Thank God for the free press and the freedom of speech. It is often a beacon of light in times of turmoil.
In West Virginia, as in other parts of the country, we know that sometimes newspapers can only go so far and then have to back off because of possible litigation, political affliation, and potential loss of advertising or operating costs.
But they still present what they believe to be factual information in the best manner they possibly can.
I truly am grateful for being allowed to speak what I believe and read other's opinions on what they believe.
If you are going report like Paul Harvey and come up with "The Rest of the Story," please make sure that you really have ALL of the pertinent information before casting doubts on other information and then abandoning it.
Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette mentions my article "Follow that Plane" in an editorial in today's paper about the mysterious plane seen landing in Morgantown the night of the Pitt game. They did their own investigation and came to the conclusion that although the story here was intriguing, they could not find the Michigan connection.
I really appreciate that you gentlemen investigated this story. You answered a lot of questions with your report, but I also think you left a lot of questions unanswered that the public is still intrigued by.
First of all, the main question is this: Why would a man who loved West Virginia University since he was a boy, who lived his dream to play for the Mountaineers and then get to coach them, abandon that dream and his team in the dark of night?
Second, why would you believe ANYTHING that came from the University of Michigan? In your article, you mention that the U of M sports information director denied any relationship with the owner of the plane, Wilcox.
Have they not demonstrated by their actions that they have no morals? Are they not the ones who hired a coach without first asking the WVU administration? Secretly meeting with him at the very place where his "financial advisor" Wilcox's plane is located—Toledo, Ohio. Will they not be involved in future litigation? Why would they lend any evidence to hamper their own defense? And why would they tell a West Virginia newspaper if it were true? Their clandestine actions speak for themselves.
Third, you never got to talk to Wilcox...so how do you know if he was the only one who flew on the plane? Use your power of the freedom of speech and get the plane's manifest from the FAA. Even then, Wilcox may have not put down the correct number of passengers. But we want to know what he has to say. Of course they aren't going to register the Michigan people as guests of WVU, why would they?
Fourth, do you really believe that this only happened in one instance? Do you not think that the U of M folks would spend millions on something they didn't see first in person? Would you?
Finally: is there any connection between two Bowling Green alumni—Wilcox and Nehlen? You state that the pilot of the plane is not a UM grad but from BG. If I remember correctly, it was a BG alumni, BG coach, and UMass coach who told Rodriquez that Michigan comes once in a lifetime...
I look forward to the final chapters in this story. I challenge you to follow that lead and dig deeper.
"Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods." ~ Albert Einstein.
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9 months ago
Calvin Magee is being allowed to coach in the Fiesta Bowl, even though he is leaving for Michigan with Rod the Rat. Is anyone else afraid that he might try to throw the game? I mean his heart will obviously not be with us.
9 months ago
A traitor listens to his master!!
9 months ago
My God! Can't you guys ever let it go? At first, I felt a little sorry for you, as it is tough to lose your coach, even if it is to a superior program. But now it is getting ridiculous, and my attitude toward the WVU crybabies is not one of sympathy, but one of disgust. Grow up and move on.
True Blue from Ann Arbor.
from 9 months ago
Picture this
The year 2010 Michigan and USC are going to play for the national championship. Three weeks before the big game the Atlanta Falcons come calling, take Rod, (the greedy lying Rod) and two of his coaches and go to Atlanta. On being announced as the new coach of the Falcons Rod says "I plan on being here until I retire". Sound familar.
9 months ago
CAN'T SPELL TRAITOR WITHOUT RR
9 months ago
You are embarrassing yourselves, boys. Yourselves, West Virginia University, and the State of West Virginia. One would think that you had just lost someone important, such as a Professor of Brain Surgery from your medical school. This is most perplexing.
from 9 months ago
true i would be different in this opinion if 90% of wvu comments didn't say what the previous anonomous' said
9 months ago
john a lot of us are already over this and i for one say bring on the new coach
from 9 months ago
Now your talking (writing)! Michigan did not break Rod's arm or hold a gun to his head. All they did was offer him an opportunity to prove himself on the biggest stage (translation from the biggest stadium) in the land. He accepted that challenge.
I am reminded of my wife's visit to Japan several years ago during Ichiro's rookie season. She stayed with a family whose son was (and probably still is) a big baseball fan. My wife asked him how he felt about Ichiro leaving his team and his country to play in the U.S. His response was illuminating: (translated) "We are proud that one of us can compete with the best you have. He was a hero here in Japan, and now he is even a bigger hero."
