Our fanbase and recruiting

Submitted by rbgoblue on

Well, Rich got ripped a new one a few weeks ago by some who objected to his suggestion that the negativity in our fanbase was hurting us on the recruiting trail.  Well, I certainly wouldn't think it has helped us here... Bye Dee, would have loved to see you share a backfield with Denard.

 

Any objections?  Neg away...

jmblue

December 3rd, 2010 at 2:55 AM ^

Dude, I get that you're one of the True Believers, but seriously - any coach who posts a losing record over three years is going to be under scrutiny.  Fans had nothing to do with it. 

rbgoblue

December 2nd, 2010 at 11:18 PM ^

I do think that the original problem traces back to the fanbase.  Who is clamoring for change?  Who is starting 100 threads about Jim Harbaugh or Stanford.  Dave Brandon hasn't said a single thing about Stanford or Harbaugh to date.  Were our fanbase not clamoring for RR's head on a platter, it would likely be much easier to cite improvement and retain him.  While all evidence suggests that Brandon hasn't handled the situation well, you cannot make the situation independent of how pathetically spoiled our fanbase has acted this season.

jmblue

December 3rd, 2010 at 2:51 AM ^

No, the original problem is that Rich Rodriguez has gone 15-21 overall, 6-18 in the Big Ten, 0-3 against OSU, 0-3 against MSU, and 0-3 against PSU.  Just about every non-Michigan fan I know thinks we'd be crazy to keep him.  Most of the media essentially thinks the same way.  Many of our former players want him gone, too.  The notion that the fans somehow created a controversy out of nothing is absurd.   

Woodson2

December 3rd, 2010 at 7:53 AM ^

We are rebuilding! Of course his record isn't going to be that great yet. The fanbase is acting like a bunch of spoiled brats. Citing only the record without seeing the youth on this team is just dumb.

Sure there are many uninformed fans that are unhappy because of the record but there are also many people who have never embraced RR from day one. It makes our fanbase look completely terrible. Comparing the Michigan fanbase to the Notre Dame fanbase is incredibly accurate at this point. Very depressing....

bigike

December 3rd, 2010 at 8:04 AM ^

I am a life long Michigan fan and recently a season ticket holder. I am discusted and angered at our fan base. Jmblue, you are the problem, not the solution. Why in the world would any recruit want to come and play with all the rediculous negitivity surrounding the program that has been created by a clueless fan base. The recruits we have commited want to play for the current coaching staff in place, why in the hell would you be surprised that any of them would decommit when so many of you tear the coaching staff down daily. I dont give a flying rip about the numbers. We are on the right track! But all you haters want to start over from square one with a new system and a new coach and new types of players. You people are idiots and are only digging us a bigger hole. Jim Harbaugh is not a savior and you people are crazy if you think all these Stanford recruits are going to follow him here. We all thought that the season would end around 7-5 with the talent we had. So why now are we so flipping surprised at the outcome? I hate to tell you folks this but MSU, OSU and Wisconsin were very very good this year and they all had productive seniors. We had almost no seniors but we will soon if our fan base doesnt run them off. I am sooo pissed that the very thing I love most is being destroyed from the inside out. Support the coaches and the team or get the hell out! We are on the verge of something great if some of you don't destroy it.

SFBlue

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:39 PM ^

Only Dee Hart knows that for sure, but I would bet that the decision had more to do with the (in)action of the U-M Athletic Director than anything the fans did.

turbo cool

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:47 PM ^

Do you really think Dee Hart may potentially decommit because of Dave Brandon? So, basically, you're saying that if DB would've fired Rich by now, that would've firmed up Dee Hart's commit? That's crazy.

Stop blaming Dave Brandon for where our program is today. He inherited the entire athletic department only a few months ago and now he is assessing the state of our football program right now. I haven't been a huge RR fan as of late but I do think DB should consider every relevant detail of the football program before making a rash, uninformed decision.

willywill9

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:49 PM ^

No, that's not what's been said.  If Dee Hart is going to stay committed to Michigan, even if RR were to get fired, then DB's decision to evaluate after a bowl game wouldn't matter.  If Dee Hart is concerned about job status, then yes, a perceived uncertainty will negatively impact our chances.

