Words from our coach

Submitted by trueblue262 on

I ran across a quote from RR, thought I'd share it. I think he's speaking to all of us bloggers.

 

"Anybody who says they love Michigan and love our program yet they go out and say something really negative, just because they want to vent, you don't really love your program because that's not helping you in recruiting," Rodriguez said. "Recruiting is the lifeblood of every program. So to go out and say, I love Michigan, this is the worst, this and all that, well, you're not helping.

I'm not saying you've got to treat everything with rose-colored glasses but if you really love the program and you're all in for Michigan, you're not going to go out and bash anything about the university because it affects recruiting."

Search4Meaning

November 9th, 2010 at 8:19 PM ^

So often on this site that most posters have probably tuned me out.

But it just makes sense that as a recruit (or his family, coaches, and advisors) look into a team, they use a lot of sources.  Including MGoBlog.

So what do they see?

This doesn't mean that we all need to drink the Koolaid.

It does mean that we need to approach subjects with a little situational awareness.

AZBlue

November 9th, 2010 at 4:34 PM ^

press confernece or after the game on Saturday check MgoBlue.com

 

PS - Mods are busy today...how will I find out what is going on with Cam NewMAN or the Purdue Doomsday scenarios? (/s)

WolverineEagle

November 9th, 2010 at 4:33 PM ^

Poor coaching performance is far worse for the program than fans complaints. He should worry about that more than what fans say.I also think players are more sophisticated now. They know fans are not always rational.

Ben from SF

November 9th, 2010 at 4:41 PM ^

In addition, some smart recruits may be drawn to situations similar to the one our defense is going through.  Absence of talent and depth means early playing time, and more 1 on 1 coaching from the position coaches.

Instead of faulting fans for holding intelligence discussions regarding the state of our program, RR should be on the road building relationships with high school coaches.  The resulting deep and highly personal interactions mean a lot more to recruits than some attorney playing football critic on the internet.

aawolve

November 9th, 2010 at 4:49 PM ^

I don't see "intelligent discussion" mentioned. I don't see anything about derogatory assholes posing as fans having more of an impact than coaching. He made an accurate statement, that people like you are detrimental to the success of the program.

lilpenny1316

November 9th, 2010 at 5:24 PM ^

by assuming RR is not out there trying to build relationships with high school coaches.  That's been the problem for the last three years.  People keep assuming what our coaching staff is or is not doing.  And part of that is based on the words of the Freep talking about how Sparty is mopping up in state with recruits.

 

aawolve

November 9th, 2010 at 6:11 PM ^

Like the fellow he was agreeing with, he made a point in a dishonest way. He framed RR's comments as if he was placing the majority of blame for the team's shortcomings on bloggers having civil discourse, and as if his comments were somehow saying that this had more of an impact than him doing his job as a coach. I tend to feel good about my posititon when critics feel the need to twist things. Simpleton was the wrong word, I should have said choad smoker.

lilpenny1316

November 9th, 2010 at 5:04 PM ^

First off, the word is intelligent.  Second, go hang out at the Freep for 30 minutes any day of the week or check out mLive.  Maybe you're in the "Fire RR" camp so you may see this convo as intelligent.  Typically, it's some divisive, irrational comments about how much he sucks.  These people have been around since the day he was hired.  RR's been dealing with irrational Michigan "fans" ever since the "He's not a 'Michigan man'" crap.

And if you think RR and his coaches aren't out there, then you're not paying attention.  This isn't Brian Ellerbe blowing off DPS.  So do not compare the two.

Oh and if you think recruits don't follow these blog sites, check out Arnett's twitter feed.  Why is he calling out the Mgoblogosphere last week/weekend over his tweets joking about being in Boise?

coldnjl

November 9th, 2010 at 5:42 PM ^

What does that matter is someone has preference whether RR should be the coach or not? Most fans (99.9%) will always support the team no matter who the coach is, but they can have an opinion on the job he has performed. People like you are just as responsible for the imaginary line that divides the program as the people who say fire RR. How are your comments any less 'divisive, irrational' then his when you are placing people in camps?

