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It Is Les Miles Or Bust
I agree that Les Miles is the ideal candidate to replace Lloyd Carr as Michigan’s head football coach.
He has the big three going for him. He played at Michigan. He coached at Michigan. He has been a highly successful head coach at a couple stops since leaving Michigan.
But what if he doesn’t take the job? Where does Michigan go then? It doesn’t seem very obvious. I like Brian Kelly, but he has not won with players he has recruited at the Division I level. I like Jeff Tedford, but what does he know about recruiting the Midwest? Nobody seems to mention Missouri’s Gary Pinkel, who has strong Midwest ties. Is it because he is so close to Nick Saban?
It appears to be Les Miles or bust. That puts Michigan and its athletic director Bill Martin in a precarious position. That is especially true since Ohio State and Michigan State seem so set with Jim Tressel and Mark Dantonio.
Random Thoughts
- I know Tampa Bay needs pitching and Matt Garza has a terrific arm, but I did find Delmon Young being traded this early in his career puzzling. There has to be concern about his attitude. Strictly based on talent, he should be as untouchable a young player as there is in the game.
- I don’t ever remember being as undecided about my Heisman vote this late in the process. Tim Tebow and Darren McFadden are great players, but has anybody done more for his team than Chase Daniel?
- Gosh, I can’t wait for next week when the Red Wings actually play the Canadiens. I know it is in Montreal. I know the Forum has long since closed. But anytime the Wings play Montreal or Toronto is almost makes me want to cry tears of joy. Or is it tears of sadness for the joke the NHL schedule is.
He has the big three going for him. He played at Michigan. He coached at Michigan. He has been a highly successful head coach at a couple stops since leaving Michigan.
But what if he doesn’t take the job? Where does Michigan go then? It doesn’t seem very obvious. I like Brian Kelly, but he has not won with players he has recruited at the Division I level. I like Jeff Tedford, but what does he know about recruiting the Midwest? Nobody seems to mention Missouri’s Gary Pinkel, who has strong Midwest ties. Is it because he is so close to Nick Saban?
It appears to be Les Miles or bust. That puts Michigan and its athletic director Bill Martin in a precarious position. That is especially true since Ohio State and Michigan State seem so set with Jim Tressel and Mark Dantonio.
Random Thoughts
- I know Tampa Bay needs pitching and Matt Garza has a terrific arm, but I did find Delmon Young being traded this early in his career puzzling. There has to be concern about his attitude. Strictly based on talent, he should be as untouchable a young player as there is in the game.
- I don’t ever remember being as undecided about my Heisman vote this late in the process. Tim Tebow and Darren McFadden are great players, but has anybody done more for his team than Chase Daniel?
- Gosh, I can’t wait for next week when the Red Wings actually play the Canadiens. I know it is in Montreal. I know the Forum has long since closed. But anytime the Wings play Montreal or Toronto is almost makes me want to cry tears of joy. Or is it tears of sadness for the joke the NHL schedule is.
posted by Pat Caputo at
9:20 AM
10 Comments:
you should be happy then with the NHL announcing it was going back to the schedule before the lockout. It is nice to see tradition and it was a shame the NHL took that away for as long as they did. The original 6 should play one another at least twice a year. 1 at home and 1 on the road. that's just me as a hockey fan.
Les Miles is definately an interesting choice. I wouldn't be disappointed with Iowa's guy. I mean when he had talent Iowa was a pretty solid team for a while. It be interesting to see what he could do with great talent at Michigan. Those would be 2 solid choices. Just in my opinion.
Great Tigers signed Kenny Rogers. BIG DEAL!!! To me so far they have done nothing this offseason to improve their biggest weakness. there is still time, but you hear about the rumors of the Angels, Red Sox, Yankees going after Santana. To me tigers would be wise to go after Harden or something like that. They still need one more starter. And I think at least solid bull pen pieces.
Pat, the NHL voted to change the scheduling back to the way it was before the lock out. Teams will now play each other at least once every season. Here's an ESPN link to the story.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3134834
Maddog52,
Obviously I am overjoyed by the scheduling changes. Now if they could just get the Red Wings in the Eastern Conference where they belong and I'd be estatic. I couldn't agree with you more about re-signing Kenny Rogers.
Caputo
Dan Joseph,
Yeah, I saw that - and couldn't be happier. But can we now get the Red Wings into the Eastern Conference.
