The Knee Jerks: WTF with Eno and Al - Episode 3: The Lions do the right thing? It must be a cold day in Hell

It's Thursday, so by now you know what that means...once again it's time for TKJWTFWEAA! (Feel free to call it "The Knee Jerks.")

Every Thursday I chat with the man this blogger likes to call "Mr. Jourmalist," Greg Eno, the proprietor of the Eno Blogging Network, which includes Out of Bounds, Where Have You Gone, Johnny Grubb?, and Spoiled Sports.

Today's topics include giving out knee jerk opinions about the Michigan Wolverines and the early struggles of RichRod, the big doings at Allen Park, with the Detroit Lions actually doing something smart for the first time in YEARS, and touch on the Detroit Red Wings, the MLB playoffs and my moving TWFE to the Most Valuable Network.

As Bluto Blutarsky once said, "LET'S DO IT!"

Eno: It's Thursday, and that means it's another rock 'em sock 'em episode of The Knee Jerks. I'm Eno, also known as The Historian. He's Big Al, also known as The Potential Heart Attack Victim. How are you, Big Al?

Big Al: Better than expected, actually. Even though the past weekend definitely wasn't one of the more pleasant ones for football fans in the state of Michigan.

Eno: What? You mean Michigan State? They won, didn't they?

Big Al: Sparty? Come on, Eno. You know I'm a Michigan fan! Yes, one of those fans who MSU fans
despise, who didn't go to the school. But come on, lose to TOLEDO? 1-4 TOLEDO? No, I'm not going to lose it. I value my health too much.

Eno: What's frightening is that Toledo isn't even one of the MAC's top teams. Is that loss worse than losing to Appy State last year?

Big Al: It is, in that Appy St. could have beaten more than a few Division I (or whatever the NCAA is calling the BCS conference schools) teams. Toledo is a BAD team. Turns out, the Wolverines are a WORSE team. I knew it was going to be a year of transition, but this?

Eno: OK, what about that? How did the Wolves fall so far, so fast? And how in the HELL did that program end up without a quarterback?

Big Al: I'm not sure who to blame more: Rich Rodriguez for putting all his eggs in the Terrelle Pryor basket, or...I blame RichRod. Not that Pryor did him any favors by stringing him along well past signing day. Rodriguez absolutely has to recruit a freshman QB in 2009 who is capable of running the spread offense to its fullest capabilities. Even then, it's looking like 2010 before we have a chance to see the Michigan we know.

Eno: OK, I see that there's already a "Fire R-Rod" web site out there. But at the risk of disturbing the dead, er, the retired – isn’t Rodriguez playing with the deck that Lloyd Carr left for him? How much of this is Carr's bad recruiting?

Big Al: Some of it is Lloyd Carr's fault, of course. But we're talking the powerful Michigan Wolverines, who recruit four and five-star players. You can't blame Carr for losing QB Ryan Mallett., for example. There is talent there (at Michigan). For whatever reason, that talent isn't being used to its potential, or it’s not buying into the RichRod program.

Eno: I was thinking about this: the Wolverines are 7-6 in their last 13 at the Big House. So that mystique seems to be gone. How does Rodriguez stand up in front of his players and say, "OK, we're 2-4 -- almost 1-5 -- and just lost to Toledo at home. BUT WE'RE STILL MICHIGAN, men!" I mean, does that resonate?

Big Al: Not anymore. Which is why RichRod has his work cut out for him – getting Michigan's, well, hubris back. But it's not as if the Big House is one of the more intimidating places to play. I've always considered it overrated, and (home to) the quietest 110,000 people you'll ever hear.

Eno: Well, "transition" is a kind word. But at least Rod has some pedigree. He's not Gerry Faust, plucked from HIGH SCHOOL to coach Notre Dame. You're an old geezer like me – remember that? Remember "Oust Faust"? So Rodriguez can probably rebuild this thing; just not right away, or fast enough for the fans or alums.

Big Al: Gerry Faust? The man who was so far over his head, he makes Rod Marinelli look competent? I totally agree with you though. I'm not worried about RichRod's turning the program around. His track record says he will. But you'll never please Michigan fans, who think 10 wins and a BCS Bowl game appearance is a birthright. There isn't a fan base in college football who needed a bigger humbling. Forty years of never having a losing season tends to do that to a fan base.

Eno: Here's a sobering number: Penn State minus 23 against U-M. MINUS 23!!

Big Al: Never thought I'd see the day. With Steven Threet banged up, and RichRod playing a walk on, Nick Sheridan, minus 23 might be on the low side! (Penn State coach) Joe Paterno has to be licking his chops in anticipation of repaying U-of-M for almost a decade of painful losses.

Eno: Well, other coaches said, before the season, "Better get Michigan now, because once Rodriguez starts recruiting, look out." So others obviously feel he's up to the task. So, is it safe to say that you won't be visiting the "Fire R-Rod" web site?

Big Al: Hell, no! I'm not happy, and RichRod deserves to be held accountable to what's likely to be the worst Wolverines season since Bump Elliott was coach. [Good Lord, there are several generations of Michigan fans who are thinking, “Who in the Hell is Bump Elliott?”] But he also deserves the opportunity to fully implement his program, and that's going to take time. Down seasons have happened to EVERY national power. It's just the Wolverines' turn.

Eno: So, big news, Big Al: The Lions listened to you – imagine that – and traded your man Roy Williams. And, even more, they robbed the Cowboys blind. What gives here?

Big Al: The Lions make a well-thought out, sensible, thinking-about-the-future move? It's one of the seven signs! The apocalypse is upon us! Up is down, in is out! That's what gives! Seriously, Martin Mayhew robbed the 'Boys blind. And then some.

Eno: As I wrote in OOB, Mayhew is still interim, but not as interim as before the trade. Does this make him a player when the Lions go searching for a new front office leader? Or is this just beginner's luck? Your gut.

Big Al: Even though getting most of the Cowboys’ 2009 draft for a player who wasn't going to return next season has been universally lauded, you can't ever forget Mayhew said "I'm a 100% Millen man." He still needs to go. But knowing the Fords, I'm starting to get the feeling he may stay, along with (coach Rod) Marinelli. When it comes to the Fords, you just never know.

Eno: OMG, you REALLY think so? I'm talking about Marinelli now. You really think Mr. Pound the Rock has a chance of being here in '09? Say it ain't so, Al!! And I mostly agree about Mayhew; I don't know what on Earth the man was thinking when he made that "I'm a Millen man" remark. Kind of like saying, "I'm a Bush man," if you're a Republican!

Big Al: If Mayhew stays, and this is a big “if”, he may feel loyalty to Marinelli. Mainly because trading Williams and IR'ing a vocally-unhappy-about-it Jon Kitna, means the Lions are waving the white flag on the '08 season, when Marinelli really has to win games. It's, in a way, if Marinelli had input on the moves, a selfless act by a head coach on a VERY hot seat. I wouldn't approve, but knowing how the Lions think (Change = Bad), it's a possible scenario.

