Your Greatest Expectation v. Reality as a Sports Fan

[The Sultan]

I was thinking about this the other day with regards to the last MU coaching search.  What has been the moment as a sports fan that has caused you to get excited about the future, only to turn out to not come close to meeting expectations?

For instance, mine was when the Packers hired Forrest Gregg as head coach.  Former Packer who lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl - I thought for sure the Packers were going to turn around under his leadership.  That did not happen.

Also when the Bucks won the draft lottery for Glenn Robinson.  I was confident he was going to be their next great player.  I pictured him doing Giannis things before I knew what Giannis things were.  He ended up being a decent player but nope...

Conversely, I was very excited when I heard that former Giants HC Bill Parcells had turned down the coaching gig in Tampa and was the leading candidate to work for newly hired Packer GM Ron Wolf.  Only to be disappointed when Wolf hired Mike Holmgren instead.  That turned out well.

[MUfan12]

Pretty much anything the Bucks did from 1992-2018, outside of drafting Giannis.

[jficke13]

I expected the signing of Charles Woodson to be a terrible decision. I am happy to eat crow on that one.

[Benny B]

Easy.  Trevor Mbakwe.

[RJax55]

Mark Prior.

After the 2003 season, he looked destine to be the Cubs ace for the next decade. At that time, it would have been extremely difficult to believe that his career would be over just three years later.

[wadesworld]

Jabari Parker.  I thought he needed to be Batman for the Bucks to turn into a real title contender.  Oops!

[Pakuni]

After winning the '05 Series, the White Sox went out and added a couple of all-stars (Jim Thome and Javier Vasquez), re-signed Paul Konerko to a long-term deal and looked to be set up to contend for the next 3-5 years.
They've won one playoff game since.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

After winning the '05 Series, the White Sox went out and added a couple of all-stars (Jim Thome and Javier Vasquez), re-signed Paul Konerko to a long-term deal and looked to be set up to contend for the next 3-5 years.
They've won one playoff game since.

You're right.  That is bad.

i thought Lou Piniella would bring the Cubs a WS.

[cheebs09]

The Bucks signing Anthony Mason was going to put them over the hump. It did not.

[jsglow]

Those are all really good Fluff.  I've got to think on some times I was clearly wrong.  They're so darn numerous it's hard to come up with the best.  But I remember being 'right' twice.  I thought both Drew Brees and Russell Wilson would be stars and couldn't believe GMs didn't pick 'em early.  I have decided that I'm a QB guru as a result.  I didn't need teal, did I? 

[keefe]

The jury is still out but for many wearing Blue it is one word: Harbaugh

[jesmu84]

Rex Grossman, Rashaan Salaam, Curtis Enis, Curtis Conway, Cade McNown, David Terrell, Cedric Benson, Kevin White...

Marc Trestman

[jsglow]

I got it. I got it.  I remember exactly where I was and being very excited when Vanilla Soft Serve announced his verbal commitment.



Shame.

[jesmu84]

The jury is still out but for many wearing Blue it is one word: Harbaugh

How do alums view this? Poor record vs OSU. Haven't won the conference. Haven't made the playoff.

Has he been that much more successful than his predecessors or others who were targeted in the same hiring season?

[wadesworld]

The jury is still out but for many wearing Blue it is one word: Harbaugh

Good God the irony on this is so rich.

[Jockey]

Good God the irony on this is so rich.

Jury is too busy on Wojo

[RJax55]

Rex Grossman, Rashaan Salaam, Curtis Enis, Curtis Conway, Cade McNown, David Terrell, Cedric Benson, Kevin White...

Marc Trestman

Curtis Conway does not belong on that list. He had a very solid NFL career.

As for the rest, yes. Replace Conway with Mitch.

[Billy Hoyle]

The Lions hiring Bobby Ross and Steve Mariucci.

The Lions drafting Joey Harrington.

The Tigers in the 2006 World Series.

Dameon Mason.

[MUBurrow]

How do alums view this? Poor record vs OSU. Haven't won the conference. Haven't made the playoff.

Has he been that much more successful than his predecessors or others who were targeted in the same hiring season?

