Brian Griese on the current state of Michigan football

ESPN had a media conference call with a couple of their leading college football pundits, Brian Griese and Mack Brown, to discuss the first college football rankings. One of the Michigan football beat writers was on it, and she asked Griese, a former Michigan QB, a few questions about the sad state of the Wolverines right now.

For lovers of Michigan football it’s been a disastrous autumn, Griese sympathizes and empathizes.

said Griese: “now in today’s day and age of rapid?fire opinion that comes from all corners of the country, and typically negative in this case, these kids are having to deal with that on a daily basis. Rather than answering questions about their experience and how they’re growing as young men and players on the field and students in the classroom, they have to answer questions about their coach and about decisions and about ticket prices and about all kinds of different things that should never be in their conversation.”

When pressed about the toxic situation surrounding Michigan football:

“You don’t want the kids to be in a toxic situation because while certainly I’m sure each one of them would say that they could play better, this is not all their fault. And so I just feel for them, and I love Michigan, and I want Michigan to continue to be that place where kids come and feel they’re going to get a great experience, both in the classroom and on the athletic field. And right now there are all kinds of circumstances that are preventing that.”

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“So it’s disappointing, and I feel bad for the Michigan football players mostly, as you probably can imagine”

Paul M. Banks owns, operates and very often writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his features stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2