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Rich Rodriguez (official thread of last laughs)

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Thump;1030092; said:
RR's built WVU on being able to admit "questionable" recruits with some sketchy backgrounds.

That stuff won't fly in Ann Arbor.
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osugrad21;1030152; said:
RichRod will have to tone down some of his recruiting tactics...when you are at a WVU, folks just kinda shake their heads when a few rules are [strike]blatantly broken[/strike] bent a tad...but when you are at a Michigan, well, those things happen to end up in the papers.

I sent out a PM about this time last year dealing with RR and recruiting...someone might still have it.
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Apropos given the events of the past couple of weeks...these are from right after the hire.
 
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Rich Rodriguez comforts grieving family, gives father, son their U-M moment




Ann Arbor --As Dave Page anticipated the birth of his first child, he could not help but envision a future full of football Saturdays at Michigan Stadium, the two of them together cheering on a team that Page has forever loved since his father, David Sr., first started taking him to games.
Michigan football can fuel the parent-child bond, and even though Page didn't know if he and wife, Wendy, would welcome a son or daughter, plans were in place to make the trek from Jackson to Ann Arbor for home games.
"I've loved Michigan my entire life," said Page, 33. "It's something my dad and I shared together, the great experience of watching Michigan football."
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Baby David arrived April 13.
"When he was born, and before he was born, you always think that it's special to go to a football game and have your son there," Page said.
"Just the experiences I had with my dad, that was something I thought about, how great would that be to take him to a Michigan game and have that Michigan experience."
The family, however, was immediately thrown into medical chaos.
David III was born with non-immune hydrops, a life-threatening disorder that essentially is a prenatal form of heart failure. He was sent to Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, not far from Michigan Stadium.
On April 16, a Friday and a day before Michigan's spring football game, the team's final practice before August camp, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and his wife, Rita, were at Mott Children's Hospital visiting sick children, as they often do. Michigan offensive linemen Perry Dorrestein and John Ferrara also were there that day.
Rodriguez was running late for practice, as he walked through the hallway of the pediatric intensive care unit.
Dave Page was wheeling his wife to their baby's room to say goodbye. David III was dying, his organs failing, and it was only a matter of hours before he would lose his battle.
Page passed Rodriguez, who was in the middle of a conversation, in the hallway of the intensive care unit.
"All I could think to say was, 'Go, Blue' because I had my mind on other things," Page said. "And (Rodriguez) stopped, had a big ol' smile and said, 'Go, Blue.' "
Page's father struck up a conversation with Rodriguez. They spoke about Jackson and Jackson-businessman Al Glick, a major donor to the Michigan football program. The baby's grandfather then told the coach about the family's situation.
"I listened and it was, 'Oh my goodness,'" Rodriguez said, his voice softening as he recalled the conversation.
'It was really touching'

The Pages were with little David when they were asked if they minded if Rodriguez, his wife, Dorrestein and Ferrara visited with them.
Dave Page, awash with emotion, knew this was the closest the two of them would ever get to sharing Michigan football. Rodriguez, late for practice, stayed with the Pages for nearly 15 minutes.
"To be honest, when he came in, I just broke down," Page said. "I just started bawling. It was really touching that he took the time to visit with us."
Rodriguez signed an "All in for Michigan" towel that he told David Sr. was worth $4 before he signed it and $1.50 afterward. They all posed for a photograph, and Rodriguez parted, saying little David would be in his prayers.
"I was humbled by that," Rodriguez, a father of two, said of the experience. "It was an emotional time, and it was emotional for us, too. It puts things in perspective real quick, and that struck a chord. To see that family at that time was remarkable.
"It was a tough experience. Sometimes you don't realize as a coach and as players that you can do so many things outside of the field that can be beneficial. They were terrific people."
For Page, it was a bittersweet meeting. The son he had planned to take to Michigan games was going to die in a few hours, but they were able to share one Michigan moment in his 3-day-old life. Page was moved by Rodriguez's empathy.
"With everything that's going on with the accusations and the NCAA, a lot of Michigan fans aren't happy, and he just seemed like a really genuine guy," Page said. "I don't know if he doesn't come across as genuine to some people, but he came across as a genuine guy when I met him.
"More than change (my feelings about Rodriguez), it strengthens my thoughts on him. I've been one of the few that when things have being going bad, I've been in the middle. It has improved my overall outlook on him and how he handles the program and the kids."
'It meant a lot to me'

