The Appointment.

Submitted by BlockM on

An unknown young man walks into a nondescript one story building. He introduces himself to the secretary.

Young Man: I'm here for my appointment.

Secretary: Yes. Wait right over there please.

The young man strides over to a line of plastic chairs against the wall. The beige cinderblocks are cold against his back as he sits. Searching for something to keep his fidgeting hands busy he picks up a magazine and begins to page through. Realizing it is a Sports Illustrated he pauses and places it back on the end table.

Secretary: You can head on in, sir. He is waiting for you in his office.

Without saying a word, the young man heads through the waiting room door and into what is becoming a familiar place. "There is no reason I need to be here; this is ridiculous," he thinks as he greets a older gentleman.

Young Man: This is supposed to be my last appointment. You had better not go back on that promise. What's that?

The young man points at a manila envelope in the elder's hand.

Older Man: Oh, this? It's your file. Any interest in reading it?

Young Man: Nah. You got any experience with that kind of thing?

Older Man: Twenty years of counseling... yeah, I've seen some pretty awful shit.

Young Man: No, I mean do you have any experience with that?

Older Man: Personally... yeah, I have.

Young Man: Sure ain't good.

Older Man: I grew up in the late fifties, early sixties. I saw beatings like you wouldn't believe. Entire years of my life thrown down the drain. Those teams would almost make me choose how I wanted to lose. I could pick between turnovers or injuries, botched special teams or bad angles in the secondary. I'd usually prefer injuries. Easier to justify.

Young Man: I usually go with the bad secondary.

Older Man: Why's that.

Young Man: Because f*#k them, that's why.

Older Man: Your team?

Young Man: Yeah. So what is it, I've got an attachment disorder? Fear of 5-7 again? Something like that? Is that why I disowned my team?

Older Man: I didn't know you had.

Young Man: Yeah, I have.

Older Man: You wanna talk about it?

Young Man: No.

Older Man: Hey kid, I don't know a lot... but you see this? All this shit. It's not your fault.

The older man steps toward the young man and opens the manila envelope. It's full of freep articles and newspaper clippings. The one on top declares the 3-9 season to be the worst of all time. Another can be seen proclaiming the exact number of hours since Michigan beat Ohio State.

Young Man: Yeah, I know that. It's all those stupid injuries.

Older Man: Look at me son. It's not your fault.

Young Man: I know, the recruiting has been bad.

Older Man: It's not your fault.

Young Man: I know that. Seniors aren't playing up to their potential, and the young kids aren't learning as fast as we need them to.

Older Man: It's not your fault.

Young Man: I know.

Older Man: No, no. You don't. It's NOT your fault.

The young man is getting uncomfortable now. His strong demeanor is fading and he begins to show fear in his eyes.

Young Man: Don't mess with me.

Older Man: It's NOT YOUR FAULT.

The young man starts to turn red and tears appear and cling to his eyelashes as he fights them back.

Young Man: B-b-b-ut, it's just so bad, and I should have been more supportive!

Older Man: IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.

The young man is now sobbing uncontrollably and grasps for the older man and embraces him. The older man continues to offer consolation as the young man begins to believe him.

*** Two weeks later ***

As the older man gets ready for work he hears his mailbox clang shut. Confused, he hurries to the window to try to catch a glimpse of what might be happening. He sees no one and only finds a small trail of dust leading down the road when he opens the door to go outside. He opens his mailbox to find a hand-written note:

"Gone to Ann Arbor, I need to go see about a team."

Football

Comments

Kal

October 19th, 2010 at 3:25 AM ^

... I literally just finished watching Good Will Hunting on Netflix 3 hours ago and this was the first thing I read on MGoBlog when I logged on. What a ridiculous coincidence. 

I'd like to add one thing:

Young Dumber Man goes to Young Man's door to pick his friend up. Realizing his friend has finally realized how great he can truly be, he smiles complacently and returns to his life of mediocrity in East Lansing.

Joined: 07/10/2008

MGoPoints: 4608

Nosce Te Ipsum

October 19th, 2010 at 8:02 AM ^

I just don't get how you can keep making excuses to this extreme. Is anything ever RichRods fault in your eyes? He turned this offense around in the 3 years he has been here into what he wants so why should it take 5 to turn the defense around?

Joined: 03/12/2010

MGoPoints: 6396

Maizeforlife

October 19th, 2010 at 8:34 AM ^

You try recruiting an entire team on both sides of the field in two years and see how well you do.  Oh, and you're also trying to reconstruct an entire offense into a totally different style.  You better get every recruit you go after (happens for nobody) and they better all be 4 and 5 star players who don't make freshman mistakes (never going to happen).

Joined: 03/03/2010

MGoPoints: 2480

Nosce Te Ipsum

October 19th, 2010 at 9:21 AM ^

Just the type of overreaction I was expecting. RR has turned this offense into a monster. Why is the defense not at least average? I know that one reason is because all of the players not making it here, Dorsey, and other players leaving but a lot of that falls on him. To not be able to field an average D in your third year is pretty bad after seeing how he completely turned the offense around.

Joined: 03/12/2010

MGoPoints: 6396

Maizeforlife

October 19th, 2010 at 9:34 AM ^

He is recruiting defensive players in every class.  Yes, one didn't make it in and some don't pan out.  But to say that he isn't doing anything is overlooking the fact that there are so many underclassmen on this defensive two-deep that to have expectations at any level other than "just don't blow every game" is unfair.  What we have seen this year on defense is the impact that age and experience has on execution.  I don't care who the coach is, if you have nothing but underclassmen playing in the secondary, you'll get burned.   Some of the older players have stepped up, but there aren't many of them out there.

