Bielema ordered chop block on Mike Martin

Submitted by InRodWeTrust333 on

From TheWolverine.com

After the game Saturday, Bielema said his offensive line -- which grinds opposing defenses into dust by pulling its guards and ramming them into linebackers downfield -- was prevented from pulling by Michigan. He used the word "tactics," which is coaching code for "holding," to describe what Michigan's defensive line was doing. 
"But we rectified the situation," Bielema said. 
When asked how, Bielema recalled a chop-block penalty that went against his team -- and took a touchdown off the scoreboard -- in the second quarter. Wisconsin lost seven points but delivered a message.

So yeah, he's a good coach, and Wisconsin was clearly the better team on Saturday, but this is just wrong.

http://michigan.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1155909

BlueCE

November 21st, 2010 at 5:03 PM ^

What a douche, he did it knowing that Martin was injured and to get him out of the game.  He should be penalized for asking his players to do something with the intent of injuring another player.

trussll12

November 21st, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^

Contact info for UW's office of the president and board of regents can be found on the web easily.  (I'm getting a spam warning try to post this, so I'm removing links.)

Here is most of the text I just sent to them:

Dear Mr. Reilly, Ms. Brady, and Regents of the University of Wisconsin:

I am compelled to write to you after Mr. Bielema’s public acknowledgment that he and his staff ordered Wisconsin players to engage in illegal chop blocks to take out Michigan players in yesterday’s game.  This is not a sportsmanship issue; this is a safety issue.  Mr. Bielema’s decision to authorize and encourage his players to engage in illegal tactics that have the potential to seriously injure opposing players is, at a minimum, revolting, and unbecoming of the University of Wisconsin.  My respect for your university has been diminished.  I would never have imagined that you would condone a coach who willfully orders his players to engage in such conduct.  (By the way, the possible injuries caused by such conduct are not hypothetical.  The Michigan player attacked, Michael Martin, was recovering from an ankle injury, and could not play the second half of the game.  Congratulations to Mr. Bielema, who, as he described it, “rectified the situation.”) 

I also find it ironic that UW Health Sports Medicine is currently conducting a study regarding ankle injuries in football.  I have copied the researchers, Dr. Alison Brooks, an assistant professor of sports medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, Tim McGuine, a UW sports medicine researcher, and Dr. John Wilson, a UW sports medicine physician, on this email.  I am sure they can inform you of the effects of coaches, including University-affiliated coaches, ordering their players to engage in illegal chop blocks to deliberately attack the ankles of engaged linemen from opposing teams. 

In this era where we hear of more and more programs willing to do anything to win games, I am saddened that Wisconsin-Madison has become one of those programs, willing to sacrifice the safety of student-athletes.

Yours truly,

[signed]

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 21st, 2010 at 5:11 PM ^

That's.....appalling.  What a piece of shit, if in fact he ordered one of his players to do that.  Douchebag isn't an appropriate word for it.  Justin Boren is a douchebag.  Ordering one of your players to injure another is disgustingly felonious.

Dreisbach1817

November 21st, 2010 at 5:19 PM ^

So this is the point of the program where we get blown out and then find ways to pat ourselves on the back for being classier while demonizing the other team based on a random quote? Come on guys.
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bronxblue

November 21st, 2010 at 5:55 PM ^

People are talking up OSU, but that doesn't mean you can't point out that the coach from yesterday's game was a massive tool and could have ended a kid's career.  Bitch to the refs if you want, but to basically order a hit on a college kid isn't copacetic. 

bronxblue

November 21st, 2010 at 5:53 PM ^

Basically saying you ordered a chop block against a college kid really isn't something a grown man should be doing.  I would think the same way if the score had been reversed.  Plus, this is not new for him - point to Breaston in 2006, and I think there was a similar complaint by Minny or Illinois (I could be way off) a year or two ago about a similar tactic.  Plus, the guy ran up the score against IU last week, and did the same against Austin Peay earlier in the season.  Sure, it sucks to lose and that might fuel a bit of the rage, but identifying a jerk for what he is doesn't mean you are whining.

Feat of Clay

November 21st, 2010 at 6:07 PM ^

I think you have to give him a pass on the score thing.  Think back to Delaware State, when we were playng every kid on the bench.  You're going to tell a kid playing in his one game all year, to hold back and try less?  IU's coach understood.

Not arguing with the fact that Bielema is a jerk, but last week's score isn't why IMO.

bronxblue

November 21st, 2010 at 6:19 PM ^

I would agree if he just ran the ball every down (like he did against UM) and IU couldn't stop them.  But looking at some of the playcalling at the end of the game (passing up 76-13, trying two straight throws up 59-13 when you are 20+ yards away from the endzone, heck playing your starter later into the 3rd quarter and throwing for TDs) you can't really compare it to Del. St.  I am from the camp that if you don't like them scoring, stop them on defense, but that doesn't excuse a guy clearly trying to run up the score in a game that was decided. 

TenaciousGrizz

November 21st, 2010 at 6:12 PM ^

I'm not so preoccupied with losing that I'm indifferent about a head coach all but confessing to ordering a dirty hit on one of our players.  The last three years appears to have deadened your sense of moral outrage.  Mine, however, remains fully operational and intact.  Apologies.

Section 1

November 21st, 2010 at 5:20 PM ^

I wanted to run out of the Stadium after the game to tell Kamoku what I thought of him and his teammates as they boarded the Badgers team bus.  At the time, I had no idea that Chris Spielman was at that moment telling the broadcast audience that he hoped and expected (wrongly) that Bielema would actually do something about it.

Go to 7:20 of this YouTube segment, to see the Stevie Breaston punt return that precipitated it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywv2Ioh2Xz8

Crime Reporter

November 21st, 2010 at 5:31 PM ^

Someone get a piece of paper and jot this down.

Dear coach,

You are a jackass of John Kreese proportions. Do us all a favor and close down your Cobra Kai dojo. The 80's are over, dude.

Sincerly,

Me

PS: You have a fat face.

Irish

November 21st, 2010 at 5:40 PM ^

Chop blocks aren't illegal, it was on one play in the game.  Its more of a compliment to how hard Martin was playing throughout the game.  

I have a hard time believing he was trying to intentionally injure martin, I can understand trying to send him a message but you guys are fishing if you take it for more than that.