Most read
- 'U' administrators discuss impact of affirmative action ban
- Nicole Auerbach: There was a reason for game's final seconds, but no reason for season to end
- Beilein, players defend coaching decision in final seconds
- Michigan sweeps Michigan State to advance to CCHA semifinals
- Mark Burns: Michigan hockey showed promise in demolishing the Spartans
On the Blogs
The Filter
The Filter
-
Notebook: MSA website $6,000 over budget; assembly to bring hip hop artists to campus
-
Ann Arbor
In Memoriam: Eldersveld, legendary prof. and Ann Arbor mayor, dies at the age of 92
-
News
Wolverine ice dancers reflect on 'incredible' run at Olympics
-
U Administration
Coleman hints at tuition increase, promises more financial aid
-
U Administration
Michigan football program violated rules, NCAA investigation finds
-
News
Much work left for 'U' before NCAA probe's conclusion, experts say
-
The Statement
-
U Administration
-
Bside
-
Bside
Comments
I'm sure that Rod will eventually produce a winning season, perhaps even contend for a Big Ten title and a BCS bowl by the end of his first five year contract. But what then? Will he demand a huge new contract as soon as PSU or FSU come calling? I'm not gonna comment more on this, Regards, ashley a.k.a administrator of kindle for sale website.
Just for your information, Kramer’s parents devoted their lives to college football, traveling to all of Kramer’s games during his collegiate playing days. When his father passed away, his mother learned to drive a car so she could keep coming to Michigan Stadium.
----
Sincerely,
Peter from michigan, the founder of Baby Strollers Website
HAHAHA SO FUNNY! How our student body would rather smoke medicinal marijuana rather than help society
I didn't knew this before but i'm shocked after reading the articles and the comments here.I think this is not the right way to do the things which these people have done.
http://www.michigandaily.com/node/51534/talk#comment-53711
Wow. Good article, however
1) I don't know if the article ever summarized what makes a MICHIGAN MAN what he is. It is still so vague, and it perhaps always will be.
2) Shocked I read an article about being a Michigan Man without the famous quote from Fielding Yost about having "A deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways, a conviction that nowhere is there a better place than this Michigan of ours."
To the poster above who claimed Michigan Men lack humility, you are DAMN STRAIGHT! A Michigan Man is undoubtedly arrogant, it began with Yost, and continues to this day. It is an amazing goal that all Michigan students and alumni can work towards- backing up that arrogance with material success in the workplace and in sport.
Go Blue!
Its this simple, many of us come from a time and place where we had values, responsibility and integrity. I remember Bo Schembechler, I may have met Lloyd Carr, don't remember. But this Michigan Man spreads far and wide, away from football, away from sports period. One of the commissioned officers on the ship from which I retired assisted me with a few qualification items, by giving me a second chance, that was a good thing to do, that is a Michigan Man and that is exactly how it was put to me. I also had the opportunity to repay the deed a few months later when I informed him that one of his fellow officers was standing in the way of correcting an issue that affected his men. I am not in Michigan, however my parents, my siblings all benefit from the caring community in Ann Arbor.
I am not going to say anything bad out loud regarding the present football coach, but I hope he gets the message, or gets out.
I liked your article on how Michigan men are made but I believe the Men you are referring to were Men who came in and coached Michigan Athletes to be better people. Yost(WV) Chrysler(Prinston) and Bo (Miami of Ohio) all brought in their beloef system that helped to mold outstanding men and women to become leaders in life after U of M. The real Michigan men and women are pople like Gerald Ford as well as others who demonstrated the fundamentals they learned while participating in athletics under these great coaches. I am sure the same could be said for other students who did not participate in sports but who learned the core fundamental values in life from key professors , administration etc and went on to be successful. To me the Article is really highlighting important people in visable leadership roles who demonstrated these core fundamental values over the years.
These values include:
Honesty
Integrity
Acceptance of responsibility for results
A genuine interest in the well being and success of team members
Willing to accept the blame for short comings rather than point a finger
Always presenting the University in a positive way
Always presenting themselves in a professional manner at the University as well as private life
Demonstrating good judgement
Etc
We can go on and on but the key thing is that these coaches who are mentioned in this article and who are visable to all of us because of the high visibility of the positon they are in have consistantly demonstrated these values over and over again and it is this that the administration, the students and the fans are most proud of. Because of the visible position they have had they are the ambassadors for the University and to some degree it is how the University is preceived by the outside world.
