Freep Fail - Book Claiming Michigan Beat Louisville

Submitted by The Wagon on

While not quite on the level of Dewey defeats Truman, this is pretty bad by the Freep & Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Heaven--Maize-Ing-Wolverines-Glory--/dp/1600…

They are selling a book titled "Blue Heaven: The A-Maize-Ing Story of the Michigan Wolverines' Return to Glory--and Their Second NCAA Title!" which would be funny if it didn't hurt so damn bad.

 

 

DH16

April 10th, 2013 at 1:28 PM ^

Stands were displaying 2013 Champions shirts for both UM and Louisville starting on Sunday. Thought about buying one regardless.

Moleskyn

April 10th, 2013 at 1:31 PM ^

This commemorative book on Michigan’s 2013 NCAA men’s basketball championship provides a visual account of the Wolverines’ road to glory.

Yeesh.

Section 1

April 10th, 2013 at 2:01 PM ^

I've been waiting for this thread.  Like Trey Burke, distributing the ball to Stauskas, then to GRIII, then Hardaway for a slam dunk.  My MGoFriends know how to work the zone.  But I feared we might run out the shot clock; little did I know that Amazon wouldn't pull the ad.  They just cut the price.

It's not just the Dewey-defeats-Truman aspect of this wrong-headedness.  And it isn't even the bizarre risk of posting it on Amazon* notwithstanding the chance/liklihood that Michigan could not beat an older and physically superior Louisville team, and leaving it up after Michigan lost.

No; the thing that gets me is how shameless the Freep is about capitalizing off our Athletic Department.  From conception, to writing and editing, to production, and sales.  If the city over which the Freep presides journalistically had anything going for it, maybe the Freep might have some, uh, advertisers and subscribers.  And some better place to make their mischief.

Our own Athletic Department isn't shy about making some cash off athletic success.  But they are too smart, with too much integrity, to fall for this sub-basement-level of expolitation.  Leave it to the Freep; and its marketing position in supermarket checkout lines.

*And Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true-blue-detroit-free-press/1115084621?ean=9781600789199 

 

 

Bando Calrissian

April 10th, 2013 at 3:20 PM ^

You say this as if both Detroit daily newspapers (and the Ann Arbor News, RIP) have never put out a commemorative book within days of an event or championship. It's routine for newspapers to have their staff ready to go with a championship book almost as soon as the game/series is over. Just plug the score and picture from the last game, and voila, book. It happened in '97 for our national championship, all of the Wings Stanley Cup runs, hell, they even did it when Bo and Ernie Harwell died. I bet most of us own a few of these things.

The only difference here is that what would have been the book looks to have been autolisted at Amazon. Someone messed up and put up the dummy page. Could have been the Freep, could have been Amazon.

Honest mistakes happen. CNN and other news outlets periodically accidentally activitate canned celebrity obituaries more than they'd care to admit. But, hey, it's easier just to rag on the Freep, I guess.

Section 1

April 10th, 2013 at 6:10 PM ^

It wasn't the Freep, and it wasn't Amazon.  Because Barnes & Noble did the same.  It was the publisher, and the Freep has duly blamed that publisher.

And yes, Bando, it really is just easier to rag on the Free Press.  That's exactly what this is.  Don't think for a minute, that I am going to be fair to the Free Press.  I'm not going to give them a break.  Not even the benefit of a doubt.

I am going to bash them.  Every chance I get.

The newspapers can put out all the commemoratives they want.  But the Free Press deserves a special place in newspaper hell, as regards the University of Michigan.  And they deserve that for much, much more than a simple fuckup on a commemorative book.  You know that.  Or you should know that.

redwings8831

April 10th, 2013 at 2:31 PM ^

Free Press posted on the amazon page:

We're very sorry for this mistake. The Free Press had prepared a fantastic book to publish should Michigan win the national title, and an error with our book publisher caused the promotion for the book to be displayed on Amazon. Our publisher is working with Amazon to make sure it gets removed. Hopefully at this time next year, however, we WILL be publishing either a book on Michigan or Michigan State winning the 2014 national title!



If you have any questions, feel free to email me and I'll get you to the right person: [email protected].



--Stefanie Murray, Detroit Free Press Asst. Managing Editor/digital

samdrussBLUE

April 10th, 2013 at 2:35 PM ^

So Brian cannot jinx us against Cuse but the Freep can jinx us against Louisville in the title game?  I will run with this thinking, even if irrational. Death to the Freep (as if it wasn't already warranted).

BILG

April 10th, 2013 at 9:38 PM ^

So did the Free Press also do a write up about football violations under Rich Rodriguez before he was hired? 

Damn, these guys are good.