Eno: Well, I must admit that Mayhew (another MM initial guy, btw) showed me something here. He might have some potential as a GM. But if the Lions can get a high-profile, veteran front office type, they need to do that. I'd love to see Mike Holmgren get fed up with coaching in Seattle and be ready to move upstairs – with the Lions, if possible. As for Coach Rod, I think he ought to prepare himself to be d-line coach at Cal or Stanford or something.

Big Al: I agree with you totally. A Holmgren, a Bill Cowher, someone with a name and a winning pedigree is essential to the Lions’ winning back the faith of a wary fan base. I could live with Mayhew staying in the organization (but NOT as GM), as he seems to have a very good reputation in NFL circles, but Marinelli has to go. He just has to. But who in the Hell knows what William Clay Ford is thinking? That's the wild card in this mess.

Eno: But back to the trade real quick. I think of Roy-Roy as a guy who can excel in a better environment. He was never going to get any better in Detroit; he topped off here. I just hope the Cowboys know that they got themselves a fumbler and a dropper of easy passes, to go along with those occasional spectacular grabs. Guess we'll never see that Drew Stanton-Roy Williams rapport here. *SIGH*

Big Al: I believe I said in an earlier edition of TKJWTFWEAA that Williams would "blow up" on a good team. With the Cowboys, Roy will have Terrell Owens on the other side of the field, drawing double teams. He'll make hay, so to speak. But Williams also has issues with focus (re: dropping catchable balls) and diva tendencies (showing up QBs and celebrating 1st downs while three scores behind). The Cowboy fan base, considering what Jerry Jones gave up to get Roy, won't be very forgiving if Williams pulls some of the stunts in Dallas that he did here in the D.

Eno: Well, it's a deal good for all parties, really: Williams, the Lions, and the Cowboys – because Jerry Jones says so! As for the other biggish news, QB Jon Kitna is “no longer” as far as 2008 goes, having been placed on IR. Your thoughts? He's done as a Lion, right? Even though he's under contract for 2009.

Big Al: Kitna's done. He's already burning bridges, having gone to the press, claiming he could play. There must be more to it. If Kitna wasn't hurt badly enough to miss the rest of the season, why not just demote him to 2nd or 3rd string? Obviously the Lions thought Kitna would become a locker room cancer (if he wasn't already) if he was no longer starting. We'll probably never know the entire truth.

Eno: Ahh, so you think they IR'd him as a way of performing cancer surgery? Interesting take. So who's the QB for 2009, oh sage one?

Big Al: Well, it's like taking a cleaver when you should have used a scalpel, but a good analogy. As for next season? I want to say Drew Stanton, but his unnecessarily missing a season on IR (in 2007) is still biting the Lions in the proverbial ass. No one knows if he can play. There's also the fact that if a new GM is brought on board, he may want his own guy under center. The '09 starter isn't on the roster. In other words, it'll be some veteran free agent.

Eno: Ahh, another Dave Krieg in our future! So, speaking of the Lions, how about those officials in Minnesota on Sunday, eh?

Big Al: You mean the guys wearing stripes who were on the Vikings’ payroll? It was one of the worst officiated Lions games in recent memory. The Lions "wuz robbed!" But bad calls have been abound in the NFL this season. It's become an epidemic. Maybe it's time the NFL went to full-time referees, instead of using insurance agents who have the weekend off!

Eno: I felt bad for (CB) Leigh Bodden. He actually played pretty well, then was victimized at the end there. I don't even know if that ball was catchable. The zebras obviously thought Calvin Johnson didn't have a chance at his pass near the end zone earlier in the game when Megatron was mugged. Johnson was jobbed, too (later in the game on a fumble call). I thought that Court of Appeals known as the Replay System was supposed to correct the wrongs done on the field.

Big Al: Yeah, right. And the NFL also says reviews are only supposed to take one minute. But as I said on TWFE, bad teams don't get calls. The Lions have rarely been given the benefit of the doubt by the refs. It's the same in all sports: good teams and good players get calls. The Lions aren't good, and their good players are few and far between.

Eno: True that. So what do you make of an NFL QB (Orlovsky) who runs out of the end zone like an electric football player? If Gus Frerotte would have done that, at least he would have run right toward the nearest wall and banged his head against it! Orlovsky didn't even give a reaction. He just kept running, right to the sideline. Didn't toss his hands up, didn't slap himself on the helmet, nothing. It was weird.

Big Al: Maybe Dan-O wanted a hot dog and a beer? I've never seen that happen before. Orlovsky just plain didn't realize where he was on the field. I've NEVER seen such a lack of field awareness from an NFL QB – and I use that term loosely.

Eno: At least when Jim Marshall ran the wrong way (for Minnesota in 1964), he was just a dumb old defensive lineman! He can't hear me, can he?

Big Al: You best hope not! At this point, nothing the Lions do on or off the field will surprise me. Even pulling a “Marshall”.

Eno: Hey, did you see Ty Conklin the other night? If the Red Wings get goaltending like THAT from their "backup", then there's no stopping them.

Big Al: Getting Conklin for essentially pocket change may be the best free agent pickup the Red Wings made this past off-season, even bigger than signing Marian Hossa. Just more proof that Ken Holland is the best GM in sports.

Eno: (The Red Wings) are just so much fun to watch, because of their puck possession style. At least once per game they get a goal as a result of tic-tac-toe passing. They're the anti-Lions. Plop-plop, fizz-fizz. So I've been dominating the discussion. Anything else on your mind?

Big Al: I've got nothing.

Eno: Well, other than you're going all hoity-toity on us and moving your act to MVN. I'm glad you're at least stooping to chat with a serf like me!

Big Al: Well, I'll always have time for the little people. Just talk to my people, first. You're no serf, Eno. You're more like a peasant. Seriously, I'm looking forward to moving to a big network like MVN. It should be fun. I'll be able to reach out to a bigger audience, and even better, I won't have to worry about design or the back end stuff. But nothing will change, content-wise. I'll still hold up my part in being a knee-jerk, profane blogger!

Eno: The thought of you having "people" is terrifying! But good luck with MVN and just don't forget the people you stepped on, on the way up! One more quickie: who's winning the World Series this year?

Big Al: Thanks for the kind words! As for the World Series, I'm picking the Phillies. If there is a city that needs a champion, it's Philly. The (Tampa Bay) Rays fans don't deserve a title, and don't get me going on Boston and their elitist, “It's all about us” fan base. Who's your MLB pick to click?

Eno: Well, if you wander over to Johnny Grubb and/or OOB (I posted it both places), I roasted the Rays fans. They averaged 22,000 per game – less than 50% capacity and 26th in MLB. That's pathetic for a first-place team. Take their team away!! I like the Red Sox. They're battle-tested. The Phillies are the Cubs, plus one. In my mind, 1980 (when the Phillies won the World Series) is the only thing that separates the Phillies from being even WORSE than the Cubbies, who at least have won more than one title in their history. So Bosox in six over....LA. Yep – the Dodgers will rally. Any team (the Red Sox) that has Stephen King rooting for them in the stands is OK in my book – no pun intended. So see you next week, Big Time, I mean Big Al!

Big Al: I'll be here, Mr. Journalist! See you next week!

Eno: Ah, touche!

Apparently the Michigan Wolverines won't be winning the MAC this season...

