David Brandon: "I Suggest You Find A New Team" Comment Count

Brian

Ace Anbender contributed to this report.

A few weeks ago, one of our users posted a fuzzy picture of an email purporting to be from one David Brandon:

10615422_294725647389729_3736298342185053254_n[1]

We were already trying to confirm or dis-confirm the authenticity of this when Keith Olbermann's show presented it as a fact we're reporting. At that point we had to either confirm it or repudiate it. We've done our best to do so.

We are now reporting this is authentic.

This kind of thing is of course forgeable, but I let it stand because it felt like something Brandon would do. I know this because over the past few years about two dozen people have forwarded me conversations with Brandon ranging from polite enough to the above. 

While the message board thread had a number of details off due to the hand-me-down nature of the information, Ace tracked down the original source of the emails, confirmed his identity over the phone and on Facebook, and got the original. I believe this to be real.

fine-without-you-1

I asked the hivemind for help with confirming that the email was genuine. What followed was a primer on spoofing that led to one inescapable conclusion: nothing is 100% guaranteed. However, you can look at email headers and GMail histories and rule out all but extremely sophisticated forgeries.

This is where a second emailer comes in. Around the same time Brandon is alleged to have fired off the email above, he shot off another after receiving a short rant about how Al Borges was bad and should feel bad:

have-a-happy-life-2

This woman's husband forwarded a much longer exchange with Brandon he had afterward. This ended with the assertion that "you may need more luck than our football team" to deal with his wife.

It also provided a larger body of information to evaluate. I ran it by a couple people intimately familiar with not just email in general but GMail specifically. The results:

The short of it is that the headers check out but there's no way to be 100% sure unless you know for sure the assumptions below are true. The smoking gun is indeed the back and forth GMail thread, that's just not possible unless fabricated by the recipient which we don't think it is (details on why below).

Assumptions

  • Dave Brandon uses a GMail/Google Apps web client (versus say, a desktop client)
  • [email protected] was not hacked and being accessed by an unauthorized third party
  • Neither a 3rd party or the recipients know the specific Google Apps servers for umich.edu's domain
  • The document with the thread between Dave Brandon and the sender was not fabricated

Details

  • The sender's headers appear consistent and indicate authenticity—however, a single email header is insufficient to prove authenticity
  • GMail automatically detects spoofed Gmails and Google Apps addresses—user(s) would have received a warning
  • Replies to spoofed email addresses will go to the real email address—the sender's emails were getting to [email protected] and being responded to.
  • GMail uses signatures in headers to group threads together. Spoofed emails with the same subject aren't put into threads—the back and forth thread is the strongest proof that the emails are authentic. 
  • The back-and-forth thread does not appear to be a forgery—the spacing, elements, and little details (such as "mgoblog.com" being in purple because it's a previously visited address for the user) all seem to check out. 

The longer thread looks authentic beyond reasonable doubt.

    Since the original email is discussed repeatedly in the longer thread, that seems certainly true.
    A second opinion from a professional in the field links the two emails together:

    We have two separate emails that claim to be sent from DB with the same mail server in the header and the same SMTP address. I'm wholly convinced that neither are forged if these are indeed from 2 different people that couldn't have colluded.

    The independent reports I've gotten over the last two years rules out a hack. Dave Brandon has on many, many occasions sent out emails of this nature in his tenure. People have forwarded me nice notes and not-nice notes; it is beyond a reasonable doubt these are authentic.

    Here are more interactions between fans and Dave Brandon provided to me.

"Quit Drinking And Go To Bed"

Another exchange around the time of Brandon's blog in support of Brady Hoke, featuring "quit drinking," class assertions, more ticket threatening.

Dave,

We are sick of all the talk, excuses, and most importantly the losses. You throwing Coach Rodriguez under the bus like you have this week was an embarrassment to the University and more importantly a big cheap shot on all of the players from his classes. Would you classify the game today as "big-boy football?" Would you consider Urban Meyer's offense "big-boy football?" Was that poor excuse of a defense today playing "big-boy football?" Not only was this season an embarrassment to this University, but your conduct over this past week puts a further black eye on this season and has no place at Michigan.  Michigan is now truly a middle of the road Big Ten team and we have you (not Rich Rodriguez) to thank for that.

BRANDON: Quit drinking and go to bed.

Thanks for the classy response. You may have just lost another season ticket holder.

BRANDON: Getting advice from you on what constitutes a classy email is really a joke.

Good luck!

