Warde comments on critics
Warde says he is making decisions (or non decisions) based on what he think is best for the school and not based on the fanbase/critics. Right or wrong, the criticism is clearly reaching his ears and he's not happy about it.
Hard to disagree with Brian's take on Warde given the track record over the last few years but glad he quickly hired May. I thought it would be interesting for the board to hear his side of things.
-----------------------------------------------
EDIT: Wendy5K said it quite well regarding some of the attack here. I quote: "They veer into personal attacks, sound truly hateful, and many are attacks on his weight. It's one thing to say you didn't like how he handled the Mel Pearson situation, and give rational reasons why. But constantly digging at him and his appearance and making him seem like an ineffectual oaf is beneath us."
Please refrain from such ad hominems. This is a warning.
The post is saying he isn’t in that company.
I think you meant “low bar.”
Shortly after Warde’s morning nap, right after lunch but before Warde’s afternoon nap and snacks Warde conducted a careful and impartial review of Warde and concluded without a shadow of a doubt that Warde has done an excellent job and anyone critical of Warde doesn’t appreciate just how challenging (and exhausting) those 47 minutes he devotes each day to actual work can be.
How do you know what he does all day? I bet he expends more energy every day than all the fat ass shitposters on this board combined.
You're absolutely right, I dont know what he does all day. But I do know what he DOESN'T do.
1. Defend his head football coach when a critical game is stolen from him by the biased fan-boy officials in 2016
2. Lobby to have his team's basketball game time changed in the B1G tourny after a plane crash in 2019
3. Create an environment to keep his best basketball coach from leaving in 2020
4. Take steps to retain the best baseball coach we've ever had when he was ready to leave in 2022
5. Take pre-emptive steps to deal with a major problem in his hockey program once it became public, again in 2022
6. Loudly defend his head football coach against the NCAA bullshit allegations regarding the improper purchase of a cheeseburger while schools like Texas spend 200K on recruiting visits in 2023
7. Loudly defend his head football coach against a concerted effort by OSU & the rest of the schools in the B1G to discredit Michigan and taint their B1G & national titles in 2023
8. Offer his three time B1G championship & undefeated national championship HC in football a contract that would make him want to keep coaching at his alma mater in 2024
9. Move to terminate his head BB coach until pressured to do so by the school's president in 2024
10-. Be able to hire his new basketball HC without the extreme help of an ex BB coach last week
But apparently he does what he thinks is best for the school and athletes, which is a totally meaningful response to the criticism he's received.
3. Take steps to retain the best baseball coach we've ever had
To be fair, Branch Rickey and Ray Fisher are probably the two best baseball coaches we've had, Middaugh was pretty good too until he got fired for paying players (with money earned by selling programs at football games, which I just have to laugh at how quaint that seems in today's NCAA...).
But certainly the best coach we've had in the last 30 years...
March 27th, 2024 at 11:08 AM ^
You even skipped a national championship winner, Don Lund, and Moby Benedict made Michigan baseball the dominant team in the Big Ten in the '70s.
Considering about 2/3 of those are the correct choice (and a couple others are false) - not a very convincing list.
Be able to hire his new basketball HC without the extreme help of an ex BB coach
What a piece of shit Warde is for using Michigan's resources (like an ex coach) in order to help Michigan land the best coach they could. Beilein had to drive like 45 minutes to meet with Warde and May for a couple hours. That is so extreme. Way, way too extreme for my tastes. No other school has ever used resources like this to vet a new coach.
I hate Warde for this. I want an AD who doesn't use any of Michigan's resources and seeks no outside opinions or help when making his coaching hires. He should be using google.com and MGoBoard's search function to gather all his research on coaching candidates. Doing anything else is just too extreme.
10-. Be able to hire his new basketball HC without the extreme help of an ex BB coach last week
I can't imagine being pissed off at someone in a position of leadership for using the best possible advisor in a critical decision. I'm sorry but that is an insane thing to criticize someone for. Having a trusted network and using those people appropriately is EXACTLY what good leaders do.
Yes there's plenty to be legitimately pissed at Warde about, but when you stray into "look at that bitch eating crackers" territory, you undermine your credibility.
You sound absolutely ridiculous. You really think the President and Reagents of the University want their AD to be this guy? Reacting at every little thing that goes wrong and the fans get upset about. If you think this is how you solve problems, by engaging in public spats as the mouthpiece of one of top universities and athletic programs in the country, then i understand why you are on a blog and not working for an athletic department.
March 27th, 2024 at 11:21 AM ^
Your list says more about you than it does Warde. For some reason you have a thing against him and it has nothing to do with your list. That is clear with the many personal insults you include about Warde.
