Tom Van Haaren (image via Twitter)
I don’t know why, but I have always been interested in the number of people who cover Michigan football for a living. Not only are there pay sites requiring subscriptions, but there are also numerous blogs and websites that have developed over the years (including this one). It’s a bit of a revolving door, so I thought I would gather up some biographical bits for various writers. I’m limiting this to the four major recruiting sites and MGoBlog, since going even a step further would probably make this way too broad.
ESPN: Wolverine Nation (now defunct)
Chantel Jennings (image via Twitter)
Name: Chantel Jennings
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: Writer for The Michigan Daily, Wolverine Nation
Currently: Pac-12 football and basketball writer for ESPN.com
Name: Michael Rothstein
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: Writer for Wolverine Nation
Currently: Detroit Lions writer for ESPN.com
Name: Tom Van Haaren
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: Owner of U Recruit, writer for MGoBlog
Currently: Recruiting analyst for ESPN.com
Hit the jump for a further rundown of the people writing about Michigan.
MGOBLOG
Name: Ace Anbender
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: The Wolverine Blog
Currently: MGoBlog
Brian Cook (image via Second Wave Media)
Name: Brian Cook
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: Engineer
Currently: Owner/editor of MGoBlog
RIVALS: The Wolverine
Name: Chris Balas
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: N/A
Currently: Recruiting writer for The Wolverine
Name: Brandon Brown
Athletic experience: Middle school football coach
Prior to current job: MGoBlog
Currently: Recruiting writer for The Wolverine
Josh Helmholdt (image via Twitter)
Name: Josh Helmholdt
Athletic experience: High school quarterback
Prior to current job: Recruiting writer for The Wolverine
Currently: Midwest recruiting analyst for Rivals.com
Name: Brandon Justice
Athletic experience: High school baseball player
Prior to current job: Recruiting writer for Maize ‘n’ Brew
Currently: Recruiting writer for The Wolverine
Name: Matt Pargoff
Athletic experience: High school football coach
Prior to current job: Co-founder of Go Blue Wolverine, writer for The Wolverine
Currently: Owner/writer of Maize and Blue News
Name: Michael Spath
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: Recruiting writer for The Wolverine
Currently: Recruiting writer for Badger Blitz
Name: Tim Sullivan
Athletic experience: High school cross country runner
Prior to current job: Owner of Varsity Blue, writer for MGoBlog, writer for The Wolverine
Currently: Editor for Hokie Haven
SCOUT: The Michigan Insider (formerly Go Blue Wolverine)
Name: Brice Marich
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: N/A
Currently: Recruiting writer for The Michigan Insider
Sam Webb (image via Lucy Ann Lance Show)
Name: Sam Webb
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: N/A
Currently: Owner of The Michigan Insider
247 SPORTS: Wolverine 247
Name: Clint Brewster
Athletic experience: QB at the University of Minnesota (son of Tim Brewster)
Prior to current job: Analyst for Wolverine 247
Currently: National talent evaluator for 247 Sports
Name: Isaiah Hole
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: Hollywood talent agency in motion picture feature department, photographer for Wolverine 247
Currently: Recruiting writer for Wolverine 247
Steve Lorenz (image via 247 Sports)
Name: Steve Lorenz
Athletic experience: N/A
Prior to current job: Owner of Tremendous
Currently: Lead recruiting writer for Wolverine 247
What else do you know about their backgrounds? (I’m not looking for addresses or phone numbers, but past experiences or appropriate tidbits.)
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What of Magnus Thunder?
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Never heard of him, but I can tell by the name that I don’t like him.
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Ha! Do not sell him short.
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Have you considered a poll for favorite/best MICHIGAN blog/forum?
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I haven’t, really. I’m afraid things might be biased if that poll were posted here. After all, people visiting my site probably like my site, so they would be more inclined to pick mine than, say, MGoFish (just for example). If MGoFish posted the poll, they would probably get more votes than TTB. And if all blogs were included, then I’m guessing MGoBlog would win hands-down, since that’s the biggest college sports blog in the country, AFAIK.
Do you disagree with that take? Just curious.
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I agree that bias would come into play, but 2d place on down would be interesting.
For me, the best & most informative forum is GBMWolverine, at least in seaso . For best content at 0700 & 1900 Pacific, I come here. I’m glad that the forum here is starting to pick up, as this is only the second online site I’ve bothered to post.
I do visit other sites, but am just not as big a fan of MGoBlog as many others seem to be. I tent to have a greater appreciation for reading thoughts & insights from former & current coaches, plus guys who actually played the sport
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As I know JE93 posts on GBMWolverine and that is the only other site where I post, I agree with him as I often do. I recognize other posters from other sites as well are tending to gravitate here.
Let me put this out there… Thunder works hard and delivers plenty of good reads all while maintaining a civility and humor sometimes missing elsewhere.
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Interesting. I see some posters here and at MGoBlog, but I don’t really participate elsewhere. That’s good to know that others are congregating here. I have noticed an uptick in participation over the past few weeks.
Thanks for the compliments!
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