Rich Rodriguez (official thread of last laughs)

[sandgk]

Mike Prisuta at the Pittsburgh Tribune Review rakes over the glowing embers to conclude that WVU is better off without "Fraudriguez" as he names RR.

West Virginia better off without former coach Rodriguez

The outrage over Rich Rodriguez's sudden departure from West Virginia has been as appropriate as it is venomous. By turning his back on his home state and his alma mater, and by going against the pledge he made a year ago when Alabama came calling, Rodriguez has revealed himself to be the worst possible mercenary.
And a guy you're better off without, character-wise, over the long haul.
But what about the football ramifications of Fraudriguez' flight to Ann Arbor?

....
Rodriguez can and should be judged on one game and one game only:
Pitt 13, West Virginia 9.

....
In terms of preparation, motivation and willingness and ability to adjust, Rodriguez had nothing.
He'll never have as golden an opportunity to play for the national championship again.

....
The perception is it's much easier to get there from Ann Arbor, but the reality is Michigan has won exactly half a national championship since everyone stopped wearing leather helmets (prior to sharing the 1997 title with Nebraska, Michigan had last prevailed in 1948).
And Rodriguez' regular seasons will now end against Ohio State rather than Pitt.

....
In the meantime, Michigan is giddy now that it finally found someone who actually wants to coach there, and Rodriguez' ego has been appropriately stroked.
The school that couldn't beat Appalachian State, and the coach who couldn't beat Pitt.
A marriage of arrogance.
Those two deserve each other.
Merry Christmas.

 

[Sportsbuck28]

It would make my day to see West Virginia and Michigan meet in a bowl game next year..

 

[Ttown]

It would make my day to see West Virginia and Michigan meet in a bowl game next year..

Instant rivalry.:tongue2:

 

[shetuck]

old (from yesterday), but interesting nonetheless...

Free Press: Will they stay or will they go? Mallett, Manningham asked about '08 season

i'll post the article's freaky picture of the legend in the capital one bowl thread.

Will they stay or will they go? Mallett, Manningham asked about '08 season

December 26, 2007
By MARK SNYDER

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

ORLANDO - Lloyd Carr's decision to retire was made months ago and announced more than five weeks back.

Now the decision-making shifts to his Michigan players.


- Freshman quarterback Ryan Mallett's decision to stay or transfer has drawn the most attention since Rich Rodriguez was hired as Carr's replacement. Rodriguez will bring a spread offense with him.

While elements of the spread are comfortable for Mallett - he was primarily a shotgun quarterback in high school - he said Wednesday that he planned to make a decision after the Capital One Bowl, but already had spoken with Rodriguez.

"It gets old when people keep asking me about it; we're trying to beat Florida," said Mallett, who likely would have to play next year without his quarterback coach, Scot Loeffler, who recruited Mallett and was fired by Rodriguez last week.

Carr has had multiple discussions with Mallett and his family.

"It's a career decision for him," Carr said. "I will support whatever he does. Other than that, sometimes a guy gets caught in a coaching change and that really changes things significantly. What I advised Ryan to do when Coach Rodriguez was named was to sit down and talk with him and don't listen to all the things that are out there. You have a conversation with him and you'll know exactly what your feelings are."

- Despite missing one game for violating team rules, junior Mario Manningham produced enough in the other 11 to be selected a second-team All-America wide receiver. That may be enough for him to take a long look at the NFL - he applied to have his draft status evaluated and said the results were "a good grade." But he said would not make a decision until after the bowl.

"The stuff that matters: Am I ready? Who's coming out next year? And this year?" Manningham said. "Stuff like that."

What about Rodriguez? What's his role in Manningham's thinking?

"Nothing," Manningham said. "He has nothing to do with my decision."

cont'd...

 

[Jaxbuck]

I wonder if MM honestly thinks a year in RR's system will make him more attractive to the NFL than he is right now? I know he's probably just posturing, I'd be shocked to see him back next year.

 

[muffler dragon]

I wonder if MM honestly thinks a year in RR's system will make him more attractive to the NFL than he is right now? I know he's probably just posturing, I'd be shocked to see him back next year.

[tongue in cheek]Why not? Then he could have Early Doucet-type numbers and be considered an "elite" receiver. [/tongue in cheek]

I agree with you on this one, Jax.

 

[WolverineTX]

[WTF?]

WVU fan auctioning off a valuable resource - his own beard

A West Virginia University fan is trying to sell his beard for $50 at an online auction site after learning that football coach Rich Rodriguez has left the school for Michigan.

The fan, whose name appears as bragg-mcdowell, has had the beard since the beginning of this year's football season and considered sending it to Rodriguez, but had second thoughts.

