John U. Bacon new Michigan Football book?
I was looking for an old Tom Harmon book(Pilot's Also Pray) on Amazon and found this...
February 5th, 2015 at 12:37 PM ^
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February 5th, 2015 at 12:49 PM ^
That's his next book.
February 5th, 2015 at 12:39 PM ^
Ugh. I hope that's not the final name for the title.
February 5th, 2015 at 12:41 PM ^
The Tom Harmon book sounds interesting though...
February 5th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
I guess it does have to be told but I would almost rather him hold off on writing til we see how Harbaugh does. The Hoke era also doesn't have the drama of the Rodriguez year until pretty much last season.
I'd love to see Bacon do a book on the SEC, Notre Dame or the Pac 12. I know he's a Big Ten guy but it'd be interesting to read his perspective or opinion on one of those schools.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:39 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 3:38 PM ^
"Worst you've ever seen?" Perhaps you were blind during the RR years and had an operation which restored your eyesight in 2014?
Hoke wasn't up for the job; that can't be denied, but the guy recruited very well and remains extremely well respected and liked. He didn't helm the program which got us sanctions; he didn't have a 3-win season; he didn't lose 23 of 27 kids from one class alone; he didn't sing Josh Groban. But hey, at least you got your eyesight back, so that's a positive!
February 5th, 2015 at 4:07 PM ^
I get exhausted by the RichRod debate, but I would suggest based on his prior success at W. Virginia and current success at Arizona that Rodriguez is well-respected. And when you say he "got us sanctions" do you believe that they were legit? RichRod's poor recruiting was part of his downfall (though I'd love to know how much of his problems were the backbiting within the program), but he did bring us Denard, Gallon, Lewan, Roundtree, Jake Ryan and Devin.
Why don't we just agree that neither coach was successful for reasons that are partially their own fault and partially beyond their control.
February 5th, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
If you were to ask high school coaches (especially in MI and OH) you'd find that Rich isn't well-liked or respected. The sanctions...kinda nonsense, but still under his watch. As to recruiting...Rich was a pretty good recruiter, but he was horrible (possibly the worst ever) at retaining players. USC-level sanctions would've impacted the program less than Rich's attrition.
Neither coach was successful; both are responsible for their own failures, but to claim that Hoke was such an embarrassment completely ignores the massive failure that was RR.
February 5th, 2015 at 4:30 PM ^
He didn't recruit Denard Robinson or David Molk. He didn't run a coherent offense. He didn't win enough, either.
February 5th, 2015 at 9:17 PM ^
He also didn't lose 3/4 of his conference games.
February 8th, 2015 at 3:51 AM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
If it lambasts David Brandon with behind the scenes anecdotes of his depravity, I could be convinced to part with a few hard-earned dollars.
I agree that it needs a Harbaugh ending, though. Maybe an extra chapter at the end will be helpful.
February 5th, 2015 at 12:47 PM ^
The RR book was supposed to be called "Third and Long" instead of "Three and Out".
February 5th, 2015 at 1:06 PM ^
So then we should assume this one will actually be called "Touchback"?
February 5th, 2015 at 1:13 PM ^
Should be called Missing Man (On the Punt Team).
February 5th, 2015 at 12:47 PM ^
Some potential chapter names: The Schembechler Hall Putsch, The Night of the Long Incompletions, Operation Skywriter, Big House Noodle Invasion....
February 5th, 2015 at 12:49 PM ^
Someone studied too much 20th Century Military History..........
February 5th, 2015 at 12:54 PM ^
Almost as much as the suffix -gate is for any controversy.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:48 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 9:21 PM ^
...this wiki list gets an update, if the book's ever published under this title?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_the_Decline_and_Fall_of_the…
February 5th, 2015 at 1:09 PM ^
* Sitzkrieg in the running attack
* The Offensive Line Ceases to exist ?
Bacon seems to rehash the same stories lately. Would rather see a book on UM hoops and John Beilein.
February 5th, 2015 at 2:29 PM ^
"Sloxen: The Dynasty Begins."
February 5th, 2015 at 9:29 PM ^
...but isn't that one of the pitfalls of being an embedded reporter? You end up with a limited number of stories, all seen from the same point of view.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:09 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 1:21 PM ^
piece of popular history. Shirer was most likely inspired by Edward Gibbons "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire".
