Hokepoints: Keep Believing Comment Count

Seth

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Todd Howard came to Michigan in 1998, following the national championship season. We both grew up in the same middle class suburb (Southfield) before moving to more affluent ones. But he was a highly recruited scholarship athlete who played cornerback for four years on the Michigan football team, while I was sort-of recruited journalism student who played guitar on a couch at the Michigan Daily.

Todd now coaches defensive backs in his post-Southfield hometown of Bolingbrook. We've developed a recent friendship over M football obsession, and some heated disagreements, plus wives pregnant at the same time. His perspective is one of a guy who came to Michigan and had it made clear upon arrival that no player is bigger than the program. His perspective is also one of a player who played in an era when "getting your bell rung" was common, "shaking off the cobwebs" was routine, and everybody "saw" a few more snaps than they actually played. But he's also a modern high school coach with responsibility for player safety, and a defensive back who believes inside routes should be punishable by death.

He agreed to let me share a thing he wrote on Facebook and some bits from our text message marathon last night.

From the texts:

  • Supports Hoke, says he's a good coach and the right coach for Michigan.
  • Players always play hurt.
  • Doesn't know what's going on in the administration and can't affect it.
  • Want people thinking long-term: Michigan will be great again. Supports people speaking out, but turning away disgusts him.
  • Every effort should be made to show the players they're supported, including showing up to games and cheering for them and not distracting the coaches further.

The Facebook open letter to fans:

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Dear Michigan "Fans"...I really couldn't have said it any better myself. You took success for granted. 8 win seasons became the norm and you got comfortable. You never saw the hard work and late hours put in behind those brick walls of Shembechler. The lack of sleep, barely being able to drag yourself to class, minor addictions to pain killers, while fighting to remain academically eligible. PLAYING through injuries most of you couldn't make it up a flight of stairs with. The coaches preparation every week from sun up to sun UP, sacrificing valuable time with their own families so the BEST team possible could take the field on Saturday.

Now your "favorite" team is going through some adversity and look at you! Look at how you respond. Are you a Michigan FAN because it's convenient? Sure, every one loves a winner...if that's the case take your allegiance down I-96.

It's so easy for you to call for Hoke's job. You've never met him, never had a beer with him, never seen him COACH! Only interviews and cutaways on Saturday. If you think you want to win, multiple that by 100 and MAYBE you'll attain the same passion he has for football and an equivalent compassion for his players.

My brothers and myself are Michigan MEN, not FANS! So to read some of your comments and rants is a little disheartening. Is this how you would've ridiculed us had we not been as successful? Would you not inbox us autograph requests?

When you're team is up, cheer! When you're team is down, cheer LOUDER! When your team wins, congratulate them. When your team loses, sympathize and have pride in the fact they gave everything they could. That's a TRUE fan...but instead you're spoiled. It's a privilege to cheer for Michigan. It's a privilege to sit in the Big House...not an obligation. "The Expectation is for the POSITION!" Back to yours!!!

/adjusts Michigan hat

...as you were. HAIL!

[My rebuttal, after the jump.]

Sports fans don't turn out in huge numbers just to support the players; they're there because they enjoy it, and lately much of that enjoyment is gone.

psu98
This is the ticket I bought off Steve Kyritz. It cost me $13.50 to upgrade to superfan.

Specifically to Michigan, what used to be a bargain was made prohibitively expensive. Let's not underestimate the fallout: Michigan Stadium didn't drop from 113,000 to "103,000." It dropped from capacity plus a wait list of 200,000. The wait list is gone because Michigan put a $1,000 price tag just to be on it, leveraging the 300,000 potential fans to just 80,000 willing to pay triple the price. They leveraged the students even harder, and this was compounded by an awful home schedule to fill just 2/3 of the students' seats.

Losing teams always get less follow than winning ones, but there's far more at play with this team, because the athletic department has been driving off fans with mercenary policies. Of course the stadium is filled with fair-weather fans; a big portion of them only went because they were offered free tickets and the weather was fair.

