A World Held Hostage: Day Six
ALERT THE MEDIA… Er. Nevermind. I see you're on top of that.
Hello. How are you? Getting used to the idea that limbo is you permanent home? Thinking about buying a couch?
Miles-date. The Louisiana media details what they know about Miles's movements over the past couple days and where he'll be in the next couple:
Saturday morning, Miles flew from Dallas to Baton Rouge with the LSU team and official party, and was seen entering the LSU football complex.
Vincent said Miles is scheduled to fly back to Dallas on Tuesday, where he is slated to deliver a speech during the American Football Coaches Association convention. Miles is then scheduled to fly immediately back to Baton Rouge, Vincent said.
This would seem to blow up the rumor that Miles was actually in Ann Arbor over the weekend. Miles showing up in Dallas would be a convenient place for the Dominos plane edition of David Brandon* to interview Miles, if he hasn't already, and the News says they will talk then.
Local folk are asserting the end result is likely to be similar to last time according to the proverbial "person close to the situation":
"My impression is that he'd like to say 'No,' without saying 'No,'" he said. "He doesn't want to be on the list of people who turned him (Brandon) down."
Former Michigan recruit and LSU commit Trai Turner was pinged by the RBs coach, who told him "there wasn't anything to worry about" and added that "from everything else I hear, Coach Miles is staying," but they're always staying until they aren't. Miles is currently being battered by questions he won't answer at a press conference assembled to announce Patrick Peterson's departure for the NFL, so expect word of some evasive non-denials shortly.
Plane-date. So the plane above went to Baton Rouge and people said it was carrying organs and should not be paid attention to, then it went a bunch of places seemingly relevant to key players in the Michigan coaching search and then it went back to Baton Rouge and people were like "dude, this plane should be paid attention to." FWIW, I'm getting more emails about who or what is on that plane that say it shouldn't be paid attention to because its owner rented it out for three months. (Whoever rented it out must really love screwing with Michigan fans on the internet.)
It's uncertain if the thing actually is doing anything other than providing Baton Rouge TV stations with gold, Jerry, gold. The coincidence is a little much, but on the other hand if you were flying around the country trying to have clandestine conversations with a currently-employed college head coach you'd have to be epically stupid to do so in your blinged-out winged helmet learjet.
A not quite entirely pointless Gruden update. I'd completely forgotten about this but an emailer pinged me back in early December, stating that he was close to someone in the Gruden loop and that Michigan had contacted him to gauge interest in the job. The result was "strong" interest. I decided not to mention something seemingly so off the wall since Gruden comes up in literally every coaching search that happens and Rodriguez seemed like he'd have a job in 2011. But here we are.
That source updates by saying he can confirm Gruden has spoken with Brandon and there is still "interest." I'm not sure if this is Gruden's MO or a genuine candidacy. But he is the guy with the second-most buzz at the moment, behind Miles but seemingly ahead of Hoke or anyone else. As Jennifer Hammond suggested, take it with a grain of salt.
*[Ablauf on Brandon's location: "That's a good question. I'm on a need-to-know basis."]
January 10th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
That David Ablauf is Pierre Salinger to Dave Brandon's JFK.
"The Athletic Director has a cold. After consulting with his doctors, he has decided the best course of action is to...oh, I don't know, they didn't tell me anything."
January 10th, 2011 at 12:24 PM ^
We shall see what DB is all about in the next few days. They are doing a good job of keeping everyone out of the loop, but lets see if we end up with someone other than Hoke or Miles.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
Mike Tirico constantly pointing out former Michigan players during MNF broadcasts is wearing Gruden down.
January 10th, 2011 at 1:42 PM ^
That video, downloaded directly from WBRZ, has errors. Maybe somebody cut their video guy. Here's his statement at the press conference today:
January 10th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^
...is (yes) extremely telling. The secrecy involved in this search is truly amazing. It increases the likelihood that the next HC will not be burdened with the notion that he was choice #3 (i.e., 1. Miles, 2. Schiano, 3. RR).
The story will be that several candidates were contacted, expressed interest, were interviewed/vetted, and Coach X was determined to be The Choice*.
* Harbaugh will be explained away as unattainable due to his NFL aspirations that were subsequently realized.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:30 PM ^
Sadly, I'm coming to enjoy this daily entry.
Any chance that if/when we have a coach it can continue?
After all, Nightline is still chugging along 21 years after the Iran Hostage Crisis was resolved...
Discussion Question:
Is Brian the Ted Koppel of this generation?
January 10th, 2011 at 1:13 PM ^
Is Brian the Ted Koppel of this generation?
No, Koppel was merely a weak foreshadowing of Brian.
January 10th, 2011 at 2:51 PM ^
It's all about the hair.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:31 PM ^
Stop teasing us with the Gruden stuff!
January 10th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
IT"S GOING TO HAPPEN.
/based on nothing but hope
January 10th, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^
the world can only be held hostage for 8 days max. if it is thursday and we don't have a coach, it means DB is having real problems.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
And on the 8th night, the oil will run out...
January 10th, 2011 at 12:37 PM ^
For someone with the shady recruiting practices that Miles has demonstrated, his denial of leaving to players and recruits seems less than convincing evidence.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^
If you have an extra Lear jet or Gulf Stream sitting around, combine that with an unemployed sign painter, and you could really have some fun.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
But back and forth between locations of importance multiple times? Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action.
