The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/418536
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING Desmond Howard ESPN: "I did not expect it to happen now. I thought it would potentially happen. I spoke to a real big Michigan donor about two weeks ago, and he told me he didn't think that Dave would survive this, but that he wanted Dave to, because he likes Dave. "Dave has done some tremendous things during his tenure at Michigan as ath- letic director. But the bottom line right now is, his number one hire, when you cut to the chase … he didn't do anything that's that awful. He angered some of the right people, or some of the wrong people, depending upon how you look at it. Angst Under Brandon • Agreed to alternate football uniforms on a number of occasions, drawing mixed reaction. Michigan had to hastily change into new uniforms unveiled in the locker room at Michigan State in 2011, causing some consternation internally. • Directed the departure, or accepted the resignation, of more than 100 ath- letic department employees in the months after his hiring. Hired personnel that not only refilled those ranks, but swelled the athletic department to more than 300 employees, causing questions about such moves set against football's required donations and ticket prices. • Introduced plans to put a $2.8-million marquee video board on Stadium Boulevard, south of Michigan Stadium and Crisler Center, a plan Ann Arbor's city council fought. • Raised student football ticket prices by 23 percent in the spring of 2013, as well as instituting a general admission seating policy, two moves that incensed student seat-holders. • Put in place "dynamic pricing" for single-game football tickets for secondary market application. • Eventually acknowledged the department hiring skywriters to spell out "Go Blue" over East Lansing, a move roundly criticized. • Amid waning football ticket sales, cited as "a miscommunication" a local Coca-Cola promotion that provided two tickets to the Michigan-Minnesota game for soda purchase. • Sent out a 1 a.m. statement regarding sophomore quarterback Shane Mor- ris' "probable, mild concussion" more than 12 hours after head football coach Brady Hoke met with the media and insisted he had no knowledge of a concus- sion diagnosis. • Endured a "Fire Brandon" rally that culminated on president Mark Schlissel's lawn and a petition for his removal that topped 10,000 signatures. — John Borton