Davies got his idea from Gibbons as well.Gibbons multivolumed tome is arguably the most influential history book written since ancient times.
February 5th, 2015 at 9:23 PM ^
...but I figured Bacon's inspiration was Ziggy Stardust.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:47 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 12:56 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 1:00 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 1:02 PM ^
It's part of your name.
February 5th, 2015 at 3:02 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 1:04 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 1:14 PM ^
"Have a Happy Life: How to Slowly Alienate an Entire Fanbase"
February 5th, 2015 at 1:14 PM ^
A Fifth and Really Late: Quit Drinking and Go to Bed
February 5th, 2015 at 1:53 PM ^
And I hope there's a chapter of the book strictly about how WolverineDevotee helped Brandon get shit-canned, I mean "resign"
February 5th, 2015 at 1:05 PM ^
Bacon said when he spoke down here in Cleveland that he was working on a new book but wouldnt tell us what it was about. I assumed it was going to be about Hoke's last year, Brandon and the CC. Looks like it's going a bit deeper than that.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:06 PM ^
I forgot which mgouser uses this as their signature, but a good title for the book would be "The House that Brandon Emptied"
February 5th, 2015 at 4:31 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 1:20 PM ^
I feel like this is getting a little excessive. I don't begrudge the man for making a living off this but a third negative book on Michigan football (I can't imagine this could be positive) in four years?
February 5th, 2015 at 1:22 PM ^
I feel like the pile-on-Bacon is getting a little excessive.
If you don't want to read the book, don't read it. At the same time, the man is a writer and journalist. This is his job. Publishers look at the success his previous Michigan books have had, and they know it's going to sell. He has the access, the skill, and the knowledge to write a great book about Michigan football, and obviously there's reader interest to warrant it.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:28 PM ^
I don't begrudge the man for making money writing books, but asking this fanbase to digest another negative book on this program is a lot. It's painful having your program's dirty laundry aired publicly again, and again.
Now if he were to write on Harbaugh's first couple of years, OK. (I am assuming that they will go a little more smoothly than the past couple of years.)
February 5th, 2015 at 2:01 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 1:27 PM ^
Well, he didn't have the direct access for many of the Hoke/Brandon years.
I really like Bacon's writing and past work, but I think it might be a good idea for him to broaden his horizons and write about another topic before revisiting Michigan. I'd love if he did a hockey book or like I said earlier, a football book covering a different area of the country than the Big Ten. Michigan and more broadly college football is obviously his niche, but personally it just doesn't seem like a story that must be told right now. I don't know how much more behind the scenes stuff is going to changes opinions or provide insight into Hoke/Brandon.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:30 PM ^
Uh... A hockey book? Have you just never heard of Blue Ice?
He was also working on a book with Herb Brooks that had to be scrapped when Brooks died. Not sure if he's ever going to revisit that.
And as for access, he has enough sources, and even if he didn't have a press pass, was around enough things to write a completely credible book. Not every sports book is dependent on 24/7 access around a team or program.
February 5th, 2015 at 2:14 PM ^
Not only have I heard of it, it's on my bookshelf. I'd love for him to either do one looking at the changes in college hockey as a whole since Blue Ice came out. There's a Big Ten league now, there's increased competition for players from the OHL (and the Q if you're out East I guess), etc. Or maybe even a book on Beilein instead and the turnaround of the program. I know Bacon's primary loves are football and hockey (as are mine) but Beilein's job with the basketball team definitely deserves a well written account.
I'll read it regardless, I enjoy his stuff. Just would also like to read him on other stuff that I have less information on then Michigan football. This time around especially, it's hard to see how much stuff there will be in the book that we haven't all seen on this blog for example. I didn't know the background of all of the Rodriguez stuff quite as well which is what made Three and Out so good.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:32 PM ^
February 5th, 2015 at 1:41 PM ^
Where did you hear that about an update? I've been longing for a new edition for a decade.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:46 PM ^
He's been talking about it for a while. There was even talk at one point (before it became a somewhat truncated FSN special) was that PBS wanted to turn the book into a multi-episode miniseries.