Rich Rodriguez (official thread of last laughs)

[HailToMichigan]

How can tOSU fans not?

I think it's because Michigan and Ohio State have a pretty big rivalry.

You, I haven't seen talking like this as much, but take a look around at the board, man. When you treat the word Michigan as a swear word, it's hard to be objective at the same time.

 

[CookyPuss]

When you treat the word Michigan as a swear word, it's hard to be objective at the same time.

Get it straight, it IS a swear word. :tongue2:

 

[xcrunner]

Pay attention to who and what I quoted.

In my opinion, part of the way you show that you care about people's lives is demonstrated in many ways. I do not think that RR showed much respect to his players who he supposedly cares very much about when he called Pryor first. I also think that perhaps this is evident in some of the players he recruits. Do you think that Carr would have recruited Noel Devine or any of the other 'sketchy' (to put it incredibly lightly) players that RR recruited? It says something that he's willing to recruit people like that because he needs them on the football field, without thinking of other aspects of their life.

Now, one could argue "well, he was trying to take them under his wing, make them better human beings, etc"... But looking at where a number of those athletes are now, it doesn't seem to have worked

 

[CausticMick]

I think it's because Michigan and Ohio State have a pretty big rivalry.

You, I haven't seen talking like this as much, but take a look around at the board, man. When you treat the word Michigan as a swear word, it's hard to be objective at the same time.

Understood. I respect U of M and hope they do well outside of The Game. Therefore, I feel I am looking at this objectively. I know if my coach in college treated our team that way upon departure for another job (and did the same things), I would have felt betrayed.

 

[Oh8ch]

Hail - we both know that objectivity about RR is going to be hard to find on this board, but why don't you take the lead.

Are you on record as saying that there was NOTHING inappropriate about the timing of RR's call either as it related to his players or as it related to WVUs position in regards to recruiting Pryor?

 

[Wingate1217]

That's exactly what he did. Called a meeting and told them.

I am talking about calling an immediate meeting before calling Pryor or waiting after a meeting and calling Pryor. To say he couldn't get the majority of his players together in an two or three hours is laughable. My son plays college football and the coaching staff has all their cell phone and apartment phone numbers as well as My Space/Face book accounts. They have had unscheduled meetings a couple of times and 90-95% of the squad is there.....
He knowingly called a recruit first (maybe knowing maybe not) that it would get out to the media. He should have kept his mouth shut till he informed the team, then called Pryor, then had a presser.
Like I said I my son's coach had told me that he would look after my son while he is away at home and something like this happens:
1) I would be pissed as hell at first;
2) Happy as hell that my son just learned a life lesson and that my son doesn't have to deal with someone of questionable integrity.

Maybe RR didn't think this through but you got to admit he handled it poorly.....but as someone quoted before me all he had to do was wait for practice time that day.....

 

[HailToMichigan]

:tongue2:
Get that school ma'am tone out of here -
I paid full attention to what was quoted and told you what it meant to me.
This:



Wasn't quoted into your post by the way - and besides which, so what. Same answer, one can say all manner of good things, then commit bad deeds.

Actions speak louder than words.

As for paying attention HTM - I mean what I said earlier about the mythologizing of difficulty Dick Wad might have had in arranging his last team meeting at WVU. (All the team was already going to a practice that Sunday) Care to admit that your premise on that issue holds zero water?

No.

Then again, if the entire team is hanging around the facilities, watching film, talking things over with coaches, studying playbooks, visiting the trainer, and preparing for the bowl game, three hours before practice is actually scheduled to begin (early afternoon, correct?) then Rich Rodriguez is definitely the coach I want at Michigan.

However, I don't see how it implies that if there was a practice scheduled for "early afternoon" that the whole team was hanging around.

And given that West Virginia's players themselves felt like RR "was a man about it" (as put by one of them), that has no bearing on anything?

 

[sandgk]

No.

With complete and utter respect HTM - other than that first word I'm filing the rest of what you wrote under non-responsive.
The WVU team was available, easily, for a meeting. There is no justification for calling a recruit before telling the AD and team.
There is no need to invoke logistical difficulties as a defence of your new coach's actions on that day.
Case closed.

 

[cincibuck]

RR flew in a private jet to meet with the Michigan brass on Friday.He flew to Toledo, rather than Ann Arbor.

And you don't see the deceit in this?

Yet word leaked out,

I am shocked. Slow news period for college football and the all time winning est football program in the NCAA is looking for a coach. who'd guess the press would be out there?

Given the 24/7 nature of the coverage surrounding Les Miles, Greg Schiano, Rodriguez, and the Michigan coaching search, how can you be so naive as to expect that the news could have stayed under wraps for a full 24 hours?

You answer your own question.

If he handled it the way you demand, he'd have then been criticized for waiting until the next day to tell his players, after they'd already been subjected to a full day of rumors and innuendo. He told them face to face just as the news was breaking.

Being forthright 's a bitch.

Rodriguez, by the way, owes the university president nothing. When you leave a company, you tell your boss, not the CEO.

you owe nothing to the people who gave you the chance, who paid you well, who put you in the position to be considered for such a job? I expect more integrity from Michigan and the people they hire. Which brings up the question, why the hell couldn't Michigan have the decency to step back and say, "we'll be getting serious as soon as the bowl season is over?" It's not like they weren't going to get a top notch coach, they're Michigan for God's sake. Got to be one of the top twenty jobs in college football.

