Games 10 - 12: Diamond Head Classic, Dec 22nd through Dec 25th

[Pablo]

Because I want somebody who has been involved at school where basketball is the #1 priority. There aren't too many I-A football schools where basketball is #1.....maybe Louisville, but its a short list after them.

Well, first you suggested hiring an Associate AD at Villanova, Marquette, Georgetown or some other top basketball-only school. Even with this clarification, I'm still not sure whether you are excluding an Associate AD at a school like UNC. As I'm sure you know, much of vcu's current success is attributed to its former AD Norwood Teague who was hired from UNC.

I still believe that you hire the best person available, irrespective of whether he or she is employed in an athletic department where football is the #1 priority.

 

[gmujim92]

We need a rainmaker, pure and simple.

Norwood Teague is one of the phoniest people I've ever met, but the guy is a genius when it comes to fundraising. He laid the foundation for everything that's happening now at vcu. Ed McLaughlin is just fortunate to be able to come along and take all the credit.

Given our revenue challenges, we have to find a Norwood Teague-type who will inspire both alumni and the local business community to open up their wallets for Mason hoops. It's past time for new blood in the AD's office.

 

[GSII]

Norwood teague is getting too much credit here. vcu has a raimaker booster who writes big checks. THATS what we don't have.

 

[MasonFanatic]

We don't want anything to do with anyone from UNC's athletic program. They're the dirtiest thing going right now.

 

[gmujim92]

Norwood teague is getting too much credit here. vcu has a raimaker booster who writes big checks. THATS what we don't have.

Sorry, but that's just not true. vcu is getting money from way more than one big booster -- they've had multiple 7-figure gifts from the local business community to finance their practice facility. That doesn't happen by accident.

Of course, I'd love it if some of the rich people who have donated land and millions of dollars to Mason for academic upgrades would open their wallets for athletics, too. But I'm not holding my breath on that one.

 

[GMUSSTN]

Well Duke and Syracuse's basketball programs generate more revenue than their football team does. And in terms of "profitability" Syracuse is one of the profitable athletics departments in the country, but that's because they use the carrier done for both sports.

So you're saying we should play Arena Football in the Pat Center? I like it...

 

[GMUSSTN]

Sorry, but that's just not true. vcu is getting money from way more than one big booster -- they've had multiple 7-figure gifts from the local business community to finance their practice facility. That doesn't happen by accident.

Of course, I'd love it if some of the rich people who have donated land and millions of dollars to Mason for academic upgrades would open their wallets for athletics, too. But I'm not holding my breath on that one.

vcu also happens to be a successful sports program in a city that has...no other successful sports programs...

I love Mason but we're competing with a lot more for attention. Between the Caps, Wizzzz, Skins, and Nats, we've got Georgetown, GW, American, Maryland, shit, even Howard. The area is also chock full of UVA and VT alums, most of whom went to Mason for grad school but would probably rather donate back to their undergrad if they had the choice.

There's more money up here but there's also more things to spend it on. If you're a business in Richmond how cool is it that you have 2 seats for your clients to go see a game at the Seigel Center? Now how cool is it up here to send your clients to the Pat Center to watch us take on St. Francis, PA?

 

[gmujim92]

vcu also happens to be a successful sports program in a city that has...no other successful sports programs...

I love Mason but we're competing with a lot more for attention. Between the Caps, Wizzzz, Skins, and Nats, we've got Georgetown, GW, American, Maryland, shit, even Howard. The area is also chock full of UVA and VT alums, most of whom went to Mason for grad school but would probably rather donate back to their undergrad if they had the choice.

There's more money up here but there's also more things to spend it on. If you're a business in Richmond how cool is it that you have 2 seats for your clients to go see a game at the Seigel Center? Now how cool is it up here to send your clients to the Pat Center to watch us take on St. Francis, PA?

