For the past year or so, I've been writing for one of my friends at theangryt.com. I recommend reading it daily. He's really got some great stuff there, and it gets a ton of traffic. In the past few weeks, I've decided to start writing in here again, and I'm going to start by posting some of my favorite articles that I've written for The Angry T.
This is probably my favorite-- talking about how poor academics actually helps SEC in recruiting.
Bigger... Faster... Dumber?
The SEC is the dominant conference. We've heard it for years. The last 2-3 years it is very possibly true. But why? They're faster, people say. Apparently the deep South breeds differently than the rest of the country.
Is it possible, though, that SEC schools are just able to take more athletes than other schools? Lower academic standards certainly make it a possibility. When looking at the academic reputations of the four major college football conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac Ten), it is clear that the SEC fails miserably.
Of the SEC's twelve schools, only Vanderbilt (18) and Florida (49) make the top 50 of US News and World's 2009 rankings. Only Georgia (58), Alabama (83), and Auburn (96) join them in the top 100. Two schools, Mississippi and Mississippi State, fall under the Tier 3 category. Even when those two sub-par schools are excluded, the average ranking among the other 10 SEC schools is a below-average 89.1.
By comparison, the two worst Big Ten schools (Michigan State and Indiana) are both ranked 71st. That's right, the worst Big Ten schools are ranked significantly ahead of the SEC's average. In perhaps the most staggering statistic, the SEC only has three schools that rank ahead of the two worst Big Ten schools. The Big Ten ranks at the top of the four conferences with a 50.1 average ranking and all eleven of their schools in the top 100.
The Pac Ten ranks second with an average ranking of 62.1 and only one Tier 3 school (Oregon State). The Big 12 falls slightly ahead of the SEC with an average ranking of 86.4 and two Tier 3 schools (Oklahoma State, Texas Tech).
So what does all of this mean? In short, the SEC has a recruiting advantage. Anyone who follows recruiting even a little bit realizes that there are a lot of kids coming out of high school with poor grades, test scores, etc, that are extremely talented athletes. It's not a stereotype. Different kids have different reasons for their academic shortcomings, many of which are beyond their control. When a school has lower academic standards, they can (in general) accept more recruits than schools with higher standards. Even if their entrance standards are decent, an easy trip to college appeals more to kids that are dead set on going to the NFL. Let's face it, student-athletes are not student-athletes anymore. If that were the case, kids would be flocking to the Big Ten. Or, recruits would be lining up to go to Vanderbilt, by far the best school in the SEC. Oh... but there's this little thing called reality. So are SEC players faster? Maybe. But it sure sounds like they're getting an easier ride.
This might not be as humorous as you expect from an article on the Angry T. But, well... the truth is funny enough.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Farewell Lloyd
1995 Virginia—Scott Dreisbach to Mercury Hayes. 1995 Ohio State—313. 1997. 2000 Orange Bowl—Brady, Terrell, Thomas. 2003 Ohio State—100th game. 2004 Michigan State—Braylon. 2005 Penn State—Henne to Manningham. Woodson, Jackson, Hall. Glen Steele. Foote, Irons, Jones, Sword. Hutchinson, Long, Baas. Terrell, Edwards, Streets, Toomer, Walker, Avant. Thomas, Perry, Hart. Griese, Brady, Henson, Navarre, Henne. 5 Big Ten Championships. One National Championship.
Only one man is directly responsible for all of this. Yet, even in the days after his retirement, Lloyd Carr still can’t get the respect he has earned. I guess it shouldn’t really surprise me… Michigan quarterbacks have encountered the same problem dating back to Elvis Grbac (yes, even Tom Brady). I guess I’m just an eternal optimist.
Growing up a Michigan fan, I have grown to expect two things—winning football games and winning football games with integrity. During his tenure, Lloyd Carr has done both. Has he been outcoached at times? Sure. So has Pete Carroll. But, there is so much more that goes into being a head coach than X’s and O’s. Joe Roberson, the man that hired him, recognized this. "I said to myself, 'I really want a coach who can be a role model to these young men in the educational sense,' " Roberson said. "Somebody who knows there are more letters in the alphabet than X and O. I felt Lloyd was that." On top of educating players, you have to get the right ones in the first place. Heck, Pete Carroll’s probably outcoached more than any of us will know.. . but his players just outexecute other teams. They’re just that much more talented. For thirteen years, Lloyd has gotten the right players. Sure, there’s a Kelly Baraka and a Johnny Sears every once in a while. More importantly, he’s found guys like Braylon Edwards, David Harris, and Mike Hart. Guys that others thought were too slow, too small, etc. Guys that, ultimately, make your program. And, when they step out of line, it is up to the coach to correct it. The stories of Lloyd handing guys like Braylon, Chris Perry, and Shawn Crable their transfer papers are told countless times. Meanwhile, Jim Tressel sits those same guys out for a play. Maybe I’m screwed up in the head, but I have no problem sacrificing a win here or there if it means running a clean program. Plenty of programs have taken a different approach—Miami, Florida State, Nebraska. They allow guys to play except in cases of murder. And look at where those programs are right now. Think that’s a coincidence? Michigan won’t see that sort of decline, and Lloyd Carr is directly responsible for that.
Lloyd didn’t have the impact of Bo, the fire of Moeller, or the charisma of either… but he produced better results. And, he’s done so much more. Adam Kraus described Carr at Lloyd’s last football bust as “not just a coach, but a maker of men.” Never have I seen a person command more respect from his inferiors than Lloyd Carr. His players thought so much of him that they gave him the Michigan ring that is given to each senior at the end of the year. The only other non-player to ever receive the ring? Bo.