Fire Warde
I need Warde to explain why/if he is in good terms with Tony Petite-D. That guy stabbed us in the back, and there is no excuse to be chummy with him… unless it’s to get close enough to stab him in the back.
The president is a representative of the constituents and they all wanted blood. If he didn't act they'd have canned him. Worked out for everyone. Maybe it was just enough to anger and solidify team to win it. Warde played it right with him.
And we just don't know what was going on behind the scenes! Was there even more evidence, of even greater malfeasance? Did Warde agree to accept the Big Ten's sanctions in return for a promise that the additional information wouldn't be revealed and even greater sanctions not levied? Is it possible that there was a negotiated settlement?
We. Just. Don't. Know.
(But of course, everyone here is convinced they do know).
'Man critiques self and finds no fault, blames others for their perception' - story at 11...
Seriously? Yeah, he handled the Juwan release (can't bring myself to 'fire' Michigan Legit Legend Juwan Howard) and the May hiring quite well. I will not fault him for the Juwan hire - that was a good decision that just didn't work out. And I've said that elsewhere, also... But there are so many other issues with him as AD that I cannot support...
As I've said a hundred times, the guy is a competent administrator of a ~$150M business venture with people, publicity, and building/real estate infrastructure. But the way he's handled football since his hiring is atrocious. Everything is passive - he lets the conference walk all over them. He punished Harbaugh early on for defending his program publicly. He suspended Harbaugh for cheeseburgers before the NCAA even tried to - and still that 'investigation' is ongoing. Aside from a tweet clearly edited by lawyers, he all but refused to defend the program during SignGate. He fired an assistant coach for what? Talking to players? He basically did everything he could to sabotage the program's NC run, without outright sabotaging the run. And he essentially faked trying to keep Harbaugh.
Whatever. He can run the business side of it, but he sucks at everything else. He is not a leader in the clubhouse with peers. The B1G should have covered our back with Signgate, but instead led the charge to condemn Michigan without evidence - indeed, against all evidence. If Warde were an actual leader in a room with peers, that would never happen.
Geez...you really don't understand the responsibility of that position when it comes to the university.
Run the business side, hire coaches and let them coach, glad-hand doners, and support coaches/players/teams when they need public support. He does most of that well enough, but he fails miserably at the 'support' aspects - especially for football where/when Harbaugh was involved.
So what don't I understand from your perspective?
March 27th, 2024 at 10:00 AM ^
I mean ... all of his supposed fuck-ups did drive the football program straight into the basement of ... three straight Big Ten titles and a National Championship.
I get that you guys don't think he deserves any credit for that, and ok. But ... what objective metrics do you want to apply to his oversight beyond "I, the fan, don't like some of the things that happened?"
And ... why does a National Championship not fit into that equation, somehow?
March 27th, 2024 at 11:12 AM ^
Harbaugh was clearly the driver of the football program. If you think Warde's inactive lack of support drove football to heights unseen, good for you.
BTW, I have no idea what your complaint is against what I posted. I complemented his running of the business side, and offered a clear list of what I didn't like about him. And, since this is a fan site, why do we need objective measurements to explain our likes/dislikes? I mean, nobody said that you had to like what I said!
WTF? All college coaches 'drive their programs.' The AD is there to support that coach with needed resources balanced against the needs of other programs. Your babblings about an "inactive lack of support" makes no sense at all.
Let's not forget that he got a huge personal gain by playing nice and being so passive with the NCAA, Petitti, the media and Michigan's rivals. Warde didn't lift a finger to support Harbaugh or the football program through all of those "scandals" (he actually did the opposite, as you point out) and now - what do you know, he's the head of the selection committee. Nice resume boost and personal gain for Warde. He doesn't care about building champions or being a leader. He cares about his own image and prestige.
He seems pretty unlikable. Brian and Sam are more plugged in than the average mgoblogger so they probably know more than us when they say that coaches and others don't like him.
He seems "unlikeable"? Why? On what basis? Or are you just talking out of your ass yet again?
If that's true then John Beilein wouldn't be part of the advisor group for May hiring.
He did it for Michigan, not Warde. He knew that the meeting in FLA was critical to the process and Warde would bumble it alone
Except Red Berenson and Carol Hutchins both serve in an advisory role for their respective programs. Would they do that if the AD, the person they formerly worked for, was "unlikeable"? Yeah, probably not. Of course, Manuel is the one who reached out to Beilein, not the other way around as you imply here.
There has to be a natural adversarial component, unless you want the coaches to think they can slack off. Look to Bo and Don.
