Dave Brandon Interview Tour: The Short Version
A few snippets from yesterday's series of Dave Brandon interviews, compiled from ABC 7, NBC 4, and the Michigan Daily:
Hit the links above for the full interviews from each outlet.
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^
Not quite accurate. People are calling for Brady Hoke's job because the team has been awful.
People are calling for Dave Brandon's head because he is atrocious at his job. This Shane Morris incident and the resulting PR fiasco is the latest in a long string of tone deaf missteps and screwups.
Brandon has alienated his fan base, pissed off the students, and completely eroded anyone's faith in this athelic department.
He's been a good projects guy. Finishing up Bill Martin's reign of expansion and improving facilities, etc. But he's been a disaster at handling crisises, is awful at PR and fails at the most important part of his job - filling the Big House.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:04 PM ^
If we are returning B1G champions and undefeated this season, this post would still be up on the front page of mgoblog? I think you're living in a fantasy land.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
Right. Because wins would wash away the fact that Dave has alienated the students, pissed off season ticket holders and basically been terrible at handling any sort of turmoil.
Athletic Directors just can't disappear for 48 hours when their team is embroiled in a PR fiasco.
FSU is undefeated and returning national champs and no one's letting their athletic department or coach slide for how they enable Jameis Winston.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
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October 3rd, 2014 at 8:32 PM ^
You're being a contrarian, and not in a good way.
October 4th, 2014 at 3:13 AM ^
The FSU Athletic Department is getting little heat.
Jimbo Fisher is getting little heat.
Winston is getting most of the heat because he is immature.
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:07 PM ^
October 3rd, 2014 at 7:15 PM ^
This is what pisses me off the most about his interviews. As unbelievable as it sounds, Brandon said that he was so totally preoccupied by this investigation that he couldn't save Hoke from misleading everyone. Then in the middle of the night, while the reputation of the University was under attack, he released a statement. He doesn't take the hour or so it would have taken to hold a press conference and put this matter to bed, but instead he hides on South campus. Meanwhile, several major media outlets all over the country are questioning the competency of the head coach that you hired, your competency, and the competency of several parts of the University. Brandon stated that he had better things to do with his time.
I will defend the reputation of the University of Michigan with my last breath. We are the greatest institution of higher learning on the planet. We have a long and proud history that has been built not only on our athletic success, but on our academic success as well.
The fact that Brandon couldn't find time in his busy schedule to defend this great university for three plus days is beyond sickening.
October 3rd, 2014 at 7:05 PM ^
We are living in reality. Not Hypothetical Land where you get to ignore the events leading up to a reaction and then say that reaction isn't fair because if (Insert your specific set of hypothetical conditions or win loss record) we wouldn't be reacting that way.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:33 PM ^
"hey man, if everyone was happy, everyone would be happy right now."
thanks for that insight.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:41 PM ^
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October 3rd, 2014 at 9:23 PM ^
October 3rd, 2014 at 8:55 PM ^
I watched all of the interviews and all I can say, is that, Dave Brandon is an obtuse, smug Son of a Seabiscuit.
He really doesn't get it.
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
At 4:06, came back to "serve" my university.
DB, you get paid $850k/year. You're working, not serving.
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
Not in Dave's mind. His over inflated ego tells him that if he wasn't "serving" his school and singlehandedly resurrecting the football program with the pure galvanizing force of his epic "leadership" he could be making a kajillion zillion bucks being CEO of all the companies.
At worst, he probably thinks he would be Governor of Michigan.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
I'm not the world's biggest Brandon fan, but I feel as if criticisms should be founded in facts. I believe Brandon actually donates more than his annual salary back to the University.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
That was all I could find. I don't know what his net worth is.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:55 PM ^
Brandon did donate $4 Million in 2006... That wasn't all to the University. $2M was to Mott and he put his name on something (he had twins in the NICU). $750k was to the AD, and he put his name on something (a scholarship). $500k was to the SOE, and he probably put his name on something. $250k to the Museum of Art and $250k to name a conference room at the SoB. $250k to the Urology Department for a named fund.
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:37 PM ^
Is that a bit of a conflict of interest? He donates all this money to the school, so the school doesn't feel right in firing him? Does it mean he essentially bought his job as AD? Maybe that happens more than we think, but it's probably not that common to find wealthy folks who had high paying jobs come back and be ADs.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:58 PM ^
Good for him. Seriously. But it doesn't change the fact that he's not "serving" his school. He's a highly paid employee. He gets paid the big bucks to make big calls and take the criticism. He's not some charity worker building houses for Habitats for Humanity.
Too much of these interviews focus on his hurt and his feelings.
October 4th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^
In one of those clips, he says something along the lines of "I've learned that we'd better have our ducks in a row before we communicate something."
A guy with his experience as a CEO, and his AD tenure up to now, and he's just learning this? If he is truly just learning this, that illustrates the fact that he operates in a bubble without consideration for the impacts of his decisions.
If he's just using that as an excuse to cover the fact that they handled the whole communication/PR part of this terribly, well, there's your fact right there.