Words can’t truly express how much I will miss Lloyd Carr. He has meant so much to the Michigan football family for so long. He was one hell of a coach. That, and most importantly to me, he represented the University of Michigan as well as it has ever been represented—something all Michigan fans, should be eternally grateful for. Goodbye Lloyd, you will be missed.
Only one man is directly responsible for all of this. Yet, even in the days after his retirement, Lloyd Carr still can’t get the respect he has earned. I guess it shouldn’t really surprise me… Michigan quarterbacks have encountered the same problem dating back to Elvis Grbac (yes, even Tom Brady). I guess I’m just an eternal optimist.
Growing up a Michigan fan, I have grown to expect two things—winning football games and winning football games with integrity. During his tenure, Lloyd Carr has done both. Has he been outcoached at times? Sure. So has Pete Carroll. But, there is so much more that goes into being a head coach than X’s and O’s. Joe Roberson, the man that hired him, recognized this. "I said to myself, 'I really want a coach who can be a role model to these young men in the educational sense,' " Roberson said. "Somebody who knows there are more letters in the alphabet than X and O. I felt Lloyd was that." On top of educating players, you have to get the right ones in the first place. Heck, Pete Carroll’s probably outcoached more than any of us will know.. . but his players just outexecute other teams. They’re just that much more talented. For thirteen years, Lloyd has gotten the right players. Sure, there’s a Kelly Baraka and a Johnny Sears every once in a while. More importantly, he’s found guys like Braylon Edwards, David Harris, and Mike Hart. Guys that others thought were too slow, too small, etc. Guys that, ultimately, make your program. And, when they step out of line, it is up to the coach to correct it. The stories of Lloyd handing guys like Braylon, Chris Perry, and Shawn Crable their transfer papers are told countless times. Meanwhile, Jim Tressel sits those same guys out for a play. Maybe I’m screwed up in the head, but I have no problem sacrificing a win here or there if it means running a clean program. Plenty of programs have taken a different approach—Miami, Florida State, Nebraska. They allow guys to play except in cases of murder. And look at where those programs are right now. Think that’s a coincidence? Michigan won’t see that sort of decline, and Lloyd Carr is directly responsible for that.
Lloyd didn’t have the impact of Bo, the fire of Moeller, or the charisma of either… but he produced better results. And, he’s done so much more. Adam Kraus described Carr at Lloyd’s last football bust as “not just a coach, but a maker of men.” Never have I seen a person command more respect from his inferiors than Lloyd Carr. His players thought so much of him that they gave him the Michigan ring that is given to each senior at the end of the year. The only other non-player to ever receive the ring? Bo.
Words can’t truly express how much I will miss Lloyd Carr. He has meant so much to the Michigan football family for so long. He was one hell of a coach. That, and most importantly to me, he represented the University of Michigan as well as it has ever been represented—something all Michigan fans, should be eternally grateful for. Goodbye Lloyd, you will be missed.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
MSU Fallout
In one play, Shawn Crable pretty much summed up Michigan's season. He had Javon Ringer wrapped up, and let him slip through his fingers. Crable fell down, but he got up. He got up and made one of the finest defensive plays I've ever seen. I don't think people really appreciate how great a play Crable made. I don't care if he had an angle... he basically made up 15 yards on the fastest running back in the Big Ten. Not only did it show freakish athletic ability, it just showed how much Shawn Crable cares. Something we didn't see early in the year from the rest of the team...
Then there's Chad Henne. Coming into this year, the complaints were consistent: he can't win games... he can only manage them. Enter: Michigan Senior QB. John Navarre did it, Drew Henson did it, Brian Griese did it. But, no one did it better their senior year than Tom Brady. Sure, Griese won more games (and a NC), but Brady played a much bigger role in his victories, this is where the nickname "Captain Comeback" was born. Chad Henne is having a Tom Brady-like senior season. Against MSU and Illinois, he has showed unbelievable guts. (Do you have it? Chad does.) Mike Hart got all the publicity early in the year, and deservedly so. But, it's Henne's time. He has gone from a guy who could barely considered a leader, to a legitimate first round pick. The talent has always been there... the heart and the brain have finally caught up. And, you better believe he's going to do everything in his power to prevent a repeat of his previous Ohio State games.
Finally, I cannot believe Mark Dantonio. Maybe it's because I've been raised better. Maybe it's because I've grown up as a Michigan fan. But, I've come to expect more than what Dantonio showed after the game (and after the Appalachian State game). I can handle a player running his mouth, especially if he backs it up. But, a coach... sorry, I expect more. This is part of the reason that I will support Lloyd Carr to the grave (note: change is still needed, see previous post). After the Appalachian State game, Dantonio offered a 'moment of silence' for Michigan at his UAB press conference. Jehuu Caulcrick said that it feels like they won two games that day (okay, but you better back it up). And, then, Michigan players offer a moment of silence after the game, and Dantonio gets mad? You brought it on yourself buddy. Jehuu gets mad about something that Terrence Taylor told him after the game? What do you want to be it was something along the lines of..
TT: Good game, man.
JC: Thanks, wish we could've pulled it out.
TT: Yeah, probably feels like you lost twice today, huh?
Then, Dantonio gets mad about Hart's "little brother" comment (totally accurate btw), and says this..
