Legacy Recruiting
While the former players have been sniping at each other with the Bo/Lloyd factions I think they are taking the attention off the real problem. Why can't these guys produce some decent offspring and properly instruct them that Michigan is their only option? I'm getting older now and starting to notice the offspring of players I saw in my youth starting to restock my rivals rosters and wonder what are boys are doing?
The last guys who stepped up that I can remember were Stan Edwards and Butch Woolfolk. How did Mike Boren raise a kid who likes the Buckeyes? What kind of parenting is this guy doing? It's a disgrace. How come A. Gant is not a lock for Michigan? We are in desperate need of 5 star guys that bleed blue and come here with no questions asked. Ty Wheatley come on man what have you been doing? Desmond? Can't our Olineman find a wife to create some Wolverine blocks of granite, we only had 900 All Big Ten Olineman over the last 40 years. Time to stop whining on radio shows and step up and produce for your team, literally produce.
*This post was a joke and I'm not bashing the lifestyles or parenting of any former players even though it has crossed my mind over the last 4-5 years of less than stellar breaks and near recruiting misses that it would would be nice to have a legacy guy we know is locked and loaded screaming Michigan from day 1.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^
I'm on it.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
No way that Profitgoblue, Jr. goes anywhere other than Michigan. Even if he can't get in academically, I'll have him pull a "Rudy" and attend Eastern but hang out on campus until he gets accepted.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:49 AM ^
this is Michigan, damn it. Don't let your son ever duplicate the actions of an irish.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:06 AM ^
Self-upvote cast to cancel out your neg. Take that!
February 10th, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^
I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE CHANTS OF "RUDY" COMING FROM THAT PARTHENON LOOKING THING BEHIND YOU!!!!! THOSE FUCKERS NEED TO SHUT UP! DID YOU SAY, "ELF HO'S TO DANCE. ALLOW OR BEG? BAKE FAT!" I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT IT SOUNDS DELIGHTFUL!
February 10th, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^
This exchange made my day. Many thanks!
February 10th, 2011 at 10:36 AM ^
a more ethical way to form a recruiting class than the Saban Bama method.
February 10th, 2011 at 5:55 PM ^
you must have mis-typed your signature, it should read "those who stay will be champions" there is no other way of saying it. thanks
February 10th, 2011 at 10:37 AM ^
I think that was partly due to Rodriguez. Not that he didn't welcome back players, but there was nobody (except Fred Jackson) who was a connection to those players from the '80's and '90's who would be having high school-aged children right now. If you sent a kid to play for Rodriguez, you don't have any better of an idea how he'll be taken care of than any other Joe Schmoe's son.
I'm not a "Michigan Man" promoter, but I do think the presence of Hoke/Mattison/Mallory might help the perception of some former players who are sending their kids off to college.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:49 AM ^
I took the post as being somewhat playful. Why the need to get serious and start a Rodriguez discussion? If we're being serious, how many legacy kids were really out there? One (Boren)? Two?
February 10th, 2011 at 10:51 AM ^
Yeah, it was playful. I'm not attacking the OP for posting it. I didn't know that comments in a playful thread had to be 100% playful right back.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
I'm not knocking you for taking a serious turn. I've just grown tired of the "Rodriguez did it" mantra. I think the fact of the matter is that, today, kids are much more informed, much more self-centered, much more open to other options, and less tied geographically than in the past. What would normally have been an assumption of children of players attending the same school in the 70s and 80s is not the case anymore. Sure, maybe Rodriguez went after other kids and focused less on legacy recruits, but can any of us really say that the talent level was less than if he had focused on keeping historically blue households blue? I say no, but I could definitely be wrong.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
a) I'm not someone who blames Rodriguez for the downfall of everything. For the record, I wanted him to stay if we couldn't get Harbaugh.
b) The comment wasn't about legacy recruits being better than non-legacies. I agree that a former player's son might not be as good as the son of some high school chess champion out there. But recruiting legacies certainly gets a foot in the door. If Legacy Player X is an equal player to Joe Schmoe Y, then you probably have a better shot at Legacy Player X. It's just like a high school pipeline, having a coach who played for Michigan, etc. It won't cinch the deal, but it will probably help.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^
Thanks for the explanation - I appreciate it. And I agree with you completely with respect to (b). All things being equal, focus should definitely fall on the kid with a Michigan-tinged background. Just like everything else in life, an "in" always helps.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
his giblets tickled.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
Ziff, that is only perception right now due to Rodriguez not having any connections to the program, but you will see in short order, Hoke and Mattison bring back legacy recruiting to Ann Arbor. But note that it is also the new-age media that makes things more deluded, for they will twist things to create content. Many guys will be locks but the media will make you think they are not, and then try to sell you a subscription on the pay sites.
