Blue and Joe

August 31st, 2015 at 10:43 AM ^

Damn, there have been a lot of excerpts posted. I actually stopped reading them because I don't want to spoil too much of the book. Can't wait until it arrives tomorrow!

mGrowOld

August 31st, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^

This piece starts with the deliberations of President Schlissel and Hackett, as they first decide not whom to recruit, but what kind of coach, then proceeds to explain what those near the program did to help make that marriage possible. 



And don't worry, readers: all the excerpts combine add up to about 30 pages of a 460 page book, or about seven-percent. Plenty of meat left on the bone. Hope you enjoy it. 



- John U. Bacon

TheFugitive

August 31st, 2015 at 10:46 AM ^

Interesting how Bacon had to widdle down a 900 page stack of notes and interviews to 460 pages and then select 30 pages worth of exerpts.  Must have been difficult to select which to choose.  

LSAClassOf2000

August 31st, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^

Even though only about 7% of the book has been released in exceprt form, I've had this thought myself - if Bacon simply made copies of the raw notes, put them into something resembling chapters and then bound and printed that, I am sure nearly everyone here would still read it simply becasue the story about how we went from last October to now essentially has been as fascinating as it has been thrilling and the season is still three days off. 

M-Dog

August 31st, 2015 at 11:16 AM ^

I'd easily pay 10 bucks or so for the cutting room floor stuff as is.

Call it "ENDZONE Outtakes", package it up in paperback, and sell it on-line to us crazy's.  Or just sell it on-line as a .pdf.

Extra revenue with low extra cost.  One size does not have to fit all in the internet / blog age.

mGrowOld

August 31st, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^

John is VERY careful about protecting his journalistic reputation so if he cant document and reference something to his satisfaction he leaves it out.  So a lot of the stuff we'd really like to read about (Brandon's input at the film sessions, what really happened with Morris, etc) I don't think meets the criteria for him to print it.

FWIW I said it here the day after the Minnesota game and nothing has changed my opinion one bit.  Hoke had the look of a guy who'd been "ordered" to play somebody (Morris) over his objections and was determined to leave him in there to prove a point.  Sort of like "you want him to play?  HERE - this is what you get" type body language and actions to me.  

I've seen it many times in business when an executive goes over a supervisor's head and demands somebody gets an assignment or promotion they're not ready for.  Same results as we got last fall.

M-Dog

August 31st, 2015 at 1:48 PM ^

I got the impression that what was left out of the 900 pages was Editor's-chioce stuff, after he had already vetted his sources and said what he wanted to hang his hat on.

Which would make it interesting only to geeks like us.  It's not like there are 400 pages of juicy dirt hidden away that got cut out.  That stuff is in his head only.

superstringer

August 31st, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^

I hate to be Negative Nancy, but with all these long calls Jim was fielding -- that had to be quite the distractiion from coaching the 9Rs. 

But..who among us wouldnt have wanted to illegally tap into that call between JMFH and Tom Terrific.  Worth the risk.  That's gold right there, Jerry, gold.

charblue.

August 31st, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^

flight back from the win at San Diego by the Pats. He knew the best time to reach him. And, anyway, when Brady calls like Michael Jordan, you respond to the call. 

I mean it's not like Harbaugh doesn't bleed maize and blue. In spite of all the obstacles that were presented in getting him, I think the most important thing was that deep down he always wanted to coach at Michigan, and he just needed to know there were no lingering doubts about him after his prior remarks about Michigan academics and the football program under Carr. 

Because that roadblock was eliminated pretty early and there were reports that alumni and former players of different regimes were contacting him, I believed that when Harbaugh never said No to Michigan, that was a tacit endorsement of his secret desire to come and waiting for the opportunity to say it openly --only after his contract status was settled in SF. 

The biggest hurdle I thought was getting out of his 48er deal --not securing his interest. When you look at what motivates and engages Harbaugh, it's childhood recollections of Ann Arbor, his college experience and the launching of his pro career, and a certain debt and deep fondness for his youthful home. And the fact that his parents and his wife were supportive of a move. 

Like the excerpt notes, those early rumors of his wife's reluctance to move stayed as a caveat to every rumored lead about his willingness to consider Michigan, especially among the NFL insiders. But you never heard a contradiction from the Harbaugh camp about him not wanting to consider come back to Michigan. He just used his contract status as a public shield to block any personal comment on the swirling story about his future. And that just heightened all the anxiety that prevailed. 

 

reshp1

August 31st, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^

Nice to see all the former players and alumni come together for this. Despite the last decade of frustration and failure, this place still means a lot to a lot of people. 

Davymac97.

August 31st, 2015 at 11:07 AM ^

To see those who love Michigan the most come together and do everything in their power to get the right man is so insipiring.  

They weren't going to sit back and watch, they knew they had to act in order to save Michigan and they did.

I really hope one day Tom Brady comes back to coach at Michigan as well.  Damn, wouldn't that be something?

1464

August 31st, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^

There is a better chance that I will be a coach at Michigan in 10 years than there is that Brady will be one.  There is simply no way.  He doesn't strike me as a player who gets into coaching.  Maybe announcing, but nothing as time consuming as coaching.

charblue.

August 31st, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^

as coaching consultants beause I doubt they'd want to actually work as fulltime coaches after they retire. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't know how you don't cash in on two of the most accomplished Wolverines in the NFL. Let's not forget that Michigan already boasts a number of guys who are NFL HOF players including its current radio voice, Dan Dierdorf. 

Magnus

August 31st, 2015 at 11:56 AM ^

I got an advance copy (as did lots of people) but I haven't been able to finish reading it yet, what with all the other stuff going on. I'm almost done, however, and it's well worth the read. This is probably redundant, since most people commenting here will read it eventually, anyway.

Bloodoo

August 31st, 2015 at 12:15 PM ^

As soon as Hackett announced Hoke's departure, they could work more openly, but so could Harbaugh's detractors. When the rumor mill kicked into overdrive, they did, too.



It is so disturbing to me that this kind of thing is still happening. Is Bacon implying that these detractors are internal or otherwise connected to the program in some way?