RR: "We lost to Michigan State, what, you wanna hang me off the building now? "

Submitted by BKFinest on

There's more:

               "I mean, there might be a few people who want to do that, but that's the same  people that probably wanted to do that after the first five games too, they just weren't saying it publicly."

I love this fire out of RR. A me against the world type of attitude. He's going to do his thing no matter what his detractors say or do to him. As well he should. He likely has Dave Brandon's full support and will continue implementing his system now and for the foreseeable future. It's good to see this confidence in a coach, as it not only helps keep the current players focused, but can only keep recruits coming our way. We got your back Rich. Keep doing your thing. The best is clearly yet to come.

Blue in Yarmouth

October 12th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^

Do you honestly think that because some fans can't get over the fact that we lost to MSU and complain and groan about for days means that the team isn't focused?

"I would rather the team get over the State game by now and focus on beating Iowa and getting bowl eligible at home and against a darn good football team."

I see quotes like this all the time on this blog and laugh because they are responding to  posts on the blog, yet they conclude that the team must be equally focused (or unfocused as it were) on the same things we are discussing.  

Either that, or they really think that what we do and say on this blog really impacts the team. Either way it is kind of silly.

Now say this after me.......WHAT I THINK, SAY AND DO HAS NO EFFECT ON HOW THE WOLVERINES PLAY ON SATURDAYS!!!!!

Dave

October 11th, 2010 at 5:11 PM ^

Dear Coach Rodriguez,

Thank you for your kind offer of auto-asphyxiation (non-erotic) after this most recent loss to our friends in the North.  It should be noted, however, that Michigan-style atonement requires a full display of traditional seppuku or hara-kiri.  Dressed in ceremonial all-white funeral robes you will kneel atop a snow-white tatami mat, itself covered with crushed red velvet.  After you profess your shame – which will haunt your descendants unto eternity – David Brandon will offer you a nod, which you should take as a “go-ahead” signal.  Kindly unsheathe your short sword and plunge it into your lower abdomen.  Please cut across and then upwards before major shock sets in.  Once you have completed this exercise, the officially-appointed kaishaku (most likely Lloyd Carr, though we’ve been hearing good things about Gary Moeller) will provide you with the supreme honor of decapitation. 

In the alternative, please start winning some of these games.

Very truly yours, etc.

blueblueblue

October 11th, 2010 at 5:14 PM ^

  • ""I mean, there might be a few people who want to do that, but that's the same  people that probably wanted to do that after the first five games too, they just weren't saying it publicly."

Well, this does nothing to restore my confidence.  It seems like he still doesn't understand the rivalry. 

And he's wrong, the same people who might want to hang him off a building now are not entirely the same who wanted to after the first five games. He is converting some. And his failure to appreciate that is troubling. 

I wish he had said,

  • "Yes, losing to MSU is tough. But we are building something here, and its just not ready yet, it's just not there yet. I'll tell you what - if next year we perform the same we did this year, you can hang me off a building"

rb4kb8

October 11th, 2010 at 5:19 PM ^

Dude is frustrated... he went off a bit... so what..

I love the non-coach speak... but the MSM gets so carried away waiting to pounce.. it disappears...(I'm a member of the MSM).

I'd be frustrated too if I won all the games I was supposed to win... and brought in recruits who left the program or got hurt... what can he do?...  Yes some will say recruit better... some will say recruit better kids with better shots of getting into UM..

For the school and fans..that's fine.. but this is the dude's job and life.. he's gotta win.. taking a shot on a kid like Dorsey is what he needs to do to survive in this game... especially here where nobody gave him a shot from the beggining.... it's frustrating...

People are looking for ways to kill this guy and I'm sick of it... lets support the man and help him get the job done.. not deter.

MGoCards

October 12th, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^

I think he gets that losing to the Juggalos down the street should sting as a loss. But there's no reason that it should be regarded as some kind of dark cloud over an otherwise successful season in progress. Win nine games this year and I don't care about MSU (especially if OSU goes down).  As far as I'm concerned, as long as team is otherwise successful, a single loss to any team stings but it should not affect RR's job security. 

M-Wolverine

October 12th, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^

I don't care about MSU if we beat OSU.  Well, yeah, sure. Mighty big IF, but I think 99.9% of the fanbase is down with that.  Problem is, the MSU game was a whole hell of a lot easier to win. It's not a single loss to a team, because yes, if the team goes 11-1, wow, who cares about State?  But the idea that there will be more losses, because, we all realize this isn't a National Championship squad, and it'd be nice to beat some good teams as well as bad, and maybe good rivals. Because it may satisfy for this year, but regularly going 6-2 in the Big Ten but losing to MSU and OSU doesn't generally sound so hot.

genericmichiganfan

October 11th, 2010 at 5:21 PM ^

Don't wanna hang him off a building, but it would be nice if he started 1) winning some Big Ten games, and 2) beating in-conference rivals. Not a fan of this quote one bit. Sure there are people out there that hate him (i.e. haters gonna hate) and nothing is going to change that. However, there are people that want and want to like him, but games like we saw Saturday make that awful difficult.

And I agree with those who say he doesn't seem to understand the importance of the rivalry. If MSU loses to us, Dantonio would probably want to hang himself off a building. Rodriguez does seem to treat it like any other game, and that's a mistake with the way this rivalry is now.

blueloosh

October 11th, 2010 at 5:34 PM ^

You misunderstood the joke.  The thrust of the joke is not "we lost to MSU, big deal."  The joke is "we lost to our rival, am I going to be executed?"  The joke conveys the opposite of not thinking the game is a big deal.

Do you think we've beaten ND twice now because RR "gets" that rivalry better than MSU?  I honestly find it hard to put myself inside the brain of a "he doesn't understand the rivalry" person.

Do you want an MSU clock in our weight room?  Would that do it?

MGoCards

October 12th, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^

I honestly find it hard to put myself inside the brain of a "he doesn't understand the rivalry" person.

 

The more such people talk, I notice that "understanding the rivalry" means throwing out meaningless platitudes about its importance, whether or not such platitudes are at all relevant to the discussion at hand. It also means ostentatious gimmicks like the one you suggest. I think they really would prefer that there's a little countdown clock in the locker room for MSU or OSU (incidentally, I think those that care more about the ND rivalry than the MSU rivalry tend to fall on the side against such gimmicks).  An analogue to "understand the rivalry" types are those who vote for the politician who most fits their idea of a drinking buddy than for his or her record or beliefs. The goddamn rivalry's important — to us, to the players, and to the coach who's trying to keep his job and cement a spot in that rivalry's legacy. We don't need a bunch of stilted lip service, self-flagellating histrionics, or stupid gimmicks to know that the coach wants to win football games. He "gets" it. Everybody does.

Don

October 11th, 2010 at 5:25 PM ^

I understand what he was trying to express, but it will be portrayed in the media as indicating he doesn't "get" the MSU rivalry.

Brandon_L

October 11th, 2010 at 5:26 PM ^

ALL SHUT THE FU@% UP AND LET THE SEASON PLAY ITS SELF OUT!!!! WE WILL BEAT IOWA THIS WEEK. LETS GET BEHIND THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM.

 

GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ToledoBlue

October 12th, 2010 at 7:06 AM ^

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT!

 Seriously though I don't know what you would rather him do? I'm pretty sure the "he still doesn't get the rivalry" is over played. He gets millions to coach a sport in which he is to win every game. I'm sure he gets it. I'd gladly take the acknowledgement that people still don't back him but he has a job to do to prove them all wrong. That some want him fired for dropping 3 to MSU. Screw them he's looking on to Iowa now and to rebuilding the D and getting to a bowl. Thats what I want in my coach.

SFBlue

October 11th, 2010 at 5:26 PM ^

I suspect that the criticism gets to him.  It got to Lloyd too, and his response was to be cantankerous.  I like this approach better, but the best approach is to ignore the barking dog. 

If you told me in August Michigan would start 5-1, I would have been thrilled.  Any expectation beyond that was not reasonable. 

Wendyk5

October 11th, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^

If you only got 3 hours of sleep a night, and then lost to MSU the way we did, you'd be pretty fucking irritated, too, and say some stuff that you might regret later. IMHE, I don't hear him not taking the rivalry seriously; I just hear defensiveness. 

 

Nosce Te Ipsum

October 11th, 2010 at 5:43 PM ^

He obviously doesn't know how to handle the media. Couple this quote with the one telling Michigan fans that they need to get a life and it's very very bad. He's not doing himself any favors.

U Fer M

October 11th, 2010 at 6:24 PM ^

Big RR supporter here, and want to see his system succeed. Even I have to admit, he's seemed to stacked the offense recruit-wise, whilst...yes, I used the word "whilst"....neglecting the D. Or if not neglecting, they have been back burner compared to the offense. Maybe because of the nature of the offense, he needs to be stacked with running backs and receivers, but geez, throw us a LB or two or three. I'd give my left hooha for another Lamar Woodley, and I think most M fans feel the same.

Here's to outscoring people, which we will have to do. Love Denard, he just had a bad game on Saturday, it happens, if the Offense gets back in gear and plays like it is capable, I think M can beat Iowa....Go Blue!!

NateVolk

October 11th, 2010 at 6:48 PM ^

The fact that he is vanilla publicly about certain opponents doesn't mean he isn't emphasizing  MSU or Ohio State in private with the team.

Him over emphasizing MSU could have lead Denard to grip the ball too hard and miss those throws for all we really know.

My issue with this team as it relates to the staff is the lousy tackling. I talk to guys who played the game as high school stars or in college. There hasn't been one that didn't answer "coaching" when asked the question "What causes a team to be noticably poor at tackling?"

Rodriguez was a safety and pretty good one in college. He's coached good defensive teams. He sees these deficiencies.  This offense has corrected from 08 to most everyone's liking. A guy who can lead that sort of leap in progress, can be relied on to address problems and make them strengths. 

5-1 at the turn with more paybacks to inflict. This is a pissed off and very determined group of guys. Losing hurts them and they hate it. That's good for some more suprises.

jmblue

October 11th, 2010 at 7:38 PM ^

The fact that he is vanilla publicly about certain opponents doesn't mean he isn't emphasizing  MSU or Ohio State in private with the team.

Bingo.  You'd think more people would realize this.  I've never understood why fans scrutinize everything a coach says in a press conference, looking for hidden meaning. 

blueblueblue

October 12th, 2010 at 9:31 AM ^

This is true, but at the same time what a coach says to the public is often meant for the team. This is true in all major sports. Making a public statement about how important it is to beat a rivalry (in that season or in the next) speaks volumes to the team. For example, didn't you hear some of the MSU players comment on how Dantonio's reaction to Mike Hart's comments bolstered how they felt about their coach and about beating UM?

Gino

October 11th, 2010 at 7:01 PM ^

I also love his candor and his moxie, however I do wish that he cared alot less of the few "miserables", his haters, that he mentions far too much.  quite frankly, he should not care anywhere near the level he does.

zippy476

October 11th, 2010 at 7:11 PM ^

I don't want to hang him, I want him to open the playbook up though. This offense is just so much more conservative then what he ran at WVU. I mean I think its time for the option, come back screens, HB screens, WR motion runs (we see it from time to time) ect....

RR just seems a lot more pass happy here then at WVU. I get the lack of great backs is hurting him but......