A lesson in teamwork from Coach Barwis and staff.
Now, since we found out pigs are flying, the fat lady is singing and korea is finally united. I have a small info piece about the importance of team from the RRod camp. This might help explain why some players leave like a bat out of hell and some absolutely love it here and come out Michigan Men, and the fact that you will not see any "me players" anytime soon at umich. During the offseason, the football team is broken down into little "squads" as some would call it. About 6 to 8 per squad and the squadmates rack up points for their squad, like going to motts on thursdays, volunteering, etc. They can also lose points for things like being late, missing study hours/class check etc. If your squad drops below a certain threshold, you get to enjoy something courtesy of Coach Barwis called "Torture Tuesday".
It starts promptly at 6am and ain't fun at all. It is a full hour and a half of conditioning. The activities may include 50 yard wheelbarrows, suicides, or my personal favorite "buddy carry" which involves you and your partner to carry each other on your backs doing laps around the football field. If you drop him too much you get another lap and this is usually the last activity,
Why did I mention this?
Well, to further solidify the new concept that is flourishing in umich football. I laughed when some former players blamed the "lack of family" for transfering and this could not be further from the truth. There are no star players, there are only teammates. No matter what your position, year, or ability, you are expected to pull your weight and help your teammates pull theirs.
So don't fret when we lose a player to transfer, or we don't get that star recruit. RRod wants teammates who will win for the block M, not people looking for a stepping stone to the NFL. There will be rough patches, but if we stay the course, we will be champions once again.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:22 PM ^
This article is why I'm still really excited for the season, this team is going to be really close knit and very hungry to go out and let everyone know the Wolverines are back starting on September 4th.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:23 PM ^
i could not carry will campbell.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^
I heard that was Tate's problem too - from an unverified source within the program ...
[This is a joke in case somebody took me seriously.]
August 19th, 2010 at 12:45 PM ^
August 19th, 2010 at 2:49 PM ^
Do tell
August 19th, 2010 at 2:15 PM ^
Dudes that wheelbarrel race together stays together. (no homo)
August 19th, 2010 at 12:26 PM ^
What's awesome, beyond the obvious team unity, is that David Brandon sees this every day. It's things like this that I want from my head coach and the rest of his staff, and if it takes one extra year to get a dynamite product on the field, so be it.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^
I was thinking the exact same thing. If Brandon is really paying attention then RR will be given time to really make it his program.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^
I'd personally be very very surprised if RRod is let go after this year. I'd say next year is the year to watch, in terms of job security.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:37 PM ^
You're incredible. Do you crap rainbows?
August 19th, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^
There are exceptions to that, but, he'd have to repeat the 2008 season to do that.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:59 PM ^
that with certain exceptions you have crapped rainbows?
August 19th, 2010 at 1:03 PM ^
Ha, no that was further clarification about if he did get fired.
Besides the only person to crap rainbows is Kim Jong-il... oh wait, he doesn't poop at all.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:05 PM ^
Don't technically count as poop, whether they come out of your butt or not.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:08 PM ^
I disagree. Anything that comes out of your butt qualifies as poop. It's science.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:13 PM ^
If you crap undigested corn, is that corn or poop?
August 19th, 2010 at 2:50 PM ^
I just answered this question. Don't push me on this one.
August 19th, 2010 at 2:53 PM ^
what if I do some power squeezing? Then will you finally come out?
August 19th, 2010 at 1:08 PM ^
hmmm if one craps rainbows, does that mean leprechauns came from someones ass? If so, it explains a lot about south bend.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:12 PM ^
You have now achieved +1 on sight status.
August 19th, 2010 at 2:25 PM ^
August 21st, 2010 at 3:37 PM ^
If this is the case, that explains the origin of the band "The Ass Leprechauns," which resided elsewhere on the internet.
I really need to get outside.
August 19th, 2010 at 2:10 PM ^
DOUBLE RAINBOWS across the sky!!
