First, a little background so you know where I'm coming from:
The first Michigan game I ever watched was the 1969 M vs. tOSU. Since that day, I've been as loyal a Michigan fan as there ever was. Attended all the home games and some away during the five years I was attending the UM (grad. in 78). Lived through the agony of the 10-10 tie and "the vote". Attended the Orange bowl and two Rose Bowls with the Michigan Marching Band. Married to an M grad, and all three kids have gone there as well (one currently a sophomore).
So yes, I've been an M fan for a long time, but: I am not over 60, not a big donor to the UM, not a "wine and cheese", "down in front" alum. I consider myself (and my family) to be loyal fans who love the university and its traditions. The question is why RR was fired. Here is my take, as just a "regular" M alum and fan:
Although I was a bit surprised at the Rich Rod hire, I was totally sold on the whole "change" thing, and really pretty excited to see what he could do. I was also not expecting things to turn around immediately - the first season's record was hard to take, but we all felt that this was a year of "adjustment".
But as the last three years have unfolded, even though the wins category has improved a bit each year, I've seen some distressing trends with the team; it's hard to put a finger on exactly what has been happening, but I just kept thinking, "something's not right here ..."
1) Season regression: Whether they've started out a little weak, or strong, Michigan teams always have managed to improve over the season. Sometimes they've made great improvements, sometimes not so great. But there's always been an upward progression. These last three teams have actually gotten worse or stayed the same. Every year. What is up with that?
2) Weekly stagnation: From week to week, the team's performance really did not seem to improve. Don't they watch the films? Learn from their mistakes? "Get ready" for the next opponent's plays? Practice the basics ? ("it's all about the basics, the nuts and bolts of football: blocking and tackling" - Bo) Were the expectations not high enough?
3) Game regression: Within each individual game, the team's performance also seemed to deteriorate as the game goes on. Rather than learning from their mistakes, getting fired up, making adjustments, pushing harder, striving to win, more often than not they just continue to make more and more mistakes, until the end. The old "let's just shoot ourselves in the foot" syndrome. If we won, it always seemed like we were just lucky to win, rather than deserving of it, as the better team. Were they ever admonished to strive for excellence on every play? That is the Michigan tradition.
4) The play has been "streaky", i.e. one quarter they're great, the next they look like they don't know what's going on. Or worse yet - one or two plays are great (eg. DRob breaking open for 20 yards), but then we blow the gain with penalties. This used to happen once in a while over the past thirty years, but recently has become a consistent, sadly predictable problem. Is this a coaching problem? Are there personality issues that we don't know about?
5) It's been said that in practice, everything goes great - our kicker makes kicks, our passes are completed, etc., but for some reason, that just doesn't translate onto the field. Huh? What's wrong with this picture?
6) Rich Rod's response in post-game interviews was always "well, we just didn't execute". Yes. And why is that? Is it a player problem? A coaching problem? Did we need to bring in a sports psychologist to help the team? Whatever was needed, it wasn't happening.
Rich Rod seems like a nice guy - a good family man, cares about his players, active in the community, etc. etc. Maybe he "didn't fit in" right away with the M culture. But as many of you have already said, if he'd won more games, that wouldn't have mattered.
Something was just not right, and as head coach, it was ultimately his job to assess the situation and make the necessary corrections, adjustments, whatever ....
After three years, it had become obvious that whatever he was or wasn't doing was not effective. Things were at best, stagnating, at worst, unraveling.
That is why DB had no choice but to fire him. It was messy, but it's done now. And although we're in a bad situation, with no head coach at all and new rumors swirling by the minute, I still do love this University and have not given up hope for a great, new coach (whomever that might be), and a better season starting next fall.
While I was in the marching band, we got new uniforms in 1976. The uniforms being replaced were at least 30 years old -- they had seen a lot of great Michigan games. I still have the "M" cape and overlay from my old uniform. What memories!
Please explain to me why some of you are still thinking we might beat Ohio this year? It kills me to say this, but after what I've seen today, I cannot imagine us winning anymore games.