If you ask me the school and Rod Wad acted shamefully. It doesn't surprise me that the coach would, but I expect more from "the leaders and best."

 

[Gatorubet]

I'm gonna love hating this scUMbag.

The Mountaineers are happy he's gone...

 

[HailToMichigan]

Hail - we both know that objectivity about RR is going to be hard to find on this board, but why don't you take the lead.

Are you on record as saying that there was NOTHING inappropriate about the timing of RR's call either as it related to his players or as it related to WVUs position in regards to recruiting Pryor?

No, I believe I am on record (in posts from a little while ago) as saying that RR certainly could have handled things better overall, didn't think 100% about the fallout of his actions, but shouldn't be crucified, being that the weekend of 14-16 December was a pretty hectic whirlwind for the man.

If not, then here's what I'll "go on record" with: RR does not deserve to be accused of treating his players like week-old garbage, not giving a shit, or called a selfish fraud, piece of shit, slimy, scumbag, or any of that stuff.

What I see is that people are basing this on this one point: He called Terrelle Pryor at 10 AM and talked to his team at 1:30 PM. Reverse those, and what is there to talk about? For the want of three and a half hours, Rich Rodriguez is somehow a shithead, a complete fuckup, a slimy, unethical scumbag. Wait just four hours, and all is well? One phone call. Four hours. That's what his reputation is hanging on? That's it? That's what this is about? RR did not leave a note for his players, he did not wait for the press to tell them, he let them hear it from his own mouth. That is not the action of someone who is treating his players like week-old garbage.

Yet I don't see a single peep, not the tiniest little mention of this, anywhere but here. The national media seems to not even have noticed. This is the same bunch that slaughtered Bobby Petrino for the way he left the Falcons, and Nick Saban for the way he left the Dolphins, so I doubt that they're the kind to let unethical behavior slide. You don't find this stuff in such vitriolic detail even on the RCMB, which is the same place where a solid third of posters were dancing a jig when Bo died.

So I refuse to believe that three and a half hours determines the character of this guy. There's more to it. Is it because you guys are Ohio State fans and naturally inclined to find the wrong in everything Michigan does? Is it because the recruit in question happens to also be a potential Buckeye prize and you suddenly stand the chance of losing him to your biggest rival? A little bit of each, I suspect.

 

[HailToMichigan]

And you don't see the deceit in this?

Of course I do. And I also think it's a damn good idea, given the circus that surrounded the Les Miles affair. Trying to keep the media off the scent is a good thing, not a bad thing. As you said....slow news period, and Michigan's out looking for a coach. How do you expect to talk to anyone?

And no, I don't think Michigan was wrong for searching for a coach before the bowl season was done. It happens every year. One recruit (Weinke) had already left and some of the best committed players (McGuffie, Cissoko, etc.) were making waves about leaving too. Do you really expect the school to leave the recruits twisting in the wind for a month while they politely wait for January? We'll do that if you can get coaches around the country to promise not to call the recruits and try and wrench them free.

 

[CookyPuss]

So I refuse to believe that three and a half hours determines the character of this guy. There's more to it.

There's more to it alright. How about his scumbag buddy immediately going to the media to try to help him weasel out of his buy out. That was pretty classy as well. He certainly could have stepped up and made an agreement with the school as to how it would be resolved rather than forcing them to sue.

As for the TP part of the situation, the timing was everything. I don't know why the media didn't pick up on it. I have no idea what the rules are in such a situation.

 

[sandgk]

What I see is that people are basing this on this one point: He called Terrelle Pryor at 10 AM and talked to his team at 1:30 PM. Reverse those, and what is there to talk about?

You are now getting it.
If he reverses those actions - calling Pryor after he has resigned as WVU's HC then indeed there is less to call him on.

For the want of three and a half hours, Rich Rodriguez is somehow a shithead, a complete fuckup, a slimy, unethical scumbag. Wait just four hours, and all is well?

But, of course there is more. The 10AM call being just one aspect that is the Dick Wadriguez iceberg.

Not having the balls to go face to face with the AD, resignation handed in by a GA.

Having his 200K grouses with the WVU Athletic Department trotted out by a major booster on his behalf, in support of an attempt to avoid paying his $4 Million dollar buy-out.

History of recruiting, actively, questionable character and academically damaged players.

There is more then, but we happened to fasten on calling a recruit because you so adamantly tried to defend the indefensible.

Yet I don't see a single peep, not the tiniest little mention of this, anywhere but here. The national media seems to not even have noticed. This is the same bunch that slaughtered Bobby Petrino for the way he left the Falcons, and Nick Saban for the way he left the Dolphins, so I doubt that they're the kind to let unethical behavior slide.

Trust the media?

So I refuse to believe that three and a half hours determines the character of this guy. There's more to it.

There is, see above list.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Good. I'm glad you see things my way. RR didn't even wait til the first available school day. He told them in a meeting the day of, which happened to be a Sunday.

Then he shouldn't have called Pryor until then. Again, he put Pryor before his own team...