- Thread starter
- #1
GoBlueNavyNuke
Well-Known Member
As some of you know, I've been a Hoke supporter these past couple of years. And honesty part of that is a backlash against those that do things like the "H/Joke" thing (come on folks, we are Michigan fans, we are better than resorting to ad hominem!) but also because I hate this notion of instant gratification. There is a reason most college HC contracts are 5+ years, because it does take time.
But I will admit, last weekend did shake that support to the core. And should the season start a death spiral, I will be right with you looking for change. But let's at least hold off until then. Because one, making a change now is a surefire way to kill any chance of this team having a quality season. Which two, remember the start of the 2007 season? Not only did Michigan have the embarassment of the App. St. game, there was a similar beat-down by Oregon (in the Big House no less). Yet, that turned out to be a pretty good season, and if not for some key injuries down the stretch could have been great. So one never knows how the season will play out, until it does.
So as have mentioned before, let's consider the case of Bill McCartney at Colorado. He had three terrible seasons, four medicore, but then the program took off, won a national title, became a dominate power, and McCartney is now in the Hall of Fame. Not say I am predicting Hoke will do the same, but given your crystal ball is just as good as mine, you cannot say for certain that won't happen.
Because yes, there are some troubling signs, but there is some postives as well. Do we just forget that Hoke did go 11-2 and won the Sugar Bowl? Do we just forget that even still in transition mode, for the most part these past couple of years they've been compeative in nearly all their games, including some heavy hitters (like Ohio St.)?
Bobby Bowden once said "First you lose big, then you lose close, then you win close before you win big. The problem is, you don't know exactly how long each step is going to take."
I get it, this isn't something Michigan fans have had to deal with in a long time. But every program, every program, goes through stuff like this from time to time. So let's not lose our heads.
But I will admit, last weekend did shake that support to the core. And should the season start a death spiral, I will be right with you looking for change. But let's at least hold off until then. Because one, making a change now is a surefire way to kill any chance of this team having a quality season. Which two, remember the start of the 2007 season? Not only did Michigan have the embarassment of the App. St. game, there was a similar beat-down by Oregon (in the Big House no less). Yet, that turned out to be a pretty good season, and if not for some key injuries down the stretch could have been great. So one never knows how the season will play out, until it does.
So as have mentioned before, let's consider the case of Bill McCartney at Colorado. He had three terrible seasons, four medicore, but then the program took off, won a national title, became a dominate power, and McCartney is now in the Hall of Fame. Not say I am predicting Hoke will do the same, but given your crystal ball is just as good as mine, you cannot say for certain that won't happen.
Because yes, there are some troubling signs, but there is some postives as well. Do we just forget that Hoke did go 11-2 and won the Sugar Bowl? Do we just forget that even still in transition mode, for the most part these past couple of years they've been compeative in nearly all their games, including some heavy hitters (like Ohio St.)?
Bobby Bowden once said "First you lose big, then you lose close, then you win close before you win big. The problem is, you don't know exactly how long each step is going to take."
I get it, this isn't something Michigan fans have had to deal with in a long time. But every program, every program, goes through stuff like this from time to time. So let's not lose our heads.