Open Letter to Brian Cook
by WarBuck46410 on Jan 11, 2011 5:48 PM CST
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Print[Ed. - Bumped. Because Dave Brandon promised me a ride in the Dominos private jet if I shared this.]
Dear Mr. Cook:
I am a Buckeye fan. If, for that reason alone, you must disregard this Open Letter ... well, nothing to be done.
When Coach Rodriguez was hired just about three years ago, you ran a post and proclaimed "Peanut Butter and Jelly With a Baseball Bat." You posted the cartoons and it was an ode to joy; an expression of the hopes of what was to come. It was wonderful, appropriate and altogether good (at least from the Michigan vantage point).
I humbly suggest that it is now time for you to post something similar concerning Coach Hoke. Personally, my advice is to run the same. No matter that such might disgust you, that you might bang the keystrokes in frustration and anger, no matter the constant cursing and possible tearing up, no matter any of those things. An appearance of of joyousness is necessary.
It cannot be doubted or argued from all of your long hours of blogging for Michigan: you are "all in for Michigan." That means you're all in for Hoke and, consequently, it's "100% pure colombian awesome" again. Maybe it is not plausible to post the "dancing banana" again given "Profiles in Cronyism" now re-playing at your local non-Michigan B1G TEN blog. However, something is in order that is as equally wonderful, appropriate and altogether good.
You are the opinion leader of a significant segment of the Michigan fan base. As such, it is incumbent upon you -- it leans against you, bears down upon you, as a heavy weight -- to lead your followers to at least an outwardly supportive stance of the new Michigan coach.
Otherwise the term "Hater" falls to you and yours.
When you wrote your Eulogy to Bo Schembechler, you wrote the following words:
"It occurs that at some point the Michigan program acquired the traits you hold dear -- loyalty, honesty, tradition, victory."
If those four words really mean something, you and the MGoBlog community need to fall in line behind Coach Hoke. You live in Interesting Times, Mr. Cook.
Signed:
WarBuck
Buckeye Fan
Tired of Reading 13-year-old Girl Hysteria on MGoBlog
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The difference between the semi-rational and "NOT A MICHIGAN MAN" sides of the fanbase
is that Brian’s reaction to this is more “I hope this works, despite all evidence suggesting it won’t” and less rooting for Hoke to fail like the anti-RichRod faction did.
/just defended a Michigan fan
//feels dirty
I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left-hand side.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
by SpartanDan on Jan 11, 2011 9:39 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
It wasn't worth the effort you put into it.
"There’s no reason Brian Cardinal should be blocking your shot on a fast break." - Golden State of Mind
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 11, 2011 9:48 PM CST up reply actions
//creepy slow Citizen Kane clap
You got no fear of the underdog; That's why you will not survive!
by YouCanPutYourEddsInIt on Jan 12, 2011 12:30 AM CST reply actions
I don't understand how.....
a Michigan fan would care about how an OSU fan thinks they should act.
Ever Grateful. Ever True.
Cook is like a teenage boy who had to break up with his girlfriend
because his parents moved away. He’s trying to show love for his old flame by rejecting the girl next door—who doesn’t even know who he is.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
This explains why his feelings towards Hoke are 100% consistent with how they were three years ago, right?
/scratches head
My point was he would reject almost anyone to protect his outward display of love for Rich Rod....but maybe that
was too subtle for you. Sorry. It’s not about dislike of Hoke, it is about love of Rich Rod. Now, go read Romeo and Juliet.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Jan 12, 2011 10:08 AM CST up reply actions
You have some interesting views about the world; however, I would not like to subscribe to your newsletter as it appears to exist within a parallel universe.
www.blackheartgoldpants.com
We are OK without you.
"GO HAWKS!" - only cure for Hawkeye Envy
point, to the point no fakin'
by BentNotBroken on Jan 12, 2011 7:41 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Again, how does this fit...
…in with the fact that he hated Hoke this much BEFORE RichRod was even on Michigan’s radar? Brian might be freaking out, but at least it is a consistent freakout.
