Brandon: I don't think Brady deserves any blame for what happened on the sidelines
WARNING - This is a Freep article. I will put link at bottom but have copied a few relevant quotes from their story just published.
Not trying to bombard the board but this was just posted and wow. Presented without further comment.
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2014/10/0…
Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said today that Brady Hoke had no fault in the handling of his quarterback's brain injury and that the ensuing firestorm will not affect how he evaluates the football coach's job status.
Brandon placed the blame on the school's medical staff for not quickly diagnosing the injury to Shane Morris and relaying the information to coaches, which led to the concussed quarterback staying in for another play and re-entering the game a few minutes later for yet another play.
"I don't think Brady deserves any blame for what happened on the sidelines," Brandon said. "Because Brady is responsible for coaching.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:28 PM ^
Injured players need to be on the sidelines to get checked out. And it should be up to the coach to see that he has a player that's showing signs of being hurt and to get him out of the game. The mere notion that a trainer should have to walk up to the head coach and implore him to take a timeout to remove a player from the game is laughable. Because if you need to do that (and it would appear that we're there) then you clearly have the wrong person in charge of a team. It doesn't take a trained doctor to notice someone walking with a limp or struggling to stand up.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:36 PM ^
the head trainer, was attending Morris and released him to go back into the game. Why are so many people having a problem understanding that?
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:38 PM ^
Because it doesn't fit the narrative.
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:28 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 9:51 PM ^
No, because we let a player who should have been evaluated for a head injury back in the game w/o evaluating him. That's the national story.
The ankle injury might be a big deal to us, b/c it provides yet more evidence Hoke isn't a good coach (i.e., Morris wasn't successful before he injured his ankle; why would he be better after?), but the big deal is the head injury. That's why the AD, the president, a congressman, every radio host & blogger in the known universe is poking their nose in.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:33 PM ^
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October 2nd, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
They both should have been fired by Monday.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:34 PM ^
So "coaching" does not encompass evaluating the health of a player he is inserting into the game? This is just asinine as we all clearly saw Morris almost fall over on the field, and it was obvious to everyone that he could barely walk with his foot injury. Is it bad that at this point I just want DB/Hoke to keep doing/saying stupid things to ensure the whole they have dug is big enough to swallow them?
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:37 PM ^
I never saw a coach not run over to a player wacked in the head and a least ask him if he was OK - hell - pro coaches to pop warner. WTF? It's like none of coaches cared if Morris was hurt.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:43 PM ^
He visibly waved off the sideline, and teammates on the field, when they were telling him to go down for an injury TO.
In the case of a head injury it can't be the player's decision. (It's not clear at that point whether the sideline thought they were dealing with a head shot or still thought it was just the leg.)
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
How is it that there wasn't a single person involved on Michigan's sideline that couldn't put two and two together that maybe, just maybe, the reason Morris was nearly passing out on a lineman might have had to do with the shot to the head he took a few seconds before and not his ankle?
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:51 PM ^
On TV you could see his eyes, and we had the advantage of a clear view of the shot as well. I'm not sure it would have been obvious from ground level that he was "nearly passing out" as opposed to leaning on a lineman for support because he couldn't put weight on the leg.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
I can get that some people might have thought that. What I'm asking is how no one thought that it could be the head shot he took. How everyone simply came to the conclusion that "Oh, he got drilled in the head with a helmet...must be his ankle".
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:20 PM ^
...is that until the replay went up I'm not sure people on the sideline would have known it was a head shot. It was on the far hash, through a lot of bodies, and most people's eyes would have followed the ball upfield. What they would have seen clearly is Morris staggering, reaching down to his ankle, then waving them off when they tell him to go down.
This isn't a defense of anyone. I just think people don't realize, or forget, how crappy the view is from the sideline.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:35 PM ^
Do they have any communication with anyone else anywhere in the stadium? I just find it hard to believe that there was no one who could figure this out, regardless of the things you're saying, which are solid points.
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:39 PM ^
Somebody in the box could have seen it I suppose.
The point when somebody on the sideline probably would have figured it out is when the replay went up. You can tell when that happened on the TV feed because there's an audible groan from the crowd. The offense was already breaking the huddle when it came and they got the play off pretty quickly. Getting that processed clearly enough to suspect concussion and getting that info to Hoke in time for a TO would have been a tall order. Live, I wasn't all that surprised by the fact that it took a play to get it done.
None of that was ideal but it was all understandable. What made and makes no sense at all was what happened later, when there had been plenty of time for an evaluation. Either they assessed him for a concussion and he passed the protocol, in which case the protocol needs looked at, or he didn't pass and still wound up in the game, or he was never actually examined.
I think I'm probably in the minority here, but I don't care who's to blame. I don't need anybody to fall on their sword, I want them to figure out what went wrong and fix the process so it doesn't ever happen again.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:52 PM ^
I would agree with that if it wasn't for the penalty. Do you really believe that after the penalty no thought to ask if he got hit in the head?
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:02 PM ^
There was no targeting call on the field. Just roughing the passer. If they couldn't see the initial hit, and the call is just roughing, I don't see why the head would be the first thing they would check when he is already limping around.