This isn't the same program which our freshman year cost $81 for season tickets, and featured McNabb vs Tom Brady, Saban's MSU, Randel-El, #9 Penn State, and #8 Wisconsin (and EMU, but that was on Rosh Hashanah), not to mention the banner, the band, and flinging toilet paper and marshmallows from our pockets that also had flasks of rum & coke. Students today pay more than that for their App State tickets, and can't sell their tickets to non-students unless the buyer pays an exorbitant fee. They get frisked on their way in, get treated like criminals once they're seated, and last year had to put up with a seating policy that separated them from their friends.

I didn't mention winning in there, but of course our freshman season was a team coming off a national championship, and of course that mattered. I went to the PSU game on a friend's ticket and we cheered so loud in that end zone that Paterno ran out the clock in the 3rd rather than try another goal line play in our proximity. That wasn't just because the team was good—you guys barely got by Minnesota the week before—but because the fan experience was otherworldly.

There's nobody in sports easier to root for than the players in college football, and there's no Michigan fan who can look at a guys like Peppers (made himself great and emerged from the deepest part of the depth chart), Butt (7 months ago his ACL wasn't even attached), or Gardner (who's still picking bits of 2013 linebackers out of his sternum) without immense admiration for what they go through to be out there.

The players probably do share much of the blame—if they'd practiced harder, tried harder, focused better, their execution could have prevented the holes the team fell into. Fans tend to overlook that because the players are young and unpaid. When there's a player who clearly can't play we mostly get mad at the coaches for putting him in a position to fail.

The things that really drive fans away have nothing to do with the players. When you ask most fans who've stopped paying attention this year what did it, they point to specific events: 1) Michigan running the clock out against Notre Dame but trying to pretend like they were still trying by having the starters in there, which got Funchess injured. 2) Michigan doing the same exact thing against Utah. 3) The Morris incident, and 4) again running down the clock punting the ball away down 2 scores late in the 4th quarter. #3 is an issue of national embarrassment, for which many fans believe they need to make an example to show their displeasure. The rest are fans taking a cue directly from the team. They don't doubt the players put themselves through hell to prepare for those 60 minutes on Saturday, until they see the coaches letting those same minutes slip away when the game isn't out of reach.

The thing is, very few fans are going to be as emotionally invested in the team as a guy like me (and I wouldn't have gotten there if it wasn't for that PSU game in '98), even in good times, and NOBODY is as invested as the players and coaches. You can't hold the entire Michigan fanbase to the standard of the players' passion. Fans will invest only as much time and money as they find worthwhile against all the other things in their lives. The greatest team in history couldn't fill a high school stadium with fans as loyal as a player. To get a 113,000 fans to show up and be loud, it has to be epic, and I don't mean fireworks; I mean defending national champs with names like Swett/Irons/Gold/Steele vs. Ron Dayne.

This team can't get out of its own way long enough to beat a bad batch of Gophers. Before you ask why Shane was in there after a clear headshot, ask why he was in there after a clearly unproductive handful of drives. Michigan was inserting a sophomore QB who clearly wasn't ready to play because in five years they still haven't figured out that Devin Gardner has different skills than John Navarre. I know as well as anyone that there's more to the story than that. But you know as well as anyone that it's painful to watch potential greatness get wasted.

Michigan will have this problem for a long time, because they've spent the last few years chasing away any fan who won't pony up more money than a typical household can justify, because they've obliterated the student experience which spit out guys like me for generations, and because for most of Michigan's home games this year the thing on the line is "either we cream them or we're not very good."

A true fan is someone who wants the team to win. If we extend the definition any further, it's just alienating more people from a dwindling base.

