John Bacon
1) For the record, it's Wilford
2) My cousin tells good stories. Of course he never met Bo...
Seems like a legitimately good guy. I don't think the access he was granted in "Three and Out" was very good for the University, but I certainly don't blame him for asking for it.
on the Karschian scale.
Sounds like a really cool guy... Really liked the Three and Out book he wrote and would really like to hear him speak some day.
He's genuinely one of the nicest people in the Michigan family. Honest, genuine, and tells it like it is every time, even if it means not being a homer. That's the sign of a true journalist. There aren't too many out there anymore. He's one of the good ones.
I was lucky enough to have him as a professor my senior year in his class "History of College Athletics." He was, without any reservations, the best professor I had at UofM. I learned more about acting professionally, mature and confident as well as and conducting myself with integrity from him than I did from any other professor. He even ran into my dad and I having lunch at the Parthenon(RIP) and took time to come over and introduce himself to my dad saying "I know your son from my class and it's been fantastic to teach him." Just a great, great guy. Three and Out wasn't too shabby a read either.
Why didn't you think the access granted him was good for the U? RR was never one to hide anything from anyone. It was actually rather refreshing to see the "walls" of the fort come down, if only for a brief period. There was really no harm done, imo. Was good read and I think it said more about some of UM's alum than UM policy. Good guy.
Do we really need to debate this again?
Of course we do! Page views are good for the blog.
On the subject of Carr, yes, he was treated interestingly in that book, but he apparently didn't (for better or worse) respond to Bacon when given the opportunity.
For the record, I'm glad the RR days are in the past. Hoke and his predecessor seem, for the moment, to be in happy places. UMich's recruiting is going extremely well and the future looks bright.
He was too soft on RR in my opinion and too tough on Carr, likely because one gave him access and was able to "tell his side of the story", while Carr had no responsibility to deal with some reporter. Look at the recruiting stats from Carr (granted there was a drop towards the end), to RR, then Hoke. HOLY MOLY MISTER.
Thinking back to the RR days gives me high blood pressure.
Sure ... holy moly. You have to filter for the black cloud, though (partly self-inflicted, partly Freep, etc.), under which RichRod had to recruit. No other UMich coach in the modern era has dealt with that.
It doesn't explain his fondness of unproductive 'tweeners (some of which are still on the team) or shaky academic cases, but he couldn't have been expected to bring in top classes in that atmosphere.
His '09 class (in terms of NFL draftees) may end up being the best since '04.
In it's defense, the mountain was just standing around minding its own business.
He came out to Boston to talk about and sign copies of his book Bo's life Lessens. He was there at The Place and around 3pm he said he needed to leave for his flight we asked what time his flight was he said 3:30 we were like no way you are going to make it so he called his hotel got another night and stayed and watched the game with us and then proceded to go bar hopping with us afterwords. Last thing I remember was us pointing him in the direction of his hotel.
Very cool guy.
It is a 'cool story bro,' but JUB is a man about town, and can often be spotted in the finer watering holes in A2.
I can agree on this. He pulled up a bar seat right next to me at Ashley's one night over the winter. He was with someone else so I didn't want to interrupt. I was able to say hi at one point though.
According to his blog yesterday, he was also going to talk about his new book a little bit during the speech as well - "Fourth And Long: The Fight For The Soul Of College Football". I assume that is what the OP is talking about in his first point (i.e., college football being ruined by "higher ups"), but did he mention when it would be out?
I believe he was granted access to four programs in the Big Ten and he more or less compares their reactions to the growing influence of various people and entities and their money. It sounds like it will be a great read, but I was curious as to how detailed he was.
at tailgate parties. Just observing what he is seeing. I'm sure he's going to weigh in on the tailgating culture. But what a way to research a project! Come to think of it, there is a ton of money flowing into the tailgating industry each year. Especially when you see the spreads laid out on the golf course and the Blue Lot. . .