Caputo
Well, I was listening to the Big (Boom-by-yah) Show yesterday and they had it in their heads the Miles thing was a done deal.
I still would have to see it to believe it.
LSU didn't offer Miles the money they did for no reason. They need him. I don't want to get into comparing SEC to Big 10 - but LSU is not exactly a second fiddle school. Nor the SEC a second rate conference.
If Miles does come to Michigan, I will be disappointed in him. I (quite humbly) think he would have more impact at LSU.
Yeah Book - we will see a bunch more original 6 games - but still not enough. Now if Montreal and Toronto could just live up to some of their hype.
Back in Toronto next week - this time instead of taking all my Tigers stuff, I will be sporting a Red Wings Jersey. They hate that.
Fred Brill,
Tell them in Toronto to not only get a life, but a hockey team as well. The Leafs are a dysfunctional mess. The money thing could be the hangup on Miles. I mean it will cost a lot to get him out of that contract, and it seems like LSU has deeper pockets on top of it. Michigan will have to bank on his love of the school to get him. There is also the less than receptive response his hiring would get from Carr and others. There are a lot of things that could make Miles not come to U-M.
Caputo
Pat, so Drew Sharp picked up my idea for trading Bonderman and whatever for Santana in the Sunday Morning Freep!!! LOL! (From your last blog).
Makes me feel like I am not a complete idiot.
What do you really think Pat? Is that totally crazy and would never happen? Dave and Skip love Bonderman's arm too much, right?
I love blockbuster trades like Kuenn for Colavito.
Cheers,
Danny
Hey Pat,
Sorry, I couldn't wait for your Monday post to vent about the Lions. Now, you know, I'm a Tigers' slappy. But as a famous salior once said, I've had all I can stands, I can stands no more (Popeye)!!
To go into Minnesota and get spanked, embarrased by that club tells me all I need to know about the Rod Marinelli era of Detroit Lions football. They have quit on him. He has failed, and anyone that thinks its going to get better is sadly mistaken.
Here's what will happen. The Lions will finish 7-9 and talk up all the "progress" they made this season. Hogwash. They beat a bunch of lousy teams and fell apart when the games really started to count. They have built no foundation and have no clue about how to build a real foundation.
Their smoke and mirrors defense has been exposed. Big Baby is an enigma and always will be and Corey Redding has done a disappearing act now that he has his big contract. The only players of consequence on that defense are Sims and this guy White they signed last off season.
Mike Martz will leave at the end of the season. Hey, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Bud. Your supposed brilliant offense doesn't work without an MVP caliber quarterback, which we don't have here in Detroit.
Matt Millen will flounder next April through another draft and good ol Rod will be back for a third season. And the Lions will march to another 6-10 or, maybe if we're really lucky, 8-8 season in 2008.
If William Clay Ford had the smarts to treat the Lions like something other than a play toy, it would shock the hell out of me. I mean really! Has there ever been a bigger contrast of what real, professional sports organizations look like - i.e., the Red Wings, Tigers and Pistons - and what pretenders look like?
The difference between Mike Illitch, Bill Davidson and William Clay Ford is striking. Illitch and Davidson are men that earned what they have. They know how to build winning organizations in business and in sports. It's no accident that Illitch and Davidson were successful in the business world and were able to trnaslate it in sports. The principles are the same.
William Clay Ford has attained his status by virtue of birth. He never HAD TO work hard a day in his life and it shows. He is soft and soft-minded. His team and his Lions' organization is his mirror image. Until he passes away or the team is sold, the Lions will amount to nothing.
Scott (thinking),
I don't agree that if the Lions finish 7-9 people will claim it was progress. This team is not built for success in the future. They aren't solidfied anywhere, even at receiver given the inconsistencies of Williams and Johnson. The QB is in his mid 30s, the draft pick to be QB of the future didn't even practice this season because of the IR rules, and the rest of the positions are nothing but holes and question marks. That 6-2 start might have been the peak of Marinelli's tenure. The Lions are in trouble. And you're right - it's embarrassing that the Lions are that bad while the Tigers, Pistons and Red Wings are that good.
Caputo
Danny,
I don't see that happening. The Twins aren't likely to trade him within the division and Bonderman does have a relatively hefty contract by Twins' standards. They are looking for premier prospects or young budding stars who are not yet eligible for salary arbitration, like Ellsbury.
Caputo
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