FMQ - PSU

Odds and Ends

Well, the maize and blue brain trust (it kills me to type that – it really does) are meeting this afternoon going over last minute game plan type stuff prior to playing the other Blue team in the B1G East.  If I’m not mistaken, this coaching staff has probably taken the “Forget the 1^st 6 games of the season.  Those are behind us.  There’s nothing we can do about those anymore. All we can do is worry about and win the next 6!  You are playing for Michigan and most of all, you are playing for the pride of Michigan.  6 wins are still within your reach!!!”

That kind of pep talk usually lasts about 2 quarters.  Hard hitting, some scoring (maybe) and then some sort of adversity will arise and Michigan and the coaching staff will curl up and crawl into their shell…As the Tuna (Bill Parcells) once famously said, after 6 games, you are what you are.  I’m not saying Michigan can’t win Saturday, but the FMQ knows which way he’s going to bet it.  Former team members areshowing up for the walk of honor into the stadium to show their support.  Here’s the link.

Goal Post Revenue

I’m not sure this sets the “Precedent” that the SEC waslooking for when they set up the $50,000 fine for field rushing, but, as youcan see, whenever the fun police try to step in and “stop” fans fromcelebrating and doing things in the spirit of or for “safety’s sake”, well,smart fans just figure out a way to make money from it.

So, that’s a lot of $500 and $1000 donations for hunks of goal post.  Granted, I would giddily pay that for a chunk of goalpost from say a National Title or something…But still, fans and their money…when the team is winning of course…can soon be parted.

Hey – BranDictator – don’t get any wild ideas about heading out to the field after PSU with a steel saw to cut down and sell the posts.  The fans might take the saw, start separating you into little, bitty parts, and take those home and mount them on the wall instead.

mgoblog On BranDictator and Hoke Removal/Timing

I’m just cutting and pasting the mailbag response that Brian put together regarding BranDictator (The question was essentially- Will BranDictator and Hoke be fired and when):

I just don't know. I'm only answering this because I get a lot of emails to this effect; usually if I can't answer something reasonably I just say so privately and that's it. But… yeah, I don't know.

One thing I've learned is that insider information is often colored by the desires of the source; slap one degree of separation between that source and you and then it seems really true and important. This is not so important when someone has a broken bone; it is vastly so when political infighting is involved. So I don't take a whole lot of stuff about Hoke staying seriously; I know it's popped up on premium message boards here and there. There's a faction amongst the old program alums who can't stand to be as flagrantly wrong as they were and will swear up and down that Hoke can be saved.

He can't. Anyone who watches his team knows that this is a disorganized mess and in year four that goes back to one guy and one guy only. There is no expectation this would get better, and in that light the successful Hoke years look like flukes born of disproportionate talent and flat-out luck, as Michigan's 2011 was.

I guess Michigan could run the table but any reasonable season projection gets you to 7-6 at best and that is a firing, if only because whoever the AD is will know that continuing with Hoke is going to be an inflection point on season ticket sales.

As far as Brandon, I do not know. I've read all there is to read and heard all there is to hear and what is clear is that here is some sort of serious support for the guy that centers around Stephen Ross and his dollars and drops off almost immediately after that. If this was a democracy he'd be booted in an 80-20 election; it is not.

I would have faith that the people around the president who have his ear because of dolla dolla bill y'all would eventually be able to come to this conclusion:

1. Someone else would be about as good at continuing the things who make the people in the AD support him
2. Anyone else would be less toxic to fans and especially students.

Even if you somehow believe that guy whose PR stunts will literally go in a textbook under what not to do is the best guy for the job, the next best guy for the job is 99% as capable and isn't loathed by half the Michigan fanbase. This flies in the face of our nation's CEO fetishization, but here it's undeniable.

Logic then demands I say that both guys will be gone by the end of the year, but logic ain't got nothing to do with it.

As to the timing, Hoke's not gone until after the OSU game. If he was going to get the axe immediately it would have been after the Minnesota game. Short of that happening again, he's got the rest of the year. Michigan may announce he's done before OSU, a la Earle Bruce; functionally he's your guy the rest of the year.

Brandon could go at any time. I hear that there are some meetings coming up in the next week that could be the impetus for his dismissal, but as long as Stephen Ross is backing the guy it's going to be pulling teeth.

