Good luck man, I wish you the best. I hope you can find some brightness in all the love people have for you here.

Brian take care of yourself and the family. It's just football. I'm sorry for the hurt. It was great to hear you on the podcast this morning, all the best

Welcome back, Brian.  Be proud of the great thing you have built here.  Regardless of the football, I hope us readers can do a better job of making this blog something that brings you joy.

Brian - can't thank you enough for the creative and engaging content the past 17 years. Finding mgoblog at the very beginning, when I was in grad school, and posting on the Haloscan board made me feel like I found a secret society of similarly obsessed UM fans.

Seeing it flourish for - JFC - over 17 years is incredible, and is all owed to your talent and passion.

Hope you find some peace in stepping back. Thanks again.

Hang in there Comrade. We love you.

Be well, Brian. 

Brian, You don't need to do all of it anymore. Honestly, we'd love it if you did any part of it, because your gifts are why we are here. We all refresh and reload over and over again all day long because what you built and how you built it matters to us all. 

So thank you for your excellent work.

It seems trite to say it but...change is really the only constant. We have passions and grand expectations for how they are going to grow and evolve, then in the process of it all - life happens. My hope for you is that you have confidence in what you've done in the past, and that you continue to be insightful,  funny and passionate moving forward. 

Thank you for everything, Brian, and all the best to you and your family.  

Brian - 

It is both very good to read your words again, but I’m struck by how incredibly sad what’s happening to you is.  We’ve met, a couple of times.  I don’t suspect that either time was your most favorite MGoBlog encounter.  Anyway, not just because we’ve met, but because this life is so incredibly complex, I would like to say a couple of things:

The weight of this fan base is not yours to carry.  It may often feel that way, but it isn’t.  The deeds and performances of 18-23 year old young men are not an indictment on you.  Similarly, their coaches are not a reflection on you.

We as your online community are not owed anything by you.  

Whether your personal life is repairable or not is not an actual question.  It will be repaired in some way, shape, or form.  It may not be in the way you think, however.  

As I said, I was glad to see you back.  However, if this truly isn’t the best thing for you then I am deeply saddened.  I hope you have a good feel for what’s best for you at this time. 
 

This is in no way a comparable situation, but I can tell you that I have had to leave a job or two, despite my love and talent for it, because it wasn’t going to work for my mental health or my family.  In my personal experience, that decision was hard to make, but easy to live with.  
 

Lastly, no matter what direction you go in, I’d like to say that I’m extremely grateful for everything you’ve done, and if we never see your name on another piece of content, I’ll personally be just as grateful for everything.  
 

Take care of yourself, please. 

I am not very bright and have poor listening skills but every time I hate my wife so much I want to leave I imagine coming home after work to a house where my kids don't live.  I wish you the best Brian.  I have always thought with your natural ability you should be writing something more consequential.  But like I said I am not very bright and someone could get very rich betting the opposite of me.

Best thoughts to you Brian,  thank you, as a long time reader, for the many hours of entertainment you’ve given, and the many more hours of work it took on your end to do so. I was worried your absence over the summer meant something catastrophic had happened, and while I’m glad it wasn’t the health/medical issues I feared, I’m nonetheless sad to hear that things in your life are decidedly Not Ok. I hope the step back from football duties, and football in general, help you and yours move in a happier direction.

All the best Brian!!!  Peace and love, peace and love.

Lurker - since 2005

Brian,

This post establishes that you remain a terrific writer and because that is limited and precious skill, you should write. I have no idea if you have worked on fiction, poetry, keep a journal or anything else, outside of the blog, but I would wholeheartedly encourage you to keep writing in some form.

I don't have much to add to what's been written below other than to say that I've been reading this blog since, I believe, 2005 ("the year of infinite pain" -- we had no idea) and it's become part of my life. While I didn't realize that there was a connection until sometime later I was also a fan of the "Every Three Weekly" in the early 2000s which I understand you founded. You're any incredibly insightful and funny writer.

You've created something incredible here, but it's clear you need to focus on yourself. I don't have have the experience to give any more meaningful advice than that, but I hope you can get to a good place. Take care.

Brian...my man...take care of yourself and this Blog will be (not the same) but just good enough for us.  You and your health are all you have.  Prayers for you and your journey.  I wish nothing but the best for you.

best of luck to you, hope it all works out. 

we ALL need to take a step back at times and re-evaluate things at times. remember, things are never as good OR as bad as we think. Find the middle 

I can't say anything to make things better or clearer for you, so I have nothing ground breaking to say here.  I just wanted to add to the many in the MGOBLOG community wishing you well and thank you for the hours of entertainment you have provided.  I very much appreciate all your work on the site and I hope you find the answers to give you "Hope" again.

Wishing and praying nothing but the best for you and I truly hope brighter days are ahead. Thank you for all that you have done for the MGoCommunity. Take care of yourself.

I echo all of the comments before mine. We’ve met a few times and you’ve always been a gentleman. Take care of yourself. 

Brian, thank you. Take care of yourself and your family.

We've never met or talked, but your writing and the community you built have been threads in the lives of myself and most of my friends for the last 17 years. I'll try not to stumble into cliche, but will just say that your work has been deeply appreciated. 

As I read this piece I assumed you were going to tell us you were leaving entirely. If that were your decision, I'd merely say the same thing.

Thank you. 

Dear Brian,

I'm very sorry what you're going through.

Thank you for creating this community, and this wonderful body of writing. Also, thank you for helping me get through the past year and a half. I've had work that pulled me so I've been lucky, but mostly alone in my apartment, I know MGoBlog helped me in ways I didn't know I needed.

