Don’t Poke the Bear

Don't poke the bear

Have you ever heard any of these sayings; don’t poke the bear, don’t wake a sleeping giant, or let sleeping dogs lie? What that means is if you see a bear don’t poke it or you will see what an angry bear looks like. Or when referring to sleeping giants and sleeping dogs it would seem better to leave them alone and let them be because if you wake them up they’ll likely be angry and you will have to deal with the consequences. In the TV show The Incredible Hulk, David Banner warned, “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry”.

In 2008 when Michigan Football suffered through a treacherous 3-9 season you could say that a College Football giant was down. As I endured the season, remaining steadfastly loyal to the team I had rooted for since childhood, I observed a lot of people poking the bear. Local and national sports writers did and continue to do all kinds of poking and prodding at Michigan. I think the local sports writers do it for one reason and that is to try and be controversial and draw the ire of Michigan fans. Take for example Detroit Free Press writer Michael Rosenberg’s column regarding Justin Feagin’s dismissal from the Michigan Football team. Go ahead and read it and see for yourself if Rosenberg is poking Michigan and in particular Rich Rodriguez. What exactly are you insinuating Mr. Rosenberg?

I find it funny that news of Feagin’s dismissal was around the same time Mark Dantonio reinstated Glenn Winston to the Michigan State Football team. Winston was recently released from the Ingham County Jail after serving time for assaulting a Michigan State hockey player that resulted in that player, AJ Sturges, being hospitalized with severe head injuries. So I ask you why is Rodriguez in the crosshairs and Dantonio gets a free pass. Why do I care? Remember the “don’t poke the bear” saying? Michigan State fans didn’t just poke the bear last season they stabbed it with knives in the back. The Spartans beat Michigan for the first time since 2001 and they start plastering billboards on local freeways taunting Michigan. Really? Who actually pays for that and why?

This poking is not limited to Michigan State fans either. After the Spartans were demolished by Penn State 49-18 in the regular season finale Mark Dantonio was asked how it felt to get crushed in a game that had been hyped as much as that game was. His answer was, “at least we didn’t go 3-9”. An obvious reference to Michigan’s 3-9 season. I’m amazed that his first thought after losing that game was not about his team but it was about Michigan. This from the same guy who started and continued the whole little brother and moment of silence issue with his snide comments back in 2007.

Rich Rodriguez

I have some bad news for all those who so enjoyed poking the wolverine last year. First of all it should be noted that Rodriguez never jabbed back or made stupid comments aimed at any of the pokers. He simply stands by his mantra of talking about guys that play for Michigan and he is only worried about Michigan. Second, the only options to being poked like that are to roll over and ignore it or to do your talking on the football field. While all the negative comments and press have been rolling on, Rodriguez has diligently gone about the process of building this program. That might make you wonder why would anybody have to build a football program at Michigan, wasn’t it already built? Yes it was but anybody who follows College Football knows that Michigan had fallen behind the pack a bit in recent years. Rodriguez brought a new system and style of football and sometimes to build something up you have to tear it down first. The tear down is complete and the building up has been in process since Rodriguez arrived on campus. The only question is how far will they get the building this year? A .500 record, 6 wins, 9 wins? I’m putting the over/under on wins at 7 what do you think?

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