Dave

Dave,

With all due respect, please explain to me what was wrong with my original email? Did I say anything that offended you or that wasn't true?  All I did was reference points that you used in your media tour last week.  When you go out into the public like you did, do you not expect some backlash? To accuse me of drinking is laughable coming from someone in your position. As I have been reading from various writers, I hope you have extreme concern that the 100,000 attendance streak is in real jeopardy. We just want to win and us fans don't necessarily appreciate seeing you on tv and in the newspapers every other day.

BRANDON: I don't believe you know what "due respect" is....

You sent a snarky, negative article at 11:58 PM the night of a very disappointing loss....telling me what "we" are sick of!  I didn't know you had been elected to represent anyone. I don't know who you are....and I really don't care about your views based on "what you read."  And, I don't accept you as a representative of anyone other than yourself.

For you to point out that "we just want to win" is really profound.  Do you think our kids and coaches don't want to win?  Do you think I don't want to win?  Really????

I don't know what you do for a living...but if you want to be an athletic director....go for it.  If you want to be a coach...go for it. 

As it relates to seeing me on TV or in newspapers....I have no idea what you are talking about.  I don't know or care about that stuff....apparently, you do.  You really should get a different hobby!

I will let the ticket office know of your decision to give up your seats.  I am sure we can use your email address to locate your file.  I am sure you will be much happier....because clearly your anger and frustration over our disappointing season has gotten the best of you.

It's too bad...if you got to know our kids and coaches, you would likely enjoy supporting them even when times are tough.  They are quality people who care a lot about Michigan.  Their efforts, sacrifices and commitment goes beyond putting go blue in their email address and pretending to be a loyal fan - they stay positive and continue to fight even when people like you attack them and the outcome of their efforts.

I wish you well....and I hope you find a team to support that wins every game and every season is a complete success.   

Dave

"I Am Sorry You Are 'Upset'"

This was posted as a diary in September by the emailer himself over a year after he'd emailed me and asked me to keep the exchange private. This is the key section and is verbatim from the email he provided me in 2013:

[My first name],
I received your message and I am sorry you are "upset" over a noodle.
Clearly, this is a very troubling matter for you.
Perhaps the lesson here is for you to be careful not to believe everything you read. There was an event at the Stadium Friday and this promotional piece was included.  It was removed at the conclusion of the event.
I suggest you relax and enjoy the football game today!
Go Blue!!
Dave

His response:

Dear Mr. Brandon,

Thank you for your timely response. I am not upset about a noodle, however, but about the possibility of advertising in Michigan Stadium on game days now and in the future.

I suggest that you drop the condescending tone.

Go Blue!

Brandon:

Thanks for your very helpful input!!

Much appreciated!!

Dave

"Thank you so very much… incredible insight"

In response to a guy advocating against Les Miles for breaking oversigning rules, eating grass, and clapping annoyingly, ending with

Mr. Brandon likes to refer to Michigan football as a "brand." Though I would strongly suggest he stop using this term immediately (academia is not Corporate America, nor is UM football a pizza that tastes like cardboard), I'd also implore him to compare Les Miles' behavior with the "brand" he's trying to protect.

Brandon's response:

Mr. Smith,

As you are helping define the difference between academia and Corporate America for President Coleman and me (thank you so very much….incredible insight!) you inaccurately stated my reference to branding at the University.  I have never referred to Michigan Football is a “brand”….because it is not.  I have referred to the “Block M” as a brand….because it is!

Michigan Football is one of the many ways we build our brand at Michigan…as do the rest of our athletic programs, our health system, our academic units, and just about everything else we do at the University.

If this troubles you….I am sorry.  However, it won’t change the fact that our Block M is one of the most recognized global brands in higher education…and I would think anyone with an email address of “UM Alum” would understand the power of that!

Go Blue!  And, thanks for providing your deep research on Coach Miles.

Dave

What about FOIA?

I have been informed that Michigan erases Brandon's email regularly to prevent responsive requests by a person who worked in the athletic department for three years.

A FOIA request for an email sent or received by Dave Brandon would end up going to his secretary. If the date of the email is given, his secretary would not even need to look to see if the email exists. All of Dave Brandon's emails are manually deleted from his university email once they are about one month old. They have been since he started. Since it is done manually, sometimes it's actually a little later, sometimes it is a little sooner, especially if the email is something that may be FOIAed.

But it was explained to me that the whole point is to avoid responding to a FOIA request (like this one). I've been following this email/FOIA issue, and after I spoke with one of my friends in the athletic department, we agreed that we would be shocked if that email still existed in his email, even if it did exist at one time.