...or any other conference.

How do the Wolverines lose to one of the MAC's bottom feeders, the Toledo Rockets? Pretty easily, as it turns out. The MAC's worst team beat the Wolverines 13-10 in a game only that close thanks to Toledo repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot.

The torches and pitchforks will be out in A2 tonight. I'd expect nothing less after losing to a MAC team for the FIRST TIME EVER! This is an embarrassing loss for the program, possibly even worse than the Appalachian St. game.

It's time to face facts. I don't see this Michigan team having a winning season, God forbid make a bowl game. The offense is Sam McGuffie and nothing else, the defense is a HUGE disappointment. The 2 QB's, Threet and Sheridan, are more inaccurate than a political attack ad. This is one poorly coached team, without the talent it needs to run Rich Rodriguez's highly specialized offense.

I still think RichRod is a good coach. He proved it at WVU. You don't win at a school like West Virgina if you can't coach a little. Actually, a lot. But with the Wolverines at 2-4, and likely to finish in the bottom half of what is a lousy Big 10, RichRod will quite deservedly get raked over the coals....repeatedly.

I wasn't expecting a Rose Bowl this season, but 7 wins should have been the bare minimum with the talent on hand. I could have lived with 6 wins, just because of the circumstances surrounding the coaching change. But I can't see the Wolverines winning more than a game or two more the rest of the season.

Next up are Penn St. and Sparty. They have to be licking their chops, taking out YEARS of frustration upon their now down on their luck nemesis. I can easily see the Wolverines going into the tOSU game with a 3-8 or 4-7 record, then getting pounded to within an inch of their lives by the bucknuts.

Christ, I'm not sure how to handle a bad Michigan football team. This is uncharted territory for most fans of U of M. I've been a Wolverines fan since I was 7 years old, and I've never had to live through a losing season. EVER.

That's about to change, and I'm not happy.

A special "Cripple Fight" edition of pros and cons: RichRod

It being time for "Cripple Fight 2008," as the esteemed MGoBlog is calling Michigan - Notre Dame, I felt I needed to do some sort of commentary on the Michigan Wolverines.

I haven't written much here about my favorite college football team this season, as most of my gnashing of teeth and wailing in despair has taken place in my Twitter feed instead. My grief and anger over the Wolverines' struggles has been spewed out in short, barely lucid, highly emotional, 140 character bursts.

Does this look like the face of a

snake oil salesman to you? Don't answer that...

Rather than try to break down today's game, as it would be an exercise in utter futility considering how badly both teams have played this year (they both looked lousy in their wins, for chrissakes), I thought I'd break out the old TWFE standby, pros and cons, in regard to Joe Tiller's favorite snake oil salesman, Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez. (After 40 years of God Bo and his lineage, that still sounds strange to me. Damn strange.)

So let's look at the pluses and minuses of the man known as RichRod (DickRod to the Sparty faithful), the wunderkind given the reins of one of the most storied, successful and frustrating to watch football programs in college history.

Pro: Tired of 8-9 win seasons, RichRod was hired to move the staid and ultra-conservative Wolverine football program, kicking and screaming if need be, into the 21st century with his state-of-the-art spread option offense.

Con: Nebraska thought they needed to join the 21st century as well, and hired Bill Callahan to shake up a similarly stuck in the past program with his NFL style west coast offense. Instead of joining a new century, Nebraska joined the also rans at the bottom of the Big 12 standings. Cornhusker fans would now give up their first born and left nut to have a 8-9 win season.

Pro: West Virgina's former favorite son is the highly acclaimed guru of the "hot" offense of the day, the spread option.

Con: Hot offense? So were the run and shoot, the west coast, the wishbone, the veer, the triple option and the wing T at one time. Coaches gradually learned how to defend those fancy offenses. Those offenses, and the coaches who ran them, aren't "hot" anymore.

Pro: RichRod has claimed he can adapt the spread option to any sort of situation. He can make it either run or pass heavy, depending upon the type of personnel on hand.

Con: I'm still waiting to see ANY kind of offense from Michigan after 2 games. Run, pass, I don't care. I just want to some touchdowns, you SOB!

Pro: RichRod's protoype spread QB is Pat White, who wasn't a highly ranked recruit out of high school. Meaning he can make the spread work without top tier recruits.

Con: Highly recruited or not, White could run and pass with equal effectiveness. As we've painfully seen, Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan aren't Pat White.Hell, they aren't Danny, Whizzer or even Barry White, for that matter. Threet and Sheridan have shown they are equally bad at both running and passing.

Pro: As an assistant and head coach, won big at schools (Tulane, WVU) where it was tough to recruit, often having to make do by taking in known troublemakers in order to compete at the highest level.

Con: Michigan ain't West Virginny. Recruiting the ilk of Pac Man Jones won't fly at the Harvard of the West. Recruiting risky kids will royally piss off the uber-conservative, wine and cheese eating, extremely wealthy, elitist old Blues, whose idea of a big time troublemaker is anyone of color, under 25, with a tattoo. Actually, you only need to meet one of those three criteria to be on the old Blues' shit list.

Pro: Recruiting shouldn't be an issue for RichRod, as Michigan recruits itself.

Con: If Michigan recruits itself, going by this year's Wolverines team, you'd never know it.

Pro: RichRod has a long track record of winning and winning big.

Con: Remember WVU - Pitt last season? RichRod wins plenty, but has never been able to finish, to win the "big one." Wait a sec...What was I thinking? That would mean the snake oil salesman fits right in at Michigan! Never mind.

Pro: The last coach to take over the program who wasn't a "Michigan Man" was that God amongst men, Bo Schembechler.

Con: Bo didn't infuriate an entire state when he left Miami of Ohio to coach the Wolverines, just Woody Hayes.

Hell yes, I'm a "Michigan Man!"

Says it right there in blue and yellow, so it must be true!

Pro: Bo's first team got off to a slow start too. They started the 1969 season 3-2, losing decisively to both Missouri and Sparty. We all know how that season ended...With Woody more pissed than ever.

Con: Bo's '69 team had a decent QB, and a talented O-line. RichRod...Not so much.

Pro: This is Michigan we're talking about, who haven't been under .500 in most of our lifetimes. If you are a Wolverines fan under 50 years old, winning seasons and going to bowl games are a given, if not a birth right.

Con: Uh, I don't want to go there. Seriously, I don't wanna. This world we live in is screwed up enough without having to deal with the unthinkable...A bad Michigan team that doesn't go to a bowl game. Holy shit, I got the shivvers typing that...

As for Cripple Fight 2008? I'll say it ends Michigan 17, NBC's corporate puppet, 13, fans of quality football, disgusted.

But I sure as Hell wouldn't bet on the Cripple Fight. God, no! I still have a smidgen of common sense. I wouldn't bet on this game if life, limb and Charlie Weis' next dinner depended on it.

Uh...not so fast. Now that I think about it, I might take the under. Neither team has an offense that could score on a Pop Warner team. The under should be the LOCK of the century.

RIP "Michigan Replay." You will not be missed

Word came today that Rich Rodriguez was changing another long standing Michigan tradition. That being the elimination of the 33 year old Sunday coaches show, "Michigan Replay." Rather than a weekend review show, RichRod will have some sort of mid-week preview show.