"Does Hart have a little brother or is he the little brother?" Dantonio asked. "I don't know, he's ... that tall." Dantonio placed his hand to his chest to illustrate Hart's stature.
Can you imagine Lloyd Carr doing that? Pete Carroll? Jim Tressel? Dantonio went on to rant about how this was "just the beginning", and proceeded to start another countdown to next year's game. Maybe you should worry about Purdue and Penn State. Have you not learned anything from the past? You put everything into the Michigan game, and it backfires. You lose, and you collapse. You lose games before it because you're focused too much on Michigan. Maybe you haven't learned as much as you think you have. Just remember...
You're still Michigan State.
Then there's Chad Henne. Coming into this year, the complaints were consistent: he can't win games... he can only manage them. Enter: Michigan Senior QB. John Navarre did it, Drew Henson did it, Brian Griese did it. But, no one did it better their senior year than Tom Brady. Sure, Griese won more games (and a NC), but Brady played a much bigger role in his victories, this is where the nickname "Captain Comeback" was born. Chad Henne is having a Tom Brady-like senior season. Against MSU and Illinois, he has showed unbelievable guts. (Do you have it? Chad does.) Mike Hart got all the publicity early in the year, and deservedly so. But, it's Henne's time. He has gone from a guy who could barely considered a leader, to a legitimate first round pick. The talent has always been there... the heart and the brain have finally caught up. And, you better believe he's going to do everything in his power to prevent a repeat of his previous Ohio State games.
Finally, I cannot believe Mark Dantonio. Maybe it's because I've been raised better. Maybe it's because I've grown up as a Michigan fan. But, I've come to expect more than what Dantonio showed after the game (and after the Appalachian State game). I can handle a player running his mouth, especially if he backs it up. But, a coach... sorry, I expect more. This is part of the reason that I will support Lloyd Carr to the grave (note: change is still needed, see previous post). After the Appalachian State game, Dantonio offered a 'moment of silence' for Michigan at his UAB press conference. Jehuu Caulcrick said that it feels like they won two games that day (okay, but you better back it up). And, then, Michigan players offer a moment of silence after the game, and Dantonio gets mad? You brought it on yourself buddy. Jehuu gets mad about something that Terrence Taylor told him after the game? What do you want to be it was something along the lines of..
TT: Good game, man.
JC: Thanks, wish we could've pulled it out.
TT: Yeah, probably feels like you lost twice today, huh?
Then, Dantonio gets mad about Hart's "little brother" comment (totally accurate btw), and says this..
"Does Hart have a little brother or is he the little brother?" Dantonio asked. "I don't know, he's ... that tall." Dantonio placed his hand to his chest to illustrate Hart's stature.
Can you imagine Lloyd Carr doing that? Pete Carroll? Jim Tressel? Dantonio went on to rant about how this was "just the beginning", and proceeded to start another countdown to next year's game. Maybe you should worry about Purdue and Penn State. Have you not learned anything from the past? You put everything into the Michigan game, and it backfires. You lose, and you collapse. You lose games before it because you're focused too much on Michigan. Maybe you haven't learned as much as you think you have. Just remember...
You're still Michigan State.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
State of the Program (long)
If you're going to read/comment, please read the entire thing.
I'm not sure who I am more disappointed in... the team or the fans. Let me start with the fans.
You boo the Detroit Lions. You boo the referees. You boo the opposing team. You boo Brent Musberger. You do NOT boo your own school. You do NOT boo your own fight song. I have little respect for those who do. I think part of it comes from going to games my entire life, games where booing backfired. Just to name a few...
1995 Michigan/Virginia-- Opening game. Michigan is down 17-0 going into the fourth quarter. The boos were everywhere. Michigan completes (at the time) the greatest comeback in their history with a Scott Dreisbach to Mercury Hayes TD pass in the corner of the endzone (my favorite play in U-M history, to this day).
1997 Michigan/Iowa-- Michigan goes to halftime losing and getting booed of the field after Tim Dwight tears the special teams apart in the first half. Check that year again... yeah, that worked out pretty well.
2004 Michigan/Michigan State-- Two words: Braylon Edwards.
The only things preventing booing from being the runaway winner for stupid things fans do are the overrated chant and the wave. It's not just that booing backfires, as it clearly does. Booing accomplishes nothing positive. Everyone always says, "Well, if they know we don't approve of how they're playing, they'll change." Yeah, and Bill Parcells was going to control TO. Regardless of what Lloyd Carr and the players will tell you, they hear you booing. And it affects them. It's not as if they don't already know the fans are disappointed with their play. The fans aren't half as disappointed as the players themselves are. If I came into a room when you were taking an exam, you answered several questions in a row incorrectly, and I started booing... would that encourage you to do any better? No, it would embarrass the hell out of you. It would just make you feel like shit and it would put you in the wrong sort of mentality for the remainder of the exam. The same thing goes on the football field. So, cheer... please. If you don't, I *will* find you and I *will* call you out.
Next... if you don't know anything about football, shut the fuck up. Here are a few signs that I'm talking about you.
