If you haven't been paying attention, and I know some of you have and some of you haven't, it's getting down to the nitty-gritty with respect to the basketball season. I don't normally start following college hoops until after the final second of the Super Bowl has ticked off the clock. My athletic allegiances and what I watch as the year cycles goes something like this, with the start of an athletic year in August:
1. College Football Pre-season garbage can of stuff to read.
2. College Football Kick-Off. This becomes the all consuming sport. ESPN should have a channel dedicated to College Football or football in general (yeah, you can throw the NFL in there, too).
3. Sort of half-assed pay attention to what's happening in the World Series. If a team I'm quasi-interested in is playing, I will make it a point to watch a couple of games.
4. NBA and NHL start at some point in here...But who cares?
5. College football ends. Start watching NFL play-offs.
6. NFL ends. Start watching College Hoops. Get Excited that Pitchers and Catchers report and that opening day is 6 weeks away!
7. College Hoops ends with the Big Dance. Start watching Golf (Masters is usually the following weekend). Catch Opening Day.
8. Start looking at the NHL Standings. But NHL means nothing till the play-offs start.
9. Who's in the NBA play-offs?
10. Watch Stanley Cup if Red Wings are in it. Otherwise, start enjoying Summer.
11. Ditto for the NBA finals and the Pistons.
12. Start the process all over again.
So, we are now deep into the College Basketball analysis process. Michigan is a young team, but if they are hitting the three, look out. They can beat anyone on the hardwood, to a point. the most frustrating thing is that they will look awesome for 10-15 minute stretches and then have a 5-10 minute stretch where they look like sun-baked cat poop covered in kitty litter...Yes, they can look that bad...
But the up coming stretch of the next 3 games, culminating with the home rivalry game against Sparty could be the stretch that either gets us into the field of 64 or sends us to the NIT. And I'm guessing it all comes down to who wins in Ann Arbor on March 5th. Three games, three times you need to tune in and root on Michigan!
Wisconsin: Wednesday - 6:30 PM in Ann Arbor
Minnesota: Saturday - 3:30 PM in Minnesota
SPARTY: Saturday, March 5th, 2:00 PM in Ann Arbor
Even though the odds are stacked against us, three wins against these teams and I don't really see how you can ignore the Wolverines for the field of 64.
The MMQ
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Poison Trees...Is This What Rivalries Have Become?
Well, it looks like there's a new low in college sports rivalries. If you're an Alabama Football fan, and you're reasonably sane (I know, but there might be like, you know, 2 or 3 of them out there) you're probably wondering exactly what the retribution will be after this deranged 'Bama fan, better known as Harvey Updike, poisoned the trees at Toomer's Corner.
If you haven't seen or heard about this, here's a link.
All I can say is, if I were Alabama, I would be doing everything I could to make a show of support to the University of Auburn. Yes, that would mean acknowledging the acts of one blockhead that made a stupidly foolish decision to literally start a war with what he sees as his enemy. Problem is, Auburn more than likely has their fair share of morons on their side of the fence as well. You did hear about the fan that cleverly used rye grass a few weeks back to etch "28-27" (this year's Iron Bowl score) semi-permanently in the grass in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium's Walk of Champions, didn't you? If you didn't, it's classic....'Bama had to tear up the grass and replant, but it still leaves a spot that's different...Reminds me of fertilizing the prior year's score of a rival in High School in their high school stadium a couple of weeks before the game...Hee-hee....
And do you think they're all plotting about what to do for revenge? This is the SEC...Do I really NEED to answer that question? Really?
If you don't want to have to put a 24 hour guard on the legends walk at the stadium, I highly recommend doing something, however small, to show that you don't want to be associated with this kind of destruction. Because if you don't, the bill on what Insane Auburn fan will do could add up very, very quickly. And the resulting war you will have on your hands will only get worse...And possibly come to a head with a much worse outcome than some trees dying. Yes, I'm infering that someone could lose a life over something as trivial as a football rivalry. And while that life would more than likely be un-employed, uneducated, and inebriated most of the time, is it really worth it?
So, what do you do? What do you do with a fanbase in Alabama that has no other major sports outlet (There's no NFL, NBA, NHL or even MLB franchises in Alabama.) I happen to agree with Clay Travis: Take the game away. If you are too stupid or immature to simply enjoy hating somebody else without permanently vandalizing property belonging to them, then you simply don't deserve the game.
