Rich Rodriguez (official thread of last laughs)

[martinss01]

I've been trying to get that image out of my head since yesterday :(

my work here is done.

I'm not sure if I were Rich Rod I would have done anything any different because it was a good move on his part. The folks at TSUN knew or should have known who he was. After all TSUN has all these propel with abbreviations behind their names that get paid to know better yet they had no clue. The hand writing was on the wall, it certainly was not a case of "hindsight." What else could they expect besides a protracted legal battle for money that everyone believes is RichRods to pay period, deep down regardless of any smoke and mirrors.

im having a hard time believing richrods situation was not known well before an offer was made. its really hard for me to believe that the scummers threw millions of dollars on the table without doing even the most basic of research. so assuming scumland knew his situation, they had to have some form of plan for dealing with it. if i had to guess, id say richrod is launching this fight on their behalf so they don't have to pay the 4 mill. it very well could have been a condition of his hiring. we'll give you the job at this pay with the expectation that you will do everything in your power to not have to pay the buyout.

Now their coach can't be trusted, has a bad name, has difficulty recruiting classes and everyone asks why. I'll tell you why... its all of TSUN upper echelon who ok'd the deal that should be hung with their heads on the line save for Lloyd Carr. Now isn't that all ironic?

but from the perspective of scumland, is this a bad thing? few high profile schools (higher than scum) will be interested in this guy in the short term. when you factor in that this guy will bolt for greener pastures at the drop of a hat... maybe tarnishing his "good name" isn't such a bad idea. at the very least it'll affect his ability to move on more than a 4 mill buyout. while im sure it will hurt his recruiting over the next 2 or 3 years. it won't affect his abilities as a coach and lets face it, past 2010 few teenagers will remember any of this.

if richrod weasels his way out of the wvu buyout and does well as a coach, scumland wins big time. they are +4mill and have a winning coach that few teams will be willing to touch because he is considered a serious flight risk that can't be bound by a contract. if he doesn't weasel his way out of the contract and sucks up the field. scumland is possibly out 4 mill, or they just pin the debt on richrod claiming they made no promises to pay the money. they then shit can richrod claiming he is a scumbag who deceived them and can't coach for shit. certainly fits the public perception eh?

the thing is, we have all been assuming that scum was ignorant in hiring a legal buffoon. perhaps they saw this as more of a big reward low risk situation. tarnish the guys good name, sidestep the buyout, and if he looses or ends up getting saddled with the buyout... fire his ass. if he is successful, great problem solved. if he isn't it'll take 2 or 3 years for it all to work out in the courts and on the field. at which point the les miles saga will have been long forgotten. you then drop richrod like a rock and hire the guy you wanted in the first place.

 

[HailToMichigan]

my work here is done.



im having a hard time believing richrods situation was not known well before an offer was made. its really hard for me to believe that the scummers threw millions of dollars on the table without doing even the most basic of research. so assuming scumland knew his situation, they had to have some form of plan for dealing with it. if i had to guess, id say richrod is launching this fight on their behalf so they don't have to pay the 4 mill. it very well could have been a condition of his hiring. we'll give you the job at this pay with the expectation that you will do everything in your power to not have to pay the buyout.



but from the perspective of scumland, is this a bad thing? few high profile schools (higher than scum) will be interested in this guy in the short term. when you factor in that this guy will bolt for greener pastures at the drop of a hat... maybe tarnishing his "good name" isn't such a bad idea. at the very least it'll affect his ability to move on more than a 4 mill buyout. while im sure it will hurt his recruiting over the next 2 or 3 years. it won't affect his abilities as a coach and lets face it, past 2010 few teenagers will remember any of this.

if richrod weasels his way out of the wvu buyout and does well as a coach, scumland wins big time. they are +4mill and have a winning coach that few teams will be willing to touch because he is considered a serious flight risk that can't be bound by a contract. if he doesn't weasel his way out of the contract and sucks up the field. scumland is possibly out 4 mill, or they just pin the debt on richrod claiming they made no promises to pay the money. they then shit can richrod claiming he is a scumbag who deceived them and can't coach for shit. certainly fits the public perception eh?

