Bag of Bell (Vol. 62): Spring game thoughts, U-M hoops portal outlook, fun questions and more
This post is locked and can be read by premium subscribers only.
It’s crazy to think that it’s been more than two years since my last “true” mailbag on this platform — those who were subscribers back in early 2020 probably remember that’s what the vast majority of early posts were. But shorter-form subscriber chats/Q&As being more time effective and the structured nature of coverage in the fall has put traditional mailbags on the back burner.
With hoops season behind us, though, I decided last week to ask followers on both Twitter and Bluesky to send me some mailbag questions for a bit of a throwback newsletter.
So here we are. In this edition of the Bag of Bell — the 62nd installment of the mailbag since launching the newsletter five years ago last month — I’ll tackle a number of questions. Some are related to sports. Some aren’t. Some are serious. Some are entirely out of left field. Hopefully there’s a little something for everyone, though.
Topics in this installment include:
Why it’s worth watching this year’s spring game (or at least a replay of it) and what you should be on the lookout for
My thoughts on Michigan’s current hoops portal class and what may still be coming
An early look at Big Ten contenders and pretenders in football this upcoming fall
My top candidates to become breakout players on both sides of the ball this fall
Whose side I’m betting on in a 50 chicken-sized horses vs. one horse-sized chicken battle
Parenting tips now that I have a third little one running around
How I’d cast Survivor’s 50th season (don’t worry, I put this one at the end because I know it’s an incredibly niche topic)
So whether you’re looking for sports talk or a change of pace that covers more off-the-wall stuff, I’m hoping this newsletter has a little something for everyone and serves as a nice change of pace. And if it’s received well, maybe we go to this well more frequently in the coming offseason months. Let’s dig in below the paywall jump.