[NU Sports] So, that queasy feeling I had earlier today ...

[Beamsley, Jeff]

In defense of RichRod, he was dead man walking just about the time that he accepted the Michigan offer.

There was a deep divide at Michigan caused by the last years of Lloyd's tenure.

I don't know that anyone, even Les Miles who was never interviewed for the job, or Jim Harbaugh who didn't want to be the guy following Lloyd, could have been successful in the job that RichRod took.

The warring Michigan factions needed someone other than Lloyd to blame for the state of the program and RichRod was foolish enough to think that he could avoid the inevitable.  Instead RichRod became what he was hired to be - the sacrificial lamb that the program needed to move beyond the legacy of past coaches.  He had to crash and burn so that past coaches could rest in peace and a new "Michigan Man" could come in with a clean slate.  Now Hoke, just like Bo, is free to start a new era of dominant Michigan football on his own terms.

RichRod did his job better than anyone could have imagined, even throwing in an NCAA investigation for something that in the context of more recent events seems quaint and innocent.

The warring factions united in their hate for that Satan RichRod and his sponsor Martin.  The mob ran both out of town and then gathered around the bonfire to sing the Michigan fight song.

There was peace in the valley.

Hoke is the Panchen Lama.  His ties to both Bo (through his father) and Lloyd unifies the Michigan family.  His ascension to head coach has re-instated that old time Michigan football religion and the faithful are once again all singing from the same hymnal. 

There is only one remaining challenge for the young Hoke to complete prove that he is indeed the reincarnation of coaches past.     

This new era of the Hoke will start, as it should, in the same way Bo demonstrated his worthiness - with a win over OSU.  

The broken lineage will be re-established.  

The old myths and legends will again be shared over campfires at the tailgates.

Order will return to the universe.  

Michigan football is back.

Jeff
   

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On Behalf Of SjT (Stephen J. Truog)
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 12:35 AM
To: NUSPORTS
Subject: [NU Sports] So, that queasy feeling I had earlier today ...

... just found out what it was.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/ua/articles/2011/11/21/20111121arizona-wildcats-rich-rodriguez-football.html


A bit slimy for the west coast Wildcats (though not as bad as slick Nick at Bama or Petrino the Piggie) ... though his style will likely fit well in the Pac 12.

I'm still wondering what the heck Michigan was thinking with the RichRod hire. Especially considering ...

* The guy they really wanted when they hired RichRod is about to win another national title at LSU
* The guy they really wanted when they fired RichRod is going to win NFL coach of the year honors
* The guy they wound up with will win the Big Ten coach of the year and is a strong contender for the national award as well

So it would seem that they have good sense in Ann Arbor for looking at coaches ... did Jim Delaney's nepotismal son-in-law who named the divisions make that decision too? :)

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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