the thing is, we have all been assuming that scum was ignorant in hiring a legal buffoon. perhaps they saw this as more of a big reward low risk situation. tarnish the guys good name, sidestep the buyout, and if he looses or ends up getting saddled with the buyout... fire his ass. if he is successful, great problem solved. if he isn't it'll take 2 or 3 years for it all to work out in the courts and on the field. at which point the les miles saga will have been long forgotten. you then drop richrod like a rock and hire the guy you wanted in the first place.

Interesting theory. I don't think the U-M brass is that conniving though. For sure, I think everything up to the first bold is right, and I'll buy as a possibility everything up to the second bold. With Beilein being in a similar situation, it's natural to assume that WVU includes such a buyout as standard procedure. I think U-M figured it would play out the same way, with a negotiated reduction. It started to - "the lawyers are handling it" and all that. I don't think they expected WVU to come flying in with a sudden lawsuit.

 

[seed702]

What do you think of when you hear The Victors?

I think of Tide. To wash the vomit off my shirt.

 

[seed702]

Didn't think of that.. I was thinking he's only been winning since he got Pat White & Slaton

I think he meant VT & Miami.

 

[Crashcup]

Interesting theory. I don't think the U-M brass is that conniving though. For sure, I think everything up to the first bold is right, and I'll buy as a possibility everything up to the second bold. With Beilein being in a similar situation, it's natural to assume that WVU includes such a buyout as standard procedure. I think U-M figured it would play out the same way, with a negotiated reduction. It started to - "the lawyers are handling it" and all that. I don't think they expected WVU to come flying in with a sudden lawsuit.

I agree with HTM...no one's going to throw their program under a bus and pray they come out alive. Too hard to turn a program around. The other point to make RichRod "untouchable" is that you're either a Glen Mason or Nick Saban or you have integrity. No way will all of TSUN's psychology department stop that.

Interesting take though.

 

[Steve19]

I have a different theory.

TSUN football got quite used to owning Ohio State during the Cooper era. Ohio State was "no longer good enough" to be their rival. "Actually, we have bigger rivalries with Notre Dame and Michigan State, all Ohio State have are us."

Then, Tressel came and everything shifted. The first win was a bit of a shock. The second win cut deep into that "we own them" psyche. The third win shattered it. That pass to Gonzo became a moment of deep psychological change for TSUN and their fans. Tressel owned Carr. Ohio State was their new daddy.

When Carr lost again last year and could be pushed into administration to make way for a new coach, TSUN wanted a new sheriff to come into town. They wanted a "tough guy" because Ohio State dominance had hit them very deep, Bo was gone, and Carr had no answers. Ohio State got into their heads and, when Les Miles didn't work out, they decided that they needed a bit of a thug. If Tressel couldn't coach against a spread, then they wanted that offense. They wanted that guy. And he was bringing one of the hottest quarterback prospects in history with him.

So, they got the coach that they wanted to hire, in all his glory. He brought his offense, which is dating by the day and which Ohio State may well be running against them next year. Then, they lost the quarterback prospect to Ohio State. West Virginia said, "nonsense, pay up." And then the thug began to disrespect their traditions.

I think they must have anticipated that the $4 million was possible, but not probable. I think they were shocked that West Virginians reacted as they did. They must have been quietly shattered when Pryor came to Ohio State. I'm not sure that they really factored into the equation that RR's success in the Big East came only in the aftermath of the major players moving on to other conferences.

What I like about the situation is that they all know RR is a bad hire but they are stuck with him. They know he will not succeed at TSUN. There is too much controversy, too much change to make. He has too much baggage and personality issues to be more than Vloyd was. And Ohio State just seems to get better in a league coming out of a very bad patch.

I'm not saying that he won't get TSUN back to a two or three loss team after this year. He may even beat Ohio State somewhere down the road. But, he won't be Jim Tressel and he won't turn the tide on The Game.