Rod will always be one of you and yours, and when all is said and done, I suspect you will be proud of him and for all he accomplishes wherever he goes. (And we in Ann Arbor are not so naive as to believe this is his last stop, no matter what he says now.)
9 months ago
the players are the reason this team has got this far,with talent like white,slaton ,reynaud,devine,hell any coach could run this team and have incredible results...
9 months ago
Filed Under: College Football, Big East Football, WVU Football, Rich Rodriguez,
Not filed under Michigan football. Stay away if you don't like the posts here.
from 9 months ago
I'll tell you exactly how I get into these posts. When I learned that we had RR coming in as our coach, I decided to get Google alerts on his name directed to my e-mail. I did so hoping to read about his plans for Michigan and how he accomplished what did at West Virginia. Along with some information about those truly interesting matters, the alert term also generates the disgusting crying and whining from West Virginia that seems to go on and on and on. Please note that I did the same thing with Beilein when we hired him, and there too, the negativity went on and on and on at least until WVU hired another coach. Do I sense a pattern here? Please WVU, hire another coach.
9 months ago
To the writer who hypothesizes Rod leaving Michigan just before its 2010 championship game against USC, consider that something very similar to this happened to Michigan in another sport. In 1989, just before the NCAA basketball tournament, Michigan's coach, Bill Frieder announced that he was leaving the team for a job at Arizona State. Bo Schembechler, then the school's athletic director, stepped in and told Frieder to leave immediately. He turned the basketball team over to one of Frieder's assistants, Steve Fisher. The rest is history: Michigan won its next 6 games and the NCAA championship, beating on the way an Illinois team that had dismantled Michigan twice during the regular season. No tears, no whining, and no bitching out of Ann Arbor or, as I recall, from its fans. Just a national championship. And, truthfully, I hope and trust that the reaction would be identical should we encounter in reality the hypo you present.
9 months ago
In no way am I trashing the program at Michigan. The point that I was wanting to get across is that here is a coach who teaches respect for the program, trust in the program, loyality for the university, loyality to the fans and loyality to the state and the great sport of football or for that matter any sport that a university has. I for one, am glad you got coach Rod. With the loyality he showed he had for WVU, we do not need him. If a man is as good as his word then what good is coach Rod. Sure he will win football games and more power to him but if he cannot get his way then off he goes to whatever school offers him a little more money and it shows his true character. Coach Rod went behind the backs of WVU and talked to Michigans AD and president then in a manly and professional, manner gave his papers to an associate to give to the president of WV university. That take some kinda class. In the article about coach Beilein, I am one of the fans of Coach Beilein and I was not happy with the university when he left WVU but I will have to say this about him, he left with class, coach Rod left and I for on am glad he is gone. I want another coach to start ASAP at WVU and get any articles about coach Rod out of the papers here.
I am not whining about Michigan getting coach Rod, but with the class he has shown to the state of WV, the players, fans, and the team I say let him go and we can and will be better off without him. We really do not need any coaches teaching respect for the university, respect for the state, and respect for being a professional like coach Rod has shown in the last few weeks. I will say this Go Michigan basketball (until if and when you meet WV), as for football well what you got is what you'll get.
9 months ago
Actually, we have had a situation here at Michigan very similar to WVU's, but that turned out differently. Reflecting on that day, however, makes me wonder if it had turned out the same as it turned out for WVU, i.e., we lost our coach, would Michigan fans have reacted much as WVU fans are reacting now? In the early 80s (1981 or 1982) our beloved Bo Schembechler received an offer from Texas A&M that would have made him the highest or second highest paid coach in the country. After several days of rampant press speculation, Bo rejected the offer, making all sorts of statements about our university that made U of M fans most proud. Had Bo gone the other way, it is quite possible, maybe even probable that Michigan fans would have been bitter and would have expressed that bitterness without reservation.
9 months ago
All I can say is GO OHIO GO,
9 months ago
Just a little something for you Ohio State fans to think about. (I assume you mean Ohio State, and not the Ohio University that our (Michigan) women beat last night.) There is little question that the State of Ohio has perhaps the best high school football talent in the land. Also, Ohio State University has no other Big Ten university in the state competing for that talent. By way of contrast, I know of no one who would argue that the State of Michigan has high school talent that even approaches that of Ohio, AND the University of Michigan must compete with another in-state Big Ten school for that talent. Under those circumstances, how is it that the University of Michigan holds such a lopsided advantage over the Buckeyes in the overall football series? Could it be the superiority of the institution?
9 months ago
Again Michigan fans are living on ancient history.
The series is tied since 1927!
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