An abbreviated version of the Friday Feedback greets you today. I have some schedule conflicts that need to be settled, but, honestly, many of the week’s comments deserve presentation rather than discussion.

Take p.i. reed, who was somewhat tickled to learn P-Rod was settling. Seriously, what do you do with something like this trio of comments other than take them in and be thankful that you did?

p.i. reed said:

I want it paid in dollar bills, personally counted out by Fraudriguez on a table at the 50-yard line ….. at Homecoming … with the band in a tight circle around him … playing Country Roads.

sound fair?

p.i. reed said:

… and then I want Bill Stewart to push one dollar back across the table and say, “Don’t go away mad.”

p.i. reed said:

… and I want him to have to walk through the tailgate section to get back to his car …. where a drunken Pike is puking on his hood.

It’s one of the top 10 moments the blog has witnessed. It had some company this week and I see no reason to wait any longer. Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, stay on your toes.

Homer said:

It was pretty predictable he wasn’t going to let Product Rita get deposed. That would begin the Parade of Realtors.

I’m not sure I follow.

glibglub said:

Ah, the Parade of Realtors . . . next to the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies, it’s my fave part of The Nutcracker Suite.

Well, now I get it.

JX said:

“Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom!!!”

-William Wallace

Except that we survived this ordeal. Barely. 

Josh said:

this had less to do with Rita’s deposition and more so about Michigans admins not wanting to be deposed. they tried to keep it from happening and and when their attempts appeared to fail they told Rich to settle. It still won’t be him paying any money. And he won’t pay any taxes because the settlement will allow him to make the checks out to the Foundation so that it can be a charitable donation. I am just glad we got the money

Yes, let’s remember UM was not innocent and was denying knowledge of existing evidence and avoiding depositions. That’s a key in all of this.

Shannon said:

So Rodriguez finally realized what we all had realized since December … that he was fighting a losing case.

But since WVU is getting the money from Rodriguez, we should be nice and name something after him, since that is the trend in higher education. I propose the creation of the Richard Rodriguez Exit Ramp, in honor of people of leave and do a disservice to the people that got you to where you are at today.

It’s one thing to leave. I don’t think anyone would’ve ever had a problem with Rodriguez leaving, had he done things the right way. We all know people who have left West Virginia to find a better job or to make something of themselves. Even I have left to live in North Carolina and will return to North Carolina after I’m finished with seminary. But you don’t make public comments or overtures that damages the people and the institutions people care about.

Rodriguez may go on and win two or three national titles at Michigan and he does, good for him. But at least for West Virginians, he will always be remembered for how he left, the way he left, and the reasons he gave for why he left.

I think that pretty much sums up the way everyone feels in one way or another. There’s no wall built around West Virginia. You can come and go as you please and people will be happy for you when you leave and happier when you return. Just do it like an adult and not a spoiled brat who slings mud and sticks his tongue out and then when busted runs and hides.

Chris in DC said:

Some thoughts –

-I’m just glad all of this appears to be over. I’m tired of WVU and it’s fans being portrayed as the ‘psycho ex-girlfriend’ through this entire ordeal. I think if Rich would have used his head and started negotiating the buy out from the get go, he would have some cash, at least in lawyer fees.

-I, too, find it sorta funny that this ends before the Michigan brass’ turn to be deposed. The president and AD don’t want to get their hands dirty in this mess so they order PRod to settle and they’ll chip in some cash to make it all go away. If they didn’t have the stomach for this, why not settle back in December? Senseless…

-What does John Beilein think? I’m sure he has to be pretty steamed that his bosses didn’t help him with his buyout. He could’ve taken the low road that Rich took, but he handle it properly knowing that he signed an agreement. I guess losing 20 games doesn’t help your case, but you have to assume that he isn’t pleased with his bosses right now.

-How long does Mike Brown’s career as an agent last? I would think he’s looking for new clients right about now. His resume as former ice cream stand worker and college football prognosticator doesn’t sound too strong!  

All very good points, particularly the fourth. It continues to baffle me how a guy like Rodriguez, who made his way with ingenuity and a deep personal trust, surrounded himself with such poor representation.

glibglub said:

I still want to know how in the wide, wide world o’ sports P-Rod went about deciding that Mike Brown would make just a swell choice for an agent.

Not only that. They entered real estate ventures together! … Speaking of real estate, how about the house?

OB1 said:

They certainly did a nice job of removing all the lepoard and cheetah print before they left.

Oh, come on, I didn’t see any.

glibglub said:

Maybe Marv will compare UM’s offer to pay most of the buyout to the Emancipation Proclamation.