This is why a specific request filed by an MGoBlog member turned up nothing. I have two FOIAs in with the department currently, one for six days of mail to and from two email addresses, the other for [email protected] and [email protected] dating back to January 1st of 2013. The department wants to charge me $385 for the first request and $1215 for the second—if those are at all proportional than there's approximately three weeks of email sitting there.

Is this legal? Our local law-talker BISB weighs in:

--------------------------------

If a state employee (such as, for random example, a University Athletic Director) deleted email exchanges, he was probably in violation of Michigan's FOIA law. Emails sent by an employee in the course of his official function are considered public records. The University of Michigan, and its employees, have an affirmative obligation to maintain public records:

MCL 15.233(3): "A public body shall protect public records from loss, unauthorized alteration, mutilation, or destruction."

That duty extends to the individual employees. Intentionally deleting emails as a means of preventing them from being FOIAed would be a violation of MCL 15.240(7):

"If the circuit court determines... that the public body has arbitrarily and capriciously violated this Act by refusal or delay in disclosing or providing copies of a public record, the court shall award, in addition to any actual or compensatory damages, punitive damages in the amount of $500.00 to the person seeking the right to inspect or receive a copy of a public record."

"Capricious and arbitrary" essentially means without cause and in an abuse of power. The University of Michigan is the one subject to the penalty, but the employee is the one who committed the violation.

-----------------------------------

Since the punishment is so paltry, Michigan doesn't seem to care.

Documents

The recipients of these emails are private citizens who would like to remain such so I've blacked out their email addresses. All else is as received. There are links to the originals in every section; here they are in a group.

"We will be fine without you"

"Have A Happy Life"

Longer exchange 1

Longer exchange 2

Longer exchange 3

Quit Drinking 1

Quit Drinking 2

Quit Drinking 3

Les Miles

I'm sorry you are 'upset'

Comments

howmuch

October 28th, 2014 at 2:11 PM ^

Biran's responses are available here and on twitter for everyone to see, plus this isn't a State funded orginization.  DB deleted these email (against the law) to cover his tracks. If DB didn't think there was a problem with these commuications, they would still be on the mail server.

dnak438

October 28th, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^

DB is under no obligation to respond to everyone who e-mails him. When I e-mailed him, I expected a boilerplate response sent by an assistant, like, "Thank you for your input. We here in the Athletic Department take the views of our fans and alumni very seriously and we will take your comments into account in our internal discussions. Go Blue!"

That is what professionals do. Petulant replies are unprofessional, no matter how reasonable you may find them. If DB doesn't have a thick enough skin to deal with whiny e-mails then he isn't up for the job.

UofM-StL

October 28th, 2014 at 12:57 PM ^

I agree that the other person in that conversation comes off way worse than DB, especially considering they looked at it afterward and decided to send it to Brian as evidence of DB being a douche. "Haha, I just acted like a total jackass and trolled DB into sending me less-than-respectful responses! I'd better exhibit a total lack of self-awareness and share this with as many people as possible."

Even so, one of these people represents the Michigan Athletic Department and one does not. If all was rosy in the world of Michigan Athletics and DB was a beloved figure, we probably look at these emails and think "Wow, how awesome is it the we have such a no-nonsense AD." But all is not rosy, and DB should be able to understand that and adjust his behaviour accordingly. You don't gloat when you're losing.

AFWolverine

October 28th, 2014 at 12:02 PM ^

Maybe I'm missing something, but how did Brandon respond to the sender in the Les Miles email before the email was sent? The response is from 8 January 2011, and the original is 9 January 2011. I'm confused.

Ali G Bomaye

October 28th, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^

I believe Gmail uses your system time to determine the time to put in the header.  I email frequently with people in different time zones, and sometimes the headers appear to display a similar time warp.  Perhaps one of the participants in that chain had their clock wrong or was in a very different time zone.

Ali G Bomaye

October 28th, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^

Brian and Ace - you missed blacking out a few personal identifiers in "Longer Exchange 1."

I agree with everything that's been said.  I'm glad you guys are doing the research to hold Brandon accountable for conduct that's really unbecoming of someone who's supposed to be the face of Michigan athletics.

When Brandon ran Domino's, did he respond to all the customer emails pointing out how their pizza was shitty?

EastCoast Esq.

October 28th, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^

Brian- you blacked out the wrong email address in one of the images. I don't want to bring attention to it, but you may want to look over them.

