2009 TSUN News (football only discussion)

[osugrad21]

Blade

Article published September 02, 2009
Michigan on board for Rodriguez's second year

By RYAN AUTULLO
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
ANN ARBOR ? From the corporate season ticket holders, to tenants of fraternity row, to the clarinet players in the marching band ? the reasons behind the University of Michigan's struggles a year ago were obvious to everyone.

So young, so injury riddled, so unprepared for a new system. But once that 3-9 season was laid to rest, it was revealed that other issues ? controllable ones ? also factored into sinking the inaugural year under Rich Rodriguez.

?You can't really blame Rich-Rod because everybody on the team didn't buy in like they're supposed to,? Brandon Minor said after the Wolverines closed their season with a loss to Ohio State. ?We had a couple guys not going hard, but we'll correct that. It ain't going to happen on my watch. I'm a senior next year.?

Now is next year, and it should come without coincidence that the program has adopted the marketing slogan ?All in for Michigan.? That vision of cohesiveness may have taken a hit last Saturday when a newspaper report citing former and current Wolverines accused the program of breaking NCAA rules by exceeding the hours designated for mandatory activities. However, senior David Moosman said everyone with the team is fully endorsing Rodriguez and the program.
Cont...

 

[blueinfla]

I forsee a lot of yardage by UM's offense, which might leave UM a little overconfident heading into their ND matchup.

If ND's run defense is anything like it was last year, UM should be able to move the ball on the them. Without UM spotting them 21 pts in the first 10 minutes of the game, UM is in that game. Hell, even with those 21 pts, it was still a game until the Kevin Grady fumble, I believe which was in the late 3rd, or early 4th quarter.

 

[ochre]

So, the players call him Rich-Rod when talking with reporters?

Seriously?

That oozes respect.

 

[blueinfla]

So, the players call him Rich-Rod when talking with reporters?

Seriously?

That oozes respect.

It can't be because of the family atmosphere, because we all know there is no such thing at UM.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

It can't be because of the family atmosphere, because we all know there is no such thing at UM.

Family atmosphere.....

Yeah, in my family, I call my father by his first name or by a nickname

No... I call my dad "Dad" It's a sign of respect for his position in my life. You can refer to your coach as "Coach" and still have a family atmosphere.

 

[blueinfla]

Michael Rosenberg & Mark Snyder on U of M football allegations (youtube)

YouTube - Michael Rosenberg & Mark Snyder on U of M football allegations 8/20

Hahahahaha, why isn't Rosenpuff and Snyder going after almost every team in every sport in college? When I played baseball in college, we always went over the allotted time. And we sucked. My buddy I work with played soccer at a low D1 school in SC, and he even said they practiced over the amount allowed.

 

[blueinfla]

Family atmosphere.....

Yeah, in my family, I call my father by his first name or by a nickname

No... I call my dad "Dad" It's a sign of respect for his position in my life. You can refer to your coach as "Coach" and still have a family atmosphere.

Sarcasm doesn't translate well over the keyboard.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Hahahahaha, why isn't Rosenpuff and Snyder going after almost every team in every sport in college? When I played baseball in college, we always went over the allotted time. And we sucked. My buddy I work with played soccer at a low D1 school in SC, and he even said they practiced over the amount allowed.

I don't think your mistaken when you mention "everyone does it" I think that's true, if a team wants to succeed they voluntarily go over the 4 hours a day, 20 hours a week. That's a "nothing to see here" sort of story, and I can't see how anyone would establish mandatory v. voluntary

The real issue, I think, is that players inside the Michigan locker room were willing to say the things they said. It's evidence of division in the locker room, at the least, is what I'm saying.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Sarcasm doesn't translate well over the keyboard.

Gotcha.

 

[blueinfla]

I don't think your mistaken when you mention "everyone does it" I think that's true, if a team wants to succeed they voluntarily go over the 4 hours a day, 20 hours a week. That's a "nothing to see here" sort of story, and I can't see how anyone would establish mandatory v. voluntary

The real issue, I think, is that players inside the Michigan locker room were willing to say the things they said. It's evidence of division in the locker room, at the least, is what I'm saying.

