Update: It’s going to be 8/17, more info here. At the 2008 Michigan spring game, Rich Rodriguez was asked by an M blogger whether there’d be an opportunity to meet the players this year a la’ the Fan Day events during the past few seasons. Coach Rod said there would be something in August, in conjunction with the team picture day. He also mentioned the possibility of something else during the summer but that ain’t going to happen. Here’s the short audio clip from the spring game presser: [display_podcast] There hasn’t been an announcement yet but that’s not unusual. Scrolling through the press releases from last year it looks like the Fan Day was announced a couple weeks before it was held on August 25, 2007. I lobbed a call in media relations and asked about if this was going to happen. In Fort Schembechler form, the short answer I received was ‘maybe, no announcement yet’. I asked about where it would be held if it were a go, again, really nothing except for they’d have to see what facilities are available. My sense is that this is a go (it’d be foolish not to, especially after closing the spring game), it’s just a matter of making it official. Update: After posting this I got a note from Bruce Madej…
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R.I.P Michigan Replay: Fine by me
Michigan Replay is dead. Rich Rodriguez killed it. And I'm actually ok with this.
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Football team Takes Over, Raise big bucks for Mott (audio)
Today marked the next installment of Michigan football radio takeover on WTKA 1050AM and several other Michigan-based stations. The 12-hour radio-a-thon raised nearly $90,000 for the new C.S. Mott Children’s hospital as they were going off the air. Most of the current coaching staff was in studio with a bunch of current players, and several former M men in the NFL dialed in including Steve Hutchinson, Jeff Backus and Jake Long. Rodriguez was in studio from around 5pm to the end of the auction at 7pm and did a great job. Here’s a great segment during drive time hosted by Bill ‘Huge’ Simonson, with Coach Rodriguez, Mike Hart and Morgan Trent: [display_podcast] I’m sure they will still take your donations! Support C.S. Mott
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Big Blue Chopper to be auctioned Sunday
The Maize and Blue chopper will be auctioned off this Sunday at the 2008 Griese/Hutchinson Champions for Children’s Hearts Celebrity Golf Tournament at the M Course. P.S. And perhaps we’ll get some closure on the #1 jersey issue…check out the list of celebrities that are scheduled to appear: Several celebrity guests have committed to this year’s event, including Charles Woodson, Braylon Edwards, Jeff Backus, Lloyd Carr, Rich Rodriguez, Dan Dierdorf, and Anthony Carter.
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Cool Rod greets Ann Arbor alums
Last night Bill Martin and Coach Rodriguez kicked off their ‘On the Road’ tour to give Michigan alumni a chance to meet the new coach. The Junge family center between Crisler and the stadium was the venue, and props to the Alumni association for running a first class event. Coach Rod worked the room for a little while then signed autographs. Martin gave a brief introduction and Rodriguez spoke for about 20 minutes. He did a real nice job. Some old material, some new, but overall he did a real nice job. Like most coaches, I imagine that he hates this kind of stuff but it didn’t show. The only thing I would have changed? He didn’t take any questions, at least in front of the group. This said, he was very approachable before and after the event so it’s not like he did his 20 minutes and split. A few tidbits: * He made no projections for next season, he said his players will play hard and physical and joked that he can predict that he’ll play eleven guys. He did indicate that he’d be playing quite a few freshman on offense this year. * He touched on the Page Six items very briefly: his lingering WVU issues, the Ann Arbor News investigation, the ‘eroding family‘ thing, the recruiting…
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Coach Rod Responds to Tressel (audio)
Coach Rodriguez responded (again) to the accusations that he violated the unspoken gentleman’s agreement between Big Ten coaches. Jim Tressel fanned the smoldering coals the bit last week by basically saying the Big 10 is composed of 10 gentleman and Rodriguez. From the Free Press today, Coach Rich Rodriguez appeared on Doug Karsch’s ‘Michigan Sports Weekly’ 97.1FM/1270AM yesterday: “Huh … well, maybe I’m not a gentleman,” Rodriguez said. “I never heard of that (gentlemen’s agreement). In that regard, I would be guilty as charged. I know as soon as I took the job, there was a commitment to the University of Michigan who changed his commit and went to another Big Ten school. I didn’t blame the coach for doing that. Until the guy signs, he’s out there, particularly if he visits. “If the young man is committed to your school, yet he’s still visiting other schools, he’s not truly committed; he’s just very, very interested. You have to understand the difference in that. I’ve been doing this a long time, (and) I never heard of such a thing. I don’t get caught up in all the he said, she said. One thing I’ve had to learn to develop, thick skin over the years as head coach. I’m proud of the way we recruit. We certainly aren’t going to break…
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Tressel Rips Rodriguez
Per a blog posted on cleveland.com, the online home for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and a sister site to MLive. Coach Jim Tressel was taking a few questions during an Alzheimer’s benefit, check out the exchange: “Is there a gentleman’s agreement between Big Ten coaches that once a player verbally commits to a school, the other coaches are supposedly hands off?” This was Tressel’s answer, after about a one-second pause. “I guess only between the gentlemen.” This of course was in response to the stink raised by Joe Tiller after losing a ‘committed’ recruit in the 11th hour to Michigan. The author suggests that if there are “Michigan fans who wish to interpret the following as “Tressel rips Rodriguez,” well, I can’t stop you.” No, you can’t stop the truth man and that was a rip. So what are we to do with this? Instead of breaking this down into small little pieces I’ll simply draw upon the classic movie Caddyshack and share this exchange from inside the halls of Bushwood CC, as Rodney Dangerfield tries to steal a dance with the wife of his adversary: Al Czervik: You’re a lot of woman, you know? You wanna make 14 dollars the hard way? Judge Smails: You! You! You’re no gentleman! Al Czervik: I’m no doorknob either, alright?
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Wiping Woody Hayes!
Most installments of eBay Watch feature items that pre-date the Bo-Woody era, but occasionally there's something that catches the eye. What we've got here is a genuine roll of toilet paper featuring the visage of legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes, currently listed on eBay. I've seen these type of things before [insert team name on toilet paper] but the cartoon likeness of Old Dr. Strangehayes makes this one special:
