Rittenberg on UM Banquet
Rittenberg (who has quite a bit of respect from the board being a MSM member) doesn't think RR's emotions/words last night were very helpful to his cause as remaining head coach.
Rich Rodriguez, three years into his tenure, shouldn't have to be saying things like, "I hope you realize I want to be a Michigan man." His emotions were genuine Thursday night, and while he's trying to fire up his constituency, you have to question his confidence right now.
Does Rodriguez sound emboldened or desperate? Or a little bit of both?
He needs his boss, Dave Brandon, to make a decision on whether or not he'll return in 2011. Letting this drag on until after Michigan's bowl game doesn't serve the current players, the coaches, the verbally committed recruits or the fans.
I wasn't there tonight, but I can't imagine Brandon came away thrilled by what he saw and heard from his head coach.
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:01 PM ^
Does anyone think that DB's mind is made up either way at this point? In my biased mind.. it seems to me that the decision really is. .. RR will return, but the primary question is around whether or not the current Defensive staff is the right blend of coaches?
I find this very doubful, given that Brandon has refused to commit to RR beyond this season. If your plan is to keep the guy, you make it clear to the world.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:09 AM ^
I wasn't there tonight, but I can't imagine Brandon came away thrilled by what he saw and heard from his head coach.
Sounds like his opinion about WHAT HAPPENED THERE last night are definitely appropriate and should be taken seriously... very seriously...
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:07 PM ^
What if he'd written, say, "If David Brandon wasn't swayed by the speech and music, he's not cut out to be an AD"? Would you still rant about his opinion being unimportant/inappropriate?
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:57 AM ^
How many posts are you going to try to shoehorn this same image in?
I have no problem with you defending Coach, but "hater's gonna hate" doesn't really make sense in this context.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
Geez man, stop hating the Haters Gonna Hate guy.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:26 AM ^
We don't want a coach who cries. We're Michigan, and crying is for pussies. He should go on Oprah and cry there. Obviously, a man who is so emotional about his job and his players is not fit to be a coach. We need a real man's man as coach, a he-man who will never betray any emotion. Not only will Jim Harbaugh never cry, he'll punch his own tears in the groin to keep them from showing. Then, and only then, will my self-esteem as a Michigan fan be repaired.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:56 AM ^
My Sarcasm Meter is broken, or maybe it's because I'm working on 4 hours of sleep, but I'm sure this was a bit snarky.
Also, you made me giggle thinking about tears having groins...<snicker>
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:01 PM ^
Don, you've reduced me to tears (of laughter) -- I'm beating the crap out of myself as we speak to atone for this show of emotion.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:28 AM ^
A direct quote from Rodriguez, less than a week ago was "I'm not going to go out there and hold hands with OSU fans and sing Kumbiya", yet here we are, five days later, and that is almost exactly what he is doing, and in doing so we have become the punch line to jokes all over the internet, local, and national media. How could anyone feel that this instills confidence.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
So that's why we lost "The Game" the players, coaches and staff are all secret Buckeye fans, I fucking knew it. How dare he have an inspirational speech with a bunch of closet buckeye fans. FIRE HIM, FIRE HIM NOW!!!
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^
An inspirational speech or an embarrassingly awkward moment?
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^
Depends on what news site you visit. You have the glass half empty Ann Arbor news and Freep or the glass half full Det News. Take your pick by coach preference I guess.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:42 AM ^
hold hands with OSU fans.
We can hold hands as UM fans. We have a coach and we need to support him and not rip him apart. A divided Michigan does not excel.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:52 AM ^
I, like many others want to support him, and will always support Michigan, with all my heart. Like many others on this board, Michigan football, and athletics is my life. But actions like this, that contradict, maybe not 100%, words he have used in the past, illicit the media reactions it has, and in general make me feel a little uneasy, make it harder and harder to have 100% confidence that he can do the job we need him to do.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:54 AM ^
How is it a contradiction if as you say not 100% what he said?
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:03 AM ^
Is he holding hands and singing a song? The only thing different is the fanbase, admittedly a large difference, but at the crux, is he not still holding hands and singing a song. Again, many of us on this board, sit and read the comments thrown out there, and often it feels like there is only two thought processes that you can have. "He must go", or "We must blindly follow him, because he is our coach". My opinion is this, he is the coach, and while he is the coach he has my support, and my heart, because this is Michigan, but while he has my support, actions such as this make my confidence in the end result waine, which, I believe is the point Rittenberg was trying to get across. I refuse to follow blindly, and we are all allowed to have dissenting opinions.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:56 AM ^
The only thing different is the fanbase, admittedly a large difference, but at the crux, is he not still holding hands and singing a song
You must really hate Glee.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:50 AM ^
I have to agree with Rittenberg, though of course I was not there either.