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:07 PM ^
Your QB is on the ground with his hands to his head and there was just a roughing call and you don't think it's a good idea for the coaching staff to find out if he got hit in the head?
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:35 PM ^
That happens on almost every late hit or roughing the passer call. I am saying that if they did not see the helmet to helmet hit, then the head would not be the first thing that they would check. If the call is targeting, then yes, absolutely check the head even if you did not see the hit. But it was just roughing, which covers any number of late hits. In that case it's more likely he is limping because his ankle. We have the benefit of hindsight and multiple TV angles/replays, so it's easy for us to say what should have been done, but none of us were on the sidelines.
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:52 PM ^
Five years ago I might agree with you, but we live in a different age or at least Michigan should since we helped develop the concussion guidelines. The minute you see a guy stumbling around after a roughing the passer call wouldn't the most responsible thing be to ask your staff if Shane just got hit in the head? At the very least you look at the replay on the gigantic replay board. The replay was on the board before the next play happened, they were still in the huddle.
I know you are trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, but it really just doesn't exist.
October 2nd, 2014 at 8:27 PM ^
I was in section 3 row 34 so diagonally across the field almost from the action. I didn't see the hit but I did see Morris wobble and Braden catch him. I said to the person sitting next to me "They have to get him out of the game." It was obvious from where I was that he was woozy and it was not a hurt ankle. It was obvious to 80000 people in the stands I cannot believe that everyone on the sideline missed it. I could buy some people missing it but not everyone.
October 2nd, 2014 at 8:27 PM ^
I was in section 3 row 34 so diagonally across the field almost from the action. I didn't see the hit but I did see Morris wobble and Braden catch him. I said to the person sitting next to me "They have to get him out of the game." It was obvious from where I was that he was woozy and it was not a hurt ankle. It was obvious to 80000 people in the stands I cannot believe that everyone on the sideline missed it. I could buy some people missing it but not everyone.
October 2nd, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
That is so easy to say in retrospect, after having seen many replays and analyzed the situation carefully, and then actually knowing what happened to Shane.
In the heat of the moment, the coaches are thinking of many different things. I found Nussmeier's account entirely believable. He watched the pass, then saw that they got a roughing flag and thus a first down, yelled at Morris to see if he was okay, and Morris waved him off. His next thought is "Okay, what play should we run next."
Edit: All that said, during that same time, I was yelling at the coaches to take him out. Not because of his head, because I had no idea he took a head shot, but because of his ankle.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:13 PM ^
Coming from somone whos been hit so hard that all I could see is white and the wind was knocked out of me. I can see this I didn't have a concussion but I got my bell rung pretty good. Sometimes that bell rung and a mild concussion can initially be somewhat similar. I've had four concussions from major to mild. I still elected to keep playing I didn't care because every other time I got my bell rung I was fine and could keep playing.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:21 PM ^
That is hilarious!
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
Michael Proppe has been destroying DB on Twitter.
Anyone still supporting DB is out of their mind. Keeping him around will kill Football completely and will also kill the rest of the department. Football is paying the bills. And no coach worth a damn will come and work for him.
I get that the athletes from the other sports not named Football and MBB like DB because he's giving all sports nice new facilities, but if he stays, everything is done.
I mean, it's not like a new AD would stop the building projects. They're already set to go, pretty much. Maybe a new AD will even stop Ferry Field from becoming a parking lot like DB wants it to become.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:59 PM ^
I'll throw my two cents in. I'm not sure if spending 10s and 100s of millions on non-revenue sport facilities is the way to go right now. With the recent court decisions and Title IX implications, the college sports landscape could look very different soon. Michigan might have a few club sports playing in multi-million dollar facilities. There might be far fewer "varsity athletes" benefiting from the $140 million dollar South Campus project.
And where is the investment in the football program? Michigan won't spend an extra $200,000K to bring a Jeff Casteel but will spend millions on a field hockey stadium. Makes a whole lot of sense. Sacrifice the football program by being cheap yet spend frivolously on sports that don't add anything to the school.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:20 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:00 PM ^
RichRod's first DC here was Scott Shafer, who compares pretty favorably to Casteel. Unfortunately, he didn't allow Shafer to run what he wanted.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:43 PM ^
Assuming that Casteel fielded a competent defense(I still doubt that a 3-3-5 would have worked here) RR also had an horrendous special teams unit. Oh and his offense failed to beat any defense with speed and power.
RR failed here. Get over it. He was not a good fit for UM regardless of the shitty treatment of him by supposed "Michigan Men".
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:07 PM ^
Why not? Jeff Casteel's record as a DC is just as good as Greg Mattison's record. Last year, Arizona finished above Michigan in just about every major category other than total defense which is skewed by their offense.
Also, his offenses were always run by a first year QB, but the last one was the best and showed tons of potential and there's no reason to think it wouldn't have gotten better with Denard developing in it. I see you comment on this all the time, but never acknowledge the fact that he had 0 games where he started anyone who wasn't a freshman or sophomore at the most important spot on the team.
