Uh, I THINK John U Bacon confirmed the Gregg Henson rumor on WTKA this morning.
I know nothing - NOTHING - about Gregg Henson's credibility. Nor do I know anything about Bacon's sources, although I do know that he wasn't on Brian's ad hoc "certified source" list in the Mailbag post from earlier this week. But during Bacon's regular segment on WTKA this morning, he slipped in a detail that didn't get a lot of hype and didn't seem to get mentioned in the Henson thread below.
Go listen for yourself. Download today's Bacon segment on the WTKA website. The whole thing is worth a listen, but the back third is what you REALLY need to hear.
At around 10:35, Webb discusses how various players have spoken out for or against Michigan in "many different facets." Webb asks if there are new factions emerging between players for and against the current football regieme, or if those factions never left and have always been there.
Bacon answers - this part is paraphrase - that there aren't any factions at all. Pretty much all former lettermen are against the Athletic Department, but NOT Brady Hoke. Bacon says it's not like Rich Rodriguez, were there were people for and against him. Bacon then says - quote - "If you want to find one group that is most uniformally opposed to the current direction of the department, it's the lettermen. I mean, they've got to be 95 to 99 percent negative right now."
Webb counters that Billy Taylor defended the department; Bacon defers gracefully and says "give the reverend his due." Bacon then says that many more would come out but "can't for political reasons."
But here's the kicker. Go to 14:00, right after Bacon's phone goes off. Bacon says that there are "two approaches," but not pro and con. The two approaches are "do you speak up or do you not speak up," meaning against the athletic department. Then Bacon says - again, quoting at 14:31 - "But they [the former players] don't get a vote. They're not on the board. They're not, you know, in the president's ear in the normal way. They are writing him a letter, obviously, and they - many - I think hundreds have signed it. What it does tell Schlissel is this. I can't imagine president schl taking action based solely on the lettermen's letter. But I can see him thinking if he decides to make a decision, 'Well, one problem I will not have is obstruction from the lettermen. They're not going to defend the current direction.'"
This does not confirm that the letter Henson presented is the actual letter. But if what Henson is saying is true as it pertains to Harbaugh...
Take for granted, take it with a grain of salt, or don't take it at all.
September 26th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^
I thought you meant Jim Henson. I was excited for muppets.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
"Sing my favorite phrase from those good old days. Let those tears and sweet memories flow."
September 26th, 2014 at 1:42 PM ^
Serious question - is it possible we go an entire season without muppets? Did you guys do that in 2008?
Not that we won't win again but are we at the point we muppet a Minnesota or Northwestern win?
September 26th, 2014 at 2:36 PM ^
in 2008.
September 26th, 2014 at 3:20 PM ^
I believe that was the first time they were deployed in a celebratory fashion.
September 27th, 2014 at 5:43 AM ^
Sad muppets should definitely be posted if we lose to Minny.
September 26th, 2014 at 12:57 PM ^
I thought Drew was coming back to be our QB. That would've been nice.
September 26th, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^
Doesn't he have eligibility left?
September 26th, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^
I think the fact that he had an NFL contract (albeit briefly) puts a damper on that possibility.
September 26th, 2014 at 5:19 PM ^
September 26th, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
It's all about the money. If we want those kinds of changes, we'd have to pry them from the NCAAs cold lifeless hands.
September 26th, 2014 at 6:26 PM ^
You say this like the NCAA is working against the schools. The NCAA does what the schools want them to do. The schools aren't in favor of much of this stuff, or most of them aren't. Things might change, but a lot of what fans want are simply things schools don't want, yet everyone blames "the NCAA."
September 26th, 2014 at 6:34 PM ^
And, if the NCAA disappeared tomorrow, the Big Ten has exactly the same amateurism rules as the NCAA (and those rules date back to before the NCAA even existed).
September 26th, 2014 at 6:24 PM ^
The difference there - you aren't competing against musicians from other schools. That's why it's entirely different.
The NCAA exists for fairness. You might not think that everything is as fair as it could be, and that's fine. But the schools all voted on these ruled, that's how they're passed. The schools think playes shouldn't get paid because it would uneven the playing field, not just because they don't want kids to have money. The NCAA doesn't care about a musician because he's not competing with musicians at other schools so he can grow weed in his basement for all they care.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:01 PM ^
Haha. Good point guys. I edited the title.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:04 PM ^
very, very soon. It's only a matter of time before Brandon sees the handwriting. In fact, if he isn't locked in his office planning the exit strategy now I would be very surprised.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^
I think you mean he sees the skywriting on the wall (err...sky).
September 26th, 2014 at 4:14 PM ^
beat his counterpart at MSU in golf-sheesh.
September 26th, 2014 at 2:10 PM ^
Sorry, too harsh...
September 26th, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^
That will be signed by hundreds of former players, I will guarantee that the letter than Henson has is definitely not that letter. It is one of the most unprofessional things I have ever read, and no Regent member could possibly take it seriously. To me, Henson posting that shows he has zero credibility.
September 26th, 2014 at 12:58 PM ^
I feel this is a very fair point. The podcast contains NO suggestion that the thing Henson posted was the letter that will be presented to Schlissel.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:00 PM ^
You should have seen the first version of Hamlet: total crap.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:06 PM ^
only lists what he says are some of the points on it. The Hitler comment is his own addition, which underscores his feeling that it's a pretty breathtaking list. We've got to maintain our own clarity here, everyone.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:31 PM ^
Doesn't he specifically state that the quoted text is from an email he received? There's even talk on the email about "Yale Van Dyne" elaborating further on an issue. (There is a person that could be checked for validity, if its necessary).