That's all true. Hard to argue with anything you posted. But we still need to find an AD who can shake some big money loose -- and hope our president isn't putting a headlock on athletics fundraising like his predecessor did.

To accept the status quo is to accept mediocrity. We can do better.

 

[The Great PATSby]

they've had multiple 7-figure gifts from the local business community to finance their practice facility. That doesn't happen by accident.

Looks like one of vcu's main donors could be in trouble.... Hopefully that partnership will default.

http://www.dailypress.com/business/...on-lawsuit-20131212,0,7578377.story?track=rss

 

[GMUSSTN]

That's all true. Hard to argue with anything you posted. But we still need to find an AD who can shake some big money loose -- and hope our president isn't putting a headlock on athletics fundraising like his predecessor did.

To accept the status quo is to accept mediocrity. We can do better.

I played in the band back in 05-06, and I remember Alan Merten gave us and the cheerleaders a "pep talk" before the game when we were "backstage" about how "this would never be done again" and how "uniquely special this moment is." I didn't really realize it then, but he was so totally wrong and that outlook is why we've failed to reach the success of vcu or Butler.

Bottom line is Merten (and maybe TOC) saw the Final 4 run as a fluke, not something to aspire to. It was a weird instance, happenstance, luck to them. Yeah he sat courtside at every game but that's probably about as far as it went with him.

I've got a theory that Merten is the one that didn't green light the Larranaga raise, and while TOC could have fought harder, it was ultimately Merten's decision to not give a raise to our most successful coach ever after the best season in school history. And he said no.

 

[gmujim92]

I played in the band back in 05-06, and I remember Alan Merten gave us and the cheerleaders a "pep talk" before the game when we were "backstage" about how "this would never be done again" and how "uniquely special this moment is." I didn't really realize it then, but he was so totally wrong and that outlook is why we've failed to reach the success of vcu or Butler.

Bottom line is Merten (and maybe TOC) saw the Final 4 run as a fluke, not something to aspire to. It was a weird instance, happenstance, luck to them. Yeah he sat courtside at every game but that's probably about as far as it went with him.

I've got a theory that Merten is the one that didn't green light the Larranaga raise, and while TOC could have fought harder, it was ultimately Merten's decision to not give a raise to our most successful coach ever after the best season in school history. And he said no.

Merten definitely gets a pass around here because he sat courtside and shot the T-shirt gun and was Larranaga's "best friend," but he's the biggest reason why our athletics fundraising has been so shitty. Hopefully Cabrera is much more open-minded when it comes to approaching our deep-pocketed donors for something other than academic pursuits.

In retrospect, though, the whole Larranaga debacle really was the perfect storm of suck. He was already gonna get a raise for winning an NCAA game, but who the hell saw that sorry vcu team getting red-hot and going all the way to the Final Four? Once that happened, it all just went to hell.

Whatever raise L was getting looked like peanuts compared to the 400 percent raise vcu gave Shaka. By the time any of us knew we were in trouble, L was already on his way to Miami.

It's obvious now that Merten and TOC did see our FF as a total fluke, but Merten was never going to approve raising L to match Miami's offer --especially not with one foot out the door.

 

[Walter]

But let's not forget that Larranaga has said that he likely would have taken the offer he received at the airport if it had been made sooner.

 

[Dawgs99]

But let's not forget that Larranaga has said that he likely would have taken the offer he received at the airport if it had been made sooner.

When you call up another school to sell yourself there really is no turning back. At that point L wanted the Miami job and there was nothing that could be done.

 

[MASONscott]

Merten definitely gets a pass around here because he sat courtside and shot the T-shirt gun and was Larranaga's "best friend," but he's the biggest reason why our athletics fundraising has been so shitty. Hopefully Cabrera is much more open-minded when it comes to approaching our deep-pocketed donors for something other than academic pursuits.

In retrospect, though, the whole Larranaga debacle really was the perfect storm of suck. He was already gonna get a raise for winning an NCAA game, but who the hell saw that sorry vcu team getting red-hot and going all the way to the Final Four? Once that happened, it all just went to hell.