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^
What an odd response on the ticket price issue. Surely an expert biznissman should understand how supply and demand work.
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^
Just incredibly unlikable. He does absolutely nothing to help himself. He just comes off looking even worse, which I did not believe was possible.
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:49 PM ^
Did you see his throwing motion talking about a left handed paasser?
Putrid.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:19 PM ^
That made no sense because Shane was hit after he threw the ball, and his follow through brings his shoulders parallel to the LOS, the same as if he had been right handed.
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:48 PM ^
I hate that. Classless.
October 4th, 2014 at 12:37 PM ^
They're whiting it out with random band noise blasted from the speakers this year. At least the "you suck" at the end that the rest of the stadium says.
It does make me chuckle, but why do we do it after a third down in the red zone where the other team is about to kick a field goal? Seems us allowing the team to get in field goal position means it's more us who is sucking in that situation. It probably would be best reserved for forced three-and-outs.
Using it on every opposing fourth down is kind of like the way that Seven Nation Army was played the previous two years.
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:49 PM ^
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:53 PM ^
...looked real smug.
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:52 PM ^
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^
YOU ARE MOST DEFINITELY TONE DEAF
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
I love that Domino Dave used "tone deaf" in response to a question about how all this criticism is affecting him. "I'm not tone deaf. I can hear all ranges of sound including the constant calls for my head."
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
I just want him to shut up until he is the former AD of Michigan, then he can talk about whatever the hell he wants.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:03 PM ^
Why didn't Dave respond sooner? He was doing "more important things" like helping Adidas design the new all maize uniforms and establishing a better relationship with the students by telling them to go f&$# themselves.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:13 PM ^
I'm sure it's because he hired a PR firm after this turned into a complete shitstorm, and the PR people told him he had to go out and do some interviews and humanize himself. Well, he failed.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^
Heard DB on radio this morning. Didn't hear all of the interview but two things he said stuck out to me and sounded familiar:
1) He (DB) and others in the athletic department work really hard.......
(BH - "team has worked really hard this week")
2) That he (DB) wants people to know he (DB) is a really nice guy......
(The coach is a really nice guy)
Must be the the criterion for success?!?
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:11 PM ^
If, after this clown show of interviews, the Univeristy does not terminate him, we are doomed. Doomed for all eternity. I never thought I would say this, but if he is still there when it's time to renew my season tkts, I won't.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:12 PM ^
... I stayed on the fence for a long time, but I'm tired of him being so self-righteous and condescending.
"Came back to serve my school..."
"It's hurtful... "
Fuck off. You have a job to do. Get it done. There's no crying in football.
I said it in another post, but he and Hoke are not the victims. They are the cause. If he can't serve his school well as AD, then serve your school by getting out of the way.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:13 PM ^
Once again, DB, in your carefully crafted, lawyer-vetted responses, you have FAILED to recognize the one person that brought this latest debacle to the fore- Shane Morris. Where is the apology to him for the failure of his coaches and medical staff to protect him? Where is the apology to his family for jeopardizing their son & bringing a media nightmare to their door? No where. Why? Because in DB's world there are: 1. The bottom line ($$$$$), 2. customers (fans), 3. shareholders (rich alumni, boosters, & donors of astronomical sums), 4. employees (coaches, staff, student athletes), and 5. Processes (firings, control cover ups). There are not student-athletes, students, families, fans, or even former players. DB’s focus is bigger, better, and how much can we charge?
As an alumna, University employee, former athlete and coach, and a 20+ year season ticket holder, I am horrified by what happened Saturday. I am embarrassed by the leaders of the university and how they have responded to it. The tone deaf, backstabbing, blame shifting needs to stop. This is NOT Michigan. This is not “The Michigan Difference” or how “the leaders and best” go about doing things.
Poor performance on the field in the past several years is one thing, but what is happening now is beyond poor athletic performance. This is about adults not doing their jobs and then trying to shift the blame at every turn. This is also about greed. As it has been pointed out in the national media all week and regional/local media for much longer, Michigan Athletics has become a shadow of its former tradition-rich self in trade for slick packaging, big screens, and money. These are the hallmarks of the Brandon Era: arrogance, greed, corporatization of academic/amateur sport, and plain old CYA. Again, this is NOT Michigan.
I believe in the student athletes at Michigan. I will continue to support them in their pursuit of one of the best educational experiences this country has to offer while also trying to compete at the highest level on the playing fields. I will cheer for them at sporting events, I will share “Go Blue!” cheers with them on campus, but I cannot continue to support the department that is desecrating the very ideals and traditions that made Michigan “MICHIGAN!”
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:13 PM ^
Once again, DB, in your carefully crafted, lawyer-vetted responses, you have FAILED to recognize the one person that brought this latest debacle to the fore- Shane Morris. Where is the apology to him for the failure of his coaches and medical staff to protect him? Where is the apology to his family for jeopardizing their son & bringing a media nightmare to their door? No where. Why? Because in DB's world there are: 1. The bottom line ($$$$$), 2. customers (fans), 3. shareholders (rich alumni, boosters, & donors of astronomical sums), 4. employees (coaches, staff, student athletes), and 5. Processes (firings, control cover ups). There are not student-athletes, students, families, fans, or even former players. DB’s focus is bigger, better, and how much can we charge?
