Lloyd Carr Retires: A Sad Day in Sports

Lloyd Carr the newly retired coach of the University of Michigan deserved better. Coach Carr was done when he lost to Appalachian State. Media flunkies had their 2007 goat and they were not about to let up until they had what they "speculating" about so they could look like a bunch of Karnack.

Truth is Michigan had a good year - not a great one but a good one. Michigan is 8 and 4 and would have won the Big Ten championship had they beat Ohio State (more on that later) this year. They will go to a bowl game.

How many teams can say that? Can Alabama? Can UCLA? Lloyd Carr record at Michigan was 121-40 with 5 Big Ten Championships and a National Championship. What other coaches can say that? Bo never won a National Championship. Those are some pretty impressive numbers to say the least. Not good enough though for the University of Michigan or its fans because he could not beat Jim Trussel. More than that he was losing to Trussel's Ohio State. The Media never let us forget this. How many times have they brought up the graphic on his record against Ohio State?

How many times did they tell us it is all about the Michigan vs. Ohio State game? I never thought these college rivalries or not winning the "big ones" were true. I had this naivety that most coaches kept their job if they kept winning and kept their noses clean. Then, University of Florida hired Ron Zook upon the NFLing of Steve "OBC" Spurrier. I am a UF alum and thoroughly hated Zook. He was not Spurrier or even Stoops. He won, he went to bowls games and we (the alumni) still hated him. The rallying cry? "He can't win the big ones."

And the ultimate knife in the back "He's getting out coached." Soon Zook was gone and I for one could not be happier. Urban Meyer came in and everyone loved him. It's been a few years since the "Zook era" of Florida football and I have let my hatred go. And low and behold, a few weeks back I was watching the Illinois vs. Ohio State game and thought to myself after the game "Wow, Zook is a pretty good coach - who knew?" The records knew. Coach Carr should have gone out on his own terms and not the media's.

I would have loved to see him beat Ohio State, win his bowl game and then quit. Because by the time he won that bowl game everyone would have been saying what a miraculous turn around he had performed at Michigan. The media stand behind nothing more than death. They lie in wait of it. I know of a music magazine that had George Harrison's death edition prepared a full five years before he died.

Apparently they do this for a bunch of stars just waiting for them to die so they can get their "Special Editions" out fast. In sports we can't wait for someone to get fired or cut from a team - the sports death. Vince Dooley was 11-13 against his alma mater and SEC rival Auburn. Did this record end his career? Dooley was 201-77 over his career with 6 SEC Championships and a National Championship. Hmmmm. To a great coach I say goodbye - the game will miss you. Coach Carr deserved better.