OT: What should Bacon's next book be about?
With all the debate, discussion and basically reliving of the RR years on the board recently it is clear that Bacon's book has struck a MAJOR nerve on the board and with Michigan football fans everywhere. My question is what's next? If you could pick any sports-related topic to have John Bacon turn his investigative journalism skills to reveal/expose the REAL truth on what would it be?
My vote would be a book on the 2009-2010 Cleveland Cavaliers. That team rolled through the regular season, accumulated the best record in the NBA by far thereby securing home court throughout the playoffs and promptly crumbled after game 3 in the second round against Boston. Something clearly happened but what? Did Lebron know he was leaving for Miami and thereby tanked the final games to clear his path for exit? (Dan Gilbert version) Did Delonte West really hook up with Lebron's mom Gloria only to be found out by Lebron late one night in Boston? (Internet gossip version). Did a fight actually break out on the team plane coming home from Boston between Shaq, the head coach Mike Brown and a currently unnamed player (widely speculated to be Lebron)? What really happened because something sure did.
Bill Simmons calls this the "greatest unwritten book" in sports right now and I agree with him. I would love to know the truth of what occurred with that team but there are lots and lots of other unsolved sports mystery's.
What's yours?
October 28th, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
its obvious
October 28th, 2011 at 11:54 AM ^
The view from the press box back row and what it's like to sit with dolphin punchers and other freep hacks...
October 28th, 2011 at 11:57 AM ^
mmmmm bacccooonnnn
October 28th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^
"Everything Goes With Bacon" by John Bacon
"Cookin' with Bacon : Tailgate Recipes" by John Bacon And Brian Cook
Now that I think about it doesn't Brian Cook's wife have a food-related blog? It's perfect. She should be able to help out with the recipes.
John and Brian: you can send me a check when you hit the bestseller list. :)
October 28th, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^
"COOK BACON" by Cook and Bacon.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
Hoke led Michigan to the NC.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:41 PM ^
Or, when Bobby Boucher showed up at halftime and the Muddogs won the Bourbon Bowl.
/s
Honestly, a good, mass market tome on oversigning. He should talk to all the medical hardship guys, the guys who found out that there wasn't a schollie for them after the start of fall practice, etc., and he should document the human cost of St. Saban Memorial Hospital.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:42 AM ^
But if he doesn't want to write about that, he should write about Saban and Alabama, Auburn, or Meyer at Florida. Honestly, he could pick a SEC team at random and have a great chance of finding some kind of scandal.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:57 AM ^
Odds that an SEC school gives a journalist full access and free rein to write what he wants? Approximately 0.0001%. I may have even been a bit generous.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^
can't he?
October 28th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
It happened, 'On Rocky Top' by Clay Travis, managed to catch the end of the Phil Fulmer era
October 28th, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
October 28th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
That could be very interesting. The altheltic programs of those countries were extensions of the Cold War, of course.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
Just as the UM - tsio rivalry is an extension of the Toledo War.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:15 PM ^
That would be a tough, but very interesting assignment. Presumably a number of those people are still alive - they would be anywhere between their 40's and 80's (depending on exactly when they competed and how old they were when they competed). Even those that aren't alive probably have friends or relatives still around. It would be tough for several reasons:
1) These individuals could be fairly spread out by now. A lot of time has passed since the 60's. Even if they didn't move countries, the USSR is a big place and the assignment would require a hefty travel budget and a lot of research to track people down.
2) I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Bacon doesn't speak Russian. Maybe he could get a translater.
3) How do you go about disproving someone's gender short of trying to catch them in the nude?
October 28th, 2011 at 3:45 PM ^
Step #1: Walk up to numerous aging Soviet she-males.
Step #2: Give them the Crocodile Dundee test.
Step #3: Tabulate statistics.
Step #4: Profit!
October 28th, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
Borseth and Beilein: The Renaissance of Michigan Basketball.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
Bacon wasn't imbedded. "Total access" books are a lot better than investigations after the fact. Bacon's next book should be written with whoever wants to give him the same access he had for "Three and Out."
Both Bacon and Bruce Feldman were lucky enough to have the subjects of books they were actively researching and writing turn into soap operas worthy of national coverage. That doesn't happen every day. For most writers, that is a "once in a lifetime" occurance.
Listening to his interviews, I have a feeling Bacon might want to take a few months off and recharge his batteries.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
Bacon's never not working on something. For as long as I (and more specifically, my wife's family) have known him, there's always a project or 5 that he's working on with little to no time in between. The man is a machine.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:55 AM ^
The title can be: The Craig James' Five (Or is it really 15-20?)
October 28th, 2011 at 11:52 AM ^
How about the Lions regime under Millen?
October 28th, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
I think he should imbed himself at BYU and delve into the culture of the BYU student-athlete. 300 pages of crazy college life: Cuddling, de-cafeinated coffee, and Rock-n-Roll (without the dancing).
