Time for a change

I'm a Michigan fan.  As I have no connection to the actual university, some would call me a 'Walmart Wolverine', but there a saying about sticks and stones that seems relevant.

I was a fan when Bo Schembechler was coach.  This was after the 10 year war and Michigan owned the Big Ten.  I was a fan after he retired and Gary Moeller took over.  And yes I took my lumps when he resigned after a drunken incident.  I was a fan when Lloyd Carr took over and celebrated the 1997 National Championship.

I was a fan Tressel came to Ohio State and Michigan seemed to take a backseat.

I was a fan after Carr retired and Rich Rodriguez came to Ann Arbor.  Even when he seemingly destroyed a bunch of Michigan records and traditions.  I was a fan when they hired Brady Hoke to be their current coach.  And I'm still a fan today.

But man oh man, I've never been more embarrassed to call myself a fan.
Since the early 2000s, there hasn't been a lot to be a fan of.  The product on the field during the last few years of coach Carr wasn't the same product that won the 1997 national championship.  Sure, they were ranked number 2 in the nation when they faced number 1 Ohio state in 2006, but that was the last hurrah.  After that game the bad times started.

• The loss to Appalachian State in 2007
• 3-9 in 2008 - Their first losing season since 1967
• First time they missed a bowl game since 1974
• They lost to a MAC team for the first time
• 5-7 in 2009 - Another bowl season spent home
• Firing Rich Rod after the 2010 season
• Having coach Hoke's best season be with Rich Rod's players in 2011
• Getting shut out by Notre Damn in 2014
• First shutout since 1984
• Losing three games before October in 2014 for the first time EVER
• That's 135 years of Michigan Football

But you know what?  Through all of that I was still a fan.  Yes, I more often than not talked about the greatness that is Michigan's past.  I talked about how the athletic department made more money than almost all other college athletic departments.  I talked about how they had the most wins.  I talked about the 11 national championships, the 42 Big Ten championships, the highest second highest win percentage in all of college football.  I talked about all of that because the current football team just wasn't much to talk about.  Even in 2011 when they went 11-2 and won the Sugar Bowl... that seemed almost more luck than anything else.  

But on September 27, 2014 I lost all hope that Brady Hoke would remain the head football coach at the University of Michigan.  Since he was hired he has been the very model of a "Michigan Man".  He talked the talk.  He placed blame on himself and respected his players.  He talked of Big Ten Championships, of playing tough, of running the ball down hill, of having a world class defense.  

There were plenty of people talking about him being on the hot-seat in 2014.  I figured so long as he didn't have a losing season, he was fine.  He'd be back in 2015.  Michigan isn't a place that goes through coaches every 3 or 4 years and he deserved a better chance.  But then in the last game of the Notre Damn rivalry Michigan got shut out.  They didn't score a single point.  The offense didn't even get into the red-zone.  

The talk of firing him got louder, but I still held my ground.  He's the coach of Michigan football. 

Then the embarrassing loss to Utah.  Michigan's offense didn't get into the red-zone again.  The defense did score a TD so it wasn't another shutout... but damn.  This isn't a Notre Damn team that looks like it might make it into the playoffs... this is Utah.  At HOME!

The talk of firing him got louder, but I still held my ground.  He's the coach of Michigan football.  Those losses were both non conference and his goal of winning the Big Ten was still possible.  At the very worst, you don't talk about firing the coach until after the season is finished.  

Then Minnesota came to town.  Michigan and Minnesota play for the oldest college football trophy; The Little Brown Jug.  The Little Brown Jug has sat in Ann Arbor (save for a single year) since 1987.  Minnesota beat down Michigan and took their jug back.  

And if that was all... if Michigan were 2-3 and really had no hope of winning the Big Ten (although it's still possible) or any realistic hope of having a winning season, I'd still say that Brady Hoke is the Michigan Football Coach.  Worst case scenario he gets fired after the season.  

But that's not all.  

Instead of starting Devin Gardner as the quarterback, Hoke put in Shane Morris.  Maybe Morris could be a spark to the team and get them back on the right track.  Maybe Gardner just needed a week on the bench to get him focused.  The decision wasn't necessarily a bad one.  In the fourth quarter with the game going VERY badly, Morris took a bad tackle and seemingly hurt his leg.  Hey... injuries are part of the game and he never motioned to come out.   Then he took another bad tackle and was limping on the field.  I applaud his desire to stay in... to be tough and continue playing.  But at that point it shouldn't have been his decision.  He was injured and didn't have the mobility to protect himself.  He should have come out.  

Then he got hit.  Not just hit.... a Minnesota player lowered his head, launched himself at Morris and hit him helmet to helmet.  Morris got up but could barely hold himself upright.  He was leaning on one of the Offensive linemen just to save himself from falling down.  He should have come out.  He didn't.  

A couple plays later he did finally make his way to the sidelines.  Gardner was back in and had the team fired up.  On a tricky run his helmet came off.  According to the rules he either has to come out for the next play (putting someone else in as quarterback), or Michigan has to take a time out.  The ref even signaled to Coach Hoke that he could take a time out.  Hoke didn't take it.  Hoke sent another player in.   Not Craig Bellamy, the third string quarterback... he sent Morris back in.   

Morris was obviously injured.  He limped back to the field.  Worse yet, he may have had a concussion.  He was only in for one play and it was to hand off the football to the running back, but he had no place being on the field.  That was Morris' last play of the game and when all was said and done, he was carted off the field... he couldn't walk. 

And that's it.  Talk the talk... wins will come.  I swear to God, the wins will come.  But God Damn It, protect your fucking players!  Protect them from each other, protect them from other teams, protect them from unruly fans, protect them from the media... and yes, protect them from themselves. OF COURSE he still wanted to play.... but he's a student athlete and Coach Hoke is a grown man.  

I never once called for Rich Rod to be fired.  Even at the end, he had a contract and I thought the University should abide by it.  But now.... 

FIRE COACH HOKE. 

Not at the end of the season.  NOW!