....question about when his book would be issued, Bacon said this:
@samgoblue September 3, my friend. "Fourth and Long: The Fight for the Soul of College Football." And Thanks!
— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) May 11, 2013
Likely distant cousins at best, I guess.
on the influence of money in college athletics. Bacon is making money by criticizing others for the pursuit of it. How very academic of him.
Mr. Bacon may very well be a swell guy, but he, like many academics, exploits situations and people's prejudices, to sell books for renown and money. I have no issue with that except that it is hypocritical. He is piggybacking on the very system he condemns.
I would also ask why does he think Yost wanted a 85,000 seat stadium in the first place? More people equals more money and publicity for the program and university. Yost and Rockne at ND made college football about money and renown 85 years ago. Bacon's criticism is a tad bit late.
So you've alread read the book and know the entirety of his argument, then? You are quite the soothsayer.
Plus, should one only be allowed to criticize something if one pledges to make no money off of that criticism? Seems like that would remove all incentives for social criticism, which probably wouldn't be good for anyone.
I have no issue with them making money. One has to do what they have to do to make a living. I just find it highly hypocritical for them to rail an exploitative system while at the same time benefitting financially from said system. It undercuts his credibility in my eyes.
I'm an academic and I don't act anything like you say we academics do...also, do you think people who work in industry or for profit settiings don't act like this? In the end, advancements in any field, lets say medicine, is driven by money. On the backs of sick and dieing patients, doctors, academics, and biotech companies make money, but in the end, advance the treatment for future patients. I don't see any problem with that.
Your last paragraph is insightful, but the preceeding 2 are just ignorant
To be fair not all academics or writers(another class of holier-than-thou types) are like this. Some have the humility to admit that they don't know everything.
John Bacon hasn't the first clue on how to run a pizza restaurant, much less an athletic department. So why then does this man get so much credibility? It's like listening to a linguist comment on American foreign policy who has no diplomatic or foreign service background.
It seems that in today's America one need not possess expertise or experience to be an expert.
I think that is a bit of an unfair critique. Jacon does write books for money, but there are much easier ways to make money than writing books. In fact, that sounds like a terrible way to make money. I think he loves college football the way it was in the 1970s and 80s, not the bowl system and industrial football complex that we have now. I think there is a difference.
JUST LET ME SEE A 16 TEAM PLAYOFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
could have been titled "United we stand, divided we fall". Well, we hit the ground under RR and it was no surprise. Hopefully we will learn from this period and not ever repeat it.
Bacon is a good man and had a story to tell that was necessary to hear and try to understand.
Let's hope not. The Big Ten got kicked around at the Rose Bowl during those years. It was embarrassing.
Michigan won 8 B1G titles in 10 years, let's hope so.
"Michigan won 8 B1G titles in 10 years ..."
... and I'll guarantee you that nationally no one cared. All they saw was Bo and Woody failing to acknowledge the existence of the forward pass (among other things). Provincialism ... it's ugly.
What would you rather have?
A. Two Big 10 titles in ten years with a strong conference, BCS championship appearances in both years, and one championship.
B. Eight Big 10 titles in ten years in a mediocre (that is, status quo) conference, a handful of non-BCS championship appearances, and a bunch of Capital One / Outback games.
I'm taking A.
"while the players, coaches and fans suffer;"
I will never be convinced that coaches are suffering. They have very generous contracts, and that is putting it mildly. If they don't like the long hours and stresses of coaching at the collegiate level, there are plenty of high schools that will be glad to have them.
Ran into him in Sweetwater Cafe on W Liberty (Across the street from where I first saw/creeped out Brian in real life!) right after I had finished reading Bo's Lasting Lessons (RR had just been hired).
I just told him that I really enjoyed the book and he thanked me and just seemed really warm and genuine, I left with an incredibly positive impression.
Still haven't been able to bring myself to read 3&O though, not ready to relive that just yet.