"It's amazing some of the things that people would say [on a message board] or yell at you of a personal nature," Rodriguez said Monday. "You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.'

"There's a whole lot bigger problems. Look at the economy."

He's right. The economy is dreadful in the Great Lakes State right now. That's probably why your fans don't like paying $60 a pop to watch your comically inept offense destroy everything they hold dear. Or that their school had to pay $2.5 million to West Virginia University just to get you out of the contract you bailed on. Or that you're earning another $2.5M to deliver the most losses in school history. (And they have a lot of history.) One fan even has to sell his allegiance to pay the rent.

The worst knock on Rodriguez has been the perception that he does not take the Michigan Mystique seriously. U of M fans care very much about their traditions and rituals—almost more than they care about the actual winning and losing—so to tell them that they might lose to Notre Dame, MSU and OSU in the same season and that they should basically just get over it ... that's not helping.

Neither are rumors that RB Sam McGuffie—one of the few bright spots this season and a big hope for the future—might be leaving school as part of a larger player exodus. The athletic director actually had to step in with a public vote of confidence earlier in the season, but if Ohio State embarrasses them this weekend (they're favored by 19; the largest spread in the history of the rivalry) it's going to be a long winter in Ann Arbor.

Or maybe they'll pull off the miracle upset and all will be forgiven? (That would actually help State reach the Rose Bowl, which obviously leaves me conflicted.) Of course, the fact that such an upset would be a miracle, is kind of why everyone is pissed.

Rodriguez says some Michigan fans need to get a perspective on life [ESPN]
U-M's Rich Rodriguez, meet (and beat) Ohio State [Detroit News]
Sam McGuffie, Others Leaving Team [M Go Blog]
Fire Rich Rodriguez [Fire R Rod]
Michigan Fan Auction [eBay]

Former Michigan offensive lineman Justin Boren, who left Michigan in mid-March citing a "decline of family values" under coach Rich Rodriguez, has transferred to Ohio State. Boren started all of last season at center and left guard for Michigan. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel confirmed the transfer to the Columbus Dispatch for a story in today's edition.

Fortunately, Michigan fans are taking this well.

Boren of course will have to sit out a year before playing his final three seasons with the Buckeyes; a situation made all the weirder by the fact that his father, Mike, played for Michigan under Bo Schembechler in the early 1980s. A bit surprisingly, not all Ohio State players are completely on board with this.

UPDATE: Michigan fans still taking the news well.

Justin Boren Transfers To Ohio State [Detroit Free Press]
Justin Boren Sweepstakes [Buckeye Commentary]

It's like back before the Civil War when slaves had the right to buy their freedom. A penalty of $4 million is almost like a slave from Africa trying to buy his freedom in America. I think it's an outrageous amount. It's just not fair and it's not related to any damages the university is suffering."

Well said, Marv. And perfectly timed, considering it's the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr's assassination. This is exactly the type of oppressive behavior Dr. King devoted his life to eliminating.

Rich Rod's lawyer uses slavery analogy in regard to coach's buyout [Charleston Daily Mail]

Rodriguez, who took the time to shred every file in his WVU office before departing to become the head coach at the University of Michigan, will have the favor returned at the Nailers game on February 2. The Nailers are offering discounted tickets to any fan that brings in a newspaper article or picture of the former West Virginia University football coach to contribute to the industrial sized paper shredder that will be stationed in the concourse.

But that's not all.

Any fan who wears WVU apparel to the game will receive $2 off their ticket price. Ohio State fans will also receive the discount by wearing their gear to the game to demonstrate their mutual distaste for Michigan. Any fan caught wearing University of Michigan apparel will be charged double in order to help Rodriguez pay his $4 million buyout to WVU.

Let's tailgate! I've got a few sensitive documents that would make a lovely salad.

STILL UPSET: West Virginia Hockey Team Hosting A 'Shred Rich Rodriguez' Promotion [Detroit Free Press]
Wheeling Nailers [Official Site]

They also mention a crazy theory put out there by certain Mountaineering nutjobs:

The level of vitriol has surprised even Rodriguez, whose guilt and empathy are slowly turning into defiance. What irks him the most is a theory bubbling from the hollers to the Capitol to the campus bars in Morgantown. A theory that suggested he threw the Dec. 1 game against Pittsburgh — the school's traditional season-ending rival — to avoid a berth in the national championship game.

[I]f the school lost, the theory went, Rodriguez would be free to pursue the Michigan job, because no coach would walk away from a championship game.

The Freep continues on to discuss a heated meeting between Rodriguez and the WVU president, how his brother's kids are being threatened at school, and how embedded the football program was with the entire state of West Virginia. In short, I really hope these two meet in a BCS game next year.

How and Why Rich Rodriguez Left West Virginia For Michigan [Detroit Free Press]