John U Bacon on UM Football, Athletics

Being a student at the University of Michigan shapes you as a human being for life. I'm sure that happens at other colleges and universities as well. But being a Wolverine means striving to live up to a higher standard. That's our DNA.

Is our athletic department supporting the constructive evolution of the cultural heritage that we've been building for nearly two hundred years? Or has it become a malignant mutation that needs to be rejected and expelled from this institution?

President Mark Schlissel, we are counting on you to do what is best for the University of Michigan. Why wait? How about taking action today?

 

Reading this just wants me to see DB gone even more. He's not what Michigan is all about. He doesn't understand the culture or the university. FIRE HIM!

I find it humorous that JUB, whom Brandon punished for 3&O, is now the most called upon local journalist with whom the national media confers. This PR disaster is truly of Brandon's own making.

That 's hard to say, but he is closer to the action with a whole bunch of people in Ann Arbor that have some connection to virtually everyone than probably anyone on MGOBlog: folks in the AD, University Admin., athletes, alumni and students.  He met Bo when he was nine years old and his infatuation with UM has continued to the present.  He is very close to several folks in the AD who probably provide a significant amount of insider information to him.

His profession is journalism, so he cannot come up with a new story for every new article unless something new happens in that environment.  Unfortunately, that has not happened yet.

I don't see any wrong points with this article.  Hoke has evidenced his incompetence as a coach other than being a really good recruiter and Brandon has done more damage to the brand due to the national attention that this shitstorm has garnered.  No one is happy with that situation.  It's a lot easier to fire or negotiate a settlement with Hoke before confronting the Brandon situation.

President Schlissel is in an ackward position.  The guy is brilliant, but athletics is the area that he probably has the least amount of experience in.  While he surely did not expect this plate of crap to be on the table at this stage of his running UM, the ugly reality is staring him in the face.  I expecdt him to take his time with this, but the longer it goes on then the more impactful the damage is to the brand.  The key issue that he cannot ignore though is the apparent lack of interest by any attractive head coach in working under Brandon.  Further, some action must take place to stop the hemorrage of bad public relations that have been created in the athletic area of the university which negatively impact the brand.

A pretty good summary of the program, and the conclusion that this all rests on Schlissel's shoulders is spot on.  That said, I have a few quibbles:

• While some friends of Brandon may want him to stay, and many of those allies are Republicans, I think the overwhelming majority of both Republicans and Democrats want Dave gone.  The "powers that be" are few in number, and, if Schlissel is smart (and I think he is) then he knows it's worth ruffling a few feathers to please the masses.
• Schlissel, so far, has handled this situation perfectly.  He hasn't ignored it or tried to move it to the back burner.  That said, I agree with JUB that he'd probably prefer to move on to the academic issues that he has proven so adept at handling.  He must know that keeping Brandon guarantees--at best--another year of complaining and distractions as the fences are mended.  And that's the best case scenario, which would also involve Brandon either retaining a coach who manages to turn things around with a win against MSU, Ohio State, or both AND gets off to a strong start next year.  Even in that best case scenario, ticket sales suffer BADLY.  The ONLY way to resolve the situation in a reasonable period is to hire a new AD.  The new hire will have at least three years (barring total foolishness) to prove himself before there are any realistic calls for his head...and that buys Schlissel time to address other things. Of course, that new AD must also hire a new coach.
• Again, Schlissel is a smart dude.  He can see that the numbers--Brandon's last line of defense--really don't look that good.  If all you can fall back on is, "But we're making money and building stuff!" then you are in big trouble when the money runs out and the building has to stop.  Schlissel, surely, can see this, and recognizes that hiring an AD with a strong reputation will, worst-case scenario, buy him three years to focus on things other than the football program.

We've past the point of no return.  The ONLY way keeping Brandon has a good outcome for Schlissel is if the football team turns around dramatically in 2015.  That means waiting at least another full year and enduring constant niggling from students, alumni, and fans about the state of the program.  And even that outcome seems highly unlikely.

Even if there are some compelling reasons to keep Brandon--he hasn't done EVERYTHING wrong--the expediency of removing him makes too much sense for Schlissel, who can't afford to submarine his own agenda by betting on a hated figure like Brandon and a sub-par coach like Hoke.

TL; DR: Schlissel is smart enough to see he'll have to deal with this issue for another year if he doesn't remove Brandon now.  And, IMO, if we lose badly tomorrow--by 14 or more points--it's the final nail in an already tightly-sealed coffin for AD and HC alike.

because it seems like so much damage was created.  Bacon seemed to make it seem that no self respecting coach will ever come to Michigan and work for Brandon.  

And Brandon won't leave.  

