Huge Show Interview with Rich Rodriguez (full audio)

Bill ‘Huge’ Simonson interviewed Coach Rod today on his Huge Show, aired throughout Michigan and on 1050AM WTKA in Ann Arbor. The show host mentioned the interview would be available on their website tonight. What’s the hold up? Here’s the full audio of the interview:

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Simonson has been going off on Ann Arbor News columnist Jim Carty all day for his recent column where Carty suggested that Rodriguez should apologize to WVU and pay the $4M. He’s dedicated the entire show to this topic, repeatedly calling Carty and his columns “garbage”.

UPDATE 1/18: Jim Carty fires back at Huge on WTKA this morning, I’m looking for audio. Also Carty’s latest column reiterates his take that Rodriguez should apologize.

Here were a few of my notes from the Huge/RR interview as it happened:
[The papers were removed] “in the middle of the day.”
“I threw out some old game plans…Notes that I took…Some we ripped up, some we shredded”
“The innuendo was crazy”
“If there was any pertinent information it was left there.”
“Why would I try to hide anything? I would never do that.”
“I never said I would NEVER leave. It was never my intent to leave. I was right in the middle of remodeling my house.”
“I did not call a single Michigan recruit until after I resigned.”
“The facts are the facts. Let’s get it out there and let’s move on.”
Regarding the $4M buy-out. “some of things said by West Virginia are not true”.
“The level of vindictiveness has caught me a little off-guard.”
On whether he owes WVU an apology, as Carty suggested today, “No I don’t owe an apology.”
“I told the staff first [that he was resigning], then told the team.”
On the threats and the property damage “There were some things that happened after the Pitt game…after the resignation, someone ripped off the mailbox, some other threats that my family received…the persistence of it caught me a little surprised…the level it went to caught me off guard.”
Are you hurt, stunned or surprised by what’s going on? “All three..”
“I’m in a great place now.”
“I’m honored to be at Michigan.”
“[the people at the university] are committed to the program. I want to focus on the future.”
“it’s a National Enquirer type (story)”

10 Comments

  • Jeff

    Even putzes are right on occasion. Carty likes to prove his manhood by ripping local coaches even before the facts are in. I’d say that goes beyond “putz” to the “schmuck” category.

  • Webmaster

    I just re-read Carty’s column after listening to the interview. Carty blew this one.

    That said, Simonson’s attacks on Carty were over the line and at times silly. He mixed up some of his facts for example, he was saying Carty compared RR to Bill Clinton earlier this week…no, if fact Carty pointed to the trashing of the White House incident to offer that we should wait until the truth came out before accusing anyone here.

    Carty should have taken his own advice. It may not be pretty how he left WVU but Coach Rod does have his side of the story. You get to hear some of that in the interview. Carty should have talked to him or waited for these interviews. The paper shredding thing is starting to sound like a major joke.

  • Lew

    Well said, Webmaster. Carty’s certainly entitled to his opinion, but his opinion is ridiculous. Coach Rod should apologize and fork over $4 million? Apologize for a limited number of WVU fans/reporters being whining cry-babies and spewing garbage about Coach Rod? Right. And then Carty has the nerve to say and imply that “Bo wouldn’t be happy” with Coach Rod’s actions/inactions? That irks me the most. Carty doesn’t know the first thing about Bo. How about, “Coach Rod, you’ve got every right to defend yourself and fight for what you believe in. That’s what a football coach does.” You’re right that Carty should take his own advice — he should apologize.

  • Andrew

    I only listened to the huge show once or twice; it’s cowherd-esque bad (plus their promos include the claim that he’s the only one not scared to tell it like it is, which is laughably ridiculous).

    I generally like Carty, but I don’t really agree with him in this case.

    Still, Huge is awful.