Gruden? 

As much as I think I would welcome this…I find it hard to believe that Gruden would leave what he has to KNOW is the absolutely perfect job in all of the world – Color Analyst for MNF and all the other little crap he does for ESPN.  I have grown a lot fonder of “Chuckie” ever since he and Tirico took over MNF.  It would take a mountain of money for him to even consider leaving that world and deciding to jump into the barrel of monkeys that is Michigan Football and, probably more specifically, Michigan Athletics, right now…but I guess stranger things have happened.  Why bring Gruden up?  Twitter exploded when this photo hit:

But, again…It’s not going to happen.  Keep repeating that in your own head until it sinks in.  Along with Harbaugh, Miles, and Harbaugh.  And probably Mullen.

Which leaves us…Who knows?

This Week’s Picks!

I’m going to apply the Katy Perry technique – Colors and hot QB’s to this weeks picks!

Northwestern (+4) @ Minnesota:   Let’s see…If I’m Katy, I like PURPLE!!!  Plus, they have a cute coach and a kitty for a Mascot.    

Take Northwestern and the 4 for $30

Georgia @ Missouri (+3):  Oooooo….The QB has initials that match my favorite candy!!!  M&M!!  Therefore,

Take Missouri and the 3 for $20

UNC @ domers (-16.5): I like shiny gold helmets!  They’re just so stylin’!!!

Take the domers and lay the 16.5 for $30

Sparty @ Purdue (+21):  Connor Cook – Call me!!!

Take Sparty and lay the 21 for $40

LSU @ Florida (+1):    Tigers are a lot cuter than Alligators and LSU has some purple in their unis!!!!

Take LSU and lay the 1 for $20

PSU @ Michigan (+2):  Both of these teams are Blue…and I’m not a Blue fan…So, who’s lost more?  Michigan?

Take PSU and lay the 2 $20

PARLAY!

Sparty  - domers – Mizzou - $20

Starting Bank:           $822

Total Bet:                   $180

Bank:                          $642

What's Been Lost At Michigan By BranDictator?

I want to apologize for some of the language in my recent posts.  I will do my best to "curb" my emotions and continue to remind myself that this is a family blog and that we need to collectively realize that are better ways to vent our frustration, anger and overall sadness about this program than using four letter words and "Blue" language.  That's certainly NOT what I'm about and why I write this blog, and I hope everyone realizes that.

BranDictator...You've lost....So many, many things….the list to the right keeps on growing.  (Thanks to ALL of you, by the way, who continue to send me evidence and links.  It’s all good stuff!)  I don’t think in the short history of the blog that I’ve ever linked to more common issues than I have for the “Case Against Dave BranDictator”.  It’s sad that no one else is looking at his complete body of work with something more than an “Eye on the Bottom Line”  Of the University Athletic Budget. 

We’re all being seduced….Seduced by corporate greed that has enveloped the program.  The money makers will continue to squeeze until they can squeeze no more…because that’s what they do.

BranDictator’s Statement is a great source for what should be his “Firing”.  Doctors (Alpiner – Beuamont Hospital) not from the University of Michigan have come out and stated, plainly, that there is “NO SUCH THING AS A “PROBABLE” or “MILD” Concussion…You either have one or you don’t.  (BTW – the same thing can be said about strokes.)  The symptoms and reaction associated with a concussion can be anything from mild (dizziness, nausea, etc.) to really bad (knocked out, death).  But the first thing they teach in concussion training is it’s a concussion – a jostling and bruising of the brain.  Plain and simple.  Why the weaseling around, BranDictator?  My first question to Dave if I were the new Prez….

And…There’s this:

Which would be another VERY DIRECT QUESTION I WOULD BE ASKING BRANDON:  

Are you incompetent or did you ask Brady to lie???  Which is it?

Sigh…..

I wish I could put my finger on what Dave Brandon has lost – and not just with the latest fiasco, but over a broad period of time.  I wish I could point to any one thing BranDictator has done and say, “See?  See that?  That’s when he lost it.”  But you can’t.  Because there isn’t just any one thing.  The thing that Dave Brandon, without oversight or having someone besides “Yes” men on his staff, has lost is kind of simple - 

Tradition. 

