Speight receiving death threats?

Submitted by NashvilleBLUE on

In the below article, Mo Hursts talks about how much of a struggle it must be for Wilton "receiving death threats and people telling QBs to 'kill yourself'. You're supposed to be our fans and shouldn't be saying that type of stuff"

As a football fan, I'm obsessed with Michigan to a point where I periodically have to check my priorities because I put a lot of stock in a game; however, Mo's statements really puts the "dark side of sports" into perspective. Here is illustration of where obsession can lead to "Misery" levels.

I am as dissapointed with the up and down QB play as anybody, but when it crosses the entertainment realm and enters the realm of personal attacks (nevermind the student-athlete part), then it gets psychotic.

Hopefully this is just a few twitter trolls (e.g. the Isiah Thomas jersey burning) and not a legitimate thought by some of these fans, because that would be dispicable.

 

http://michigan.247sports.com/Bolt/Having-heard-the-backlash-teammates-…

 

EDIT: As someone pointed out below, The 247 article I linked left out a pretty critical follow-up on Mo's statement with the section below, which can be found in the article here 

https://www.landof10.com/michigan/michigan-coach-jim-harbaugh-wiltons-s…

---Wait. Did Speight get death threats?

“I assume so,” Hurst answered. “I remember that punt thing [against Michigan State in 2015], yeah.”

It’s college football. Not life versus death.---

 

MGoBoard

triangle_M

September 12th, 2017 at 8:13 AM ^

Eating our own is what we do best.  Some people cannot enjoy anything and need to complain because they think that we're still living in 1903 and Michigan should be beating everyone 72-0.  I'm looking at you guy who sits on the ailse in Section 21 who complains all game long.

Joined: 03/09/2011

MGoPoints: 5648

Erik_in_Dayton

September 11th, 2017 at 6:54 PM ^

Am I about to send someone a death threat?  If yes, I should stop doing that.  If no, I'm probably okay to do whatever else I was doing.

Folks should feel free to print this out. 

Joined: 12/03/2008

MGoPoints: 58983

ST3

September 11th, 2017 at 6:54 PM ^

     If you are a Michigan fan, your primary goal should be to see Michigan perform to the peak of their ability. You should want to see Michigan win as many games as possible. Does attacking our starting QB on an internet message board while fomenting a QB controversy further this goal or hinder it? If you truly think Speight has regressed and is not the answer based on 2 early games in the season, you are on the opposite side of the debate from our head coach. You know, the guy who took the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl, led Standford to an upset over USC as a 40 point underdog and has been successful at every stop along the way.

    I get it, we're all frustrated by the 2 pick-6's and the 2 fumbles, but come on, internet commenter guy, suck it up. You don't need to write every thought that pops into your head on a message board. As one internet commenter guy put it to me after I made one too many complaints about all-maize uniforms:

Get.

Over.

It.

Joined: 09/11/2010

MGoPoints: 52318

BornInA2

September 11th, 2017 at 6:55 PM ^

It's a game. Anyone that upset by *any* result of a game needs a serious reality adjustment.

I'm not a big fan of WS as QB, but man, I'm sure he's a fine kid, and no one deserves this kind of shit for any reason.

Joined: 02/15/2014

MGoPoints: 12802

BornInA2

September 11th, 2017 at 7:41 PM ^

I was disappointed.

The one positive thing I got from the RichRod years was a mandatory decoupling of my state of well-being from the results of any game, Michigan football in particular. I want them to play well and win and rah rah, but when they lose I try not to.

Joined: 02/15/2014

MGoPoints: 12802

Qmatic

September 11th, 2017 at 7:01 PM ^

Harbaugh is being stubborn with his decision with Speight. He chose him last year and is going to do everything he can to have him stay starter. This is the one position and one instance where I think there was no meritocracy. You might feel the need to neg me on this, but the way he responded to Wojo in the presser today when asked about Speight points to this.

Joined: 01/09/2013

MGoPoints: 32583

NashvilleBLUE

September 11th, 2017 at 7:16 PM ^

I think the way he responded to Wojo today was more:

 

"Oh, here we go again with somebody who hasn't seen 500+ hours worth of practice yet somehow knows the strength and weaknesses of every player on this team, telling me who I should start at QB"

Now, I know that Wojo wasn't making the "we should start another QB" statement, but cant you imagine being an expert at anything in life and have people who write newspaper columns about it for a living constantly trying to question your decision making?

I think people GREATLY underestimate how much Harbaugh wants to win. I assure you, if Speight was not the person who he saw best fit to put W's on the board for the team, then he wouldn't be starting. 

Joined: 10/08/2016

MGoPoints: 7201

GoBlueSPH

September 11th, 2017 at 7:21 PM ^

Wilton might not have the best arm, most accuracy, or greatest mobility out of the group, but I think that he's probably the best leader. He can read a defense and audible to a more effective play. He also keeps our young wide receivers in check, preventing illegal formation penalties.

The team is young and inexperienced and we need a guy that can control and direct his offense. I don't think Peters is up to that quite yet. That's why he's the number 1.

