"What are your favorite drills for improving ball handling?"
"How do you teach proper baserunning technique?"
They have zero experience with football or football coaches. I see no rational basis for this "coaches know good coaches in other sports when they see them" hypothesis.
They know good *basketball* coaches. Because that's the sport they coach.
Red Berenson wasn't part of John Beilein's hiring process, because that would make no sense. Being a "successful person at UM" is not a criterion for being able to identify a good next football coach.
However he feels about Brandon, there's no reason to put himself out there by guessing he's going to be ousted unless that's what he's hearing. He doesn't gain anything by just tossing it out there, and if he's wrong, he'll probably lose a smidge of credibility.
Well actually, boycotting is pretty far from fair-weather. Only caring about a team when they're good is fair-weather. Caring so much about a team in a bad situation that you take action is on the other end of the spectrum.
With that said - it needs to be noted that people aren't planning on doing this because of the record. We had just as bad of a year with Rich, and no one did anything like this. It's about Brandon, which is kind of a unique situation that doesn't really enter the realm of fair-weather fandom.
I'm not boycotting anything, for what it's worth. I'll be there. But I don't blame the people who won't.
As his peer, I feel perfectly content with calling that reasoning stupid. "We've always done it so keep doing it" is just not valid for this situation.
The athletic department treats us like customers to be milked, and in turn they expect us to treat their sports like a religious obligation. It's bullshit. Either both sides treat it like something more than a business, or both sides are free to view it as an economic transaction. They've already picked their side. No one should be chiding fans for returning the favor.
Agreed. I tried to put it a bit softer, but ... damn, people. These guys get a free ride, and don't work any harder than thousands of other collegiate athletes who never get the kind of support our football players get even in the leanest times. Pretending that they're victims because people are (for instance) planning on not walking in until after kickoff is so disingenuous.
It sucks, but this is how sports work. When a team sucks, fewer people show up to watch, and when they do they're less enthusiastic. There isn't a single team at any level in the country that could pack a massive stadium full of happily supportive fans after an extended period of terrible play. As Brandon would be the first to tell you, it's a business, not a religion.
We've packed the Big House for decades. We've also been pretty damn good for decades. I've been to every game except Rutgers this season, and I'll keep going. But I'm not going to rend my clothes and moan at the peope who do otherwise, because I understand how this works. There are thousands of athletes at every level of collegiate sports who work as hard as our football players do, and never get 1/100th of the support. The "you're a player-abandoning traitor!!!" stuff is frustratingly naive.
Uh, please don't be the guy that talks to players while they're trying to go about their lives. I've got classes with a few of them - for the most part they're just normal people, and I don't think they're interested in the OP or anyone else they don't know walking up and trying to comfort them. That just sounds weird and awkward.
Honestly, if they aren't professional athletes (and even then for me) and they don't know you, just leave them be. It might be a little different if it was "congrats on the win this weekend," but they don't need you to be their psychiatrist.
The point has been made ad nauseum that Michigan fans aren't "entitled" to a winning team. I agree, but I'd just add that, in the same way, the players aren't "entitled" to a full house of paying customers who love them unconditionally.
I'd never go after the character of a student athlete, or anything like that. But this protest is fine. I support them, and my primary issues aren't with them - if they choose to interpret stuff like this as a personal insult, then that's on them. I know that this athletic department wants us to sit down, shut up, hand over our wallets and cheer during blowout losses, and if you want to be one of those people, more power to you. But don't whine at people who make other choices and pull out of the "support the team!!!!!!!!!!!" thing. I support the program and the players - my taking some sort of petty action to get them a better coach and AD may not make a difference, but neither will sitting there and apeing Brady's clapping after shitty plays because I want to be a "true fan."
You don't have to play volunteer PR Stasi for the athletic department, dude. As long as people stay away from personally attacking players, critical analysis (and really just generally posts that aren't "ZOMG AMAZING GO BLUE THIS IS MICHIGAN <3 <3 <3") is fine.
I'm so happy this is an away game. I've been to every game this season in person. Now I can drink, sit on my couch, and have the option to change the goddamn channel.
I agree that Michigan has an entitlement issue. What I think some people are missing is that it cuts both ways. The fans feel entitled to a winning football program, because it's been that way forever. The players feel entitled to praise and gobs of money lavished on their gear, practice facilities, etc. because it's been that way forever. The truth is that neither group has a natural right to any of that. It's been a successful symbiotic relationship that nurtured that sense of "deserving" both ways, and now it's broken down.
