Michigan players throwing DickRod under the bus

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:39 am

http://freep.com/article/20090829/SPORT ... layers-say

Michigan football program broke rules, players say

The University of Michigan football team consistently has violated NCAA rules governing off-season workouts, in-season demands on players and mandatory summer activities under coach Rich Rodriguez, numerous players told the Free Press.

Players on the 2008 and 2009 teams described training and practice sessions that far exceeded limits set by the NCAA, which governs college athletics. The restrictions are designed to protect players’ well-being, ensure adequate study time and prevent schools from gaining an unfair competitive advantage.

The players, who did not want to be identified because they feared repercussions from coaches, said the violations occurred routinely at the direction of Rodriguez’s staff.

“It’s one of those things where you can’t say something,” one current Wolverine said. “If you say something, they’re going to say you’re a lazy person and don’t want to work hard.”

That player was one of six current or former players who gave lengthy, detailed and nearly identical descriptions of the program to the Free Press.

“We know the practice and off-season rules, and we stay within the guidelines,” Rodriguez said in a statement issued Friday to the Free Press. “We follow the rules and have always been completely committed to being compliant with all NCAA rules.”

If the NCAA investigates and concludes that U-M willfully and repeatedly broke the rules, the NCAA could find major violations. That could trigger probation, loss of scholarships and loss of practice time.

Michigan, which has won more games than any program in college football history, has never been found guilty of major violations in football.

The players say they routinely are required to work out or practice many more hours throughout the year than the NCAA allows. They also say members of Rodriguez’s staff have broken rules by monitoring off-season scrimmages.

Eeeesh. Likely nothing will come of this violation-wise, but this won't be good for the team.

Blueblood · Post by **Blueblood** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:58 am

Sounds like a bunch of "bitches" (Michigan players).

It's voluntary.... but, so is summer school.(Unless you're U$C) and trying to get players eligible.

Got to love this post...

I don't get it. The dude was injured most of last season, you'd think he would have extra time to focus on his studies. Man, how many chances will we give Mr. Wright? First, he weaseled his way out of a felony arrest with Pete's support and now this.

http://wearesc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88728&page=3

Sounds like he needs to weed out the "weenies" in that program.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 2:48 pm

Never a dull moment with this guy... :doh:

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:18 pm

I guess we now know why the Barwis S&C program is so effective.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:22 pm

doesn't sound good.

Blueblood · Post by **Blueblood** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 5:52 pm

King Crimson wrote:doesn't sound good.

Just a small number of soft, lazy, disgruntled players whining it seems...definitely not a full mutiny. Every team has them.

DickRod has been showing no mercy to these kinds of players since his arrival and some of them want to get back at the coach in my opinion.

Pretty pathetic to talk to the media about stuff like this....

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:06 pm

Word is it's the parents of players who encouraged them to come forward. Should be interesting to see how this unfolds.

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:07 pm

^^^ No mention of kal. Troll mixup. ^^^

I went to A&M when Dante Hall was there. He always sat next to me at the basketball games. He never had two nickels to rub together, but one night, as wel left Reed Arena, we walked the same path out. I saw him get in his new Escalade and drive off. Hmm...where's the compliance dept? Saw him at a game next week and I told him he had a nice ride. He just said "Sho-nuff".

Hey, at least he supported athletics. When I was at A&M, our basketball team sucked donkey balls.

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:09 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Word is it's the parents of players who encouraged them to come forward. Should be interesting to see how this unfolds.

Sorry, but if buying houses for players' families, paying players/handlers and paying much less rent that value gets ignored, not sure "extra practice time" will get slammed.

BlindRef · Post by **BlindRef** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:36 pm

Wow...I couldn't be more pissed about this story.

The accomplishments of this team are:

Lose to App State
Lost 9 games for the first time in the 100+ year of the program
Has yet to beat Ohio State
First loss to Michigan State in Ann Arbor in 18 years.

