Wouldn't it be great if our fanbase let these kids know that we supported them no matter what?

Submitted by Cobalt2970 on
These kids are not paid, are playing sports we love to watch, and receive holy hell if they ever underperform. Brian's post had a comment that the worst part of The job was the vocal minority....and I agree. Michigan is an amazing state and I'd love it if we supported these kids no matter what. Harbaugh's job is to make the team a success, and holding his team accountable. If we as fans wanted to help him, it would be letting the kids know that we support them no matter what. We could start with O'korn...if we wanted to own the change we want to see for this team and not part of the people that just complain.
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JHumich

November 28th, 2017 at 3:01 AM ^

Yeah, like poop emojis, followed by heart eyes, and cake. Really mess with them!

Or maybe what would be great is if they tuned out all the noise, listened to their coaches, stuck together as teammates, and thrived off of any doubting or criticism that happened to get through.

The world is full of jerks. It doesn't excuse them to say that the maturation process includes learning how to handle them.

Joined: 02/18/2017

MGoPoints: 52820

dieseljr32

November 28th, 2017 at 10:24 AM ^

it's hard to tune out all of the noise when a meme goes around all of Michigan sports social media asking people if they'd rather have John O'Korn or Uncle Rico. Not to mention getting trolled by MSU and OSU simultaneously. You just can't tune it out nowadays. You can't even tune out Duracell batteries.

Joined: 04/19/2009

MGoPoints: 4792

MichiganForever

November 28th, 2017 at 1:11 AM ^

These "kids" get a free education at one of the top educational institutions in America. And given Michigans football pedigree if they are decent football players they will earn millions playing in the NFL. Hell, if they are smart enough to graduate theyll walk into most entry level offices in the USA Nut the hell up. John Okorn was not only bad but he was embarrassing. You kow what, we all have embarrassed ourselves before, it sucks that he did it infront of millions with millions of people counting on him, but thats what happened. Tell him good job, good effort and move on. Realize that he should never have been position to ever take a snap at a university with the pedigree of michigan and thats on previous administrations down right inability to recruit a competent QB Pardon my french, but stop being so damn soft. Carson Wentz is 1 year older than Okorn and is leading grown ass men into the field every sunday and if he fails nobody is going to hold his hand. I swear, this is what Braylon and Jackson are talking about. Country club, juice box participation trophy atmosphere. We need to start recruiting some dogs who would rather die than lose to MSU and OSU.

Joined: 03/23/2013

MGoPoints: 1522

MichiganForever

November 28th, 2017 at 1:55 AM ^

Its clear our defense has quit namely against Wisconsin and Ohio State. After Peters went down and after Okorn arm punted it to the other team Largely because no team is going to have the same emotion after constantly being sent out behind the 8 ball. Numerous mental lapses in clutch situations. I put that more down youth. However watch Metellus effort on OSUs last touchdown. Tells you everything

Joined: 03/23/2013

MGoPoints: 1522

ijohnb

November 28th, 2017 at 10:20 AM ^

score, man.  They dial up good plays and score.  Just because it looks almost impossible for us to move the ball sometimes, that is not so with other teams.  You cite the OSU game last year after the spot.  That defense had been on the field for the entire fourth quarter man.  I don't think Michigan had a first down in the fourth quarter.  That is not on the defense.  They are guys, not robots, they physically tire. 

Right now, Michigan critics are throwing out all kinds of stats to show that the defense is bad, inflated rushing numbers due to late game drives, and using phrases like "multiple score losses" to create a narrative that there this team is a long way away.  In reality, in these two late season losses that defense was Beast Mode for large stretches of the game and giving the offense field position that actually allowed them to score. 

This defense was not only charged with keeping the other team out of the endzone, but with doing so in such a suffocating way that the offense got the ball in a position to score without moving it very much.  With a lot of defenses, holding the other team to a field goal on any given drive is a "win."  It was a loss for this defense because it meant they had not flipped the field and given the offense a head start.  At the beginning of the second half against Wisconsin, the Michigan D obliterated Wisconsin and the offense got the ball around mid-fleid for 3-4 consecutive drives.  They came away with 3 fricking points.  The defense was asked to do too much, and yeah, I think in the last meaningful drives against OSU and Wisconsin they started asking "what is the point."  I think that any defense in the same situation would have.