1. Brandon Minor fumbles the ball and you start chanting "Fire Lloyd."
2. You complain constantly that Michael Hart isn't in on every single offensive play.
3. Chad Henne throws a bad interception and you start chanting "Fire Lloyd."
4. You were (seriously) chanting "We want Mallett" against Oregon.
5. An opposing WR catches a 4 yard pass against a zone coverage and you bitch about how bad our secondary is.
Seriously, Chad Henne, Lloyd Carr, and the secondary aren't responsible for every bad thing that happens on a football field. This is John Navarre all over again. In fact, I bet some people wish they had John Navarre back. Michigan fans anointed JN as the worst 4 year starter in college football history (paging Reggie Ball). When did Navarre ever overthrow a wide open Braylon Edwards consistently? 2003 Ohio State was supposed to be his signature game-- the game that would "define his legacy". (Michigan won that game.) That shows how rational some Michigan fans are. When you lose to Appalachian State and get blown out by Oregon at home, you have much deeper issues than just two people and a position group. I'm as unhappy as the next guy, but please don't blame all of Michigan's troubles on Chad Henne and Lloyd Carr. If you're one of these people, I have some lake front property to sell you in downtown Ann Arbor.
On to the team... the coaching has just been bad. Ron English got all of the credit last year when things were going well, so he certainly deserves a large amount of the blame now. He has essentially rendered his best defender useless. Shawn Crable is an excellent SAM, he plays very well off the ball. But, when you put him at DE and he gets blocked initially, he is out of the play completely. Put him back at LB, let him roam and make some plays. You have Brandon Graham at DE... the same Brandon Graham that was an All-American coming out of HS. I don't care whose doghouse he is in.. put him on the field. He can make plays, which is more than can be said for 9 other guys on the defense. Johnny Thompson and Chris Graham need to be benched. They both have tons of talent, tons of speed... but it just doesn't translate to the field. It definitely makes you appreciate David Harris. Chris Graham would beat Harris in a race on the track. Put Harris on the football field, and the game speed differential is enormous. Graham and Thompson (along with every safety not named Brandent Englemon) make themselves much slower with poor fundamentals and poor pursuit angles. Maybe they all just need a geometry class. Or, somebody could just tell them the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. David Harris understood that. And, he didn't miss tackles, something the entire defense struggles with. Look at the Oregon game tape and notice all of the "form tackles" on defense for them. I noticed this difference just in warmups. It's something that is very easy to be corrected... and it needs to be corrected badly. As for the secondary... communication is a huge issue. We saw this in the Ohio State game last year. The play that sticks out in most peoples' minds is the play action pass to Ginn across the middle. Leon Hall stays short/outside on Ginn because he's expecting safety help over the top. That's the CB's job in a Cover 2. This has happened at least 3-4 times this year already. When you see the CB trying to catch the WR from the outside, that's generally a safety issue. Brandon Harrison has done this several times expecting safety help. It's a simple matter of communication.
The offense has been my biggest disappointment. Against Applachian State, the defense gave the team a chance to win the game in the second half, and the offense just laid an egg. Who would've thought that Michigan's offense would be 11th in the Big Ten after games with 1-AA and Pac Ten opponents? Playcalling and execution have both been problems. The problem with playcalling isn't running the ball too much, I would argue that we haven't run the ball enough. But, when we choose to pass the ball, we are far too safe. Without knowing what plays are called, it's impossible to know whether this falls on DeBord or Henne. Henne does seem to be living up to the nickname Chad "Checkdown" Henne, though. The middle of the field is there... Greg Matthews (who deserves to be suspended) is getting open. The over-the-top pass to Manningham is there. The fade to Arrington is there. Use it. Don't just throw swing/screen passes all game. Note to Mike DeBord: When we line up trips left to the far side of the field, THE OPPONENT KNOWS IT IS A WR SCREEN. When we have the FB in, the opponent knows that we are running the ball. Check the film... that's why they are putting 9 in the box in that situation. Use this to your advantage. Go trips left from the shotgun and run a draw. Put the FB in and use some play action. This isn't difficult... it's simple football. You don't need to get fancy, just be a bit more creative. In the end... you have better players than the other team when you are on offense. Put them in situations to succeed.
As for the state of the program as a whole, Michigan is still Michigan. The assertion that Michigan football is mediocre now is ludicrous. If Michigan was mediocre, they wouldn't be getting the publicity (albeit negative) that they are. If Michigan State lost to Appalachian State and Oregon to start the season, no one would care. In fact, most people would expect it. We are not Notre Dame... we have had legitimate success in the past 10 years. 1 National Championship and 5 Big Ten Championships is more than most can say. It's clearly time for a change. This "change" is not just the head coach. Lloyd Carr is not the coach he used to be, but he isn't the biggest problem. It's the Bo mentality. Time changes, Michigan needs to as well. This doesn't mean moving to the spread offense, this just means a change. Maintain tradition, maintain integrity, but change. Michigan is still Michigan... and that will be evident when the search for the next leader of Michigan football begins.
I leave you with this, a Teddy Roosevelt quote, one that Lloyd Carr quotes all of the time. As long as any of us have been alive, it has been easy to be a Michigan fan. Now, it's time to man up. Show some pride, show some loyalty to a school and a program that have given you countless memories.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
I'm not sure who I am more disappointed in... the team or the fans. Let me start with the fans.
You boo the Detroit Lions. You boo the referees. You boo the opposing team. You boo Brent Musberger. You do NOT boo your own school. You do NOT boo your own fight song. I have little respect for those who do. I think part of it comes from going to games my entire life, games where booing backfired. Just to name a few...
1995 Michigan/Virginia-- Opening game. Michigan is down 17-0 going into the fourth quarter. The boos were everywhere. Michigan completes (at the time) the greatest comeback in their history with a Scott Dreisbach to Mercury Hayes TD pass in the corner of the endzone (my favorite play in U-M history, to this day).
