John U. Bacon on ESPN Sportscenter at 9:05pm EST
Bacon will be on Sportscenter at 9:05pm to discuss the Michigan situation. Thought some people here might be interested.
He posted this on Twitter. (Can't embed tweet on mobile)
Edit: here's the link he posted in the tweet http://espn.go.com/video/sportscenter
So I'm not sure if it's on the ESPN news live showing of Sportscenter at 9pm or if it'll just be a clip at the above link.
Edit 2 Summary: thinks Hoke may be fired tomorrow.
Asked about his legacy and he said Hoke is well liked but with a mediocre record.
Asked about who he wants as the next coach and he said Jim Harbaugh emphatically.
Smugly asked about chances Michigan lands Jim or Les and he responded that Jim was trickier but he quoted Les from one of his books saying "I'll never say no to Michigan"
Asked for percentages of next coach he said 51% Jim Harbaugh, 25% Les Miles and 24% for the rest of the world.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:20 PM ^
Oh great, someone else "speculating" based on third-hand knowledge.
I know Bacon is tapped in to an extent and certainly knows more than me, but these past couple of months have also exposed him to be a bit of a news chaser.
I can't wait for whatever meeting Hoke and Hackett are having tomorrow to end and we can move forward on firing Hoke or burning down the message boards by keeping him around.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:22 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 8:37 PM ^
Bacon still has connections. Even though he tells us things we don't want to hear, he does seem to still have sources and is worth listening to. That being said, I hope he is wrong about plan B or C.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:53 PM ^
What does he think are Plans B and C?
December 1st, 2014 at 8:55 PM ^
Can't complain too much when your plan B is a national championship winning coach with above .750 winning percentage in the SEC. Plan C, on the other hand...
December 1st, 2014 at 8:59 PM ^
No.
Miles is part of his 3 headed "A plan"
December 1st, 2014 at 9:09 PM ^
And that's kinda my problem with stuff like this right now - everyone just says the most obvious things in the world and then "discuss" what they would mean if they were true. Michigan wants Harbaugh; they probably won't get him. They would then go for Miles, who they probably wouldn't get. Then they may very well settle on Hoke, unless they go for a hot assistant. It's just the same 4 things being repeated 50 times a day.
If someone comes out and says "rumors I've heard are that Michigan is in negotiations with OSU's OC" or "Brian Cook just passed out because Flighttracker shows a Michigan plane landing near Colorad School of Mines" then that's real news. Also, that would be awesome.
December 1st, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^
The ESPN guy asked nothing of substance and JUB obliged. Not all that surprising.
December 2nd, 2014 at 2:45 AM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 9:00 PM ^
B - Schiano
C - another Hoke type
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/bacons-plan-plan-b-and-plan-c-you-wont-plan…
December 1st, 2014 at 9:15 PM ^
No...Schiano is a big step above Hoke...but a huge step behind Harbaugh or Les.
December 1st, 2014 at 9:37 PM ^
My mind just didn't register that someone as informed as Bacon could believe Schiano is a Plan B. Schiano is Plan Y (plan Z is retain Hoke)
December 1st, 2014 at 8:22 PM ^
How has he been a news chaser? He was right about Brandon not lasting. None of us know what Harbaugh is thinking right now. Maybe he's right.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:26 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
I have always loved RR as a coach generally, but understand why he didn't work at Michigan and why he needed to go. And I generally like Bacon as a writer and a reporter of sports generally. But I've read his past two books and while I respect his passion and knowledge of college sports, they also come across at times with this faux earnestness that just rubs me the wrong way. He writes these books with a story in mind and really does seem to believe in the greatness of college sports, but sometimes he seems to buy into his own hype about being a crusader for all that is good and right in sports.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:46 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 9:01 PM ^
I too own a thesaurus.
December 1st, 2014 at 9:12 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 10:15 PM ^
Jurassic Park IX.
December 2nd, 2014 at 2:25 AM ^
someone didn't catch the Jurassic World trailer...
December 1st, 2014 at 9:40 PM ^
What's a thesaurus?
December 1st, 2014 at 10:03 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 10:07 PM ^
I did the same to Njia's comment. It's maybe once/month that I literally lol to something on this site, and it's always a fun moment -- and often a dumb joke that does it.
December 2nd, 2014 at 8:41 AM ^
Calling something funny is high praise from a guy that has the funny name and the funny hat that goes with it.
December 1st, 2014 at 11:13 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 9:07 PM ^
No offense, but your writing style makes me want to strangle a kitten.
December 1st, 2014 at 9:37 PM ^
December 2nd, 2014 at 12:07 AM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 11:28 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 9:55 PM ^
December 2nd, 2014 at 7:07 AM ^
Because I think a lot of people don't link the two.