That might actually, in a weird SEC way, make some sense.
If you haven't seen or heard about this, here's a link.
All I can say is, if I were Alabama, I would be doing everything I could to make a show of support to the University of Auburn. Yes, that would mean acknowledging the acts of one blockhead that made a stupidly foolish decision to literally start a war with what he sees as his enemy. Problem is, Auburn more than likely has their fair share of morons on their side of the fence as well. You did hear about the fan that cleverly used rye grass a few weeks back to etch "28-27" (this year's Iron Bowl score) semi-permanently in the grass in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium's Walk of Champions, didn't you? If you didn't, it's classic....'Bama had to tear up the grass and replant, but it still leaves a spot that's different...Reminds me of fertilizing the prior year's score of a rival in High School in their high school stadium a couple of weeks before the game...Hee-hee....
And do you think they're all plotting about what to do for revenge? This is the SEC...Do I really NEED to answer that question? Really?
If you don't want to have to put a 24 hour guard on the legends walk at the stadium, I highly recommend doing something, however small, to show that you don't want to be associated with this kind of destruction. Because if you don't, the bill on what Insane Auburn fan will do could add up very, very quickly. And the resulting war you will have on your hands will only get worse...And possibly come to a head with a much worse outcome than some trees dying. Yes, I'm infering that someone could lose a life over something as trivial as a football rivalry. And while that life would more than likely be un-employed, uneducated, and inebriated most of the time, is it really worth it?
So, what do you do? What do you do with a fanbase in Alabama that has no other major sports outlet (There's no NFL, NBA, NHL or even MLB franchises in Alabama.) I happen to agree with Clay Travis: Take the game away. If you are too stupid or immature to simply enjoy hating somebody else without permanently vandalizing property belonging to them, then you simply don't deserve the game.
That might actually, in a weird SEC way, make some sense.
Friday, January 28, 2011
1,181 Days and DONE - One Streak Down...Can the Other Be Far Behind?
In case you haven't heard (or worse, didn't get a chance to see it), Michigan Men's Basketball beat somebody last night....
in THEIR HOUSE....
The House of Breslin...
that here-to-fore had been Un-Conquerable by the Mighty Maize and Blue....for 1,181 days (thanks to ESPN for not letting us forget that fact...)
Folks, it's time to break it out, even though the Big 10 Basketball record leaves a little to be desired, it's a big win never the less...
IT'S GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!
IT'S GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!
IT'S GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!
So, hat's off to a Sparty upset with hopefully more to come!
And can that other record with respect to that other school to the south be shattered as well in the near future?
in THEIR HOUSE....
The House of Breslin...
that here-to-fore had been Un-Conquerable by the Mighty Maize and Blue....for 1,181 days (thanks to ESPN for not letting us forget that fact...)
Folks, it's time to break it out, even though the Big 10 Basketball record leaves a little to be desired, it's a big win never the less...
IT'S GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!
IT'S GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!
IT'S GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!
So, hat's off to a Sparty upset with hopefully more to come!
And can that other record with respect to that other school to the south be shattered as well in the near future?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Oversigning - Is It Finally Sinking In?
Oversigning has been on fire on all the blogs recently. Well, I shouldn't say recently as Brian over at mgoblog.com first brought it out in the open several years ago. At least that's when it came to my attention. However, I'm not sure the practice was even given that much of a thought by the NCAA and the university's that were doing it the most until it took on an "evil" mantra on the blog network. The mainstream press just more or less stated that schools were "working inside the guidelines as set by the NCAA" and the NCAA's position never waivered from the statement of, "You can only sign a maximum of 28 between February and May and the total roster of Scholarship players has to be at 85." But the rule is toothless as it's undertsood that you have to be at 85 when the season starts. That doesn't mean you can't bring in a bunch of JUCO transfers in January...hence you are automatically over the limit.
It's total BS....
Finally, it seems, there's some light at the end of the tunnel. OR I should say that the proverbial heat is getting turned up in the SEC and schools are being warned that they need to curb the practice. Andy Staples wrote a great article that is worth the read. Satan, the most overzealous oversigner that exists currently, is now going on record and stating that the players that get signed are signed to a 1 year scholarship and you have to play for your scholarship every year.