Comments

Lordfoul

September 30th, 2014 at 9:47 PM ^

...has an educated opinion of a defensive positional coach, but I would argue that he has no good standing to state that Hoke is up to the task of turning the Michigan ship around as head coach.  My cousin was directly coached by Hoke in '97 and '98 and thinks the world of Hoke as a coach.  From what I can gather, he doesn't see Hoke being able to do the gig of Head Coach anymore though.  I agree with him.  Hoke needs to go.  Todd Howard is entitled to his opinion of course.

MileHighWolverine

September 30th, 2014 at 10:43 PM ^

When it flies in the face of reality? Yes, it is too much. Hoke is destroying the program...there is no improvement in ANY facet of the game since his 1st year and there are too many student athlete's career's he's destroying for me to sit by and be ok with him lasting even one more second as the coach.

 

If there was improvement, of any sort, happening with the team I would say be more patient. But the guy is fucking the most basic parts of the game (clock management, 10 men on punt returns, kicking deep down 2 scores) that I don't possibly see why he deserves any more chances. He is a travesty of a head coach and if you don't think so, you have real problems accepting reality.

 

I'm sure he was an awesome position coach but the head job is way too much for him.

westwardwolverine

October 1st, 2014 at 8:46 AM ^

I'm sure Todd Howard has an educated opinion somewhere, but its not in that letter. 

His stance is basically "I played for Brady Hoke and I know he can do the job and if you don't agree, you're not a real fan of Michigan". 

I also find it humorous that he thinks any angry Michigan fans are bandwagon fans who only support a winner, given that so many of us are Lions fans. 

Finally, as someone above said, I never saw any of this for Rich Rodriguez from the former players, so this really just boils down to "Hoke coached with Carr/ coached us, so we like him and he should be coach no matter what!" and not "Support the coach in his time of need! Support the team! Support the players! Support the program!". 

 

gbdub

September 30th, 2014 at 7:13 PM ^

Brady Hoke helped make you a man. That's great, that's wonderful, I'm sure at heart he's a great guy. But bluntly, as a fan, that means very little to me. Because I'm not privileged enough to have had the chance to play ball for Hoke. I wasn't athletically gifted enough to consider trying out for a spot on a high school squad, let alone being a 4 year starter at a D1 school. I'm not discounting the effort you put in, just noting that no amount of effort would have given me the chance you had.



I want to know our players are turning into decent men. But there's a lot of coaches that do that, a lot of coaches that are beloved by their players. Hoke does not have a monopoly on that. Again being blunt, I want to watch a team that doesn't suck. I want to have fun on Saturdays and not just watch because I feel obligated. And I don't think Hoke can deliver that. And it's really irritating to be told I'm not allowed to feel that way by a guy who got an experience most of us would give our left nut for.

Reader71

September 30th, 2014 at 7:34 PM ^

But who told you not to feel that way? I didn't. I feel the same way!

Todd Howard basically told you that you should cheer for the team, win or lose. I don't think he said you have to like Hoke, I imagine that Todd would tell you that Hoke being right for Michigan is his opinion.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I've been reading his comments in the context of the dwindling crowds and proposed boycotts. I just don't get those. When MGrowOld gave up his tickets, I begged him to keep them because I can't afford them myself and I felt the same way you do about this: I'd give my left nut to be able to watch Michigan in the Stadium every Saturday. I'm not telling you how to feel, I'm just telling you my opinion.

gbdub

September 30th, 2014 at 8:47 PM ^

Thanks for taking the time to reply, and to be clear I definitely appreciate your perspective on this blog.

Todd Howard told me that I should cheer for the team, win or lose... in an extremely condescending manner. I'm a "Fan". He and his "brothers" are "MICHIGAN MEN", not "FANS". I should feel "privileged" to get to watch the likes of him. I'm really not trying to twist his words. I just reread his whole statement, and that's what sticks out. Maybe that part doesn't sting for you as much because you can sympathize with the rest of it as a former player, but from my position as a fan only, that's what I got out of it. You're not trying to tell me how to feel, but he is, and you're attempting to get me OK with that (I think).