That resume give you the right to go to the Free Press and complain about having to work hard? You have to be kidding me. Its quite clear to me why Tressel owned Lloyd, why App State beat us, why we couldn't get over the hump and become a great program again...Lloyd recruited and trained a bunch of pussies.

I am so disgusted. As a season ticket holder...who spends $1500 a year to watch this team I couldn't be more angry at the players then I am now.

I hope Rich Rod drums every last weak link whiney bitch off this team.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:56 pm

IndyFrisco wrote:
MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Word is it's the parents of players who encouraged them to come forward. Should be interesting to see how this unfolds.
Sorry, but if buying houses for players' families, paying players/handlers and paying much less rent that value gets ignored, not sure "extra practice time" will get slammed.

First off, it wasn't just a little bit of "extra practice time." IF the allegations turn out to be true, we're talking about DickRod and company going WAY past the point of what is allowed. Are the players pussies for bringing this to light? Probably, but that isn't really relevant.

Secondly, no, I don't think violations are going to be handed down by the NCAA, as I eluded to in my first post. They might self impose sanctions, though. I don't think the NCAA has any interest in setting back a 3-9 Michigan team even further. Of course they want Michigan back on top. I just think it's going to be interesting to see how/if this affects the team, and what Michigan does about it, if anything.

Van · Post by **Van** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:37 pm

Mgo wrote:as I eluded to in my first post

That was a fairly evasive first post.

:wink:

[quote="Indy "George Jessel" Frisco "]He just said "Sho-nuff".[/quote]
Did he then bust out some ingratiating tapdancing moves for you too?

TheJON · Post by **TheJON** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:39 pm

IndyFrisco wrote:^^^ No mention of kal. Troll mixup. ^^^

I went to A&M when Dante Hall was there. He always sat next to me at the basketball games. He never had two nickels to rub together, but one night, as wel left Reed Arena, we walked the same path out. I saw him get in his new Escalade and drive off. Hmm...where's the compliance dept? Saw him at a game next week and I told him he had a nice ride. He just said "Sho-nuff".

Hey, at least he supported athletics. When I was at A&M, our basketball team sucked donkey balls.

Rules do not apply to the X-Factor. He was a human joystick. Nothing to see here folks, move along.

TheJON · Post by **TheJON** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:46 pm

Lloyd recruited and trained a bunch of pussies.

Michigan was one of the most physical teams in the Big-10 year in and year out under Lloyd Carr. To make a statement like this makes me wonder if you even watch your own team. Wow........that's gotta be a joke, right??

I am so disgusted. As a season ticket holder...who spends $1500 a year to watch this team I couldn't be more angry at the players then I am now.

I hope Rich Rod drums every last weak link whiney bitch off this team.

You blame the players because your coach has a blatant disregard for the rules???? Wow, dude..........that's gotta be one of the most classless and pathetic posts of the year.

50 year old dude breaks rules and you're crying about college kids not going along with these violations?? Schmick thinks you're a piece of shit!

Killian · Post by **Killian** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:10 am

Michigan was a soft team under Carr.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:44 am

Van wrote:
Mgo wrote:as I eluded to in my first post
That was a fairly evasive first post.

:wink:

Dude, that's one of those that gets me every time...

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:56 am

Practicing too much.....really????

This is a reporter with an axe to grind. There is a well known rift between Rosenburgh and RR.

Nothing should come of this. OU and the car lot, OSU and Clarett, USC and all their shit, to name a few....nothing. UM should get slammed for over-practicing?...please. Do you really think UM is doing any more than, Florida, Bama, SC, ND, OU, or any other big time program??

This is a douchebag reporter with sand in his vagina, nothing more.

Go Blue!!!