Give Saban credit. At least he tells recruits they might get cut to clear space for newer signees. When the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun-News interviewed seven participants in the Offense-Defense Bowl about the topic of the one-year, renewable scholarship, only one, Alabama commitment Christion Jones, knew his scholarship had to be renewed annually. "Coach Saban told me it's a one-year scholarship you have to work for," Jones told the paper. "Some coaches don't tell some kids. Some kids have to find out the hard way."
WAIT A FRIGGIN' MINUTE! SOMEONE IS GIVING SATAN CREDIT FOR DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY????
Andy does go on to remedy his statement by stating that The Big 10 is doing this the right way. Yes, there aren't any "4 year" scholarships, but the Big 10 commits to that recruit for 4 years unless they are injured or leave the program voluntarily. Hence the reason that there are no "real" 4 year scholarships. You just have to be at 85 to be legit.
If I was an 18 year old kid that wanted to play at Alabama, I guess my mind would be thinking that this team recruited me, they want me, and I have been head and shoulders above my competition in high school. There's no way I don't make it every year.
But ever year, a bunch of "superstar" high-school talent gets booted off a lot of SEC teams.
So, in the end, is it the education or the experience that's more important? I'm sure a bunch of those kids, if you asked them, will tell you that the experience they enjoyed was far better than the education that they received. After all, you can always get an education at any point in time...Right?
That's what the SEC and the schools that are committing these infractions are getting these kids to believe.
It's total BS....
Finally, it seems, there's some light at the end of the tunnel. OR I should say that the proverbial heat is getting turned up in the SEC and schools are being warned that they need to curb the practice. Andy Staples wrote a great article that is worth the read. Satan, the most overzealous oversigner that exists currently, is now going on record and stating that the players that get signed are signed to a 1 year scholarship and you have to play for your scholarship every year.
Give Saban credit. At least he tells recruits they might get cut to clear space for newer signees. When the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun-News interviewed seven participants in the Offense-Defense Bowl about the topic of the one-year, renewable scholarship, only one, Alabama commitment Christion Jones, knew his scholarship had to be renewed annually. "Coach Saban told me it's a one-year scholarship you have to work for," Jones told the paper. "Some coaches don't tell some kids. Some kids have to find out the hard way."
WAIT A FRIGGIN' MINUTE! SOMEONE IS GIVING SATAN CREDIT FOR DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY????
Andy does go on to remedy his statement by stating that The Big 10 is doing this the right way. Yes, there aren't any "4 year" scholarships, but the Big 10 commits to that recruit for 4 years unless they are injured or leave the program voluntarily. Hence the reason that there are no "real" 4 year scholarships. You just have to be at 85 to be legit.
If I was an 18 year old kid that wanted to play at Alabama, I guess my mind would be thinking that this team recruited me, they want me, and I have been head and shoulders above my competition in high school. There's no way I don't make it every year.
But ever year, a bunch of "superstar" high-school talent gets booted off a lot of SEC teams.
So, in the end, is it the education or the experience that's more important? I'm sure a bunch of those kids, if you asked them, will tell you that the experience they enjoyed was far better than the education that they received. After all, you can always get an education at any point in time...Right?
That's what the SEC and the schools that are committing these infractions are getting these kids to believe.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Buck Nuts At It Again
Thanks to Greg over at M-Victors for catching this one. Here's another Buck Nut without a life that managed to spend the better part of two years and over a million (Yes, Million) LEGOS putting together that other school to the south's stadium. What's amazing is the scale of this creation...It's really impressive with the artist sitting inside it holding the mid field in his "too much time on his hands" hands ....
And as a former legomaniac, I have to say that I'm impressed...and almost motivated to try something myself (ALMOST DEAR! - I didn't say I was going to...Sheesh...) to compete against this Suckeye homer...
I will state here that I'm looking for lego donations at this point in time. You know, old ones that the kids might have laying around....I have the NEW Michigan Stadium specs in hand and I'm just looking and thinking right now....
But wouldn't it be a fun project for the kids???