Give this defense a competent offense, not even a great offense, but an offense that can sustain 2-3 long drives per game without the defense needing to hold their hand along the way and it would truly be the best defense in the country, and you would not see these late game lapses because they could preserve some of their physical and emotional energy for late game scenarios.  Nothing about this defense is soft.  They held OSU to negative yardage in the first quarter and manhandled them, and set the offense up with two short fields or we would have never scored to begin with.  

Word to the wise.  Stay off of sports talk radio.  They are pushing a false narrative and trying to create doubt in this fanbase.  We just outplayed a team that just beat MSU 48-3 and did so with a non-functional QB.  The QBs are coming.   Neither this team nor this program are soft, and other teams are going to find that out the hard way in short order.

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 69986

UMxWolverines

November 28th, 2017 at 8:59 AM ^

There just still seems to be an attitude problem. You still have guys like Higdon saying "we won that game last year" uhhhh no you didn't. And Peoples-Jones tweeting pictures of him getting interfered with. I get it, there were some shit calls, but for God's sake OSU had more penalties! Just shut up and go out there and be pissed off and do something about it instead of whining. And Braylon calling guys soft? His team lost 3 games every year and he acts like they won the damn national title. He's no better. Braylon and so many fans saying "If it doesn't rain we win that game". What game were you watching? They were running all over us in the first half and we had a terrible game plan to throw it 30 times. Just stop with the "refs, the rain, injured QB, whatever". Stop making excuses and go do something about it. Stop wilting in big games. We are not entitled to winning games or championships because of recruiting stars.

Joined: 03/01/2009

MGoPoints: 65295

Squash34

November 28th, 2017 at 10:03 AM ^

OSU had more penelties because they kept false starting. You can't not flag blatent procedural penelties. The fact is the announcers mentioned at least 8-10 bad calls/no calls in that game. All favored OSU. This same thing happened last year, but worse. What should they do after repeatedly getting boned by refs verse OSU? But and take it? I get that you want them to be just better and win despite it. However, you have to be ALOT better to beat a team that is getting such one side officiating for them. And stop acting like they have wilted under harbaugh in big games. They lost them this year with youth everywhere and a ton of injuries, but have beat five ten wins teams and a 9 win team the first two. They have not always wilted in big games.

Joined: 09/13/2016

MGoPoints: 3062

SpilledMilk

November 28th, 2017 at 10:28 AM ^

That went in OSU's favor. In fairness though, the refs were just incompetent too. They missed a blatant procedural penalty on us at a crucial point in the game. O'Korn failed to get the snap off on time (wasn't even close) and went on to complete a pass to mcdoom down the sideline. You probably didn't catch that because you're not looking for it. We watch the other teams for holding and pi but fail to really scrutinize our boys as well.

Joined: 10/15/2017

MGoPoints: 2895

ijohnb

November 28th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^

are confusing "making excuses" with discussing "reasons why we lost."  For me to say that we lost the game because we had an incompetent 3rd string QB is true, it is not an excuse.  The retort to that can be "well you need to develop QBs betters" and that is true.  The response to that is QB was a black hole when Harbaugh arrived here and he is trying to develop them ASAP.  People want Harbaugh to be able to go into the Urban Meyer cupboard and pull out Dwayne Haskins.  Harbaugh has not had time to develop that kind of pipeline yet.  This is seen as an "excuse."  It is not an excuse, it is a reason.

Here is the reason we lost to OSU and MSU.  OSU and MSU were better than us on those days and got it done.   This says nothing about previous days or future days.  It has nothing to do with this team being soft or not "wanting it."   They were better than us when we played them this year for certain reasons, and it is possible to discuss those reasons without using those reasons as an excuse. 

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 69986

Dayday

November 28th, 2017 at 7:52 AM ^

Truth. Our fan base is known, even in state, as wine and cheese fans. That culture breeds softness. Softness that pairs quite nicely with this creamy soft brie I'm eating right now. Couple that with a nice soothing merlot and you're ready for a nice relaxing day of football.

Joined: 02/16/2016

MGoPoints: 1536

Lakeyale13

November 28th, 2017 at 11:48 AM ^

For me, college sports is in a gray area. It isn't Little League or youth soccer, but it also isn't professional sports. Furthermore, these aren't kids playing, they are in fact men not boys. Yet, I think if one is to error, and I have done a fair bit of erroring LOL, I think it is most appropriate to support and encourage.

