Has Braylon made it impossible for someone to earn the #1 jersey?

Submitted by Communist Football on

This article suggests that RR was rather scarred by the outcry from Braylon et al. Quoth RR:

"Roy likes the No. 12 and I think he'd be good just staying in that," Rodriguez told Ryan Terpstra on ESPN 96.1..."We haven't talked about (Roundtree’s number preference) at all, Rodriguez said. I've dealt with that thing a couple of years ago, so we've really tried to put that issue to bed."

Whether any of our current receivers deserve the #1 is something people can honestly debate. But it would be a shame if RR felt like he didn't have the authority to offer it to a deserving receiver. The J.T. Floyd incident in 2008 was an innocent mistake, and it sounds like RR doesn't want to give it to anyone now because he doesn't want to deal with the political outcry from Braylon et al. should he give it to someone they don't approve of.

Once RR was educated about the tradition, surely we can trust him to apply it appropriately.

Anonymosity

November 10th, 2010 at 12:56 PM ^

They should start a new tradition and give the #1 to the fattest guy on the team.  Come on, you know Will Campbell trotting out on the field with just a '1' on his jersey and all kinds of blue real estate would be humorous.

Yostal

November 10th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^

Michigan only has five retired numbers, each one has an awesome story:



#11-The Wistert brothers, three brothers, three All-Americans, one number (and that should be somewhere in the concourses darn it.)



#47-Bennie Oosterbaan: Thrice All-American



#48-Gerald Ford: U.S. President



#87-Ron Kramer: Twice All-American, number retired on the field after his final game of his senior season



#98-Tom Harmon: Michigan's first (and for a long time only) Heisman winner, and known as "Old 98"



It bums me out that these numbers do not have a place of honor inside the stadium, but that is in keeping with the team concept.



I like that Junior Hemingway wears 21, it reminds me of Desmond and Biakabatuka.



I like that Vincent Smith wears 2, it reminds me of Charles Woodson



I like that Denard Robinson wears 16, it gives me cognitive dissonance when thinking about John Navarre.

My point is that the same essential navy jersey that Tom Harmon wore is now worn by Roy Roundtree.  The heritage of the past bleeds through to the present. 

If you want to honor #1, let another Michigan player wear it and judge him for how he performs on the field and off.  Or retire it for Anthony Carter, Michigan's only other thrice All-American.

 

Siiiiingler

November 10th, 2010 at 1:20 PM ^

If there were ever a time to break from tradition, it would be now.  I absolutely love the #1 and its correlation with great WR's, but Denard is clearly the biggest game-changer on the offense,, and he's wearing a non-descript #16..,,just sayin.

BrayBray1

November 10th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^

ultimately it should be up to RR, and Braylon shouldn't have such a stranglehold on the number. At this point it's causing more friction than anything else. JMO.

thisisme08

November 10th, 2010 at 1:27 PM ^

count me in on the once a decade crowd.  Make the jersey something to strive for rather than just get.  Sure Roundtree has been having a great season but lets see kids put 2-3 seasons together and for their senior year bestow that tradition on them. 

Search4Meaning

November 10th, 2010 at 1:45 PM ^

A temporary trustee of an honor that he is expected to understand, respect and build upon.  He exemplifies all those characteristics that one would expect from a student athlete - both on and off of the field.

The holder earns it when he has surpassed all expectations.  In short, he will have earned it well before he receives it.  

I hope Braylon understands this.  I'm certain Rodriguez does.  They may not completely agree, but in the end Carr decided that Braylon had earned it - Not Carter (et. al.).

It will be Rodriguez who decides.  All holders should understand and honor that.

Cool One

November 10th, 2010 at 3:01 PM ^

I'm not sure catching the ball in the open field where the nearest defender is 10 yards away means you get the #1 jersey. You have to be clutch. Make a game changing play here and there. Maybe even return a kickoff. The plays that Junior made on against Illinois were more impressive than Roundtrees.

blueblueblue

November 10th, 2010 at 3:08 PM ^

I have to agree here - if the #1 had to be given out at now, and if I had a vote, I would vote for JH. Making defenders miss the way he did, catching the bobbled ball in the endzone, and several clutch plays he made in earlier games puts him ahead in my book. You could have put Junior or Stonum in Roy's place on Roy's two long yardage catches, probably without any difference in outcome. I am not sure the same could be said of the plays Junior made. 

griesecheeks

November 10th, 2010 at 6:25 PM ^

wholeheartedly disagree.

(1) Roy Roundtree is by far our most consistent and dependable wide receiver. He runs excellent routes and finds ways to make plays. You don't just get 250 yards receiving on 9 catches with 2 touchdowns. Roy is clutch. He always has his nose pointed downhill. Love what he does. He's a no-frills, hard-working wide-out who puts up numbers and more numbers. Call him the blue-collar WR. He's a workhorse.

(2) Stonum: the dude's got speed, and still has yet to be utilized properly, IMHO. I'm not sold on his route-running or his ability to come up with plays in traffic. He's good, but there's more there to tap into. Said it before, but I'd love to see him on some end-rounds/reverses, and some tunnel screens. He needs the ball in space.

(3) Junior Hemmingway. I still don't have a good read on him. Yes, he's been super clutch at times, but he's also fully capable of flat-out drops, and sometimes I just don't get the sense that he's all that reliable. I'm totally conflicted on him. I'm not saying he's bad, but I'm not sure I agree that he's our most clutch receiver. It almost seems like a concentration/focus issue with him.

The great news is: the combination of these three guys is working really well right now, and I wouldn't change a thing. But if Michigan had 4th and goal with a second left, I'd be most comfortable with the ball going to, in order: Roundtree, Hemmingway, V-Smith (yes, i said that - great receiver out of the backfield), Stonum...... then everyone else.

dahblue

November 10th, 2010 at 3:02 PM ^

Excluding the initial snafu with RR mistakenly offering the #1 to a defender, does anyone have any factual basis to claim that Braylon is meddling in RR's decision to hand out the #1? It was a mistake, RR fixed it and now...?

I see lots of comments about Braylon "interfering", "putting the #1 in a stranglehold", "ruining the #1", "working against the coach", "stipulating who gets the number", etc.

Maybe I'm missing something, but does anyone have any facts to back that up?  A link?  A quote?  Anything?  This just isn't a big deal for folks to spit so much hate toward a loyal Wolverine.

cjpops

November 10th, 2010 at 3:19 PM ^

RR should wait until the team is winning consistently again.  Then he can do what he wants and not have to worry about as many silly 'repercussions' from fans, alumni, etc.

tlh908

November 10th, 2010 at 5:42 PM ^

For as good as this offense is, with a couple of really good receivers, it would be a shame not to issue #1 next year.  It will be a trivia question in 10 years, who wore #1 when Denard won the Heisman?

griesecheeks

November 10th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^

I really think the whole #1 jersey thing is a little bogus. It seems like a touchy subject that maybe doesn't have full support (or understanding) from everyone within the program. While Braylon was awesome, and I'm sure he had good intentions by creating the #1 thing, it's something that, quite frankly, seems like it could be more of a distraction than a benefit. 

Personally, I love seeing #12 chugging downfield with the ball in his hands. Or #21 making the big catch downfield. If I were one of those guys, I wouldn't want to change my number. It becomes a burden, and makes you a target.

If anything, they should make the #1 a ceremonial thing after the season for achievements that have already occurred. IE: present the best receiver each season with the jersey at the annual banquet. That would be more special, in my opinion, and doesn't create a distraction.

Whatever happens with it, the parameters should be very clear, and there needs to be more widespread support for the whole thing if it is to continue.