It never really sank in on BranDictator that running the University of Michigan Athletic Department is not about making money or trying to “Run a Business”.  Granted, so much of what you do in an Athletic Department anymore IS Business, but being an AD is more than that.  It requires understanding of how the University and the Athletic Institution known as Michigan came to be and recognizing it for what it is:  A family that he has responsibility for.  A family that has grown over time and that needs to be nourished to create new family members that will commit to and blindly support you in good times and in bad.  It’s an institution that needs complete honesty, transparency and open communication and not corporate double speak.  But most of all, it’s about trust.  Trust and the recognition that as soon as your family doesn’t trust you…all is lost.  You can’t go back to them for forgiveness…I mean, you can, but it’ll always be more difficult from that point forward.

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around why that is so difficult for this guy to understand.  And then, it sort of hits you that he’s not even capable of understanding the simplicity of it all.  He’s too wrapped up in the bottom line, his own image and spin-doctoring whatever the “masses” don’t like that he won’t even take the time to sit back and look at what’s happening.  What people and fans are saying.  Oh, sure, he listens to the “BIG DONOR”, but the little voice simply isn’t being heard.   The tradition of Michigan Football and Michigan Athletics has always been about ALL the fans…not just the wealthy. 

There’s a balance here that even some of the worst AD’s in Michigan’s history seemed to get:  Keep everyone happy – as much as possible.  Let the Big Donor’s give their money and stroke them with whatever perks you want and keep the little guys happy with affordable ticket prices and above all else – Be Nice.  Treat them like family.  I don’t think it’s a complicated system, process or approach, but it’s a system that needs both subjective and objective review and critique from time to time.

Not unlike how you might look at a personal relationship.  That’s different from a business relationship.  It just is.  Fans are more than just “customers”.  They are fans for a reason.  And it’s easy for fans to stop being fans…real easy.

That’s what BranDictator is missing:  There’s nothing personal there with Dave.  It’s always been about the bottom line and making a bigger splash.  We don’t want or necessarily need the splash.  I don’t think anyone was asking him to turn Michigan into the biggest kid on the block.  Yes, we are looking for excellence in the arenas (Thank you Jon Belein!) and on the fields of play, but, due to his “one track mind, business oriented” thought process, he was looking at it as a “Whoever has the most money will win the game!”  He is holding up at the big boys as his target and continues to try to figure out where he can squeeze the next dollar.

Well, I believe it’s all coming to an end somehow.  That what I used to know and love is now nothing more but a ticket price and the cost of admission.  What we understood as something that was bigger than just a “Sporting Event” has become just that:  A sporting event that I don’t have any feelings for anymore.  And that’s even worse than hating it.  As they say, indifference is the opposite of love, not hate.

For example, BranDictator didn’t even bother asking the student section, “What do you want?”  My guess is he would have gotten a lot of good feedback.  And I’m not talking about some survey that was, as with most surveys, targeted to get the answers the Department wanted.  I mean, just ask the question:  

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

I’m sure he would have heard:  CHEAPER TICKETS.  As recently as calendar year 2000, Student Season Tickets were $80.  FOR THE SEASON.  And students could still re-sell the tickets pretty easily.  Come on, not everyone can make every game or has a test to study for…whatever.  Give them the same cardboard ticket I get and GET OVER YOUR ISSUES WITH STUDENTS RE-SELLING TICKETS.  Or anyone re-selling them for that matter.  There’s a need out there for after market ticket sales….Some students might state that they want the better seats that traditionally moved you up closer to the action and closer to the 50.  Others might want to sit up higher because they can see better.  Still others might want to be as close to the field as they could get.  Frats and Sorority houses that have members “of age” or any legal student that would like to imbibe pre-game may ask for a separate section so their drunken shenanigans didn’t offend anyone.  

It’s not hard….Just ask and be nice. 

I don’t hate BranDictator, but I do hate the fact that he’s somehow made me into someone that either can’t afford to care anymore or just doesn’t want to care anymore.  Because he treated us all with distrust and like idiots that he thought would be too stupid to see what he was actually doing.

I guess maybe….maybe this might have been what it felt like when Camelot came to an end…

Yes – If Brandon somehow “Lands the whale…the great Moby Dick” of a coach on the next hire, I suppose all would be forgiven….

But not forgotten.  It could all be over.  Even if it does get better.

