Reddit AMA recap: Answering your questions about Michigan sports, life, journalism and everything in between
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The folks over at the Michigan Wolverines reddit page had me as a guest today for an AMA (an “Ask Me Anything” for the non-reddit familiar folks). I took questions for 24 hours in advance of the chat and then some in real time for the hour chat. I figured I’d share a transcript of the chat for anyone interested. You can view more of the responses and check out the community as a whole at the link above. I’m very much a Reddit novice, but I know some members of that community are subscribers here, and I was really impressed by the depth and thoughtfulness of some of the questions.
Since this was an event at a free site, I’m making this newsletter free to all subscribers, premium or not. For premium subscribers, I intend to have a new mailbag out shortly — as well as analysis of the Harbaugh decision whenever that ends up actually happening.
Reddit AMA transcript
GrapeFruitJim: If Harbaugh doesn’t sign an extension, who do you believe will take over as head coach. Also, do you believe that the Athletic Director has played a part in letting the program get to this point.
Scott Bell: I think (/hope) it will be Matt Campbell. I think he's pretty clearly the top candidate that would both be a) realistic and b) a good fit with what the program needs to turn around.
I think the Athletic Director and Jim Harbaugh have both made missteps to let things get to this point, which has been completely avoidable.
ChaseAgin3: Hey Scott - long time fan and follower on Twitter. Would you rather have Juwan lead the team to a B1G championship (regular season & tournament) or to the final four with a 35% chance of winning the whole thing?
Scott Bell: Give me the Final Four with a 35% chance at winning it all. Michigan has won plenty of Big Ten titles in both basketball and football, though it might not feel that way because most haven't been very recent. But both of the Final Four runs in 2013 and 2018 were a complete blast, and getting another shot at a national title is what it's all about. National titles are so few and far between that you take the shot at immortality any chance you get.
goldennugg37t: I'll ask Scott the same questions he asked on Twitter earlier.
Do you want Jim Harbaugh to be head coach next season?
Do you think Jim Harbaugh will be head coach next season?
Scott Bell: There's more nuance to tackle with both of these, but for the sake of simplicity and tackling as many questions as possible, my answer to both polls would have been:
-- No
-- Yes
FWIW, for those who missed the Twitter polls, the fan results were 60-40% in favor of not wanting Harbaugh to be back next season and 72-28% in favor of thinking Harbaugh WILL be back next season, with more than 3,000 votes on each poll.
Jappzqz: If Harbaugh does leave.... It has to be Matt Campbell...right?
Scott Bell: Seems like the very clear top candidate to me.
jmselrod: Has Ron English's name come up on the defensive side?
Scott Bell: I've heard it, but I don't like the idea of that at all. Florida's secondary was one of the few that may have rivaled Michigan's in the ineptitude department among major college football programs this fall. I covered the team when English was here his first time around and I liked him and thought he was a good coach at the time. But when crafting a college football staff to be successful in 2021, he would not be on my short list. Or my medium-sized list.
BigDizzle76: Going away from college.
Who's your Super Bowl pick?
Which NFL team with a head coach opening is the hottest destination?
Scott Bell: I'm not a huge NFL guy, relative to the amount of attention I pay toward other sports. I'd cancel 10 seasons of the NFL before I'd want to do away with one college football season.
That said, put me down for Tampa vs. Buffalo. Just don't expect a good reason as for "why."
I think there's a lot in place in Houston to be successful. And I know it sounds weird, but I could see a path toward success in Jacksonville, too, a la what Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray at least showed signs of early in this season. Getting to draft a QB of the future and build a team around him would be a cool choice.
Majik9: Scott, welcome to Reddit, and with that, a question about Twitter.
Why do so many Spartan fans follow and engage with you on Twitter? Is it the whole I hate Howard Stern so I listen to him thing?
Scott Bell: I don't get it, but I also do get it. I personally am not wired this way, but I can see people who would be. If you've been dunked on in the past, sometimes you overcompensate and put a disproportionate amount of time in trying to get revenge.
NobleSturgeon: A lot has been said about the shift from traditional media to new media and how traditional media is not having a great time adapting to the digital age. With Michigan athletics in particular, it seems like the online ecosystem of content creators outshines the local traditional media pretty significantly when it comes to news and analysis, but maybe this isn't a great example because there's such a huge appetite for Michigan content compared to other teams. As someone who works in both traditional media and independent content creation, how do you see the field of content creation evolving, and do you think traditional media will be able to find its footing and catch up?