1997 Michigan/Iowa-- Michigan goes to halftime losing and getting booed of the field after Tim Dwight tears the special teams apart in the first half. Check that year again... yeah, that worked out pretty well.
2004 Michigan/Michigan State-- Two words: Braylon Edwards.
The only things preventing booing from being the runaway winner for stupid things fans do are the overrated chant and the wave. It's not just that booing backfires, as it clearly does. Booing accomplishes nothing positive. Everyone always says, "Well, if they know we don't approve of how they're playing, they'll change." Yeah, and Bill Parcells was going to control TO. Regardless of what Lloyd Carr and the players will tell you, they hear you booing. And it affects them. It's not as if they don't already know the fans are disappointed with their play. The fans aren't half as disappointed as the players themselves are. If I came into a room when you were taking an exam, you answered several questions in a row incorrectly, and I started booing... would that encourage you to do any better? No, it would embarrass the hell out of you. It would just make you feel like shit and it would put you in the wrong sort of mentality for the remainder of the exam. The same thing goes on the football field. So, cheer... please. If you don't, I *will* find you and I *will* call you out.
Next... if you don't know anything about football, shut the fuck up. Here are a few signs that I'm talking about you.
1. Brandon Minor fumbles the ball and you start chanting "Fire Lloyd."
2. You complain constantly that Michael Hart isn't in on every single offensive play.
3. Chad Henne throws a bad interception and you start chanting "Fire Lloyd."
4. You were (seriously) chanting "We want Mallett" against Oregon.
5. An opposing WR catches a 4 yard pass against a zone coverage and you bitch about how bad our secondary is.
Seriously, Chad Henne, Lloyd Carr, and the secondary aren't responsible for every bad thing that happens on a football field. This is John Navarre all over again. In fact, I bet some people wish they had John Navarre back. Michigan fans anointed JN as the worst 4 year starter in college football history (paging Reggie Ball). When did Navarre ever overthrow a wide open Braylon Edwards consistently? 2003 Ohio State was supposed to be his signature game-- the game that would "define his legacy". (Michigan won that game.) That shows how rational some Michigan fans are. When you lose to Appalachian State and get blown out by Oregon at home, you have much deeper issues than just two people and a position group. I'm as unhappy as the next guy, but please don't blame all of Michigan's troubles on Chad Henne and Lloyd Carr. If you're one of these people, I have some lake front property to sell you in downtown Ann Arbor.
On to the team... the coaching has just been bad. Ron English got all of the credit last year when things were going well, so he certainly deserves a large amount of the blame now. He has essentially rendered his best defender useless. Shawn Crable is an excellent SAM, he plays very well off the ball. But, when you put him at DE and he gets blocked initially, he is out of the play completely. Put him back at LB, let him roam and make some plays. You have Brandon Graham at DE... the same Brandon Graham that was an All-American coming out of HS. I don't care whose doghouse he is in.. put him on the field. He can make plays, which is more than can be said for 9 other guys on the defense. Johnny Thompson and Chris Graham need to be benched. They both have tons of talent, tons of speed... but it just doesn't translate to the field. It definitely makes you appreciate David Harris. Chris Graham would beat Harris in a race on the track. Put Harris on the football field, and the game speed differential is enormous. Graham and Thompson (along with every safety not named Brandent Englemon) make themselves much slower with poor fundamentals and poor pursuit angles. Maybe they all just need a geometry class. Or, somebody could just tell them the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. David Harris understood that. And, he didn't miss tackles, something the entire defense struggles with. Look at the Oregon game tape and notice all of the "form tackles" on defense for them. I noticed this difference just in warmups. It's something that is very easy to be corrected... and it needs to be corrected badly. As for the secondary... communication is a huge issue. We saw this in the Ohio State game last year. The play that sticks out in most peoples' minds is the play action pass to Ginn across the middle. Leon Hall stays short/outside on Ginn because he's expecting safety help over the top. That's the CB's job in a Cover 2. This has happened at least 3-4 times this year already. When you see the CB trying to catch the WR from the outside, that's generally a safety issue. Brandon Harrison has done this several times expecting safety help. It's a simple matter of communication.
The offense has been my biggest disappointment. Against Applachian State, the defense gave the team a chance to win the game in the second half, and the offense just laid an egg. Who would've thought that Michigan's offense would be 11th in the Big Ten after games with 1-AA and Pac Ten opponents? Playcalling and execution have both been problems. The problem with playcalling isn't running the ball too much, I would argue that we haven't run the ball enough. But, when we choose to pass the ball, we are far too safe. Without knowing what plays are called, it's impossible to know whether this falls on DeBord or Henne. Henne does seem to be living up to the nickname Chad "Checkdown" Henne, though. The middle of the field is there... Greg Matthews (who deserves to be suspended) is getting open. The over-the-top pass to Manningham is there. The fade to Arrington is there. Use it. Don't just throw swing/screen passes all game. Note to Mike DeBord: When we line up trips left to the far side of the field, THE OPPONENT KNOWS IT IS A WR SCREEN. When we have the FB in, the opponent knows that we are running the ball. Check the film... that's why they are putting 9 in the box in that situation. Use this to your advantage. Go trips left from the shotgun and run a draw. Put the FB in and use some play action. This isn't difficult... it's simple football. You don't need to get fancy, just be a bit more creative. In the end... you have better players than the other team when you are on offense. Put them in situations to succeed.
