What past season would you have liked to see an Amazon-style documentary on?

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on
2014 for sure for the pure lulz of the DB saga. 1969, 1980, 1992 just to see the reactions after all the ties.

schreibee

April 16th, 2018 at 4:01 PM ^

CMON people, 1997 is the ONLY football season (I'm guessing) of anyone's life reading this blog that had an ultimately successful ending. I'd dearly love a happy ending!

I think Lloyd was probably a wee bit more staid than JH, and there sure as Hell was no Winovich on that team, but while I'll watch this show once, I'd buy a '97 version and watch it over and over...

mb121wl

April 17th, 2018 at 5:40 AM ^

I just finished watching the Amazon documentary, and I found it surprisingly good.  I was prepared to cringe and grimace at many points in the narrative.  But even if reliving the disappointments brought back the original feelings, the positive aspects far outweighed the negative ones.  I think everyone acquitted themselves well.  Harbaugh struck me as much more of a teacher who emphasizes the positive than I had imagined (or maybe feared).  O'Korn came across as a mature and supportive teammate--every bit the Michigan Man.  Speight was just fine, even admirable--not what I had expected after reading some comments here by folks who had viewed the series already.  Hamilton, Mattison, and of course Brown were  impressive.  And the players seemed conscientious, hard-working, and fully-committed, both as athletes as as students.  Most of all, they seemed like decent kids--young men whose youth still shows in their faces, and whose irrepressible high spirits are one of the things that make coaching so gratifying.

The "human interest" stories--about Larry Prout, the Chad Tough campaign, Rashan Gary's relationship with his mom, Karan Higdon's with his daughter and family--were genuinely moving (at least to a sentimental old fool like me).  They did a lot to offset the hard facts of life in a premier FBS program like ours.

I've seen a lot of documentaries over the decades, and I believe this one was designed and executed with great skill and sensitivity.  Even making allowances for the fact that constraints and priorities bent it toward serving as a promotional piece for Michigan football, it still managed to seem candid, genuine, and revealing.  Maybe I'm just too prone to suspending my disbelief when it comes to anything about the team, but I found nothing I wouldn't want viewers from other fan bases to see.  More than that, it showed the program and the University to be as unique and praiseworthy as I've always wanted to believe (but haven't always been sure) they are.

I recommend the series highly.  It'll do your soul (if you have one) good, make you feel better about 2017, and give you more hope for the future.

 

Magnus

April 16th, 2018 at 1:05 PM ^

2011 or 2015. I would have liked to have seen those transition years from poor/mediocre seasons to successful ones, and both ended with bowl victories. It would also be interesting to see how those coaches changed the culture at their new programs, what they axed, what they added, etc.

JBE

April 16th, 2018 at 1:06 PM ^

Lloyd's last season, and off season, if only to change the dumbass and wholly incorrect narrative that he hurt the program in any way. 

ijohnb

April 16th, 2018 at 1:23 PM ^

curious.  I have heard all of the chatter, "Carr wasn't recruiting, was telling players to transfer, was not supportive of Rodriguez and did not speak to him, etc."  I have no idea whether any of that is true, I was not privy to it.  What specifically do you know that refutes that narrative?  I am not challenging you on the fact that the narrative is false, I really don't care at this point, I am just wondering what you have heard and what you know that paints a different picture.

I never knew what to think of Carr during and after that transition.  I do know that I never saw him or heard from him anywhere near Michigan football after the day that season was over, and I found that unusual for a coach of his stature and reputation. 

In reply to by ijohnb

evenyoubrutus

April 16th, 2018 at 2:00 PM ^

Have you read Bacon's book? I found what he said interesting about Lloyd's relationship with RichRod and Martin. His sources told him that Carr lobbied for Rodriguez initially, but at some point he started telling his players to transfer because his offense wasn't a good fit for their skillset.

Personally, I have met Lloyd one time, at the Run Tough for Chad Tough 5k. I said "wow, it's a pleasure to meet you, coach. I grew up in the '90's watching your teams play and you're a big reason I am such a Michigan fan." He stared at me for a few seconds and then looked at my dad and said, "so, are these your grandkids?" LOL. Not sure what that has to do with anything but I found it pretty funny.

Space Coyote

April 16th, 2018 at 2:08 PM ^

I don't think that's a fair description of what Carr did or what Bacon said he did. Carr offered to sign transfer papers if any of the players wanted to come speak to him about transferring. But he wasn't just going to sign papers. He wasn't encouraging players to transfer. He was willing to talk with them about it, why they may want to transfer, and if they really wanted out, he wasn't going to stop them. Carr genuinelly cared about his players, I don't blame him for that part of the saga.

