How A 43 Year Old Dishwasher Helped Michigan Land Jim Harbaugh

Submitted by HelloHeisman91 on

I just started listening to this and think the board will be interested.  I know that Henson isn't that well liked around here but he is speaking to a man that Bacon must have vetted for his book.

Edit:  There is a great 35 minute interview linked in the embedded tweet below. 

 

In John U. Bacon’s new book “Endzone: The Rise, Fall & Return Of Michigan Football” one of the more intriguing characters in the book is a guy know as “Beav,” check out the latest show to hear Beav’s story and contributions to the effort to get Jim Harbaugh to Michigan.  Beav (Jay Flannelly) also give some great behind the scense info on the recruitment and return of Harbaugh to Ann Arbor.

PODCAST: How A 43 Year Old Dishwasher Helped Michigan Land Jim Harbaugh: In John U. Bacon's new book "Endzone: T... http://t.co/tIMKiUrn6n

— Gregg Henson (@GreggHenson) August 29, 2015

MichiganTeacher

August 29th, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^

I could see someone arguing that MSC was worse, actually, because she forced DB in against the better judgment of the Regents et al. Also she could have done better with the situation previous too.

But I hear you. Arguably MSC could be forgiven because even though DB appeared the worst candidate, it was probably unforeseeable that he'd be THIS bad.

MichiganTeacher

August 29th, 2015 at 10:07 PM ^

Disagree. People always say this on here, but what's the evidence? She raised 3 billion dollars, the most a public university had ever raised at the time, and she did it in only five years? Ok, impressive. But Virginia and Texas just raised over 3 billion in slightly longer time frames, and I'm sure there are many, many more out there (and you've also got private schools lke Stanford raising over 4 billion...).

So don't tell me that her fundraising was good enough to whitewash everything else. There are other people out there who could have raised nearly as much money nearly as quickly as MSC did.

And in most other respects, her performance was not good. I'm not sure what you mean by progress, but department/grad school academic rankings did not progress significantly in most places that I've seen (granted, most were very near the top to begin with! - and please let me know if you do have sources citing significant improvement under MSC). She certainly didn't do anything to make the campus a friendlier, closer community. 

Of great importance to the people on this board, I think, would be the football program, which she pretty clearly ran into the ground, partly through bad fortune perhaps (no one could have seen DB being as bad as he was), but partly by her own failures (pushed for DB in the first place, appearing drunk in public, etc).

I don't understand why she isn't evaluated more harshly.

snarling wolverine

August 29th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^

Interviews are usually boring, so I'm fine with that.  With a guy like this, you don't really need to ask pointed questions - just get him going and let him tell his story.  

He rambled, but there was good stuff in there.  I thought it was interesting that he defended Les Miles, Lloyd Carr and RichRod all at the same time - a lot of fans seem to think that you have to pick and choose between them.  And I enjoy the behind-the-scenes stuff that went down last fall.  

 

Blue4U

August 29th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^

get him going and let him tell his story.  But I thought the the podcast was about him being on the inside and the telling of how Harbaugh happened.  Instead he talked more about himself and the people he knows.  Did you listen to the entire podcast?  The last 10 minutes were worthless.  The host couldn't even get him back on topic and even when he tried he was talked over and interrupted.  Beav was too busy talking about RichRod, Hoke and being recruited by Rutgers.  Not sure what any of that has to do with him being instumental in getting Harbaugh back.  There was some good stuff in there.  Only about 5 of the 35 minutes was of value.   

Danwillhor

August 29th, 2015 at 5:07 AM ^

but he likes to talk. A lot. A lot and he rarely stays on topic so it's kind of frustrating to listen to. I think he answered exactly one or two questions Henson asked him. Henson would ask something and he'd be super excited to tell all only to get off-topic within seconds and never return. When asked about not getting Jim in 2011 he immediately went off topic and finished talking about Hoke and something else. When asked again he immediately went off topic again and rambled about Les Miles, Cam Cameron, Joe Flacco, the 49ers management (lol), Jamie Morris, Rutgers, Abraham Lincoln, our inability to play competent football the last 7 years and more. I think he finished his "answer" on the topic of his old HS HC (lol). Henson could hardly get a word in as he rambled and spoke over him. He seems to genuinely be on solid terms with Carr, Brady, etc so maybe he was nervous? He seems like a good guy! He also referenced 9-11 a few times (lol) but not in a bad way. It was.....interesting. I just don't think I could interview him. I'd sit and let him ramble for hours about football and relatively inside UM info but I'd go in with zero expectations of it being a conversation but a rambling, broad topic lecture. My kind of lecture but not a great interview.