All that said, I still don't necessarily blame DB, he's a former CEO, he's been on the football team, and he offers a unique perspective (Far superior to any of us.)

turbo cool

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:59 PM ^

I guess it's hard for us fans to understand what type of decision DB has to make right now. We're living and dying by the day, and sometimes minutes, with new news regarding our team. I would imagine DB instead is much more focused on the next 5, 10, 20 years of our program. Regardless of who our coach is, I just hope this decision helps to lay a solid foundation for our program for years to come.

kscurrie2

December 2nd, 2010 at 11:44 PM ^

I will go out on a limb and say that he is screwing this up big time!!  He is not 100% to blame, but he's getting there.  The problem is people that want RR fired will say that he is not recruiting top talent.  Players will not commit to this team unless they know who the coach is.  Plus D. Hart was enrolling early so he need to know sooner than later.=.  DB saying that this wait will not affect recruiting is borderline ignorant.. it will have a huge affect on recruiting especially early enrollees

turbo cool

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:09 AM ^

Now I'm just defending DB. But he essentially said that there is no good or bad time to make a coaching switch with regards to recruiting. A lot of people took that out of context and believe that DB doesn't think there is a bad time to make the decision and as a result recruiting won't be affected. That simply isn't true.

SFBlue

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:58 PM ^

I am not sure exactly why Dee Hart is going to decommit, but my point is that it likely has more to do with uncertainty in the head coaching position than anything the fans have done.  Dee Hart may have decommitted because he thinks Ingram is going pro, or two ugly losses down the stretch made him think twice. 

That said, I do suspect that Brandon sees decommittments, the inevitable transfers, etc., as acceptable losses necessary to change direction of the program.  If that's true, I am not sure he's handling the transistion particularly well, and I disagree that it's needed in the first instance. 

jhackney

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:50 PM ^

You would only neg this if it offends your  insatiable love  for rabbits, or you are part of the Kabal and this irritates you. How many of there are you? We'll find out...

wlubd

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:42 PM ^

Stayed out of the fracas tonight for exactly this reason. All we have are a bunch of sources saying he's likely to decommit and commit to Alabama tomorrow. No reasons given although I'm sure they'll be forthcoming.

No point speculating on who's at fault (if anyone is) until he speaks. For all we know, he decided he preferred warm weather and being with his friend.

allezbleu

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:41 PM ^

But what do you propose, that the many michigan blogs and espn and GBW get shut down?

Fans will be fans.

Also regardless of mgoblog, i'm sure dee hart knows the insecurity of rich rod's job when sportscenter and pti and commentators are all commenting on it.

yostlovesme

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:42 PM ^

Seriously.  I sometimes feel like saying F this fanbase.  More than half of them have no idea what the hell is going and are becoming the most fairweather fans in the world.  I would love more than anything to see RR succeed royally and just shove it up the RR haters ass.  That said Go Blue.

GRIGGS616

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:54 PM ^

I say F are fanbase every home game!! We have 112,000 fans at a game, more then half are stuck up alumni, sippin coffee, talking to there friend about the LOUD guy a few rows back, nd checking there 401k in the middle of a tight game, when the house should be rocking!!! If your mad at me for this, them im probaly talking to you

M16

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:43 PM ^

If Dee Hart decommits it's not because of a bunch of fat losers on a blog, it's because the team sucks and can't be competitive with good teams. He doesn't need us to tell him that he can watch us get our ass beat EVERY SATURDAY ON TV. Unless we're playing Purdue, then he'll see us squeak out a win against a horrendous team. 

jhackney

December 2nd, 2010 at 10:58 PM ^

there is a virus on your computer where ignorant mind numbing dribble is posted in your name. What a shame, I am sure there is an intelligent, thoughtful, and descent human being that has no idea this garbage keeps popping up.

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