So how was Rodriques Hired? When I think of him I don't think of the words to describe what we want in a Michigan man, Instead I recal descriptions like.
*Snake oil Salesman
*Unable to determin that a 4.0 Million dollar pay out was real
*Bad business investment with a person of questionable background
*Puts blame on lack of talent on Lloyd Carr's shoulder( a much better coach and a true Michigam man)
* Not willing to accept the responsibility for the teams result but passes blame on the spot.
* Sticks his foot in his mouth and talkes way too much ( Our Ambassador)
I like the article because it points out what we should be looking for in a head coach but the title should read " How things have changed at Michigan"
All of this stuff about "Michigan Man" is a bunch of crap. Please spare me all the garbage about "the tradition, the honor, the glory, the bravery, the character, the courage" and "plays the game the right way" and "Michigan values" and other cliches that are beyond tiresome. Bo Schembechler was an overrated, arrogant blowhard. If he was such a "Michigan Man," why did he fire Ernie Harwell? Ernie Harwell is the real "Michigan Man" - as in the State of Michigan. Even after Schembechler fired Harwell, Harwell was a true gentleman and never whined or complained about it, expressing no bitterness with what was clearly a stupid and insulting decision. Also, Ernie Harwell never cheated, committed recruiting violations, accepted Escalades from these warped "boosters" whose lives revolve around living vicariously through athletes and institutions to allay their own inferiority and insecurity, nor did Ernie Harwell run over a police officer, beat up his wife or girlfriend, consort with strippers and prostitutes, assault a bartender after becoming intoxicated and make a public disgrace of himself and the institution he represented, and so on. Most "Michigan Men" seem to know nothing about humility, even though that's another cliche their fans love to toss around. Michigan lacks character and is nothing but a egomaniacal, delusional, self-absorbed mob of people who are so desperate to belong to something that they will say or do anything in order to preserve the legend that exists only in their minds. How pathetic.
Since when is being a "Michigan Man" merely defined by winning and whining? Rich Rod would still be at WVU HAD his team defeated Pitt and played in the BCS/NC game. Michigan would have Les Miles as its "M-man coach" and his clock management issues along with recruiting the same types of players as Jim Tressel/staff does at OSU. (My guess is the outcomes would not be THAT much different in the most recent OSU games either.) LLLLLOYD still lost to Mr. Sweatervest's teams, too.
My hope is the RRod gets his chance to succeed for at least three more years -- see ND. Though I am a Buckeye, I believe RRod can coach M to a title (or at least a solid second place to OSU). Afterall, Jim Tressel was NOT and OHIO STATE man -- merely a lifelong BUCKEYE at heart. Maybe that is the real difference. Go find a MICHIGANDER if you must replace RRod. Just don't chase the current 'hottest' coach with the next best football scheme! Maybe then, you, too will hear words similar to Tressel's at that OSU-Michigan basketball game many years ago!!!
I say to you, "Go Blue!" BUT I prefer "GO BUCKS! PLAY WELL and WIN!"
Thank you for this article. This is the Michigan I know, these are the traditions and the expectations that I recognize as the hallmarks of our athletic programs. The transition in the football program during the last two years has been very hard for the fans and can only be harder still for the players. It's more than winning and losing, although that's a part of it. It is about demanding and achieving excellence, both on the field and off. It is about character. It is the team, the team, the team, as Bo famously exhorted his troops. Time will tell if the transition realigns itself with Michigan's bedrock values. If it does not, it will become a short but painful chapter in Michigan's history.
Advice from a Buckeye: Dump Rich-Rod. He is a no-class, pitiful coach with no character let alone
any ability to instill good character in young men. Anyone who would crap on their alma mater
they way he did when he left my Mountaineers deserves what he's getting. Can't wait to see ya
in Columbus next fall Rich for the next scheduled a$$ whooppen courtesy of the Vest!