Ben from SF

November 9th, 2010 at 6:22 PM ^

First of all, I am not in the "Fire RR" camp.  Michigan has committed so much resources to RR that it would be in our best interest to make the relationship successful.  I think he is an offensive genius, a great motivator, and, ultimately, a winner.

However, instead of worrying about what internet posters say about him and the coaches, he needs to have a strategy to sell the recruits on Michigan's positives:  We have a great academic reputation; we have an unparalleled support system for our student athletes; and we have a strong network of alums in the business world.  The university sells itself, in my opinion. 

If RR thinks we (mgoblog posters) are being negative about Michigan, imagine what Mark Dantonio is saying to the recruits about RR.

Instead of worrying about whether the fanbase is "All In for RR", RR needs to accept that Michigan fans have opinions and are not afraid to share them.  His actions, not his constant criticism of dissent, will ultimately convert us into believers.

MightAndMainWeCheer

November 9th, 2010 at 7:02 PM ^

I agree that we have more positives on which to sell recruits than basically every other program in the country for the reasons you mentioned and others (tradition, facilities, academics, support system, etc), but our school does not sell itself.  Our positives make it easier to recruit, but as a coach you can't just walk into a living room and say "we're Michigan, come play for us" and expect the kid to commit.  Some kids don't care about academics; some kids don't care about tradition.  Recruiting is a lot more competitive; more programs are on TV.

I think it is fair to say that recruits and their family members do pay attention to bloggers and message boards.  Craig Roh's father has posted to this blog.  When Carvin Johnson or Ray Vinopal makes comments about how us fans aren't happy with their commitments because bloggers and message board posters are livid over their lack of star-ratings, it hurts our recruiting ability.  Imagine if Carvin and Ray said f*** this and decided to commit elsewhere in response to the negativity, we would be down a starting FS and a backup spur/bandit/whatever he plays.

There is a difference between discussing what type of defense we should run in response to perceived holes in our schemes and saying that Rich Rod sucks as a coach b/c he doesn't care about the defense.  There is a difference between saying that we need our young defense to grow up quickly b/c they are giving up a lot of points which in turn is costing us wins as opposed to saying that Rich Rod isn't a Michigan Man.  There is a difference between saying that RR needs to do a better job of convincing players to stay even if they are passed on the depth chart and saying that RR has ruined our program because he is a bad person.

It's fair game to criticize RR; he is the head coach for a major football program, and criticism and pressure are part of the job description.  Yes, he has made mistakes; I don't think anybody is denying this, but the tone in which you use to point out his mistakes does matter. 

If RR thinks we (mgoblog posters) are being negative about Michigan, imagine what Mark Dantonio is saying to the recruits about RR.

RR can respond to Mark Dantonio's negative recruiting by saying something along the lines of "of course he will say this, he's the head coach of one of our big rivals".  How do you respond to a recruit who brings up a negative statement from somebody who is supposed to be a fan of the school? 

Yes, RR should focus on winning more games and developing relationships with recruits and selling the positives of Umich.  I'm pretty sure that is exactly what he is doing though.  Why make his job harder by taking cheap shots at him on some message board b/c you're mad that our defense had a meltdown against Penn State?  Discussing schemes and personnel is great b/c it shows that we are a passionate fan base; tearing down our coach, players and program does the opposite.

Ben from SF

November 9th, 2010 at 8:50 PM ^

Thank you for offering an intelligent and thoughtful post regarding the shortcomings of my arguments.  I have to admit that I have been harsh in pointing out RR's mistakes.  I will tone it down for the sake of the program.

I will never criticize a player on a messageboard.  I played football in high school; did not have the talent to play in college.  Our guys deserve all the respect in the world for making it to Michigan.

As a Michigan fan, we WANT to have the Carvin Johnsons and the Ray Vinopals on our team.  Recruiting rankings are based on measureables and hype, they don't measure intelligence and heart, two qualities Johnson and Vinopal possess in huge abundance.  RR deserves all the credit for bringing these guys into our family.

