John U. Bacon on ESPN Sportscenter at 9:05pm EST

Submitted by Simps on

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.

bronxblue

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.

bronxblue

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.  

bronxblue

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.

bjk

December 1st, 2014 at 8:46 PM ^

fair critiques.

You're treading into a subject area where your observations bear a seductive superficial resemblances to the Stalinist political correctness concerning the whole chain of events from RR to JUB that was practiced with harrowing energy by true idealogues such as the late lamented M-Wolverine back in the day. A lot of these types of criticisms have been thrown around before with less intellectual integrity than is your established m.o., but others have exhausted our patience with them before you got here.

So maybe I'm being hasty. In my defense, the slant of your jib just fits too tightly in with a foul wind we've encountered before.

blue in dc

December 1st, 2014 at 9:55 PM ^

RR idolization is believing that just because JU Bacon wrote it in a book, it must be the whole story. FYI - it is possible to not hate either RR or JU Bacon, believe that while Ruch Rod got some bad breaks, he also made plenty of mistakes, and believe that when all the key players did not want to be interviewed, JUB might not have gotten the full story on the Carr to Rich Rod transition.

Mr. Yost

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.

bronxblue

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.

bronxblue

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.

bronxblue

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.

bronxblue

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.    

Doughboy1917

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.