Scott Bell: Apologies in advance. This will be the longest response I have and it's probably for the most niche question that a good chunk of y'all won't really care about. But this is a great question and one that serves as a major challenge for me on a daily basis when it comes to my "day job." And it's also something I'm mindful of when it comes to creating content as part of my newsletter. So I'll dive a little deeper on this.
One of the main reasons I even came to Dallas in the first place was to try and help get the Dallas Morning News' sports section -- one of the most decorated and respected sports sections in the country with a ton of uber talented, uber experienced veteran journalists -- to become equipped to succeed in the digital age, too. When I first got here, that consisted of some pretty basic things like getting everyone on Twitter, conditioning people to understand that their job is no longer to just write a story for the next day's newspaper and things like that. But as time has gone on, that's doing more things like getting people to use texting services with subscribers like Subtext or experimenting with alternative story forms or video or podcasts or newsletters, etc.
This is to say that I think the stereotype that "traditional" journalists writing for newspapers are lazy and just cashing checks is largely wrong. These journalists have a lot of boxes they need to check with their day-to-day duties. And while print is probably an antiquated medium for the majority of people reading this AMA, it's still something that drives a bigger proportion of revenues at almost all daily newspapers across the country than digital. So while making journalists focus only on digital may make the most sense from a product and growth standpoint, it's probably not that easy when it comes to the bottom line/maximizing revenues. You would be shocked by the amount of mail/phone calls we get when we change a seemingly innocuous thing in print like how we display national NHL standings or when we miss running a box score from a late game in the following day's paper. These print subscribers, many of whom have subscribed for 50+ years and have stuck around despite a rise in price and a decrease in staffing, are incredibly loyal and people we want to serve. So while people on the internet may laugh at how basic and surface-level some stories on a specific team may be compared to how their favorite digital entity covers the team, it's not because that print writer isn't skilled enough to do something similar -- it's a time/resource game and it's ultimately up to that writer's editor (hi! that's me) as to how those decisions are made.
Until further notice, that print audience is going to need to be served. A 70-year-old person paying hundreds of dollars per year for the newspaper is looking for something than a 20-year-old person who isn't currently paying for our product, but still very much holds the keys to our future survival and should be treated as a potential subscriber. My challenge is to try and not make it be a one or the other decision and to find creative ways to serve all audiences.
That brings me to Michigan coverage, and my decision to dip my toe into serving that audience beyond just creating free content on Twitter for the sake of their and my own entertainment.
I want to preface this by saying this is in no way a criticism of the people who cover Michigan for a living, because I respect quite a few of them (definitely not all of them, though -- I'll leave it at that) and consider more than a handful of them to be legitimate friends, too. But I wouldn't have started a newsletter if I thought there wasn't a void to be filled in the Michigan content ecosphere. The first thing I tell people who ask me for advice on going into journalism and the best way of going about it is to find your own niche and try to do something that others aren't doing or can't do.
Michigan has plenty of good "traditional" beat writers. And I don't think the average fan understands how important they are to their fandom. Even if you don't find yourself reading stuff from the Freep/Detroit News/MLive journalists, the work they do is crucial for what a lot of your favorite non-traditional journalists are doing. It's a lot easier to react to things being said once said things have been reported.
I didn't start the newsletter to report news. I didn't start it to be an insider. There are already people in those lanes that do a good job, and my goal would never be to work hard enough to try and reach the level/quality of work that someone else is already providing. My goal was to provide a product that's insightful, authentic, interactive and entertaining. And I thought it could work because I didn't really see a place where all of those things were being emphasized and provided.
When it comes to traditional journalism, impartiality is important. But I think that turns a good chunk of the Michigan fanbase away from those traditional journalists from the start, because a lot of readers want content given to them from the perspective of a fan. I think that's why MGoBlog became so popular, because Brian had that figured out early in the game. I think MGoBlog also benefited from the Michigan Athletic Department being a little ahead of the curve and granting credentials to online sites like MGoBlog before a lot of other schools followed suit many years down the line. That gave some credibility and allowed Brian (and his growing staff) to add some depth to their coverage and be more than just what many people thought of stereotypical blogs at the time.