I respect Brian Cleary, and I understand why he's frustrated. But he has to understand that Michigan football, contrary to this AD's expectations, has no god-given mandate to receive undying love and financial support from fans and alumni. The fans and program are both pissed because our mutually inflated expectations aren't being met.
Let's not kid ourselves; Michigan has such a massive fanbase because we've been really, really good historically. Now we're not, and that support is starting to erode. Sorry folks, but that's just kind of how sports work. A True Fan (TM) is one that wants their team to win, and doesn't start cheering for another team when they're losing. That's it. I don't condone personal criticism of students, but there's nothing wrong with holding an extremely well-paid man accountable for doing his job, which happens to be winning football games in this instance.
Point being: I think Brian Cleary's notion that we're supposed to shut up and toss money at UM football no matter what is just as out of touch as Angry Fan X who demands we win 10 games yearly or else.
I agree that Michigan has an entitlement issue. What I think some people are missing is that it cuts both ways. The fans feel entitled to a winning football program, because it's been that way forever. The players feel entitled to praise and gobs of money lavished on their gear, practice facilities, etc. because it's been that way forever. The truth is that neither group has a natural right to any of that. It's been a successful symbiotic relationship that nurtured that sense of "deserving" both ways, and now it's broken down.
I respect Brian Cleary, and I understand why he's frustrated. But he has to understand that Michigan football, contrary to this AD's expectations, has no god-given mandate to receive undying love and financial support from fans and alumni. The fans and program are both pissed because our mutually inflated expectations aren't being met.
Let's not kid ourselves; Michigan has such a massive fanbase because we've been really, really good historically. Now we're not, and that support is starting to erode. Sorry folks, but that's just kind of how sports work. A True Fan (TM) is one that wants their team to win, and doesn't start cheering for another team when they're losing. That's it. I don't condone personal criticism of students, but there's nothing wrong with holding an extremely well-paid man accountable for doing his job, which happens to be winning football games in this instance.
Point being: I think Brian Cleary's notion that we're supposed to shut up and toss money at UM football no matter what is just as out of touch as Angry Fan X who demands we win 10 games yearly or else.
Recent Comments
"What are your favorite drills for improving ball handling?"
"How do you teach proper baserunning technique?"
They have zero experience with football or football coaches. I see no rational basis for this "coaches know good coaches in other sports when they see them" hypothesis.
It's hard to believe we've sunk to the level of pity pieces from sympathetic OSU writers.
Never thought I'd see that day.
They know good *basketball* coaches. Because that's the sport they coach.
Red Berenson wasn't part of John Beilein's hiring process, because that would make no sense. Being a "successful person at UM" is not a criterion for being able to identify a good next football coach.
However he feels about Brandon, there's no reason to put himself out there by guessing he's going to be ousted unless that's what he's hearing. He doesn't gain anything by just tossing it out there, and if he's wrong, he'll probably lose a smidge of credibility.
Well actually, boycotting is pretty far from fair-weather. Only caring about a team when they're good is fair-weather. Caring so much about a team in a bad situation that you take action is on the other end of the spectrum.
With that said - it needs to be noted that people aren't planning on doing this because of the record. We had just as bad of a year with Rich, and no one did anything like this. It's about Brandon, which is kind of a unique situation that doesn't really enter the realm of fair-weather fandom.
I'm not boycotting anything, for what it's worth. I'll be there. But I don't blame the people who won't.
As his peer, I feel perfectly content with calling that reasoning stupid. "We've always done it so keep doing it" is just not valid for this situation.
The athletic department treats us like customers to be milked, and in turn they expect us to treat their sports like a religious obligation. It's bullshit. Either both sides treat it like something more than a business, or both sides are free to view it as an economic transaction. They've already picked their side. No one should be chiding fans for returning the favor.
Agreed. I tried to put it a bit softer, but ... damn, people. These guys get a free ride, and don't work any harder than thousands of other collegiate athletes who never get the kind of support our football players get even in the leanest times. Pretending that they're victims because people are (for instance) planning on not walking in until after kickoff is so disingenuous.
It sucks, but this is how sports work. When a team sucks, fewer people show up to watch, and when they do they're less enthusiastic. There isn't a single team at any level in the country that could pack a massive stadium full of happily supportive fans after an extended period of terrible play. As Brandon would be the first to tell you, it's a business, not a religion.
