I feel like I've been through this before

The day when Brian was Wrong.  Was it just eight months ago?  Things sure are different now, except we're all still talking about the Carr-tel, whatever that is.

I'm all in for Hoke.  I'd like to think of myself as much more informed then the average fan, but compared to, say, the average high-school player, I'm probably way behind in my technical knowledge.  So I'm not arrogant enough to say that this hire or the other is good or bad.  I can only go with my gut feeling.  And my feeling is, if the players jump up and start cheering when the new coach is announced, then that's the right man for the job at that particular moment.  Now all he has to do is become the next, I don't know, Bo and everyone lives happily ever after.  (Yes, I am also deeply concerned for the future of the program.)

I'm stilled pissed about all of this. That this guy was hired. That we had to go on a "national coaching search" that, apprently, really wasn't one starting on Jan 5th. That what looked like it was gonna be a pretty good recruiting class (if a bit small in actual numbers) is now all but gone at this point (how many of those players are actually left? Two?) That the guy I actually wanted was fired after only 3 years. Especially when it looked like there was serious potential for a great season upcoming.  I can't stand how DB has handled this whole thing. I'm sorry, but to me, he comes off as looking incompetant in all this.

Granted, there were a few things that needed changing. But I honestly thought there was absolutely no need to apparently blow everything the hell up and "get back to our roots" as it were. Which is exactly what the general consensus said we needed to get away from in 2007. The stagnation and apathy that seemed to have set in needed to get shaken out of the program. Hard. I hate it. All of it.

I hate that I'm still this upset about it. Even though, deep down, I knew it was coming. I hate the majority of people out there figured it was "Harbaugh or bust." That you "don't fire RR for someone other than JH." Well, so much for that. I hate that this new guy has, what, two "good" years in conference like the WAC and MAC. That he has a losing record overall as a HC.

I hate the hypocrisy of a lot of those out there that were sniping at RR from minute one. Now they're claiming that if you're not behind Hoke, you're against the program. I hate how there are still people insinuating RR was a "less than ethical" person on or off the field. How he was "responsible for major sanctions against the program." I thought those memes died a long time ago.

I hate the jihad the FreeP and co. waged on the program the last three years. I hate the hypocriscy they've shown in all this. How they looked for all the dirt they could find on our program during that time, even if it was only dust. And how they completely turned a blind eye to all the goings on over in East Lansing. How they decried RR as some vile guy while trying to get sainthood for Dantonio.

*sigh*

However, I do still love Michigan. I bleed Maize and Blue. Always have, always will. That'll never change. No matter who holds the HC position. It pains me that all of this has happened. I honestly hope this all works out. I want to be wrong about Hoke. I truly do. My fandom is not in question, nor should it be. I just feel incredibly numb. I quickly go from being hopeful for the future, to incredibly disappionted about what all has transpired, and back again. I think to myself "I'm done with football until the end of July." Only to log back on here 10 minutes later.

We, as a community (on-line and off) will all come back together soon. Or, at least, we should. However, it will take time. There is still some bitterness and resentment. For some, that likely won't go away until the new season starts. If not later. This "new experiment" will have to prove itself successful before the real healing begins, I suppose.

I should probably stop now before a set the record for the longest post on this board.

If it's another "mistake", or the underlying resentment of all things Lloyd is the true feeling.

It all comes down to recruiting and BH has very little time to complete this class. (Sounds eerily familiar.)  It's obvious he connected well with former players and knowledgeable people (Sam Webb) say he is an excellent recruiter.  While it may another year to see this, it is well worth the wait.

My concern is geographic and demographic.  The majority of the best high school football players reside in the South, the West, and Ohio.  Therefore we are constantly fighting an uphill battle against many colleges that are basically in the backyards of the kids we need to have playing for us.  We will get occasional athletes to come to Michigan but I fear not enough to compete with the best football programs in the country.

Furthermore we are disadvantaged by having ethical recruting practices and higher academic standards thereby further reducing the pool of eligible candidates.  There may be outlier years where we compete for a NC but I can't see this happening with any regularity.  I think Stanford this past year is an example of this phenomenon.

Ahhhhhh, just discovered its quite easy to change my former Rodriguez-related username.   A sigh of relief from the Dutchman.

I don't want to put words in anyones mouth, but I believe Biff is criticizing the hire and not the man.

The fact is Brady Hoke tickles everyones tummy with his enthusiasm, emotion and quips is all well and good, but that hasn't amounted to much as far as winning in his career as a head coach. I don't think that criticism is unwarrented.

I think the hire was poor because Brandon said his qualifications were that he loves Michigan and he wants to be here. I don't think those should be heavily weighted qualifications for a head football coach. It is great that he wants to be here, but winning at every level is a more important qualifier in my opinion.  I think DB made this hire out of nostalgia and that was a primary factor in the need for a new coach after Lloyd (as I remember people rabble-ing).

Not to get political, but this in some ways reminds me of the Bush speech after 9/11. He made a good speech at a time when people were kind of vulnerable and he got the backing of the American people to go to war with a nation that had nothing to do with the attack. That taught me never to get too emotional from a speech after all it is just a speech. We still need to look at the facts. The factys are Brady Hoke was an underwhelming hire when we were told it was going to be a blockbuster. I would be fine with the lackluster hire had it been for a coach who won everywhere he has been, but it wasn't. Good luck to Brady Hoke, but I don't think we all have to blindly follow him onto the hill. Biff has every right to his opinion because after looking at the facts we should all feel about the same way, uneasy.