I have not read anything from back during the search that landed Rich Rod that says this
he can say that now, but what does the record say? No one gave two hoots about Brady Hoke then anyway. In 2008 Brady Hoke was a coaching neophyte with an even worse record. He has since built up a much better resume and had very notable accomplishments. If it is true he hated Hoke before Rich Rod was hired and is clinging to that hate now merely because of his hate then, then he’s just an asshole for ignoring the man’s accomplishments in the meantime and his blog is a fraud.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
Since apparently we have to do your research for you:
(2007) Profiles in Cronyism: Brady Hoke
Why don’t you either learn about the subject or sit quietly on your hands and let the adults have a discussion?
by Erik T on Jan 12, 2011 1:45 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Damn right you're doing the research
it’s your panties that are in a bunch over my comment.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
Fans of YMHR tend to do that.
"Are you joking? Star Trek V is the standard against which all badness is measured!" Raj Koothrappali from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 12, 2011 3:33 PM CST up reply actions
And that's why we've always
hated and been at war with Eurasia Purdue!
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
Youre missing Stoops' point
It isn’t about Brian Cook/mgoblog in re Hoke, Stoops is pointing out that Brian would have a problem with anyone, just because they’re replacing Brian’s man-crush RichRod. Maybe you should hold off on the “adult discussion” talk until you can master basic reading comprehension.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
And there is absolutely zero support for that argument, since Brian’s feelings towards Hoke have been completely consistent since before the RRod era. I tend to like my arguments to have some rational basis, rather than frothing at the mouth for no damned reason. If StoopsMyAss just wants to rant and rave, I suggest he find a good street corner and a cardboard sign.
www.blackheartgoldpants.com
is slightly less classy than a good street corner
"GO HAWKS!" - only cure for Hawkeye Envy
point, to the point no fakin'
by BentNotBroken on Jan 12, 2011 7:44 PM CST up reply actions
It's extremely unclassy after a gutwrenching loss to Wisconsin
and is about as hospitable as Pripyat after a loss to Minnesota.
"Are you joking? Star Trek V is the standard against which all badness is measured!" Raj Koothrappali from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 12, 2011 10:35 PM CST up reply actions
Wisconsin'sHerosoweittoIowa
would be my new user name if it wasnt true too that I’m bent but not yet broken.
"GO HAWKS!" - only cure for Hawkeye Envy
point, to the point no fakin'
by BentNotBroken on Jan 12, 2011 10:57 PM CST up reply actions
Glad to see you're over that that historic Rose Bowl brain fart by your OC
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Jan 12, 2011 11:10 PM CST up reply actions
It's going to ache
knowing that we had every chance in that game, and gave TCU one hell of a run for their money, but I can live with it.
Especially with an awful 2008 season just in the rearview mirror. Going 7-6 a couple years ago will make you appreciate a Rose Bowl.
"Are you joking? Star Trek V is the standard against which all badness is measured!" Raj Koothrappali from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 12, 2011 11:41 PM CST up reply actions
Sometime the Card
doesnt have the best play. But I’m sure Kirk has expressed this to BB before.
"GO HAWKS!" - only cure for Hawkeye Envy
Hayden Fry. You are welcome college football.
by BentNotBroken on Jan 12, 2011 11:58 PM CST up reply actions
IT'S NOT BIELEMA'S CALL TO MAKE
It’s Chryst’s. And had Tank F***ing Carder not gotten in the way, it probably would have worked.
"Are you joking? Star Trek V is the standard against which all badness is measured!" Raj Koothrappali from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 13, 2011 12:12 AM CST up reply actions
That being said, it certainly didn't work.
Tolzien is actually a pretty good QB. But given how our running game was destroying them, especially inside, that call was the wrong one.
"Are you joking? Star Trek V is the standard against which all badness is measured!" Raj Koothrappali from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 13, 2011 12:15 AM CST up reply actions
Off topic ...
But its interesting how much influence MGoBlog has on Michigan fans. This, despite the fact that there are atleast 7 Michigan blogs that I can think of off the top of my head, and more Ive probably never heard of. This coaching search has made it apparent that other fanbases are atleast aware of MGoBlog. Do the other BigTen schools have one blog with this much sway over their fanbase?
by ForzaBLUE on Jan 12, 2011 9:52 AM CST via mobile reply actions
For Michigan's sake, I really hope this is not true.
That site does not really analyze football on the field. It analyzes stats. It is a fantasy football site. Which further explains the guy’s love of Rich Rod. No wins, but great vanity stats.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Jan 12, 2011 10:10 AM CST up reply actions
Seriously
Have you ever really read MGoBlog, or do you just make things up as you go along? I guess his Upon Further Review feature is just a regurgitation of stats for the fantasy football fanboys. And for the record, he has been critical of Rodriguez on many occasions, mostly related to his apparent meddling with the defense, which resulted in DC’s running schemes which were out of character for them.
