Chew on this one for awhile
By DAVE POE, dpoe@newsandsentinel.comJuly is the slowest month of the year for those of us who write sports for a living.
That gives us plenty of time to think about what might happen in the upcoming sports year.
Sometimes, we get a little carried away dreaming up the wildest, craziest sports scenarios imaginable.
I'll let you decide if that's the case with my latest one.
I've mentioned it to a couple people and the reaction I've received has been so strong, I thought I would share it with you.
First, it's pretty obvious to me this is going to be Rich Rodriguez's last season as the head football coach at the University of Michigan.
He's not going to win. He's going to end the season with another lopsided loss to Ohio State, this time in the Big House, where there is no sin like losing to the hated Buckeyes.
Rodriguez's short tenure at Michigan has been a disaster.
The players don't seem to like his style. The alumni hasn't warmed up to him. The administrators who hired him -and who could fire him -were unhappy they were going to have to be deposed in his legal dispute with West Virginia University.
Although most coaches get at least three years to prove themselves, I'm convinced Rodriguez is only going to get two.
That means he once again will be looking for another coaching job (then again, he always seems to be looking for another coaching job, even when he has a good one.)
So what job might be available at the end of the 2009 season?
All indications are this could be Mark Snyder's last year at Marshall University.
Thundering Herd officials have been patient with Snyder, but a fifth losing season would make it unlikely he would get a sixth year.
That would put Marshall in the position of looking for a head football coach and it would take whoever is running Marshall's athletic department about two seconds to figure out the best available coach is Rich Rodriguez.
Never going to happen, you say? Rodriguez never would lower himself and go to a program like Marshall, which has virtually no chance of ever winning a national championship.
But that's exactly what others who have fallen from grace at major programs have done.
In fact, we have one of the ultimate examples coaching just 45 minutes from Parkersburg.
When Frank Solich lost his job at Nebraska, he eventually became the head coach at Ohio University.
It's happened before, so it certainly could happen again.
Rodriguez recently said he loves the state of West Virginia.
But if he's going to come back to his native state and coach a major college football program, there are only two options.
Actually, there is only one for Rodriguez burned forever the bridge to Morgantown.
If the above scenario would happen, could you imagine the next West Virginia-Marshall game?
Talk about putting some passion back in a rivalry that needs it.
Contact Dave Poe at dpoe@newsandsentinel.com
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WVShutUpAlready
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07-14-09 1:57 PM
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Haha..now this is being passed off for satire? Hey everyone, the Onion has a serious new competitor: the Parkersburg News and Sentinel! This just gets better and better...
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buckeyewreck
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07-14-09 12:39 PM
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As an Ohio State fan, I hope RichRod NEVER gets fired from Michigan-Lostagan!!
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Cviller
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07-14-09 12:00 PM
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Way to go Dave, very funny and the Michigan fans don't even get it!
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antiwriters
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07-14-09 8:29 AM
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Hmmm--why would this guy write such an article? Oh I get it now! He wants some attention! What a sorry example of sports writing. What GOOD could possibly come from such an attack? Another example of a lightweight trying to make the news instead of reporting it.
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WVShutUpAlready
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07-13-09 4:58 PM
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My God, will you goobers ever move on? RR is such a horrible, incompetent mess of a coach. Except the entire state of WV is whining about him long after he's gone. Hey, genius, RR is going to get at least 4 years to prove himself. You don't do an entire rebuild, change the system, recruit for that system, and then fire the coach half way through the process. You keep persisting with this idiocy you'll be writing for a paper in Parkersburg (wherever the*****that is) for the rest of your so called career. Get a life and worry about your own team, Michigan will be fine.
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MaizenBlueboy
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07-13-09 4:31 PM
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character limits suck. I said "that's why the record 50,000 plus spectators at the Spring scrimmage in my last sentence."
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MaizenBlueboy
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07-13-09 4:28 PM
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"July is the slowest month of the year for those of us who write sports for a living. That gives us plenty of time to think about what might happen in the upcoming sports year." Ooops Dave you forgot to think about this one before you wrote. "Sometimes, we get a little carried away dreaming up the wildest, craziest sports scenarios imaginable." Ha ha, well at least you admit it. "I'll let you decide if that's the case with my latest one. I've mentioned it to a couple people and the reaction I've received has been so strong, I thought I would share it with you." Well at least you've got guts. Too bad you didn't research many facts. "Rodriguez's short tenure at Michigan has been a disaster." LOL he hasn't even established a tenure yet. "The players don't seem to like his style." That's why all the payers saying they are all buying in this year. "The alumni hasn't warmed up to him." Yep that's why the record 50
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MHawk23
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07-13-09 4:13 PM
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See what I mean zipgoshboots, you can't have a decent discussion, just call names and disparage anyone with a different point of view. We have a number of those that write in the Free Press comments sections too. Hey, maybe you're all the same person. Sort of sounds like it. Amyway, have a good day, but get your facts straight before you open your mouth. You sound like a knucklehead otherwise.
