Second occurance of former players calling fans "muggles"
The short version of the comments from said former players were that people not involved with the program created a mob to oust Brandon in order to "feel better about themselves emotionally". The follow up comment clarified "people not involved" to mean "muggles". Then another former player followed up and said "muggles...smh".
I don't know if it's just me, but this is really disappointing stuff to see. I know as an Alum and fan, this alienates me to an extent. I could be wrong, but I get the impression that these sentiments are shared amongst a lot of players. We want the best for our current athletes and students, so for them to express what I take as disdain for fans baffles me.
I guess I'm just looking for other peoples' take on the situation.
EDIT: to clarify, this is not in reference to the original Mealer tweet. This is a separate occurrence in which the comments were made on FB by a different player, not Elliot.
Edit 2: Title updated. I can see how this would be seen as redundant without reading the entire OP
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:53 AM ^
The fact that you can't understand that the people whose jobs you are calling for may of actually had a positive impact on these people, is shocking. It's not hard to see that Hoke is beloved. Dave Brandon probably treated the players right. This can lead to resentment from the athletes towards the people who can't help but tear Dave Brandon down for everything he has done or make fun of Brady Hoke for some petty ass shit.
And then you can't wrap your mind around the fact that the players may think your entitled while you bitch about the cost of 'unwavering support' during hard times.
Screw it, lets continue to attack other coaching staff members, current players, former players who disagree with our grand vision, and anyone else who is part of this entitled program...So tell me, who is next?
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:51 AM ^
That may be correct, but it's an imcomplete picture. Brandon's job was caretaker of the athletics department both for athletes and those who support the teams. He failed miserably in half of those duties. Hoke may be loved, but nobody with a grasp on the world of college football expects him to return. Those players adopting that attitude think their opinion should reform the entire CFB universe, which is entitlement.
Dave Brandon created the mob that ousted him. For that failure he's walking away with millions of dollars. Why does he deserve this sympathy?
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:33 PM ^
the athletic department sold any freedom it had to run a student-athlete-centric football program long ago.
There is a solution to regain that freedom. Hypothetically, the athletic department could reduce ticket prices to a level that the fans would support for this product. It only costs $37.50 per ticket to cover the cost of football operations. Then the program could be run with the football student athletes as the first priority.
But obviously, that would entail MASSIVE cuts in non-revenue sports.
The players don't like the pressure of supporting $125 tickets. But we the fans didn't put them in that position; the athletic department did.
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:54 AM ^
BAM! Spot on.
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:30 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^
Exactly.
They get a free education while the rest of us Muggles had to go to work and/or go into debt if we didn't have families wealthy enough to support us. Yeah, you can say football is "work" but most of us don't have a 100K+ live fans and likely millions of television viewers cheering us on as we sling hamburgers or deliver pizzas or worked some crappy retail job. I'd love to have had tutors and looking out for my academic performance. And if I had committed any serious crimes or whatnot, I would have been very happy to think that my status being on a team that generated millions of dollars and the athletic department would protect me from the slammer.
I went to undergraduate and post-graduate school at Michigan. I have friends and family who work for the University. I love the school and the opportunities it has provided me. I love the fact that it's a world-class public university. I love that we have a great tradition of athletics and sports and that we win, and historically we win a lot, in mostly a clean fashion. But if that's how those kids regard the rest of us "Muggles", then screw them. I'll take my alumni donations and ticket purchases and use that money for something else.
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:28 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:42 AM ^
Yep! Believe or not, they were normal kids before they got like that.
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:30 AM ^
Not sure if these were posted but what is Dileo talking about?
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:33 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:57 AM ^
The fans, obviously.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:13 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:50 AM ^
The Muggles
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:23 AM ^
I'm willing to give Dileo the benefit of the doubt and suggest he is referring to the players being the problem without calling them out directly.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:46 PM ^
that don't have any skillz with the wand.
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:30 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:45 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:39 AM ^
So who is considered a wizard or muggle? Since we're being divisive let's have some clear parameters. Is it student-athletes vs everyone, or football players and staff vs everyone else, or entire AD + athletes vs everyone? What about the band? Although it was very rewarding and fun, I took pride in playing FOR the athletes (and the fans) and supporting them. It would hurt a little if they thought of us like that. I need to know whether I should start looking to buy my owl, dammit! Should I be looking down on these filthy mudbloods or should I be blissfully unaware Hogwarts exists?
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:19 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:40 AM ^
What does that make the club sport athletes (ie men's rowing)?
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:12 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 10:25 AM ^
HALOL! Pure Gold, this comment
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:42 AM ^
Because I don't even know what a "muggle" is, nor understand its apparent significance. And I'm not really interested to Google it.
The only thing I care about right now is for a meaningful Michigan football win, which frankly I cannot even remember. Was it over 14th-ranked Notre Dame 41-30 in 2013? No, that can't be it. 21st ranked Northwestern in OT 38-31 in 2012. I really think the last significant Michigan football victory may have been over 17th ranked Nebraska in 2011.
Do you know? I just don't know. So calling me a fucking muggle why don't you.