EDIT: Somebody already pointed it out.

lilpenny1316

October 28th, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^

Color me shocked!  Many CEOs are pretty dickish by time they get to that level.  I think it's part of the job application.  Sending out douchebag emails would be par for the course which is why they usually leave that for their assistant to handle.  He'll probably be fired soon anyway, but let this be a lesson to our douchey CEO side.

lilpenny1316

October 28th, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^

...I'm guessing that your CEO is not responding to emails telling them to "Own it" or anything else that would raise the douche factor.  I don't think DB is a dummy.  I think he knows how to communicate and chose the words he used on purpose.  

You could excuse one email on him being drunk, it's late at night, or someone pissing in his Cheerios.  But DB has a pattern of terrible responses to people he does not consider important.  Maybe he gets off on it and it makes him feel better at night.  Either way, he did something I think most professional people, not just CEOs, would have done differently.

blueinbelfast

October 28th, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^

I'll start by saying that these emails are disgusting and obviously just add more fuel to the fire that (hopefully) will soon be the end of Brandon.

Having said that, there is one funny thing about this, which is that the 'correct' thing for the AD to do would be to have a boilerplate autoreply saying something like: 'Thank you for your support for Michigan Football.  We appreciate your perspective.  Go Blue!'  Brandon, heretofore seeimg mostly like a corporate drone, actually appears to read the emails he receives and (albeit owing to a very thin skin, apparently) takes them seriously enough to get pissed off about them.  That he handles it like a petulant 15 year old is pathetic, but you can't say he's not engaged.

As I said, I don't support him, or his approach, but I do give him credit for giving a shit.

 

IncrediblySTIFF

October 28th, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^

For the record, i couldn't care less about whether or not Dave Brandon deserves to keep his job. I know that if Michigan were winning, none of this would have happened (the original email expressing displeasure in the direction of the team would not have been written).

I also have no problem with the way Dave Brandon handled these emails.  Condescending, for sure, but this post is an example of MGOBLOG pushing their own agenda (fire Brandon, fire Hoke).

So, I appreciate that you have proven to me that Dave Brandon can come off as douchey when responding to fans that are upset that we are losing (or fans that are upset about marketing).

Help me understand what is really going on here, so that I don't feel like a jackanape.  Should he be fired because of these emails?  Is it a fireable offense?

BlueHills

October 28th, 2014 at 12:11 PM ^

Yeah, it's wrong, however Brandon feels about the original emails. I'd fire an employee who did that to one of my clients.

It's unprofessional and un-businesslike.

The correct thing to do is acknowledge the email, and say something like "We appreciate the input."

To do anything else is to behave like a jackass, and that's not the way UM should present itself to the public.

mgolund

October 28th, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^

Fans are the lifeblood of the athletic department. They donate, they buy merchandise, they watch the games, etc. So, from that perspective, sure, they're the same as clients.

But even if we don't like that and want to be treated as people, Mr. Brandon's responses were not how the university should treat people. When he treats people in this manner, he does so as the face of the university. So, yes, this is a fireable offense.

IncrediblySTIFF

October 28th, 2014 at 12:32 PM ^

I appreciate you playing.

So, I guess I should rephrase my question:

Is this an offense that constitutes elimination of the buyout for Brandon, in the sense that he can be fired for just cause?  Or is this an offense that could be handled by a formal citation with the understanding that Dave Brandon (may or may not)* be doing an adequate job in all aspects of his duties?

*-no opinion on which one of these it is

BlueHills

October 28th, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^

Irrelevant question.

The point is whether it's in the interest of the University of Michigan and its image to treat people the way he did. It really doesn't matter that they're the ones who were angry for good or bad reasons.

This kind of thing is bad for Michigan.

Now as to whether fans should be treated like clients or customers, the fans are paying the freight for Michigan football, whether via buying tickets, or even watching on TV (the ratings numbers drive ad revenues for the networks, and that filters back to the school).

If they're angry - even if they're over the top - the AD of the University of Michigan shouldn't be responding this way. It is, and should be, a fireable offense in any institution. And it didn't just happen once.

This man doesn't have the temperament to run Michigan athletics.

IncrediblySTIFF

October 28th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^

Does it matter if I watch Michigan on TV or not?  I was under the impression that the BTN TV deal pays out equally across the conference, as opposed to single game viewership numbers.

I agree that his response was douchey.  I just don't agree that this is grounds for firing him, and even if this is the "straw that broke the camels back" it would be hard to show just cause for a snarky response to an email questioning Dave Brandon's ability to do the job he was hired for.