That blend of content that's being written in a little less buttoned-up tone while still being informed is the sweetspot I try and hit. I know what it's like to cover the team as a beat writer and for "traditional" news sources. I have pretty solid contacts within and around the program who trust me with info and know I'm legitimate. But I also know what it's like to be a fan and know the type of information that I'd be seeking out, and my goal is to write the types of things that I'd be seeking out. Many of my posts -- like this deep dive into Joe Moorhead's career or this breakdown of Josh Gattis' playcalling -- are things that I was looking into out of curiousity of my own fandom to begin with, and I just opted to grow it out to the longer 4,000-5,000-word deep dive format I try and make my newsletters hit.
I can provide authentic commentary, informed analysis and hopefully a decent dose of entertainment. My breakdowns won't be as deep as what MGoBlog provides with UFRs or Neck Sharpies. I won't be someone that's going to break a ton of news or use bandwidth to report what's being said at a press conference. You can and should find that content elsewhere. But I think I'm carving out a good niche for myself here, and I think having experience and an understanding of both new media and traditional media is a big reasoning for that.
TeddyJTran: Obviously, there's a lot that's going right with Michigan Men's Basketball right now.
Not to sound like a debby downer, but do you see any areas of concern from Juwan Howard's program? Or do you think this a stretch of basketball that we're going to really enjoy for a while?
Scott Bell: Honestly, the biggest area of concern I have centers around expectations. I think Michigan outperformed its expectations last decade -- it's pretty statistically improbable that Michigan fans got to experience two runs to national title games in a handful of years, both of which came from teams that weren't really high seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
I absolutely love everyone Howard is doing with the program. I just worry fans may be a little jilted if Howard's teams "only" reach the Sweet 16 some years and don't provide super deep runs in the tournament.
ThisAintItChieftain: Scott, why do you think Ohio State is waiving the white flag against Alabama and faking Covid cases to postpone their upcoming game?
Scott Bell: You certainly don't want to see a COVID breakout to get to see this delicious case of irony/hypocrisy, but it sure was funny seeing all of the tweets in the aftermath of yesterday's news.
The_H2O_Boy: Scott,
I am part of the r/cfb media team and as such I occasionally Tweet from the CFB Twitter account and realized I might be doing Twitter right when you liked a witty Tweet of mine.
My question is does your "personal" Twitter ever get you in some trouble with your "professional" Twitter account/your employers?
Scott Bell: Has it ever been a topic of discussion with me and the brass at work? Yes. But I don't think "trouble" is the right word. I think my reputation as some sort of Twitter savage is quite a bit overstated.
Yes, I like to try and be funny and occasionally toe the line to do so. But it's all relatively harmless and absent of any sort of vitriol. I like to push buttons of opposing fanbases. But I rarely do it in a way that would set off flags at work that I'm not representing my employer in the way they'd want me to.
They hired me. And the "real" me that they hired is very similar to the me you see online. I like to have fun. I'm typically pretty sarcastic. But I'm not a mean-spirited person and if dialogue online starts heading in that direction, I just block/mute/ignore and move on to something else. I'm not perfect, there have been some tweets I've made that I'd do differently if given another chance (hell, one of those happened about an hour ago where I made an extension joke amidst what's going on in DC, which was something I thought was harmless/in line with the usual tone of my account, but others thought crossed the line or was in some way me endorsing/supporting what's happening right now, which clearly isn't the case.) But I think that's going to be the case with anyone who has fired off 50k+ tweets on that god-awful platform at a time where everyone just likes to get really mad at something/someone at every waking hour.
I took a short break from Twitter a couple years back and let that serve as a bit of a reset for me on how I go about things, because things were often going off the rails, and while I wasn't the person sending them off the rails myself, I think it was at the very least not being discouraged by me. So the biggest change I've made since coming back is just narrowing the circle I engage with. I'll dunk on stupid tweets (this includes MSU/OSU fans, but also dumb U-M fans that I think hurt the perception of the fanbase), but I'm just done engaging in back-and-forths with people who want to make things personal. Its sports and its banter. Both of those things should be fun. People who want to make it something else aren't really worth my time.
jblpsyched: Scott, do you believe that Harbaugh has given Josh Gattis a fair opportunity to implement his 'speed in space' offense during the past two seasons? Or do you believe that Harbaugh overrules Gattis' playcalls frequently enough to impede the establishment of a new offensive identity? (I personally believe that the high frequency of running plays up the middle, especially on 2nd or 3rd and 4+ yards to go are Harbaugh's doing but I'm just speculating from the (figurative) bleachers.) Thanks!