Does anyone recall how Bo reacted after Canham went to Columbus and sold tickets to the Michigan v OSU game in Ann Arbor in 1969?
Does anyone recall what Canham said in response to Bo?
I do not, please enlighten me...
March 27th, 2024 at 11:05 AM ^
The "net" of the story is this. Canham needed revenue - and, that meant selling out Michigan Stadium whenever possible. 1969 was Bo's first season - and, Michigan was hosting Ohio State. Michigan was ranked 12th - Ohio State was ranked 1st and defending national champions - according to Woody - his best team ever.
Canham had several thousand unsold tickets to The Game - and, he wanted (or needed) to sell out Michigan Stadium. It was game week - so, he went down to Columbus and sold those "thousands" of unsold tickets to - Ohio State fans. Bo didn't know he did that.
Michigan upsets Ohio State - a great win that started the Ten Year War.
Well - Bo finds out (after the game) that Canham went to Columbus to sell the tickets. He goes into Canham's office and says "Don, I heard you went to Columbus and sold tickets to Ohio State fans in MY stadium for MY game." Obviously - Bo was a bit agitated.
Canham looked at Bo and said - "I understand how you feel. With how things turned out on Saturday - I won't ever have to go to Columbus to sell tickets again."
I think the game's been a sellout ever since.
March 27th, 2024 at 11:08 AM ^
Bo: "Don, don't ever do that again."
Canham: "Now, I don't think I'll have to."
Huh??? I think Warde should be fired into the Sun and even I'll concede the one thing he has going for him is he's extremely likeable. He's one of those guys with the warm smile, the firm handshake, the kind words, and charismatic demeanor. He's a big teddy bear.
The problem is the moment you need someone to stand up for you (hockey team, Harbaugh, Sanderson) he's also the guy with the shitstained pants, whiny excuses, and Combine-breaking 40 time.
Don’t recall Sam saying that. Did he? Don’t recall Brian saying that either. I only remember Seth saying it. But I might have missed something from Brian and Sam. I would be shocked if Sam ever said that, though, even if he knew it to be true.
For what it’s worth (zero, actually), I don’t like him.
AD is a pretty thankless job.
I wonder how many fanbases actually like the AD of the school they root for...and any that do, it has to be mostly fleeting in this day and age of internet outrage.
That's definitely true to some extent. I'd rather take out my frustrations on the AD than the coaches and players.
The Athletic Director could be so much better and more likable/personable. Make no mistake, the success that we’ve had in athletics is in spite of Warde. Michigan has some tremendous built in advantages and rich history. If they hired someone talented for AD, look out.
Yeah, you are making a mistake with this dumb shitpost. The AD doesn't actually coach the fucking teams.
Good morning, Warde. You seem angry today, perhaps you should lay off the coffee and get a nap in?
Another lazy shitpost from you. Maybe drink more coffee and come up with something better than this tired shtick. Or snort some coke. Whatever you need to do.
Speaking of lazy shitposts, you must be looking in a mirror this morning... Take a look at all of the one-liners you're popping out in here - they are the very definition of 'shit post'. All you're doing is shitting on everyone's opinion without offering your own, let alone offering a counter to whatever opinion you apparently don't like.
You're not usually this angry, what pissed you off? Is Warde a friend, or family member? I mean, give us some reason you're shitting on us like some high and mighty bitch. Why so high and mighty?
Maybe I'm just sick of the endless piling on to someone who doesn't deserve that, and from people who don't know what they're talking about engaging in bullshit speculation and making bad arguments. Hmmm...yeah, that's definitely it.
March 27th, 2024 at 10:05 AM ^
"Look out?" "Look out?!?" What Michigan athletic director in at least the last 25 years has had anywhere near the success Warde has had in his past ten years!!
Jesus, this is exactly the craziness of the argument. No matter how freaking well the teams do -- a national championship in football, appearances in the title game in baseball, hockey, and basketball -- the assumption is that with a real AD we could do so much better!
What kind of results are you expecting? What school in the country can match our success in multiple sports? (Not including tennis, softball, gymnastics, etc.).
If you don't like Warde, ok, I guess. But fuck, man, to suggest that the teams aren't successful enough is crazy.
That's been the case for like 100 years though at Michigan. Even when the football team was bad, we always are like top 10 for the director's cup.
I mean people do grow and change. Doesn't change the fact that he has been a shitty AD for years, but the Dusty May hiring is excellent.
"some people are never happy"
confucius
Our legendary football coach dealt with our president because he didn't like Warde.
There are other reasons to not like Warde(getting dinner with Jim Stapleton last fall is an easy one), but we don't have to even go beyond them in my opinion.