You know, we here at HLS have been TRYING to NOT write about the DickRod. I mean, honestly - ignoring things that deserve comment. Really trying to resist it.
But this dude is such a complete tool, it's unavoidable. It can't be helped.
Most recently, Richie has decided that Scholarship Offers Aren't REALLY Offers.
According to Jim Stefani, Michigan has as many as 130 offers to high school prospects outstanding thus far. Many of these, however, might be from kids that they don’t really want to commit. According to Jim Stefani, “In a sense, many Michigan ‘offers’ are not really firm offers but more or less strong indications of interest by Michigan."
Bold is mine.
Is there anything more wrong than this in CFB football recruiting? (Other than Poodle Pete's crew flashing cash to every 17 year old under the sun I mean). Think about this - you're a rising senior in high school, you get an offer from a school you're considering, and you say "yeah, great, I accept!" and they say "well, wait, we didn't really mean that it was a REAL offer. let's chat again in a couple months." And, what's the freaking point? Why call it an OFFER when it's NOT an offer but strong interest? Why not just say, 'hey kid, we're strongly interested'??? Why offer a kid you really don't want to accept?
WTF?
The linked article by a fairly-decent UM (sucks) blog goes on to rationalize this in a few ways, but is generally pretty balanced in the analysis. But to me, this is just typical shady-ass DickRod stuff. Throw out a bunch of offers to gets to cover your bases, and then keep kids that aren't at the top of their recruiting board at arm's length if they actually want to commit.
Look Dickie, an offer is an OFFER. It means "I am offering you a scholarship to play with my widdle skunkbears" so when a kid says OK, you GIVE HIM AN F-ING SCHOLARSHIP YOU DOUCHE. I hope the kids you do this to go off to Appalachian State and whoop your ass every year in the opener (again).
This, once again, shows you the type of guy that RichRod is. The type of program that Michigan (sucks) has become. The school and the fans like to pretend they're 'better', but when they do shady things like this they rationalize it with 'well, Florida and other schools do it too'. Listen up folks, Michigan (sucks) is not some beacon of light in football. They pretend like they are. They wish they could be. They are not.
They aren't and can't be ND.
Other UM (suckity sucks!) notes:
DickRod is about to lose 2 more players. Kevin Grady (let's get driz-unnnnnk!) got busted for violating every single term of his probation and should be booted. And Kurt Wermers, a backup guard, is bailing as well.
And then there's this gem of a quote, with Dickie trying to make it seem like he's asking guys to leave because they're not doing the things they need to do to stay, when really he just knows these kids are seeing the writing on the wall. (The writing on that wall reads "this Head Coach is a d-bag and this program is in shambles so I need to get the F out while I still can"):
"Stay tuned. There's a couple guys I'm gonna sit with here. Just guys that maybe if they're not doing all their responsibilities and doing what they need to do to be part of our football program may not be back. I hope that's not too many."
By irish64 May 19, 2009 - 2:03 pm
It has always been a surprise to me how Mich grads think they’re hot shit. They’re not. Just another big ugly sate school, er…institution.
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By irish64 May 19, 2009 - 3:16 pm
Somebody over at Maize & Brew figures the stripeheads will fo 6-6 this year and be bowl eligible. Actually that’s pretty sad when you figure they play Eastern and Western Michigan and DELAWARE STATE (?) WTF? Not much to be proud of.
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By The Biscuit May 19, 2009 - 7:02 pm
they won’t break .500 irish64. 5-7 is their ceiling.
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By DeepTeaKup May 19, 2009 - 7:30 pm
Care to bet?
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By DeepTeaKup May 19, 2009 - 7:32 pm
So you’re also saying that Weis only has offers out to the exact number of kids he wants to come in to the class? Any thought that these offers come with a “yes, you have an offer but we are only taking x number of people at your position. If it fills up before you make up your mind, too bad”. But yeah, RR is not Lloyd-like in his recruiting practices, bit of an adjustment there for sure.
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By david May 20, 2009 - 9:45 am
No TeaKup, what he is saying is any kid we have an offer to, if accepted is accepted by us. Of course you going to over numerically ask for a certain number of positions, cause kids have lots of choices. But we also let kids know by saying either get on or get off the bus cause we are only taking X amount at this position. If you can’t tell the difference, then Michigan(sucks!) really is in a mess.
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By david May 20, 2009 - 11:40 am
Sorry TeaKup, I reread the post and I think I am just reiterating what you are saying. I apologize for being smarmy, just comes naturally. However, Michigan(sucks!) still sucks!
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By The Biscuit May 20, 2009 - 12:15 pm
DTK – yes, i will bet. another $25 to charity thing?
and DTK, apologize if the message isn’t clear, but my intention was what David said in his first comment. i have issues with the ‘here’s an offer. oh, you accept? well, hold on we may not want you’. I can guarantee you that any kid with an ND offer that says ‘yes, i’ll come’ and that is academically eligible, etc will have a spot on the squad. not so with your DickRod of a coach.
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By The Biscuit May 20, 2009 - 12:38 pm
if a position fills up, that’s a legit reason for ending a recruitment. but that’s different from what RR’s doing. he’s saying that a kid has an offer, then saying hold off on committing bc we may want someone else. well, if you want someone else, why’d you make an offer? ND does this in a very different way.
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By DeepTeaKup May 20, 2009 - 2:08 pm
Biscuit, I hear ya, it definitely falls in to sort of the shady side of recruiting, for lack of a better word.
Charity bet sounds good, UM finishes regular season under .500, I will donate $25 Hannah and Friends. If they finish 6-6 or better, you can give $25 to Mott’s Children’s hospital http://www.med.umich.edu/mott/help/gift_fin.html.
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By The Biscuit May 20, 2009 - 4:11 pm
Deal. The world wins either way. Remind me at the end of the year what site Mott’s is at…
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By Bad Kermit May 20, 2009 - 4:14 pm
You pansies. Charity? What kind of stakes are those? I say the winner gets to cut off the pinky finger of the loser.
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