Three and out : : Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football

Locations
Call Number: 796.332 Ba, R 796.322 Ba, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / Sports / Football
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	796.332 Ba	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	796.332 Ba	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	796.332 Ba	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor, Local History 0-week checkout	R 796.322 Ba	0-week checkout	Library Use Only
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / Sports / Football	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / Sports / Football	4-week checkout	Due 05-20-2024

"The national spotlight never strays from the University of Michigan football team. More people have seen the Wolverines play football--in person and on TV--than any other team in the nation. Michigan boasts the most wins, the best winning percentage, the biggest stadium, the most alumni, the most heated rivalries, and the richest tradition in the game. As their famed fight song proclaims, the Wolverines are "Victors valiant. conqu'ring heroes." Or they were, until 2008. The brilliant but star-crossed Rich Rodriguez led the young Wolverines through three of the program's toughest seasons. With the entire sports world watching, they enjoyed thrilling victories and suffered heartbreaking losses, often falling short in the winner-take-all struggle of big-time college football. Day after day for three years, John U. Bacon watched the drama unfold, from the sidelines to the locker room to the meeting rooms and even the homes of the players and coaches. No sportswriter has ever been granted more intimate access to a top-flight college football program. Now Bacon--an award-winning journalist and coauthor of Bo's Lasting Lessons--has written a narrative saga in the vein of Friday Night Lights and Season on the Brink. His story is one of hopes raised and dashed; of reputations pumped up, then punctured; and of coaches and youngsters striving to satisfy the demands of a culture that values winning above all else"-- Provided by publisher.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

An epic tragedy in our own backyard submitted by ejk on January 24, 2012, 11:27am A compelling and maddening journey through the business of college football in general, and the Michigan Wolverines in particular. John U. Bacon received unprecedented access to games, practices, and meetings during the tenure of Rich Rodriguez, and lays it all out for the reader; the highs, the lows, and the downright ugly. You can see so much potential for success, but mistakes and missteps both on the field and off from players, coaches, and administrators ultimately doom the RichRod regime in Ann Arbor. Rodriguez comes off as a likable guy and a good on-the-field coach, but every flaw that doesn't fit the Michigan Man mold is amplified in condemnation of the environment as much as his failures. A sad story but ultimately a textbook of just how things can go wrong with coaching transitions, which may have contributed to the success of the ensuing transition. A great read for all fans of the game of football.

In-Depth Examination submitted by Meginator on August 15, 2017, 2:29pm Reading John Bacon's review of the Rich Rodriguez years at the University of Michigan is a painful, but eye-opening, experience for Michigan fans as he re-hashes everything that went wrong in one of the program's worst-ever slumps. Bacon's style is clear and he takes pains to present an air of neutrality by freely admitting his own biases; the result is an insider's view of institutional collapse that spreads the blame among all of the actors. Though specific to three years at a particular program, and seeded with historical context that puts the Wolverines' disaster into clearer focus, the book is applicable to college football wrought large and tackles (ha) some of the administrative issues that plague the collegiate athletic industrial complex. Three and Out is a painful read, but a compelling one.