Braylon Edwards' Beef: Former Michigan Great, RichRod Is "Past the Hot Seat"

Former Michigan wide receiver and 2005 third overall draft pick, Braylon Edwards, was back in Michigan this weekend to host his charity basketball tournament at the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.

As part of his tour back through the state he once played in, Edwards made a stop in Detroit on Friday night to throw out the opening pitch at the Tigers’ game.

But that wasn’t all the former Wolverine decided to throw out.

After the pitch, Edwards had a few remarks to throw towards current Michigan Wolverines head football coach Rich Rodriguez.

When asked about what he thought of Rodriguez’s future with the Wolverines, Edwards noted that 2010 was a “make or break year” for RichRod.

“He’s past the hot seat, and he has to make it work… If he can’t—me being one of the alumni guys—I want someone that can make it work.  We’ve been patient...If it doesn’t go right this year, we’ll have to find a guy that can make it work with that winged helmet.”

Edwards also said he’s not buying into the notion Rodriguez doesn’t have the talent to win in the upcoming season: “Everybody says he didn’t’ have his players when he first got here, that it’s going to take him a while to recruit…but this is Michigan.  We have some of the best athletes in the country, year in and year out.”

This isn’t the first time the Michigan legend has offered up an opinion of distaste for Rodriguez.

The two have been going back and forth, albeit subtly, for quite some time.

The original dislike for one another can likely be traced back to Rodriguez’s arrival to Ann Arbor, whereupon in 2008 he decided to give the coveted number 1 jersey to a rookie defensive back.

The jersey number, which Edwards had the honor of wearing during his time with the Maize and Blue, had been historically reserved for outstanding veteran receivers.

After being drafted to the Browns, Edwards had even set up a $500,000 scholarship for those who wore the jersey.

At the time he set it up, Edwards had given the requirement that the jersey not go to a rookie, and he also expected that it go to a receiver—as it had every year since Anthony Carter in 1979.

When Rodriguez in his first year as new head coach decided to give it to a rookie defensive back—Edwards made it publicly known he was not happy.

Following that entanglement between the two, which ended up with the inevitable make-up that all public spats do, things went quiet for a while.

Until January, 2010, when Edwards, who was appearing on Sunday Night Football, introduced his alma mater as “Lloyd Carr’s University of Michigan”, allowing his detestation for Rich Rodriguez to be publicly known once again.

Although Edward’s came out later to say the comments were an homage to Carr rather than a representation of his dislike for Rodriguez, many weren’t buying it.

This time around, Edwards' comments might be a little more telling.

It is clear by saying that Rodriguez is “past the hot seat”, Edwards is also past his patience level.

By citing his alumni status, as well as the fact that he is giving these comments while in town for a very public charity event which has a history of raising large amounts of donations, Edwards may be alluding to more than just his personal dislike for the head coach.

More than likely, he was talking about the future monetary consequences of such a dislike.

Edwards is one of the University’s more public figures, one of the sports’ largest philanthropists, and no doubt has a say in the politics of the Michigan athletic department.

His comments, “me being one of the alumni guys—I want someone that can make it work  We’ve been patient”, say to me that he’s speaking for more than just himself.

He’s talking both for his money and the other members of the anti-RichRod faction he's no doubt held private conversations with.

The topic of wealthy alumni withholding donations due to grievances with the current head coach is a topic that has been a buzz around the area for quite some time now.

Edwards, it appears, may be thinking about joining their club, depending both on the Rodriguez 2010 season, as well as the athletic department’s decision of whether or not to keep the coach around.

There is no doubt that such statements and sentiments from such a public and powerful Michigan alumni will factor in to such that department’s decision come early 2011.