Interesting timing for an article on the greatness of the Michigan coaches and their program. So wistful, so soon? Our football program today bears no resemblance to the traditions and grit so fondly recalled in this article. We are in the midst of new traditions -- perennial losers to OSU, no bowl games, losing records. Hopefully the stadium will stop selling out so the brass gets the message (that's about the only humiliating record Rodriguez hasn't yet set). The very first comment in this thread nailed it -- RR is simply not in the class of prior coaches. As an alumnus, I just sat through a second season completely baffled by my alma matter. I am surprised that my fellow alumni and especially the kids there now are putting up with the colossal embarrassment that has become Michigan football. That RR needs to go is a given; someone upstairs also needs to pay for this huge, un-Michigan-like error in judgment.
Very nice article--I really like how you weaved the stories around the decades and at least included Hutch. I would have liked to have seen some discussion with Red, with the track/field coach, with the athletic dept people who were Michigan ex-athletes (Morris, Bodnar, etc).
The only thing I kept thinking while reading the whole article is how Michigan Man is defined as everything that Rodriguez is not. Loyalty, class, respect for tradition, above all winning the right way, putting team and institution above self. Everything he has done since he has gotten to Michigan flies in the face of that, from how he called Pryor before even telling his own WVU team that he is leaving; from how he got rid of decades old team choosing a captain tradition; from how he has gotten commercial music piped into the stadium instead of getting more band involvement; from how he makes excuses constantly instead of just coaching.
When Bo got to Michigan, his players were skeptical, but by the end of his first year, they would have run through a brick wall for him. I just don't see that with Rod. Of course, I am an outsider, but still--do you really think he lives, breathes, and thinks about OSU as Carr described? Doubt it. Did he really have to throw out everything and start anew? Doubt it.
I am counting days until he rides out of town so we can get somebody worthy to be in that office. Unfortunately, that person will actually have to dig out of a hole and I hope we can recover. I look at Nebraska and cringe, thinking that will be us.
This comment is Exhibit A of why Rod has no choice but to win this game. When John Carpenter first came to OSU, the media interviewed his wife. She said she hopes OSU wins its games because she "wanted her neighbors talking" to her family.
Rich Rod is clearly not the same caliber as the distinguished coaches mentioned....He is a hack, pure and simple...hopefully he will be replaced after tomorrow.
Ted Kaczynski is a Michigan Man... I think now given the state of MI, the modern Michigan Man is jobless, broke and/or in prison (or in jail pending trail).
Courtney-
Great piece of writing. I wish everyone knew how much hard work you put into this piece! You did an excellent job pulling in stories that help those who don't get the chance to live the experience an opportunity to see what characterizes a Michigan Man.
Blessings and Go Blue tomorrow!
Phil
http://mmfordummies.blogspot.com/
Digging deep Wolverines, you had to seek out people who were around in 2003 to talk about your last win over the hairless nuts.
I think what Bo meant by a "Michigan Man" was someone who knows the rich tradition and history that is Michigan athletics, respects and adheres to that philosophy. If someone "outside" understands that, great! Bring them in. But I don't think that RR knows nor respects the Michigan tradition. Michigan ALWAYS ran clean programs, with very little problems - just mostly with players, not NCAA violations.
I'm hoping sometime soon we'll get a "Michigan Man" to lead the football team.
I don't care what RR says - he'll never be a Michigan Man. He'll never understand. He's brought great shame to the program, and to Michigan Nation as a whole. He's tarnished everything. I imagine Bo rolling in his grave. This isn't Michigan Football. This is shameful. RR has no class and no respect for who and what we are here in Michigan. I agree with the post left by an Ohio State fan, and I never thought I'd agree with an Ohio State fan - get rid of RR. I'm not an alum, but Michigan football is in my heart and soul. We must bring the pride back to Ann Arbor and never get sullied again by the whining, disrespectful conduct that came along with RR. So we made a mistake - we made a 2-year detour. We must correct it now for our pride, our tradition, and our self-respect. GO BLUE!
"Michigan ALWAYS ran clean programs, with very little problems - just mostly with players, not NCAA violations[...]"
Let's clarify this statement: With the notable exception of UM basketball's Steve Fisher era, Michigan has ALMOST always run clean programs... Anyway, regardless of what a Michigan Man is or isn't, I'll be forever true to the Maize and Blue!
Right on.