All I can can say is...it's about God damn time.

"Michigan Replay" was, much like the football program itself, an anachronism. A product of another time and place that has long passed by. When fans were lucky to see Michigan 2-3 times on TV a season, and Bo Schembechler ruled Wolverines football with an iron fist, the existence of "Michigan Replay" made perfect sense. But in the 21st century, with highlights, commentary and news available 7/24/365, it made no sense.Coaches shows are a waste of time for both the coaches and the fans, a Mickey Mouse Sunday morning highlights/review show even more so.

The vast majority of coaches shows usually have lower production qualities than cable public access. The coaches NEVER say anything inflammatory or of import. The only news made in any coaches show...Hell, there's never any news made in a coaches show. The next time one makes news or gives the fans vital information will be the first time.

I hear/see any college football head coach speak to the media, I immediately move on. They guard their words and thoughts so closely, they speak in little more than platitudes and clichés. I have better things to do than hear RichRod, or any other other coach, for that matter, say inspid tripe like "Neither team deserved to lose," or the phrase Rasheed Wallace once used to make a point how useless most post game pressers can be, "Both teams played hard."

There's no need for a big time college football coach to make nice on TV for 30 minutes a week on a show only the most outright fanatical of fans watch. Let alone a coaches show that was taped a few hours after the end of a game. With the advent of cable and the interwebs, we've already seen game the highlights 10X over, and processed all the news and information 100X over, making shows like "Michigan Replay" redundant.

The cancellation of "Michigan Replay" is one Wolverine tradition that should not be mourned. Just say "good riddance," and move on with your day. Though considering the backwards looking, living in the past, change aborrhant, stick-in-the-mud nature of much of the Michigan fanbase, I'm sure we'll see have to deal with the typical bitching and moaning from the Wolverines' aged blue-haired fans.

I ask the blue hairs, please, for everyone's sake, let "Michigan Replay" pass on into the ether from which it came. Just let it go, folks. Let it go...

The Little Fella deigns to become the Wolverines' moral compass, still thinks it's 1978

In today's Freep, Mitch Albom takes a break from working on his latest diabetes inducing best-seller for the Oprah crowd, to weigh in on the Michigan/WVU/Rich Rodriguez soap opera.

(For what it's worth, the latest shot in the war of words between RichRod and WVU was fired by his assistant head coach, Calvin Magee, who accused his former employer of overt racism in their hiring process.)

The Little Fella, full of righteous indignation, asks a rhetorical question about coaching buyouts.

What bugs me is that Michigan never used to be involved in stuff like this. Since when did it start buying out coaches? First John Beilein with the basketball team. Now Rodriguez. To me, this is a form of legalized extortion. Some other school wants to hire your employee, you demand a payoff. It's ugly and has no place in a college environment. I wish Bill Martin, U-M's athletic director, had the nerve to say that.

You know, the Little Fella might be correct in saying it "Doesn't belong in a college environment," but that IS today's environment. There's no putting that cat back into the bag. But buyout = extortion? A tad little over the top, methinks.

It's just a fact of today's multi-million dollar coaching contracts. Schools would like to build in a little protection on their huge investment. It's not as if a coach has to agree, as I'm sure Rodriguez wasn't forced to to sign on the dotted line.

To be honest, the only reason Michigan had not become embroiled in the buying out coaches from other schools in the past is that they were damn lucky. The Pollyannaish Albom writes as if he still believes it's 1978, and coaches were making 100K, if they were lucky. This isn't your father's college football, it's big business.

40 years of Bo Schembechler and his lineage led to Michigan football to great heights. But in the process, it also became the most sheltered program in the country. When Lloyd Carr stepped down, U of M football was no longer the best of the best, but an blinders wearing inbred anachronism that had been flailing about in a new era, and was in desperate need of new blood.

The Little Fella thinks different...

But Michigan football used to be more special. It was never sullied with departure lies or shredding, because it promoted from within. It didn't deal with buyouts for the same reason.

Special? Why do fans and alumni of other schools despise the Wolverines? Because of that high level of inflated self-importance. That's "Michigan Man" arrogance at it's most grating.

How would the Little Fella have gone about replacing Carr? Oh yeah, hire an unqualified, unsuccessful, or inexperienced coach that was already on staff. You don't think Michigan would have hired from within again if they had someone who was qualified to run the program?

The Little Fella should realize the Bo tree ended with Lloyd Carr, for good reason. None of Carr's assistants have proven worthy as a head coach. Doesn't he remember Mike Debord's disastrous tenure at CMU? Brady Hoke has been nothing more than mediocre at Ball St. Then there's Cam Cameron, who's been shown the door at 2 head jobs, running both Indiana (18-37) and the Miami Dolphins (1-15) down to new depths.

Ron English and Scott Loeffler may break the trend down the line, but as of right now, they aren't ready. Especially for a job as prestigious as Michigan. So what was the university to do? What any other program would have done. Hire away a proven, successful coach from another school.

Then the Little Fella chimes in on recruiting...

And since when did Michigan football start hinging on high school recruits? I have heard more lately about Terrelle Pryor, the Pennsylvania prep quarterback, than I ever can recall hearing about a kid who doesn't yet have a high school diploma. Is this how we are going to judge Rodriguez? By who he reels in?

You know of any other way to judge Rodriguez right now, Mitch? Rodriguez needs to hit a home run with his first recruiting class, thanks to the radical changes to come in the Michigan offense. This ain't Dropback QB U anymore.

But to answer your first question, why Michigan football "hinges" upon a single recruit? Look in the mirror, Mitch. Your own paper says as much! What's the above the fold lede on the Freeps' Sunday sports page?

THE CHASE FOR THE NATION'S TOP HIGH SCHOOL RECRUIT

TERRELLE PRYOR VISITS U-M: Fans serenade him; Rich Rodriguez hands-on; 'It's cool,' QB says

If it's in print, it must be true, right? I'm sure your paper will be more than happy to pile on Rodriguez if he doesn't land Pryor.

The Little Fella then gives his haughty, holier than thou opinion on the BCS...

If so, Michigan has jumped in the same mucky waters as many other win-crazed schools, who are only concerned with BCS, not the BS it requires. Some feel that's what sports should be. They are entitled to their views.

Get off your fucking high horse! This isn't the Ivy League. This isn't college football circa 1950. It's MICHIGAN you're talking about.

I'm not denying the fact money has changed college football, in many ways for the worse. The Little Fella also forgets that for many years, when Don Canham was athletic director, Michigan led the way in monetizing and marketing a football program. They were praised to high heave for being such a forward thinking athletic department. They became THE model of a modern football factory.

Michigan has just as much to do with creating this monster called college football, and treating it as a big time, for profit, always in the black business, as the most win-crazed SEC school. Schools the Big 10, and Albom, tend to self-righteously look down on.

The Little Fella conveniently forgets the massive amounts of cash the football program brings into Michigan's coffers foots the bill for the sports that more closely fit his view of what college athletics should be. They are called non-revenue sports for a reason.

