You missed it. I’ve got it. From this morning it’s author John U. Bacon who joined guest host Larry (Pee Wee boys machine-pitch baseball coach) Lage and Ira in studio at WTKA to discuss his latest tome, the long awaited yet-to-be released Fourth And Long: The Fight for the Soul of College Football. [display_podcast] Bacs was kind enough to share an advanced proof copy of the book with me and I’m digging in right now. I can already tell you my favorite chapter is entitled “The Battle for the Brown Jug” and the term “Brown Jugologist” made it through the first few edits. $$$ A few less jug-enabled media members have torn through the book as well and here are a few testimonials: “John U. Bacon went deep inside the world of college football, penetrating the locker room doors to meet some players you won’t forget and, most amazingly, learn the secrets coaches protect more fiercely than the CIA. By getting so close to the heart of the sport, Bacon reminds us what we love about our greatest game.” – John Saunders, studio host at ESPN and ABC College Football “John Bacon’s exploration of the uncontrolled greed, intellectual corruption, and sheer mendacity that have captured college football would be depressing – if it weren’t so wonderfully reported, engagingly written, and…
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The Bacon Balcony Awaits (Jim Rome Audio 08-23)
Here’s John U. Bacon joining U-M grads/comedians/actors The Sklar Brothers as they guest hosted the Jim Rome show today. Bacs did a wonderful job discussing an unsourced rumor from an alleged incident a few years ago that I won’t discuss here…and more importantly, his upcoming book on college football (4th and Long: One League, Four Teams and the Future of College Football) and he served up a few takes on how the whole mess at Penn State will impact college football moving forward. [display_podcast] Strong work by Bacs—he kept up the comedic pace with two pros and gave a top notch interview. HT to Matt once again for the audio hookup. * Follow John U Bacon on Twitter and tell him where to hang out in Happy Valley Follow MVictors on Twitter Reminder: Don’t forget I’ll be at Laurel Manor Monday night with Brian Cook and Angelique for the U-M Club of Detroit’s annual Football Kick-off bash.
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Bacon Goes Nationwide (Rome audio 12-29)
John U. Bacon graced the national airwaves today, joining the Jim Rome show hosted by U-M grads, Jason and Randy Sklar. Bacon discussed Three and Out with the Sklars and shared the situation on the ground in Ann Arbor in the aftermath of the first season of the Hoke era: [display_podcast] HT to Matt for providing the audio Follow MVictors on Twitter
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The Clans React to John U. Bacon’s Three and Out
I just finished John U. Bacon’s Three and Out and I need to talk to somebody. For a while. Same thing will happen to you. If you landed on this page, I don’t need to suggest you buy this book—you probably already bought it or certainly plan to. You really don’t have a choice now, do you? (It drops October 25 – get it now on Amazon). This isn’t a full review. I was lucky enough to receive a beta version of the book and its content is subject to be tweaked, added or removed. But I can offer a few thoughts. For starters, I’ll note that it’s painful enough to relive the past three seasons just from memory. Now try it in 3D and HD, complete with unreleased scenes, quotes and outtakes. And did I mention cockroaches? I give credit to Bacon for writing this—no one held a gun to his head to do it—and he surely knew he’d be ruffling a feather or two twenty by putting this out there. As Brian mentioned, everyone seems to be upset about the book. Most people will be talking about Lloyd Carr, who is charged with conduct unbecoming a Michigan Man yet, it is strongly noted, didn’t speak to Bacon for this book so in several cases we rely on the perspective…
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Ice Evolution
On Monday Red Berenson taught Sam Webb and the rest of the media a little bit about ice. Here’s what he said (thanks to Ira at WTKA for the clip): [display_podcast] Building on Red’s description of the surface for Saturday’s game, I thought it’d be cool to take a look at how the ice has evolved over the years. Where did I find a lot of this info? John U. Bacon’s outstanding book Blue Ice of course, get yours if you don’t. “Outdoor/Outdoor” Ice (1900-1916): Michigan hockey, or at least something like it, started after the turn of the century as students formed ‘The Huron Hockey Club’—a group of students that played the game on the Huron River and its “outdoor/outdoor” ice. According to Blue Ice, in those early days instead of sweaters they wore bowler hats, coats and ties. In lieu of pucks they used things “tin cans, wood blocks, frozen fruit and even packed horse manure.” I’m guessing you could also find a little bit of “maize ice” near the woods back in those days. For years the group lobbied the athletic department unsuccessfully for funding and more importantly, for its place amongst the other varsity sports. “Indoor/Outdoor” Ice (1916-1927): The sport (and ice skating in general) was growing in popularity as the years went on. Eventually the…