As far as dwindling crowds and boycotts - that's the only power we have. I'm sure it hurts the players, and that sucks. But at this point watching the games isn't fun anymore, and I'm mad as hell at the grown men responsible for making it that way. We can speak only with our wallets and our eyeballs because that's the only language Brandon speaks.

Michigan football gave a ton to Howard(and also took a lot from him). From me it took only some fall afternoons and gave only memories. Continuing to participate now requires time, money, and emotional investment, from which I can expect little in return these days. There are now many things that I love more, that take less from me and give more in return. If I choose not to participate, or to tone down my passion, I don't need or appreciate being lectured and scolded by a guy who can understand my perspective no more than I can understand his.

I love Michigan, and always will. I will treasure any chance I have to go back to Ann Arbor in the fall. But Michigan football doesn't hold a monopoly on my nostalgia. My donations go the the College of Engineering, my thoughts go to memories and old friends. I owe Brandon and Hoke nothing, and to be frank they've given me nothing. I take no pleasure in this and I honestly feel bad for the friends and family that would be hurt by canning these guys (especially Hoke), but frankly my dear Reader71, I no longer give a damn. If you're saddened by this, take it up with the men that did it to me and thousands like me that are giving up, getting mad, and tuning out. In the meantime I'll raise a glass to the poor guys busting their ass on the field in a doomed effort, and hope for better days to come.

Reader71

September 30th, 2014 at 10:05 PM ^

Excellent. A post like yours spelling out why one feels the way one does is the reason I started commenting and stopped lurking. And obviously, no one can fault you for your feelings.

If it read like I was trying to make you OK with Howard's comments, I might have been. I don't really know, honestly. I just feel that a guy like Todd Howard should be treated a little better than most posters on here seem to have treated his comments. If the program was in good shape, I don't think I would read "Fuck you, Todd!!" I know you didn't say it, but someone did, and it saddens me that the fans aren't able to put their current anger aside to at least hear what he's saying and engage it, even if to just say, "No thanks."

And yeah, I didn't even pick up on the "me and my brothers" comment. Now that you mentioned it, I can certainly see how it would grate.

RobSk

September 30th, 2014 at 7:27 PM ^

I understand it.

In Todd Howard's opinion, the vast majority of coaching happens where we don't see it. His belief is that this coaching is being done well here, despite the results on the field.

I'm not certain at this point where I am. Here are the points I'm weighing:

- On Sunday, I believed very firmly that Hoke had horribly screwed up during the game in allowing Morris to go back on the field post Gardner losing his helmet. At this moment, I'm not sure about that. It appears Michigan attempted to purposefully distance the coaching staff from these decisions in order to make a dispassionate (from a winning/losing perspective) decision to protect the players. It's clear that process was horrifically inadequate in this situation. It's also clear Hoke did a horrible job in communicating that.

- It's obvious to me that the communication between Hoke and Brandon, and potentially the relationship, is very, very, very poor. Assuming Hoke is not a complete, bald faced liar (which I don't know), he was still not clear on Morris's situation as of Monday. I am absolutely flabbergasted that Brandon and his organization could possibly allow that. If Hoke is lying about that, then, well, he obviously needs to go. If he's not - at this moment I'm not clear that Hoke's role in the Morris situation on Saturday is a fireable offense. I'm in no way trolling here. I'm also not trying to minimize how serious the problem is with how Michigan handles the potential for concussion. It's obvious there is a hole in their injury handling process a mile wide.

- Football -I'm stunned at how poorly Michigan has played in the 3 meaningful games. With a new OC (and personnel turnover), I expected difficulty early, but not at this level, and not after 5 games. After 40+ games and into the 4th season, even with the OC turnover, I thought we'd be further along. Even MUCH further along. My feel here hasn't changed - If they can't manage 8-4, Hoke has put himself in serious jeopardy for just the football side of things.  8-4 looks hard to imagine at this moment. Even 7-5 seems tough to see. If Michigan finishes 6-6 or worse, I'll probably be more positive about removing Hoke than I was about removing Rodriguez, which was not very.