Whatever raise L was getting looked like peanuts compared to the 400 percent raise vcu gave Shaka. By the time any of us knew we were in trouble, L was already on his way to Miami.

It's obvious now that Merten and TOC did see our FF as a total fluke, but Merten was never going to approve raising L to match Miami's offer --especially not with one foot out the door.

I have some dealings with a former Dean (unrelated to athletics) and that was the word behind the scenes on Merten and fundraising as a whole.

 

[GMUgemini]

But let's not forget that Larranaga has said that he likely would have taken the offer he received at the airport if it had been made sooner.

Not really, the answer he gave was, something like "I don't know, I'm a conservative guy..." and then was cutoff by his wife -- "we are happy where we are."

 

[GSII]

Sorry, but that's just not true. vcu is getting money from way more than one big booster -- they've had multiple 7-figure gifts from the local business community to finance their practice facility. That doesn't happen by accident.

Of course, I'd love it if some of the rich people who have donated land and millions of dollars to Mason for academic upgrades would open their wallets for athletics, too. But I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Yes Jim, currently they do have that. To be more more clear, this one big time booster was pretty much all they had under Anthony Grant. I'm talking about the timeframe of when Grant started and the Flordia pipeline opened...b/c of said booster. Past 3 years its like you say. But prior to that, they were still way ahead of us.

 

[gmujim92]

Yes Jim, currently they do have that. To be more more clear, this one big time booster was pretty much all they had under Anthony Grant. I'm talking about the timeframe of when Grant started and the Flordia pipeline opened...b/c of said booster. Past 3 years its like you say. But prior to that, they were still way ahead of us.

What vcu has -- and what we didn't have in Merten (no idea if Cabrera will be different) -- is a president who understands the value of athletic success in expanding the brand and credibility of the entire university.

It's the biggest reason why vcu is well on their way to privately funding a $16 million practice facility for their basketball teams, and our post-FF efforts to build our own fell flat.

It's awfully difficult to raise money for athletics when your president prevents you from wooing any of your university's wealthiest donors. Merten couldn't risk having those people diverting some of their donations to athletics.

Given the quality of our university, I'm not inclined to believe that we lag so far behind vcu in the number of wealthy alumni who are willing to financially support our flagship athletic program.

Their administration prioritizes athletics. Ours hasn't. Huge difference there.

 

[Yossarian]

What vcu has -- and what we didn't have in Merten (no idea if Cabrera will be different) -- is a president who understands the value of athletic success in expanding the brand and credibility of the entire university.

It's the biggest reason why vcu is well on their way to privately funding a $16 million practice facility for their basketball teams, and our post-FF efforts to build our own fell flat.

It's awfully difficult to raise money for athletics when your president prevents you from wooing any of your university's wealthiest donors. Merten couldn't risk having those people diverting some of their donations to athletics.

Given the quality of our university, I'm not inclined to believe that we lag so far behind vcu in the number of wealthy alumni who are willing to financially support our flagship athletic program.

Their administration prioritizes athletics. Ours hasn't. Huge difference there.

Cabrera probably sees the cart and horse relationship between a school's athletic program and its academic reputation a little differently, given his pedigree. Not saying he's correct; just trying to provide context on his POV (from my very limited POV, of course).

 

[Harry]

Not really, the answer he gave was, something like "I don't know, I'm a conservative guy..." and then was cutoff by his wife -- "we are happy where we are."

Let's also not forget that Coach L was the ultimate self-promoter who got everyone believing that it was all about the evil George Mason not paying him or his assistants. He wanted that job and I wish him well. But let's also not forget that he left us...

 

[EXpatriot13]

Larry Williams, the AD at Marquette, is stepping down to "pursue leadership opportunities outside of Marquette".

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...arry-williams-resigning-effective-immediately