 It will never be the same….

Rutgers - It's FIFE Time....

First, there was a football game Saturday evening that involved a team that wears Maize and Blue that plays NOTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE FOOTBALL to the fans that know and love Michigan Football.  And today’s first bit here is probably just going to be a bunch of random thoughts without a lot of cohesion behind them…

Until I got over the stupid call late in the 4^th quarter by the referees (but I’m not going to bitch about that - we suck and got what we deserved) I started thinking about what I would write on Monday, and that depressed me.  So I started to think about other things…Happy things.  Things that don’t make my stomach hurt and make me want to throw up.  I actually thought, seriously, what could have been if Rich Rod would have had the good sense to keep Ron English.  Would things now be different?

Can I take the opportunity to write a little revisionist history?  The Rod and his offense just knocked off the Ducks, in Autzen.  And I was thinking, “Wow, if we hadn’t already had this guy once, we’d hire him!”   But, I wasn’t sold on everything Rich Rod was doing on offense, either.  But I think we all made the statement at one point in time or another that with Rich Rod’s Offense and a Classic Michigan Defense…Yeah, the Wolverines would have been pretty good.

Kovacs….I miss Kovacs.  How can a secondary that had been pretty good at holding teams to low passing totals give up over 400 passing yards to a team that couldn’t make a first down in the 2^nd half when they played Penn State? 

I started thinking about certain coaches out there and how lousy they are on one side of the ball or the other.  Rich Rod’s problem was crystal clear:  He didn’t have a clue about defense and didn’t even know who the right people were to bring in to coach it.  I’m not even sure Rich Rod could spell Defense…

To be sure, I can name several coaches sitting without jobs today (that are collecting a paycheck, regardless) and I thought, “Hey, Rich Rod is having some success as a re-tread.  Other coaches get canned (Tubberville – Defense, Nutt – Super Recruiter, there’s at least one Bowden sitting behind a camera somewhere – Offense, Weis….Okay, I’m not going THAT Far)  that end up coaching somewhere else.  Why not get a COUPLE of those guys and have one be the “head coach” of the defense and the other be the “head coach” of the offense?   I mean, is that a great idea or what?

Feeling like it’s a great idea, from a purely selfish and personal standpoint, there will of course need to be some changes in Ann Arbor.  Because the current BranDictator won’t allow that to happen…Two head coaches I mean.  But maybe a super coach…you know…with head coaching subordinates.

I also wonder why the President hasn’t made any more statements.  You know, as TJH referred to him – was it Schitzel? – and that’s a moniker that can stay until he shows me something a wee bit more than a strongly worded letter.

Religion…That’s what Brandon got after that letter and maybe a phone call from the Prez.  I’m pretty sure that’s why you saw BranDictator on a 3 hour apology cruise last Thursday to all the news and media outlets in Ann Arbor and Detroit that would listen.  And stick a camera or microphone in his face….

Endearing no one (at least not this fan) with his comments or his strained attempt at getting us to believe that he was “hurt” by the student rally was just sickening.  And for a CEO that doesn’t know how to fake sincerity…well, that’s just bad…And if you’ve been paying attention to the little clues at the beginning of the paragraphs…you can pretty much conclude how the Ole’ MMQ is feeling today by adding this last comment….Or word actually….

…EVERYBODY…

This Season’s New Rallying Cry:   FIFE!!!

I mean...This cannot possibly end well...So Why not? 

The Rest of the Mess

Black Saturday – 2014 Style

The Grove looked PACKED!!!  If you DIDN’T SEE Katy Perry on Game Day, I’ve got it here for you on Youtube.  If she isn’t a primer for how to do the guest picker slot…I don’t know what is.  Everyone needs to have that much fun doing that spot!!!  And you know what?  Katy was 100% (or close!) on her picks!!!  Damn!  I need to get her for the FMQ!!!!

BAMA GOES DOWN!!!!  What else do you need to know,really?  Katy having fun in a bar…HerManager is an Ole Miss grad….