- Coaching change - I said the same thing with Rodriguez - I am just so dismayed at the prospect of changing coaches again.  Despite the fact that I favor the spread, changing to a spread coach means yet another period where we are, to some degree, putting square pegs in round holes.

Here's hoping that as this season goes on, a somewhat calmer approach can be taken to these questions. At this point that it's hard to imagine the end of the season coming without a coaching change. It's going to be tough, tough sledding for the program, as I said above.  Obviously what I'm hoping is that somehow, Nussmeier manages to make major progress with the offense in the coming weeks- That seems extremely unlikely..

       Rob

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maize and Blue…

October 1st, 2014 at 7:42 AM ^

Rob you realize there is more than one style of spread.  Yes we would have to adjust if we went back to a RR style run based spread, but that could be mitigated by adopting a passing based spread similar to Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Notre Dame.  Even RR's spread has morphed some at Zona to include more passing based on the QB.

Areas of concern for me would be RB (still a concern in current scheme) where neither Smith or Green seem to have very good vision/instinct.  One goes down to easy and the other is not very fast.  The other being WR mostly because of Drake's injury and to much time spent recruiting big slow WRs early in Hoke's tenure.  Our QBs are just not accurate enough to continually fit throws into tight windows because of a lack of seperation.

As far as the Morris incident, Brady should have got Shane off the field plain and simple.  You just can't have an entire staff miss what happened.  The nuerologist in the stands saw it and was making his way to the sidelines.  The students saw it and it was on the big screen. Everything looks worse because supposedly nobody saw anything though it has been reported that Nuss was trying to get Shane to go down so he could be evaluated.  If you're a kid who has constantly been told you're not tough enough I can understand why Shane did what he did even though playing on one leg was enough for me.  He needed to be pulled for his own safety and for no one to do it was gross negligence on the staffs part.  Pull the kid and get him evaluated, but since NO one saw the hit and the HC actually thought Shane's "stumble" was due to the ankle (even though that hadn't happened in all the plays he played with the ankle hurt before the head shot) pulling him didn't get him evaluated for head truama.

Space Coyote

October 1st, 2014 at 8:48 AM ^

The spread is as descriptive as "pro-style". There are tons of "pro-style" offenses just as there are tons of "spread" offenses. Much of it comes from where that specific style of spread gained most of it's influence.

But Meyer's spread to run is quite a bit different than Rich Rod's which is pretty different than Chip Kelly's. Likewise, Oklahoma's passing spread is quite different than Brian Kelly's passing spread is very different than Mike Leach's passing spread. We group them together because that's easy, but it doesn't make it accurate.

The fact that many "pro-style" offenses utilize as much 11 personnel (also a favorite of many spread offenses) as 12 personnel or whatever makes the lines even more blurred.

RobSk

October 1st, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^

Re: the different kinds of spreads - Of course you're absolutely right - I'm hoping that whomever the new coach is (and I'm sort of assuming it's a fait accompli at some point between now and 1/1/15) can tailor the schemes to the people. (what an insight :) ) My main concern is on the OL, and whether the current guys would be mobile enough to handle any kind of spread.

=====

everything looks worse because supposedly nobody saw anything though it has been reported that Nuss was trying to get Shane to go down so he could be evaluated.

=====

This is one of the pieces of evidence that lead me to believe there is an injury evaluation process that has only one entry method, the player being down on the field. When the siutation varies, the process stinks.

       Rob

Indiana Blue

September 30th, 2014 at 9:23 PM ^

in 2011 with Hoke's coaching.  Of course, we had fake punts, fake FG's, going for it on 4th down in your own territory ... basically stuff, we haven't seen since 2011.  I agree, the the current Hoke has failed in most every regard.

I cannot imagine even 1 plausible scenario where he stays the head coach at Michigan.  And the bottom line is that this is sad for all of us, because it further delays our hopes and expectations of being relevent once again in the B1G, and the national picture.

