bj dickey

November 18th, 2014 at 8:08 AM ^

We're gonna make the list, no,doubt. But he's pretty off on the order, if he intended to rank them: 1. UNC 2. FSU 3. UM 4. UF 5. ND TTU might be the worst, but they are irrelevant.

Joined: 10/03/2014

MGoPoints: 1416

jackw8542

November 18th, 2014 at 8:54 AM ^

We have a football coaching problem that can and will be addressed, and we need a new AD.  Apart from that, everything remains great about the University of Michigan, including all the other sports.  While I feel bad about the Frank Clark incident, both for him and his victims, it was handled properly. 

On the other hand, FSU has more issues than you can shake a stick at, UNC has a very serious academic scandal and ND has what appears to be an academic scandal.  Those are things that may rise to the level of dumpster fire.  All of them show a lack of institutional integrity.  We do not have those kinds of problems.

Pat Forde is a jerk.  Who cares what he says?

Joined: 10/30/2010

MGoPoints: 4265

bj dickey

November 18th, 2014 at 10:04 AM ^

You are not wrong.  When I say we make the list, what I am referring to is the public perception based on all that has happened this year, and the transition from Carr to RR to Hoke, the AD, etc.  I'm not even giving the credit for Frank Clark, cuz, yeah, that can happen anywhere, and it was dealt with appropriately.

I rank us ahead of UF due to the AD situation, not the football coaching situation. 

And, for the record, I'd much rather have Brady than the clown in South Bend. 

Joined: 10/03/2014

MGoPoints: 1416

blueinbelfast

November 18th, 2014 at 11:46 AM ^

The UNC scandal goes to the very heart of what a university's mission is supposed to be.  Even if we all know how utterly compromised college sports are, for the university to essentially sanction a system that permitted students (remember, it wasn't even only athletes) to get credit (and frequently high grades) for classes that only existed on paper is a full frontal assault on the very notion of student athletics in a way that threatens not only UNC, but to some degree the NCAA system in general, to the extent that it feeds into the idea that none of these kids is actually getting an education. 

The FSU situation is utterly disgusting, but it is less tied in to the core of that institution.  In fact, I would say it speaks more to the cultural rot of celebrity and star athlete worship--the Tallahassee cops don't work for FSU.

Joined: 11/28/2012

MGoPoints: 514

MGoCombs

November 18th, 2014 at 1:21 PM ^

Do you mean ND as in Notre Dame? Dropping 3 of their last 4 is a bad skid, no doubt, but two of their losses were on the road against very good teams. As I am typing this, I am beginning to realize that maybe losing the NW at home automatically makes you a dumpster fire, especially considering the way it happened. However, ND will be a pretty good team next year returning a lot of players, and despite some delusional cries from spoiled ND fans, they aren't firing their coach. I'm not defending them, but it looks like nothing serious is going to come out of this recent academic scandal (because they're ND and ALWAYS get the undeserved benefit of the doubt). They have lots of reasons to be optimistic, and still have a decent chance to finish 9-3 and go to a pretty decent bowl this season.

Joined: 08/13/2009

MGoPoints: 3849

Izzoiswashedup

November 18th, 2014 at 8:11 AM ^

lol at UNC being less of a dumpster fire. They just had a massive cheating and academic fraud scandal going back to the 90s in every sport. Concussion gate really wasn't that big of a deal. Similar things have happened at Arizona and USC in recent years. The difference is that we were losing and it was a stupid decision to put in your 2nd best qb to keep getting battered and our AD released a 1 am statement. As for Clark, players get arrested at every college every year. We need to get rid of Brandon and Hoke and switch for Jeff Long and Harbaugh and we could recover as quickly as next year. UNC will be set back for years.

Joined: 06/07/2014

MGoPoints: -189646

ThadMattasagoblin

November 18th, 2014 at 8:17 AM ^

The vultures are circling. If we were Texas Tech, Oregon State, or even MSU having the kind of year we're having no one would care but since we are such a big name and have 3 rivals plus many others who don't like us we're worse than a UNC program that should get the death penalty if the NCAA was sane.

Joined: 08/24/2011

MGoPoints: 64159

LSAClassOf2000

November 18th, 2014 at 8:28 AM ^

The Seminoles are undefeated but widely unloved due to an endless succession of controversies that have been endured, evaded, minimized or simply ignored by the university, its athletic department, a kool-aid-chugging fan base and even the Tallahassee and campus police departments.

If nothing else, a distinction is made here and he talks about a program that, while winning, is a cultural and ethical dumpster fire. That, and I am pretty sure that the FSU faithful are freebasing Kool Aid at this point, as in literally putting the mix in the spoon and just inhaling deeply - it's the only explanation for the blind devotion. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130669

flashOverride

November 18th, 2014 at 8:36 AM ^

Michigan has a problem that will be ending in about two weeks, unlike North Carolina. 