Sparty held on at the end…but boy, did they make it exciting…no one was there, however, as a bunch of students didn’t show up and other ones left early.  Hollis is now trying to get into the “More camera time for me, dammit!” act by issuing harshly worded tweets about how to get the right students into the stadium.  Hey, uh, Mr. Hollis?  If you can’t get them in there with a winning team…shit, man…Let it go…Let it go.  It was a pouring sleet storm in 30 degree weather at night.  That isn’t lack of support.  That was, “Hey, were up 27-3 and my twig and berries have turtled, man.  Let’s go find a warm bar and some warmer honeys…”  Just sayin’.  Even I have been known to call “over 21 points in the 4th quarter is Tailgate time.”

Texas A&M has been exposed as a fraud and I certainly put way too much value on South Carolina’s ranking…which, duh….Again – No rankings until last weekend of October.  That’s plenty soon enough.  The whole Auburn – Miss State – Ole Miss thing will sort itself out.  Don’t worry…

The suckeyes handled newcomer Maryland on the road….Huh…That must be their coach because a frosh QB shouldn’t be doing all these wonderful things on the field…not it a 5^th year senior in Ann Arbor can’t do it…right?

Did I mention the Ducks going down on Thursday?  Yeah, yeah…Rich Rod…Miss him yet?  And he’s also the only undefeated coach in the PAC16….because the UTES beat up UCLA and left them with one loss trying to figure out where to now…

Sooners find another way to screw up…Have the sooners ever made it out of October when they’ve been ranked in the top 5?  TCU undefeated…  interesting…But Red River becomes a “whatever” game as I don’t think Texas ever really had a chance, anyway….

Cheeseheads bungle their opportunity and now have 2 losses…sending THEM to spoiler status…Which is a great Segway to

The 5 Stages of Slappy Fan Grief

1.  Denial and Isolation:  Sparty – clinging to hopes that there loss to the Ducks doesn’t become any more of an Achilles heel than it already is….
2. ANGER:  MICHIGAN FAN….Still here…AIN’T LEAVING!!!!  FIFE!!!
3. Bargaining:  Texas A&M, Bama, Sooners and any other 1 loss team saying, “Hey, the committee HAS TO CONSIDER US TO BE 1 OF THE TOP 4 TEAMS!!!”
4. Depression:  Too many to list….Gatorland is going to be the honorary number 1 after beating the Cremesicles but having their back up QB that won the game come home and do something INCREDIBLY STUPID less than 24 hours later?  BranDictator just sent the UF AD a lovely gift for getting Michigan out of the lead story slot….But Wolverines share the top slot as the chance of POST SEASON PLAY has taken an ugly turn.  Michigan’s odds of winning 6 games in total < 10%.
5. Acceptance: Perdon’t, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan, and Kansas…

The MMQ’s Top 10

Definitely a couple of stunners over the weekend. 

1. FSU- they are not number 1, but still get a seat at the FF table…
2. TIE  Auburn – Ole Miss – Miss State – There can be only ONE!!!
3. Baylor – It’ll be one of these two coming out of the BigXII
4. This hurts…domers…but FSU domer game will settle it all there...
5. Sparty – SO MUCH HAS TO HAPPEN for Sparty to squeeze in…but, not impossible!
6. Oregon – Mariota for Heismann…Just cause…
7. TCU – Undefeated…
8. Satan’s Warriors  -  FIRE SABAN!!!!  4-3 in his last 7 games!!!  Maybe he’d come back to Michigan?
9. UCLA – It’s been ugly…I’m not sure how good the Pac12 is now..
10. Oklahoma – Just cause….
11. Texas A&M – outside looking in....

Idle Thoughts From Saturday

-Okay – we don’t look awful….

-Wait…Hold that thought.

-OMG!  Get to this guy…tackle the QB!  Pressure!

-He’s a lousy QB and we’re making him look like Heisman material.

-WTF!!!

-How many guys out there on that punt return?

-AGAIN???? 10 guys only this time on the return team?

-AND BRANDON STATED HE’S THE COACH TILL THE END OF THE SEASON??!!!!????

-Why don’t we let Devin run more?

-Everyone lets their QB run…

-Yeah…injury and all that…I get it…but still.

-You can’t change a Tiger’s stripes…

-Ugh…Did I just mention Tigers?

-Another Detroit, Michigan Shit Stain….
-How is it that Sparty is the only center of athletic excellence right now?

-Back to Michigan…How is THAT NOT A COMPLETED PASS!!!???

-Change the F’ing Rule if that’s NOT A COMPLETE PASS!