And as a former legomaniac, I have to say that I'm impressed...and almost motivated to try something myself (ALMOST DEAR! - I didn't say I was going to...Sheesh...) to compete against this Suckeye homer...
I will state here that I'm looking for lego donations at this point in time. You know, old ones that the kids might have laying around....I have the NEW Michigan Stadium specs in hand and I'm just looking and thinking right now....
But wouldn't it be a fun project for the kids???
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Hokey-Pokey
Before anyone else does it (And I’m dreadfully sure there will be countless, literally countless, versions of this as time goes by) I figured I’d throw in my version of it as it develops. I hate to say it, but this song has been bouncing around inside my head since Hoke was announced and the only cleansing therapy I could come up with was to simply put it into words…
I know, I know...I'm Michigan’s worst enemy (and my own worst enemy) at this point. But hopefully, the act of it flowing through my fingertips and into print will erase it from my waking memory.
Of course, there are still the nightmares that I'll need to deal with…
The Michigan Hokey-Pokey
You put a D-back in,
You take a D-back out,
You put a D-back in that you will eventually pull out!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put an LB in,
You take the LB out,
You put the LB in and try not to burn him out!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a Safety in,
You take a Safety out,
You put a Safety in and yell, “Don’t mentally checkout!”
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a Lineman in,
You take the Lineman out,
You put the Lineman in that does more than yell, “Lookout!”
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a Nose Guard in,
You take the Nose Guard out,
You put the Nose Guard in that can knock a QB out!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a “New Scheme” in,
You take the “New Scheme” out,
You put the “New Scheme” in that doesn’t stink like sauerkraut!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a new “D” In,
You take the new “D” Out,
You put the New “D” in and you hope and pray and shout!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
Do the Hokey-Pokey!
Do the Hokey-Pokey!
You do the Hokey-Pokey!
That’s what it’s all about!
(To be followed immediately by the David Brandon “Chicken Dance” which is David flapping around looking perplexed as he searches for a head coaching candidate…)
Sorry…I know…but sometimes you have to get in front of this stuff. Take it away from your enemies before they use it against you. I hope and pray that you aren’t afflicted with the mental problems the MMQ has. It becomes extremely tedious to get something done during the day with crap like this is in your head.
Trust me.
I know, I know...I'm Michigan’s worst enemy (and my own worst enemy) at this point. But hopefully, the act of it flowing through my fingertips and into print will erase it from my waking memory.
Of course, there are still the nightmares that I'll need to deal with…
The Michigan Hokey-Pokey
You put a D-back in,
You take a D-back out,
You put a D-back in that you will eventually pull out!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put an LB in,
You take the LB out,
You put the LB in and try not to burn him out!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a Safety in,
You take a Safety out,
You put a Safety in and yell, “Don’t mentally checkout!”
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a Lineman in,
You take the Lineman out,
You put the Lineman in that does more than yell, “Lookout!”
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a Nose Guard in,
You take the Nose Guard out,
You put the Nose Guard in that can knock a QB out!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a “New Scheme” in,
You take the “New Scheme” out,
You put the “New Scheme” in that doesn’t stink like sauerkraut!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
You put a new “D” In,
You take the new “D” Out,
You put the New “D” in and you hope and pray and shout!
You do the Hokey-Pokey and turn the “D” around,
That’s what it’s all about!
Do the Hokey-Pokey!
Do the Hokey-Pokey!
You do the Hokey-Pokey!
That’s what it’s all about!
(To be followed immediately by the David Brandon “Chicken Dance” which is David flapping around looking perplexed as he searches for a head coaching candidate…)
Sorry…I know…but sometimes you have to get in front of this stuff. Take it away from your enemies before they use it against you. I hope and pray that you aren’t afflicted with the mental problems the MMQ has. It becomes extremely tedious to get something done during the day with crap like this is in your head.
Trust me.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Does Anyone Care Anymore? Hoke Does….
(This was penned around lunch time before Hoke was announced – then, after the announcement I have some thoughts on David Brandon and the hire. FWIW)
Where have the “loyal” Michigan Men gone? Why have they forsaken the school and fans that adored them while they were here? Is there something else going on that we don’t know about? What gives?
Have we slid down the mediocrity road and are we sitting in the gutter along sides the likes of Notre Dame? Really? My mind simply can’t process that as I try to make sense of it all.