I'm also curious what you think harbaughs motivation is? Do you think that he's the type that will put his team at a disadvantage in order to avoid benching the QB after he deemed him the starter? Do you think he promised Wilton the starting job regardless of his capabilities? I mean if Wilt isn't the best man for the job why would he still be starting?

Joined: 10/28/2014

MGoPoints: 1033

LSAClassOf2000

September 11th, 2017 at 7:49 PM ^

OK....

I have no problem with Harbaugh getting a little short with people about such questions because, quite frankly, none of us - Wojo included - have had to watch rep after rep after rep of all these guys and had to make a decision. Somehow, I seriously doubt that, if indeed Peters were far and away the better option, that Speight would be out there - he doesn't strike me as someone with that weird loyalty that others occasionally seemed to have. 

I never understood the "X is not up to par in my opinion, so start Y" when in reality we don't have access to the data which would support this statement. I really don't understand it at all. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130561

The Fan in Fargo

September 11th, 2017 at 9:51 PM ^

The problem with football is the same problem with so many other things. The ones who aren't willing to adapt or change at something get left in the dust. The protocol for playing the QB position is and has usally been the same. Stick with your starter no matter what happens. I can tell you all that I'm not the only person in the history of the sport of football who wasn't great in practice until I became the man at my positioin during the games. I proved it and I took that crown from my teammates and became the leader on the practice field from there on out. It was painful dealing with those spoon fed spoiled little shits and their parents. It often times can be in other different situations as well. That didn't stop me though. So when I say maybe you bring in Peters on a few first downs and hand the ball or maybe hit one or two playaction bombs to maybe light a spark in Wilton, then it's only to expand the options and not get left in that same old dust and same old thinking. If you always run the ball on first down then what is the difference? Let us see how the redshirt freshman plays. Wilton isn't losing his job. I mean, I think that would be so valuable sometimes for Wilton and Jim to sit there right as that play goes by and quick discuss what the next two could or will be. Why is that so fricking insane or unheard of? I don't know why this couldn't happen. Someone might need to be backup at anytime this year and they could get thrown to the wolves in a very bad way. This way these backups are getting some meaningful snaps. This is a fucking win win situation and if anyone doesn't like it, you can eat shit and die. Not you though LSA, you're cool dawg!! 

Oh and if I ever meet the people that wished Wilton death threats in person, I'll spit right on your nice shirt.

Joined: 09/04/2016

MGoPoints: 1877

El Jeffe

September 11th, 2017 at 8:33 PM ^

So if you had access to a time machine and could replay those games, what would you have done? Start O'Korn? Malzone? Peters? Just have Peppers be the QB?

As others have pointed out, the problem with the H8 Sp8 crowd is the lack of an obvious alternative. And if there were an obvious alternative, don't you think Harbaugh would have noticed it too?

Joined: 07/07/2008

MGoPoints: 27314

Hard-Baughlls

September 11th, 2017 at 11:05 PM ^

looks a lot like Navarre 2.0

He also looks a lot like Rudock early in the year before he became Ruddddddock.

I'm holding out hope he has the same trajectory of improvement this year as Jake did under Harbaugh.  He is definitely the weak link on the team right now though.  Careless Turnovers, missed open recievers (usually high), and not going through progressions.

Hope is not a strategy, but if he can get to playing at a B to B+ level we can beat any team on the schedule.  At his current level, we will probably lose 2-4 games.  

I'd like to see some blowouts so Peters can get some playing time and become the man if he is the real deal.  We are stacked next year and would be nice to have a solid QB with some experience leading the charge.

Joined: 09/28/2016

MGoPoints: 6637

El Jeffe

September 12th, 2017 at 8:08 AM ^

And that's fine, sensible, and probably agreed to by 99.9% of the fanbase. This is one of the costs of making a hire that even at the time seemed dubious (Hoke) and in retrospect seems like a disaster in terms of Borges QB talent identification.

So the best we have is a limited Borges choice, with O'Korn an even more limited backup and Peters apparently not ready. So it is what it is. It's frustrating, but that's who we have to cheer for. So we as fans are left with the choices of bitching/booing (not saying you're doing either of those things) and shrugging/cheering. I choose the latter, FWIW.

Joined: 07/07/2008

MGoPoints: 27314

XiX

September 11th, 2017 at 8:01 PM ^

After watching both O'Korn and Speight for 2 fall/spring camps and one full season it must be that Harbaugh is so in love with Speight that any notions of earning the position has gone out the window. Not to mention Harbaugh's years of experience coaching and evaluating players from his time at Western Kentucky, San Diego, Stanford, and the 49ers. He's just ignoring all of that simply for Speight.

I guess him whispering those sweet nothings to Speight during the first Spring camp -- which were caught on camera -- was just Harbaugh's way of expressing his undying love and devotion.

/s (maybe)

Joined: 11/04/2015

MGoPoints: 1508

KennyHiggins

September 11th, 2017 at 7:14 PM ^

2) Support our players, who with the rarest of exceptions are always doing their best, and seeking to improve each day.

3) Don't tweet crap or post stuff on social media that you wouldn't want your Mom or your wife or kids to see.

Joined: 12/03/2016

MGoPoints: 12476