-I’m officially pissed.

-Hoke, what are you doing?  A 46 yarder…Wait, that’s wrong…

-It’s a 56 YARDER?  Are you an idiot?

-Run a play for God’s Sake!

-I hope this is a fake of some sort…

-Oh, this sucks. 

-Wasted time…wasted time outs…and we suck little green donkey dicks…

-Because we’ve got nothing…I mean nothing.

-400 yards passing?  Seriously?

-F!@$% IT!!!  FIRE EVERYBODY!!!

The Hot Seat

Genevieve Morton WINS AGAIN!  Lauren Mellor does not make the finals…Interesting!  She may still be an MMQ pick at the end of the season to round out the field, but the masses have spoken.  Week #6’s HSM based on the MMQ’s research and a loyal reader’s recommendation:  Samantha Hoopes!

GONE LIST:

1.  Weis

Hot Seat Rank – No changes!  These guys are all in trouble….

Brady Hoke – It’s a foregone conclusion…         

1. Will Muschamp:  beat the cremesicles...shitstorm in the press erupts...
2. Hazell:  At least Purdue scored against the domers….
3. Beckman:  He’s got problems….
4. Norm Chow:  Hawaii.  The Rainbows haven’t mattered in a while.and that’s a fan base that cares.
5. Mike London:  Needs wins…

FMQ

I didn’t get week 6 bets down due to work related issues and other stuff going on.  But I finally did do a wrap on week 5 and we will look at getting some wagers down this weekend.  Hopefully, this hurts no one as the FMQ has been doing lousy…Think if I tweet Katy and ask her for a favor she’ll help me out?

Sorry if this sounds like Ancient History at this point –

Arkansas (+9) @ TA&M:  Take Arkansas and the 9 for $30

WIN!  Bank $57

Domers @ Syracuse (+10):  Take Syracuse and the 10 for $20

LOSE….

Cincinnati (+16.5) @ ohio:  Take Cincinnati and the 16.5 for $30

LOSE….

TCU (-32) @ SMU:  Take TCU and lay the 32 for $40

WIN!  Bank $76

Wyoming (+31) @ Sparty:    Take the Cowboys and the 31 for $20

LOSE….

Minnesota (+11.5) @ Michigan:  Take the Gophers and the 11.5 for $30

LOSE….

PARLAY!!!

Arkansas – Cinci - TCU:  $30 pays 6 to 1…

LOSE….

Starting Bank:    $689

Total Win:  $133

BANK:           $822

The Spin...And The Money

The Spin – Here It Comes

In the 24/7 news cycle, the BranDictator – Hoke - Concussion story actually had pretty good legs.  4 days in a row, it was the lead story on the National News and all the morning shows.  But now, we are in the “Everyone has made their statements, hunker down in the bunkers, and let’s see exactly where were at” mode.   If another college football scandal erupts (which I’m sure BranDictator is praying for - I heard he tweeted Jameis Winston a new meme) then Michigan will be temporarily off the hook, press wise, anyway. 

But this is one story I’m not totally sure will just go away.   It’s going to linger and create further damage, if that’s possible, than has already been done.  And of course, time begins to heal all wounds and it also gives the spin doctors and master manipulators time to do their thing.  Which, as we all know, time is a precious commodity.  In either direction…You’re either using it wisely or wasting it.

There’s now a “handful” of groups that are coming out in support of BranDictator, as I knew there would be.  BranDictator is a master of spin and when he does finally “bare his soul”, which will also need to happen, but he will wait to do that, he will explain that he is “always acting in the best interests of Michigan”. 

And here it is!  I was trying to get this put together and post this afternoon when I got a tweet that “Brandon has Spoken”  And frankly, I’m disappointed the Daily, which I’m still kind of an avid reader of “on-line” didn’t take on the tough questions!  This entire thing has a “PR Firm/Specialist” tone to it as well….Sickening….The Daily Link:

http://michigandaily.com/news/dave-brandon-brady-hoke-michigan-football-shane-morris-concussion-resign

Some Excerpts:

On communicating to Hoke:

Brandon said he doesn’t know how Hoke eventually learned of the concussion. As of Monday afternoon’s press conference, the coach had claimed he was only aware of Morris’ high ankle sprain, also suffered against Minnesota.