September 26th, 2014 at 1:48 PM ^
It seemed clear to me that Henson's contention was that there was a letter sent signed by 450 lettermen, one of whom sent Henson an email that explained the content of the letter. The email Henson recieved is NOT the letter. Its a numbered list of points covered in the actual letter (with some editorializing by the emailer).
How is everyone not getting this?
September 26th, 2014 at 2:54 PM ^
that it was the email editorializing, and you can be sure that the last point, #20 I think, was definitely not sent to the regents.
September 26th, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^
September 26th, 2014 at 6:10 PM ^
but here's what Henson actually said:
Here is an e-mail from a former Michigan Football Captain to the Regents at Michigan outlining the “grievances” against Brandon.
Followed by the 20 points.
I agree with you that it's extremely unlikely that it really was an e-mail to the Regents, but that's Henson's contention. Either he's confused, he writes poorly, or both.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
Sorry, but Henson does claim that the list is from a letter to the Regents. Henson writes, "Here is an e-mail from a former Michigan Football Captain to the Regents at Michigan outlining the “grievances” against Brandon."
September 26th, 2014 at 1:42 PM ^
It is an email to the regents from a "Michigan Football Captain," but it is not the same thing as the petition that Henson alleges exists. It is pretty clear that it is a different document.
I just checked the article again, Henson has updated with the audio of Bacon, using that as confirmation of the existence of the petition.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:54 PM ^
Henson puts something out, Bacon restates the claim of a petition without also stating it is an independent claim from Henson's, and then Henson uses Bacon's unsubstantiated claim as evidence for his own unsubstantiated claim. I think quite possible, it wouldn't be the first time that "journalists" have circulated the same claim as their own independent claim.
September 26th, 2014 at 3:21 PM ^
I think it highly unlikely that Bacon would use Henson as a source in this interview, particularly without attributing it to him.
September 26th, 2014 at 5:33 PM ^
exactly nobody, he didn't even say "unnamed source". So yes, he damn well did throw the story out there without attribution.
September 26th, 2014 at 3:24 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 26th, 2014 at 6:23 PM ^
He is just reporting what someone else reported. Next we should be able to get this in the congressional record sealing it as fact.
September 26th, 2014 at 3:53 PM ^
but would anyone who wanted to be taken seriously send something like this by e-mail, rather than in a formal letter?
September 26th, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^
Dear Grandpa,
Kids today do everything possible over the internet. Hope Grandma's hip surgery went well!
Love,
Jon06
September 26th, 2014 at 6:48 PM ^
I'm aware of that. Very few of the regents would be considered "kids."
September 26th, 2014 at 9:41 PM ^
September 26th, 2014 at 1:50 PM ^
"Outlining" is the key word there. A person with knowledge of the letter gives a list of things contained in the letter.
Its like if I read War and Peace and you ask me what its about and I send you an email with a synopsis. My email is not War and Peace, its one-man's plot summary of War and Peace. That email on Henson's site isn't the letter. It isn't presented as the letter. It's one guy who read the letter's synopsis of the letter.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:38 PM ^
I didn't listen to the segment, but isn't there a chance that Bacon is just repeating what he read on Henson's site rather than confirming it independently?
September 26th, 2014 at 1:52 PM ^
I highly doubt John Bacon is just regurgitating stuff he read on Gregg Henson's site. I'm not a Bacon fan at all, but I think he's smart enough to not do that.
September 26th, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^
There are things in that list that I know for a fact are not true. There is no way that list (the one that includes hitler) is anything halfway legitimate.
If there is a letter that is being signed it won't have anything to do with that list.
September 26th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^
One group that the lettermen most certainly DO influence is the donors; in particular, the ones with the very fat check books.
I know one guy, for instance, who was given a letter jacket and honorary membership in the M Club by the AD (while it was still under Bill Martin) for his years and years of financial support to Michigan's academic and athletic endeavors. There's even a building named for him on the Athletic campus. He hasn't given as much money as Stephen M Ross, but plenty.
If DB loses the support of the donors, he will lose his job and quickly. Of that I have no doubt.
September 26th, 2014 at 1:33 PM ^
It is an interesting point really and I agree with this - if indeed it is the case that former letterman are not on board with Brandon by that nearly unanimous magin, if you will, and if as a result they feel disinclined to activate the donors, it could be that their minds are made up for them at this point. It would perhaps tie into what he said about Schlissel potentially feeling that, if had to can Brandon, no one of note would be there to protest in such a scenario. It seems like more and more anecdotes from the inside - a few of which have made it to this board - speak to the fact that the list of people that would be sad to see Brandon go would be short, very short.
September 26th, 2014 at 2:06 PM ^
No donors and Brandon's gone. But, up until now, it looks like Brandon has not had any trouble getting big donors to step forward judging by all the big expensive projects already done or in the works. And there seem to be endowed positions and newly named facilities all over the athletic campus. Of course, all this could change quickly. But, DB seems to be pretty good at raising money.
September 26th, 2014 at 2:21 PM ^
But most donors will delineate their contributions to the long-term interests of the University from their voiced displeasure at the current direction of the department and its administrator. Many of those same people are also close friends of and contribute to the election campaigns of the Regents. They'll get heard loud and clear.