Yeah, I was emotional, but I stand by most of what I wrote. Lots of generalities in there, but isn't that what trends are?
I'd like to make one argument for continued inclusion in the sane club: I don't ask that Carr be fired. I don't think it would be right, and I don't think it's even a possibility. I am not a fan, and I think his problems are just so obvious, but I'd like to see him retire on his own. He's earned that.
I just hope he leaves really soon.
On the flag planting: Mostly I was just upset that none of our players did anything about it. they just walked past and let it happen. More of that lack of fire, I guess. More praise for the Minnesota coaches, though, it was one of them that took the flag away from Maroney and brought it back to the sideline. It looked like (and I'm totally reading into this here) that he was embarrassed that his players would do that.
I didn't see/hear about the flag-planting until reading this, but I was stuck in a similar limbo watching them storm the field looking for the Jug. It was bad-ass when they did it against Wisconsin a few years ago and grabbed that big ass ax. This time, it was kind of neat, but mostly conjured up feelings of wanting to be Ike Turner with a ball bat on the sideline.
I can't be 100% sure, but I think that it was actually Glen Mason who took the flag from Maroney. At any rate, it was a gray haired white guy wearing a maroon pullover. Regardless, one thing I did notice was that Mike Hart was walking towards the middle of the field and got there a few seconds after the coach took the flag... not sure what he would have done if the players had still been holding it, but he patted the coach on the side as he walked by and seemed to say something as they walked away from each other.
I dunno, don't write off that Detroit News typo so fast. Melding the DNA of Matt Hunwick and TJ Hensick might be an asset to the team.
Here's the thing: I love this flag planting kind of stuff. To me it's just an extention of fans taunting eachother when their team beats a rival. Are any of us going to stop watching? No, if anything we're more interested now. But since this was already done two weeks ago by Michigan State, Minnesota just looks like they ripped them off. It's like when Joe Horn pulled the cell phone out of the goal posts after TO had autographed the ball a few weeks earlier. Celebrate, Gophers, you've earned it. But flag planting is so two-weeks ago.
As I said in your game thread, the Gophers' fans are a bunch of puds. They disappear until their team wins a game against someone good, then they run their mouths forever while their team sinks back to the Music City Bowl or whatever.
And I hope we win back the Axe on Saturday, with the game followed immediately by someone trying to jam that thing up Maroney's ass.
Flag planting, chasing after a lil' brown jug after a big victory, whatever, that is what separates college sports and its pageantry from the often ho-hum NFL.
These college kids play for something besides money, well, most of them, anyhow. Maybe a handful of kids playing college ball ever go on to the NFL. Most play for the experience...chasing the jug after a huge win, etc.
As an ND fan, I said this on my blog after MSU planted a flag at our 50...there is one true way to stop that from happening...beat MSU.
I don't recall Minnesota ever planting a flag at Michigan's 50 or chasing after the jug during the last 19 years when they lost to Michigan. Only when they finally won did they go beserk.
It's not like they damaged anything, except maybe Michigan pride. They didn't break windows, burn cars or beat / harm people in celebration. They simply expressed their excitement. Let them have their moment.
John B. -
Flag planting is symbolic of ownership. With 5 wins in a row ther, it could be argued MSU owns South Bend right now. Minnesota hadn't won in Ann Arbor since 1986. One win every 20 years isn't owning Michigan Stadium. Heck, states seize property that's been abandoned for less time than that.
I can't be 100% sure, but I think that it was actually Glen Mason who took the flag from Maroney.
That's possible. Carr said Mason faxed an apology during his PC.
John: I would describe my attitude towards the flag plant as "slightly annoyed". My main objection is the one Scott lodged: it's implausible. If OSU were to beat us at the end of the year and flag-plant, well... there wouldn't be much to say after losing 4 of 5.
Most of the team did a windsprint to the Jug, anyway, and no one's begrudging them that. I'm with Tony: their unabashed joy at finally capturing the damn thing after the 19 years of futility and the two violently painful near misses years was actually neat to see. Of course, it was a tiny slice of my brain considering that and a vast swath that was mostly just numb.
Its hard to fault Malone on the play calling. I mean sure it looked like some terrible play calling.
Henne can't throw a deep ball further than 20 yards because he can't throw deep balls. Henne can't throw a pass shorter than 10 yards because he has no touch. He can't throw across the middle because he may overthrow and get it picked off. So basically the only routes corners have to honor are the ones where our receivers run the quick out to the edges. And we have the screen pass. Its not hard to see why the receivers are covered.
Considering our O-Line can open holes that only Mike Hart can fit in once in a blue moon, its not hard to see why our run game sucks.
So when you are wrong to underestimate the importance of Braylon Edwards. He was awesome at adjusting to terribly thrown deep balls and catching them. Thus stretching the defense. He also caught some of the 90 mph 12 feet in the air passes that Henne loves to throw. Sure he dropped a couple passes, but my guess is, between having Navarre and Henne as your QB, you'd be pretty surprised when you got a pass to hit you right on the numbers too.