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:06 am

also, the article goes off things like from 12.00p to 8.00p = eight hours of activity without mentioning certain activities count against the limit and others don't, like getting a rubdown or "voluntary" lifting sessions. even video is technically voluntary.

the free press is drowning and the aa news has already died. their last gasps have been to write a stunning expose on umich football to bring to light the fact that <gasp> football players take easy classes and bad players need to practice more.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:09 am

Shoalzie wrote:Never a dull moment with this guy... :doh:

with what guy? you're the reason the media can sell papers by hyping absolutely nothing.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:15 am

BlindRef wrote: I hope Rich Rod drums every last weak link whiney bitch off this team.

i fully buy into dickrod getting the program back to prominance, and pretty quickly. he's definitely not on the hot seat. that said, for some reason, the one criticism i buy is that he's failed to get everyone to buy in. my own idea is that a few players feel squeezed, that if carr was still coaching they'd be all-big ten. this sounds like it'll be a reoccuring issue for the next year or so, until he's recruited teh entire roster.

carr's later teams were definitely pussies. royalty lends itself to inbreeding.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:45 pm

WolverineSteve wrote: Nothing should come of this. OU and the car lot, OSU and Clarett, USC and all their shit, to name a few....nothing. UM should get slammed for over-practicing?...please. Do you really think UM is doing any more than, Florida, Bama, SC, ND, OU, or any other big time program??

these 3 examples have very little in common in terms of the nature of violations and the role of the NCAA in them. OU lost scholarships, so if you mean "literally" nothing...then, that's not correct. if you mean a "slap on the wrist" for systematic, widespread wrong-doing then that's debatable but you'd need more evidence than the NCAA found.

if it were true that DickRod was exceeding NCAA limits, then that's an institutional practice that starts at the top which is most certainly a punishable offense.

and: i don't think you can play the "those other bigtime outlaw programs did more dirt and didn't get punished, so UM is being done unfair" and the "everybody does it" cards at the same time.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:57 pm

Screw_Michigan wrote:
WolverineSteve wrote:This is a reporter with an axe to grind. There is a well known rift between Rosenburgh and RR.
Always the first card to be played by a polesmoker too busy sucking off his team: the reporter has an axe to grind. Looks like M Tard is suckling the taint, too. Listen, ladies: the school is investigating the claims and the NCAA just might as well. Whether how legit the claims are or not, you got a team, like your fanbase, of sackless pussies and I see you tards winning a max of five games this season. Live it up, fuckos.

i love how faux-journalists always ride in on a white horse to defend the industry that won't hire them. rosenberg's a piece of shit. all his commentary has proved the opposite of the truth. he wrote a thoughtless expose about practice time without understanding what counts against the limit and what doesn't. ja, dood, michigan is investigating because that's what you're supposed to say when everyone freaks out over a five-word headline. the big ten has already said they're not going to investigate, and i imagine the ncaa hasn't even bothered to take a piss over this.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:02 pm

Sudden Sam wrote:Every morning since Coach Saban was hired, I get outta bed, shuffle into my Nick Saban is God shrine room, light a couple crimson candles, and pray:

"Thank god and God Rich Rodriguez wasn't hired in Tuscaloosa."

true, your summers would be a lot less interesting without having to guess which players are going to be mysteriously thrown off the team to make room for the 47 freshmen he signs every year.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:47 pm

From Mgoblog...

Jihad The Second: They Don't Know The Rules
By Brian — August 30th, 2009 at 8:04 PM — 52 comments Filed under: free press jihad toney clemons
One of the things that struck me in the article was these asides inserted to make it seem like Michigan's happy-go-lucky freshmen didn't know just how oppressed they were:

“It’s crazy,” said Hawthorne, who was not complaining about his coaches and was apparently unaware of the time-limit rules. … Stokes was not complaining. Like Hawthorne, he apparently was unaware of the rules.

Of course they don't know the rules. Neither do any of the (unnecessarily anonymous) sources. All the folk who played under Carr knew was that there was some limit; they had no idea what counted towards the limit. For an example, here's Toney Clemons:

"The allegations are true," Clemons said. "Nothing is fabricated or exaggerated in that story. I was there on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. or 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. depending on if guys needed treatment. You were there daylight to nighttime."