Basically, that 2011 team was buit to be good by RR with a decent DC. Jeff Casteel is more than that. Luckily for Brady Hoke, he got to take over with the DC of his choice, because - get this - he had the full support of the AD, which he has enjoyed and used to crater the program.
I'm also sick of people thinking that "things don't work in the Big Ten". The Big Ten sucks and gets destroyed by every conference every year.
But I do agree, that RR did not do enough to keep his job. Which is sad, because had he done so, we would be very good right now.
October 2nd, 2014 at 9:20 PM ^
Your last sentence seems to be mostly wishful thinking. Any chance to be "very good" was highly likely derailed by RR's inability to recruit to the offensive line. Yes, even the spread option needs offensive linesmen. RichRod failed there as badly as he failed on the defensive side of the ball.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:57 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:01 PM ^
Hoke is paid the seventh highest salary nationally, Mattison is the fourth highest paid assistant, Nuss is number six nationally and Michigan as a whole is spending the fourteenth most nationally on a football staff.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
While it's the medical staff's job to quickly diagnose the injury, it's the coach staff's job to make sure they get diagnosed when they need help to stand up straight after taking a hit to the head and not let them play until they are diagnosed. Which leads back to Hoke again.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:23 PM ^
Morris was with Paul Schmidt, the head trainer, while Gardner was on the field. Paul Schmidt released Morris to go onto the field and take the snap for Gardner. Again, that would be Paul Schmidt the head trainer.
As for the diagnosis, though it is has been stated the neurologist attempted to examine Morris prior to his reentry into the game, he never examined Morris after he returned to the sideline. Why not? Are you seriously suggesting Hoke prevented this unknown nameless neurologist from examining Morris?
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:36 PM ^
Why didn't Hoke, as the head coach, make sure he did it?
October 2nd, 2014 at 7:50 PM ^
If the head coach has to directly oversee that our sideline procedures really are fucked up.
October 2nd, 2014 at 8:34 PM ^
I think it is pretty obvious to all that our sideline procedures really are fucked up. The sideline procedures cleared a player to play who everyone in the stands knew had been hit in the head and was barely able to stand. And that's the big fuck up. We don't even have to mention the 10 men punt teams, perpetual clock mismanagemnt, numerous delay of game penalties, and inability to have any tempo to the offense. So, clearly the sidelines procedures and the people running them are all fucked up.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:36 PM ^
The team neurologist is Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, and from everything I've ever seen he's a big deal in the field. He's head of the NeuroSports program at M and was the neurologist Team USA took to Sochi. I do think the medical staff messed up somewhere along the line here and I think that's pretty obvious.
But, and it's a big but (lol), Brandon gave every headline writer in the country a prewritten story about lack of accountability at Michigan when he had several other easy options that would make it appear as if someone in the AD were taking some sort of responsibility for an incident that happened at a Michigan athletic event.
October 2nd, 2014 at 8:04 PM ^
I have a really crazy idea, maybe even a novel idea, a real ground breaker. How about we push for a full review and investigation that reveals the detailed truth about exactly what happened. One that reveals exactly who if anyone dropped the ball, assign accountability and determine how best to fix the problems so that it can't happen again, and NOT worry about who gets hung out to dry in the process? Be it Hoke, the trainers, the coachings staff, the AD for putting a flawed structure in place, the medical staff whom ever, just let the chips fall where they may.
Just sayin...
October 2nd, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
...if instead of hanging people out to dry, it was specifically targeted not at who was to blame but at what went wrong, so it can be fixed. There doesn't need to be a public hanging at all. "We've reassessed our concussion protocols" or "We've made some changes to our sideline procedures so it won't ever be possible for a player to be sent into a game before he's been cleared" or "We have a procedure in place now to assure that any player that's suspected of a concussion gets assessed by a neurologist before he's cleared" or whatever an investigation turns up. Procedures, not names. Most of the people involved here don't even report through Brandon; it's not his place to talk about them anyway.
It won't happen again. End of story.
The only reason I can see for a hanging is if someone willfully defied a decision of the medical staff and knowingly sent a player out that wasn't cleared to play. There's not, at present, any reason to think that happened.
It's a little late for "we fucked up" humility now I suppose. But if they'd taken this tack Saturday night--even if at that point it was just "we're looking into exactly what happened; we're not going to let that ever happen again"--this would have blown over by now.
October 2nd, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^
I said there were plenty of easy ways to not give every reporter looking for blood the headline they want.
Brandon more or less wrote a negative story when he could have said a million other, less gas to fire things. That's the issue I have, not that the story wasn't spun to hang someone out to dry other than Hoke.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^
You could see Dave was lining the doctors up for the firing squad earlier this week.
Dave Brandon is a fucking asshole. I will never support the U of M again as long as he is in charge.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^
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October 2nd, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^
If I were a trainer, I would be so incredibly pissed at getting thrown under the bus for this. During the next several games, I would pull players off constantly at the slightly hint of injury.
I mean seriously, fuck these clowns. They make me so angry.
October 2nd, 2014 at 6:25 PM ^
are the ones that released Morris to play. They are the medical experts, shouldn't they be held accountable for their medical decisions?