I'm sorry, but playing Josh Groban music to a room full of football players doesn't strike me as inspiring, or as a commanding display of leadership. It strikes me as weird.
Again, I wasn't there. Maybe it was a truly inspiring moment that brought the team together. On that same token, maybe GERG rubbing a stuffed animal in Demens' face was an inspirational moment for those in the know. But this was a semi-public event, and it shouldn't be a shock that some find the choice to play "You Raise Me Up" at a football banquet a little odd.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:57 AM ^
Agreed. I think this is going to really come back and haunt RR. It was just weird all the way around.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:58 AM ^
If Rittenberg would have been at the banquet then I would have actually cared what he said. He is just writing from "heresay" about the banquet from other people. Rich must really want to stay here because he's gone through some rough stuff. If he really didn't care then he probably would have resigned by now instead of fighting through all of this...I think that there are some people out there that are going to find a negative in whatever Rich does (no matter what)...
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:02 AM ^
If Rittenberg would have been at the banquet then I would have actually cared what he said. He is just writing from "heresay" about the banquet from other people.
Yeah, but that's what reporters are supposed to do. They don't typically witness every single event that the write about (sporting contests excepted), so that have to interview people who were present to get the story.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:13 AM ^
Sorry but I would like to hear about actual responses from people who were there during the moment. I usually enjoy reading Rittenberg's work but on this particular article, it's just his opinion...
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
In which case he should be naming those sources. Period.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:21 AM ^
A coach who has poured his heart and soul into rebuilding a program and has taken a ton of nasty abuse for 3 years attends an end of regular season banquent with his team and shows true heartfelt emotion for the players and staff that are all part of the TEAM he is trying to rebuild and move forward.
Yeah, that's the kind of guy I want coaching at my alma mater! He focuses on the players and the team and his love and care for them.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:22 AM ^
So let's get this straight, a writer who wasn't even at the event and didn't hear the speech thinks Rich Rod is showing a lack of confidence because he got emotional. Is he really digging this deep to write a story about RR? As a player I would love to see that a coach is a human being and has some real emotion. Give me a break if you think this shows a lack of confidence. Maybe, just maybe, he was emotional thinking about the support these kids deserve when they are achieving a winning season despite being one of the youngest teams in college football.
Was the end of his speech where he said "our time is coming in a big way" sounding like a coach who has no confidence? If the writer was paying attention he would know of the unwavering confidence that RR has displayed throughout his tenure as coach. He is honest about the deficiencies of the program he inherited and is honest about the rebuilding project on his hands. That has nothing to do with confidence, he reiterated in his speech how strongly he believes success is coming. What else does the writer want from the guy to show how confident he is? I'm sure the writer also believes that real men don't cry as well.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:29 AM ^
It's not for the MSM. I like Adam but his comments here are off. The fact that they're covering the banquet is quite laughable. The banquet is private.
Damn, even John L. didn't endure this type of witch hunt. What's next? The full on TMZ-Sports-Paparazzi?
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:28 PM ^
I don't understand what you mean when you say the banquet is private. Anyone can buy a ticket to attend, and members of the media are always there and report on it. You act as if Rodriguez was ambushed or something.
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:57 PM ^
Your right, I used the word private inappropriately!
I meant as a matter of decency, a banquet is a setting for neutral reflection and not a "roasting" there after. It's not a press conference or after-game affair. But they (MSM) are treated it as such.
My girl's cuban, had to get ya a point for the uname!
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^
I wasn't there tonight
Then he doesn't understand the full context, the reaction of the crowd, the body language, and all of the non verbal communication.
In other words, Rittenburg, STFU, or at the very least attend the damn banquet and then comment, you hack.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:16 PM ^
Karsch and Andersen have been killing him on the radio today for it, playing the music, and making fun. Karsch who does the work for Michigan thought it was a bad sign, that he's done, because with all that Brandon didn't give any strong words of praise. And thought Brandon looked real uncomfortable during the musical moment.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:22 PM ^
I can't imagine Brandon came away thrilled by what he saw and heard from his head coach.
You weren't there Adam, so you don't know.
And if David Brandon listened to this speech, then he should be proud to have RR as coach. Can it be more obvious how much the current Wolverine players and 2011 recruits love Rich Rodriguez? I submit that it cannot be.
So what if members of the 1985 team (Jamie Morris, and others) scoffed and sneered behind their plates of prime rib and drinks. Their playing days are over. They were enjoyable to watch when they played, but now they need to just sit down and support the program like the rest of us.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:32 PM ^
MSM (including Rittenberg) job description:
- Stir the pot; you don't have to pick a side to do it, but if you do, that's okay, too
- Move the needle
- Make us money
And this:
I can't imagine Brandon came away thrilled by what he saw and heard from his head coach.
I can't imagine he was disgusted or disappointed, either. I can only imagine that he understood why Rich said what he said. There's certainly nothing wrong with it.