I agree that the flag-planting, while hard to stomach as a wearer of the Maize and Blue, is just one of those things that make college football so sweet. Maybe the Gophs haven't owned us, but all the more reason-- they've owned us so little that this one victory was so very momentous.
And thanks Brian, I knew I'd misspelled something in my 4 am grogginess. Urgh.
The flag-planting is a non-issue for me. The Jug, and the sheer ineptitude and gutlessness, make the whole thing plenty hard to swallow already. That said, I don't understand what merits the slagging on Minnesota fans. Both this year and last year, they've seemed extraordinarily classy. They talk some shit but at least it makes coherent sense (er...Badger fans), and they're happy to give-and-take with a sense of humor about it. They seem genuinely happy and appreciative of being at Michigan Stadium on a beautiful fall day. They cheered their asses off even when things didn't look good for them, then seemed almost bewildered in their happiness and surpise as they celebrated the win. If Michigan's season HAD to fall apart into little pieces (and it sure seems inevitable in hindsight), I'm glad it was to the Gophers. Their fans deserve it.
Oh, and one more nice thing about Gopher fans: They're not spittle-gummed knee-walking drunks on Saturdays. This might contribute to why they actually can understand what's going on in the game on a play-to-play basis.
I understand that fans in general, and football fans in particular, are given to hyperbole. Thus, extremes are being used to describe the suck that is Michigan football this year. The truth is more like a Jimmy Carter-style malaise. Everything has been "not good": the coaching, the QB, the running backs, the receivers, the o-line, the d-line, the linebackers, the secondary and the kickers (although given that this is Ross Ryan's first year he gets a pass in my book). No single area is really the cause of the losses, like any win, it's a team effort.
i just started reading this in august, so i don't know what you did last year, but how closely have "non-braylon" passes been investigated last year? it seems like that would be the best way to figure out exactly what hopes we should have had with henne. also, what sort of thing are we looking at in terms of progression of quarterbacks from freshman year to senior year? is chad hitting a wall or is the curve that much different than we expected?
i don't know jack specifically about navarre (for another possible test case), except to say that he scared the beejezus out of me every time he dropped back to pass and stared down whichever receiver he intended to throw to. any thoughts?
last point: ultimately, doesn't this season come down to having a thin line that couldn't afford the injuries it took? couldn't we reasonably expect to run and pass with much greater efficiency and effectiveness were we not down 2.5 lineman (Long, Kolo, Riley's out of position and thumb problems)?
Colin -
If Long's in, Kolo isn't playing. Kolo was always the backup and now he's back in the game. Riley was definitely out of position at tackle, but I don't think it was clear that he had won a starting spot at G/C either. The line we have now (with Kolo back) is probably better described as a 1 (or 1.5) injury line. That injury being at RT doesn't explain the woes that the entire line has seen. Not having Baas and Dudley around may be a better explanation, in my opinion.
Colin, the blog didn't exist until December of last year and didn't really kick in with actual content until January, so there's no basis for comparison.
it has been well established that Michigan quarterbacks have always improved statistically from year to year. Henne's regression, should it persist for the rest of the season, is unprecedented unless you want to count Driesbach.
I'm between Scott and Colin on the line. The interior issues we've seen are not explainable but losing Long has definitely been a harsh blow and the situation at RT was Morganesque against Minnesota.
The offensive line is not the problem Yes Riley got beat once...yes Kolo got beat...sacks happen.
The problem is Henne is executing the offense properly, and I don't want to hear any "he doesn't have time" bull. On the Riley sack...Ecker is standing directly in front of Henne WIDE FREAKING OPEN! Henne doesn't have a ton of time, but he has enough to make this throw.
Brian Cupito seems to be able to feel the pressure and get rid of the ball, why not Henne? Both sacks took place around the RT..he should be able to see this stuff!
I understand from a development standpoint why Michigan asks it's QB to stay in the pocket, but for goodness sake, let the guy run and pick up a few first downs...and give that hard charging DE something to think about...its hard enough blocking a guy like that on a normal down, but when he gets free rein to rush upfield with fear of a QB draw it gets a little ridiculous.
Gah! I meant to say "Henne ISN'T executing properly".
Brian _
I agree with you on the line. With Long out, the RT spot is a liability, but that doesn't explain why the other 4 starters aren't performing as expected (or maybe it does and I just don't know anything about football)
if you were to meld Hunwick and Hensick it would create defensive overload for Hensick. He can't handle that much defensive thinking - kind of like seinfeld and george's head where the head of lettuce is the brain and 1 small piece is the intellect and the rest is the part about sex. 1 small pc. for TJ is the defensive part of his brain.
Commenting by HaloScan