Schlissel will take his time to remove Brandon.  At least until January.  Then they need to vet and find a suitable replacement

Recruiting season will be cooked.  

A narrowing window of opportunity to get a new coach could be closed.  

any notion of next year being a competitive team will have evaporated.

 

Hold me Tom VH. .. 

I realize that most MGoBloggers aren't MSU fans or over the age of 60, so they don't listen to WJR, but WJR and Beckmann are carrying water HARD for Brandon, saying the whole anti-Brandon movement is just a few students on a witchhunt and the whole thing is politically motivated. 

 

Of course, Beckmann is still POed about being fired over his whole fried chicken rant too.

... this is like 3 and out.  All stuff I already know and don't want to keep reading about.  Good summary for the uninitiated, recycled for the MGoblog power user.

 

 

This is what I think of Jon Bacon nowadays.........

it might not happen at all and if it does it will be too late to save next season. The lowering of tickets seems like a guy begrudgingly trying to buy himself good will. What NEEDS to happen is a new AD working within the next 3 weeks. That AD should see/know that Hoke and his staff are hopeless and HC feelers should start before the osu game. The people tasked with feeling out HCs should be told that the UM ADept of old has been cleared out and they will receive zero obstruction or invasion of their duties, this to show the RR incident and past rep is no longer the norm here. The day after the osu game (and likely end of our season) Hoke and staff should be let go. Hopefully the feelers have yielded positive vibes/results by then and the new AD can start vetting those interested as well as those yet spoken to, REGARDLESS of previous UM affiliation. If one of the "prodigal sons", you give them what they want and shut up. In the high likelihood that it's not, you promise him autonomy but, pay him what he's worth but cover your ass on a buyout even if you have to pay more per year. You should have a HC no later than the new year. HC has a month to fill the now depleted recruiting class the best he can. We move on. __LONG TERM--I'd like to see a true fix to the playing surface to allow natural grass without it being beat to shit by week 6, removal of almost all piped in music, a bigger emphasis on the band and it's cadences asking with the return of old traditions like seating arraignment, mallows, etc. Basically an overall loosening of the grip over the fans that makes the experience feel sterile. I'd also like to see alcohol served. /end opinion

Can't believe nobody's pointed this out:

Department revenues have grown significantly during Brandon's tenure, about 7 percent a year, to almost $150 million. This is partly due to the dramatic increase in conference TV payouts to Big Ten members, which have more than doubled during Brandon's tenure to $44.5 million for each school. But his operating expenses have grown even faster than revenues, at nearly 9 percent a year, to total $145 million. That figure does not include any of the capital expenses budgeted for buildings, but it does include administrative salaries, which have grown by 72 percent.

If that isn't reason enough to point to a change, I don't know what is.

Who is this guy?  It's like the trackers after Butch and Sundance, they just never stop or go away.  Give it two more weeks, I bet something happens before Nov. 12.

And what his thoughts are.........hmmm.

I like Bacon, but this article just annoyed me.  He doesn't like Brandon; I get that.  But he also throws in inconsequential things like Brandon watching game film (I mean, Bacon sat in LOTS of meetings with RR) and talking to a "financial analyst" who would sack Brandon, which is the kind of pseudo-reporting that is basically "this guy I know has my same opinion."  

I guess it is hard for me to put into words my issues with piece, but it just rubs me the wrong way.  I don't love Brandon or Hoke and expect both to be gone, but they can be fired without dragging up quotes from wives of former ADs and politically-charged Regents.  It doesn't feel like evidence as much as opinions, and as a prominent voice for the University in some capacity I'd have expected a bit more.

I don't understand the Bacon-bashing. The guy is a journalist, and as far as I'm concerned, he's a good one.

But his opinion is just that, and the real question is whether Brandon is good or bad for Michigan, and whether he should be canned as soon as is practicable (I love that word; its interpretation probably cost Robert E. Lee a chance at victory at Gettysburg).

Here's why Brandon should be fired: It's not because he's a dickhead (though he certainly is); it's not because he's made a few mistakes (though he certainly has). It's because he's made mistake after mistake, many of them dishonest mistakes. It's because he's embarrassed a lot of Michigan fans and alums through sheer arrogance and cheesiness. It's because he's gotten wealthier on the backs of people he's squeezed until dry.

But mostly it's because at the very least over ten thousand Michigan alums and students hate his guts and have expressed their displeasure by asking for his dismissal, and my guess is that they are the tip of the iceberg.

The AD of Michigan should not be a polarizing, acrimonious figure. Brandon is a polarizing, acrimonious figure. Therefore he must go.

Sports should be about fun and recreation. When it isn't, when it's polarizing the Michigan community and people are at each others' throats over the guy, it's time to find someone new.