Scott Bell: I've been asked this question previously as part of a mailbag on my site, and I caution answering it with too much authority, because it leaves a lot to guesswork. Is it possible that Harbaugh has handcuffed Gattis or overruled the coach? Yes. But there's really no proof of that, and I try to make my responses as quantifiable as possible. I also think Harbaugh is a pretty easy scapegoat these days (and in many cases, rightfully so), but that makes it very convenient to say "the parts of the offense that still suck are Harbaugh's fault." Gattis is still an inexperienced playcaller and we don't have any data from past stops to compare it to.
IAmCletus: What will be the reaction of Michigan fan base when the new DC does better against OSU, but doesn’t approach the dominance of Brown against non-OSU teams?
Scott Bell: I'm sure it will be like just about every other reaction from the Michigan fan base: Very measured and with a very appropriate tone.
But no, in all seriousness, there's a very good chance that's exactly what happens. Because, outside of 2020, Don Brown set the bar VERY high in terms of statistically dominance against non-Ohio State teams. And as everyone knows, he set that bar VERY low when it comes to head-to-head performance against Ohio State, too. So we're likely to find out for ourselves next year and beyond.
todder0021: Hi Scott, Love the trolling of MSU, never let up!!
Do you have any deep sleeper candidates that would be logical or interesting fits for the seemingly imminent need for a replacement of an NFL-bound Harbaugh?
Scott Bell: Honestly, not really. For the sake of my sanity, I try not to think too much of a Michigan program that's run by someone other than Jim Harbaugh or Matt Campbell, because I already have enough other things to worry about.
Icecreamcollege: Just wanted to say I'm a fan and thank you for doing this!
My question is basically do you think the Michigan brand can carry itself to a top 25-15 football recruiting class almost independent of who's the HC?
Essentially, it seems crazy to me that the 2021 class was still so successful despite the 2-4 season and the contract drama.
Also just as a fun question, what's another college team you root for a lot in FB or BB?
Scott Bell: Yes. I think Michigan showed last recruiting cycle that it has a very high floor when it comes to recruiting. The team had the most uncertain situation at head coach among any team in the country and had one of the worst on-field products, especially relative to expectations. So Michigan being able to turn in the second best class in the conference shows the brand has a lot to do with it.
I don't really root for other teams outside of Michigan, but my wife is a Texas Tech grad, so I guess I'll go with the Red Raiders (2019 NCAA Tournament be damned).
DGM06: The weird timeline for a decision on Harbaugh hasn’t seemed to have had noticeable consequences yet, but can you explain what advantages Warde Manuel might see from letting Harbaugh drag this on for so long?
Scott Bell: The biggest advantage for waiting is potential cost savings. If Harbaugh leaves to take an NFL job, it saves Michigan eight figures it would have had to spend to otherwise fire the guy. That's the best explanation I can think of.
BuyThoseDips: Dear Scott,
A few years back during the 2016-17 college basketball season, you tweeted something with regards to “Minnesota’s Zak Irvin”. My buddy DM’ed you asking if you were referencing Jordan Murphy in this tweet because the two looked similar or because he or another Minnesota player played similarly to Zak. Unfortunately he never got a response and for years we’ve been longing for the truth. So, Scott, what it be?
Scott Bell: I did not remember this. But I did some recon work. Looks like I made the tweet on Dec. 27, 2016. Michigan State and Minnesota were playing that night. Based on start times and timestamps from my tweet, it appears the tweet was in reference to Amir Coffey, who had a hero ball possession at the end of regulation and missed his shot, sending the game into overtime.
To be fair, it looks like your friend waited two months before reaching out to me via DM about the tweet. So cut me a little slack. But I still love the question and the vault-like memory.
ToeInDigDeep: Like u/The_H2O_Boy, I've also had the opportunity to cover games as part of the r/cfb media team. I wanted to ask you about your thoughts on "semi-professional" sports media. With the proliferation of online outlets giving more opportunities for non-traditional coverage, it isn't just print media narrating the story.
As a professional media member, how do see and interface with this? What is the role of "semi-pro" sports media in shaping the narrative? And how can we do it better than we've been doing?