As for the state of the program as a whole, Michigan is still Michigan. The assertion that Michigan football is mediocre now is ludicrous. If Michigan was mediocre, they wouldn't be getting the publicity (albeit negative) that they are. If Michigan State lost to Appalachian State and Oregon to start the season, no one would care. In fact, most people would expect it. We are not Notre Dame... we have had legitimate success in the past 10 years. 1 National Championship and 5 Big Ten Championships is more than most can say. It's clearly time for a change. This "change" is not just the head coach. Lloyd Carr is not the coach he used to be, but he isn't the biggest problem. It's the Bo mentality. Time changes, Michigan needs to as well. This doesn't mean moving to the spread offense, this just means a change. Maintain tradition, maintain integrity, but change. Michigan is still Michigan... and that will be evident when the search for the next leader of Michigan football begins.
I leave you with this, a Teddy Roosevelt quote, one that Lloyd Carr quotes all of the time. As long as any of us have been alive, it has been easy to be a Michigan fan. Now, it's time to man up. Show some pride, show some loyalty to a school and a program that have given you countless memories.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Some Random Sports Thoughts
Dan Patrick-- I was kinda sad when I heard DP was leaving ESPN. He's the last of the SC anchors that I grew up watching (Stuart Scott doesn't count). He's always pretty rational, and he's got that dry sense of humor that just makes you want to listen. Now, they need to bring back Kenny Mayne... permanently.
The Tigers-- Everyone's freaking out... and those people obviously became fans last year. I've been through about 18 losing seasons (of 20), so the losing doesn't bother me. But, they're almost becoming like the Pistons. They just don't seem to care. They become nearly unwatchable in a lot of losses. Most of these guys went through at least one rough season with the Tigers. Hopefully, they can remember the true excitement they brought to an entire state last year. I'm not too worried.. they're bound to turn it around. But, I would like to see a couple things happen. Jason Grilli needs to go. He's a liability when his accuracy is just a little "off". Bring back Jordan Tata. I LOVED this guy at the start of last year.. I never understood why he got sent back down. He pitched brilliantly the other day in his start, and he proved last year that he can come out of the bullpen with success.
Barry Bonds-- I think he's a complete prick. No, he is. But, he's gotten a raw deal. Barry is, in my opinion (and by far), the best player of this generation. You can talk about Griffey in his prime, but he was always more of a HR hitter. When it comes to going to all fields, he's not even close to Bonds. No one (perhaps ever) can compare to Bonds when it comes to seeing the baseball. His vision is truly remarkable. Oh yeah.. he stole 30+ bases routinely in his prime (something Griffey never came close to). Perhaps the only thing Griffey has going for him is his defense. Even then, Barry Bonds has 9 Gold Gloves. Back to Bonds getting a raw deal.. where's all of the outcry for McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, Pudge, etc.?? The evidence against these guys (and many more) is just as strong (if not stronger), yet they all seem to be getting a free pass. Even Bud Selig seems to be singling Bonds out. If this was Pudge breaking the record... would there even be a question if he was going to be there? Of course not. Barry is about to break the greatest record in all of sports. It's something, even without steroids, he would be approaching. Yes, he's a complete ass. But, he's one of the best baseball players ever. He deserves this moment. When A-Rod breaks his record in 10 or so years, I will be the first one to stand up and applaud.. but I will be applauding whenever Bonds breaks Hank's record as well.
Tim Donaghy-- Wait, the NBA is fixed!?!? Next you'll tell me that the Tour de France is dirty. Has anyone actually watched the last two years of the playoffs? The Pistons dominate two regular seasons.. but the two young, rising stars and faces of the NBA somehow beat them in the playoffs. Playoff officiating has been questionable for years. This is nothing new... just something independent of the NBA ordering it.
Michael Vick-- Another complete jerk--white, black, or purple. I can't stand when the race card is brought up in something like this. Do you really think we would condone Jim Tressel fighting dogs (my next suspicion)? Would we give Danny Crawford a break if he was betting on NBA games? This whole thing just confirms what I've always thought... NFL players are much bigger thugs than NBA players ever will be. And, ex-Michigan players never seem to be caught up in this sort of thing.
College Football-- Can't wait... the best sport period. If Michigan's secondary holds up, watch out.
The Tigers-- Everyone's freaking out... and those people obviously became fans last year. I've been through about 18 losing seasons (of 20), so the losing doesn't bother me. But, they're almost becoming like the Pistons. They just don't seem to care. They become nearly unwatchable in a lot of losses. Most of these guys went through at least one rough season with the Tigers. Hopefully, they can remember the true excitement they brought to an entire state last year. I'm not too worried.. they're bound to turn it around. But, I would like to see a couple things happen. Jason Grilli needs to go. He's a liability when his accuracy is just a little "off". Bring back Jordan Tata. I LOVED this guy at the start of last year.. I never understood why he got sent back down. He pitched brilliantly the other day in his start, and he proved last year that he can come out of the bullpen with success.