As an alumna, University employee, former athlete and coach, and a 20+ year season ticket holder, I am horrified by what happened Saturday. I am embarrassed by the leaders of the university and how they have responded to it. The tone deaf, backstabbing, blame shifting needs to stop. This is NOT Michigan. This is not “The Michigan Difference” or how “the leaders and best” go about doing things.
Poor performance on the field in the past several years is one thing, but what is happening now is beyond poor athletic performance. This is about adults not doing their jobs and then trying to shift the blame at every turn. This is also about greed. As it has been pointed out in the national media all week and regional/local media for much longer, Michigan Athletics has become a shadow of its former tradition-rich self in trade for slick packaging, big screens, and money. These are the hallmarks of the Brandon Era: arrogance, greed, corporatization of academic/amateur sport, and plain old CYA. Again, this is NOT Michigan.
I believe in the student athletes at Michigan. I will continue to support them in their pursuit of one of the best educational experiences this country has to offer while also trying to compete at the highest level on the playing fields. I will cheer for them at sporting events, I will share “Go Blue!” cheers with them on campus, but I cannot continue to support the department that is desecrating the very ideals and traditions that made Michigan “MICHIGAN!”
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:28 PM ^
I support Dave Brandon 100%. Whatsmore, I think allot of people on this board are hypocrites. Many here don't care one iota about Share Morris or his health except for the role he might play in securing Brandon's and/or Hoke's ouster at the end of the season (if not earlier).
Shame on you! If you want Brandon and Hoke out then say so openly. Try having a civilized conversation. Posit logical arguments etc. But don't pretend like you care about Shane. That's not what this is about. This is about wins and losses and someone's "Occupy" like agenda to take down an AD who has done a fairly good job (not perfect) as far as I can tell. But don't go using an 18 year old kid (and an easily manipulated student body I might add) to meet your objectives. The end does not justify the means.
October 3rd, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
What do you want people to say, the Morris issue was just one more in a long line of complaints about Brandon. You ask for facts for why he is not good, I submit to you an increasingly alienated student population at U of M. Continual declining attendence at home games, numerous terrible attempts at marketing with no apoligies for the mistake, instead they lie and try to cover it up.
People are probably focusing to much on the Shane Morris issue, but that doesn't mean its not an issue. There was a problem with Shane going back into the game and instead of owning up to it and admitting a mistake we have a coach hung out to dry at a Monday press conference, a statement released at 1 am, and a round of interviews not really addressing anything.
If all you care about is an AD that turns a short term profit, you have your man in Brandon. But I feel he has gone to far in maximizing the short term while completely ignoring any long term consequences. That is not how I want my alma maters athletic department run, maybe it is for you. You may not believe me, but I wanted him fired before the season started.
There, I have submitted my facts and attempts at a logical argument for his firing, you may not agree with it, but that doesn't make everyone around here a hypocrite.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:42 PM ^
After hearing the wealth of things to not like in that montage - cheap sarcasm, arrogance, condescension, complaints that it's "hurtful" to hear him criticized in a job where he's been a publicity hound, denial of manifest problems (like student reaction to ill-advised policies), and the rest, what's the money quote? It comes at the very end of the interview:
"I'm not tone-deaf."
Dave, you are tone-deaf. You are entirely tone-deaf. And you don't have a clue as to how to handle criticism other than by dismissing it. That's the whole problem in a nutshell.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:45 PM ^
Raises ticket prices 50%.
8000 tickets unsold.
"I don't think it's about the price." - Dave Brandon.
October 3rd, 2014 at 5:47 PM ^
I am now convinced that unless DB is terminated, Hoke will be coaching the team next year. Hoke covered DB's ass by claiming there were no inconsistencies between his comment that Morris did not have a concussion and the Brandon memo claiming he did.
The quid pro quo is Hoke keeps his job for next year as long as DB remains the AD.
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:09 PM ^
I support Dave Brandon 100%. Whatsmore, I think allot of people on this board are hypocrites. Many here don't care one iota about Share Morris or his health except for the role he might play in securing Brandon's and/or Hoke's ouster at the end of the season (if not earlier).
Shame on you! If you want Brandon and Hoke out then say so openly. Try having a civilized conversation. Posit logical arguments etc. But don't pretend like you care about Shane. That's not what this is about. This is about wins and losses and someone's "Occupy" like agenda to take down an AD who has done a fairly good job (not perfect) as far as I can tell. But don't go using an 18 year old kid (and an easily manipulated student body I might add) to meet your objectives. The end does not justify the means.
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:17 PM ^
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October 3rd, 2014 at 6:19 PM ^
660,000 people could have signed the electronic Fire Dave petition. 11,000 or so signed, slightly less than half were students. Let the spinning of the data commence. Where is The Mathelete?
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