Greg.

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​Michigan welcomed a new defensive coordinator today.  Former Syracuse Head Coach Greg Robinson takes the reins from Scott Schaffer...who is now the defensive coordinator at...wait for it...Syracuse.  Weird.

Scott Schaffer was relieved of his position because he sucked and gave up 100 points per game and he and RichRod didn't see eye to eye.  This isn't about experience, of which Greg has all kinds (and 2 Super Bowl rings).  This is about becoming a "yesman."  I'm supposed to believe that Greg Robinson has decided to become RichRods bitch?  Hmmmm.  Robinson is 12 years his senior, two hunks of gold from the pinnacle of professional football, and has a Masters in Oratory Arts...basically an advanced degree in bullshitting.  They say you can't bullshit a bullshitter, so how are they going to even communicate?  I want to know how this hire happened.  Open interview?  Do they know each other?  What is the connection?  What made Rich Rod think that this was the guy besides a resume that looked a lot better in 2003?

It might sound like I'm angry or disappointed, but I'm not...I'm just curious.  Curious as to why this guy was chosen, and why this guy chose Michigan.  His stint in college football has been less than successful, and he probably could return to the NFL in some capacity without much trouble.  Maybe he, with his amazing oratory skills, just really enjoys the recruiting trail.  I just don't know.  But I'm not supposed to know...not until September 5th.

Reactions from around the 'sphere...

Yea:


Nay:


Indifferent


You make the call.

Meanwhile, the cagers are in Happy Valley (2.5 point dogs at that!) and they're wearing the golds on the road.  BTN...right now.

Ho Ho Ho

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Michigan Defensive Coordinator Scott Schafer officially stepped down today, confirming the swirling rumors caused by his conspicuous absence at some meetings and recruitment trips.  The defense gave up 40+ points 4 times this season, equal to the number of times we've had 40 points put up on us since 1969...so that's probably good enough of a reason.  Despite my personal kool-aid filled contention that we had so many points put up on us because at no time in history have we given the other team so many possessions so quickly, it doesn't quite cover the reasoning behind the shit-storm 3rd quarters we endured.  Schafer's ability to adjust from game to game and within the game typically had the opposite effect that you look for:  "We adjust....they score more" is not a solid gameplan.  This is certainly the right decision for a team that needed a scapegoat move.

Schafer and Fred Jackson were the only non-Rod coaches on the team this year, and with Schafer's exit coupled with Fred Jackson having no responsibilities whatsoever now that McG has exited, the team is now resting squarely on Rich's shoulders.  I think Rich always wanted it that way, and I am envisioning a "from within the current staff" choice on our horizon at DC.

Simple math would be:  MICHIGAN minus SCHAFER minus CRAPPY QUARTERBACKS plus (TOUTED QB RECRUITS times 2) = MOVE VICTORIES.

In the words of Bubba... "Merry Christmas, Schafer is gone."

Just A Little Taste

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It's been a long autumn.  If you missed the trip to Minnesota (which based on the crowd there, you did) then your last viewed sliver of positivity as a Michigan fan came on September 27th.  That's a long time ago.  And this just in...you've got the longest wait EVER for a chance to peek at victory again.

This fanbase is starving.

This night for me, for the better part of a decade, has meant airplane reservations, hotel reservations, and citysearching for the best steakhouse.  The BCS selection show has come and gone, and Michigan was unmentioned.  The other bowl selections have come and gone, and Michigan has gone unmentioned.  The reality should have sunk in weeks, even months ago.  But for me, it didn't.  It took a full fledged pasting at the hands of the Buckeyes to show just how far away we are, and effectively shut down this blog for the better part of two weeks.

Enter the smelling salts....

Far be it from me to attempt to find solace in one sport through another, but it's important to recognize that while every Michigan Football fan is not necessarily a Michigan Basketball fan, every Michigan Basketball fan IS a Michigan Football fan.  That's why on Saturday, the Maize Rage gave Yankee bleacher style recognition to Rich and Rita.  That's why the arena cam found its way to Lloyd and Laurie, resulting in a raucous standing ovation.  That's why, as a group of athletes wearing maize and blue did the unthinkable, and the court was smothered in joyous celebration, it was impossible to make the comparisons/assumptions between our two West Virginia bred coaches.

But we shouldn't make this about football today.  Michigan knocked off Duke on Saturday for the first time since 1997.  On that day 11 years ago, we were just two weeks removed from rushing the field after beating the Buckeyes and completing an undefeated regular season.  We knew exactly what to do when we knocked off #1 Duke...we rushed the court.  That night, Charles Woodson won the Heisman trophy. It was a great weekend.  This, my friends, was also a great weekend.  What it means with regards to the remainder of the season and hopes of a tournament birth remains to be seen, but what it means right now is not in question.  National recognition...recruits in attendance...a sold-out Crisler arena...two victories over top-5 opponenets...Michigan Basketball is back on the map.

Dear Coach...

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Hey.  How are you?  I often think about how tough this must be for you, riding this out, knowing what you know, and trying to find a way to articulate it at press conferences without betraying the previous regime or belittling the current players.  I think about how the words "you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit" is on the tip of your tongue, right next to "if you assholes would just be patient and let me do my thing, I will take you to the promised land in a couple years."  But you can't say those things.  You need to pretend to live for today, even though you pine, like those of us that understand, for tomorrow.

We the fans have stood by as things have started to unravel a bit, the latest chapter being the unspeakable loss to a bad MAC squad.  But as complicated and rabid Michigan fandom is, our needs our very simple.  We don't work with people from Toledo.  We rarely spend quality time with folks from Champaign.  I've never met anyone from Utah.  However, Sparty Alums are everywhere.  We see them in our offices (cleaning up the trash), we see them in restaurants (serving us fries), we bump into them occasionally in social situations (starting fires and jumping on police cars).

They have been a dominant force in college basketball for several years now, while our program has seen the ultimate demise.  And we hear about it, usually starting sometime after the 1st quarter of the Michigan - Michigan State football game and going through to March Madness.

On the flipside, we have the best football program of all time, and they have less Big Ten championships than Northwestern.  This is where we own them.  Where we have always owned them.  Where we need to always own them.  You can fix THIS season coach....and it starts by understanding what this game means to all of us.  While the Big Ten championships and National Championships will require a year or two of work, the state championship requires only 4 quarters.  Simply put Coach...BEAT STATE.  I promise you that if you win, you can do whatever you want until November 22nd.  It is then that we'll have to have another conversation.  See you then.