I hope I'm wrong...
Go Blue, Beat Illinois!!
Recent Comments
I heard it this way - "Never get into a pissing contest with a skunk"
good advice
I thought I heard somewhere that the two of them don't really get along. We can only hope...
First, a little background so you know where I'm coming from:
The first Michigan game I ever watched was the 1969 M vs. tOSU. Since that day, I've been as loyal a Michigan fan as there ever was. Attended all the home games and some away during the five years I was attending the UM (grad. in 78). Lived through the agony of the 10-10 tie and "the vote". Attended the Orange bowl and two Rose Bowls with the Michigan Marching Band. Married to an M grad, and all three kids have gone there as well (one currently a sophomore).
So yes, I've been an M fan for a long time, but: I am not over 60, not a big donor to the UM, not a "wine and cheese", "down in front" alum. I consider myself (and my family) to be loyal fans who love the university and its traditions. The question is why RR was fired. Here is my take, as just a "regular" M alum and fan:
Although I was a bit surprised at the Rich Rod hire, I was totally sold on the whole "change" thing, and really pretty excited to see what he could do. I was also not expecting things to turn around immediately - the first season's record was hard to take, but we all felt that this was a year of "adjustment".
But as the last three years have unfolded, even though the wins category has improved a bit each year, I've seen some distressing trends with the team; it's hard to put a finger on exactly what has been happening, but I just kept thinking, "something's not right here ..."
1) Season regression: Whether they've started out a little weak, or strong, Michigan teams always have managed to improve over the season. Sometimes they've made great improvements, sometimes not so great. But there's always been an upward progression. These last three teams have actually gotten worse or stayed the same. Every year. What is up with that?
2) Weekly stagnation: From week to week, the team's performance really did not seem to improve. Don't they watch the films? Learn from their mistakes? "Get ready" for the next opponent's plays? Practice the basics ? ("it's all about the basics, the nuts and bolts of football: blocking and tackling" - Bo) Were the expectations not high enough?
3) Game regression: Within each individual game, the team's performance also seemed to deteriorate as the game goes on. Rather than learning from their mistakes, getting fired up, making adjustments, pushing harder, striving to win, more often than not they just continue to make more and more mistakes, until the end. The old "let's just shoot ourselves in the foot" syndrome. If we won, it always seemed like we were just lucky to win, rather than deserving of it, as the better team. Were they ever admonished to strive for excellence on every play? That is the Michigan tradition.
4) The play has been "streaky", i.e. one quarter they're great, the next they look like they don't know what's going on. Or worse yet - one or two plays are great (eg. DRob breaking open for 20 yards), but then we blow the gain with penalties. This used to happen once in a while over the past thirty years, but recently has become a consistent, sadly predictable problem. Is this a coaching problem? Are there personality issues that we don't know about?
5) It's been said that in practice, everything goes great - our kicker makes kicks, our passes are completed, etc., but for some reason, that just doesn't translate onto the field. Huh? What's wrong with this picture?
6) Rich Rod's response in post-game interviews was always "well, we just didn't execute". Yes. And why is that? Is it a player problem? A coaching problem? Did we need to bring in a sports psychologist to help the team? Whatever was needed, it wasn't happening.
Rich Rod seems like a nice guy - a good family man, cares about his players, active in the community, etc. etc. Maybe he "didn't fit in" right away with the M culture. But as many of you have already said, if he'd won more games, that wouldn't have mattered.
Something was just not right, and as head coach, it was ultimately his job to assess the situation and make the necessary corrections, adjustments, whatever ....
After three years, it had become obvious that whatever he was or wasn't doing was not effective. Things were at best, stagnating, at worst, unraveling.
That is why DB had no choice but to fire him. It was messy, but it's done now. And although we're in a bad situation, with no head coach at all and new rumors swirling by the minute, I still do love this University and have not given up hope for a great, new coach (whomever that might be), and a better season starting next fall.
GO BLUE! Beat the Broncos!