Why opposing fans hate RR so much

Submitted by DesHow21 on

I think I finally have insight into the irrational hatred for RR from opposing fans. Sat next to a guy from OSU on a flight yesterday. As soon as he found out I went to Michigan he started ranting about RR, so I got a little pissed and asked him why the hell does he care so much what RR is apparently "doing" to UM and here was his answer:

RR, by getting Michigan to "crap itself" so often, has taken all the fun and prestige out of kicking our assess. Apparently when he gets grief from Sec fans about how they suck can no longer say things like "well we OWN Michigan" because that would be like saying "Florida OWNS FIU". He felt that they at least had the class during the Cooper days to be a good team so that Michigan could hold its head up high and say "We OWN OSU".

I personally think he was full of crap, but if he indeed feels this way, I can't say I blame him.

I responded to him saying they weren't being robbed of any prestige by our sucktitude but by their inability to get it up for the big game. So they should shut the fuck up, and beat Florida (like we did!!) if they want the " SEC is GRRRREAAATTT" meme to stop.

His Dudeness

November 19th, 2009 at 8:38 AM ^

We have been awful for 2 seasons.

2/40 = 5%

We have been "FIU" for 5% of the last 40 years.

2008 was soooo long ago, you know, when we beat the shit out of Tebow and the Florida Gators. I need a fucking drink.

willywill9

November 19th, 2009 at 8:40 AM ^

I responded to him saying they weren't being robbed of any prestige by our sucktitude but by their inability to get it up for the big game.

That must have been an awkward flight after that comment. I agree though, they should get off their high horses. Our time will come.

jblaze

November 19th, 2009 at 8:55 AM ^

to be great. In the back of everyone's mind is the question of what happens when that WVU spread O gets the Top 10 talent every year? What happens when they also get a decent to good Defense?

Obviously, he has not achieved this at Michigan, yet and may never even get the chance. However, the answer to that question scares the hell out of opposing fans.

It's different that Miles, Meyer, and Harbaugh because OSU can always recruit with us, and Tressel is good enough to win ~1/2 of the games against a hypothetical Michigan with any elite coach. I don't think he stood a shot against WVU in 2006/ 2007, and certainly has no chance against a hypothetical Michigan team comprised of 4 Top 10 recruiting classes.

Shalom Lansky

November 19th, 2009 at 9:13 AM ^

Not so sure they HATE Rich Rod but with all the negative press around he makes for an easy target. How many practice jokes have you heard? I've heard plenty, none of them are particularly creative or potent but they are easy and Buckeye fans are too dumb or uninformed to come up with anything else.

I don't buy that anyone is scared of Rich Rod. From what Michigan has shown under Rich Rod, B10 opponents have no reason to be scared of Rich Rod. For instance, PSU lost 9 straight to Michigan, then Rich Rod comes in and they blow out Michigan twice; I don't think that instills fear. The only people scared of Rich Rodriguez right now are Michigan fans. I sincerely hope this changes and soon.

A rising Michigan program will strike fear, let's start with terrifying the Buckeyes on Saturday.

jblaze

November 19th, 2009 at 9:27 AM ^

that people are scared of RR now, but of the potential of RR at Michigan, if he can fully install his system.

No team in the country is currently afraid of Michigan or RR, but I'd bet that they are worried about 2-3 years from now, if he can get WVU-like execution, but with a 4 Top 10 classes.

Blue in Yarmouth

November 19th, 2009 at 9:42 AM ^

I really like RR and think he can (and will) do well given the chance here. I am just not sure that any opposing coach or fan is trembling at the prospects of the future contests with UM.

Many of our OWN fans don't even have the foresight to stand by RR and see what the future holds, so how can anyone say opposing fans and coaches see it, and are scared shitless of it? Just my e-pinion.

ijohnb

November 19th, 2009 at 10:19 AM ^

from other Big Ten teams comes from Rodriquez's seeming disinterest or lack of focus on the traditional "big" Big Ten games. This is not a slap at RR, but I must admit his interest in Michigan rival games appears a little (a lot) contrived, and I think it is due to the fact that Rodriguez may view his long term success at Michigan not in terms of winning those "big" games, but making those games only minor bumps in the road to something bigger. Imagine a new Duke implying, by act or ommission, that he is not really worred about North Carolina-bigger fish to fry type of deal. Whether Rodriguez's vision is possible remains to be seen, but I don't think that fans of opposing teams are scared of Rodriguez, they just don't like the fact that he appears to not really give a shit about them.

mgomistercheezle

November 19th, 2009 at 9:03 AM ^

The OSU guy has a point though. As much as I dislike OSU, ND, MSU, etc., you want to see them succeed (except when they play M). It makes beating sweeter, and makes M's SOS look better. It's kinda like the saying "To see what kind of person you are, look at who you associate with." If the roles were reversed--would you rather beat a shitty OSU squad or a moderate to good OSU squad...? On the other hand, I don't doubt that the guy you sat next to was a tool.