Scott Bell: I'm loving these questions about the media. Wasn't expecting them, but very pleasantly surprised.
I'm very aware and appreciative of the dynamic that "semi-professional" media provides. And I think any "traditional" media that ignores or looks down at this element of coverage is doing itself and its readership a major disservice.
When I came to Dallas, it was to help the Morning News stay as the top source in the DFW market at a time when ESPN was poaching newspaper writers and starting their own local sites (i.e. ESPN Dallas). Back then, the "competition" was other newspapers. In the case of the Morning News, it was the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Now suddenly, there was an ESPN local branch to compete with. But internally, it seemed like people in the building still benchmarked success up against other newspapers and didn't really care about anyone else. When I became part of the management team in the sports department, one of my big goals was to change that "competition" and make sure we're benchmarking ourselves against what our readers are reading, and not just competition that's most similar to us in makeup. That included SBNation sites, standalone fan sites and blogs and things like radio and web shows. As time has gone by, places like the Athletic has come in and steered a lot of that competition, too.
On the flip side, while I think it's smart to know your market and have a good grasp of the competition, I think you need to look at some of the "competition" as potential collaborators, too, and not just the enemy. At the Morning News, I've seen some semi-professional media stuff that I've really liked, and we've aggregated it or even reached out to some of these people to contribute for us, too. I've hired multiple special contributors to do video breakdown/Xs and Os coverage that our current staff just wasn't equipped to do. So rather than try and fit a square peg into a round hole, I just let the square peg on the staff continue to do what he/she does best and found a way to compensate a round peg to come contribute for us and easily fit into that round hole as well. Same goes for my newsletter. While I'm competing with some of these people for subscriptions, I can't just treat them like the enemy or ignore their existence. I've go on MGoRadio, interviewed people from The Wolverine, go on Sam Webb's radio show on a weekly basis, and put together a season preview that included people from The Athletic, Free Press, Detroit News, 247Sports, Rivals, USA Today and the Daily.
Grabthars_HammerTime: Scott would you ever like to cover Michigan professionally? Or would that ruin the magic, like a Disney fan becoming disillusioned after working at Disneyland?
Scott Bell: I've covered the team before. I covered the softball team in 2005, hoops in 2005-2006 and then football from 2006-2008 when I was a student at the Michigan Daily. I was the sports editor and a columnist during that span, too, so I dropped into coverage of other sports during my time there. Then I worked for the Detroit Free Press for a couple years out of college and while that wasn't in a beat writing capacity, I did drop in and provide some coverage here and there, too. So I've had that experience. And I'm glad I got it. But it's not something I'm even remotely interested in doing professionally anymore. I'm a pretty big spaz when it comes to my work, and when I do my work, I want to do it well and do it professionally and do it better than anyone else. When I was in college I broke a story about threats three Michigan football players made against a woman on campus that got a couple of them booted from the team and another one suspended. Not exactly something "fan Scott" enjoyed doing. But fandom was (and needs to be) pushed aside when you're covering a team professionally.
I moved to Dallas in 2010 because of an awesome opportunity with the Dallas Morning News, and it's made for a much more enjoyable work approach that still allows me to have some fandom on the side. I don't care about any of the local pro or college teams here. I don't cheer for them (and equally as important, I don't go out of my way and cheer against any of them, either). So there's no internal battle as to whether I can truly provide fair, unbiased coverage there. And then on the side, I can be open and honest about the fact that I want my alma mater to do well at sports. So many journalists look down on "fandom," and I feel fortunate to still get to have it. And I'm not trying to cast any stones at anyone else, but if you think every journalist covering sports doesn't have teams they root for and biases (whether they're ones they're aware of or not), you're crazy. I've made the decision to be completely transparent about where I stand when it comes to rooting interests and I personally think that's the right approach, and one that doesn't treat readers and subscribers like they're idiots.
I'm a Michigan fan and I like having an outlet of fandom. Starting my newsletter this year has been the perfect outlet that allows me to toe the line of still writing about Michigan, which I was definitely getting an itch to do again, but doing so more in a manner that fits my interests well. I'd never want to be a "beat writer" for Michigan again, because I have no interest in covering Michigan objectively. And I think(/hope) readers appreciate and understand that approach and authenticity.
buckeyehater: On a football seriousness scale of 1-10, assuming Alabama, OSU, Clemson, etc are a 10, how serious does the University of Michigan (the school as a whole not just the team) take football?
