Hi, continue to love the blog and check it out daily.
I hope that by saying "Michigan is, in our opinion, recruiting a different type of player, athletes who are “edgier” and play with more of a chip on their shoulder." that you are not saying that Michigan is going to turn into a University of Miami of a decade or so ago. I don't think the University or Alumni would tolerate that very well. Aggressive is good, in your face disrespectful is not what being "Leaders and Best" is about.
Bob E.
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Thanks for the question and comments.
We are in no way condoning thuggish or outlaw-style football.
The perception for many is that the past Miami program was "thuggish." But to others, this previous Miami style of football is/was similar to the Michigan Basketball "Fab-Five" days, whereby the players took no crap whatsoever and dished out the nasty verbal editorials, no matter if they were winning or not. It just depends on the side of the fence your fan alliance prefers.
To this day, I still have fans telling me how "thuggish", loud-mouthed, and disrespectful to the game the Fab-Five era was. I do not agree with the above claim, because I believe the Fab-Five actually changed not only the perception of Michigan basketball, but college basketball in general. Especially when they came out in the all maize jerseys, black socks, black shoes, and baggy shorts. They changed basketball and even a decade later very young players are quite aware of the Fab-Five.
So now, after the slight detour to the Fab-Five, let us get back to the question you asked. We are talking about the type of football Michigan played under Coaches Bo and Mo: a take no prisoner, physical, hardnosed brand of football. There was a story that we shared recently that Coach Bo related at a coaches’ clinic many years ago. Bo talked about how many Big Ten teams sent a letter to the Big Ten requesting Michigan to stop "beating up" their defensive backs and playing hard to the whistle or afterwards. Bo actually loved it and framed the letter and said this (the physicality) is what I want other teams to worry about. Because that means other teams are spending their time being distracted and not working on things to beat Michigan.
In our opinion, if the team is winning, the fan base/alumni will be far more tolerate than many think. They (the fan base) had no problem with Michigan receivers being in the faces of defensive backs, or C. Woodson being in the face of Ohio State's Boston. And to this day fans actually brag about that memorable game, saying we took no **** from Boston or anybody else.
Michigan's reputation in the 1970's and 1980's was built upon relentless, punishing gang tackling. All fan bases are generally more tolerate to certain behaviors if their team is winning. Keep this in mind: football is a physical game, but it is also a game with spoken and unspoken standards.
Thanks for stopping by http://gobluemichiganwolverine.blogspot.com/
If you have any questions please e-mail erocwolverine@gmail.com
Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine
5 comments:
I think the original poster thinks kids from Florida=thugs.
I for one want an edgey, assin mentality on the players, especially defense. The defense has seemed soft for years. I want guys that want to destroy the ball carrier.
Yes, play within the rules, and be an upstanding student and guy away from the field, but be a killer on it.
Regarding your "...took no crap whatsoever and dished out the nasty verbal editorials, no matter if they were winning or not" comment. That is easy to say, when you are winning, such as the Fab Five was doing. And it was even "cute" when Mike Hart was speaking of MSU as Lil' Bro. But he started BELIEVING his own B*** S*** and he tried the same thing before the OSU game...and he was shown to be the loud mouth he was! And that is the problem with that attitude you seem to find so endearing. Sorry, but I prefer the Lloyd Carr attitude.
I don't think the original poster equated Florida athletes with thugs. I think Bob, like me, takes pride in Michigan on two fronts: class and winning. I agree with everyone that the Michigan defense should beat the hell out of opposing offenses on the field. But I also think that our program needs to have class. This does not mean taking crap -- Mike Hart dished out a lot of talk but did so with class. There are lines that the Michigan program should not cross in order to win. Bo stayed on the right side of those lines. I hope that Rich can too, and that we fans will support him and the team as he does so.
---David VL, Delmar, NY
You can always "tame" a player who gets "carried away" with the physicality of the game. It's much harder, if not impossible, to "teach" or "coach" that killer instinct.
Even though I never condoned the "thugishness" of those past Miami teams, I loved watching them. You knew they were going to always show up to play. And they did play: with energy, confidence, and enthusiasm. Btw, they won a few national championships along the way.
So, I welcome the "edgier" players.
In my opinion Coach Carr's best teams were the 97 NC team and the 2006 team. Both of these teams were known for their physical, nasty, edgy defenses. Plays like CWoodson getting into the face of Boston during the OSU game. Plays like Alan Branch burying the PSU QB after he released the ball. It is not dirty or thuggish. It is how the game has to be played if you are going to compete with the OSUs and USCs of the world.
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