Don

November 19th, 2009 at 9:38 AM ^

hates RR or is "afraid" of what he might do at Michigan. Fans, everywhere, are predominantly "what have you done lately" in nature, and RR's past record at WVU is a dim memory for most fans (who aren't WVU partisans). All they look at is what he's done at Michigan so far, and so far it doesn't look good.

Far from hating him, most Big Ten fans would like to see RR stick around for a long time. Certainly MSU, PSU, Illinois, and OSU fans would be very happy to see him in Ann Arbor until he retires, since their teams have had their way with Michigan in his brief tenure. Only if we start beating them regularly will they start hating RR.

The only fan base that really hates RR is about one-half of the Michigan fan base.

jiacona1981

November 19th, 2009 at 9:38 AM ^

i dont know why everyone is all over RR. Our "built" program a couple years ago couldnt beat OSU, and we got pounded in the rose bowl by USC in 06 when we were ranked number 2.

RR came into the program with almost no great talent. He looks to have another solid draft class coming in. Also, some of his earlier recruits are still red shirted. Give him some time...

bluebyyou

November 19th, 2009 at 10:15 AM ^

I live near Columbus (not really sure what I did to deserve that). What was initially played up with great frequency are all the issues that surrounded the hiring. Every day there was another story about WVU hating RichRod, the suit, depositions, settlement etc. All of this was well covered by the local newspapers,ESPN, etc. Then Freep stuck their two cents into the mix and got the NCAA thing started, which again was well covered in the Columbus area.

So what they see are lots of issues surrounding RichRod, and don't have the brains to realize much of what transpired was not of RichRod's making. Winning, as we saw when we were 4-0 in September, cured most of these ills.

For what it is worth, most of our friends who are OSU grads are very different than the other neanderthals (the ones with large heads and beer bellies) who support OSU. Michigan's lack of success over the last two years does take some of the luster off the game and most of the OSU grads recognize that fact.

GOBLUE4EVR

November 19th, 2009 at 10:49 AM ^

OSU fans worrying more about the RR hiring then anything else. i use to run into a OSU fan at work every now and then and every time he had a different story for me of all of the bad things that RR did while at WVU. and i would just stand there and nod and smile, because i really didn't want to get into a argument at work with a guy i really didn't know.

Section 1

November 19th, 2009 at 10:40 AM ^

That kind of OSU fan would dislike us if we won too much, or too little, or in between. That kind of OSU fan would hate us if we recruited all of our players from Ohio, or Michigan, or Florida, or Bosnia, or Antarctica. That kind of OSU fan would hate us if our coach were Bo Schembechler, or Bud Wilkinson, or Barry Switzer.

Most importantly, right now, that kind of fan (and it could be an OSU fan or an MSU fan, or anybody else) is seizing on the piles of terribly unfair and unfavorable press aimed at assaulting Michigan and Rich Rodriguez. This kind of press negativity is unprecedented at Michigan, and of course it has much more to do with an increasingly panic-stricken Detroit media market, needing to feed off a profitable Michigan "scandal." (Michigan being one of the few premier institutions in Southeast Michigan with an actual future.)

Section 1

November 19th, 2009 at 10:52 AM ^

My condemnation as outlined above isn't so much aimed at OSU as an institution or as a football program; God knows, Jim Tressel and many Columbus-area media folks are a helluva lot more circumspect on the subjects of Michigan and Rich Rodriguez than is the local media.

I expect that there are many, many of the most loyal Buckeye fans who can relate to the struggles of this new coaching regime at Michigan better than we can, given their histories with Earl Bruce and John Cooper. The situations aren't directly parallel, but at least the understanding is there.

And yeah, I saw the recent Earl Bruce interview, where he said he wanted the Buckeyes to beat Michigan, this, every year, forever and ever, and if Michigan coaches get fired for that, that's just fine. Would anybody expect Lloyd Carr or (former OSU player and coach) Gary Moeller to say anything different?

I think there'd be a very different answer from Earl Bruce as to this question: "Coach Bruce, there is a lot of questioning of the media in the state of Michigan over their attacks on Rich Rodriguez; is that something that you can relate to with some sympathy for Rich, and some outrage of your own, based on your experience?"

Wouldn't that have been a great question for Earl Bruce?