The announcement yesterday of Rich Rodriguez agreeing to pay the $4 million buyout penalty to West Virginia left me wondering - Why didn't he just do this six months ago? With all of the negative publicity Rodriguez has endured over this issue, only to wind up paying what his West Virginia buyout clearly indicated, makes me also question why Michigan left Rodriguez twisting in the wind all this time.
I have included a few snippets on this issue that I found interesting. This article from Michael Rosenberg shows there is at least one member of the Detroit media who does not care for Coach Rodriguez's tendency to use what some may refer to as colorful vocabulary. Another article from ESPN asks a very legitimate question about this whole issue: Was there really anyone involved in this mess that can say they truly won?
Going forward, Coach Rodriguez can now concentrate exclusively on Michigan football. As Pete Fiutak of collegefootballnews.com says in this article, just wait until Michigan struggles (and I predict loses) to Utah on August 30th, and then things will really start to get ugly in this whole relationship between Rodriguez and the people of Ann Arbor. West Virginia may start looking very inviting at that point.
TTUN
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Let me suggest a possible answer to two of the questions you pose. The questions:
ReplyDelete1. Why didn't he just do this six months ago?
2. Was there really anyone involved in this mess that can say they truly won?
Possible answer:
First, for Michigan this settlement is pocket change. The big guy or entity does this to the little guy all the time. “If they want it, make ‘em wait, make ‘em work.” Well, Michigan (and R. Rod) made them wait and they made them work. And in the end, WVU got no more, and arguably less than what they were asking for. Did they get less? Of course they did. Money plus time equals more money. Michigan and Rich Rod kept their money and, at least in Rich Rod’s case, will continue to keep some of it, thus generating more money. And how much did WVU have to spend in attorney fees and costs to get it? WVU tries to console themselves by saying Rich Rod never had a defense, but they know that $4 million was excessive and therefore a penalty, and unenforceable. Rich Rod and Michigan settled to avoid the distractions as football season approaches. They had budgeted for this from the beginning and finally settled because they had managed what they wanted to accomplish. They jerked WVU around; they made them work and wait. U of M sent and WVU received a message.
It's a sad state of college football that these talented coaches are taking the roles of overpaid prima donnas (previously reserved for talented players once they went to the NFL).
ReplyDeleteAt some pont, these coaches (Saban, RRod, et al) are going to realize that karma is unforgiving when they are trying to recruit some great talent whose parents have watched their publc display of lying and deception...and the parents tell the kid not to believe a word out of the man's mouth.
Tom - just wanted to officially welcome you to the Mind of Minnich.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your comments. And to echo Mr. Tallaksen, Mr. Grady, welcome to the Mind Of Minnich. Glad to have you as a visitor and hopefully frequent visitor.
ReplyDelete