In Utopia, yes. Honesty, I’m thinking of quitting the Daily Mail and hiring Marvelous because I’m not sure what to do without him.

StraightOuttaNorthCentral said:

I just hope I’m alive long enough to see a Rodriguez version of “This is Your Life,” with appearances by Garrison, Brown, Robon, Flaherty, Fitzsimmons, Walker, Farmer, Parsons, Babcock, Aschebrook, Hardesty, Kendrick, Ike Morris, Rutledge, Gibson, Magee, Phil Elmassian, Stewart, White, Slaton, Devine, Deion Sanders, Schmitt, Rasheed Marshall, Scott McBrien, Ralph Friedgen, Beilein, Butch Jones, Travis Garvin, Danny Embick, Walt Harris, Paul Rhodes, Dave Wanstadt’s crutches, the United Bank Board of Directors, along with a special satellite feed featuring the US Ambassador to Micronesia, the Honorable Joe Manchin.

The crutches got me…

Eric (K) said:

Mike, are you on crack? Thank them for putting an end to this madness? They helped cause and nurture this madness!

Not only did Michigan hire a coach under contract, and do it before the end of WVU’s football season, but if the buyout agreement is true they also essentially told P-Rod “sure we’ll pay your buyout, but we want you to do everything possible to screw your old employer out of the money first.” And when the battle got ugly, they had the audacity to claim innocent victim status while their lackeys in the media bemoaned the fact that this great and noble program was unfairly caught up in such nastiness.

All the while Michigan was willing to write a check for Rodriguez, and could have stopped this whole mess at anytime. But instead they let a nasty, personal and very public dispute fester for months—until it was time for them to get involved, then they decide its gone on long enough. Shameful.

We already knew Rich Rodriguez is a sleazy opportunist devoid of ethics. Now, it would seem that he truly is a Michigan Man after all.

Well, that’s valid and I did say UM put an end to the ordeal, but in reality the school was the only party that was going to end it. WVU tried and tried and tried to convince the other side it could not win. P-Rod just wouldn’t listen and either he or his lawyers or his representatives — or all of them — were convinced they could at the very least get the buyout reduced. When UM’s President and A.D. realized they were about to be exposed, they pretty much told P-Rod to end it.

Glass houses said:

@ Eric (K)

Remind me again how WVU got Huggins. Say what you will about the process of the lawsuit, but it’s fairy tale land to think that a contract really means anything these days. Despite what Diamond Joe might say.

Had to be said. After all, let’s be fair and honest here. A debut comment, too. Well done, sit.

glibglub said:

From the Robon profile:

Marv’s motto is “If it can’t be done, give us a try.”

Sure enough, it couldn’t be done, and Marv didn’t do it. Invalidate the contract, that is.

Priceless.

Eric said:

But, glibglub, Robon ” attended the 1990 Moscow Conference on Trade and Economic Law in the Soviet Union which involved teaching Russian attorneys about America’s property system, the 1988 Trade and Economic Law Conference in Japan, and the China Conference in 1987.” I mean, how can we really doubt his abilities?  

I’ve been to Canada and Antigua — twice. And I’ve seen a lot of Night Court. And I’ve driven past the courthouse a ton of times. I feel I’m at least comparably qualified. 

Josh24601 said:

Upon reading the depositions associated with WVU v. Rodriguez, I conceived a mental picture of what Marv Robon must look like. Just now, I looked at the picture attached to Robon’s profile (http://www.barkan-robon.com/robon.htm) on his firm’s website, and I’m shocked that he doesn’t have a mustache.  

Don’t worry. When Marvelous is representing me, he’ll need a disguise to get into the state. Enter the mustache!

Shannon said:

You know somewhere in his office this guy has an autograph portrait of Product Rodriguez with him in the photo.

No doubt at all. None.

oklahomamountaineer said:

I’m glad this is over!!! I’m sad to admit this, but there’s been enough stuff unearthed in all of this, that we know that there was truth being told by all parties deposed….the changes at the school are a beginning to cleaning this mess up.

Hopefully, the school’s makeover will be a good one….. The on-the-field team is the rest of the story. I’m encouraged that the story for WVU will have a happy ending…and unfortunately, RRod will be getting his money back from UM…probably as part of his severence check when he loses 3-5 games a year for a couple of years…and their alumni calls for a sack play.

I was going to attempt to add something poignant at the end, but true to the form of today’s Feedack, I’ll yield to a comment that sums up where we go from here.

thacker said:

48-28.