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jimthoms
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07-13-09 4:12 PM
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Poe is not a Mountaineeer fan, and he as much as admitted this was a hack article. Michigan fans know their team and their coach. They know they will have a winning record, just like they knew the Flyers were a lock to beat the Pens.
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ron236
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07-13-09 12:55 PM
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Dave - Mom says to turn off your computer right now and get down to the dinner table! She says you're going to be late for cubscouts if you don't! ...and by the way, your editor at the newspaper just called.
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UMGoBlue
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07-13-09 12:31 PM
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Nice Article. Sounds good in theory with just one minor flaw. Please see below for Rich R first two years of recruiting at UM. They are comming from everywhere Wonder what recruiting will be like in the next 5 years :) 2009 William Campbell DT 5 Vladimir Emilien DB 4 Tate Forcier QB 4 Jeremy Gallon ATH 4 Cameron Gordon WR 4 Je'Ron Stokes WR 4 Fitzgerald Toussaint RB 4 Justin Turner DB 4 Quinton Washington OL 4 Anthony LaLota DE 4 Taylor Lewan OL 4 Denard Robinson ATH 4 Craig Roh DE 4 Michael Schofield OL 4 Isaiah Bell LB 3 Thomas Gordon ATH 3 Brandin Hawthorne LB 3 Mike Jones DB 3 Teric Jones RB 3 Vincent Smith RB 3 A Taste of 2010 Devin Gardner QB 4 Ricardo Miller WR 4 Jerald Robinson WR 4 Marvin Robinson LB 4
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Michfan22
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07-13-09 11:41 AM
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Where do you get your information from Dave? Better yet how can you call yourself a "sports writer"? Every program has kids that leave. The kids at Michigan now all love RR and is staff. Even the recruits like him. So unless you are talking about Boren as the ONLY kid who actually spoke out against Michigan you are WAY WAY off base. McGuffie left for family reasons and Threet didnt fit in with the system. Do better research next time.
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ZipGoshboots
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07-13-09 10:19 AM
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Hey Poe: You forgot the best part of this whole Rodriguez Circus: Lloyd Carr and a secret cadre of anti-Rodriguez conspirators are hiding in the shadowy depths of Schembechler Hall, sabotaging poor Rich Rodriguez! As Michigan Message Board guy is wont to say, "Lloyd's silence is DEAFENING!" Oh dear, this thing is getting to be vast. Rodriguez doesn't stand a chance. The whole wide world is out to get him! And he's done nothing but a sterling job since taking over! People just do't get that you have to completely destroy, tarnish the image of, and humiliate something before you build it back up! Chocolate Milk Away!
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theanimal
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07-13-09 9:49 AM
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1. RIchRod was hired because previous regime was not successful with with 4 loss seasons. 2. Bill Martin knew of lawsuit & let RichRod be strung out & crucified in media for 'breaking contract'. Martin let this happen to take the story away from how inept he was in his search 3. M administration knew they were responsible for the $ to West Virginia. that is why they paid it in full--not RichRod! 4. Sorry W. VA --he's not yours anymore 5.Go BLue
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UMAlum
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07-13-09 1:32 AM
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As a UM Alum I hope you are right Mr. Poe! I want RichRod out, out OUT! In one single year he has single handedly destroyed the Michigan football program and everything we hold dear. What I watched last year was NOT Michigan football. It was football in maize and blue, but it wasn't Michigan. We didn't need to be force fed change, we needed a tweak not a*****overhaul. I hope we are terrible again this year just so RichRod gets fired. Go away, you don't belong here, and you don't fit here. Go back to West Virginia and stop destroying one of the greatest football programs of all time. I can't wait for the Ohio State game when we once again have 3 or 4 wins and Ohio State starts to roll us in our stadium, the crowd is going to turn on him FAST and I'll be there loving every minute of the booing. FIRE RICHROD!
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RealWolverine
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07-13-09 1:11 AM
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Pretty obvious, eh? It's pretty obvious you have not done the following before writing this story: interviewed a current member of the team, interviewed a Michigan fan, and you probably have never been to Ann Arbor. I have never Been to WV, which is why i don't refer to WVU fans negatively. Did everyone just forget how long it took us, and how many people we went after, before we arrived at Rich Rodriguez? Mary Sue Coleman, and Bill Martin don't want any part of that disaster again soon! 2 years? how long did we*****at Basketball before we fired Amaker? As for the fallout, they knew exactly what they were getting into, and WE didn't care! as for the "traditions" he isn't following, WHO CARES! It's not like he changed the helmet. one tradition i already don't miss: the worst designed prevent defense ever! A bowl this year would be nice, but I'm more worried about 2010. We aren't looking for a band-aid. by the way, how's the current WVU coach working out for you? anyo
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DGlenn26
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07-13-09 12:40 AM
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In response to ZipGoshboots, journalistic paragraphs are to be 2-3 sentences long with an occasional one sentence paragraph used as a transition or as a way to vary syntax for effect. The fact of the matter is I could write this idiot under the table with nothing more than two years experience on a high school newspaper. Further, you say that this is the internet, spelling and grammar to be taken lightly. Firstly, I think the medium in which you publish is no reason to ignore simple grammatical rules, but even more pressing is that this isn't a blog. The man has posted an editorial on the website of an actual newspaper, all be it a local one, he should do a better job to represent his publication well.