I've been a Michigan fan since the '50s and an alumnus since the '60s and I never heard of a "Michigan Man" until recently
I believe that the idea of a 'Michigan Man' came from the time when Schembechler was AD and Frieder quit to coach basketball at Arizona (State?). He offered to stay and coach the team in the NCAA tourney but Schembechler declined saying he wanted a Michigan man to coach the team meaning he wanted someone who was still loyal to the school. But the media has grabbed on to the notion that the school has always preferred 'Michigan Men' for coaching positions. Nothing could be farther from the truth. One of the most loved coaches in the history of the school Bo Schembechler was the ultimate 'Non-Michigan Man" being from Ohio and coaching for Woody Hayes at OSU.
It won't be long before someone in the media will allude to how the stadium was called the 'Big House' in the early 1920's (hint: the stadium was built yet) Personally, I never understood how naming the stadium after a euphemism for a prison was such a great idea.
RR is clearly a Michigan Man. Ask the Mealer family.
And he seems to make stands on principle that hurt us on the field.....as bad as he was, we could have used Cissoko for the rest of the year, but he f''d up and he's gone.
Its not RR's fault that we have as many walk ons as seniors contributing on defense.
FredIJ; hit the road loser. this article had nothing to do with you.
Hells bells, I thought it might be an interesting article, but it just about football. I guess some people think that matters - go figure.
This is the best article I have ever read in the Daily. Good work.
"How Michigan Men are Made?" How about :
* How they destroy programs by picking on Rich Rod
* How they hire some W. Virginia Hillbilly to begin with
* How they lose to Ohio St. every stinkin' year
* How they are a washed up program like UCLA or Nebraska
* How our helmets look goofy when we win 3 games a year
* How our players transfer to Ohio St. ??!!
* How we are in last place in the Big 10
* How our student body would rather smoke medicinal marijuana rather than help society
* How we would all secretly love to have J. Tressel coaching here
* We are a washed up pathetic program...we should all get use to it... Boren was smart to get out
Why on Earth would you post something like this? This university and this program mean more to the world than you do to anyone, so step up or step out.
Great article!
I've said this to friends numerous time, but Bill Martin caused a paradigm shift at Michigan when he hired a market-rate football coach from outside the Michigan family. Nothing against Rodriguez personally, but he swept out almost all the staff and replaced them with his own. Facilities upgrades were demanded and received. Buy outs and legal problems with his previous post cost us even more. An entirely new offensive system was initiated. And for the first time in my memory, Michigan entered a "rebuilding" phase which has now resulted in two of the worst seasons in Michigan football history.
The timing could not have been worse as Michigan had just begun constructing a quarter-billion-dollar stadium addition full of high-priced luxury boxes and reserved chair-back seats in the middle of the worst economy since the Great Depression. Seats and boxes expected to sell out quickly under Lloyd Carr, are still unsold and having to be heavily marketed by the Athletic Department. Ticket prices for the rest of us saps were held at the previous year's rates. Paying off that stadium addition is going to be harder than they thought.
I'm sure that Rod will eventually produce a winning season, perhaps even contend for a Big Ten title and a BCS bowl by the end of his first five year contract. But what then? Will he demand a huge new contract as soon as PSU or FSU come calling? If he leaves, he'll likely take his entire staff with him again, and Michigan will need to start yet another rebuilding phase. Will this be the five year cycle at Michigan from here on out? One of the things I always admired about Michigan was the traditions. Hiring from within, no ads in the stadium, no canned music. Sure, everything changes, but I'm not sure the recent changes are for the better. Michigan football is now just another franchise program. I'm sure giant stadium billboards for Taco Bell and Coca-Cola can't be far behind. Sigh.
The problem with Bill Martin's hiring practices is that he never has rewarded Michigan men/women who toiled as assistant coaches for years.. Promoting from within is anathema to that guy... He loves to go after big name market-rate coaches, and its been hit or miss...
Under Don Canham, UM was a place that developed coaches that everyone else in the country wanted... Whatever happend to the Michigan Way?!
When Jon Urbanchek retired, he went and got Bob Bowman, who promptly left in 2008 to build his center in Baltimore... Other examples are Men's Tennis, Men's basketball (Amaker and Beilein), Women's basketball, Women's Soccer, and of course football... Why did UM need to pay $4 million to find someone to coach the winningest program in CFB?!
Thank god Red Berenson is not retiring on Bill Martin's watch! Red deserves to name his successor for the ice hockey program he led to 2 NCAA titles!
I didn't think there were any men left at Michigan.
This article should be required reading material for the current coach, since it is obvious that he has no idea what it means to be a Michigan Man.
Post new comment