So, they spent a lot of money to get here. They're about to spend a lot more. It won't give them what they want. Former players think the guy is a putz. And they have to keep him for all the reasons Ohio State kept Cooper.

I love this Bill Martin guy. Almost as much as his daddy, Andy Geiger.

 

[DaytonBuck]

I have a different theory.

TSUN football got quite used to owning Ohio State during the Cooper era. Ohio State was "no longer good enough" to be their rival. "Actually, we have bigger rivalries with Notre Dame and Michigan State, all Ohio State have are us."

Then, Tressel came and everything shifted. The first win was a bit of a shock. The second win cut deep into that "we own them" psyche. The third win shattered it. That pass to Gonzo became a moment of deep psychological change for TSUN and their fans. Tressel owned Carr. Ohio State was their new daddy.

When Carr lost again last year and could be pushed into administration to make way for a new coach, TSUN wanted a new sheriff to come into town. They wanted a "tough guy" because Ohio State dominance had hit them very deep, Bo was gone, and Carr had no answers. Ohio State got into their heads and, when Les Miles didn't work out, they decided that they needed a bit of a thug. If Tressel couldn't coach against a spread, then they wanted that offense. They wanted that guy. And he was bringing one of the hottest quarterback prospects in history with him.

So, they got the coach that they wanted to hire, in all his glory. He brought his offense, which is dating by the day and which Ohio State may well be running against them next year. Then, they lost the quarterback prospect to Ohio State. West Virginia said, "nonsense, pay up." And then the thug began to disrespect their traditions.

I think they must have anticipated that the $4 million was possible, but not probable. I think they were shocked that West Virginians reacted as they did. They must have been quietly shattered when Pryor came to Ohio State. I'm not sure that they really factored into the equation that RR's success in the Big East came only in the aftermath of the major players moving on to other conferences.

What I like about the situation is that they all know RR is a bad hire but they are stuck with him. They know he will not succeed at TSUN. There is too much controversy, too much change to make. He has too much baggage and personality issues to be more than Vloyd was. And Ohio State just seems to get better in a league coming out of a very bad patch.

I'm not saying that he won't get TSUN back to a two or three loss team after this year. He may even beat Ohio State somewhere down the road. But, he won't be Jim Tressel and he won't turn the tide on The Game.

So, they spent a lot of money to get here. They're about to spend a lot more. It won't give them what they want. Former players think the guy is a putz. And they have to keep him for all the reasons Ohio State kept Cooper.

I love this Bill Martin guy. Almost as much as his daddy, Andy Geiger.

Bill Martin is a great athletic director. The Chrysler Arena is good as is for now. The coach who mentored Adam Jones and Chris Henry is a good molder of young men and scholar athletes. Getting a hoops coach who can tap into the Flint, Saginaw and Detroit Public School Leagues is overrated.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Bill Martin is a great athletic director. The Chrysler Arena is good as is for now. The coach who mentored Adam Jones and Chris Henry is a good molder of young men and scholar athletes. Getting a hoops coach who can tap into the Flint, Saginaw and Detroit Public School Leagues is overrated.

you forgot that Morgan Trent is a good corner

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

you forgot that Morgan Trent is a good corner

WRONG!


Morgan Trent is a GREAT corner. First-team All Big Ten this season.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

there was a poll on their boards asking who their best player was.....and Trent was leading the way. god I hope that's true.

 

[Palpie]

WRONG!


Morgan Trent is a GREAT corner. First-team All Big Ten this season.

Still wrong.



Thorpe Award winner, 1st db taken in the draft.

 

[BB73]

if richrod weasels his way out of the wvu buyout and does well as a coach, scumland wins big time. they are +4mill and have a winning coach that few teams will be willing to touch because he is considered a serious flight risk that can't be bound by a contract. if he doesn't weasel his way out of the contract and sucks up the field. scumland is possibly out 4 mill, or they just pin the debt on richrod claiming they made no promises to pay the money. they then shit can richrod claiming he is a scumbag who deceived them and can't coach for shit. certainly fits the public perception eh?

