• Rodriguez radio blitz Part II: WTKA 2/15 (full audio)

    More Rodriguez, this time on WTKA today. Pretty good quote on Tiller situation. Rodriguez said he “didn’t get the memo” regarding the gentleman’s agreement not to recruit committed guys. “We had to recruit Sam McGuffie until 9 o’clock that night because my good buddy Jeff Tedford at Cal was working him pretty good…I’m not mad at Jeff about it. That’s the business.” And he again confessed there’s no wizard hat nor is there snake oil. Also, he didn’t rule out having a night game. As far as the Spring game, he wants to have it April 12th and Ford Field is not an option. He did mention EMU’s Rynearson stadium is being discussed. (take: would love to have it there) [display_podcast] And in case you missed it, check out mgoblog’s post on the stealth open football try-outs for Michigan students held at Schembechler Hall this week. Very good stuff.

  • Michigan Tradition 101: Study Guide for Coach Rodriguez

    In his introduction press conference last week, Coach Rodriguez was up front about not knowing much about the Michigan football tradition. He promised to take a book on Bo Schembechler (I assume it was the new one, John Bacon’s Bo’s Lasting Lessons) home over the weekend and give it a read. I think most Michigan fans are concerned about wins and losses and would trade a championship for a coach that knows, cherishes and embraces the previous hundred and thirty years of football in Ann Arbor. Fine. But there are quite a few of us around that the tradition matters. Again, not to say that an outsider can’t come in and embrace it. While I’m growing tired of the Bo references to this situation, you have to consider Schembechler. Bo wasn’t quite a complete outsider as was Rodriguez, but he was an outsider nonetheless and is now the quintessential M man. Count me as a one that will be disappointed if during his Monday press conference on November 3, 2008, Coach Rodriguez fails to recount the history of the Little Brown Jug, as Coach Carr did each year during his tenure. And consider me ‘blue’ if we learn that Rodriguez doesn’t do something each practice to prepare for Ohio State, as has been done by each opponent since the days…