However, I would suggest that for a lot of us long time fans and alums (since 1991 in my case, when I decided on Michigan over Notre Dame), the last two transitional years has been painful in all accounts.  Sometimes, I get the impression that RR equates loving Michigan with loving RR, and that's really unfair for those of us who have had a tough time with all the changes that have taken place.  Please give us a chance to be converted, not every fan is all-in from the beginning, some of us are skeptics by nature.

Aequitas

November 10th, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^

"for a lot of us long time fans....the last two transitional years has been painful in all account"

No shit?  Players don't hurt?  Coaches don't hurt?  Former players don't hurt?  Hey, some of the people in that list are a little more invested than you, and they're gutting it out.  Guess what?  Being a fan, a real fan, means it hurts like hell sometimes.  A real fan doesn't pick and choose when to support a program.

"Sometimes, I get the impression that RR equates loving Michigan with loving RR, and that's really unfair for those of us who have had a tough time with all the changes that have taken place.  Please give us a chance to be converted, not every fan is all-in from the beginning, some of us are skeptics by nature."

Rodriguez doesn't need your love.  He's not asking for it.  He's simply saying that he gets shit from the Freep, he get's shit from other coaches on the negative recruiting trail, he gets shit from other fans, and he gets shit from our own "fans".  One of these things is not like the other.

While it's expected that outsiders and enemies will want to rip the program apart publicly in an effort to try and set it back, it's not something Michigan fans should be engaged in.

Quite frankly, despite the extra words and softer tone, you're saying the exact same thing as the first poster who was negged into nothingness.  For some reason, you were spared.

Actually, if you honestly meant that last sentence that you wrote, you don't even sound like you consider yourself a fan, so the coach wasn't even addressing you.

mongoose0614

November 9th, 2010 at 4:45 PM ^

hoping that we lose so he gets fired........................yep that is all in.

When you have fans wearing Stanford shirts to the game.........................yep that is all in

When you have coaches of hs players encouraging kids not to go to UM....................yep that is all in  (BTW, this is not just at certain det schools)

When you have fans not liking someone for how they talk.................. yep that is all in.

You can criticize the record but to ignore a lot of what has happened is ignorance.

mongoose0614

November 9th, 2010 at 7:39 PM ^

Funny how the fans are not taking the lead from our AD.  Radio stations were lit up and still are with callers complaining about a win.  

I went to a friends house sat evening after the game and 2 couples don't call him coach but instead call RR "that hillbilly".  

Do you think it is a coincidence that 2 in state UM fans are undecided at this moment and we will lose one for sure.  Arnett and Zettel.

Arnett is always decked out in UM gear even when he visited OSU.  He loves the guys at UM but we are not the top choice.  

Zettel is the same deal but fortunately he is hanging tougher.

mongoose0614

November 9th, 2010 at 9:23 PM ^

as coaches and people close to the recruiting REPEATING the common things the media post and fans parrot.

There is a reason Rivals board is the way it is now and is poisonous to our program.

Arnett has gotten negatively recruited towards UM from all angles.  

It looks like we are a joke or his choice.  We will see.

 

Bill in Birmingham

November 9th, 2010 at 6:05 PM ^

I found it interesting as I travelled to the game this past weekend how negative some of the people on the airplane with me were. Maybe it was just a bad sample, but I was very afraid of mass booing at the game based on the people I talked to on the plane. I think one guy was genuinely stunned to find a Rodriguez supporter (me) nearly his own age (much older than most of you). However, in the stadium I found just the opposite, including those of an older demographic than most of you who frequent this site.

UMdad

November 9th, 2010 at 5:03 PM ^

I think a lot of us have an over-inflated view of our own importance.  I didn't think he was referring to the average blogger as a threat to his recruiting.  I am assuming he is referring to the ex players and more powerful alumni base that have been vocal in their displeasure with RR. 

michgoblue

November 9th, 2010 at 5:41 PM ^

I think that a LOT of recruits go to the fan blogs to get a sense of the school.  First off, today's 17 year olds get all of their info online.  Second, you go to 5 schools.  They all have great campuses, cool coaches, excited fans, hot girls, big stadiums, tradition, rah rah, etc.  How do you differentiate?  You google the fan sites and see what the fans are saying to get the "inside scoop." 