Go Blue!

Wolfman

September 30th, 2014 at 9:26 PM ^

and not a FAN.  Clearly he doesn't get the picture of what a Michigan Man is either.  He has half of it right, but we're all included under that big blue tent. At least that is what Yost thought. And where was he when the entire town was pissing on RR and refueling his plane for the return flight before the incoming one landed.  Fuck him and all like him.

MI Expat NY

September 30th, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^

The idea that you have to see a guy coach up close and personel to judge his ability might be the silliest thing in the world.  We've seen the results get worse and worse as the team has become progressively more and more his.  I can't believe this is a coincidence.  

It's clear to me that the Carr era players can't look at this staff with unbiased eyes.  They want Hoke to work because he's the guy they played for, pushed for, etc.  His failure speaks to the failure of trying to recreate their era in modern football.  I just wish they wouldn't couch everything in reference to Bo.  I don't think Bo would have looked very fondly at how that group collectively acted in the Rich Rodriguez era and I don't think Bo would be thrilled with the status of the program today.  

umchicago

September 30th, 2014 at 6:06 PM ^

you actually have to watch the guys write the lyrics and music, record it at the studio to know whether or not the band is any good by listening to the album.

and if you loved early U2, you should continue to pay even higher prices for the crap they are putting out now.  you must to be a real U2 fan.  it's loyalty man.  

ThadMattasagoblin

September 30th, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^

I get what he's saying I think. At least for me, I want DB and BH fired to return us to glory. However, we still need to go to the games, support the team, and we shouldn't stop going just because the team is bad.

Njia

September 30th, 2014 at 5:50 PM ^

Ask yourself why you attend the games. Is it because you love the University, the players, the coaches, the band or all of it? Do you attend ONLY because you love those things? Where does your love of those things stack up in your list of priorities when you consider other things you love and on which you spend money: Your family, your home, your friends, your hobbies.

For many of us, those two lists are not mutually exclusive. But I am now old enough that, for a number of reasons, they are. I need to think about where and how I spend my money. I will be making two tuition payments starting next fall. I am less than 20 years from retirement. My wife and I have had myriad health problems that mean I must plan for the worst and hope for the best. And so on.

I don't love Michigan Football any less than I used to, but my priorities have changed. If I no longer enjoy what I am seeing, I need to invest what treasure I have in other places.

UofM Die Hard …

September 30th, 2014 at 5:26 PM ^

very one-sided.

This is the most important thing, IMO, that Seth typed

"The players probably do share much of the blame—if they'd practiced harder, tried harder, focused better, their execution could have prevented the holes the team fell into. Fans tend to overlook that because the players are young and unpaid. When there's a player who clearly can't play we mostly get mad at the coaches for putting him in a position to fail."

This statement deserves to be bolded



Yes, we as fans, hate it when players dont perform and we say, "they should have done this, they should have done that" (arm chair QB bullshit) but we ALWAYS continue to support them because they are young men growing up and they strap on that winged helmet every Saturday.  But when the AD nickels and dimes everyone, and the coaches dont put the players in positions to succeed... we will show our support to the players by not supporting the AD and staff.  They deserve better because, WE KNOW, they work their ass off and fight everyday...so when they are set up to fail, YES we will get pissed and be vocal.

Spare me this quote "If you think you want to win, multiple that by 100 and MAYBE you'll attain the same passion he has for football and an equivalent compassion for his players." 

 

No shit he wants to win, of course he does, he likes his job,he loves to coach and he loves Michigan but thats not saying he is the right coach for Michigan.  

 

Man, that response got me heated

BornInAA

September 30th, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^

The 8 win seasons went from 1968 to 2007 with only two blips - a 6-6 season for Bo in 1984 and a 7-5 season for Carr in 2005.

In this last 6 seasons - only two 8 win seasons. Surely not 8 wins this year.

This is a pattern and it's getting worse.