Aside.... I am very disappointed in Mike Boren who now will be sending his third son to OSU in 2012. But give Hoke a few more years and we'll begin to see more legacy recruits, I can promise you this, and they'll come from the late Bo/Mo years.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^
Not sure on the RR factor, but I was mostly going for the point we have no big name guys producing Michigan like Hulks. Guys like Ty Wheatley and Allen Jefferson were freaks physically with their size and speed combination. I want to hear their kid ran for 2,000 yards as a freshmen and he's already told Hoke he's coming to Michgan and he's already doing recruiting for us Ricardo Miller style. I'm going to give Glen Steele about 4 more years but if I don't hear about his kid being too big so they wouldn't let him play football until high school and how he's won the state wrestling championship, I'm going to kick his ass.
How pissed are the Ok St fans that Barry Jr hasn't signaled he's a Cowboy yet?
February 10th, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
This is a coincidence, but as I was reading your post, I was thinking of Barry Sanders Jr and how nice if that legacy, decided to spurn the south and came to play for us, to be near his dad. Then I read your last sentence and thought of the irony. I like your thinking.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
Ziff, that is only perception right now due to Rodriguez not having any connections to the program, but you will see in short order, Hoke and Mattison bring back legacy recruiting to Ann Arbor. But note that it is also the new-age media that makes things more deluded, for they will twist things to create content. Many guys will be locks but the media will make you think they are not, and then try to sell you a subscription on the pay sites.
Aside.... I am very disappointed in Mike Boren who now will be sending his third son to OSU in 2012. But give Hoke a few more years and we'll begin to see more legacy recruits, I can promise you this, and they'll come from the late Bo/Mo years.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
I have sired a strapping young lad who, despite only being 5 years old, can throw a football 20 yards and properly disect zone coverages. He also knows the words to The Victors and thinks Buckeyes, "look and smell like poopy." I wish I could do more for the team, but alas, my vas deferens is no longer fully functional (actually it isn't functional in slightest bit). I have sent Hoke some film and expect to hear back from him any day now. Once we get the official offer, I expect my boy to be the first Michigan commitment of the 2024 recruiting class.
Also, I have a three year old daughter who likes to dress up like Disney Princesses and have tea parties. I don't know how that will help the team, but there you go.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:58 AM ^
Well, if that girl at the super bowl who handed in the game ball wants to be the first female NFL kicker, and actually does it - well, then you have to get her started. Should be easy - just reverse tea time with tee time...
February 10th, 2011 at 11:00 AM ^
NomadicBlue--I am in the exact same situation, except my 3 year old daughter also knows the words to The Victors and, most adorably, once sang them while a planeload of people silently waited to exit.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:06 AM ^
My daughter is in grade one and they were playing floor hockey one day. When they asked them to name the teams, she immediately put up her hand and declared "MICHIGAN" for her team.
I am very proud.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^
I'm trying to figure out how I can get my "princess" to Disneyland for under $10,000 so she can meet the "real" ones. M still needs cheerleaders to support the team.
My son is built like a tank, can't speak worth a dam and throws 2 handed so I've got him working on his 3 point stance so he can block for your son as a redshirted Soph for his NC Senior season.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
Under $10K??? Whoa. We just went in December (Disneyworld) for around $3k. You either have a big family, or coming from far away. Or, being sarcastic with the amount.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
I knew it was going to be expensive but when I did a quick rundown of just the tickets it came to $1400 for 3 days and I kind of recoiled. I'm sensing there are better deals that are available out there, but if you say 3k I can see that being in the ballpark for me as well.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:25 AM ^
check out Wally World. I'm not sure if they are open right now or not, though.
February 10th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
Well, I can tell you from experience, that Disney hits you with up front costs, but it does not go up as much the longer you stay. We stayed for a week at a moderate level resort (2 adults, one child) and it cost just under $3k, which includes our airfare - that was with their meal plan.
Look for the deals - they have an offer on now that kids are free (can't recall exactly what that includes). My wife is on the site constantly looking for deals and mentioned this one was good.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
There's a vas deferens between being a UM player and producing a new one.
February 11th, 2011 at 12:46 AM ^
TM effing I
February 10th, 2011 at 10:47 AM ^
Prior to RR, UM routinely cauterized the tube that carries semen out of the penis, therefore keeping more testosterone in the body so that linemen could be huge. sadly, this also meant that they could not reproduce.
/ s (or is it?)
// obviously not a doctor
February 10th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^
That is just weird man.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:11 AM ^
would also prevent you from urinating. You would quickly die of renal failure. It also has no effect on testosterone levels. Neither do vasectomies which involve clipping or cutting the vas deferens which transport sperm from the testes to urethra (which may be what you were thinking of). Yes, I know this was a joke. Just not a very medically accurate one.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
There should be absolutely no reason to mention the "vas"-word on the MGoBoard. None whatsoever. If any one word is banworthy, it is the "vas"-word. For the love of Little Baby Jesus.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^
You missed the entire point of Magnus's post.
