The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/279958
FROM OUR READERS REMEMBER THE FOREWARNING Dear The Wolverine: We should have listened more intently to Coach Hoke a couple of years ago when he forewarned that the work at hand was a longer-term proposition than his first season, when it appeared that the Wolver- ines were back on the Big Ten and national map quickly. He was right. Now he's at the midpoint of his six-year contract with a very young team, led by a first-year starting QB, lacking the quantity of upper class leadership and skill that Teams 132 and 133 demonstrated. To its credit, Team 134 fought valiantly all season long but fell far short of the perhaps premature championship contention expecta- tions. It became painfully clear that the vision of pounding the ball downhill on offense and dominating with an attacking defense was more likely a five- to six-year rebuilding plan before U-M could once again be a consistent contender both re- gionally and nationally. The Wolver- ines need more experience, depth, speed and skill in all three phases of the game to realize that vision. De- moralizing losses in rivalry games (including the epic beat-down in East Lansing and a renewed losing streak to Ohio), ongoing road woes (including a new Kinnick curse), inopportune turnovers and incon- sistent play continue to plague the program. Yet flashes of brilliance, ongoing strong recruiting, and a hard work ethic provide promise for great po- tential to be realized. Clearly more time and patience is needed for this to play out. This is likely not good enough for many observers in this era of instant gratification and con- stant viral communication. Pressure will no doubt build for the balance of Coach Hoke's contract to execute the lofty standards by which he measures the success of the program (Big Ten championships and more). That cannot be a surprise to Coach and his staff — they clearly knew what they were getting into when they arrived in Ann Arbor, and they deserve the support needed to ful- fill the plan and the time to make it happen. Michigan's return to prominence is desperately needed to help re- establish the entire Big Ten as a na- tional powerhouse as well. Uldis Sipols Norwell, Mass. There's a patience theme to this month's letters, Uldis. Those inhabit- ing Schembechler Hall might be least patient of all, so we'll see how they roll come fall. ❏ Be Heard! Send your letters to: Wolverine Letters • P.O. Box 1304 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Or e-mail: jborton@thewolverine.com Letters may be edited for clarity or length.