Yes, these blogs can affect recruiting.  Of course that doesn't mean that we can't discuss the program.  Or even discuss RR or any coach getting fired.  But, when people come to games wearing Stanford shirts, boo the coach or the team or act anything less than all in, recruits do notice.

Roy D Hibble

November 9th, 2010 at 6:26 PM ^

And I'd like to see some empirical evidence that backs such a claim. I'm waiting for the first recruit to come out and say, "HEll, man. I was ALL IN FOR MICHIGAN, but some asshole on BLue Bills Basement Bunker Blog said I don't have the nads for Big Ten football, so NEBRASKA HERE I COME!"

This stuff is the newest whinefest from King Beaver of Scout. Either he's comping memberships to recruits or these guys, who we're led to believe need to be paid so they can eat while on campus all the sudden have the bucks to subscribe to multiple pay sites just to see what some dork burger flipper in Great Carbuncle, Maine has to say about Michigan, Alabama, or Tennessee football.

CWoodson

November 9th, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^

I see you somehow survived your first day.  Wouldn't have been my choice, but congrats.

I assume that this ridiculous mess of wordvomit can be translated as "Blogs probably don't have much of an impact on recruiting, good sirs."  I admit, that is certainly a thought a human might have.  You're headed in the right direction!

Roy D Hibble

November 9th, 2010 at 6:49 PM ^

Without his or her immense quantity of ad hominem attacks while lacking the substance for quality backing of their embattled football coach.

What a funny world the Michigan blogosphere is these days, where a coach whose presence has undermined everything great about this once proud program (cue the APPY STATE BIG WORDS BIG WORDS replies) and reduced its fans to enabling excuse makers who cannot tolerate diversity of opinion.

It's the Michigan difference!

Roy D Hibble

November 10th, 2010 at 9:36 AM ^

Where you completely miss the point of my post. Kid looks up a Michigan message board, and some poster says something bad about him, so he decides to go to another school.

I'm SURE this happens all the time.

It's not like a good recruiter and a good coach can't make a better impression than the fringe element that hangs his self esteem on the exploits of teenagers and every word of the writers of his favorite message board or blog.

Timnotep

November 10th, 2010 at 11:59 AM ^

It's not like a good recruiter and a good coach can't make a better impression than the fringe element that hangs his self esteem on the exploits of teenagers and every word of the writers of his favorite message board or blog.

It's possible, but when you have every moron with a Bleacher Report account reading the freep and mindlessly regurgitating the words of opinion columnists as if it were the Word of God (Today's sermon comes from the book of Rosenberg, chapter 6, verse 66) it's a little difficult to negate everything, aside from that these people are using the same strategy that many politicians use, Pathos - an emotional appeal, and it's dirty. They don't know what they're talking about, they only know how to get people all worked up about it. A good recruiter and a good coach should be able to make a better impression than Jim-Bob blogger who thinks Rodriguez has destroyed Michigan Football, but then again JimBobsBallBlog.com is lot more excessible to recruits than the head football coach at a major university.

And then on top of that you have former players on national television saying things like "Braylon Edwards, Lloyd Carr's University of Michigan". Or Manningham not mentioning his alma mater (He may have just been giving his HS some love, but that's not the message it sends to everyone).

Bottom line is that Rich Rodriguez isn't saying he can't handle recruiting, and I highly doubt he isn't adjusting to the negativity from fans, what he is saying is that if you want to see this team succeed, stop talking trash and rooting against your own team. You can't try to undermine the coach's efforts in recruiting like this and then criticize him for not bringing in a class of four and five stars (lets not even get into the validity of said stars). Look at it this way Rodriguez has a hard enough time trying to win games with every player and their uncle leaving for "greener pastures", with half the coaches he's competing with recruiting wise, talking like this and with the national media all over his case, the least we as fans can do is shut the hell up. If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all, and lets make his job just a little bit easier.