Barry Bonds-- I think he's a complete prick. No, he is. But, he's gotten a raw deal. Barry is, in my opinion (and by far), the best player of this generation. You can talk about Griffey in his prime, but he was always more of a HR hitter. When it comes to going to all fields, he's not even close to Bonds. No one (perhaps ever) can compare to Bonds when it comes to seeing the baseball. His vision is truly remarkable. Oh yeah.. he stole 30+ bases routinely in his prime (something Griffey never came close to). Perhaps the only thing Griffey has going for him is his defense. Even then, Barry Bonds has 9 Gold Gloves. Back to Bonds getting a raw deal.. where's all of the outcry for McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, Pudge, etc.?? The evidence against these guys (and many more) is just as strong (if not stronger), yet they all seem to be getting a free pass. Even Bud Selig seems to be singling Bonds out. If this was Pudge breaking the record... would there even be a question if he was going to be there? Of course not. Barry is about to break the greatest record in all of sports. It's something, even without steroids, he would be approaching. Yes, he's a complete ass. But, he's one of the best baseball players ever. He deserves this moment. When A-Rod breaks his record in 10 or so years, I will be the first one to stand up and applaud.. but I will be applauding whenever Bonds breaks Hank's record as well.
Tim Donaghy-- Wait, the NBA is fixed!?!? Next you'll tell me that the Tour de France is dirty. Has anyone actually watched the last two years of the playoffs? The Pistons dominate two regular seasons.. but the two young, rising stars and faces of the NBA somehow beat them in the playoffs. Playoff officiating has been questionable for years. This is nothing new... just something independent of the NBA ordering it.
Michael Vick-- Another complete jerk--white, black, or purple. I can't stand when the race card is brought up in something like this. Do you really think we would condone Jim Tressel fighting dogs (my next suspicion)? Would we give Danny Crawford a break if he was betting on NBA games? This whole thing just confirms what I've always thought... NFL players are much bigger thugs than NBA players ever will be. And, ex-Michigan players never seem to be caught up in this sort of thing.
College Football-- Can't wait... the best sport period. If Michigan's secondary holds up, watch out.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Opening Day
Baseball was my first true love. Opening Day is, without a doubt, my favorite day of the year. I grew up on the Tigers and Ernie Harwell. Before each Opening Day, Ernie Harwell gave a speech about his definition of baseball, a speech that he also gave during his Hall of Fame induction. In light of today, I thought I'd just share it with anyone who hasn't seen it, or those who have and love it. And here's a Youtube video with Ernie saying it himself..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHVsFU4sSho
The first part is the following speech, the middle part is talking about Ernie Harwell. My favorite part is when they talk about how Ernie would declare a ball going to a fan from
Baseball is the President tossing out the first ball of the season and a scrubby schoolboy playing catch with his dad on a
There's a man in
In baseball democracy shines its clearest. The only race that matters is the race to the bag. The creed is the rulebook. Color merely something to distinguish one team's uniform from another.
Baseball is a rookie. His experience no bigger than the lump in his throat as he begins fulfillment of his dream. It's a veteran too, a tired old man of thirty-five hoping that those aching muscles can pull him through another sweltering August and September. Nicknames are baseball, names like Zeke and Pie and Kiki and Home Run and Cracker and Dizzy and Dazzy.
Baseball is the cool, clear eyes of Rogers Hornsby. The flashing spikes of Ty Cobb, an over aged pixie named Rabbit Maranville.
Baseball just a game as simple as a ball and bat. Yet, as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. A sport, a business and sometimes almost even a religion.
Why the fairy tale of Willie Mays making a brilliant World's Series catch. And then dashing off to play stick ball in the street with his teenage pals. That's baseball. So is the husky voice of a doomed Lou Gehrig saying., "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth.”
Baseball is cigar smoke, hot roasted peanuts, The Sporting News, ladies day, "Down in Front", Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and the Star Spangled Banner.
Baseball is a tongue tied kid from
Friday, March 30, 2007
Remembering Bo
I've been working a while on this one (on and off) because I wanted to give it the full attention that it deserves. Here goes...
I will never forget November 17. 2006. I woke up before class and checked to see if there was any news before the big game. That’s when I first found out. Bo Schembechler was dying. It was the day before the biggest game in the history of the biggest rivalry in all of sports… and one of the rivalry’s legends was dying. I called my mom, dad, and brother to see if they had heard anything. Everyone was calling everyone. About a half hour later, it was official. Bo had passed away. I’m not sure that I can put into words what Bo meant to me, to Michigan… but I’m sure going to try.
Non-Michigan fans just don’t get it. They don’t understand why so many people cared so much. That day, I cried for the first time in a long time. I felt like I had lost a family member. Suddenly, the next day’s game just didn’t mean as much. A national championship just didn’t seem that important anymore.
Sure, Bo was a great coach. He won 13 Big Ten championships and won 2 Rose Bowls. He went 5-4-1 against Woody Hayes and 11-9-1 against Ohio State. He put Michigan football back on the map. He pulled off the greatest upset in Michigan football history in 1969. But, he was so much more than that. Bo is Michigan football.
Michigan football is everything. It’s the winged helmet, the blue jerseys, and the maize pants. It’s tailgating at 8 am for Ball State, Eastern Michigan, and Appalachian State. It’s seeing the team run through the tunnel and touch the M Club banner. It’s 107,501 people cheering for a common cause on fall Saturdays. It’s a 235 member band marching across the field playing the Victors. It’s the claw, “You suck,” and (as much as I hate it) the wave. It’s Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard, and Charles Woodson. It’s Dan Dierdorf, Elvis Grbac, and Jarrett Irons. It’s Dreisbach to Hayes, Biakabatuka for 313, and Braylon owning Michigan State. It’s Fielding Yost, Fritz Crisler, and Lloyd Carr. It’s 849 wins, 42 Big Ten championships, and 11 national championships. It’s Bo Schembechler.