Now let me launch into a diatribe about reporters and their lack of critical thinking skills. You are faced with an accusation that Rich Rodriguez didn't skirt NCAA regulations but rode roughshod over them. Presumably he's been doing this for eight years without anyone noticing that he was more than doubling the NCAA's maximum requirements. Do you A) think "wait a minute, there's a disconnect worth thinking about here" or B) uncritically accept the allegation and start screaming hysterically? If you picked B, congratulations, you can have a low-paid job in a rapidly evaporating industry.

Here's A:

"On Sunday, it was lifting, film, dinner and practice," Clemons told Schad. "I usually got out around 10:20. I truly don't want to be associated with the program back there. But I am going to help benefit my teammates back there by speaking and giving testimony."

Here are various items that are non-countable activities according to the NCAA:

a. Training-table or competition-related meals;
b. Physical rehabilitation;
c. Dressing, showering or taping; …
h. Medical examinations or treatments; …
m. Voluntary individual workouts, provided these workouts are not required or supervised by coaching staff members, except that such activities may be monitored for safety purposes or conducted by the institution's strength and conditioning personnel who have department wide duties.
o. The provision of videotapes to a student-athlete by an institution's coach that include a personalized message and athletically related information (e.g., discussion of plays, general workout programs, lectures on strategy related to the sport), provided the viewing of the videotape by the student-athlete is voluntary;
p. Use of an institution's athletics facilities (which may be reserved) during the academic year or summer by student-athletes, provided the activities are not supervised by or held at the direction of any member of an institution's coaching staff.

I am willing to wager many amounts of money that the Sunday lifting was of the variety that fits the NCAA's definition of voluntary, as was the film. The rehab/examinations/dinner and any downtime in between practice and film and other activities definitely don't count. At no point has anyone in the media even broached this possibility. It has not occurred to them. Some of them specifically omit it because it conflicts with their aims*; some are just professional parrots.

When Michigan releases its compliance information, Michigan will check in at four hours of countable activity on Sunday. If they're over at all it will be by a small amount. I bet a dollar.

*(Mostly the aim is to make their story seem awesomer and justify the expense. Rosenberg and his publicly-professed hatred of Rodriguez are another matter.)

BlindRef · Post by **BlindRef** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:12 pm

http://michigan.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=982287

indyfrisco · Post by **indyfrisco** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:30 pm

Chait, a doctor's son, grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

Even though I don't think this is that big a deal, I'll put no stock anyone who has a vested interest in Michigan, good or bad, has to say about it.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:40 pm

So, according to DickRod from his presser, ALL the players are doing "voluntary" workouts at precisely the same time while Barwis is present just to make sure they "don't drop a weight on their foot?" Did I just hear that right?

Oh, and I think he just tried to fake cry!

Too good.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:47 pm

This shouldn't come as a surprise. Rich Rod shredded a ton of paperwork upon leaving WVU that had to do with individual and team workouts.

Mr T · Post by **Mr T** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:34 pm

We're talking about practice...How silly is that? ..... We talking about practice, man!

Sin,

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:27 pm

Screw_Michigan wrote: Well, I haven't opted for the Peace Corps yet, so I have yet to hit rock bottom.

you brag about sneaking budweiser into baseball games. your life is a free fall, loser. if you had a job you could afford something with flavor.

TheJON · Post by **TheJON** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:36 pm

M Club wrote:
Screw_Michigan wrote: Well, I haven't opted for the Peace Corps yet, so I have yet to hit rock bottom.
you brag about sneaking budweiser into baseball games. your life is a free fall, loser. if you had a job you could afford something with flavor.

I used to sneak those small containers of JD into Iowa football games. Would hide 1 in each sock under my pants. Proud of myself for never once getting caught either! Awww.......those were the days!!

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:31 am

jon = screw

booze in games = fine and well, no big deal. i'm pretty sure screw told his story about drinking bud 17 times over. i had similar conversations in 10th grade.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:22 pm

btw, what is the "well known rift" between Rosenberg and DickRod? I'm not necessarily denying it, I'm just curious to know the facts.

