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NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA The Greek Speaks |
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If you want to make Lloyd Carr angry, there are some simple things you can do. If you play for him, you can miss a block or dog it in practice. If you are a fan, you can pretend you are in a library when you go to a football game, as you usually do. If you are a reporter, you can imply that the 1994 Colorado game has something to do with Saturday's Colorado game.
It's simple, really. Yesterday, an out-of-town reporter asked Carr whether the infamous Hail Mary loss of 1994 will give Michigan any extra motivation this weekend when they travel to Boulder, Colo., for a rematch with the Buffaloes.
It was a simple question, and it simply made Carr mad.
"That game has no bearing on this game," Carr said sternly. "I'm not talking about that game or that season."
The reporter - obviously not understanding how touchy the issue is - made another mistake.
"Sounds like a sore spot," he said.
Oops.
That didn't make Carr mad; it made him absolutely livid.
"That's your opinion," Carr lashed back.
And that was the end of the conversation.
Why does such a innocent question elicit such an emotional explosion? Why does something Carr considers no big deal become such a huge one when it is brought up? Hmmm.
Sounds like a sore spot.
It would be easy to understand if the loss made Carr angry. It would be easy to understand if Michigan's struggles since the Colorado experience made him angry. But when Carr insists over and over and over that he doesn't think about it, that it doesn't matter and that this game is like any other, he obviously isn't being truthful.
He isn't lying to the public, mind you. He probably doesn't talk about it to his team, probably demands that it not be discussed inside Schembechler Hall, and certainly won't have anything to do with it when meeting with the media.
But Carr is lying - to himself.
The 1994 game does matter. It matters to everyone who will be involved with Saturday's game. No matter what the players say, they do talk about it. No matter what you hear, revenge is a factor.
You can tell the 1994 game is important every time the Wolverines' self-imposed silence is innocently broken.
For example, Scott Dreisbach, who spoke to the media just an hour after Carr did, had a different perspective on the game.
"Sure it motivates our team," Dreisbach said. "It gives our team something to learn from. We have to play four quarters of football and not let up. I remember where I was when the play happened. I was on the sidelines in my uniform, and I saw the play. I was just shocked that it had just taken place."
Wait a minute. Sure it motivates our team? I remember where I was? I thought the Wolverines weren't thinking about it.
This whole situation is a shame. There is nothing wrong with revenge. There is nothing wrong with being hurt by a tough loss. That's being competitive. That's football.
But there is something wrong with denial. And in a Michigan tradition as firmly established as winged helmets, the Wolverines try to cover up the bad times, try to dismiss them and try to trick everyone into believing it's no big deal. They won't admit the truth to us or themselves.
Well, this foolishness isn't working.
If the 1994 Colorado game didn't really matter to the Wolverines, Carr wouldn't yell at those who asked if it did.
It's simple, really. It sounds like a sore spot - a really, really sore spot. It sounds like a struggling program that doesn't want to talk about where things started to go wrong. It sounds like a team worried about the future.
All this anger over one loss and one question. It sounds really, really bad.
Poor Lou: Illinois coach Lou Tepper has had a rough season so far. His Illini lost to Michigan, 20-8, two weeks ago and were pounded by Southern Cal, 55-3, last weekend.
The losses left Tepper quite depressed, but then it was all put into perspective.
"I thought the USC game was the worst game in my nine seasons," Tepper said. "But when I got home, I talked to my wife, and she reminded me that there were more.
"Washington State, 1986.
"Missouri, 1993.
"Obviously, Ohio State last year.
"How could I have forgotten?"
Way to go, Mrs. Tepper.
Lions purr: Penn State coach Joe Paterno doesn't think he plays a weak schedule. Hey, the Nittany Lions played Southern Cal already this year, he proudly points out.
Yep, and then came highly-regarded Louisville. And up next are powerhouses Northern Illinois on Saturday and Temple next weekend.
"These are good, solid players Northern Illinois has," Paterno said. "They gave Maryland all they could handle."
Oh, boy. Maryland.
Watch out Penn State, the Terps will probably make your schedule someday, too. They're right behind Big Al's Truck Driving School and Academy on the waiting list.
- Nicholas J. Cotsonika can be reached over e-mail at cotsonik@umich.edu.