slow, less talented players that have grit as their greatest strength. I want electric, fast, über talented players like Peppers here. If gives us a better chance to win Championships.

michiganfanforlife

November 27th, 2013 at 9:36 PM ^

What I said was if he decides to go elsewhere because of the road ahead looking tough, we're better off. I get that you think it's all about talent, and it is true that you need talented guys to win in the B1G. However if we fill our team up with talented guys who don't posses the right character, the talent won't be as much of a factor. That's just my opinion, but I've seen a ton a teams with big time talent that never translated into wins. How many players from North Carolina in the last 7 years have gone to the NFL? How many ACC championships did they win? Zero. What do I know though? I'm just a guy on a blog.

M-Dog

November 27th, 2013 at 9:40 PM ^

Peppers is from New Jersey.  He does not have a life long love of Michigan where he feels the need to stick with the program out of dogged loyalty because the "road ahead is looking tough".

He is just trying to do what's best for him and his future.  He has other options.  That does not make him a bad character guy.

I am not from Michigan, and knew little about the school before I attended it.  I chose it because it was in the top ten in the program that I was interested in.  If soemthing would have happened to the program that changed that, I would have gone somewhere else.  I had other options.  That would not have made me a bad character guy.

For the record, I think the tempest has passed and both Hoke and Peppers will be here next season.

 

MonkeyMan

November 27th, 2013 at 8:37 PM ^

  Mattison may be doing a better job than Borges- but many teams have had above average yards against our D this year. And if OSU puts up 30+ on Saturday do people really think getting rid of Borges is the solution? My guess is OSU will score a lot in the first half, before Mattison's guys are tired and people can blame Borges' offense for the D. Hoke is impacting the team in an undesirable way and he will never win the B10. I am not sure if it is due to softness, favoritism, lack of emotion- but he is casting a shadow IMO.

jsquigg

November 27th, 2013 at 8:43 PM ^

It's sad that our AD is a joke, and that they are more concerned about "their way" than with the overall success of the program.  Dave Brandon had to have HIS guy and make HIS stamp on the program at the end of 2010.  Hoke stubbornly supports Borges while Borges stubbornly runs a predictable offense that regresses.  Both guys poo poo the spread offense.

I wish we had coaches who were really willing to take some blame for the program.  I also wish our AD wasn't a money loving d-bag. 

SalvatoreQuattro

November 27th, 2013 at 9:44 PM ^

football games. It's also sad that people cannot understand why Rodriguez was fired in thre first. Disasterously bad defenses and specials teams with an offense that was largely impotent versus good teams.

 

Hoke is not stubbornly supporting Borges. What he IS doing is not embarrassing the man. Apparently you think a leader should embarrass his subordinates in public. What a guy you are!

JoFree

November 27th, 2013 at 8:49 PM ^

 Al drives everyone around the bend repeatedly running into a 9-man box, or has his QB take seven-step drops when your line can't hold, run back-to-back reverses and refusal to throw short slants with Funches etc etc is because he cannot play-call. His play selection is as if while going through his voluminous playbook he just randomly selects a play for whatever reason without any rhyme or reason and thought to down and situation,

If I can see it on TV surely the opposing team's DC can see it.  If you ask Al to design an O-scheme he can, but in game play calling - going from theoretical scheme to real game situations - is atrocious.  Al is like the basketball coach who can't adjust during the game - great schemes and basketball IQ, but comes the game and he's a disaster - that's Al.

Recall Fisher - great recruiter but his in-game play calling and managment left you wondering what was he thinking.

GO BLUE! - BEAT OHIO!

JTrain

November 27th, 2013 at 8:52 PM ^

Hoke is a good figurehead. A good recruiter. He says the right things. Does the right things. Writes hand written notes.



He is going nowhere and I have no problem with that. He relies heavily on his OC to make the right decisions. I'm...not...sure...that's....working.

I feel bad for Borgess and Funk because if we had a bunch of upperclassmen playing oline, they may look like geniuses and be playing for a Big Ten title right now. Unfortunately, we NEED our coordinator to pull rainbows out of his ass and he hasn't done it yet. Usually that means they will look for someone who can.

I'm good either way. If Borgess stays I have no doubt he is smart enough to make it work.

If they grab someone new that's fine too. Whatever they do...I want a MEAN, NASTY, bunch of badasses that want to pancake the hell out of sparty and Ohio for the next ten years.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

((((GO BLUE))))

Steve in PA

November 27th, 2013 at 9:08 PM ^

 

In some professions/situations delegating is good.  But why pay 3+ million to a guy whose best decision will be who to make coordinator.  If that's what DB wanted he could have paid a lot less and spent more on staff although having the 3rd highest paid OC doesn't seem to be the answer either.

When I think of figurehead coaches I think of whomever occupies the position in Dallas or with the Raiders.  Does that make DB the meddling owner?

 

CompleteLunacy

November 28th, 2013 at 11:19 AM ^

I don't understand why it's OK to reduce Hoke as a coach as simply being a "figurehead"? What an insult to the man and his job. 

There's no way you, me, or any other fan can possibly make that evaluation. Hoke's day-to-day coaching is probably extremely hands on, and I bet you a dollar that every player on that team would take offense to someone characterizing (cariacaturing?) him as simply a "figurehead coach".

Coldwater

November 27th, 2013 at 9:07 PM ^

My biggest complaint is DB name dropped Bo, Mo, and Lloyd in the First paragraph......for the love of god can we stop looking in the rear view mirror. Can DB please turn the page of the 1970's? Continuously referring to the glory days of yesteryear doesn't have jack squat to do with today's game.

M-Dog

November 27th, 2013 at 9:46 PM ^

Ohio State has a pretty solid football tradition with Woody and even Tressel.  But they seem just fine with hiring an elite coach in Meyer and letting him coach his way.  Even though his schemes are not just a rehash of what Woody and Tressel did.  

They are *gasp* betraying their own DNA.  And they are winning.