Stephen M Ross Backs Dave Brandon
Well, for those of us wondering how Stephen Ross feels about Dave Brandon and the AD, I think we have our answer, though it's not what most of us hoped for:
"He's probably the most qualified athletic director in the country. I think he's terrific," said billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross, a UM alumnus who has given the university $310 million in recent years. "I wouldn't have given my gift to the athletic department if I didn't believe in Dave."
Another interesting takeaway from this article that seems to contradict what other recent reports have suggested:
A source within the university, who agreed to speak only on the condition of anonymity, said concerns about Brandon and UM athletics are a talking point, but little else at this point.
"There's no movement to push Brandon out," the source said, who noted that any change would go through the university president, to whom the athletic director reports, and would be a long-term process rather than a sudden dismissal.
Here's the full article
September 27th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^
We're all talking like a new AD can't get Ross's support and that's unrealistic.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:44 AM ^
September 27th, 2014 at 11:42 AM ^
September 27th, 2014 at 11:46 AM ^
Schlissel doesn't strike me as someone who cares enough about donations to athletics to take this into account. On the other hand, if he thinks this could affect Ross's donations ot the academic side, I'm worried.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:50 AM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 27th, 2014 at 12:02 PM ^
That's also the cause of a lot of the anger. He's become the avatar for college sports essentially embracing their minor league professional status and becoming just as static as professional sports experiences. I think that's true even nationally. Everyone seems to hate Dave Brandon, even seemingly random types like Alabama fans who wouldn't have a reason to, you'd think.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:48 AM ^
Ross gives a lot to the University. I'll forgive him his bad taste in friends for now.
Maybe the alumni and media fuss over Brandonism, and the forthcoming objections from lettermen, will put a little pressure on the athletic department to reconsider its current direction.
September 27th, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^
September 27th, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^
on MGOBLOG. We are all dumber for having read it. May God have mercy on your soul.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^
yeah, he's gone
September 27th, 2014 at 11:58 AM ^
I always miss the good stuff. In school, I always missed the fight, on MGoBlog...I always miss the banhammer.
DAMMIT!
September 27th, 2014 at 12:02 PM ^
That reads exactly like something an incumbent puts out a few before losing his reelection campaign. "Hey, I know everyone doesn't like me, but this one important person that's close to me because of my position does. He's important!" Add a few "anonymous sources" to say those on the outside don't understand how this operates.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:02 PM ^
Ross is a first class fool when it comes to sports. He may know business, but he is clueless when it comes to sports.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:10 PM ^
All that matters is what the Regents and President think.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^
If Ross wants him here he will be here.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:29 PM ^
Then bring back the Athletic Board of Control.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:40 PM ^
Ross' money is paramount. He gave $100 million. That is a lot of scratch. It also buys a ton of influence.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
the concerns of fans and students. I mentioned in a comment a while back about my experience with former president Fleming when I was a student. Their concerns are almost completely decoupled from what we view as reality.
Yes the regents stepped on Brandon's desire for fireworks, but that was because it offended their sense of decorum. Yes we hear rumors about Brandon stepping on some toes because he was "stealing" donors from other parts of the University. These are rumors and should be taken with a large grain of salt because someone is always unhappy about the allocation of money. Even if the rumors are true, it's a longway from vague carping about fundraising to a decision to fire Brandon.
Brandon's done a number of things that annoy the crap out of me. He's also done a few things that I approve of, so he's a mixed bag in my view. I don't see him getting fired anytime soon, and there is a very good chance that the man who heads the "$4 billion Victor's For Michigan fundraising campaign" probably has his finger on the pulse of alumni giving. It's very unlikely that Ross would be praising the Brandon's greatness if there was a high level of dissatisfaction with him among the prominent donors.
Plus Brandon is a former regent. I have to believe that while he's tone deaf to folks like us, he's more than wired in to the regent's sentiments about what is important to keep his job. If top coaches are truly unwilling to come to an athletic department run by DB, we all better hope that Hoke fixes things, because at this point it looks unlikely that Brandon is going anywhere anytime soon.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:04 PM ^
program for a long time.But never discount a consistently tightening grip of public pressure. A business can only ignore the complaints so long. If you keep up the pressure all the while steadily increasing it you can have the change you seek. You just need to know how to work the media and how to work the masses into a lathered state.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:25 PM ^
is working behind the scenes to allign the support to save his own ass.
This will all be blamed on Hoke, just you watch.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:31 PM ^
If Ross actually feels that way, and isn't just doing some PR cover for the school he's given millions to, then his judgement is fucking terrible.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:34 PM ^
and executives stick together. Nothing is ever their fault, no bad decision is ever made.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:39 PM ^
Yeah, I think that must be a factor here. Never stop failing up if you get to that ecehlon.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^
responsibility for their actions. It isn't just CEO's or political leaders.
September 28th, 2014 at 4:11 AM ^
Do you have any thoughts that aren't milquetoast both-sides-do-it catchphrases? Just curious if there's ever a chance of you saying anything actually interesting.
September 27th, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^
we can argue the merits of coach and AD all we want it's the donors with the major $ that will ultimately decide.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:24 PM ^
Brandon has been great. Look at basketball and all of the other sports. He could have easily fired Beilein since we sucked when he took over in 2010. We lost 2 games and outgained our opponent both games. Not sure how that's Brandon's fault.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
We're supposed to credit him for not firing Beilein a year after he took us to the tournament for the first time in over a decade because the year after was bad? By most reports he was set to fire him the next year until the Aneurysm of Leadership turned that team around. So thanks again, Zack Novak.
Anyway, the problems with Brandon are mostly off the field decaying the community of Michigan fandom in pursuit of the almighty dollar kind of things. It's totally tone deaf and ignorant of why we prefer college football to the NFL.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:53 PM ^
If we are 4-0 is anyone talking about Dave Brandon? All of this Brandon stuff popped up because of on the field performance. If you judge him based on that then he gets credit for Basketball.
September 27th, 2014 at 2:09 PM ^
Yes. That he hired Hoke is a problem with him, but he'd still be villified for trying to extract every possible dollar out of everything. And sucking all the atmosphere out of Michigan Stadium and Yost. I hated Dave Brandon in August, I hate him more today, because he keeps fucking up. I think the majority of the board is the same way.
September 27th, 2014 at 2:20 PM ^
September 27th, 2014 at 3:36 PM ^
Bill Martin also hired RR. RR was a better coach than Beilein at the time based on record. I think Brandon should be given some credit there.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:42 PM ^
if we truly would allow a donor--regardless of how big--to dictate who are AD is, then we really have lost perspective and are no better than any SEC program. I still believe that is not true and that we are better than that.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:49 PM ^
And this is why all of the gnashing of teeth on the internet doesn't mean a hill of beans to the people up top.
That said, it probably also highlights how people who run billion-dollar business are expected to act, and how you don't submarine the current guy in public while he is doing his job even if you expect to replace him with someone else. The fact that Ross didn't call for Brandon's firing doesn't mean he is happy with how the team has performed, just that he knows how to not act like an ass in the press and create more drama around a program that doesn't need it.
September 27th, 2014 at 1:58 PM ^
Aside from those pesky political connections (both political parties love cronyism), Brandon represents the idea that a MBA toting former (failed) CEO can run a university department better than people with backgrounds in university administration. Ross stil believes in the magic of business experience to overcome any failures in expertise. He still believes that Michigan Athletics is fundamentally a commodity that can be marketed into success rather than be successful by traditional means of hiring top coaches and winning games.
Stephen Ross is a dipshit.