Joined: 11/16/2014

MGoPoints: 27090

lilpenny1316

November 28th, 2017 at 1:20 AM ^

And if you are brave enough to be on social media, you are guaranteed to deal with them. 

The players are being supported very well.  People are still buying up jerseys (even in Ohio I hear) and spending $70+ a ticket at face value.  Tens of thousands still give up their weekends to cheer them on.  

Also, Harbaugh is making about $9MM more than me every year.  He better not need our help to make the team a success, outside of showing up the Big House and screaming like crazy.

Joined: 11/19/2009

MGoPoints: 61709

TheJuiceman

November 28th, 2017 at 1:21 AM ^

He'll be fine. JOK will be loved once we look back. Kind of like an incompetent president that clearly meant well (who tf is that?lol) . He got to play in The Game, he got back at his old coach, he started a few games in the Big House, played in Jerryworld, and if I'm not mistaken, he'll leave A2 with two degrees. Buck up, all is not lost. Wouldn't be surprised to see him on the sidelines somewhere a few years from now.

Joined: 06/15/2011

MGoPoints: 1396

Yoda24

November 28th, 2017 at 1:42 AM ^

You couldn't have posted this in the O'korn thread earlier?    Not trying to be a dick but why.    Go tweet or instagram some positive things at the players if thats your thing.    I wont ever be that guy that post at them . I respect all the players for sure but they (most) are getting a free ride to play football at U of M.  We know good things are coming its just frustrating at times for all of us that donate and spend money to watch the product every year.  Hoping for a healthy/good  Newsome and Oline next year     

Joined: 11/23/2013

MGoPoints: 194

Lakeyale13

November 28th, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^

My comments don't validate anyone being a total prick to players, but one does open themselves up to a certain level of criticism when they agree to play college football at a school like Michigan...especially quarterback. Now this doesn't mean someone gets to destroy your personhood if you lose a game, but some criticism is gonna come your way. That is life and a good training for the real world.

Joined: 11/16/2014

MGoPoints: 27090

BlueMk1690

November 28th, 2017 at 2:18 AM ^

Is tricky and different for everyone. You need to find a fine balance between appreciation and praise on the one hand and challenging people to do better on the other. How this is achieved depends on the individual and I think I’ll leave that to the people who work with the ‘kids’ (they are all adults) all the time i.e. the coaches. When people sign up to Michigan football they are - or should be - aware that there’ll never be a shortage of public attention on the team. There will be 100,000 fans, there will be TV cameras, beat writers etc. It’s an experience not unlike the pros in terms of the available limelight. But there’s also the reality that your opportunity to enjoy the positive sides of that highly depends on your individual performance (Do you get playing time? Do you make plays?) and the team’s ability to win (a championship team gets more love than a mediocre team, both locally and nationally). Fans, reporters, TV analysts are not your personal friends and feel no loyalty to you as a person and you can’t expect them to - they don’t know you and their relationship to you is based on what you can do for them. Place both the adulation and criticism in that context and you’ll be fine.

Joined: 02/04/2011

MGoPoints: 12924

M Go Dead

November 28th, 2017 at 2:19 AM ^

 Support of a player is not support of a person. Reversed, JOK was not the greatest QB ever, but all off the field reports say John is a great guy. O'korns relationship with Larry prout is also amazing. 

He can then make a terrible read.

Joined: 07/23/2013

MGoPoints: 3551

bo_lives

November 28th, 2017 at 3:04 AM ^

Over 100,000 people show up every home game. Is that not enough of a show of support?

Trolling on Twitter or MGoBlog is stupid. I think criticizing the person is never called for, but criticizing the performance is just regular dialogue. O'Korn seems like a great guy but he still played terribly. There are a lot of good people in this world and perhaps O'Korn is among the very best, but he's the only one who played QB against OSU on Saturday and turned in a downright horrendous performance. The trolling is sad but there were also thousands of comments on Twitter/elsewhere showering O'Korn with good feelings. So unless you want us to throw a ticker tape parade for a team that went 8-4 and yet another senior class that went 0-4 against OSU I don't really know what you're suggesting.

If we're going to start somewhere maybe we can start with the fact that Michigan fans travel much worse than OSU.

Joined: 04/10/2011

MGoPoints: 7867