An Intersting Dichotomy b/t Two Athletic Depts.
[EDIT: Yeah, I forgot how to embed in here; working]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq6AhMxK3HU&list=UU_G-_2azcOV9JBAmqFgER…
The above is obviously an ASU AD PSA.
Below, 2 M Thank You ads as they appeared in the ND UTL II program and The Wolverine mag- directed soley to donors like Steven M. Ross (and others paying seat licenses, etc).
I think this provides a sharp contrast b/t the 2 athletic depts: how they think about the people that support their programs. I wonder if the M AD even considers M as having fans, or they just think about donors. Maybe fans are too fickle for the AD, so they'd prefer to think about donors instead? Perhaps your worth in the M AD's eyes is not measured in loyalty or even fickleness, but rather in dollars donated to the AD?
Clearly producing a cheezy turkey day video isn't the point, but it does provide a bit of insight and context regarding how the M AD thinks about fans/donors relative to another AD.
November 27th, 2013 at 10:23 AM ^
between*
November 27th, 2013 at 11:33 AM ^
THANKS!
November 27th, 2013 at 10:29 AM ^
Mothers.....against drunkdriving?
November 27th, 2013 at 10:55 AM ^
Well, UMAD? seems to be what the UMAD's reaction is to the kvetching.
November 27th, 2013 at 10:40 AM ^
I don't think there's anything wrong with going the extra mile to thank someone who donates tens of millions of dollars to the department. I think the real question is whether or not it needs to be either/or? I don't believe that it does and the AD would probably be well served if it created some sort of "fan engagement" team to repair some of these obviously damaged relationships.
November 27th, 2013 at 10:42 AM ^
They want donors? I'll donate $25 per win at the end of every season.
November 27th, 2013 at 10:54 AM ^
Assuming an average of 8 wins a season (ugh, reality hurts), that would be $200 a year. Stephen Ross has given $100 million to just the AD and $313 million overall. So it would take 500,000 little guys to match just Ross's contributions to the AD and 1,565,000 little guys to match his giving overall. Much easier to keep one big donor happy than a huge portion of the alumni/fan base.
So yes, one phone call from Ross or a big donor means more than any complaints from simpletons and bloggers.
November 27th, 2013 at 10:43 AM ^
"Interesting" in the title is a stretch. I don't see a huge difference between thanking the fans and thanking the fans along with a donor who made the biggest donation in M history. I don't see the point in your question. Is it just another slam against Brandon? There are several other things more relevant than this.
November 27th, 2013 at 10:51 AM ^
Familiar with the basics of research or even how to craft a valid comparison you are not.
November 27th, 2013 at 11:28 AM ^
THANKS!
November 27th, 2013 at 11:12 AM ^
The only thing I took out of that video is that everybody at ASU must be on Beauty-Steroids or something.
November 27th, 2013 at 11:22 AM ^
...DAB Derangement Syndrome. Why the hell isn't it appropriate for the AD to dedicate a spread in the UTLII game program to the guy who just gave the biggest donation in the history of the University of Michigan? Now, should the AD also thank its legions of fans and supporters separately? Sure. And maybe they will or have. But this comparison is intellectually lazy.
November 27th, 2013 at 11:33 AM ^
I didn't say it was inappropriate.
and yeah, I agree they should probably thank the fans. Not really that big of a deal. Maybe they have somehow with a FB or twitter post or something.
thanks for the intellectually lazy comment.
November 27th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^
well, hell. I will upvote. I am feeling good today, this feels like a POSbang kinda day.
November 27th, 2013 at 12:14 PM ^
Stephen M. Ross
November 27th, 2013 at 12:26 PM ^
thanks; fixed
November 27th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^
you're doing THANKS! wrong.
November 27th, 2013 at 7:23 PM ^
but it's Stephen, not Steven
November 27th, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^
That Dave Brandon sure does suck at his job (or something like that)!
You're giving Michigan arrogance a bad name.
November 27th, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^
A very successful coach at ASU whose glowering presence in Baltimore resulted in John Elway landing in Denver.
November 27th, 2013 at 2:26 PM ^
it was nice to see Brandon et al. at the Athletic Dept. arrange for the nice tifo displayed in the stands thanking Ross for the donation, but it was pretty milquetoast, and certainly not the most memorable example of one; perhaps in the two years we have until Ohio returns to the Big House again, we can get something like this put together; http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/videos/96313/snapshot-borussia-dortmund-fans-perform-impressive-skull-tifo-before-pulverising-wolfsburg-video.html
November 27th, 2013 at 4:48 PM ^
Fire David Brandon.