Having been through a separation, I hope you work your way to some peace, and that you, your wife, and your children find a good way to be with each other in the world.

I hope your kids are okay and I hope you are too.  

We all got your back, one way or another.

Thanks for all your time spent. It was a great run. Now go get healthy. Do a silent retreat and drink tumeric or whatever (after the bowl game).

As someone in a burnout position, I have had struggles as well. I had to resort to “walk more and drink none.” For anyone struggling, there are resources out there. As a man, it is difficult to ask for help, but it is the best decision I ever made. 

Love your writing and the blog. Take care of yourself. 

All the best to you and your family Brian. You’ve built a wonderful community here. Please take care of yourself and your kids, the site and the community will be ok.

Hope everything works out Brian. I don’t come here as much as I used to, but your work remains beautiful.

I was curious and went back and read the 2016 intro and man, it’s amazing how one game, The Game, causes diversions in the path. 
 

They were there in Year 2 of Harbaugh. Right there. And whether it was stolen from them or they gave it way, you can trace the line back to this moment in some ways. 

Thanks for posting this, Brian.  I hope you end up better than you are.  As someone who kind of writes for a living,  I think it can be extremely hard on one's mental health.  That might just be me projecting-- I'm might well have found being a mechanic hard on my psyche if that's what I ended up doing for a living.  Still, for most writers, you always start with a blank page and a question: what do you think?  And there are lots of times that I don't want to think about what I think, not just because it's annoying, but because it's painful or because I'm afraid of it.  Not just afraid to share it, but afraid to realize it or acknowledge it myself.  I understand why doing it a bit less might be beneficial.

Brian,

I found this blog back when my kid's mother and I were going through a pretty brutal break up. We had a two year old son, had just bought a house together. I thought that she was my one and only, but I wasn't holding up my side of the bargain. I was depressed when I was with her and when she left things only got worse.

Your writing, this community, has been a touchstone presence in my life for 12 years now. If I haven't visited it EVERY DAY since then...it has been pretty darn close. This blog legitimately helped me through some rough times. It was always here when I needed to forget for a few.

Things do get better. Not at all once. Not even on a nice gradual incline. Some days it will feel like the darkness is fading, only for it to be back in triplicate the next day, or week, or month. But the important thing to remember is it does get better. I was at the edge many times. The one thing that would help me was the mantra: This too will pass.

Take the time you need. Heal. Work on yourself. Talk to someone. Lean on your loved ones. Cherish the time with your kids.

I don't know if you have ever read any Brandon Sanderson, but one of my all time favorite books is Oathbringer. It is the third book in a series that will be 5...but there is a line from one of the main characters that has had a tremendous impact on my life:

“The most important step a man can take. It's not the first one, is it?
It's the next one. Always the next step..."

Thank you for all you have done. We believe in you.

Brian, please be patient and forgiving with yourself.  This is life can be a challenging place at times (as can being a UM football fan).  We are all human.  We make mistakes.  We get frustrated and unhappy.  Eventually we figure out how to fix or come to terms with those things.  Be well & take care of yourself.  

Sometimes we become a prisoner to something we created, loved, nurtured and saw it through to its success.

Then we lose our drive, ambition, and it affects our whole life.

I don't think there is a better, more consistently outstanding writer who is funny, creative and supremely witty, all while giving content and worthwhile analysis than Brian Cook.

Thank you, Brian--I hope you get the battery re-charging you need--but sometimes, we gotta walk away from our creation forever, too.

Thank you Brian for all your work over the years. Thank you for opening yourself up like this and sharing. The most important thing is for you to take care of yourself and do what is needed for that. By doing this you can become the best spouse and father you can be.  I hope your wife and you can pull through and work things out. You have blessed my life with excellent writing and I truly appreciate it. I'll be praying for you.

Brian - You have given rise to a generation of extremely well-informed Michigan football fans who can no longer listen to our friends talk pigskin because we cringe at the feelingsball of it all. In doing so, you passed a bit of your tortured life down to us, and goddamnit does it hurt so good

I recently went through a similar situation with an ex-girlfriend who was a soon-to-be fiance, and going through it while the world was on fire made it exponentially more difficult. But you had to type about it to a crowd large enough to fill Michigan stadium many times over -- and someone could only do that if they've burned every ounce of hope in their body, or summoned every ounce of courage. Maybe it was both. Either way, I hope you're able to battle through and find peace
 

Brian.  Although we've only met once I, like many others, feel like I know you through your excellent writing.  

I've been where your standing and things CAN get better.  Try to remember that if it gets darker first.

Get healthy and come back when you feel it's right.  We'll all miss you but we are all united in our support of you.

Don

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you."  I hope you find what's workable for you, Brian.  Keep taking care of you so you can take care of yours. ????

Thank you for sharing your personal life and thoughts with us. The way you imbue your writing with your personality is what has kept me here on the blog.

If the only thing coming in between you and your wife is your work at the blog, you should step away from the blog and repair your relationship with your wife.

If there are other problems in your marriage that are related to the blog, you are probably best off moving on...but hopefully in an amicable manner and in a way that the focus is on being the most caring, loving, attentive father possible.

Best wishes to you. 

Brian -- I've been reaching this blog since the 2005 Wordpress days.  Thank you for everything you've put into this blog--you truly made me a better fan.  (If only the football team could have been as successful as you've been in building this site.)  Glad you're taking some more time for yourself and your family.  You've earned it, and I truly hope it gives you what you need.  Thanks again for everything.

thank you for everything Brian <3