Michigan football was not in a good place this past week. Heck, it has not been in a good place all season. As a fan, I am just numb to it already. But I am not numb to what happened last weekend. In a home loss to lowly Minnesota, Michigan quarterback Shane Morris was taking a beating. He was noticeably limping from repeated shots to the leg which was certainly affecting his ability to make plays and get out out of the way of hits. Then this happened:
Morris was hit in an ugly shot by a Minnesota tackler which the television announcer quickly denounced as targeting, which should have incurred a penalty, an ejection, and most likely a suspension. Instead, no one seemed to notice the hit including Michigan coaches as they left Morris out there to wobble and struggle. He proceeded to throw one more pass, then get pulled. However, when new quarterback Devin Gardner promptly lost his helmet on a play and had to sit out a play (per NCAA rules designed for SAFETY), there was Morris touted back in some kind of sick irony. The cameras even showed the 3rd-string quarterback getting quickly ready to enter for the play only to have a stream of miscommunication and then before you knew it Morris was back out for the play to hand off the ball.
But the damage was done. Not only was damage done to the man and his health, but to the state of precautionary safety in college football and to the coaching staff at one of college football's most hallowed institutions. The coaches all say they did not see the hit. How that is possible is questionable at best. But to then see a player struggling like Morris was physically and just assume he's good to stay in the game is awful. That could have cost him even more if he had been hit again! Brain injuries are not anything to make light of and the coaches at a school like Michigan should be at the cutting edge of the treatment, not the ass-end.
Head Coach Brady Hoke says he didn't see the hit. Hopefully he sees it coming when he is terminated. Maybe not this season and maybe not directly due to this lapse of leadership and sense, but it will come eventually. I just hope he doesn't turn a blind eye to that too.,
But the damage was done. Not only was damage done to the man and his health, but to the state of precautionary safety in college football and to the coaching staff at one of college football's most hallowed institutions. The coaches all say they did not see the hit. How that is possible is questionable at best. But to then see a player struggling like Morris was physically and just assume he's good to stay in the game is awful. That could have cost him even more if he had been hit again! Brain injuries are not anything to make light of and the coaches at a school like Michigan should be at the cutting edge of the treatment, not the ass-end.
Head Coach Brady Hoke says he didn't see the hit. Hopefully he sees it coming when he is terminated. Maybe not this season and maybe not directly due to this lapse of leadership and sense, but it will come eventually. I just hope he doesn't turn a blind eye to that too.,