On the same scale, how serious does the fan base take football?
My perception is that fans are far more serious/dedicated to the program than the University is, as evidenced by a lot of the decisions made, or not made, in the last 30 days.
Scott Bell: I think Michigan treats it as an 8. I think fans feel like it's a 5 or so because they have the comparison to Ohio State down the road -- the only true football factory in the North. But Michigan still dedicates a ton of resources toward its programs.
Facilities are top notch. Michigan's athletic department (and thus, football) budget/revenues are both in the top 5 nationally, and the athletic department pays Jim Harbaugh a top-5 salary with the Big Ten's largest assistant pay pool. There are lots of things to be frustrated about and examples of athletic departments elsewhere (namely in the south) that place a higher emphasis on athletics, but it's not like Michigan ignores the sport by any mean. I think Michigan having a sterling academic reputation is both a gift and a curse, too. Because academics are such a big deal at Michigan, that sometimes creates a conflict, too. At the very least, there's a smaller gap/contrast in sports vs. academics at Michigan than at most other places in the country, especially in SEC country.
I think fans are closer to a 10. Or it at least seems that way because the size of the fanbase and the different platforms there are to share those demands/frustrations.
tobinoxdz: Has your employer ever said anything about your personal account as to whether they like it or dislike it? Do you find it hard to flip the switch between the professional Twitter and your personal?
Scott Bell: Touched on the first part of this earlier. As for the second part, not really. Especially in recent years, where I've really established clear guidelines on what goes where. My sbell021 account was my only account for a bit, and I'd share thoughts on other sports and other things. But as that's grown, I've really tried to make that Michigan-only, and my "work" account is sort of a wasteland for all other things. But I try and keep a relatively fun tone on that one, too, and throw in some dad humor, because I still think it's a good idea to show some personality and give people a glimpse into what you're like as a person when you're running a "media" account, because they're not going to really care if all you're doing is tweeting out links.
tobinoxdz: What is the craziest reaction you’ve ever gotten from someone who took offense to one of your tweets?
Scott Bell: I've had multiple people reach out to my employer before. I've had people threaten me. I've had someone change their Twitter banner/profile picture to photos outside my house. I've had someone post my cell phone number.
All from the same fanbase. Surely a coincidence, though. Fun times on Twitter dot com.
wolverine1819: Hey Scott. Here’s a couple of questions :
If you were named head coach what would be the first few things you would do to help fix the football team?
If harbaugh comes back who would you like to see hired at defensive coordinator and what other coaching changes on the staff would you like him to make?
Scott Bell: I'd probably revamp/reset the recruiting strategy and make sure it was catered to the program's needs and the strengths of the staffs. I think it's always good to take a step back and do an inventory of what's being done and why it's being done and you can typically find some inefficiencies that can clear things up in situations like that.
Derek Mason is my preferred defensive coordinator. I like the idea of hiring someone that Harbaugh has worked with before, because I don't want there to be personality clashes or instances of coaches coming in and needing to learn stuff and get acclimated with culture/Harbaugh stuff on the fly. I think he has shown success and good adaptability as a defensive coordinator, too. I'd leave other defensive position coach decisions up to him. On offense, I think you keep Moore and Warinner and make some upgrades at some of the skill position groups. In a perfect world, that means shifting Gattis to WRs with a Joe Moorhead-type coming in to run the offense. But things don't always work out the way they would in a perfect world much, do they?
Dom_S54: CFB teams have historically been dominant in cycles. This applies to rivalries and as a program overall. What does it take to end the current cycle that OSU has rode since hiring Tressel?
Scott Bell: Patience. And prayer.
ThisAintItChieftain: Scott, is there a better snack than beef jerky?
Also, what's the best BBQ place in Dallas?
Scott Bell: There is. It's called Reece's Peanut Butter cups. But given the weigh things are trending with my weight during quarantine, I could probably afford a pivot to jerky.
Three favorite Dallas BBQ places are Pecan Lodge in downtown Dallas (yes, I know that makes me a basic bitch), Hutchins in McKinney and Tender in Celina.
hailtovictors: What is your favorite John Bacon book?
