Posted at 8:00am -- 10/16/2009Mailbag question: Rick Leach comments and the Iowa game
Guys,
After hearing Rick Leach on the WTKA show what are your thoughts? Do you believe him and also what have you heard about Carr being at the game in an Iowa box?
Anything to worry about?
Ken M.
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Thanks for the question.
Well first off Rick Leach has made it know for quite awhile that he does not care for Lloyd Carr. We will not go into this situation with the accompanying dynamics and histrionics any farther.
That being said, we believe this is a non-issue and for the most part is another "agenda and gossip" topic that takes root and grows to sequoia size on Michigan message boards. It lately seems like some sources relish pushing such dramatics more than others, because it increases the number of people posting and incites frequent and emotional responses.
In regards to Lloyd Carr and the Iowa deal, consider this. Such events happen all the time when you have a network of friends and among the friends are former coaches at different schools. It is simply part of the coaching fraternity and professional courtesy.
Lloyd Carr is a long time friend of former Iowa athletic director Bump Elliott, who if people remember was a former player ('46-'47) at Michigan as a halfback, a former head coach at Michigan ('59-'68) along with being an assistant coach at Michigan several times, a former associate athletic director ('69-'70) at Michigan and then moved to take over the athletic department at Iowa from ('70-'91).
He is also still close with former Michigan assistant coach Erik "Soup" Campbell, who took over the wide receivers duties at Iowa after he was let go from Michigan. This was a game in which Lloyd Carr was invited to attend where he could go watch a game that included as participants both his former assistant coaches at a game (Fred Jackson (Running Back Coach at Michigan and Erik Campbell - Wide Receiver Coach at Iowa).
Another connection is that Lloyd Carr is a good friend of Hayden Fry, who he coached against many times when Iowa and Michigan battled on the field. In fact, Bump Elliott hired Hayden Fry, adding to the matrix.
Remember as well that Mary Sue Coleman, the President of the University of Michigan, came from Iowa, where she had the same title, so there are numerous connections between the two schools.
Lloyd Carr stated when he retired that this is now Coach Rod's team and that he would not interfere or give an appearance that he would be looking over Coach Rod's shoulder. Some people thought he would actually be overlooking too much, but in fact he has let Coach Rod handle his program, in totality, his way.
Lloyd Carr was invited to watch his former cherished school, Michigan, play a huge game against Iowa and he went. Unless Lloyd Carr showed up in a black Iowa sweater for the "black-out" and had a corn hat on, with a corn colored pom-pom that Iowa was handing out, we see this as another meaningless non-story.
Frankly, we would rather talk about football and recruiting and leave this type of stuff to the message boards that thrive on it.
Written by GBMW Staff
Go Blue -- Wear Maize!
I'm sure Lloyd was cheering for the team and kids he coached.
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ReplyDelete"In regards to Miguel Cabrera and the White Sox deal, consider this. Such events happen all the time when you have a network of friends and among the friends are players at different teams. It is simply part of the Hispanic players fraternity and professional courtesy."
Everything you wrote is true, it's the context that creates the negative appearance.
Rightly or wrongly, many people believe that Lloyd's first loyalty has long been to his friends and not necessarily to the Michigan program. Lloyd has given them reason for this belief (see Mike DeBord, for example) and the Iowa trip only furthers that appearance.
Lloyd gets to do what he wants, of course, but he remains a very public figure and, to my knowledge, still an employee of the athletic department. In that context, he would be well advised to consider the public relations impact of his actions.
Finally, while it's very true that Lloyd doesn't want to interfere - there's a big difference between interfering and going public with your support.
Ask yourself "WWBD" - what would Bo do? Bo didn't want to interfere either, but if Bo believed the program needed his support he was there, front and center, with bells on. Do you think Bo would have been silent with everything that's gone on over the past 2 years?
Next, ask yourself if Lloyd has done anything to publicly support RR and the current program? If so, I'm not aware of it. Imagine the value, for just one minute, of Lloyd being interviewed by the MSM and explaining the practice hours rules when the freep story was published. Now ask why this wasn't done.
By trying to explain the rules and the demands that athletes place on themselves to get better, Tressel defended RR (and himself) more than anyone, for crissakes! Lloyd was silent. People can't be blamed for concluding that his silence speaks volumes - and its very understandable for some people to be very upset about Lloyd's silence. Especially those people who probably know best WWBD.
I agree with anonymous regarding Carr. His actions speaks volumes about his loyalty. If he is paid by the UM athletic department, he should support Michigan athletics. His outward appearance reveals other than support for Michigan. I have always thought Lloyd was more concerned with his chums than Michigan. Many instances when he had a chance but didn't want "to run up the score" against his buddies, even though Michigan didn't have that much of a lead, and subsequent loss of the game. It was not a great showing by Lloyd Carr to current players and future players.
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