"I don't think he would have appreciated it as much as my fellow Mountaineers," he said in the post on eBay.

eBay auction


[/WTF?]


As the immortal Bill Hicks stated: kind of brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "You ain't from around here, are ya boy?"

 

[Oh8ch]

I really don't like the OSU/WVu fan mingling that is going on in message boards, it makes me feel really dirty

If RR did nothing else he united the Hatfields and McCoys.

 

[sandgk]

Fmr. WVU Coach Rich Rodriguez Served Lawsuit by WVU

If RR did nothing else he united the Hatfields and McCoys.

That's a classic!



In other news - WVU serves suit on Rich's Ass.

Believes he will not pay up on the $4 Million buy-out over 2 year period stipulated in contract.

Fmr. WVU Coach Rich Rodriguez Served Lawsuit by WVU
The lawsuit, filed just today, charges Rodriguez with breaching his contract with West Virginia University by taking the coaching job at Michigan. In the lawsuit, it says Rodriguez left WVU "voluntarily" to take the job at Michigan and, therefore, he did not meet the terms of departure of his contract. Those include three things and three things only: his death, disability or permanent retirement.

...

The document says Rodriguez is now required to pay the University damages in the amount of 4-million dollars. We'll continue to closely follow this story for you.

 

[stowfan]

From what I've read on the UM board, this could get ugly. Couldn't have asked for more for TP and his parents to follow along. I some how get the impression not all fans at the new WVU of the North are thrilled with RR.
Scout.com: Michigan Forums List

 

[shetuck]

In other news - WVU serves suit on Rich's Ass.

... he did not meet the terms of departure of his contract. Those include three things and three things only: his death, disability or permanent retirement.

Believes he will not pay up on the $4 Million buy-out over 2 year period stipulated in contract.

maybe his lawyers are planning to argue that he died from asphyxiation at the pitt game? :dead:

 

[sandgk]

maybe his lawyers are planning to argue that he died from asphyxiation at the pitt game? :dead:

He was only mostly dead (from the neck up).

 

[Oh8ch]

We may all end up eating our words, but for the moment this guy looks like the gift that keeps on giving.

No way does he have 4 mil. Certainly UM didn't agree to pay the 4 mil or this would not be a public item. (Why would they have allowed it to go to the level of a lawsuit against their new coach?)

Unless there is something in his contract that only his lawyer sees (an Obie clause) the coach at the honorable University of Michigan may end up doing something quite dishonorable. Either he sees something we don't or he acted on incredibly bad advice. The best case scenario for RR at this point is that he gets away with violating his contract in clear view of the public. His worst case scenario could be that UM may not keep him (is there a signed contract yet?).

To be honest I am almost torn. I am tired of the Big Ten taking beatings of one sort or another, but this is our Maize and Blue headed step child.

 

[fourteenandoh]

any accountants out there care to comment on this? its from M Zone... from what i gather this guy is saying that if anyone pays the buyout for him it is considered income and he will have to pay taxes on it. what a mess!

College Football Forum

Got an interesting email from MZone reader Ron regarding new coach Rich Rodriquez and the tax consequences of his rumored $4M buyout clause...

I am a CPA and a tax lawyer as well as a football fan. RR has a famous $4,000,000 buy-out in his West by God Virginia contract. It is rumored that UM will directly or indirectly pay this.

This brings up what tax professionals call: "Phantom Income". Money he will have to pay taxes on that he never gets.

If anyone other that RR pays it, RR will owe income taxes on the $4,000,000. In his bracket, that going to hit at 45% to 50% including state and local tax. So that $1,800,000 to $2,000,000 in AFTER TAX cash that he will need to come up with. If UM pays it or it is paid on UM's behalf, he and UM will also have to pay 1.45% Medicare taxes.

Even if WBGV agrees to just drop it, it is "forgiveness of indebtedness" and he will be liable for the taxes on the money.

RR is making money that most people have difficulty imagining and has probably put a nice chunk aside by now (he has had little opportunity to spend much in Morgantown -- how much can a double-wide cost? and Bentley doesn't make a pick-up.) but after paying his taxes in 2008, he will probably have -0- take home pay.

Lots of times, phantom income gets ignored because the IRS doesn't learn of it. But RR's phantom income has got a lot of media attention and there are probably some Mount Near (to use their pronunciation) fans in Compliance and Audit that hold a bit of grudge against Rich.

 

[sandgk]

That's right - but it is better than having to pay out $4 Million AFTER TAXES.

R's end of this may be $1 Million OOP, taxes on $3 Million to State and Feds.

Net deficit - probably $2 Million and up.

Welcome to your new life Rich - or, how much did you pay those financial advisors, In Toledo, for god's sake?