I read MGoBlog regularly because of the witty writing style, the time/effort that goes into breaking down games (before and after) that is unmatched elsewhere, the regular contributors to recruiting, and the fact that he has truly embraced Web 2.0 principles and built up an interactive community of users. I disagree with a lot of what he writes (Hoke despondency included), but you can’t deny that he has something in MGoBlog that very few other bloggers of any ilk have.
I’m not saying the guy is perfect, but he’s done a great job entrenching his site as the premier Michigan blog out there.
All that is very good. But a blog like his should be, in my opinion, only but a
peice of the spectrum of what a Michigan fan takes in. I don’t find the depth and diversity of writing there that I find on other multi-authored blogs. Certainly, if he is truly exerting sizeable influence for Michigan then I don’t get it. I think the guy was dead wrong on Rich Rod and I disagreed with his methodology for assessing his value.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
Then we can look forward to his Brady Hoke mea culpa when
Michigan isn’t last in defense in the Big Ten next year, or beaten by an average of 23 points per game against ranked opponents?
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Jan 12, 2011 11:14 PM CST up reply actions
I like potatoes
and eat them frequently, but they hardly constitute the core of my diet.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
I love lamp
The Daily Norseman
Off Tackle Empire
SB Nation Minnesota
"A parent's only as good as their dumbest kid. If one wins a Nobel Prize but the other gets robbed by a hooker, you failed."
Clearly Off Tackle Empire
completely influences the rest of the Big Ten fanbases….
/Icandream….
Off Tackle Empire - Ruling on the Big Ten since 2008.
My sense:
From my surfing around these here interwebs, MGoBlog exerts an extremely high influence over Michigan-oriented blogs, almost gravitational. Some are direct offshoots (e.g., WLA) and there are definite dual-memberships/ cross-overs among many writers and editors (M&Brew, iirc). Some are reactions against (e.g., MZone 2.0). Either way, vast quantities of what is written on those other blogs is either a reaction to, a support of or a query/question/petition to MGoBlog (no more or less than this very FanPost). This is not surprising given the sheer size of MGoBlog.
It is somewhat more difficult to gauge, and I could be completely wrong, but I’d say Lake The Posts, BSD, BHGP, Bucky’s 5th Q, DailyGopher, and Corn Nation are similarly gravitational among those fanbases/blogs. Maybe The Only Colors for MSU; maybe Boiled Sports.
It also seems to me that MGoBlog exerts a moderately high influence on B10 blogs generally. Then MGoBand exerts a moderately weak influence nationally on CFB-related blogs (most blogs exert almost no national influence, in my view). My explanatory model involves Mr. Cook’s long tenure as a blogger, his site’s continued independence and its size, his continued friendships/connections to EDSBS and Hinton, his control over the BlogPoll and his This Week In Schadenfreude column.
I’d offer this thought: “influence” can be very crudely defined as “number of times a site/story is linked.”
by WarBuck46410 on Jan 12, 2011 1:03 PM CST up reply actions
Apparently, Dave Brandon pisses on that blog
because he hired Hoke, much to mgoblog’s chagrin. Gotta admit, it’s a good read, though. Pretty damn entertaining watching the FlightAware Apocalypse unfold.
The Daily Norseman
Off Tackle Empire
SB Nation Minnesota
"A parent's only as good as their dumbest kid. If one wins a Nobel Prize but the other gets robbed by a hooker, you failed."
I'm a little sad...
…that Brian hasn’t followed through with his “Nothing but swearing” posts. I was wondering how’d he pull of 2000 words using nothing but f-bombs and sad kittehs.
Trust me, he'd find a way.
"Are you joking? Star Trek V is the standard against which all badness is measured!" Raj Koothrappali from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 13, 2011 4:10 PM CST up reply actions
Brian Cook...
is a smart guy. He’s a competent writer. He’s absolutely ignorant when it comes to the game of football.
This has nothing to do with hiring Greg Robinson. He has nothing do with lack of support from the fanbase or former players. Rich Rod’s offenses averaged 8 points in three games against OSU.
RR’s offense was simply not capable against the upper tier teams in the Big Ten.
Sherman ran an option play right through the south.
As bad as the RichRod era damaged Michigan's reputation
who’d have thought it would be even more detrimental to mgoblog’s rep?
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
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