Joined: 03/03/2010

MGoPoints: 2480

Nosce Te Ipsum

October 19th, 2010 at 10:17 AM ^

Nowhere in my post did I say he isn't doing anything. Half of our secondary can be classified as underclassmen. JT has been here 3 years and Rogers is a senior. I think more than anything it comes down to an experience stand point. This is the first year Rogers, JT and Gordon are starting. So I wouldn't say it's all underclassmen. It's all experience. 

     Although my viewpoint may seem anti RichRod it's not. If it was I would have no problem saying so, though. I think he is an amazing offensive coach and one of the top recruiters in the country. I know this doesn't pertain to what we've been discussing but I am so damn impressed with how he can get all of these highly rated recruits coming in on officials let alone showing interest. I really hope he wins against Penn State and gets it rolling again because I think he can turn Michigan into a truly dominate dynasty.

Joined: 03/12/2010

MGoPoints: 6396

Bodogblog

October 19th, 2010 at 10:04 AM ^

The DB's though, the issues have been well documented.  Personnel-wise, I just don't see the bodies with experience to be much better.

To your point, the O in Y3 (minus turnovers and penalties the last 2 games) is executing very well.  Not so the D, where assignment breadowns and outright confusion have reigned at times.  Young DBs are a big part of it, though maybe not all of it.  Young DBs + poor MLB play?  Getting closer.  Young DBs + poor MLB play + DE in an OLB spot he's never played before + senior OLB who still finds himself out of position much too often?  We're about there.

Coaching issue?  What the hell do I know

Joined: 06/08/2010

MGoPoints: 26674

StephenRKass

October 19th, 2010 at 10:29 AM ^

RR could have gone with Gerg as DC from year one, instead of Shafer (sp?). RR could have recruited 2 - 3 more on defense and 2 - 3 less on offense the last two years. I'm sure there are other things he could have done better.

So then, what should happen? Should he be fired? Should we start from scratch? Should RR receive some lesser reprimand?

From my perspective, Brian is exactly right:  2011 is the litmus test year. I would only add that 2012 is the 2nd year when he should be judged and reviewed. I think that to release RR and his staff at this time would be absolutely disastrous.

Honestly, the changes made by RR are monumental, and if we are just patient, we will see dividends for years to come.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 22989

BlockM

October 19th, 2010 at 9:53 AM ^

I have no idea. It was late, and I'd just spent 11 hours working on homework like everyone else on campus.

I've never claimed to be normal.

if I had to guess what my original point was, it was that sometimes we should forget about the bad stuff for a while, realize there's nothing we can do about it, and just enjoy being fans.

Joined: 07/03/2008

MGoPoints: 40728

victors2000

October 19th, 2010 at 10:18 AM ^

about the game, about how I went, how the atmosphere was, at times upbeat but other times frustrating, how the place was rocking in the 4th quarter when we had a chance to pull it out, and then I said it; "It was fun".

I love supporting our team through thick and thin; I will be there when we win, I will be there when we lose. I didn't feel bad because the team 'didn't cover the spread', I felt bad for them because they lost, because it was THEIR loss and they represent our school to the best of their abilities, and their best wasn't good enough. I wish is was my fault, in some small way, because then it would be a 'teachable moment' that I could strive to fix, and in that way I would be part of the instrument that leads to a victory, but it's not my fault: All I can do is show up on Saturdays when I can, support them through thick and thin, support us, and hope for the best. I think that's the best most of us can strive for.

Joined: 03/21/2009

MGoPoints: 12778

maineandblue

October 19th, 2010 at 10:31 AM ^

Well done, sir. As a psychologist (I work for the counseling center at JMU) I would love the job of talking depressed, cynical, and ANGARD Michigan fans off the ledge. Group therapy may be an ideal modality, as we could process our ANGAR re: being 5-2 and losing to two top 15 teams whilst in a nest under a tree of trust and understanding.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 3085

StephenRKass

October 19th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^

There is something almost pathological about how fans identify so strongly with their team. Our own emotional well being should't rise and fall depending on how well the team we follow does (or doesn't do.) It isn't our fault. Support the team, and get a life, is a good word for me.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 22989

oriental andrew

October 19th, 2010 at 5:02 PM ^

 

a Michigan game as told through Matt Damon movie posters diary in the near future?  

Candidates include: 

  • The Good Mother
  • Glory Daze
  • School Ties
  • Courage Under Fire
  • The Rainmaker
  • Rounders
  • Dogma
  • The Majestic
  • Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
  • Stuck on You
  • The Grimm Brothers
  • The Good Shepherd
  • The Departed

For the record, I could just watch the bar scene where he owns the dude trying to impress Minnie Driver all night.  That's just fantastic.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 55940

The FannMan

October 19th, 2010 at 5:40 PM ^

Normally I am not a big fan of the modified movie quote thing.  This, however, was good.  The fan base is a bit beaten and beginning to show it.  Anger, denial, over reaction to any postives that the team gives (5 and 0!!! Oh, they do love us!)  and pain when the next beating comes.  We will get through this.

Joined: 11/25/2008

MGoPoints: 14811