Harbaugh – Thumbed his nose at his alma mater on the way to the pros. (Of course, Michigan kind of thumbed their nose at him, too, 3 years ago…) Harbaugh was jilted three years ago when Sailboat Boob Martin (& Lloyd Carr) went in search of a Head Coach to the Big East. Not just one, but two guys from the BEast were interviewed. And never a peep to Harbaugh. I get it.
Les Miles – Thumbed his nose at his alma mater Twice…To Hell With Les Miles…Actually, I get Miles and the Les Miles situation. He’s 57 and got a great gig. He really doesn’t need Michigan at this point. I guess the action and money of the SEC is simply too much to ignore. I’m not buying the family line and kids in school load of garbage that Les is handing everyone. What I do believe is that the timing, AGAIN, for landing Les was abysmal. Last year would have been so much better... You needed to catch Les after a 7-5 or 8-4 campaign that has the Tiger Nation Screaming for his head. THEN you make Les an offer. He's here 24 hours later and those kids are pulled out of school faster than a Sparty coed drops her panties on a Saturday night…
Brady Hoke – Word is Stanford is after him…Probably not the best school to get in a bidding war with for a head coach…(typed in the early afternoon). I guess Michigan won…
Brady Hoke wants the job, but does the job really want Brady Hoke? The Hoke situation is difficult. He’s not as proven as you’d like a Head Coach to be. He’s a Lloyd disciple. I’m really hoping at this point it develops like the girl next door thing: You know the story. DB swallows his pride and hires his “Security Coach” and the situation blossoms into something that Michigan Fans never knew we had because were were chasing all the hot chicks that all eventually spurned us and said no. And Hoke comes in and cures everything from Defense to Special Teams and somehow improves the Offense in the process. And he doesn’t cheat. And he goes on to win a National Title in 3 years…Oh, how sweet that would be...
But, to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure that’s what David or Michigan Fans will be getting. Lloyd’s heavy hand of steady offensive production, measured offensive cadence with manageable down and distance immediately comes to mind. That and a solid defense. All of that will be in the room with Hoke and I have this visual image of Hoke saying something like, “Well, that’s a clever offense and it looks eloquent when you’re playing a weak defense. But this is the Big 10 where its 3 yards and a cloud of dust, people. Now, let me show you this play we’ll entitle, “Off Tackle-Left.” See here? See how when you pull the guard and double up the line backer you can spring the tailback for 3 yards before the strong safety gets in there? And guess what? The safety might miss and we can get 6 yards or more!” I know, I’m being a little cynical here. But I really hope there’s something good that can come from everything that’s happened.
It has been drilled into me all my life and I tell my kids that every situation is a learning opportunity. I’m sure ole David must be thinking the same thing right about now. Which is, “What in the hell have I learned from all this?”
To start with:
1. Don’t pay any attention to NCAA rules and procedures. Talk to people. Get out there and figure out what your options are before you make any decisions.
2. Remember: Urban Meyer from Utah to Florida was a done deal when the Domers came knocking.
3. Don’t wait to correct a bad situation. If the situation is untenable, fix it quick. At least there would have been a few more guys on the list after you burnt through Harbaugh and Miles.
4. Michigan is not a dream job to a lot of coaches, obviously. Find the one guy that believes it’s his dream job and hire him. If that’s Hoke, so be it.
5. And sell your ass off telling people how lucky you were to get Hoke.
6. Money might be no object, but a weak 2011 recruiting class is.
7. What else besides Michigan in January can you offer to someone?
8. Don’t take an AD job at your alma mater that has been botched up in more ways than you can even count.
9. Make sure you have Plan D ready as it would appear that plans A, B, and C are non-feasible.
10. Timing is everything…Figure it out.
That list is no where near complete, but it’s a start.
Some questions:
Do you even fly the plane to San Diego or simply phone Hoke and tell him to get over here?
Will Harbaugh or Miles ever be welcome back in Ann Arbor with the exception for funerals?
Will David realize that you can’t be arrogant enough to think that selling the Michigan job is not necessary?
And just for the heck of it, I’ll ask it again: Do any Michigan Men that can make a difference care anymore?
I guess time will tell….
