Michigan Coach Calls Out Writer Whitlock

If anyone knows the history of ESPN writer Jason Whitlock, then they know he has a reputation of stirring the pot.

That's because he loves to do it.

Well, apparently, he's stirred the pot a bit too much when it comes talking about Michigan football.

Michigan head coach Brady Hoke took exception to what Whitlock said about him and his team recently and expressed his disdain quite sharply.

"People can have opinions, and they can say anything they want about me; I really don't care to be honest with you. We're trying to build men [here]," Hoke fumed. "But people don't know what Taylor Lewan has done inside Schembechler Hall and on that practice field, and he's tried every bit to help these young guys come further along.

"For someone to take shots at the players and the kids ... To take shots at the kids, when you don't know, is really unfair."

What, exactly, did Whitlock say to set Hoke off?

Well, for one, he called freshman backup quarterback Shane Morris "quirky and immature" and then called freshman running back Derrick Green "soft."

In fact, Whitlock called the whole team "soft" and "low character."

Now, Hoke and Whitlock are supposedly friends, which was probably a mistake on the coach's part. Whitlock is not friends with Hoke because he likes him; he wants the dirt on Michigan football from the head guy.

You don't see Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban hanging out with beat reporters, nor would you. In fact, Spurrier tried to get a reporter fired recently.

How would Whitlock know the "character" of these kids if he didn't have some kind of access to the team?

I'm not saying Whitlock is right, but Hoke should know better. If he still can't tell the good guys from the bad guys, then maybe Whitlock is right about him.