MoJo Rising

August 29th, 2015 at 7:11 AM ^

Do you normally over analyze everything? It's a frickin podcast from one Michigan diehard about another guy who bleeds blue and who looks to be an integral character in getting Jim to Michigan fer godsakes! Oh, you forgot to mention in your long diatribe that he can do something you (or I) will never be able to do. He can text/call Tom Brady or Jim Harbaugh anytime he wants. And he will even get a call/text back from them! Now that's frickin special considering he's an eating wear sanitation expert. 

Danwillhor

August 29th, 2015 at 7:06 PM ^

I said I'd listen to him ramble all he wants but it was an interview and he not a great interviewee. This was not a podcast but an interview within a built podcast. My kind of rambler but you seem to miss my point and not only think I'm angry but are pretty angry in your defense of my opinion (good guy, I'd hang and let him ramble all day but I absolutely couldn't interview him). It's cool, man.

Blue4U

August 29th, 2015 at 8:26 AM ^

Rarely answers the questions and rarely stays on point.  Seems to be full of self importance.  I don't know the guy or the inside story but he sure sounds like he's enjoying his 15 minutes of fame.  The last ten minutes he did nothing but talk about himself and gave no real insight on the subject matter of the interview.  Instead of an indepth interview about being on the "inside" while all this is happening, it seems more like a fan calling in to talk to Sam Webb.  Too much name dropping and not enough substance for me.  

ChicagoBigHouse

August 29th, 2015 at 7:08 AM ^

This guy has to be legit as bacon must have vetted him, but it does seem hard to believe that this guy played such a central role in things.   Also his contacts are pretty amazing; Carr and others.  Think perhaps he is exaggerating his role and his connections to these people?

bostonsix

August 29th, 2015 at 8:47 AM ^

stood out to me was that Brandon didn't want a "big name hire" in 2011. What was the reasoning behind that? I'm not sure that there was much reasoning behind anything Brandon ever did except for pump his own ego and chase dollar bills, but it kind of boggles my mind into oblivion on that one.

charblue.

August 29th, 2015 at 1:00 PM ^

because Henson failed to control the flow of conversation by not redirecting back to the core topic: how this guy, "Beave,"  managed to assist as a background figure in Harbaugh's hiring. We never really learn how it all occurred chronologically or otherwise 

Henson also failed to properly introduce his subject and give some background on why this guy, who is never identified by proper name (whether by agreement or choice), and whose Michigan background is only sketchily drawn by the Pizza House diswasher source himself. But whether he is a Maryland native or not, he makes reference to Andover, Mass. any number of  times indicating he played high school football there and still has many friends and contacts who are Patriot and Brady fans.  How he wound up going to Michigan and becoming a historical footnote to the rise and fall of the program's modern era requires  a closer look. 

In fact, this guy turns out to be the most well-placed and unlikely character since Forest Gump to be a direct conduit to some of the most vital names in the crossroads of Michigan football over the past two decades.  And it all begins with his friendship with Lloyd Carr's son Jason and Tom Brady while serving as a coaching aide during the start of Lloyd Carr's tenure, which puts him without doubt in a Fort Schembechler circle of trust well beyond his unpaid pay grade. 

Having said all this, I loved the interview because the guy is clearly a fan with apparent credentials that surpass his choice of occupation at a place where you would soak up inside dope just  because...atmospherically  it's the radio show home of every Michigan coach since Carr. So while he's a major name-dropper, his background links sell his narrative and you believe... I just wanted more detail that we don't t get going back to the Les Miles debacle, the conflict over his potential hire in 2007 and then following RichRod's delayed ouster. 

One thing  we learn that we didn't know: More confirmation that RichRod's coaching stint was sabotaged before it began by a litany of alumni and former players, not necessarily by Lloyd himself, though the sourcing on that point  seems biased because it contradicts Bacon's assertions in "Three and Out."  But unlike Bacon, Beave  apparently may have had more direct communication on Michigan football subjects with Lloyd than Bacon, and obviously in less guarded situations.

That's why all of his opinions seem valid because they are based on friendship and the understanding he wouldn't be divulging certain information with those involved --until now.

And clearly Bacon ferreted him out and found his links fascinating and useful in telling the story behind Harbaugh's hiring, which, again we don't a complete picture of in this podcast regardless of Henson's pitch. Nonetheless great radio stuff for us Mgobloggers and a perfect sendoff for Tuesday's Rackham Hall night with Bacon and his WTKA sidekicks and Mgoblog Rountable listeners. It turns out, that Bacon's take on Brandon's Last ing Lessons and a return to real Michigan football --lost in the wilderness following the death of its Godfather legend-- is  back with the return of its rightful prodigal son. And whether we missed him before, Hail to the Victors,  he's back to the most unified football family since the start of the Bo era. The new one begins Thursday night.  Can't wait, white unis and all. Go Blue!