Brandon Brown appreciation thread

Submitted by gustave ferbert on

His indicator of prospect contact has been spot on.  He told us Hand wasn't coming.  He told us McDowell wasn't coming.  IMHO he has done a great job of tempering expectations long before any of us wanted to believe we were out of the running for these guys.  

MGomaha

February 5th, 2014 at 1:51 PM ^

Always enjoyed his work pre-MGoBlog. Glad he has more credibility now that he's here, since before a lot of people just brushed aside his updates and predictions.

MGoManBall

February 5th, 2014 at 1:52 PM ^

So does Mr. Brown have a knack for this kinda thing or does he just always bring us bad news? :(

 

Just kidding. Thanks for your hard work and reporting for this class! Bring on 2015.

bdsisme

February 5th, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^

Well, he definitely was not that emphatic.  I think all he said regarding Hand was: http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/bbrown-predicting-commitments#comment-2248875

 

I am very confident in Hand. His coach talks to me all the time, Da'Shawn himself doesn't, but that's just kind of how he is. He's not a spotlight, flashy, talkative kind of person. The times I have talked to him, he was so excited about Michigan it was easy to detect. Now, it's been a while, and he's had his Bama visit and Florida visit approaching so those will factor in, but I think he's Blue.

 

alum96

February 5th, 2014 at 2:22 PM ^

That's unfair.  Things change.  Early this fall, esp after UTLII when Hand was here we had a long post on here with some person who actually took a trip here with Hand and he was very pro Michigan at the time.  The team looked great vs ND, the team had a good record and just had a highlight game and great environment.  Alabama and UF were sort of afterthoughts and most though Hand was coming here or had a great chance.

Then the rest of UM's season unfolded....

And Hand "cooled" and Brown told us that communication faltered which is usually what happens when a recruit is not coming...because it is pretty hard to fake enthusiasum on the phone for 10 minutes for a place you are mentally moving away from or already decided not go to.  Malik likewise said today he wanted to go to MSU for a month already.  And he likewise stunted communication with Coach Brown.

So to say Brown "got it wrong" in September when the kid changed his mind is silly.

Frankly if UM had a 10-2 season it is reasonable to believe Hand, McDowell would be signed today and Campbell and Harris would not be decommits.  As Chantel Jennings tweeted after Harris - there are cause and effects and we are seeing the effects of very medicore football seasons back to back.  And equivalent competitors having far better seasons. 

As an aside the "they don't develop kids" meme is growing large and you can be sure it is being said in negative recruiting now.  Damon Webb in a story yesterday on SI.com pointed to fellow Cass Tech alum Richardson and RJS and literally said that "they don't develop talent".   So you have coaches whispering this and you have the on field results.  2014 is critical to stop this and yes I know 2014 was still a fine class but it could have been suberb and 2015 took 2 major hits.   People with maize shades point to 97 or 1942 or whatever, but most 14-17 year olds are looking at the past half decade and on this count we've had 1 very good year, and a lot of medicore otherwise.  The glow of 2011 BCS is slowly wearing away so we need 2014 to be a serious upgrade in on field results and to see a number of kids make major steps in their play to refute the comments.

Growing up in Detroit, Damon Webb was a Michigan fan and idolized Wolverines legend Charles Woodson. But on Wednesday, Webb will sign with rival Ohio State, a monumental win for Buckeyes coach Meyer. Webb attends Cass Technical High in Detroit, a traditional pipeline for Michigan players, but the Wolverines’ prowess at the football powerhouse backfired in the case of Webb, who committed to Ohio State last January. Webb is quick to recite the names of former Cass Technical teammates who chose Michigan, such as sophomore cornerback Terry Richardson, who did not play last season, and junior linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone, who has rarely played. “They’re not getting better,” Webb says. “The coaches aren’t developing their talent.

Decatur Jack

February 5th, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^

And Hand "cooled" and Brown told us that communication faltered which is usually what happens when a recruit is not coming...because it is pretty hard to fake enthusiasum on the phone for 10 minutes for a place you are mentally moving away from or already decided not go to. Malik likewise said today he wanted to go to MSU for a month already. And he likewise stunted communication with Coach Brown.

Anyone else think that maybe Brandon Brown's persistence is the reason why heavy-leaning recruits are cooling on us?

JUST KIDDING GUYS!!!

Thanks for all your hard work, Coach Brown.

GoWings2008

February 5th, 2014 at 2:05 PM ^

Not only is he solid in his reporting, but he keeps a level head which is essential in dealing with this crowd. Additionally, he is very responsive in commenting back to direct questions and posts that have need for his specific insight.

Keep on keepin' on, BB.

A2YpsiBlue

February 5th, 2014 at 2:10 PM ^

Always impressed with how many recruits you are able to actually make contact with.  Despite recruits' opinions & school choices changing so often, you have given us the best info you have at that time.  I appreciate your writing style and weekend / late night content, too!

Paps

February 5th, 2014 at 2:14 PM ^

BB gets so much more crap than Ace or TomVH or any other guy gets, but he doesn't deserve it, and he's doing a great job, cause recruiting is hard, yo

alum96

February 5th, 2014 at 2:27 PM ^

He said quite a while back Malik's communications with him had turned for the worse which was the same pattern he saw with Hand. He said after Hand announced he wish he had gone with his gut with Hand rather than heart, and that the stop in communication was a good tell for previous recruits, similar to what Hand did and later McDowell did.  So he mentioned quite a while back McDowell was doing the same thing Hand did. 

It is only natural that a player is not going to be interested in talking to a "recruiting guru" for a school he is ruling out so I find this a very good indicator and hope Brown continues to tell us these findings in the future.

All Day

February 5th, 2014 at 2:34 PM ^

I never understood why his "method" was that complicated for people to understand. What do you do when your just not that into a girl? You probably stop talking to her and her friends (or at least give only cursory responses to). It's just human nature.

Wee-Bey Brice

February 5th, 2014 at 2:35 PM ^

If you're expecting BB to be perfect on every pick, you're just being a dick. Stop that. Even the almighty Mike Farrell thought Hand was going Blue. Recruiting is as unpredictable as a game of Jumanji. BB does a very good job. Thanks!