I think it's pretty safe to say that Michigan has always been a win-crazed school when it comes to football. You know that song, "The Victors," with lyrics like "The leaders and the best" and "Champions of the west?" It was written in 1898. After the Wolverines won a football game. The school's self worth, for better or worse, has always been defined by football. That will never, ever change at Michigan.

The Little Fells finishes by rehashing what he's already written in the previous paragraphs...

But Michigan football used to be more special. It was never sullied with departure lies or shredding, because it promoted from within. It didn't deal with buyouts for the same reason.

I guess if he says it twice, he believes we'll be more likely to agree. That, or he needed to fill column inches.

Yet in Rodriguez's new Michigan contract, just revealed, there is -- guess what? -- a $4-million buyout clause. And if U-M ever finds itself on the opposite side of that one, we quickly will see how folks around here behave eerily similar to the angry fans in West Virginia.

As for Michigan inserting a buyout clause? Well, duh... It's SOP for any coaching contract. Michigan would be negligent if they didn't add such a clause. I'll need to be convinced that it's going to be an issue anyway. Michigan has been considered a terminal job, a final destination position, for...Well, forever.

If Rodriguez is successful, the only step up would be to the NFL. The only reason the NFL would come calling is if Rodriguez is winning a TON of games. I think most Michigan fans can live with taking that chance.

I find Albom's railing on and on about the lack of integrity in college athletics farcical. It's coming the same person who's been busted for what would normally be a fireable offense for any other columnist, fabricating stories. Other than a columnist who's a best selling author, and a TV/radio celebrity. That columnist just has to write an apology.

The Little Fella criticizing anyone, or any institution, for a lack of integrity? Please. Pot, I'd like you to meet kettle...

Fun with referrals: You guys are just killing me!

I've had a few referrals to TWFE today that made me smile.

Someone found TWFE using the search term "Rob Parker Detroit retarded." Turns out I'm the first 2 hits under that search, and the 3rd is a Parker interview that refers to my insults, but pulled a Jerry Green, and didn't mention the blog.

I'm guessing the functionally retarded one is appearing this week on the 4 letter's morning shitfest First Pizza, or Cold Take, whatever in the Hell they are calling the show that no one watches now. I always get a spike in Parker haters (Such as searching "Rob Parker ESPN" or "Parker 1st and Ten") whenever he turns up on ESPN matching a lack of wits with Skip Bayless. I'm just glad to know that I'm not alone...

Someone from West Virgina found their way to TWFE with the following search... "federal agents investigating Rodriguez betting on pitt game" HA! That's absolutely hysterical! Turns out I'm 2nd on Google for those looking for info on RichRod's nefarious dealings with bookies.

In fact, TWFE is currently numero uno on Google for "rodriguez wvu," which seems odd. I hadn't been writing about the Michigan/WVU/RichRod soap opera that much, have I? All I can say is, beware! The WVU mafia is everywhere on the web, looking for everything regarding Rich Rodriguez. If it's negative, the West Virginians agree wholeheartedly. If positive, they channel Marsellus Wallace, and go medieval on your ass!

This just in... Someone just found TWFE by searching "Rich Rodriguez telephone records." Good Lord, those WVU fans just won't give up! In case he's still here...Dude, the 112 calls were to RichRod's voice mail box!

Hey, no harm, no foul. Search all you want! Just keep coming back, OK?

Rich Rod speaks, but no one is listening

The Toledo Blade (The Blade? WTF?) has an exclusive interview with Rich Rodriguez today, where the Michigan coach answers many of the accusations made by WVU.

As for the article itself, RichRod denies all charges, as I hoped and expected. He claims WVU is spreading "lies." OK, so we now have his word against their anonymous sources. Expect it to continue playing out in the media.

As for my "no one is listening" headline? I'll put it this way. We've all made up our minds on both sides of the Rich Rodriguez hire. Nothing is going to change the minds of WVU fans that Rodriguez is a nefarious, money grubbing back-stabber who has turned his back on his school, and his state. For that matter, nothing is going to change the minds of Michigan fans who think WVU and their fans are bring vindictive SOB's, who need to move on, rather than making mountains out of molehills, or a federal case out of so much confetti...

I think that describes everyone fairly accurately. Both sides have dug in their heels, and made up their minds. In the end, we will be watching the drama between WVU and their former coach play out in the courts.

I thought about adding more of my thoughts about RichRod's remarks, but I decided against it. Why? Two reasons...

1. I'm tired of writing about it. There's nothing new to say.

2. The MGoBlog is ALL OVER the interview, and Brian has broken it down in the way only he can. I agree with what he says wholeheartedly...

Look, if Rodriguez really did shred a bunch of critical WVU documents that had no duplicates elsewhere that's a serious problem. If these allegations turn out to be true it will seriously darken my opinion of this hire. But the accusations leveled are so improbable that what's far more likely is that some very bitter people in West Virginia just can't handle Rodriguez's departure.

If it turns out Rodriguez was dastardly and wantonly destroying files he shouldn't have been? If he was violating NCAA rules with his actions? My opinion will change. Otherwise, I think the above paragraph says it all.

Writing about this shit flinging fest has given me a headache... I'm moving on. Let's hope WVU fans do as well.

What was Rich Rodriguez shredding?

Seriously, what was so important that Rich Rodriguez "allegedly" spent hours upon hours "allegedly" destroying? Inquiring minds in Michigan and West Virginia would really like to know. I'm going to take a guess from the point of view from each fanbase...

Who knew such a lowly office appliance could cause so much grief?

What WVU fans swear was in Coach Rod's shredder:

The paper trail of his NCAA violations
Credit card receipts from PED vendors
Canceled checks from paying his players
Cooked accounting books
Counterfeit 100 dollar bills
Forged term papers
Fake time cards for phantom jobs
Phone records regarding calls to hookers and drug dealers
Betting slips
All records of his throwing the Pitt game
His WVU diploma
The broken hearts of WVU fans

What Michigan fans believe Coach Rod was shredding:

Cabbage for cole slaw
Potatoes for hash browns
Junk mail
West Virginia newspapers
His WVU contract
His $4 million dollar buyout agreement
The broken hearts of WVU fans

What Rich Rodriguez actually shred:

Enough non-vital information to make the his replacement's job harder, and piss off the WVU administration, but not enough to cause legal trouble.

Whichever of my scenarios are correct, I'm sure we've haven't heard the last of "filegate," "shreddergate," or whatever "gate" name the MSM gives it.

Above the Fold - Rich Rodriguez: West Virginia's public enemy number 1

There was plenty going on in the D Tuesday. The biggest news being the Republican and Democrat primaries. I'm not going there, as lefties, righties, and moderates are all welcome here at TWFE. I'm keeping this a politics free zone.

On the sports side, the Pistons, led by Rip Hamilton's 39 points, beat the Raptors, the Red Wings lost badly to the Thrashers, for their 3rd consecutive loss, and the NFL released a list of teams the Lions will play, and lose to,in 2008.

But it was all overshadowed by one story. The Rich Rodriguez "Filegate" scandal.

If the entire state of West Virginia didn't want RichRod's head on a pike before yesterday, they sure as Hell do now. Once yet to be named sources at WVU let the West Virginia MSM know of Rodriguez's alleged shredder party, the confetti hit the fan.