I can’t believe we’re still sticking with this story….Incompetence and no communication….Dysfunction at its finest.  I mean, that’s a pretty damning statement and he’s just saying, “Yeah, we need to do better.”

The Statement

As the person “responsible for Michigan athletics,” Brandon explained that he made the decision to release Tuesday morning’s statement, despite Hoke previously saying it would come from medical professionals. The Athletic Director said information learned throughout the day Monday led to the release being finalized close to 1 a.m.

“The appropriate person in athletics — and I judged that to be me — needed to make it very clear that a mistake was made,” Brandon said. “We own it, we recognize and we acknowledge that a mistake was made, we apologize for it — and I did — and we immediately committed that we would learn from it and make changes to ensure that it wouldn’t happen again.”

Uh, I think this was covered pretty well in the earlier post/rant.  Dave couldn’t get his way and decided that “instead of letting the medical guys make the statement”, he would make it and weasel word it in his own way.  And release it at 1:00 AM.

BranDictator’s “Pain” and “Hurt”

For Brandon, though, he said he hopes to fix his relationship with students. The protest Tuesday, he said, hit him hard.

“That’s very hurtful,” Brandon said. “Anybody who thinks that they want groups to gather with the topic being criticism and sometimes very personal attacks on the work and the job. It’s hurtful. It’s hurtful to me, it’s hurtful to my family.”

“I’m not tone-deaf,” he added. “I felt very badly. My job and my personality is to the best of my ability, I have to fix that.”

Brandon also noted that he has received incessant feedback from alumni and donors. He noted that some of it was constructive, though he did not mention how much of it was negative.

And to that, we can all say, “PHHHBBBTTTT!!” 

OOOhhhhh…..We’re so sorry we hurt your feelings Dave!!!  

Gee, you’re only making a cool $1M a year to make dumb decisions and get those feeling hurt!  And were sorry that your family thinks we’re being mean….maybe you should step down if you can’t take the heat on what are fair job critiques?  And how about the fan’s feelings of lost trust, ever escalating prices and everything on “The List”?

The Money…

As with anything, it always pays to follow the money and the real decision and direction makers for the University.  An alert blog follower (HT: TJH ) found these articles and they unfortunately paint an all too real situation that we’re probably looking at when it comes to the BranDictator.  TJH’s Comments:

I suspect this articulates the Dave Brandon situation best. The Brown guy is going to learn who the President of Michigan really is and he lives in Miami. Always follow the money.  Brandon will marginalize Schizel quickly. The rehabilitation of Dave Brandon has already begun. He forced the Michigan Student Athlete Association to issue a public endorsement and forced Brady to give him a big character reference in his press conference today.

The articles are lengthy, but worth the read.  I’m starting another heading, in objective fairness to BranDictator, to the right that will be the reasons we should keep BranDictator.  Unfortunately, most of those reasons are focused on and around the money and growth he has brought into the Athletics Department. 

Here’s the links in their entirety.  From the Big Lead:

http://thebiglead.com/2014/09/30/david-brandon-is-under-fire-but-michigan-may-be-stuck-with-him/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral

This Crain’s Business article is an interview with Stephen Ross and his public endorsement of Brandon that is also gaining some local attenthion…

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20140927/NEWS/309289978/pressuring-david-brandon-over-football-woes-hurts-university-of

Dissecting the President's Letter - An Introspective

Another shoe dropped yesterday, albeit not the one we have all been waiting for.  And if there’s one thing I’ve learned with Michigan, anything and everything at this great University TAKES TIME.  They do not turn anything around on a dime until all of the questions have been answered and everyone has fully covered their butt. But, at least we got a statement from the new Prez.  And, after reading it again, I found it to be very interesting.