He wasn't blaming Rodriguez for the fact that legacy recruits were going elsewhere (although you could cast a glowing eye at the facts that Zach and Jacoby Boren went to or are going to go to Ohio State, and the McAvoy twin O-linemen went to Minnesota in the 2011 class and we needed them), he was stating that with Rodriguez in Ann Arbor, the coaching setup for legacy recruits was about as familiar to them as would be Colorado State's, save Freddie Jax.
It was as much Rich Rod's fault as it would have been Greg Schiano's fault as it would have been Kirk Ferentz's fault - none, it just, was.
EDIT: this was meant to respond to Profit, above.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:42 AM ^
seems wrong. It makes me go hmmm....
February 10th, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
MIke Boren was sort of an idiot. Looks like Bo's instincts were sound.
February 10th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
A first grade teacher explains to her class that she is a Buckeye fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they were too.
Not really knowing what a Buckeye fan was but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like fleshy fireworks.
There is, however, one exception. A girl named Kristen has not gone along with the crowd.
The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I'm not a Buckeye fan."
Then, asks the teacher, what are you? "Why I'm a proud Michigan Wolverine fan," boasts the little girl.
The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Kristen why she is a Wolverine fan.
"Well, my mom and dad are Wolverine fans, so I'm a Wolverine fan too."
The teacher is now angry.
"That's no reason," she says loudly. "What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was a moron. What would you be then?"
After a pause, and a smile, Kristen says... "Then I'd be a Buckeye fan."
February 10th, 2011 at 12:07 PM ^
Who didn't recruit this guy?
"T.J. Downing grew up a Michigan fan, and for good reason. His father, Walt Downing, was an All-American football player for the Wolverines from 1974-77 and the elder Downing ingrained Michigan into his son from day one."
For the who story:
What about NW's David Arnold? Lord knows we couldn't have used Safety depth the last couple years.
We didn't want this kid either....
"Gonzalez was a scholarship football player at the University of Michigan and cherished his time in Ann Arbor. But he found himself standing on a patch of concrete in Ohio Stadium last month cheering unashamedly against the Wolverines."
For those that don't rememeber, his son was freshman WR Anthony Gonzalez of the Nuts.
This has been an issue for some time (pre RR), some we just didn't even recruit. Strange.
February 10th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
He was an asshole, and he did a great job of applying himself after college. Of course maybe I'm being too hard on him, afterall: Everybody murders, everybody steals, and everybody has weed, prescription drugs, cocaine and a loaded handgun in the trunk of their car.
http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2008/11/ohio_state_football_former_buc_3.html
February 10th, 2011 at 12:45 PM ^
My brother in law is in middle school (weird right) and he has played in some athletic competitions around/with (i'm not sure) Tyrone Wheatley's son who was/is also in middle school (Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor for the record) and apparently he is already a beast. So here is hoping he continues his development and becomes a Wolverine. It is possible that Tyrone took his son with him when he went to Syracuse. The point is he might be someone to look out for down the road.
February 10th, 2011 at 1:07 PM ^
I like the scouting by you and props for TW for getting that done. Now if he ends up at Syracuse or some other shithole I'm going to be pissed.
February 10th, 2011 at 1:43 PM ^
Isn't Wheatley the logical successor to Jackson when he hangs it up?
February 10th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
I've been having unprotected sex all over town to try and make this happen. Unfortunately I am a 5'9" white guy. Hopefully my penchant for big boned ladies will balance things out and produce some nice linebacker-sized recruits.
I'm sure the Block M cap I give the kids will more than make up for a complete lack of court mandated child support payments, giving me the kind of leverage required to send my powerful offspring to the school of my choice (after I collect $200,000 from the Buckeyes and Sparty without letting a word of my plans slip to the kid, of course).
February 10th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
My first little one is about 6 weeks out. The bad news is that it's a girl, which does not offer much promise to the football team in the future. The good news is that her mother was a good college basketball and soccer player, so fear not Coach Borseth, the future is on the way!
And, yes, she's going to love Michigan if I have to duct tape her to her Michigan teddy bear (not really, except if it's absolutely assured of working, then really).
February 10th, 2011 at 2:36 PM ^
Do you think she can practice kicking field goals when it is not soccer season?
February 10th, 2011 at 1:09 PM ^
other schools legacies. Hardaway, Horford, Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson III (next year).
February 10th, 2011 at 2:04 PM ^
Boren and Huerman, like Freddie was to Michael ,are dead to me.