In response to WVU's allegations, Rodriguez's agent gave his client's version of events at Mlive.

First, Brown said, Rodriguez did not maintain files on each individual player. As far as contact information, scholarship money and other information, "Rich may have had copies of such things," Brown noted. "But I sure hope the originals of such information are in the compliance office or the academic programs at West Virginia. If not, then they have serious institutional control issues."

- Brown also said that financial records for summer camps were kept by the university, not Rodriguez.

- About the strength and conditioning records, Brown said that, in addition to Rodriguez, every assistant coach was provided with hard copies updating player progress. Among those assistants was new West Virginia coach Bill Stewart who was promoted from Rodriguez's staff.

- Brown said that strength and conditioning files did not include photos of players taken at different points in their careers, as stated in the story.

The agent said he couldn't speak to all the information Rodriguez removed from his office, but Brown did acknowledge that the coach shredded some of it.

"As any employee leaving a job, he's going to throw stuff in the trash," Brown said. "Personal information, personal letters from other coaches, his own game plans. Things like that he wanted to throw away, and at the same time didn't need to be found in the dumpster."

He makes a few good points. I find it hard to believe that WVU didn't have copies of most, if not all, of the records Rodriguez supposedly destroyed, be it on paper, or in a computer. Isn't that standard operating procedure for any large organization? Not that it's an excuse for shredding/destroying/throwing out anything that wasn't nailed down, but it shouldn't be near the catastrophe WVU claims it to be.

As his agent says, if there aren't copies and backups, that's an institutional control issue with the WVU administration. Even with those caveats, destroying files comes across as petty and thoughtless on the part of Rodriguez.

To say that Michigan alumni and fans are concerned about the allegations from WVU is an understatement. If true, and if it's not SOP for any coach leaving a job, or if Rodriguez went overboard in destroying what turns out to be WVU property, they woun't be happy with their new coach at U of m. It's a very un-Michigan like thing to do, and that sort of behavior will never fly with the old blues.

For a view of the WVU side of things, a columnist at the Charlotte (WV) Gazette calls out Rodriguez, and the MSM in Detroit...

From this perspective, the matter doesn’t seem to be about a possible arrest. It doesn’t seem to be about a lawsuit. It’s less about class action and more about actions without class.

Again.

From Rodriguez’s negotiations with Michigan (after his promise last year to stay a “very, very long time’’) to his resignation via a grad assistant to this, the coach has absolutely mangled his reputation within our state’s craggy borders.

One wonders if UM officials are paying attention or simply looking away. At least one newspaper in Michigan, that in Ann Arbor, seemed determined to discredit our report when it first surfaced.

I think it's safe to say the moment Rodriguez took the Michigan job, his reputation was "mangled" beyond repair to anyone with West Virginia ties. The WV writer also seems to be forgetting that absolutely nothing has been confirmed. The claim is coming from still unnamed sources from an institution that has started civil action against Rodriguez. Anything coming from anonymous sources from a pissed off former employer should be taken with a large grain of salt sip of moonshine.

As to a Michigan fishwrap discrediting the claims, he's referring to a Jim Carty column in the A2 News.

Whether this story is true or not, at first glance it adds to the image many critics in West Virginia are painting of Rodriguez as a slick opportunist.

And maybe that's the goal.

Skeptical? Well, think back to early 2001, when there were big headlines about how Clinton officials had trashed the White House on their way out. Story after story detailed vandalism and petty actions to protest the house's new occupant, George W. Bush.

A subsequent investigation showed almost all of those stories - most of them citing anonymous sources - were false.

For whatever reason (There's several, and they all revolve around his leaving WVU), the Gazette columnist doesn't give Rodriguez the benefit of the doubt, unlike Jim Carty. All Carty was saying is we need to wait and see, as WVU isn't exactly unbiased, and have 4 million reasons to drag Rodriguez though the mud.

As for the Michigan blogosphere, most are taking the same stance as Carty. The allegations are disturbing, but they are just that, allegations.

Eno says Michigan should take some kind of action against Rodriguez if the reports have merit.

This might not be a George O'Leary or Wally Backman moment for Michigan, but it should at least be addressed if it turns out to have happened. (O'Leary of Notre Dame and Backman of the Arizona Diamondbacks were fired shortly after they were hired -- both for trumping up their resumes) This is big doings -- again, if it's true -- and to ignore it would make Michigan look worse than it already does for POSSIBLY hiring someone who doesn't do things above board. So far, nobody at U-M is talking. That's fine for now, as this story is still in its infancy. It won't be fine forever.

Thing is, what else can U of M realistically do? They've placed all their football eggs in Rodriguez's basket, they have to make the partnership work. This is between Rodriguez and WVU, not between Michigan and WVU, so I'm guessing we'll end up seeing a ceremonial slap on the wrist, or a strongly worded statement from the Wolverines.

MGoBlog takes the same tack, saying there's many questions that need to be answered before we break out the jump to conclusions mat.

Think they have used one of these in West Virginia?
It does have bare feet...

Why would Rodriguez shred all this stuff? (Ohio State fans: because he's a dirty cheater covering his tracks. West Virginia fans: because his one goal in life is to destroy us. Michigan fans: because he knew crazy WVU officials/FOIA-toting fans would go over the documents with a fine-toothed comb and attempt to nail him on every piddling recruiting violation like "called five minutes late.")

Why would WVU let Michigan's coach into the building? (Probably because WVU's AD is full of morons.)

Corollary to previous question: why would "several" people notice Rodriguez, already announced as Michigan's head coach, shredding documents and make no effort to stop him?

Why would all these important documents exist only in single hard copy formats? (See answer to previous questions.)

Corollary to the previous question: do they have computers in West Virginia?

I can't add anything to Brian's questions, as he's covered all the bases. Institutional control, WVU having a massive grudge against their former coach, and the question everyone who has ever dealt with files and records, where's the backups?

Michigan Sports Center thinks the entire situation stinks to high heaven...

I'm sure this will all play out eventually, but until it does the whole situation stinks. I am heavily biased in this whole issue obviously, but if it turns out Rodriguez did destroy information that shouldn't have (stuff that wasn't personal), then he will have to deal with the consequences. Again, if true, he had no right to do that. On the flip side, if the documents he shredded were just personal, then this story should be over with. He has every right to get rid of anything personal because that's his property.

I doubt we'll ever get the whole truth from either side. There's too much at stake. Sean says that this all goes away if the $4 million buyout is paid in full. Truer words have not been spoken. WVU wants their pound of flesh, and they'll be happy to get it in $100 bills. Unmarked, of course...

That's "Above the Fold" of Wednesday, 1-16-08.

Filegate!

WVU isn't all that happy with Rich Rodriguez, and vice versa. Both feel wronged. Both are vindictive. WVU filed suit against their former coach before any payment was even due in regard to breaking his contract. Now it appears Rodriguez has burned all bridges, leaving scorched earth and small bits of paper behind him, giving a shredder a big workout in the process. From the Freep...

If today's reports from West Virginia newspapers are true, with the first one emerging from the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette, the hatred is about to reach a new level.