Michigan football is something that hundreds of thousands of people have in common. It creates a connection between so many people. On a more obvious level, it gives us students of the university an amazing connection. Michigan football will keep me connected with some of the amazing friends I have made at Michigan. But, it goes much further than that. Other schools think they have it, but no one has the widespread fan support that Michigan has. Michigan football fans don't travel... they're just everywhere. Walking down Hollywood Boulevard a week before the Rose Bowl, there were people yelling “Go Blue!” from across the street. Go to people in California, Florida, Texas, or wherever else you want and ask them who their “second favorite” college team is. An overwhelming number of people will tell you it's Michigan. There's just this love of Michigan football all across the country. Some of it can be attributed to the largest alumni base in the world. Some of it can be attributed to the success of the program. And almost all of it, directly or indirectly, can be traced back to Bo Schembechler.
Bo's impact is lasting. There's so much evidence of this. The building which holds football practices along with the football coaches' offices is named after him. He was even allowed to keep an office in that building. Bo is a large reason that Lloyd Carr is the current head coach. And Bo is the reason that I will defend Lloyd Carr to the death. You see, Lloyd Carr continues to do what Bo began. Bo made Michigan football about so much more than just the game on the field—he made it an attitude. He instilled such passion within his coaches and players. They were passionate because he was passionate. He made each and every freshman he ever coached learn the Victors before they played a game, and made them earn the right to sing the same song after games by winning(two traditions that still exist today).
Bo coined several phrases in his time at Michigan. My two favorites, and the two that continue to have the most impact on the current program, are “Those who stay will be champions,” and “The team! The team! The team!” Needless to say, I was upset when I saw that a more prominent version of the latter was not voted onto the 2007 football shirt. In regards to the former quote, it is a large reason that Michigan football players don't seem to go pro early very often. The team/family concept is instilled in them as freshmen, and it is the reason that they don't have a desire to leave Michigan early. Sure, you get the occasional Alan Branch or Charles Woodson, but they graduate at the very least. And when they do leave early, they leave not just better players... but better men. Desmond Howard talked about this right after Bo's death when he said, “In 1988, I was an 18-year-old kid going off to college and leaving home for the first time. In just a few short years, Bo prepared me to be a man ready to take on the world.”
If nothing else, Bo brought integrity. And that integrity still exists today. It may be cliche, but Michigan does things the right way. Lloyd Carr continued this, which is another reason that I will defend him to the death. Michigan graduates players. Michigan recruits cleanly. Michigan expects as much academically as they do athletically. Like the commercial says, Michigan shows integrity “before, during, and after the game.” If that means an extra loss each year, so be it. I refuse to see Michigan turn into the “other schools.” I refuse to watch Michigan bend and/or break the rules for a high school player that may never amount to anything. I refuse to support a team that will give their star players beneficial treatment. Michigan does things the right way. Michigan does things with integrity. Michigan turns out Michigan Men.
I think the term Michigan Man is a Bo phrase as well. As far as I'm concerned, being called a Michigan Man is the highest honor an individual can receive. Michigan's basketball program has had trouble because they haven't had Michigan Men. They don't bring in the right guys. That was beginning to change with Tommy Amaker, who is the epitome of a Michigan Man. He was not the greatest coach, and he deserved to be fired, but he is and always will be a Michigan Man. He brought integrity to a program that needed it so badly. The next basketball coach will be a Michigan Man, as will Lloyd Carr's successor. I don't agree with a lot of the thing Bill Martin does... but bringing in Michigan Men is one thing that he does well. Bo was the original Michigan Man... and he is the standard by which all others should be measured.
I think the ultimate sign of success in a particular profession is gaining respect from your colleagues. If that is true, then Bo is the most successful coach ever. I'll never forget coming back from class the day Bo died. I turned on ESPN, and was treated to hours of other coaches and players (current and former) talking about the amount of respect that they had for Bo. I turned on the radio... same thing. Even Bobby Knight said that Bo had the biggest impact on him of any coach he had ever encountered. An Ohio State alum and basketball coach said that about the old Michigan football coach. Bobby Knight wasn't alone. Lou Holtz said it. Lee Corso said it. Kirk Herbstreit said it. Jim Tressel and Bobby Bowden said it. Hell, George W. Bush said it. Yeah, the President of the United States felt the need to comment on it. He said, “Bo Schembechler was a true legend of college football. I was saddened to learn of his death. He inspired generations of players and fans by insisting that his teams play hard, play fair, and bring honor to themselves and their school by finishing their educations and contributing to society. He was an extraordinary leader and role model who will be missed. Laura and I join fans of the Big Blue in extending our sympathies to his wife, Cathy, and his family and friends.”
People often wonder why we cared so much when Bo passed away. Sure, he brought integrity and success to a program that had been down at the time. He helped inspire the greatest rivalry in all of sports. But, he did so much more than that. He is, in all likelihood, the reason I am a Michigan fan today. Because of that love for Michigan football, I fell in love with the school. Bo is quite possibly the reason that I am attending the University of Michigan on a full scholarship. He is quite possibly the reason that I have made some amazing friendships in the past two years. All of this because one man took a job in 1968. I love Michigan because Bo loved Michigan. On November 17, 2006, I lost someone who had a lasting impact on my life. I will never forget him. Thanks Bo... for everything.
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