I will admit to having a couple of “Guilty Pleasures” that I’ve developed over my lifetime.  I like taking a speed boat ride by myself at the end of the day near sunset when the lake has quieted down and the water is smooth.  I enjoy taking nostalgia trips to places like Ann Arbor or my hometown and just taking it in, remembering memories that have long since faded away.  I also enjoy old movies, and some not so old, and when they come on I just can’t turn them off.  “Cocktail” with Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown as an apprentice-mentor buddy movie set in New York and Jamaica is one of those flicks.  Don’t ask me why…But I really like the way Bryan Brown plays his character and looks at life.  And one of my favorite scenes is when he explains to his young protégé Flanagan that his greatest skill is reading between the lines…

 I like to think I’m pretty good at reading between the lines, as you learn that everyone (in power anyway) never really says what they mean.  Clearly, the Athletic Statement issued at 1:00 AM is full of crap and double speak.  So, after having read the President’s statement again this morning, I am going to dissect for any hidden meaning or an agenda that might provide some insight as to where this goes from here:

As the leader of our university community, I want to express my extreme disappointment in the events surrounding the handling of an on-field injury to one of our football players, Shane Morris. The health and safety of our entire student community, including all of our student-athletes, is my most important responsibility as university president.

Jeez – I’ve only been here since September 5^th and already I’m dealing with a shit-storm of controversy surrounding the athletics of this great, academic institution.  What’s the deal?  I thought sports was secondary when it came to higher education, but I’ve got to worry about student safety, too.  Isn’t that what we have an AD for?  Yeah – Let me address that:

I have been in regular discussion regarding this incident and its aftermath with Athletic Director David Brandon and the Board of Regents. I support the immediate protocol changes that the department's initial assessment has identified. I have instructed the Athletic Department to provide me, the Board of Regents, and other campus leaders with a thorough review of our in-game player safety procedures, particularly those involving head injuries, and will involve experts from the University of Michigan Health System in assessing its medical aspects.

I spoke with Brandon on this issue, when I could finally reach him and get a straight answer, which is why my statement is so late in its forthcoming.  But please note that I didn’t issue it at 1:00 AM.    It took him forever to issue a statement, which I duh, yeah, we need to fix the problems.  Then, I contacted the regents regarding Brandon and asked what they thought.  The regents and other campus leaders told me to watch Brandon like a hawk and that he’s been operating without over-sight for quite some time.  AS a result, I’ve asked Dave to give me a thorough review of the safety procedures in addition to asking the Michigan Hospital to get involved.

Despite having one of the finest levels of team medical expertise in the country, our system failed on Saturday. We did not get this right and for this I apologize to Shane, his family, his teammates, and the entire Michigan family. It is a critical lesson to us about how vigilant and disciplined we must always be to ensure student-athlete safety. As president, I will take all necessary steps to make sure that occurs and to enforce the necessary accountability for our success in this regard.

Dave – You really screwed up here.  When is the last time you reviewed the side-line procedure?  And, seeing as how you DIDN’T make a statement that included a direct apology to Shane or the Michigan family, allow me to do this, lawyers and lawsuits be damned. You’ve been so worried about the “Brand”ing of Michigan, that it would appear that you’ve neglected one of your primary responsibilities of keeping athletes safe. I am going to start looking at everything you do and I will have someone micro-managing this department if necessary if I don’t like what I’m seeing or hearing FROM THIS POINT FORWARD.  

YOU WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO ME.

Our communications going forward will be direct, transparent and timely. The University of Michigan stands for the highest level of excellence in everything we do, on and off the field. That standard will guide my review of this situation and all the University's future actions.

Christ, Brandon…Your 1:00 AM press release reeked to high heaven…WTF!!!  You’ve left me no choice but to call you out here on the mat and tell the world that I’m going to hold your hand in any further developments on this mess and make sure you are responsive to the press and all of the people that are demanding straight forward answers.  NO MORE 1:00 AM PRESS RELEASES!!  What kind of way is that for a an Athletic Director of a major University to act?  Are you hearing me?  And by future actions, here’s what I mean:  They may or may not include a decision to let you go, even if it costs the University $5.5M in cold, hard cash. 

My thanks go to the many members of the University community who have taken the time to express their thoughts

And Brandon - I’m going to need a brand new F@!#$%@#$ing e-mail address because the flood of e-mails to my inbox has crashed the damn server!

So.... yeah…I think this statement was directly addressing the Brandon issue, with little or no mention of Coach Hoke, who is really becoming the sympathetic character in all of this.  

That doesn’t absolve him of his performance on the field, mind you, nor does it absolve him from making a common sense decision about Shane.  Either one of those and we certainly wouldn’t be having this discussion or dissecting a letter…from the new Prez.

But clearly, the President may have his sights set on bigger game.  If he means what he says….