The initial Gazette report, which cited an unnamed source, said that Rodriguez “destroyed all or most of the paperwork filed relating to every player on the Mountaineer roster and virtually all of the activities conducted by the programs over the past seven years.”

Rodriguez and Michigan officials were unavailable for comment this morning.

At first blush, the old adage came to mind, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." In fact, I'm about to keel over from smoke inhalation just reading the article...

Considering the acrimony between WVU and Rodriguez, there's very legitimate reasons not to jump to any conclusions. But...If true, why would Rodriguez need to do such a thing? Why cover your tracks? Why do something so ethically questionable? Why, why, why?

Let's say Rodriguez did what the unnamed WVU sources are claiming. I have to wonder, if he didn't have anything to hide, why did Rodriguez bother to shred everything and anything that had to do with his 7 year tenure? Why wipe out player files? Why shred strength and conditioning information? Again, why, why, why?

To me, the following is most the most damning section of the the Charleston Gazette article...

According to the source, the files in Rodriguez’s office that are now missing included everything from records regarding summer camps — financial and otherwise — to data on boosters, recruiting and most everything related to activities within the program during Rodriguez’s seven years at WVU.

When I see the words "boosters" and "financial", that gets my attention. The metaphorical smoke is thick and billowing. Then again, if there was something illegal going on, why would there be a paper trail that needs to be destroyed? Hell, if that's true, Rodriguez should be canned by Michigan for being stupid.

More than anything else, the allegations coming out of West Virginia make Rodriguez look bad. And I mean, B-A-D. Even if the files Rodriguez destroyed weren't critical, and what we know now is only hearsay from biased unnamed sources, it sure makes him look like one vindictive son of a bitch.

Coach Rod should take the Three Stooges defense:
I'm a victim of circumstance!

I doubt what Rodriguez allegedly did was illegal. I'm guessing no laws were broken, no felony committed. But was his supposed dirty shredding deeds questionable, and more importantly to Michigan, unethical? Not knowing the ins and outs of big time college athletics, and if this is common practice, I'd say it was definitely unethical, and the University of Michigan can't be happy about it.

I'm extremely curious what Rodriguez is going to have to say about what you know is going to known as "Filegate." Supposedly he's going to release a statement through his lawyers later today. Will he issue a CYA statement, or a full denial?

Speaking of denial, Richard Nixon once said "I reject the cynical view that politics is a dirty business." As we found out, politics IS dirty business. Change a couple words, and Tricky Dick could be talking about the dirty business that is college football.

It's Rich Rodriguez's fault!

Fans of WVU have been hollerin' up a storm since Rich Rodriguez left, for a better job, mind you, at the University of Michigan. Though he left the school a much better place, WVU fans have felt the need to belittle his accomplishments.

Some of the anger was warranted, I'll give them that. It's never a smooth transition when any coach leaves a program. It's going to be messy. At this point, with both schools having moved on with their new head coaches, don't ya'll think enough is enough? We understood your anger, but it's become rote and over the top...

It's cold in Morgantown today! "It's Rich Rodriguez's fault!"

The price on double wides has gone up! "It's Rich Rodriguez's fault!"

The moonshine is weak! "It's Rich Rodriguez's fault!"

Here come the revenuers! "It's Rich Rodriguez's fault!"

The revenuers put Big Jim McBob and Billy Sol Hurok in county lock up! "It's Rich Rodriguez's fault!"

But you never hear "It's Rich Rodriguez's fault" when it comes to...

WVU plays in, and wins, New Year's Day bowls! We're a top 10 team! We win our conference! We have upgraded facilities! We're RELEVANT!

Those true statements are also the fault of one Rich Rodriguez. Yet, the WVU fans are still irrationally angry. The latest cry of "It's Rich Rodriguez's fault" takes the cake.

The kinfolk of WVU running back Steve Slaton announced he is leaving WVU for the NFL. Why? According to Slaton's pappy, "It's Rich Rodriguez's fault!"

It was not an easy decision, but, in the end, Carl (Slaton) said "it was pushed on him with [WVU coach Rich] Rodriguez leaving [for Michigan] and taking the whole coaching staff."

OK, I can at least see some logic there, flawed as it may be. But read on for the real money quote...

"[Rodriguez] just took everything away from Steven," Carl said.

Huh? "Took everything away?" What, exactly, did Rodriguez "take" from Slaton?

A free ride at a major institution? No, he's got that. A chance to play major college football? He got that too. Play for a national title? They had their shot, and just missed. An opportunity to go to the NFL? Nope, Slaton will play on Sundays. So what's been taken away?

It comes off to me as a lame attempt by Slaton's daddy to deflect any blame the WVU fans have for his son leaving school early. Because, as we know now, they don't take kindly to ANYONE leaving West Virginia.

Good Lord, will the bitching and moaning from the hills of West Virginia ever stop? I don't think so. Why? Because...all together now..."it's Rich Rodriguez's fault!"

Above the Fold - Say yes to Michigan!

There's two big stories in the D today, but one completely overshadows the other.

Sunday was a tale of two football teams, teams heading in opposite directions. One appears to have a very bright future, thanks to their hiring one of the best young coaches in the business. The other? Well, their future looks as bleak as bleak can be, thanks to another disturbing, embarrassing, fiasco of a loss.

After a month of fans being on the verge of hysteria, Michigan soothed the savage beast known as the Michigan Mafia, by officially sealing the deal with WVU's Rich Rodriguez. The other story, that's been thankfully pushed to the backburner, is the Lions moving that much closer to the abyss of another 10 loss season, with their 51-14 loss to the Chargers. Srew 'em, I spent all day yesterday blogging those jackasses.

So let's talk some real football, the only football team that truly matters in SE MI, the Michigan Wolverines.

The Wolverines are finally moving forward, and with all due respect to the late Bo Schembechler, and his coaching linage, it's about time. The Bo era was great, but nothing lasts forever. It's 2007, not 1977, or even 1997. Winning the Big 10 title is not the be all, end all. The opposition is no longer intimidated by the winged helmets. The "Michigan Way" won't keep the Wolverines in their accustomed place as college football royalty.

Their hiring of Rodriguez, the father of the spread option, an offensive guru, one of the best X's and O's coaches in the business, will finally shove a long staid and stale program kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

The Little Fella says as much at the Freep, that the "Bo-Mo-Lloyd era is gone for good" at Michigan.

But U-M can claim no purity anymore. It cannot act surprised if Rodriguez bolts a few years from now for something shiny and new (perhaps the NFL?). It cannot pose as if above the brutish shopping of this business. Michigan went out and plucked someone else's coach the way Frieder once was plucked from it.

Oh, and Rodriguez had a $4-million buyout clause. So, presumably, Michigan is paying dearly for the privilege.

Such is the nature of college football coaching these days. It is a cutthroat, ugly business, and things have been ugly the past month in Ann Arbor, largely because the Wolverines haven't had to deal with this junk since 1968.

It's about time the Wolverines stopped playing the "Michigan man" card. The head coaching job shouldn't stay "In the family" only because that's how it's always been done. Instead, Captain Billy, after very public several missteps, got the best man for the job, rather than hire someone who's main calling card was that he played/coached at Michigan.