Scott Bell: I love them all. John's a great friend and mentor and he's a very talented writer. I have a special place in my heart for Bo's Lasting Lessons, though, because that's the book John was working on when I first met him, and I got to hear some great Bo stories from him while the process of putting the put together was still underway. And from a practical standpoint, as someone in management, I've used a lot of those lessons/suggestions/anecdotes when it comes to leading teams and people.
SFStateGaters: Thanks for the AMA.
I wonder, with name, image, and likeness possibly starting this August, it give a huge potential advantage to rich blue-blood schools like Michigan.
Do you foresee the UMich admin dragging their feet with this, or will they be more aggressive and have a plan in place for players to take advantage of, and to attract future recruits?
Scott Bell: I'd like to think it's the latter. But it's very much wait and see. The early stages of the Harbaugh regime showed me a coach and a program that was eager and willing to exploit every opportunity and loophole presented. I hope that vigor returns, because I think this is absolutely a great opportunity for a program with the resources that Michigan has to really be creative and differentiate itself.
deathlord9000: Scott, did you ever eat at Mr. Greek's Coney Island while you were in Ann Arbor and if so, what was your favorite dish?
Second question, and ignorant question... why aren't former stars like Desmond Howard or Charles Woodson considered for coaching positions?
Third question, equally ignorant... what's up with Mike Hart? Is there any chance we can bring him back as a coach from IU or does he have beef with Harbaugh or something?
Scott Bell: 1. Nope.
They have great media jobs right now that don't require recruiting and other grinding that's necessary when being an assistant coach. They also have no experience coaching. Not all great players become great teachers. And I think it's a little foolish to assume they could step in and be good assistants just because they performed well at Michigan.
I think that Harbaugh beef has been mended. His name has floated around a bit this offseason. Hard to know what's accurate and what's not, but I wouldn't be surprised if his career trajectory lands him in Ann Arbor at some point. That guy has charisma that can't be taught and was one of the favorite people I ever covered. I'd love to see him on the recruiting trail for a school like Michigan.
CondorsAHL: Some interesting conversations here. I'll add one question as well:
As a Michigan man working in the Dallas sports environment, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the "Southernization" of college football, and to some extent college athletics generally.
With the only exception being one year where Oregon and the hated Buckeyes prevailed, Southern teams have not just dominated, they've been essentially the only ones even invited to the "playoff," to say nothing of winning it all. Meanwhile, traditional Northern powerhouses like Michigan and USC have failed to reach the very upper echelons they used to inhabit.
Is it just a matter of "demographics is destiny"? Or something else at play? And is there anything to be done about it?
Scott Bell: It's a good question and one I wish I could give a little more time to, like some of the ones below that I was able to cheat with and work ahead with. I think culture has a lot to do with it. College football is life down here, and that's just not really the case elsewhere -- specifically with the schools you listed (Michigan and USC).
Medievil_Walrus: Hi Scott - thanks for doing this!
On the QB position, do you think the staff is still invested in developing and deploying Milton, or would you predict him transferring or being surpassed on the depth chart?
As for the other parts of the team, where do you think we’ll see the biggest improvements and where do you think we’ll see the most regression and why?
Any new contributors set to make an impact that most people aren’t aware of?
Scott Bell: I don't expect Milton to be back next season.
I think the secondary is probably the place you'll see the most improvement, especially if you're using the start of 2020 as your benchmark. I'm not sure if he'll be the one coaching the unit next season, but Mike Zordich is a fantastic teacher and I think we saw a lot of progress from the corners as the season went on. Gray and Green have a ceiling and they were put in a really tough position, but they grew a lot as the season went on. Another year of teaching and reps should get them in even better position.
As for the last part, there really aren't a lot of surprises that most people aren't aware of when you're dealing with a program like Michigan that has the coverage it does. I do think you see immediate impact from some of the big skill guys they're bringing in, though -- namely Xavier Worthy and Donovan Edwards.
The-0rac1e: What’s your favorite/least favorite part about all of the rivalries and traditions that go with them?
Scott Bell: I think rivalries are what make college sports so fun. I think what makes college sports so much more special to me than pro is the sense of ownership you have with it, having attended that school or rooting for that team for a very personal reason. It raises the stakes. And getting to banter back-and-forth leading into a big game just immerses you in the event more and makes you feel a part of it, as weird/nerdy as that sounds.
Least favorite part is when said bantering goes south and turns into stupid personal crap.
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