There are no instruction books on how to handle grief. Page found his way and went back to his Michigan "family," the Internet message board on GoBlueWolverine.com. He poured his soul into a message he wanted Michigan fans to read with the hopes of giving a glimpse into Rodriguez's impact that day and to give parents the simple reminder to appreciate what you have.
He was stunned by the response.
Page then shared his story via e-mail with Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon, who sent him a response.
"I thought to myself with what coach Rodriguez did for me and my family, I at least owe it to him to let Dave Brandon know that coach Rodriguez is out there doing these things," Page said. "That's what prompted me to do these things. Even though coach Rodriguez isn't necessarily doing great on the field, he still has big heart and it's nice to see that."
It has not been long since that day that David III was lost. Some days, Page said, are easier than others. His employer, Rehmann in Jackson, has given him time and space, and Page said he and his wife have relied on their families and faith.
"We have days we cry and other days we don't," he said. "It's just a day-to-day thing."
And Page always will have the memory of a special Michigan football moment with his son.
"I don't want to overstate it," he said. "But it meant a lot to me."
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not sure if this is the right thread for this or not. It's about RR, but surely not the normal fodder that goes in here.
 
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WolverineMike;1718990; said:
not sure if this is the right thread for this or not. It's about RR, but surely not the normal fodder that goes in here.
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This thread is the right spot. I'll let NFBuck pass judgment on the guy.
 
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Steve19;1719034; said:
RR also making a big deal about UM helping some guy in Columbus rehabilitate and walk again? Leading TSUN onto the field their first game?
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ANN ARBOR - Not a day passes that Brock Mealer doesn't reflect on that horrific Christmas Eve of 2007, when he was one of the fortunate ones in a car crash that left him paralyzed from the waist down. And not a night passes that Mr. Mealer, 25, doesn't dream of life before that crash, when he enjoyed his favorite physical activities without wheelchair or crutches.

When he wakes up, however, Mr. Mealer's reality returns. He can't stand up without assistance. But some day, against considerable odds, he says he will. Keep dreaming? Not for Brock Mealer.The Wauseon High School graduate is preparing to lead the Wolverines onto the field at the Big House on Sept. 4 for their season opener against Connecticut.
With the encouragement of hard-charging UM strength coaches who have begun dabbling in spinal cord research, he just might do it.


The 99 percent chance doctors gave Mr. Mealer of never walking again is becoming more tenuous with each passing day. "I can tell that I'm getting really close," Mr. Mealer said. It might make a more heartwarming story to say this has changed Mr. Mealer for the better, that somehow, not being able to move up and down a basketball court, or on a flight of steps, has improved his outlook. Mr. Mealer has always been filled with joy and faith. In fact, he was on his way to a Christmas service when the accident turned his life upside down. "A lot of time, I feel like I'm living off borrowed time," he said.

The story has been well-documented. In October, ESPN's investigative series E:60 aired his story: A 90-year-old Wauseon man ran a stop sign on State Rt. 2 at Fulton County Road 16 and collided with a sport utility vehicle driven by Brock's father, David Mealer. Mr. Mealer and a passenger, Hollis Richer, his brother Elliott's girlfriend, were killed.

Elliott and his mother, Shelly Mealer, were treated for minor injuries at Fulton County Health Center. The elderly driver was charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter. Brock Mealer received a metal plate in his wrist and 17 screws in his spinal column. And an invitation that may change his life. On a recent afternoon, Mr. Mealer wheeled his way into the University of Michigan football weight facility wearing a blue Adidas T-shirt with the inscription, "Impossible is Nothing."

Mr. Mealer is out to destroy the word "impossible." And his most significant step toward that goal was to accept an offer from a few highly energized University of Michigan coaches who enjoy a challenge.

Rich Rodriguez, who was named Michigan's new football coach a week before the accident, brought along his strength and conditioning staff headed by Mike Barwis.

Rodriguez assured Elliott, then a senior at Wauseon, that his scholarship offer would be honored despite the shoulder injury he suffered in the accident.

With Brock Mealer, Barwis sensed an opportunity to heal a crippled man. "Some of the people Brock has worked with have told him, 'You're not going to walk'," said Elliott, a sophomore University of Michigan offensive lineman. "Mike doesn't tell him that. He says, 'You will walk. It's not going to be easy. We're going to make it rough on you.'?"

In November, when Brock Mealer felt that his hospital physical therapy had stagnated, he finally accepted Barwis' invitation. Inside UM's weight room, Parker Whiteman's deafening voice easily drowns out the vocals of Metallica frontman James Hetfield.