I think they did make promises to pay the money, if he couldn't get out of it. It was certainly discussed at the meeting in Toledo just before RR accepted the job, and probably included in the part of RR's agreement with TSUN that was blacked out in the copy provided to the WVU legal team. Any commitment that TSUN may have made is a key point in the current lawsuit; RR's guys are trying to keep it from coming to light.

Time for some speculation on my part.

RR's and his lawyers are claiming that when the topic was discussed, TSUN President Mary Sue Coleman and AD Bill Martin were in another room. I have a theory that RR's lawyers came up with that story only after they realized that the topic would come up in the lawsuit, in an attempt to keep that discussion under attorney/client privilege. (edit - Rita Rodriguez was supposedly hired as an agent, apparently in another attempt to keep the content of those meetings privileged, and even attorney Robon admits that she was hired after those meetings occurred).

I'm hoping that WVU and their lawyers force Coleman and Martin to give affadavits and/or depositions that testify to the 'fact' that they weren't in the room when the buyout was discussed. Making them do so, if my theory that the 'separate rooms' thing was cooked up after the fact is correct, will put them on the hook for perjury, and they may not be willing to do so. If the 'separate rooms' thing is BS, they would have to choose to either: lie to support RR's testimony (RR testified that "Coleman and Martin were not in the meetings with Marvin and myself"), tell the truth and make the new coach look like a perjurer, or claim to not remember the details of who was in the room when certain things were discussed.

They would most probably make the last choice, but in my mind that would confirm my theory that the separate rooms thing was a crock. If they actually were in separate rooms, it was because the lawyers realized ahead of time that the buyout discussion could be relevant if RR was later sued over the $4 milliion in liquidated damages. If the lawyers were that sharp (which I doubt), they would have stated why there was a need for separate rooms; and with $4 million at stake the AD and the school president would have a clear memory of that, even after almost 6 months. Claiming to not remember if they were in the room when the buyout was discussed would make them look like fools who are complicit in a lie. I would enjoy that if it happens, so I'm waiting to see them be complelled to give a deposition in the case.

Edit - I guess there's another choice - Coleman and Martin could tell RR to settle the lawsuit by paying the full amount, and thus avoid having to give testimony. Which is another reason for the WVU team to request depositions from them.

 

[martinss01]

So, they got the coach that they wanted to hire, in all his glory. He brought his offense, which is dating by the day and which Ohio State may well be running against them next year. Then, they lost the quarterback prospect to Ohio State. West Virginia said, "nonsense, pay up." And then the thug began to disrespect their traditions.

ill buy everything up to this point. i don't think they got the coach they wanted. i think they got the coach that was available and sleazy enough to jump ship in the middle of bowl season. imho they wanted les miles. furthermore, i think les was in the bag until herbie broke the story. vloyd had already been fired. now les is backing out to keep his team together for the nc game. its only at this point that richrod starts looking pretty attractive.

I think they must have anticipated that the $4 million was possible, but not probable. I think they were shocked that West Virginians reacted as they did. They must have been quietly shattered when Pryor came to Ohio State. I'm not sure that they really factored into the equation that RR's success in the Big East came only in the aftermath of the major players moving on to other conferences.

hmmm... they were surprised that a business (thats what colleges are) is requiring an employee to fulfill a legally binding contract? lets face it, 4 mill isn't chump change to wvu. if this had been a school with the financial backing of tOSU... maybe the buyout isn't pursued or is negotiated down. maybe. but if this surprised anyone on scum's hiring board they should be fired. into the sun with a cannon.

im positive they were crossing their fingers for pryor. but then, lots of colleges were including tOSU. even without pryor richrod had a lot of time to recruit and a lot of talent to work with. so i don't think pryor was a big selling point for richrod to scum. a college with the history and success that scum is used to doesn't hire a coach for a single player.

