Thanks to those who stuck with my self-indulgent journey over the past few blog entries. I think I've got that out of my system and I'm returning to a more common format: ranting about particular issues in College Football.
Today's topic, if you missed it in the headline, is Lloyd Carr. My heart has been telling me for some time that things were amiss with this guy -- no longer just crusty and unfriendly with the media, but really wrong in his approach to coaching. This of course is the most important thing he does so far as I'm concerned, but I needed to know factually, with numbers, that my suspicion was spot on so I went for a ride on the Information SuperHighway.
On rateitall.com, Lloyd Carr carries an overall rating of 3.01 out of a total possible 5. Converting this number into a standard letter grade, as utilized at schools around the country, including the University of Michigan, yields a D-
That sounds bad, but just to see, I looked up the rankings of a few other notable coaches.
Dan Hawkins (the coach, not The Darkness' heavy metal guitarist) riding on the strength of his love fest at Boise State came in first pulling a 3.54
Pete Carroll, still smarting after the unfamiliar sensation of losing, came in at #5 with a score of 3.38; just above...
Cheaterpants McSweatervest*, who was curiously tied with himself for four spots on the list, 6, 7, 8 and 9, pulled in a 3.37 overall approval rating.
Lloyd checked in at number 40, a hair below Oregon's Mike Belloti and hair above Tom Amstutz of the University of Toledo. That's good company.
Maybe his ranking is so low because he's better to the opposition than he is to his own.
One saucy Iowa fan summarizes Michigan's embattled coach, calling for his continued reign of terror:
"As an Iowa Hawkeye fan I fully support Lloyd Carr. Even though Michigan is able to recruit superior talent, Iowa will always have a chance with Carr at the helm.... teams from Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota don't fear the Wolverines, and in fact look forward to playing a game that is very winnable."
iBlogForCookies.com (check out their awesome Michigan highlights link dump if you're bored at work or if you have forgotten what the Wolverines have been capable of, on ocassion) made this keen observation:
"In the past, a critic had to open his list of complaints with a preface stating 'I think Carr is a good man and runs a clean program and is a great mentor for our kids, but ...' lest he be accused of ignoring all of Carr's good traits. The poor, negligent soul who forgot The Caveat stood exposed to accusations of being an unmerciful critic with unrealistic expectations..."
But ..."over the course of the last 14 games, the tables have turned. Now it is acceptable to start straight in with the criticism, and if called out, to fight back. Now it is the 'Carr apologists' that have to preface their defense of Carr. 'This was a disappointing season, and I was as unhappy as anyone. The coaching staff really let the team down, and it's frustrating how the same problem keeps recurring, but ...'. The poor, negligent apologist who forgets The Caveat stands exposed to accusations of 'accepting mediocrity', as if it was ours to accept or reject."
I don't know about you but I think this marks a significant change of the tide with respect to the average Michigan fan. Imagine the pressure now, when even the typical fan, not just the diehards, are calling for his head.
That's why I think things are changing. It won't be Carr this year, but in cases like these the discontent of the proletariat can only be quenced with the blood of the bourgeoisie. That means an Offensive Coordinator or a Defensive Coordinator, minimum.
As usual the Michigan PR machine is keeping things quiet, but the buzz from the underground is that Michigan fans will shit their pants when the imminent coaching changes are announced. This is after all Lloyd's last ditch effort to regain the luster he's lost and it comes at a critical time when two of Michigan's bitterest rivals, tOSU and Notre Dame, appear to be trending upward.
*Thanks EDSBS.com for the inspired nickname.
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