"Weighing 240 pounds and standing 6 feet, 2 inches - when he does stand - Brooooock Meeeaaaleer," Whiteman announced. Whiteman, 27, is the coordinator for strength and conditioning on Barwis' staff, and like his boss, Whiteman is a ball of energy, incredibly passionate about his job and the lives of the athletes he trains. Whiteman, flanked by assistant strength coach Dan Mozes, put Mr. Mealer through a series of exercises that would make even the meatiest of the meatheads at your local gym cringe.

Mr. Mealer quips that he's going to create a motivational soundboard of Whiteman's and Mozes' musings, which range from playful insults to inspirational tones.

"We don't treat him differently than anyone else who comes in here," Whiteman said. "I think that's one of the things he likes. He's not being babied. He knows if he can't get something, he's going to have to find a way to get it," the UM strength coach said.

Determining just how close Mr. Mealer is to walking is not precise, but Whiteman believes the squat rack is a good indicator. When Mr. Mealer began training at UM six months ago, he needed 200 pounds of squat assistance from an accompanying machine - as well as the guidance of his arms - to complete a repetition. He has since reduced the assistance to 80 pounds, and his arms never leave his side. The hope is that once Mr. Mealer needs zero pounds of help, he'll remove his harness and be able to walk again. In Whiteman's view, though, Mr. Mealer is already walking. In six months, Mr. Mealer has progressed from not being able to use crutches, to walking with the assistance of crutches and ankle braces. He can walk 60 continuous yards at UM's practice facility with only the help of arm braces.

"Now it's about, are we going to get him to the point where he's walking completely unassisted?" Whiteman said. "I've never had more confidence in someone that I've ever worked with that he's going to walk." Absent of Whiteman's demands, Mr. Mealer's life is a grind. A graduate student in public policy at Ohio State - yes, Mr. Mealer is enrolled at the rival school to the south - he typically makes two trips from Columbus to Ann Arbor a week. A hand control was installed in his Pontiac G6, allowing him to operate the accelerator and brake. Audio tapes of his textbooks are the usual soundtrack during his trips. And, of course, there's the wheelchair broken down in the back seat. Attached to it is a UM sticker, which predictably receives a lot of attention in Columbus.

"It's not anything I like to flaunt, but it's cool to have people ask about that," Mr. Mealer said. "I always tell them it's a long story. Once they get to know me, they're quite receptive to everything and say, 'I can see why you'd like Michigan.'?"

Mr. Mealer's social life is no different from other 25-year-old students - it's limited. When he's not exhausted from following Whiteman's orders, Mr. Mealer enjoys watching sports with his friends, and while out on the town, the man in the wheelchair is often approached by curious individuals eager to buy him a drink. He tells his story, not to receive sympathy, but because he enjoys encouraging others to persevere in the face of hardship. Mr. Mealer has shared his experiences recently with students at Maumee Valley Country Day School and in front of about 700 at Ohio Northern University in Ada. "It's cool to be able to share my story," he said. On Sept. 4, at the Big House, he just might share it with more than 100,000 people. Impossible is nothing.
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http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs...NEWS16/6010337

he's the brother of former osu recruit Elliot Mealer. The thread about Elliot is in your own recruiting section.
 
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Diego-Bucks;1719005; said:
Awful for the family. I suppose its good that RichRod could provide something, anything, of a positive fashion to the family... even something as trivial as a random hospital visit. What a sad story.
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question:

Did he wear his red and green sweatbands on the visit?
 
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WolverineMike;1718990; said:
It's about RR, but surely not the normal fodder that goes in here.
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Where's my &#@#% fodder? :pissed:

I popped in here for my usual breakfast fodder, and the thread is fodderless; utterly and completely fodder-free; devoid of fodder.

I rely upon this thread for my daily serving of fodder, and now there is none. Where am I to obtain my fodder? Am I now condemned to live in an alternate universe composed of anti-fodder?

Somehow, this thread took a wrong turn at Ann Arbor & my accustomed fix of normal or abnormal fodder is unattainable--like that junk in Avatar that they blew up the big tree for--or so I've heard (never got around to seeing it) as opposed to this thread that I see nearly every day, but now must apparently view in the PG-tSUN format.

JMHO: The unfoddered life is not worth living.


AaaNoFodderfinal-1.jpg
:scum4:
 
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Wolverine Mike -

If you want to represent your team and post on our board - fine.

If you want to engage in friendly banter and defend the Maize and Blue - fine.

But if you want to come over here and try to make us feel all "warm and fuzzy" about RR. If you want to try and represent him as a human being. If you want to rob localyokel of his fodder fix -

That my friend, is NOT fine.


Still an ass.
 
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