<br>
<br>And stop mentioning Gruden. Anytime you start taking something good seriously, it falls through.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
Can we get a Profiles in Heroism: Jon Gruden?
January 10th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
I like John Gruden, but I live in Louisville and last year when Louisville was looking for a coach the whole "John Gruden's camp says he's interested in the job" thing flew around the city like crazy.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:43 PM ^
Hello darkness my old friend.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^
January 10th, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^
http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2011/01/lsu_football_coach_les_miles_r_2.html
"I'm told that we will speak, that time and place has not been identified," said Miles, a former Wolverines assistant coach and player. "It's hard for me to speculate to the substance of the meetting."
January 10th, 2011 at 12:46 PM ^
...is the classic misdirection play to throw us all off the trail. Les isn't more in our case.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:46 PM ^
Limbo can be decades in dream time. Maybe we should all kill ourselves to make sure we aren't in a dream world. Who's coming with me???
January 10th, 2011 at 1:01 PM ^
you first.
January 10th, 2011 at 1:06 PM ^
then you wouldn't know if I made it back to reality... you just have to have faith that this is a disastrous nightmare... let me go grab my totem just to make sure.
January 10th, 2011 at 1:22 PM ^
that picture made me think of this:
NSFW (L)
January 10th, 2011 at 12:48 PM ^
I don't see how Chucky is a good fit at the college level. Just as importantly, I don't see him staying as long as Hoke would. If Gruden does somehow get things rolling, he's back off to the NFL at the 1st decent opportunity.
While I would love to see a snowman or bigger in the win column before my son turns 10 in 5 years, I also know the depressing feeling of hammering my F5 hour after hour, day after day. I won't be ready for more flight tracking before say, oh, 2020.
Head asplode ...
January 10th, 2011 at 12:55 PM ^
He'd make an excellent college level coach.
And if he was going to bolt for the NFL "at the 1st decent opportunity", he'd be coaching in the NFL right now. There are and have been plenty of openings since he left the Bucs, and he has turned many of them down. He's obviously being picky about where he wants to be next to the point that I'd bet if he is considering coming to Michigan, then it is indeed true that Michigan is one of his "dream jobs". You don't take this much time to wait for the right opening just to bail on them a few years later for a "decent" NFL job.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
He'd be able to recruit as well as anybody in the country. Flash the ring at a kid, and he's at least taking a visit.
January 10th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^
I sincerely hope your view is not shared by anyone else but yourself.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:49 PM ^
...is one night I think almost nothing will happen.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
and thank God for that too. This CC is wearing me out.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^
concerning the coaching change and or coaching search. I personally don't care who we get to coach the team as long as he stands up on that podium and promises us he is going to beat MSU and OSU every time we play them as long as he is our coach!
January 10th, 2011 at 12:52 PM ^
I want a coach who can actually beat them. Not just one who emphatically says he he will.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^
Our planes have wings.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^
The ink dried a week ago on our new HC's contract. Watch for spikes in the sales of pizza and keyboard degreaser. This all is mercenary strategy being executed from a non-numbered room at Ross where the cabal operates. The jet is ruse. I heard this from a current Michigan player who needed to know. In the works is a car that runs on water.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:55 PM ^
I bet this is just some rich alum with a bunch of money who likes to mess with everyone's head. If I had my own jet with wings on it I would fly it around the country and see what people with too much time on their hands and flight tracker could come up with.
"The plane is in Seattle! Is Michigan going for Pete Carroll?". Or
"It is in Las Vegas, which is close to San Deago, so therefore it must be Hoke that Michigan is after!"
So much fun could be had...
January 10th, 2011 at 1:00 PM ^
1. $3.4 million salary
2. $1 million salary for his brother Jay to be the OC
3. If he met a certain winning standard, Jay would become his successor
4. A private jet for recruiting and personal uses
I sort of have my doubts that Michigan and Jon would come to some accord if they above is true.
January 10th, 2011 at 1:01 PM ^
to buy a Gulfstream this afternoon.
i'm going to paint a wolverine on the tail, but replace its head with Jim Harbaugh's. that'll mess with y'all every three years!
January 10th, 2011 at 1:03 PM ^
I am so frustrated right now because I want Jon Gruden so bad to coach this football team and I feel like we are going to be SETTLING with Hoke or Miles. I think the "interest" is valid but Dave Brandon just doesn't get that Gruden >>>>>>>> Miles > Hoke.
Who is up for setting up a thread for all of the fans to post in their thoughts about Gruden and send the link to DB?
January 10th, 2011 at 1:07 PM ^
Gruden has interest in every major coaching position since the end of his Bucs gig. Hell, while he was with the Bucs I think he took a rumored trip to Tennessee. If he's demanding his brother be the OC with a $1M salary and successorship, I really don't see this happening even if he has some interest in the job.
January 10th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^
hasn't said a word to anybody since Wednesday. What exactly gives you the idea that he doesn't "get" something?
January 10th, 2011 at 1:04 PM ^
Oh. My. God. Was that GERG getting off the plane!? That silvery mane glistening with water droplets.
It's a coup d'etat! GERG has assumed command of the coaching search! Commence freakout!
January 10th, 2011 at 1:10 PM ^
Gerg has the hair and thus corporate gravitas. It would be foolish to relinquish such an asset when you also have a jet at your disposal.
January 10th, 2011 at 1:07 PM ^
must have been a U-M football fan that finally snapped after reading all the rumors and seeing the coaching choices we have.
January 10th, 2011 at 1:13 PM ^
Too soon guy.
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