We've packed the Big House for decades. We've also been pretty damn good for decades. I've been to every game except Rutgers this season, and I'll keep going. But I'm not going to rend my clothes and moan at the peope who do otherwise, because I understand how this works. There are thousands of athletes at every level of collegiate sports who work as hard as our football players do, and never get 1/100th of the support. The "you're a player-abandoning traitor!!!" stuff is frustratingly naive.
Uh, please don't be the guy that talks to players while they're trying to go about their lives. I've got classes with a few of them - for the most part they're just normal people, and I don't think they're interested in the OP or anyone else they don't know walking up and trying to comfort them. That just sounds weird and awkward.
Honestly, if they aren't professional athletes (and even then for me) and they don't know you, just leave them be. It might be a little different if it was "congrats on the win this weekend," but they don't need you to be their psychiatrist.
Like who?
When you get past the Harbaughs and Miles, there aren't really "better prospects."
I remember you from Rivals like 6 years ago. You were just as weird and self-indulgent then.
The point has been made ad nauseum that Michigan fans aren't "entitled" to a winning team. I agree, but I'd just add that, in the same way, the players aren't "entitled" to a full house of paying customers who love them unconditionally.
I'd never go after the character of a student athlete, or anything like that. But this protest is fine. I support them, and my primary issues aren't with them - if they choose to interpret stuff like this as a personal insult, then that's on them. I know that this athletic department wants us to sit down, shut up, hand over our wallets and cheer during blowout losses, and if you want to be one of those people, more power to you. But don't whine at people who make other choices and pull out of the "support the team!!!!!!!!!!!" thing. I support the program and the players - my taking some sort of petty action to get them a better coach and AD may not make a difference, but neither will sitting there and apeing Brady's clapping after shitty plays because I want to be a "true fan."
You sound like my grandpa.
You don't have to play volunteer PR Stasi for the athletic department, dude. As long as people stay away from personally attacking players, critical analysis (and really just generally posts that aren't "ZOMG AMAZING GO BLUE THIS IS MICHIGAN <3 <3 <3") is fine.
I'm so happy this is an away game. I've been to every game this season in person. Now I can drink, sit on my couch, and have the option to change the goddamn channel.
I agree that Michigan has an entitlement issue. What I think some people are missing is that it cuts both ways. The fans feel entitled to a winning football program, because it's been that way forever. The players feel entitled to praise and gobs of money lavished on their gear, practice facilities, etc. because it's been that way forever. The truth is that neither group has a natural right to any of that. It's been a successful symbiotic relationship that nurtured that sense of "deserving" both ways, and now it's broken down.
I respect Brian Cleary, and I understand why he's frustrated. But he has to understand that Michigan football, contrary to this AD's expectations, has no god-given mandate to receive undying love and financial support from fans and alumni. The fans and program are both pissed because our mutually inflated expectations aren't being met.
Let's not kid ourselves; Michigan has such a massive fanbase because we've been really, really good historically. Now we're not, and that support is starting to erode. Sorry folks, but that's just kind of how sports work. A True Fan (TM) is one that wants their team to win, and doesn't start cheering for another team when they're losing. That's it. I don't condone personal criticism of students, but there's nothing wrong with holding an extremely well-paid man accountable for doing his job, which happens to be winning football games in this instance.
Point being: I think Brian Cleary's notion that we're supposed to shut up and toss money at UM football no matter what is just as out of touch as Angry Fan X who demands we win 10 games yearly or else.
I agree that Michigan has an entitlement issue. What I think some people are missing is that it cuts both ways. The fans feel entitled to a winning football program, because it's been that way forever. The players feel entitled to praise and gobs of money lavished on their gear, practice facilities, etc. because it's been that way forever. The truth is that neither group has a natural right to any of that. It's been a successful symbiotic relationship that nurtured that sense of "deserving" both ways, and now it's broken down.
I respect Brian Cleary, and I understand why he's frustrated. But he has to understand that Michigan football, contrary to this AD's expectations, has no god-given mandate to receive undying love and financial support from fans and alumni. The fans and program are both pissed because our mutually inflated expectations aren't being met.
Let's not kid ourselves; Michigan has such a massive fanbase because we've been really, really good historically. Now we're not, and that support is starting to erode. Sorry folks, but that's just kind of how sports work. A True Fan (TM) is one that wants their team to win, and doesn't start cheering for another team when they're losing. That's it. I don't condone personal criticism of students, but there's nothing wrong with holding an extremely well-paid man accountable for doing his job, which happens to be winning football games in this instance.
Point being: I think Brian Cleary's notion that we're supposed to shut up and toss money at UM football no matter what is just as out of touch as Angry Fan X who demands we win 10 games yearly or else.