I totally agree with your first paragraph. There is no way to establish voluntary vs. mandatory, unless a player comes out and says it is all mandatory.

I don't agree with the division in the locker room though. I read an article just after the Rosenpuff outbreak, where LB Obi Ezeh said that the team has come together and it is uniting them even more. Also, I think the quotes that were used, were done so in an inappropriate way. To my understanding, Rosenberg and Snyder already concluded what they wanted BEFORE the interviews had taken place. It's speculative on my part, but I'd like to see the wording of the questions by the interviewer. I'm willing to bet the questions and answers are harmless when not taken out of context. However, when you have a "reporter" with an agenda, you can copy and paste any quote, or parts of quotes to appear any way you want. Just my epinion. Honestly, I'd have the same opinion if this were OSU and not UM that the "investigation" was done to.

 

[Gatorubet]

Here, it's not so much that they put in the long hours, it's that they said that scUM staff was there most of the time monitoring.

 

[localyokel]

Sarcasm doesn't translate well over the keyboard.

Oh, I dunno...I got it.

 

[blueinfla]

To my understanding, Rosenberg and Snyder already concluded what they wanted BEFORE the interviews had taken place. It's speculative on my part, but I'd like to see the wording of the questions by the interviewer. I'm willing to bet the questions and answers are harmless when not taken out of context. However, when you have a "reporter" with an agenda, you can copy and paste any quote, or parts of quotes to appear any way you want. Just my epinion. Honestly, I'd have the same opinion if this were OSU and not UM that the "investigation" was done to.

Well, to echo some of what I said, I found an article.

http://www.examiner.com/x-2992-Detroit-Sports-Examiner~y2009m9d1-Emotional-Rodriguez-denies-allegations

Another problem I had with the article is the way Rosenberg squeezed out information from two freshman who clearly had no idea they were doing anything wrong when describing the workout regiment. Knowing full well what he was looking for, Rosenberg asked these unsuspecting kids what the day-to-day activities are and got a full description from the two 18-year-old young men. They never showed any discontent when describing the weekly hours they were putting in, and in fact showed nothing but excitement when explaining how hard the coaching staff has pushed them and how demanding it is in strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis? program. Rosenberg took those statements and used it to back up his allegations that the program is working the players too much. But what wasn?t asked was how many of those hours were mandatory and how many were the players putting in on their own time.

Of course we have no idea what’s true and what isn’t. Everything Rosenberg wrote could be 100% fact, but much of it could be hearsay as well. That’s my main beef with the piece; it put assumptions in print and made it sound like truth.

 

[blueinfla]

Here, it's not so much that they put in the long hours, it's that they said that scUM staff was there most of the time monitoring.

I see what you are saying. I've heard very little of this. I refuse to click on any link the the freep, so I don't know what the actual quotes are from those "former and current players". Again, though, I'd be surprised to find out that there are not staffers at most, if not all, workouts at most every other school.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

I don't agree with the division in the locker room though. I read an article just after the Rosenpuff outbreak, where LB Obi Ezeh said that the team has come together and it is uniting them even more. Also, I think the quotes that were used, were done so in an inappropriate way. To my understanding, Rosenberg and Snyder already concluded what they wanted BEFORE the interviews had taken place. It's speculative on my part, but I'd like to see the wording of the questions by the interviewer. I'm willing to bet the questions and answers are harmless when not taken out of context. However, when you have a "reporter" with an agenda, you can copy and paste any quote, or parts of quotes to appear any way you want. Just my epinion. Honestly, I'd have the same opinion if this were OSU and not UM that the "investigation" was done to.

I can certainly appreciate that angle. I was of the opinion that the ESPN the Magazine article about MoC was in that same vein - a young kid not realizing the implications of what he was saying or being asked to do (ie the pic of him throwing his shoulder pads off being used with the headline "One and Done?") I guess we'll find out for sure if it's divisive or uniting in the next couple of weeks.