HOKE IS HIRED
Really? I mean – REALLY? No offense, but the timing of this hire sickens me. Not the hire itself. I want to make that clear. I don’t know Hoke that well and I will keep all comments and opinions to myself (sic) until we’ve seen him in action. But, we can certainly comment on Brandon.
First: If you knew you were going to can Rich Rod – and who didn’t know – Then do it in November and grab Hoke then. Give the man a chance. I mean, what opportunity does he have to grab anyone that hasn’t either already moved or been grabbed by someone else? If he had been looking for coordinators and assistants in November, he could then raid all of NCAA football and get the best of the best. Now, everyone has already finagled a position and no one is looking for a job.
Second: Did you HAVE to hire Brady Hoke today? He was your security guy. You could have hired him tomorrow or next week and still looked okay. What did you accomplish by hiring him today? I mean, Brady would have flown himself here for God’s sake. We didn’t need to send the jet. Couldn’t we have talked to a few more guys about the job? I mean, waiting to hire Hoke didn’t help or hurt the program later any more than it “perceptively” helped or hurt it today.
Third: David had better sincerely hope that Hoke is girl next door I alluded to above. David also better sincerely hope he doesn’t come in and try to “undo” everything Rich Rod did to move the offense in the positive direction. And David better hope that Hoke’s number one priority is finding an offensive coordinator that fits the personnel we have.
Hoke will make be making enough decisions in the very near future that will either convince everyone that he’s the right guy or he will convince everyone that we are in for another 3-4 years of pain….
David Brandon’s status has gone from “Yes, he’s doing the right thing” to “Jeez, I could have done that.” That’s not good. Because you all know that you MMQ is basically just that: A guy that picks on somebody else that had the courage to make a decision and move forward. What I do is easy. It’s what we all do. But in this case, I truly do believe, much like the Sailboat Boob fiasco, that this could have been handled so much better.
So, friends, let’s hold hands and play some Josh Groban as we navigate the new waters with Brady “Its no Joke” Hoke….
Where have the “loyal” Michigan Men gone? Why have they forsaken the school and fans that adored them while they were here? Is there something else going on that we don’t know about? What gives?
Have we slid down the mediocrity road and are we sitting in the gutter along sides the likes of Notre Dame? Really? My mind simply can’t process that as I try to make sense of it all.
Harbaugh – Thumbed his nose at his alma mater on the way to the pros. (Of course, Michigan kind of thumbed their nose at him, too, 3 years ago…) Harbaugh was jilted three years ago when Sailboat Boob Martin (& Lloyd Carr) went in search of a Head Coach to the Big East. Not just one, but two guys from the BEast were interviewed. And never a peep to Harbaugh. I get it.
Les Miles – Thumbed his nose at his alma mater Twice…To Hell With Les Miles…Actually, I get Miles and the Les Miles situation. He’s 57 and got a great gig. He really doesn’t need Michigan at this point. I guess the action and money of the SEC is simply too much to ignore. I’m not buying the family line and kids in school load of garbage that Les is handing everyone. What I do believe is that the timing, AGAIN, for landing Les was abysmal. Last year would have been so much better... You needed to catch Les after a 7-5 or 8-4 campaign that has the Tiger Nation Screaming for his head. THEN you make Les an offer. He's here 24 hours later and those kids are pulled out of school faster than a Sparty coed drops her panties on a Saturday night…
Brady Hoke – Word is Stanford is after him…Probably not the best school to get in a bidding war with for a head coach…(typed in the early afternoon). I guess Michigan won…
Brady Hoke wants the job, but does the job really want Brady Hoke? The Hoke situation is difficult. He’s not as proven as you’d like a Head Coach to be. He’s a Lloyd disciple. I’m really hoping at this point it develops like the girl next door thing: You know the story. DB swallows his pride and hires his “Security Coach” and the situation blossoms into something that Michigan Fans never knew we had because were were chasing all the hot chicks that all eventually spurned us and said no. And Hoke comes in and cures everything from Defense to Special Teams and somehow improves the Offense in the process. And he doesn’t cheat. And he goes on to win a National Title in 3 years…Oh, how sweet that would be...
