Three and Out

[foreverblue73]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20111024/SPORTS0201/110240323/1131/sports0201/-Three-and-Out--is-unfiltered-look-at-the-Rich-Rodriguez-era

Possibly a good read?

 

[easye688]

Have not picked it up yet, I heard good things though.

 

[Michchamp]

I think this is the 3rd thread on this book now.

interesting article though.

sounds like Bacon made himself persona non grata around Schembechler Hall by writing a tell-all like this before all the wounds had healed. After reading Brandon's comment, I thought, "ouch."

whether he should've written it... I don't know. on one hand, I understand the reasoning and the need to simply put all this behind us and move on. Everyone who was screwing the program, from Bill Martin to those clowns Rodriguez & his staff are gone and the situation has been cleaned up.

I guess it could serve as a cautionary tale on what NOT to do for our next AD & next coaching search.

it also sounds like Bacon probably should've done more editorializing to cut people some slack in the book, instead of being so brutally honest. the plain facts of the last three years are just ugly to look at.

 

[redandguilty]

Bacon has been answering submitted questions on MGoBlog. Below, I've posted questions and links. I specifically remember the last one had a good Yost quote in it.

So let's talk about how this book came about. You had total unfettered access to Rich Rodriguez? How does that come about? Why would anyone agree to such a thing? What was his motivation?

http://mgoblog.com/content/bacon-three-and-out-qa-intro

3. Were the "fit" issues real?

4. What was so hard about the transition?

5. PRETTY MUCH THE Q: Who does John Bacon blame for the last three years?

http://mgoblog.com/content/three-and-out-qa-part-two

6. WHAT'S NEXT?

 

[Michchamp]

Well this quote explains a lot: <blockquote>I realized pretty early in the process that trying to play politics with this would be almost impossible

 

[TheVictors]

There's certainly no 'need' for the book but it is curiois how a guy like Bacon is given 'unfettered' access for such a horrible time period in A2. I mean, what was ultimately the intent? To have an 'embedded reporter' for RichRod chronical everything he did day-to-day as UM head coach? When would the access then be complete? So far, unless the book has some unknown details to it, all that is said in the book is already out there....and has been.

At least RichRod had the decency to decline comment rather than continue to complain about everything -- and we all know that Bill Martin 'seemingly botched the search...' and there was 'no organization' and that there were 'divided factions' among the Alumni. ....

 

[TheVictors]

Okay, so the book was supposed to be about "bringing the spread to one of the nation's most conservative programs" ...? I call bullshit. RichRod's financial adviser suggested the idea ...? Again, sounds fishy.

 

[Michchamp]

Okay, so the book was supposed to be about "bringing the spread to one of the nation's most conservative programs" ...? I call bullshit. RichRod's financial adviser suggested the idea ...? Again, sounds fishy.

I thought his explanation made sense. RR came in with a head of steam, probably believing all the hype... both in terms of his own prowess, and the nonsense about "anyone can win 9 games at Michigan." He probably figured Bacon would be a loyal court historian, documenting his triumph of freeing Michigan from its "conservative, outdated, 3 yards and a cloud of dust, and bla bla bla football style."

Then after going 3-9, he probably didn't really think about what giving the guy continued access would mean, or just didn't care at that point... I don't think he ever expected he would be fired.

 

[Michchamp]

I guess the only interesting question that remains in my mind is the conjecture of what could've been if RR had brought in Casteel. I still don't know whether the guy was worth his salt as a DC; his record at WVU has been OK, but that's also in the Big Least.

the emphasis on hiring Barwis and getting $1 million for new equipment was obviously a pointless use of resources. Bacon made it sound like that was the decision RR made: spend the money on weights & flashy S&C coach, or bring in his DC. I have a hard time believing a relative no-name like Casteel would've been worth that much... if the guy honestly asked for $1 mil, he was probably overrated too. We don't even pay Mattison that much.

Casteel's wiki page makes it sound like he stayed at WVU because of the Bill Stewart connection, so maybe it was never about the money. If that's the case though, I wonder about what his relationship with RR was like, and whether he would've had an easier time managing the clowns on the defensive staff at Michigan than Shafer or GRob.

 

[redandguilty]

Okay, so the book was supposed to be about "bringing the spread to one of the nation's most conservative programs" ...? I call bullshit. RichRod's financial adviser suggested the idea ...? Again, sounds fishy.

I thought his explanation made sense. RR came in with a head of steam, probably believing all the hype... both in terms of his own prowess, and the nonsense about "anyone can win 9 games at Michigan." He probably figured Bacon would be a loyal court historian, documenting his triumph of freeing Michigan from its "conservative, outdated, 3 yards and a cloud of dust, and bla bla bla football style."

Then after going 3-9, he probably didn't really think about what giving the guy continued access would mean, or just didn't care at that point... I don't think he ever expected he would be fired.

I buy the explanation too. People were overwhelmingly excited about RR and Michigan's future with him at the helm. "If RR can do what he does with 2 and 3 star recruits, just imagine what he'll do with the recruits he can get at Michigan."

Also, I think RR was surrounded buy people that were trying to figure out how to cash in his position without any interest or knowledge of Michigan tradition...or football...or anything. They'd advise to become the Lidsay Lohan of football if they could make a buck off it.

 

[redandguilty]

#49

http://www.amazon.com/best-sellers-books-Amazon/zgbs/books/ref=pd_dp_ts_b_1#3

 

[redandguilty]

Up to #24.

 

[michiganmicros313]

I downloaded the sample last night on my iPad and read the whole thing. Pretty decent, I might drop the $17 on it.

 

[silverbullet97]

After reading the snippets available all over the Internet I bought a copy for my Kindle. I also bought a copy of War As They Knew It. No when I log on to Amazon I got a bunch of Michigan junk in my suggested items area :-/

 

[Michchamp]

After reading the snippets available all over the Internet I bought a copy for my Kindle. I also bought a copy of War As They Knew It. No when I log on to Amazon I got a bunch of Michigan junk in my suggested items area :-/

that shows you're smarter than the average Buckeye. also the fact that you read books and own a kindle.

accept it.

embrace it.

 

[redandguilty]

After reading the snippets available all over the Internet I bought a copy for my Kindle. I also bought a copy of War As They Knew It. No when I log on to Amazon I got a bunch of Michigan junk in my suggested items area :-/

If you believe the 1st book, you'll regret buying the 2nd.