I think people dislike John Bacon because he puts a U. in there when there is no other John Bacon that we could be talking about.
I think people dislike John Bacon because after the Rich Rod thing he got so much praise for being correct on a number of things he thinks is correct on everything.
I think people dislike John Bacon because he has become some type of spokesperson for "the people" of Michigan athletics
I think people dislike John Bacon because he's arrogant and comes off as a know-it-all when it many cases, he's stated the obvious...just to a larger audience (i.e. ESPN).
I don't think it's because they dislike Rich Rod. He just has this perception of being "one of us" and now he's "one of them" (looks at Freep reporters).
He's a talking head with an agenda - not someone solely out to get the facts and shed light on darkness (which is very anti-MGoBlog)
John Bacon was liked, even after Rich Rod, many appreciated his book. But then Hoke got here and he became this celebrity and didn't stay in his lane/know his role.
Similar to what happened to WolverineDevotee here at MGoBlog...he went from loveable mascot to arrogant character in the eyes of many. He gets negged even when he just says "Go Blue." Just because he's WD. I think it's because many people got tired of him soaking up the "I got Brandon fired" spotlight and referring to himself in the 3rd person. To them, he stopped acting like one of us - and more like he belonged on the same "level" as Brian. And he was no longer the innocent loveable mascot with an obsession for apparel.
Just my two cents. Oh and me personally, don't care for Bacon too much anymore. Still love WD.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:29 PM ^
Was anyone honestly surprised Brandon was gone by the time Bacon started talking about it? And he's had an axe to grind with Brandon ever since his press access was revoked, and while I fully understand his feelings its not like him beating that drum was out of altruism.
And that's fine if he wants to go on and say "I have no insider information, but my opinion is X", but that isn't the tact he's taken before and probably won't here either. Again, I don't hate Bacon or anything, but the last couple of months have soured him for me a bit as he just kept hammering the same talking points.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:35 PM ^
If you've got an axe to grind with Bacon, go ahead and grind it. But you might as well give the guy a fair shake if you're going to do it.
As for me, I'll take the opinions of a professional journalist with connections throughout the program over an anonymous internet poster with a grudge, thank you.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:41 PM ^
Ah yes, because I am known around these parts for reporting news about Michigan sports. Take Bacon's word if you want; he's probably right. I'm also fairly certain all he'll say is that he hears Harbaugh is interested but he might not be done with the NFL, Michigan might be looking at Miles, etc. etc. Nothing new, because if there was something worth reporting he wouldn't be doing it at 9:05 on Sportscenter.
You can take whatever grain of salt you want with my opinions, but "having an opinion about something you don't agree with" != "having a grudge" no matter how hard you want that to be the case.
December 2nd, 2014 at 7:09 AM ^
correction
*old connections
December 1st, 2014 at 8:38 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 8:44 PM ^
I'd get on you for being a pedant, but I'll take my medicine. I was in a hurry and absolutely typed the wrong word. I apologize for it invaldating everything else I wrote.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:51 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 9:07 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 9:02 PM ^
December 1st, 2014 at 9:12 PM ^
I've got a couple of other words I DEFINITELY know the meaning of that I could use right now if you like.
December 1st, 2014 at 9:05 PM ^
Bacon wrote those posts about wanting to preserve the sanctity of Michigan (and more generally collegaite) sports from the corporate takeover by guys like Brandon. What he didn't say was that after he wrote a book that took to task the Michigan AD during the end of RR's years, they severely limited his access to the program and generally made his life difficult. So he wasn't a dispassionate, unaffected third party in seeing a big shakeup in the athletic department. So when I say he wasn't being "altruistic", my point is that he wasn't writing those posts and calling for Brandon's removal without a positive stake in the outcome. Show me a different defintion of altruism if you want.
December 1st, 2014 at 9:33 PM ^
You used altruism properly. Don't know what the other poster had in mind when he questioned the way you used the word.
That said, I agree that Bacon had a stake in Brandon getting pushed out, but I think Bacon's opinions are valid. He's an author and a commentator. He apparently has inside sources, but his information is not necessarily the authoritative version of what's happening regarding the coaching situation. I find it informative, but consider it only one piece of larger whole.
December 1st, 2014 at 10:21 PM ^
but in the context he used it, it works.
December 1st, 2014 at 8:43 PM ^
Harbaugh is thinking about "getting it right."
He says so right here. Numerous times. (Without his symbolic 49er's baseball cap).
http://www.49ers.com/video/videos/Jim-Harbaugh-I-Want-to-Get-This-Right…
December 1st, 2014 at 9:14 PM ^
I'm not a person who thinks Harbaugh is going to come here, but after watching that press conference, I'm thinking the chances are greater. He didn't even come close to answering any questions about his job status.
December 1st, 2014 at 9:42 PM ^
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