Honestly? I think its humbled even the proudest of Michigan Men^TM.  Everyone's getting restless, but to what end? If Harbaugh can't do it, whats the next move?  I think its starting to reset expectations.  And that's fine! Michigan has still been very good!

[Billy Hoyle]

How do alums view this? Poor record vs OSU. Haven't won the conference. Haven't made the playoff.

Has he been that much more successful than his predecessors or others who were targeted in the same hiring season?

The candidates that year were Jim Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh, and Jim Harbaugh.

Based on RichRod and Hoke, he has been more successful. He's beaten Michigan State and gone to Jan 1 bowl games. But, he still hasn't been to a Big Ten title game or the playoff, whereas OSU and MSU have. Definitely, the Wolvies set themselves up for disappointment as many (the ones who the only time they've ever set foot on a college campus is for a football game) though Harbaugh would never lose a game. Others still had outsized expectations but couldn't foresee OSU being at the ridiculously high level they have reached. At least he's beaten MSU.

[jesmu84]

Honestly? I think its humbled even the proudest of Michigan Men^TM.  Everyone's getting restless, but to what end? If Harbaugh can't do it, whats the next move?  I think its starting to reset expectations.  And that's fine! Michigan has still been very good!

I'd love to sit down and listen to any cross-over Michigan football+Marquette basketball fans discuss those respective sports/head coaches/recent success.

[JWags85]

The candidates that year were Jim Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh, and Jim Harbaugh.

Based on RichRod and Hoke, he has been more successful. He's beaten Michigan State and gone to Jan 1 bowl games. But, he still hasn't been to a Big Ten title game or the playoff, whereas OSU and MSU have. Definitely, the Wolvies set themselves up for disappointment as many (the ones who the only time they've ever set foot on a college campus is for a football game) though Harbaugh would never lose a game. Others still had outsized expectations but couldn't foresee OSU being at the ridiculously high level they have reached. At least he's beaten MSU.

I'm not a Michigan fan and don't have much of an opinion on Harbaugh either way, but I think he's gotten a mostly unfair rap, partially because he was viewed as the second coming and a savior.  He took over a program that had went 20-18 the previous 3 seasons and made them competitive again right away.  No he hasn't beat OSU, but nobody really has.  When he took over Michigan in that abysmal state, OSU was coming off a National Championship, ahead of schedule, and was lead by one of the top 5, if not top 3, CFB coaches of all time.  There is not a coach in the country that is going to be consistently successful against that outside of Dabo and Saban right now.

Especially if Michigan wants to play old school rough and tumble football against the modern lightning attack of OSU, they are gonna struggle, just like UW and others.

[MUBurrow]

I'm not a Michigan fan and don't have much of an opinion on Harbaugh either way, but I think he's gotten a mostly unfair rap, partially because he was viewed as the second coming and a savior.  He took over a program that had went 20-18 the previous 3 seasons and made them competitive again right away.  No he hasn't beat OSU, but nobody really has.  When he took over Michigan in that abysmal state, OSU was coming off a National Championship, ahead of schedule, and was lead by one of the top 5, if not top 3, CFB coaches of all time.  There is not a coach in the country that is going to be consistently successful against that outside of Dabo and Saban right now.

Especially if Michigan wants to play old school rough and tumble football against the modern lightning attack of OSU, they are gonna struggle, just like UW and others.

This.  He's righted the ship, and Michigan wins when they are favorites and loses when they are underdogs.  I think it'd be nice if they keep climbing a bit and are consistent favorites against the other non-tOSU big ten.  And I think that tOSU will slowly start to come back to Earth, too. They are on an unreal run, but odds are that they will regress at least a little post-Urban.

[Jay Bee]

Big 3 in Minnesota.. KG, Spree, Sam Cassell.. great regular season, MVP, Western Conf finals.. I'm at the Target Center watching the Lakers against us.. and thinking.. 'yeah, finally we've made it'..

Since then, it's shocking how absolutely awful the franchise has been.

[Cheeks]

Angels with Pujols.   Got the best record within a few years, but ran into the Royals in the post season.  The window closed.