As for being around the program once Rich Rod took over, I think it's pretty layered. But 1) I don't think Carr wanted to hang over the program, particularly when it wasn't a guy from his tree because he understood the next guy needed to own the program for it to be success; 2) after lobbying for Rich Rod, I personally don't think he really liked Rich Rod, particularly after Rich Rod said some fairly critical things about Carr's program. So I don't think he was going to be particularly around anyway (Carr had a lot of interests outside coaching), and then basically determined he was going to stay completely out of it once he felt slighted.

Hemlock Philosopher

April 16th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^

I stayed in the same hotel as the team before the 2004 Illinois game. I went for a stroll around the atrium and there was Coach and several assistant coaches having coffee. I approached and said hi and wanted to wish the team good luck that night. He engaged me in some small talk about school (had on my Michigan Pharmacy sweater) and I went on my way. Several minutes later, I brought back my friends and he talked to us for a little while and told us to make sure to cheer loudly that night. 

Kevin13

April 16th, 2018 at 1:34 PM ^

in the eye of the beholder.  Could Carr had done somethings differently his last couple of years coaching and then during the transition. Sure... he could've, but hard to completely blame him for all of it.  Carr wanted to retire a couple of years prior but Martin talked him into staying longer then he wanted to. I think the last couple of years his heart was not 100% behind coaching and it showed it, in not as strong as recruiting classes.  Also his level of discipline became a little lax and players got used to probably a little easier life then normal.

Then when it came to the transition Carr wanted DeBored and when he wasn't hired it left a sour taste in Carr's mouth. I don't think he went out and tried to hurt the program by telling players to transfer or making life tough on Rich Rod, but he definitely did not go out of his way to welcome him and make life easier for him or throw all his support behind him.

Now does that mean he hurt the program, well again it's in the eye of the beholder. I personally don't think he hurt the program, but he also didn't do it any favors his last couple of years and during the transistion.

viachicago

April 16th, 2018 at 1:11 PM ^

Would have been interesting to see the Andy Cannavino redemption play out, the 22 quarter no TD streak, and the birth of the six pack defense for the Purdue game.  

And on the downside, the reaction to the gut punch Harry Oliver FG to end the ND game and the hangover loss to South Carolina and George Rogers the next week.

Team 101

April 16th, 2018 at 8:17 PM ^

It was my freshman year and it was interesting. It started slow and then they put in Wangler to throw to Carter and the defense became impenetrable and at the end of the season no one was going to beat us.

jimmyshi03

April 16th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^

You get the cultural shift in the spring and fall camp, the Utah game, followed by the upswing of the home games, including the shut out streak. Then you get the thing that happend, and the recovery/close game against Minnesota where Speight had to come in and save the game. You get the Indiana and PSU games and then the recovery after OSU/the Mattison transition taking over from Durkin and sending the team out on a high note. 

NYC Fan3

April 16th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^

I would think that following the Basketball team for a season would be a great view.  Due to the size of the team, you would likely get great insight into the personality of the players.  

After watching the Amazon series on football, I will be pulling that much more for Chase, Rashan and Karan.

mGrowOld

April 16th, 2018 at 1:23 PM ^

That season had everything.  Pre-season ranked #3 only to have disapointing B1G regular seaason and finish third.  Coach Frieder bolts for ASU at the end of season but wants to coach through the NCAA tourny prompting Bo's famous "a Michigan man will coach Michigan".

  • Team escapes a round one loss to Xavier with a late run
  • Team FINALLY beats the tournament nemisis North Carolina to advance to the elite 8
  • Team plays game of their lives to completely destroy Virginia and move to final four
  • Team beats an Illinois team at the buzzer (thank you Terry Mills) which had crushed M twice during the season already and were heavy favorites to win it all
  • Team beats Seaton Hall in, my opinion, the greatest finals game ever played when Rumeal Robinsion hits both ends of a 1-1 with less than three seconds to go in OT.

If that wouldn't be an amazing look behind the scenes....nothing would.

mGrowOld

April 16th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^

But it was Mills who MISSED the shot (on purpose I'm sure) that allowed Higgins to have the opportunity for the putback.

I believe this is widely known within the insider basketball community as the world's first recorded "Kobe Assist".

Game.

Set.

Match.

ijohnb

April 16th, 2018 at 1:34 PM ^

it is too obvious.  People are going with clever answers to try to get accolades.

Truth is, these kinds of OPs do not create very good discussion.  Typically created for the OP to make one fairly insignificant point and have everybody read it.