UofM Wolverines : Dispelling Off-The-Field Adversity

     Adversity sometimes occurs again and again to a person, a family, a group, a team. This is a natural fact of life.  The Chinese Taoist had a saying that goes something like: "When big problems occur take care all the little things to avoid having the problem get bigger; when there are little problems take care of the big things to ensure the little problems don't worsen."

     Issues raised by sports talk show host and their fans can create and sustain an adversarial atmosphere for a team. Like the one which exist right now suggesting that "if the Wolverines lose to Western Michigan the coach is toast."

     Meaning that Coach Rodriguez's reputation will be so poor that the program will continue a tailspin downward and never regain its prestige. That sort of sound bite is dramatic and no doubt continues to draw listeners and advertisers the radio program.

     If that is the case then the fans of Wolverines football are the most spoiled in the country. Some of those same fans pay yearly to see the Lions continue to fail as a franchise ever since Barry Sanders left.  Give me break. The only way their dismay and disbelief will affect the teams play is if the Wolverines are a bunch of quitters. Guys who make it to this level of play are the ones who didn't quit. They took the work, the pain, the anguish, and the joy because they have goals.

     Once I and the entire junior varsity were fired. We lost our first game by beating ourselves. The JV coach was vexed. After we showered and dressed he called a meeting and fired the whole team. Not even the coaches pet could stay.  As Monday rolled around two guys showed up for practice. A running back and myself. 

     The JV coach met us outside at the locker room entrance and wouldn't let us in. "What do you losers want," he yelled?   We told him we wanted to practice. He told us he didn't coach losers and we should go home. My buddy asked what we should do since we had to leave. Call me a persistent brick head if you want, but I said, "we go back tomorrow." 

     We did. No other players joined us, however, and the coach turned us away again. By mid-week the RB and I were the only two who showed up. The coach allowed us to come in get dressed and practice with the Varsity. The JV team was called back to practice by Thursday and we played Friday and won. As the starting safety I had one fumble recovery, and about five open field tackles for short gains.

    Most important I was kept on the Varsity 3rd team for development my freshman year. The JV team won all of its remaining games too, which by the way it had done for three years in a row!  I would eventually get playing time in JV and Varsity games, and by the end of the season was offered a leadership role for next season.

     The Varsity had also won their division for several years in row with no more than one loss each season. But that season we lost 3 games.  It was a tougher year for us. The fans would stand out waiting for the team bus to arrive screaming and shouting like crazed animals when we loss.

    These were the same fans who loved us, gave their first born daughters, and offered us future jobs when we graduate. We were their boys when we won. And now they were ready to pelt us with beer cans and rocks? 

     If you are a player you understand my point here. Gossip, innuendo, its all good theater for the armchair players. Rumors are mere distractions for a real players. Players and coaches flick their fingers at gossip and rumors like stallions flick their tails at flies; inside the game those things mean nothing.

     Finally, the Naval Seals have a day during their physical training program that is appropriately called "hell day".  After days and days of the most difficult work outs the armed forces can throw at them they come to hell day with one agenda in mind. That agenda is to make recruits quit. Many do. The ones that don't are the types of guys playing Wolverine football tomorrow.

     I favor the Wolverines tomorrow because I think their defense wants to make a statement and get a good start early in the season. Michigan will have to depend on defense to play well all season and should even if the offense comes out fire all eight cylinders.