I came across this article Rosenberg wrote when DickRod was hired, and it reads pretty glowingly:

December 16, 2007

MICHAEL ROSENBERG: U-M's hiring a great coach in Rodriguez

By MICHAEL ROSENBERG
FREE PRESS SPORTS COLUMNIST
Michigan hired a great football coach Sunday. Not a good one, like Greg Schiano. Not a very good one, like Les Miles. A great one.

Rich Rodriguez basically invented the spread-option offense. He has done an outstanding job by any measure at West Virginia. For years, the Mountaineers were considered well-coached overachievers under Don Nehlen, and Rodriguez has somehow improved on Nehlen’s success.

Rodriguez fits Michigan’s most fundamental criteria: he is a proven head coach from a major conference, he is young enough (44) to potentially stay in Ann Arbor for 15 to 20 years, and he has recruited the Midwest.

For the Michigan football fan who has complained incessantly for the last 10 years, Rodriguez might as well show up at this morning’s press conference dressed in wrapping paper and a bow.

Have you been begging for a spread offense? Coach Rod practically invented it. Do you want a defense that can stop the spread? Rodriguez’s defense will face the spread every day in practice. Have you been begging for fresh blood? Rodriguez, with no ties to U-M, might as well come from another continent.

So that’s all great. But before anybody pencils U-M into the national title game every year, I hope everybody understands the essential challenge of Rodriguez’s tenure:
He must fix what needs to be fixed, without breaking what isn’t broken.

So often, Michigan football fans dwell on what their team does wrong. But the program does a lot, right, too: the Wolverines had the seventh-best record in the country under Lloyd Carr, without any major scandals, and that didn’t happen by accident.

Some Michigan fans think U-M is the easiest place in the country to win big. The truth is it isn’t even the easiest in the Big Ten. Ohio State has better resources and facilities, a similar tradition, far more in-state talent and no other major-conference school in the state.

Carr and his staff were exceptional recruiters. Rodriguez needs to maintain some continuity on the staff, and the good news is that I expect assistant coaches Fred Jackson and Erik Campbell to stick around. Jackson and Campbell are U-M’s two longest-tenured assistants, probably the two best recruiters on staff, and they understand Michigan’s tradition. They will be invaluable to Rodriguez.

Michigan’s teams have been highly motivated, resilient and disciplined for so long, fans take those attributes for granted. Rodriguez must maintain that tradition.

And although the Wolverines have had their share of players get in trouble, especially recently, virtually everybody connected with the program says Carr is serious about both discipline and academics.

At West Virginia, Rodriguez had more lenient academic standards, and the school was willing to take a chance on, uh, “troubled” athletes. Among the players Rodriguez signed at West Virginia: linebacker Pat Lazear, who had served 10 days in jail and received a 10-year suspended sentence for conspiracy rob a convenience store.

That won’t fly in Ann Arbor. Rodriguez has to accept it rather than fight it. It’s a tradeoff for being able to recruit nationally.

Mostly, Rodriguez would be wise to talk to the people who helped make the Michigan job so attractive. He should ask the former players who wanted Miles what they expect from their program. He should ask Carr, who has been on staff since ESPN was a fledgling new channel, what it means to be the public face of the University of Michigan.

At West Virginia, Rodriguez was the ultimate insider: his father was a coal miner in the state and he attended the school. Now he is an outsider.

It would be hard to find two public schools that view themselves as differently as Michigan and West Virginia. Rich Rodriguez can absolutely make this transition, but first he must recognize it.

So what happened between then and now?

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:01 pm

Screw_Michigan wrote:
M Club wrote:jon = screw

booze in games = fine and well, no big deal. i'm pretty sure screw told his story about drinking bud 17 times over. i had similar conversations in 10th grade.
I only told it once. I don't do it anymore. Not that I need to make excuses to a syphillis inheriting, pie-in-the-sky fantasizing jerkoff like yourself. Just because your program is in complete disarray and the local media is buttfucking your savior ERRRRR coach in the mouth on a regular basis doesn't mean you have to be a bitter, vindictive fuck. Well, then you just wouldn't be yourself.

