OT: Jason Whitlock Fired By ESPN ... Again

Submitted by BursleyHall82 on

Jason Whitlock has been canned by ESPN for a second (and supposedly final) time. The thinking is that he'll land soon at Fox Sports 1.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/10/04/espn-cuts-…

People forget that he got his start at the Ann Arbor News. I'm not a fan of Whitlock, and it mostly has to do with the fact that I partially blame him for bringing us Hoke. Back when we got rid of RichRod and were looking for a new coach, Whitlock wrote a column touting the merits of his fellow Ball State alum Hoke, telling us he was going to be the greatest thing since Bear Bryant.

I think Whitlock's shilling for Hoke gave Brandon an extra layer of protection from the people who were saying it was a bad hire.

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BursleyHall82

October 4th, 2015 at 9:26 PM ^

You're exactly right. I wasn't saying Dave Brandon listened to Jason Whitlock. Brandon had his mind made up that he was going to hire Hoke. But Whitlock was a major national media figure in 2011, and when he endorsed Hoke over Harbaugh - when everybody in Wolverine Nation wanted Harbaugh - it gave Brandon some additional cover that he no doubt appreciated.

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FauxMo

October 4th, 2015 at 9:50 PM ^

I know what you mean, but if you remember back to the hiring, Brandon didn't really need cover in most circles. Rich Rod was widely unpopular, and bringing back just about any "Michigan Man" was going to make many boosters at least somewhat happier. Then Brady's first successful season pretty much shut up anyone who still had doubts. And the rest of history. In other words, Whitlock is a doosh, but blaming the Hoke hiring on him is a pretty big stretch.

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TheBorg

October 4th, 2015 at 10:34 PM ^

Not true Fomo. Whitlock's opine provided an unexpected alternate source of creditability regarding the hiring of Hoke. Go read it, again if you did so originally and then you'll see why his piece, written at a time when Whitlock had a positive national reputation did indeed, as the OP stasted, provide some cover - not provide the inroads - to the hiring decision. To deny this is ignore the historonics of the beginings of the Hoke era. Remember, four years ealier, Hoke wanted to replace Carr, but he was dismissed by the fanbase, "inner-circles" and media quite summarily. The Whitlock missive was Jason at his best, and frankly it's a shame things didn't work out for Brady. That said, JH should've been the coach to succeed RR, so let's be thankful that all we needed was John U. Bacon to know we'd be all right after the 49'ers completed their season.

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Tater

October 5th, 2015 at 10:22 AM ^

Harbaugh was never going to work for someone who wanted to meddle like Brandon.  Brandon wanted a sock puppet and that's what he got.  It's no accident that there were no serious candidates for the job who actually had other options. 

Whitlock probably had more effect on press box eating policies than he did on the coaching search.

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BlueinLansing

October 4th, 2015 at 8:42 PM ^

getting rid of a lot of on air talent in the near future.  Disney's sent the message down to cut payroll significantly.

 

Maybe they'll start showing highlites instead of talking about them on Sportscenter again.

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BlueinLansing

October 4th, 2015 at 9:06 PM ^

for awhile in the late 90's early 2000's it was excellent.  Some people left like Olberman, Mayne and Patrick which didnt' help things.  Its unwatchable with all the talk they do now.

 

fwiw, College Game Day was an excellent show when it was 1 hour.  I quit watching after it went to 2 hours, just so much over analysis and jibber jabbering.  It was good before they made Corso a court jestering bafoon.

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Year of Revenge II

October 4th, 2015 at 8:56 PM ^

ESPN blows IMO.  They are no longer a fresh take on sports, but old and tired.

Glad they are around for TV purposes, but their web site gets worse by the day.  Nothing of any substance unless you pay for their "insider" articles, and even them I am skeptical.

Whitlock is an intelligent guy with an overinflated opinion of himself. Had his chance to make something of his career at ESPN, but blew it by being an a-hole to everyone around him.  So at least he and Brandon had something in common.

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BursleyHall82

October 4th, 2015 at 8:58 PM ^

OK, if you want a reason to hate Jason Whitlock, this is what he wrote in 2011:

 

“Brady Hoke isn’t the perfect coach for Michigan because I love him like a brother. He’s the perfect coach for Michigan because he’s the perfect coach for Michigan. He’s a better fit than Jim Harbaugh, who has spent the week auctioning himself off to NFL franchises and holding Stanford hostage.

 

"You think winning 12 games and getting into the BCS conversation is difficult at Stanford? Try doing it at Ball State. Try doing it without a coaching office, after the school president has paid the emotionally unstable women's basketball coach more than you. Try doing it at the place you love that doesn't love you back.

 

"Yeah, I had an all-access pass as Hoke took Ball State football from nothing to something during a six-year period. I watched Hoke grow from an immature and reckless head coach to a savvy and sound one. I saw him pour his heart into Ball State football, and I witnessed my school's administrators publicly bask in the glory Hoke's 12-1, 2008 team created and privately discredit the work he did to make it possible.

 

"Jim Harbaugh's 12-1 can't touch Brady Hoke's 12-1. Hoke went 12-1 with a broken heart, working at a school that had every reason to shower him with love, affection and support but instead showered him with indifference."

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GoWings2008

October 4th, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^

But regardless, what reasons do you have for this being so funny? I mean, take away his healthy love of the program, his hiring of Greg Mattison, what's left? His record went down every year and the lack of development was so egregious that Michigan became a total joke in three short years after a BCS appearance. I like him a lot personally, seems like a great guy, but why is it so hilarious to you for MGoBloggers to be anti-Hoke after the state the program was in a year ago?

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AlwaysBlue

October 4th, 2015 at 11:37 PM ^

it's MSU level classless. Hoke failed in the end but he succeeded in many ways as well, including filling the roster with the majority of players we are rooting for this season. Like I said, it's MSU classless not to acknowledge the good and move on.

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Cromulent

October 4th, 2015 at 9:23 PM ^

In fairness to Whitlock AND Hoke the BSU prez definitely had an ax out for the football program. She personally treated Hoke shabbily. Despite this after he got the offer from SDSU Hoke gave the school a chance to match the offer. BSU came close, sorta. The offer was laden with impossible incentives while SDSU's money was basically guaranteed as long as he didn't shit the bed. And even if he did he'd still take home more than BSU's base by a good margin.

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DoubleYost

October 5th, 2015 at 10:24 AM ^

In the end all Hoke wanted was higher pay for his coaching staff at BSU. Always said Ball State would be the Boise State of the Midwest had Hoke gotten the minuscule boost he needed. If he could do it all over again he'd have stayed at Ball State

Papa John actually wanted to build Ball State a stadium but they turned it down to give the naming rights to a more 'distinguished donor'.. So he built that stadium for Louisville. It's crazy to think about what Midwest football would look like under other circumstances.. Michigan included



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Eye of the Tiger

October 4th, 2015 at 9:15 PM ^

OP: it worked out in the end--we got Harbaugh, and without Brandon there to potentially screw it up. If he'd been hired in 2011, would he still be with us? Maybe, but maybe not. As it stands, he looks to be with us for a long, long time.

I'm happy with how things have worked out--if it took enduring the 2013 and 2014 seasons to land one of the greatest coaches in the game, that's absolutely fine with me.



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