August 19th, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^
Maybe the idea came from him. Pizza not ready in 10 minutes or less? Carry your co-worker around the store 5 times.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:26 PM ^
Sounds like last Tuesday when I ate White Castle! Damn you sliders for being so good going down but so, so awful coming out!
August 19th, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^
Total ring of fire.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:38 PM ^
Is this voluntary Torture Tuesday?
Also, I am wondering if Tate's team didn't make it, and thus his team have to earn their wings in Camp ...
August 19th, 2010 at 8:52 PM ^
Sounds like yesterday, actually.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:26 PM ^
Is it weird that my first thought was Zoltan carrying Big Will around the field?
Thanks for sharing. It is off-field stuff like this that truly makes a team.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:36 PM ^
My first thought was Will Campbell atop Drew Dileo. Ouch.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:27 PM ^
August 19th, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^
Yes, it looks like it. I had no idea there was one covering it.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^
Yeah, but they didn't mention the details of Torture Tuesdays.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:28 PM ^
Thanks for the look inside.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:42 PM ^
I know this might rub some people the wrong way, but it is things like this that make me think that Coach Rod isn't all that much different than Bo was.
I think in a lot of ways we have seen over the past few years how Bo would fair in today's college football world.
With the overly intense media exposure and the treatment of high school kids as superstars, many of Bo's tactics would not have been received very well if he was coaching today.
I think Rich Rod is a good person. I think he is a good coach. I think he cares about his players and about winning the right way.
Has he made some/many mistakes during his tenure here? Yes.
Has he had a lot of things go against him that were out of his control? Absolutely.
Bottom line though, as it has been said many times on this blog, is that winning will solve all of his problems.
How do you think Nick Saban would be viewed if he was losing at Alabama? I highly doubt he would be held with such reverence as a hard nosed, but respectable coach.
In the end, RR just needs to win. I just hope he is given the full opportunity to do so.
August 19th, 2010 at 2:14 PM ^
I just wish that, like Bo, he had had a more successful start so he already had the right to scowl at the media. I am looking forward to the day when, after several excellent seasons, he can scowl the media into the ground.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^
I ALMOST missed this post.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:49 PM ^
Agreed. I think he needs his own tag, just like TomVH.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:46 PM ^
Sounds like bootcamp. And if its good enough for the Corps, then its good enough for Michigan. Future looks brighter and brighter each day.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:54 PM ^
the Marines should have their own Football team, like the rest of the service branches, but then I realized two things:
One, they're too busy kicking ass.
Two, I like it when Michigan has at least a SHOT at an MNC.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^
August 19th, 2010 at 1:34 PM ^
M vs. Navy in football, who do you root for?
August 19th, 2010 at 1:50 PM ^
Michigan - but also for Navy to show respectably
August 19th, 2010 at 5:33 PM ^
...of course. I'm an alumnus. Plus most Canoe Club grads are pompous asses (not really - I'm just supposed to say that since I'm NROTC).
I actually grew up rooting for Army against Navy because my dad was a career Army officer and I was born at West Point. Over time I've softened my dislike of the Naval Academy and now pull for them to do well.
While I was a student at Michigan, the MBB actually defeated David Robinson's USNA in the first round of the 1987 NCAA tournament 97 - 82. The Admiral had 50 in that game. He was basically unstoppable.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
Yeah but so was Garde Thompson, who had the game of his life. I forget how many 3's he hit but he ended up with around 35 points.
Garde Thompson, Gary Grant, and Antoine Joubert, now those were my boys.
August 19th, 2010 at 4:28 PM ^
Oh Snap!
August 19th, 2010 at 1:01 PM ^
The Corps instills the ultimate team concept in Marines. Coach Rod's "hold the rope" sounds like something we had ingrained in us from day one.
I still believe in our coach and this staff and when this thing gets right, the Big House is going to be the most intimidating place in America for opposing teams.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:16 AM ^
Semper Fi