eh, my program will be fine. an actual assessment of the program wouldn't find much disarray, but you unemployed faux-journalist types can keep beating your chest over your self-importance while you try to make up reality.

it's fairly easy to tell which of us is the bitter, vindictive fuck. after all, i have a job and don't have to max out my credit cards to live in a shithole of a city, nor do i have to blame the michigan and notre dames of the world for my constant failure. crack open another bud, friend.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:33 pm

More DickRod news:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4439517

Report: Rodriguez linked with boosterComment Email Print Share Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez was business partners with a banned Clemson booster in a failed real-estate venture that led to a $3.9 million lawsuit, AnnArbor.com reported Tuesday night.

Clegg Lamar Greene is named in the lawsuit accusing Rodriguez and three others of defaulting on a multimillion-dollar loan tied to a Virginia condo development, the Web site reported.

Authorities say Greene stole money from investors, including Rodriguez, to pay debts on various business deals.

The 71-year-old Greene was accused in 2000 of providing a $1,300 loan and use of his boat to two Clemson recruits. Rodriguez was the offensive coordinator at Clemson in 1999 and 2000.

Rodriguez's agent did not immediately return a message Wednesday.

Van · Post by **Van** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:21 pm

Clegg Lamar Greene

:banjos:

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:15 am

Players on the 2008 and 2009 teams described training and practice sessions that far exceeded limits set by the NCAA, which governs college athletics. The restrictions are designed to protect players’ well-being, ensure adequate study time and prevent schools from gaining an unfair competitive advantage.

This is Division 1 football baby! Go play intramurals brother.

Sincerely,

Dan Hawkins

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:23 am

Screw_Michigan wrote:
M Club wrote: make up reality
Please go into detail while citing specific points how Rosenberg and Snyder "made up reality." Take your time.

Into detail, like lay out a briefing? Sure there, guy. For starters, though, I don't know, perhaps the current issue with practice time? Make sure you understand the rules before you write that Michigan broke them. Or perhaps you advocates for the truth can write some silly thing about shredding players' records like this was was 1745 and no one was using carbon paper yet, let alone keeping easily reproduced electronic files. West Virginia, ja, but even that state has more than just the computer Dickrod was using. Or perhaps lambaste Dickrod for months on end because of his persistance in fighting the buyout situation with WV was tarnishing UM's saintly image even though it turned out the issue was strung out at the university's behest. And maybe we can get into this maelstrom surrounding some fat kid's claim about family values that those fools took at face value and presented to the rest of the country as a program in crisis.

Michigan's not in turmoil. Dickrod's not going anywhere. The fact I understand how the media works and you don't is probably why you're unemployed.

TheJON · Post by **TheJON** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:25 am

But if they lose Saturday, the fans will turn against him so fast. They may be echoing your statements now, m club, but many Michigan fans will start claiming DickRod is the devil if they lose to the Fighting Screw's. He needs to win. He doesn't need to give the fans reason to start buying into these allegations. Lose this game and they will.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:16 am

i don't know if michigan fans are necessarily echoing my statements. i live in a bit of a bubble considering i don't live in michigan and the friends i talk with about michigan football are pretty reasonable with regards to dickrod. we have our differences, of course, but no one's screaming about him burning the house down. all stories like the current one do is get you worked up for no good reason, so it's probably good that i get to form my opinions, for the most part, away from the clatter, and like i said before, as long as bill martin's calling the shots it doesn't really matter how angry the fan base gets. [the people making the most noise are the ones who think every recruiting class should have at least one mnc to their name, so why would he base important decisions on their idiocy?]

so yes, people will be up in arms if we lose to wmu this weekend considering last season, which seems to have been judged more by "michigan football are good" than "uh, nick sheridan, really?" the best way to deal with controversy is to win, obviously, so he's going to have to show measurable improvement to get the howling public off his back. otherwise, it's just another off season of people yelling LOLOLOL on the internetz before he gets to stick a good team - on paper, at least - on the field. [this year's team = much more talented/experienced than last year's but much too much inexperience at key positions + no depth.]