But, to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure that’s what David or Michigan Fans will be getting. Lloyd’s heavy hand of steady offensive production, measured offensive cadence with manageable down and distance immediately comes to mind. That and a solid defense. All of that will be in the room with Hoke and I have this visual image of Hoke saying something like, “Well, that’s a clever offense and it looks eloquent when you’re playing a weak defense. But this is the Big 10 where its 3 yards and a cloud of dust, people. Now, let me show you this play we’ll entitle, “Off Tackle-Left.” See here? See how when you pull the guard and double up the line backer you can spring the tailback for 3 yards before the strong safety gets in there? And guess what? The safety might miss and we can get 6 yards or more!” I know, I’m being a little cynical here. But I really hope there’s something good that can come from everything that’s happened.
It has been drilled into me all my life and I tell my kids that every situation is a learning opportunity. I’m sure ole David must be thinking the same thing right about now. Which is, “What in the hell have I learned from all this?”
To start with:
1. Don’t pay any attention to NCAA rules and procedures. Talk to people. Get out there and figure out what your options are before you make any decisions.
2. Remember: Urban Meyer from Utah to Florida was a done deal when the Domers came knocking.
3. Don’t wait to correct a bad situation. If the situation is untenable, fix it quick. At least there would have been a few more guys on the list after you burnt through Harbaugh and Miles.
4. Michigan is not a dream job to a lot of coaches, obviously. Find the one guy that believes it’s his dream job and hire him. If that’s Hoke, so be it.
5. And sell your ass off telling people how lucky you were to get Hoke.
6. Money might be no object, but a weak 2011 recruiting class is.
7. What else besides Michigan in January can you offer to someone?
8. Don’t take an AD job at your alma mater that has been botched up in more ways than you can even count.
9. Make sure you have Plan D ready as it would appear that plans A, B, and C are non-feasible.
10. Timing is everything…Figure it out.
That list is no where near complete, but it’s a start.
Some questions:
Do you even fly the plane to San Diego or simply phone Hoke and tell him to get over here?
Will Harbaugh or Miles ever be welcome back in Ann Arbor with the exception for funerals?
Will David realize that you can’t be arrogant enough to think that selling the Michigan job is not necessary?
And just for the heck of it, I’ll ask it again: Do any Michigan Men that can make a difference care anymore?
I guess time will tell….
HOKE IS HIRED
Really? I mean – REALLY? No offense, but the timing of this hire sickens me. Not the hire itself. I want to make that clear. I don’t know Hoke that well and I will keep all comments and opinions to myself (sic) until we’ve seen him in action. But, we can certainly comment on Brandon.
First: If you knew you were going to can Rich Rod – and who didn’t know – Then do it in November and grab Hoke then. Give the man a chance. I mean, what opportunity does he have to grab anyone that hasn’t either already moved or been grabbed by someone else? If he had been looking for coordinators and assistants in November, he could then raid all of NCAA football and get the best of the best. Now, everyone has already finagled a position and no one is looking for a job.
Second: Did you HAVE to hire Brady Hoke today? He was your security guy. You could have hired him tomorrow or next week and still looked okay. What did you accomplish by hiring him today? I mean, Brady would have flown himself here for God’s sake. We didn’t need to send the jet. Couldn’t we have talked to a few more guys about the job? I mean, waiting to hire Hoke didn’t help or hurt the program later any more than it “perceptively” helped or hurt it today.
Third: David had better sincerely hope that Hoke is girl next door I alluded to above. David also better sincerely hope he doesn’t come in and try to “undo” everything Rich Rod did to move the offense in the positive direction. And David better hope that Hoke’s number one priority is finding an offensive coordinator that fits the personnel we have.
Hoke will make be making enough decisions in the very near future that will either convince everyone that he’s the right guy or he will convince everyone that we are in for another 3-4 years of pain….
David Brandon’s status has gone from “Yes, he’s doing the right thing” to “Jeez, I could have done that.” That’s not good. Because you all know that you MMQ is basically just that: A guy that picks on somebody else that had the courage to make a decision and move forward. What I do is easy. It’s what we all do. But in this case, I truly do believe, much like the Sailboat Boob fiasco, that this could have been handled so much better.
So, friends, let’s hold hands and play some Josh Groban as we navigate the new waters with Brady “Its no Joke” Hoke….
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