Oh, dear; Mark Snyder is not happy.

Submitted by Section 1 on

From Mark Snyder's dispatch tody in the Freep (my emphasis in bold):

"Forcier 'pumped' - M quarterback Tate Forcier has not spoken to the Detroit media since last season but touched base with his hometown paper, the San Diego Union-Tribune, for his thoughts on U-M scheduling San Diego State for 2011."

"I'm super-pumped for this game," Forcier told the paper. "Honestly, San Diego State is a team right in my backyard, and they didn't show me any love or attention. (Former) coach (Chuck) Long didn't pay much attention to me, which was surprising because I showed some interest in them. So I'm really looking forward to playing them."

Oh dear, Tate; you mean you haven't spoken to the Detroit media since last season?  What a great idea!  I'd make Tate a Team Captain on that basis alone.  Pissing off Mark Snyder ought to be a team goal right behind "Winning the Big Ten Championship."

Brian

May 20th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^

This is like those bank commercials where the man in the suit screws with kids: "even children know actions have consequences."

UMdad

May 21st, 2010 at 7:27 AM ^

I am sure it is more popular with the people on this blog as opposed to an MSU or OSU blog, because we, as MIchigan fans / students / alumni, can understand all of the big words they use.

TomVH

May 20th, 2010 at 1:27 PM ^

I was told by Tate, and one of the UofM Media Relations people, that Tate isn't happy with the local media, and won't be talking to them any time soon. This was a few months ago. 

One of the many reasons was when Dave Birkett published an article about an injury that Tate had without anyone's permission, including the University and Tate. It was really only a matter of time before this stuff started to happen. 

Mitch Cumstein

May 20th, 2010 at 1:28 PM ^

I love how a local paper is reporting 2nd hand interviews of players in their coverage area in their articles.  "Well... we would have asked him this question if he would talk to us.... and he gave this other news paper this answer."  that is awesome.

MGoAndy

May 20th, 2010 at 1:31 PM ^

Yeah, good for him.  There's no reason to talk to guys who are actively looking to screw you over to save their dying industry.

The Big House

May 20th, 2010 at 1:54 PM ^

Now, is any reporter bold enough to write a story about the Detroit media's reaction to Tate's radio silence? I would love to see a reporter try to score an interview with Snyder about his thoughts/feelings on why Tate won't talk to them, and then spin the interview in a dishonest manner.

Tha Quiet Storm

May 20th, 2010 at 1:55 PM ^

what is more awesome - the fact that Tate won't talk to local media outlets that have repeatedly tried to paint him, his teammates, his coaches, and his football program in the most negative light possible, or Snyder's thinly veiled indignance.

You reap what you sow.

ontarioblue

May 20th, 2010 at 1:56 PM ^

Tate and the coaches are concerned that before talking to the media, Tate would have to practice what he was going to say and they were worried he was going to have to put in more than 20 hours of practice time.

Wes Mantooth

May 20th, 2010 at 2:11 PM ^

I know his enrollment for the fall is still up in the air, but I can't imagine Demar Dorsey will be talking to local media any time soon, either.  The way things are going, it won't take long for the entire team will be on a local media black out...

Section 1

May 20th, 2010 at 2:36 PM ^

I remember stuff like not knowing that Rick Leach was going to start as a freshman and being sort of frustrated, because I thought Mark Elzinga was a good quarterback and a really good thrower.  And there was almost no explanation.  Today's sports world would freaking go into meltdown.

But I don't remember anyone "bitching" about it.  Maybe everybody knew that bitching would do no good.  Nowadays, "bitching" is enough to start an NCAA investigation.

I'm not making any value judgments.  Fort Schembechler worked just fine for me, thank you very much.  Rich Rodriguez is 1000% more open, and I'm fine with that too.  But Rodriguez's openness makes it all the more weird and crazy that the Freepers would declare a Fatwa on his career.

A2MIKE

May 20th, 2010 at 2:37 PM ^

This reminds me of a lesson my mother taught me.... "If you don't have anything nice to say, it's better to say nothing."  

I am sure Tate is just following a simple lesson from his childhood, and obviously Snyder missed that lesson.

Tater

May 20th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^

Bring it on, but with one exception:  allow those who have been good to the program more access than those who haven't.  For example, they could pull aside Angelique, Sam Webb, John Bacon, or a certain long-haried blogger and allow them exclusive interviews while herding everyone else into bland, generic pressers.  It's obvious that the freep can't be trusted, and "Sparty Dave" Birkett isn't exactly amassing a lot of browniegopoints, either.

What really sucks is that RR gave the media exactly what they have been wishing for the last fifty years and they abused it.  Like most noble ideas, transparency was a noble experiment that was great in theory, but ruined by those on the bottom rung of the ethics ladder. 

Since the return to Fort Schembechler is already inevitable, may the names of Carty, Snyder, Roesnberg, and Birkett be forever remembered by their "peers" as the reason that the media doesn't have as much access to players and information as they used to.  I'm sure it will make them "honored guests" at media gatherings.

dahblue

May 20th, 2010 at 4:35 PM ^

Good reporting, just because the content upsets you, is still good.  There was nothing wrong with that piece and I remain bothered that our head coach would speak behind a giant "Detractors Not Allowed" sign while the new AD speaks of ending division within the program.

maizenbluenc

May 20th, 2010 at 5:07 PM ^

Birkett wrote the one much ado about nothing piece - but also co-lead the Demar hatchet job, made inappropriate comments about Demar in the live blog, and sneaks in snide remarks like the allegation about Rich not fostering a compliance environment is the most egregious allegation (when clearly it is the too many coaches allegation).

Angelique wrote the one editorial about how we don't need no stinking pep rallies, but in general writes fair and balanced news pieces.

Carty, Defrans, Rosenberg, Sharp, et al - case closed.

Blazefire

May 20th, 2010 at 9:04 PM ^

It's a necessary addition with the other volations. Unless they can prove that Rodriguez INTENTIONALLY directed people towards non-compliance, then it's more to the effect of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration telling you you didn't post rules everywhere you needed to. Yes, it's a problem, but you don't get in trouble for that. You get in trouble for the dude that got run over by the fork lift.

UMdad

May 21st, 2010 at 7:33 AM ^

Bad example.  You actually DO get in trouble for the sign postings and paperwork violations.  I think the idea is similar in both organizations.  If you make them follow all of the little rules, too, the chances of them following all of the big rules get better.

Blazefire

May 21st, 2010 at 7:38 AM ^

You really don't. OSHA comes through here all the time, and we never fix what they say, because what they say is, "Put a sign up there. Those wheel chocks are old and need to be replaced.", and we never get fined or anything. The day the chocks fail and a truck breaks from the loading dock and runs over somebody, THAT'S the day we'll get fined.

maizenbluenc

May 21st, 2010 at 9:24 AM ^

without the act, the failure to promote does not ever get alleged.

To me, this may all have been minor violation if it was simply 20 minutes of stretching being mis-interpreted / mis-communicated.

It's the QC staffers watching player lead activity and answering questions = coaching that gets us on the major violation side of things. Brian said it when this first came out - "coaches" watching, which morphed to become 5 coaches over the limit. That's what is putting us seriously at risk.