Has best seller written all over it.
October 28th, 2011 at 2:32 PM ^
Class of '12 will have at least 23 losses........and best case 27 wins. Makes your 33-16 look pretty good.
I'll admit, it does suck that you got sandwiched between undefeated seasons, both with rose bowl wins.
October 28th, 2011 at 3:23 PM ^
Objectively, complaining about those 4 years looks pretty petty
Subjectively, it still hurts.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:55 AM ^
Pretty sure he only wrote the current book because he had access to the department, team, etc. Without that access anywhere else, I don't think another book is even possible.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:55 AM ^
A book about writing a book.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:56 AM ^
I was raised in Cleveland from 1978 until I had to move to Columbus this past April. From Ted Stepien and World B. Free to "Wrong Way" Ricky, I've been though it all with the Cavs (too young for "Miracle at Richfield").
I just don't care about LeBron anymore. He doesn't matter. I'm sure it would sell lots of copies, but I'd rather just ignore him. I dont care enough about him to care at all about him, or anything he did, or anything he will do. If I go through the rest of my life without reading about or seeing him do anything ever again, I am certain my quality of life will not suffer one iota.
I think Bacon should do a book about CitiBank or some of the other wall street scammers
October 28th, 2011 at 11:56 AM ^
The amount of red that Brady Hoke actively doesn't wear.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^
October 28th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^
I think if Bacon wrote an autobiography, it wouldn't be about Carr...
October 28th, 2011 at 1:42 PM ^
You do know that the autobiographical book, "Bo's Lasting Lesson's..." was written by Bacon, right? I know this shatters almost everything you've learned about what an autobiograhy is, but you can in fact write an autobiography for someone else.
October 28th, 2011 at 3:26 PM ^
October 28th, 2011 at 3:45 PM ^
...and that one was in fact written by Mitch Albom...
October 28th, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^
"Getting the Point"
How one man was able to unite a fractured fanbase in a single gesture.
The middle of the book is just photoshopped images of Hoke pointing at things. Also, at the bottom right of each page is a silhouette of Hoke pointing in various directions if you flip the pages really, REALLY fast. I miss those books almost as much as I miss the "Choose your own Adventure books."
October 28th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
Brian should allow Bacon unlimited access to his mother's basement. We could have whole chapters on the origins of DERP, Tacopants, and Lloyd Brady. How much beveled guilt is really rolling in? Is Brian living in a mansion in Bloomfield Hills? These are things I want to know.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:09 PM ^
Bloomfield Hills is only during the fall and winter. His summer lakeshore mansion in Traverse City is much nicer.
The economy has had its affect on him though, he had to put off buying his Bentley a couple months.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
Section 1.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:04 PM ^
- A history of Michigan Basketball (men's and women's)
- Michigan Swimming & Diving
- an update to "Blue Ice"
October 28th, 2011 at 12:34 PM ^
Bacon is planning to update Blue Ice when either Red retires or they win a national championship.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
It'd be nice to do something positive, instead of the apparent downer that is 3 & out.
/haven't read it yet
/not sure if want, sounds depressing
October 28th, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^
If you're a faithful reader of MGoBlog, there's more affirmation than revelation as the story unfolds. The insider's view, with it's rich detail, made it worthwhile for me. But I had to take a 24-hour break after reliving Illinois '09.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^
How an 18 Year Old from Chesterton, Indiana Awoke a Sleeping Giant
October 28th, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
Obvious answer is Brady Hoke's multiple championships.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:48 PM ^
October 28th, 2011 at 4:54 PM ^
I'm not John Bacon, but I could help you out here.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:25 PM ^
Seriously, Fritz Crisler is badly in need of a biography.
All-american football player under Amos Alonzo Stagg, National Championship-winning football coach at Princeton and at Michigan, and an extremely innovative head coach both on the field and off.
But all of that may pale in comparison to his success as an administrator. Under Crisler's leadership as AD, 7 different Michigan sports won national championships (back when there were only 9 varsity sports)--21 national championships total in 28 years. Also, Crisler wielded significant influence as the chairman of the NCAA football rules committee for over a decade.
Either a biography of Crisler, or, better yet, a history of Michigan athletic administration under their 3 great athletic directors--Yost (1921-40), Crisler (1941-68) and Canham (1968-88). Those 3 athletic directors, all 3 of whom were amazing visionaries in their own different ways, led Michigan sports for 67 consecutive years and oversaw the transition of college sports into what it is today. Everybody can read about Michigan's on-the-field success during that time, but nobody has really written the book on what the administration went through to ensure that success. I think Bacon would be just about ideal for that project.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:36 PM ^
October 28th, 2011 at 1:39 PM ^
Get in now for when they win the NC in the next few years!