Posted at http://inrodwetrust.net/michiganfootball/insert-positive-spin-here/#comment-208:
You know what I like best about this website? That you don’t have to join anything to comment. I also like the general optimism–hell, it’s a fan site–and the mantra of trust RR. I DON’T like it when the host goes preachy, saying things like ‘everyone out there calm down.’ How could RR not know the role graduate assistants can play? I think we all know it now and if it was our job, to the tune of millions… Same with other things associated with the violations. Major violations.
It is the whole–violations, recruiting, attrition, coaching, and yes, record. RR says negative recruiting has hurt. Well why has that happened? Same with the attrition. I don’t buy that the talent is so bad, and I think it is wrong to publicly castigate young players. Wasn’t RR supposed to be great at molding young talent? And why so many injuries (even in practice)–wasn’t he supposed to be ahead of the pack in conditioning also? He has now had, pretty much, three recruiting classes. Truth be told, some/many of the team’s best players are Carr holdovers.
I think overall RR has a very smart approach to the game–speedsters are easier to come by than pro prospects and his offensive approach is innovative and successful. But a program with as much to offer as Michigan CAN recruit pro prospects; for that matter, all the schools in the Big Ten–good schools, big budgets, big stadiums, etc.–can too. Again, big picture: There is some logic to suggest his style creates a bigger difference in lesser leagues. And as we have seen, I think it is fair to say he has been downright inflexible. Truth be told, it has happened where coaches come in and just plain, flat-out, turn things around.
I don’t like the word “fault.” And I do like RR; I especially like the “transparency,” or the lack of a tight-lipped, tough guy, jock mentality (which I think Carr exhibited at times). I believe many others feel the same way, as evidenced by the tremendous fan support and activity on the blogs. And no, I’m not counting wins. Will RR, the staff, and the team improve? That, I think is a definite yes. But are there holes or concerns? The answer, again, has to be yes. So the circle continues to spin… job security, recruiting, attrition, etc.