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:53 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 4:24 AM ^
I didn't know either. Never seen any of the movies or read any of the books. I had to look up muggle. I also had to look up quidditch a couple weeks ago, and then realized I had looked it up a couple years ago as well lol.
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:01 AM ^
Not so sure how they make it work without the brooms to fly around on. And I doubt the UM Aerospace Department is devoting much research to making sticks fly.
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:57 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:30 AM ^
I don't think players generally care too much about the fans, but I also don't think fans care very much for the players, even on successful teams. It shouldn't be surprising. From the perspective of the sports fan, the players are their to satisfy a particular emotional need. From the perspective of the players, fans really don't care about them personally, have no real connection to their lives outside of athletic performance, and will typically turn on them the instant they stop playing well. That's just the nature of sports.
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:50 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:28 PM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:46 PM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^
to be exceptional people willing to give of their own time in the community and to be happy to connect with the public and fans at large during various charity functions. Now, maybe this perspective is based on limited meetings with certain folks like Marcus Ray, who used to serve as a teacher aide at Eberwhite Elemenary and befriended my son. I remember interacting with current assistant AD Brian Townsend, a former Michigan football player and pro linebacker with the Bengals, who was the former basketball head coach at Pioneer when it won its last state championship with LaVall Blanchard, who is another special Wolverine, in my book.
I have always thought there was something special being connected to the school because of these people. And so when I read some of the email comments of Dave Brandon reflecting on the character and integrity of Michigan athletes, I knew he spoke the truth and accurately about them .
I also think his beliefs were biased by this insular relationship and knowledge and that in building new facilities to improve the lives of Michigan athletes, he failed to take the same attitude in building cultural bridges with the Michigan community and fan base. And that divide is what President Schissel seemed to be addressing when he ended his press conference Friday and talked about bridging that gulf in the future. That is where we are right now --in the middle of that divide.
November 2nd, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:00 AM ^
Dave Brandon's yes man culture extended to the players.
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:19 AM ^
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November 2nd, 2014 at 1:11 AM ^
I don't understand why it bothers people so much that the athletes have a different perspective on the athletic director and athletic department than most of the fans.
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:31 AM ^
It's that players look down on fans. "Muggles" have no magical powers; i.e., are inferior.
I say, if all the players really feel that way, then let's just transform this into a real minor league for the NFL. "Muggles" will simply go to school, while the magicians will just play their sport and get paid.
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:42 AM ^
Dude, take a step back and listen to yourself. The players are referencing a children's book saying that fans have no magical powers! That isn't some shot at our core individual worth. Lighten up a bit.
November 2nd, 2014 at 4:30 AM ^
Eh. I really don't think the reference is just supposed to mean the fans aren't magical. Yes, it's a children's book but a lot of people who read that as kids are now well into adulthood. And apparently it's so popular that some of the words are common vernacular.
Anyway, the non-muggles had their way. That's how we got Hoke. Shows what they know. At this point, I trust a vote left to the muggles more than one left to all the former players. Otherwise we'll probably hire DeBord or Ferentz.
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:24 AM ^
...and read b/w the lines in how they use it. They're half-joking, but seriously elitist when they say "muggles...smh" and "muggles can hire the next AD; they know so much about it" and things of this ilk.
You're either an athlete who's trying to save face or a fan who's engaging in wishful thinking.
November 2nd, 2014 at 3:16 PM ^
The point of "muggles" in the Harry Potter universe is that most of them are blissfully unaware of the magical world.
Rowling has said she created the word "Muggle" from "mug", an English term for someone who is easily fooled. She added the "-gle" to make it sound less demeaning and more "cuddly".
The charitable reading is this: Use of the term is effectively calling the fans "ignorant outsiders."
The less charitable reading involves tacking on the added nuance that muggles are considered lesser beings by many of the magical folk.
November 2nd, 2014 at 5:22 PM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 9:42 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:18 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:18 AM ^
The sense of entitlement is apparently pervasive and laughable. Oh and the next time somebody is horror stricken at the deep emotional damage one of these precious children might face should somebody actually boo their coaches I think I'll just remind them that we "muggles" sometimes don't like what we see.
November 2nd, 2014 at 1:46 AM ^
I don't think it's entitled for athletes to want a say over who directs athletics.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:28 AM ^
These aren't perfect analogies but you get my point. To be clear I have no issue with the student-athlete wanting a voice in the selection process. My issue is they seem to not want us "muggles" to have input and I find it laughable that they see themselves apparently as wiser and more qualified to decide who should run the department than people far more intelligent, educated and experienced than they are as a group.
Remember this isn't a discussion about coaching - this is a discussion about who's more qualified to decide who should be the CEO of a nearly billion dollar "company" and the fact that 20ish ex-players think that they do absolutely screams of entitlement to me.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:11 AM ^
Here, your comment share the same distant out of touch elitist as Donald Sterling....You and your fellow Muggles are providing your players with food, and clothes, and an education...How dare they speak back.
These players aren't deciding who the athletic director is....otherwise he might still be here, so no, that isn't the discussion we are having. The muggles won't have any input either. The next AD will be picked by Schlissel. But the fact that you can't tolerate someone disagreeing with your opinion bc their below you is scary.