I'm am sure the calls went out to give the guy another chance back in 1952, but then Oosterbaan went on for 6 more bad seasons. Elliot had 2 good seasons out of 10!

Sorry Todd Howard (and Hoke) but back then the football game was the only form of entertainment on a Saturday afternoon in fall. Now the fickle fan can switch the channel or go to many other activities any Saturday.

Furthermore, the finances of modern college athletics requires that the men's football team must be successful or the house of cards falls. 

This study:

http://mgoblog.com/diaries/look-all-power-5-coaching-changes-2007-2011

shows the new reality of a shorter time span given to coaches to show results. Hoke is not going to get 10 years like Bennie and Bump. And his 4 year trajectory is a negative slope, not positive like Bo and Carr.

 

 

Nickel

September 30th, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^

Eh, there are plenty of kids in non-revenue sports who work harder than anyone on the football team at their chosen sport, study more difficult majors and yet don't expect 110,000 people to show up every weekend and clap for the hard work they've put in.

It's apparent the entitlement mentality that so many claim Michigan fans had is not limited to the fans.

Gulogulo37

October 1st, 2014 at 11:53 AM ^

I don't know how you could say they work harder at their sport. I mean, it's almost literally physically impossible. I totally agree with Seth on this, but the stuff Howard talks about putting in ridiculous hours and playing through injuries we wouldn't get out of bed for is true.

ShruteBeetFarms

September 30th, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^

and that you can have a beer with should never get fired? Afterall, every head coach coaches right? It's just that some are better at it than others.

Ultimately, the product on the field over multiple seasons should reflect whether or not a coach is good or not.

 

FreddieMercuryHayes

September 30th, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^

Mr. Howard, it's generally not a great idea to belittle someone's experiences and say your's are more important/valid in an attempt to win people to your argument. There wouldn't even be sports of it weren't for the fans shelling out money and emotion to view it.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

HollywoodHokeHogan

September 30th, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^

  Just another low level coach serving his own interests.  Whether it's conscious or not, all of these coaches have a vested interest in absolving Brady of responsiblity for the Morris fiasco.  They spit out bullshit platitudes like "Everybody plays hurt," "You know your own players best," and so on, but what they are really doing is covering their own asses in case they mess up and get one of their own players hurt.  The less responsiblity they have, the easier their job is, so why would they criticize one of their own for being irresponsible?  It's asking the guards to guard themselves.

LBSS

September 30th, 2014 at 5:46 PM ^

Thanks very much for posting this. To put part of what you said more bluntly: It's extremely frustrating when anyone draws a false equivalency between being disgruntled with the team's performance and angry at the coaches and turning on or not supporting the players. Wanting Hoke and Brandon out the door is NOT the same as turning my back on the kids and it is NOT the same as turning my back on Michigan. I will continue to be a fan even if Hoke and Brandon stick around, because my fandom is not about them. 

Stop with the straw men, already.

Big Brown Jug

September 30th, 2014 at 5:47 PM ^

"A true fan is someone who wants the team to win. If we extend the definition any further, it's just alienating more people from a dwindling base."

 

This, so hard.  

 

Your attendance at every game since 1955, your collection of signed helmets, your picture with Bo, and your second morgatage to pay for season tickets does not make you anything more than a fan.  There are those who root for Michigan, and those who do not.  The goal should be to maximize the former.

wildbackdunesman

September 30th, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^

This "distraction to the coaches" is a legitimate national story with real university ethics on the line.  Do not forget that Brandon, Hoke, and the rest of the staff created this distraction themselves with how they handled the situation.

Jevablue

September 30th, 2014 at 5:50 PM ^

And, Michigan should worry even more when the fans quit yelling.  That is when they have totally checked out.  The screaming is healthy, and it is justified. Name any coach in the Big Ten besides OSU that would not trade, over time, a long time, recruiting classes with M? From those who are given a lot, a lot is expected. And the management of the talent is not worthy of the players or the fans. This is not a new concept!