What I like about the situation is that they all know RR is a bad hire but they are stuck with him. They know he will not succeed at TSUN. There is too much controversy, too much change to make. He has too much baggage and personality issues to be more than Vloyd was. And Ohio State just seems to get better in a league coming out of a very bad patch.

yeah but i don't think they believe rr is a bad hire. personally, i think that is a question that has yet to be determined. though i have a pretty good idea which its going to be. but stranger things have happened.

in my mind scum has maneuvered themselves nicely into the "victim" position. you'll note they haven't made many comments about rr's legal situation. nor have they bellied up to the table to write a check. they just let the legal ball of shit roll farther faster and flig more dung. personally i think they are quietly handing the man the rope to hang himself. if he doesn't perform they just don't do anything to save him from himself. if he does, they cut the rope before its too late. really its smart business.

if this all goes as bad as we expect, scum drops him and plays the "we were deceived by this wicked evil man" card.

So, they spent a lot of money to get here.

but how much money have they actually spent? they certainly haven't spent 4 mill on the buyout and have shown no interest in doing so. if they were really interested in paying they would have done it already. the fact that they are standing by and letting their new "prized coach" roast tells me they can't think that highly of him. if scum saw richrod as anything more than a temporary stop gap or a fun experiment, they would have payed the buyout day 1. they certainly would have paid the buyout before lawyers got involved. without question before potential perjury charges are thrown about. hell, companies settle shit far less significant than this out of court every single day.

htm, the more i look at this situation the more im left with 1 of 2 conclusions.

A. the scum board is wildly incompetent and failed miserably not only in the selection and hiring process for richrod. but they absolutely and have completely mishandled the wvu situation in allowing it to go public. moreso in allowing it to become a legal battle.

or B. while failure is never the plan as richrod is expected to succeed. failure was seen as a significant enough possibility that steps have been taken to ensure that should the wvu situation get out of hand and or he does not perform on the field. that failure does not reflect poorly on scum. not in the immediate nor in the future.

i wouldn't call scum conniving. as conniving persons generally take action to shed a negative light on others and away from themselves. scum has done nothing. absolutely positively nothing. i believe they made a decision to take a chance on a coach that has a significant upside, but at the same time has just as significant a down side. it would be negligent of them to not take steps to be prepared to shield the school should things not go the way they are planned.

*shrug* just my take on the situation.

 

[BB73]

but how much money have they actually spent? they certainly haven't spent 4 mill on the buyout and have shown no interest in doing so. if they were really interested in paying they would have done it already. the fact that they are standing by and letting their new "prized coach" roast tells me they can't think that highly of him. if scum saw richrod as anything more than a temporary stop gap or a fun experiment, they would have payed the buyout day 1. they certainly would have paid the buyout before lawyers got involved. hell, companies settle shit far less significant than this out of court every single day.

I believe there's a blackened out section in the signed LOI that RR's lawyers provided to the WVU lawyers that shows interest in doing so. It looks to me like TSUN is willing to let the lawsuit continue in a weak attempt to save the university and/or some of its well-heeled boosters a few bucks.

 

[LightningRod]

I also believe that the redacted portion of RR's term sheet with Michigan contains a provision that obligates Michigan to pay if RR is required to pay. How this clause falls under attorney/client privilege is beyond me. It is a contract provision that is part of a contract of a Michigan state employee. There is no privilege that protects this clause from disclosure. If this clause is an indemnity agreement, then there are protections against the clause's prejudicial impact by the WV Rules of Procedure. This clause would be treated similar to an insurance policy. The existence of an insurance policy is a proper matter for discovery, but the existence of insurance is not admissible into evidence because the prejudicial effect of such disclosure far outweighs any (if any) probative value the clause may have on the issue before the court.

The fact that Robon claims Rita is his agent goes beyond comedy. In fact Robon better hope that Rita is the best law office employee there ever was because if it turns out that he is doing this merely to delay questioning on certain items on the grounds of attorney/client or attorney work product privilege, he is going to be met with a complaint to the disciplinary counsel of the Ohio Supreme Court for flagrantly disrespecting the WV court proceedings.