If Michigan gets Harbaugh (and yes, I acknowledge the size of that "If"), Forde will be among the first to wax poetic about the inevitable return to glory. These guys go whichever way the wind blows, and simply try to look more "profound" while regurgitating what everyone else is already saying. 

Joined: 08/04/2013

MGoPoints: 9070

Simps

November 18th, 2014 at 8:30 AM ^

I didn't need a shitty journalist to tell me that the team isn't any good, however I don't agree at all that it's a dumpster fire on par with FSU or UNC. Things haven't been great, but we aren't in the middle of a huge scandal, and Hoke did the right thing with Clark. Pat Forde has always been a self-important assclown. If people want to dismiss guys like Gregg Henson and Drew Sharp (completely understandable) then this guy should be in that same boat.

Joined: 08/11/2012

MGoPoints: 2071

Bill in Birmingham

November 18th, 2014 at 9:29 AM ^

You know, I completely agree with your assessment of Forde and the Sharp comparison is spot on IMO. And your analysis of the FSU/UNC situations as a basis of comparison are also right. However, in this case, I think this piece is a fair description of the issues facing the program right now. Just because a writer writes one reasonable piece doesn't change the fact that he is a Grade A asshat.

Joined: 08/30/2008

MGoPoints: 7179

Simps

November 18th, 2014 at 9:35 AM ^

I can agree with that. It is just a bit disturbing to me to see Michigan get lumped in with true atrocities like FSU/UNC. If you want to compare Michigan's situation to Florida's then sure, we probably are worse off given all that has happened (concussiongate, Brandon, PR mishaps) but to compare Michigan to an institution that turned a blind eye to athletes taking bogus classes to maintain eligibility, that seems like a stretch. It just pisses me off that the two are even in the same article.

Joined: 08/11/2012

MGoPoints: 2071

GoBLUinTX

November 18th, 2014 at 9:16 AM ^

He first circled Denny Crum like a vulture and then when Denny wouldn't go quickly and quietly enough for his "journalistic needs", he morphed into a Chicken Hawk and ceaselessly attacked him until he succumbed to pressure?

Forde has no special insight, he's Captain Obvious with a mean streak.

Joined: 12/02/2013

MGoPoints: 5895

AMazinBlue

November 18th, 2014 at 9:03 AM ^

certainly qualifies.  To be ranked number one, might be reaching.  I think Forde is somewhat of a self-important blowhard, but who in today's opinion over news 'journalism' isn't?

Michigan gets ranked number one because of the qualifty of the program and  univeristy over its vast histtory and its tradition as a program that is usually far-removed from the negative spot light.

But, in this season crisis, mis-steps, mis-speaks, dumbass moves by the former AD and a coach that has self-admittedly been not fully aware, the combination of being a crapfest on the field enough off the field issues to make Bo roll over in his grave, Forde is generally correct.

Based on the group of five that he lists, we are more likely third rather than first, not sure how the UNC mess doesn't garner a higher ranking, but whatever.  No matter how you look at it, Michigan is a dumpster fire right now and the only thing that can put it out is hiring the right AD and JIm Harbaugh as the coach.  It would get the media to leave us alone and those two men, will put the house in order, get the program on the right track and return this program and family back to the unified stronghold that it was as the winningest college football program in the nation.

If the weather is bad Saturday, the negatives might continue as there could be a lot of empty seats for senior day. That wouldn't help.

Joined: 10/12/2008

MGoPoints: 7197

gustave ferbert

November 18th, 2014 at 9:20 AM ^

aren't one win away from being bowl eligible.

I didn't read the article because I agree with Mgobrewmom, I'm not giving him my click.  I'm saving that for paper and Kim Kardashian . . .

Joined: 06/21/2011

MGoPoints: 46394

skegemogpoint

November 18th, 2014 at 9:22 AM ^

it's worth noting that Pat Forde was once the top Sports journalist at Louisville's Courier-Journal but was unceremoniously suspended then fired from that newspaper for ethics violations.  He has never recovered and likely will not.  He is now one of many internet gurus at yahoo sports.  Wouldn't place much emphasis on his opinion.  Hardly anyone is looking... 

Joined: 07/08/2008

MGoPoints: 503

youn2948

November 18th, 2014 at 9:57 AM ^

AA doesn't smell like trash 24x7.

There is an actual dumpster(landfill) fire going on in STL(Bridgeton) for a few years, it smells awful driving through that part of town and some people have evacuated their homes.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/state-says-bridgeton-landfill-owner-must-do-more-contain-fires-spread

The good news is that the fire has been headed towards radioactive waste, however this has barely been publisized.  Now this should be newsworthy.

So in comparison Michigan Football is not a dumpster fire.

*drops mic*

Joined: 05/28/2010

MGoPoints: 4192