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GoBlueSamG
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07-12-09 11:49 PM
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Wow Dave Hoe this one of the least factual, unbelievable posts ever. Who do you know at the UofM? NOBODY!! Rodriguez was given a team completely devoid of talent which left when Lloyd Carr did. You think Michigan fans don't realize that? He's well on his way. I hope your team loses every game. Stop dwelling on the fact that he left you guys in the dust. GET OVER IT!!!!!
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smiley12
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07-12-09 6:26 PM
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I am Michigan grad, and a U of M fan since my tenth birthday(40+years). The alums, students and PLAYERS are thrilled to have CoachRod on board. Lloyd Carr is a great man, and a fine coach. Unfortunately, the program had experienced a steady, slow decline in the last few years. RR stepped in and changed everything. Last year he had one returning starter(a sophomore) on offense. I believe 11 true or RS freshmen ended up starting on both sides of the ball. Yes, it was rough, but the Wolverine nation is fired up. His recruiting has been fantastic, and the work ethic that he has instilled in the kids is nothing short of awesome. And, as an aside, the overall football team GPA set a Michigan record. The team is still young, so 2009 looks like a six or seven win season. Next year, however, we will challenge for the Big Ten title. GO BLUE!!! And good luck, 'Eeers.
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WVCommissioner
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07-12-09 6:22 PM
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UM = Lucky to be .500 this coming season. LUCKY. The only RR record that I can be sure of, 0 for Life vs. Ohio State. Come back and check 20 years from now. UM is not going to live with RR for very long.
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ZipGoshboots
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07-12-09 6:17 PM
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to finish, "are smarter than a dead rat."
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ZipGoshboots
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07-12-09 6:16 PM
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I see more Michigan fans coming here to give the author tips on journalism techniques. Hey, idiots, if you are going to go out into the world of the intranets to defend everything Michigan and Rich Rod, at least learn a few things before you embarrass Michigan even more. Journalism 101: Paragraphs should be 1-2 sentences. Even moreso in the day of electronic "blogging" and intranets readers who, like most Michigan fans, won't get past the first one or two sentences before they are firing off a fiery retort which will most likely be filled with grammatical, spelling, and syntax errors. And of course, the poster will top it off with, "And when I were going to gradumate from Michigan, I learnt to write good." All that's missing from these idiotic replies is the old message board guy, "THAT BEING SAID..." C'mon, Michigan fans. Get it together. Put on your best Michigan pair of jammies and at least try to write something that will make people say, "They
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MHawk23
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07-12-09 6:08 PM
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I just read Mr. Poe's 'article' in the Detroit Free Press and it sounds to me that Dave still isn't over the fact that Rich Rodriguez is gone. THAT was ugly from either side, but it's done. Get over it. To Zipgoshboots - Can you please tell me what your first sentence means? Name calling? You've gotta be kidding. Go back to read some of the stuff in West Virginia and Michigan papers and talk to me about it then. As for the rest of what you wrote, where'd you get your 'facts'? I thought so, you made it up. Sounds to me like you and Mr. Poe took the same writing course and didn't get much out of it. And Mr. Poe, not even your own readers are buying what you say. What a ridiculous article. As a Michigan fan, let me say this. From way back, I have been a Mountaineer football fan too. Great school colors, best mascot going, and a fantastic logo. They're one of my favorite teams.
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Jimbobjr
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07-12-09 6:07 PM
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Sports **** for 'eers fans.
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reese925
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07-12-09 5:44 PM
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Mr Poe Even you have to be laughing to yourself that you actually will collect a paycheck for this article you just wrote. Someone actually will pay you for something you probably don't really believe but decided to write anyway. Just like most of the comments here there is no reasonbly rational thought to think that an FBS coach will be fired after 2 years. Sure it could happen if they find Rich Rod in the middle of a field lat at night with farm animals and talking incoherently. But he will be given at least 3 probably 4 - and as long as there seems to be improvement then and not until then will the decision be made to keep or release the coach. Way to mail it in though - I guess if your editor allows it - more power to you if you can get paid to write garbage.
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