At the News, Wojo sees a brave new world in A2, and the shake up of a tradition filled program will reverberate throughout the Wolverines' fanbase for some time to come.

When something that worked for 40 years gets changed, jittery tremors reverberate, and the ground in Ann Arbor will shake for a while.

Michigan football won't be the same, but we already knew that. Carr is retiring, and a $226 million renovation of Michigan Stadium, complete with fancy luxury suites, has begun.

The most startling changes in four decades are happening, slightly more than a year after program patriarch Schembechler passed away. There's no turning back now. Michigan showed it's willing to play by college football's updated rules, and if that makes you a little nervous, it also should make you excited.

We've seen the end of the Bo era, the Big House changing from a huge hole in the ground to a state of the art stadium, new football facilities are being built, and the "3 yards ands a cloud of dust turf" offensive philosophy is gone for good. Talk about culture shock for the blue hairs in the Wolverines fanbase! The old Blues, who think loud cheering and standing up during the game is unbecoming, won't know what hit them...

Mlive's Jim Carty says that the likes of English and Hoke probably would have won their fair share of games at Michigan. But that's no longer enough. Not at Michigan. The school and fanbase, in his mind, "deserve more."

Brady Hoke and Ron English and all the other names that would have driven folks crazy if they'd been hired could have brought good kids to campus and finished in the top half of the Big Ten.

Heck, that's what Lloyd Carr's been doing for five years now, and the only reason he's gotten away with it is the 1997 national title.

Michigan fans wanted more.

Heck, they deserved more.

Sunday, they got it in Rodriguez, an outsider who's pretty much the polar opposite of Carr, an outsider with no real ties to Michigan or Bo Schembechler, an offensive coach and a self-made innovator.

There hasn't been a change like this around here since Schembechler himself arrived in 1969.

No, he won't be Bo, nobody ever will, but it's a bold move, the kind of move nobody thought Michigan could pull off. As good - or better - than hiring Miles.

Compared to the somewhat funereal tone in the MSM, the blogosphere, who has been screaming long and hard for change at Michigan, is celebrating.

MGoBlog, who's byline of "Throwing rock since 1969" will now have to change, it's "Peanut butter jelly time!" Brian also touches on the more aggressive play calling approach we can expect to see from RichRod.

One of this blog's main complaints against Carr was that his fourth down strategy -- which can be summed up in one word: "punt" -- was uncreative and suboptimal. One of the things that was exciting about Miles was his balls-to-the-wall approach in the Florida game, during which a series of fourth down conversions, one of them a fake field goal, turned 9 LSU points into 21 LSU points and defeat into victory. Rodriguez didn't have such an obvious come-to-Romer moment... or did he?

In the 2006 Sugar Bowl, West Virginia faces fourth and six with around two minutes to go. They lead 38-35; Georgia has burned their timeouts. Result:

"But the Mountaineers saved their biggest surprise for the end. Georgia was poised to get the ball back when West Virginia dropped back to punt on fourth-and-six at the Bulldogs' 48. Phil Brady hauled in the long snap but took off running, gaining 10 yards on the fake and a game-clinching first down."

Obviously this is not the sort of thing that can become a pattern, but a game-sealing fake punt is most decidedly not in the Carr playbook.

Risky play calls? Going for it on 4th down? Gambling that your team can execute under pressure? AT MICHIGAN? This does not compute!

The Blog that Yost Built is thrilled beyond belief!

I can't help but be absolutely thrilled with the outcome to this coaching search--thank you Mary Sue Coleman. Rich Rodriguez is one of the top coaches in the game. He's pioneered an offense that many of the top programs use. He's built West [freaking] Virgina into a kind of sort of national power. And now he's here, to take our offense out of the stone age. As offensive coordinator, he went 12-0. At Tulane. With Shaun King at QB. Read those last 3 sentences again. He made Shaun King the most prolific passer in college football history. It's hard to not get excited about this one. Especially when Terrelle Pryor might follow him to Ann Arbor.

Michigan Sports Center give the Rodriguez hire an A, and that's not grading on a curve...

I will give it an A. It could have been an A+ had it happened before all of the national embarrassment, but Bill Martin did a good job in the end. The saying about a "W" being the only thing that matters at the end of the day works in this situation as getting a great coach at the end of the day is all that matters, and Michigan did just that.

Vasity Blue says fans should apologize to Captain Billy (I'm so sorry Bill! But you shouldn't have been on the God damn boat!), and recommends they should also be calling their stockbrokers ASAP...

Names like Jim Grobe and Kirk Ferentz sound very weak in comparison now. All those who have criticized Bill MArtin should offer an apology. Let me clarify. Saying "Bill Martin should have hired Les Miles when he had the chance" is acceptable. Saying "Bill Martin is the worst AD ever because even though he hired John Beilein and kept Rich Maloney and had turned around the Athletic Department's budget for the positive and got the stadium renovation through, he likes to sail" is not acceptable.

Ann Arbor Torch & Pitchfork stockholders, sell now.

Motown Sports Revival, long crying for change at Schembechler Hall, says to expect "the end for Michigan football as any of us has ever known it." As someone who has only known Michigan football as the program that Bo built, which is most any Michigan fan under the age of 50, I have to say that's as true a statement that you'll ever hear. It's actually a scary thought...

The addition of Rodriguez spells the end for Michigan football as any of us has ever known it. Rodriguez will undoubtedly slowly implement the spread offense into the program. The day after Ryan Mallet graduates, expect Michigan to resemble Florida or West Virginia offensively. Rodriguez is lauded for his ability to attack defenses at their weak points which is something “M” fans have been clamoring after for years. Don Nehlen--Rodriguez’s mentor and former college coach--said, "His offense is a no-huddle, get-after-you-real-fast, different-tempos offense. They attack you where you should be attacked."

Gorilla Crouch reminds us that another legendary Michigan coach was bred in West Virgina...

West Virginia provided the University of Michigan with Fielding Yost; Michigan provided the Mountaineers with Don Nehlen; and now WVU sends Rich Rodriguez to Michigan. If the new football coach can at least be reasonably compared with his two predecessors then he will have been an excellent hire by Bill Martin and Mary Sue Coleman.

Maybe we'll see a return of the "point-a-minute" teams too! Rich "Hurry up" Rodriguez has a nice ring to it...

I'll close with Quo Vadimus, who calls the hiring of Rodriguez "a great day for the future of the Michigan Wolverines." I think all fans of Michigan will agree.

Today is a great day for the future of the Michigan Wolverines. At only 44-years-old, Rodriguez has already amassed an impressive resume, and if successful, he could be the Michigan coach for the next 15-years (though, that may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves). We certainly will see a change from the traditional and conservative offense which has defined Michigan for decades, but it's a change Michigan needs to make if they will continue to be an elite program in college football. This coaching search may not have started on the right note, but it certainly finished on one.

More than anything else, I'm just happy the coaching search is over. I've never seen the Wolverines fanbase more divided, stressed, or concerned as they've been this past month.

That's "Above the Fold" for Monday, 12-17-07!