Monocle Smile

October 28th, 2014 at 1:56 PM ^

Our society is fueled on who can put the last word in, who has the wittiest retort. Especially around here

And yet you're somehow surprised that I tell you to grow up.

How many whiny temper tantrums are you going to throw until you understand that it's YOUR stubbornness and YOUR stupidity that's the problem? You have consistently acted as if everyone else is a jackass and the person in the mirror is pretty much perfect. Oh, and I guess Brady Hoke falls in that category, too.

Monocle Smile

October 28th, 2014 at 2:12 PM ^

Look at your posting history. I'm far from alone in my opinions, although I may be the most direct.

Your displays of narcissism were obnoxious a while ago, and it only gets worse.

 

Perhaps this makes me stupid, perhaps this makes me ignorant, perhaps a little of both

C'mon. You don't actually believe this. You're just putting this in there at the end in humblebrag fashion. You think we're all idiots who won't see through this pretentious attempt to appear accommodating. You have shown no effort nor willingness to stop being irrational and pigheaded, meaning you see those as valuable traits rather than character flaws.

Yes, this is a bit personal. But I actively dislike you...not for who you are, but what you represent.

IncrediblySTIFF

October 28th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^

Wrong.  There are lots of people here who I do not think are idiots.  My inclusion of "humblebragging" is my admittance of having an opinion.

To address your point, I do not think I am stupid.  But I do know that my personal relationship with Hoke is going to skew any objective opinion I could have about them.

But that is not my point in my response here.  My point here is that everytime you chime in to disagree with me, it is a personal attack, telling me to "grow up" or "keep hugging dem nuts."

Look, I know I don't have the popular opinion around here.  Perhaps it would have been best for me to say nothing, but just like you felt the need to chide me and call me names, I felt the need to provide another opinion on the matter.

Just as you consider my opinion to be boneheaded, narcissistic, and obnoxious, and have discredited me as irrational, you have devalued anything you have to say by making ad hominem attacks and telling people to "stroke their murder boner"

Monocle Smile

October 28th, 2014 at 2:43 PM ^

Nowhere have I said that your opinion is wrong because you're an idiot. THAT is an ad hominem fallacy. Others have done a good job pointing out how wrong you are; my input on that front would be redundant.

Quattro, like you, didn't learn from getting his dick knocked in the dirt with that stupid-ass thread he started after Arizona toppled Oregon.

tl;dr version: I don't feel the need to address a certain level of irrational, stubbon stupidity with an actual argument, and whining about it doesn't change that opinion. Be less stupid and I'll lighten up. I refuse to treat people with kid gloves; you're presumably an adult and you're better than this.

IncrediblySTIFF

October 28th, 2014 at 12:29 PM ^

You make a good point here.  I don't think it is wrong for Brian and his staff to have an agenda.  I did used to think that this place was "above" traditional news reporting, but more and more I have seen how information here is filtered through an anti-Brandon, anti-Hoke lense.

Whether or not this is wrong or right is not my concern.  I am just a fan (of the site) who is disappointed that the direction is not the same as my opinion.  And I am voicing my dissapointment, and I will occasionally continue to express it.

Unlike the fans from these emails, I will not claim to know how to do Brian's job better than him, and I will not threaten to stop coming to the site (a laughable threat, much like the husband/wife in this email thread).

IncrediblySTIFF

October 28th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^

I simply don't care.  I know that the outrage would be far less if Michigan were losing.  And if fans want to drive the ticket prices down by not attending, awesome.  That just means it will be more likely I will be able to purchase good tickets.

But yeah, I'm not trying to give you reasons why he should be kept, and again, I just don't care who the AD is.

Why on earth should I?  I have no control over the decision, and we could hire anyone and my passion for Michigan football would not change.

westwardwolverine

October 28th, 2014 at 12:51 PM ^

But Michigan is losing. 

And Michigan is losing because Dave Brandon thought the highest qualification a coach at Michigan needed to have is knowing the words to "The Victors". 

I don't see how someone can not care. The guy is directly responsible for cratering Michigan's football program. He's clearly not a "good guy" as so many people point out about Hoke. Why would you not care about having someone like Dave Brandon in charge of something you actually do care about? 

IncrediblySTIFF

October 28th, 2014 at 1:09 PM ^

You and I have had our differences about things.

And I am playing a little bit objectively here.

The reason I would like to see him gone is so that I no longer have to read about him.  I do not come here for politics.

Here is how I can not care:  I  have absolutely zero power over who the AD of Michigan is.  My opinion matters naught. Each day, the sun comes up and I have to go about my life, regardless of who is in charge of Michigan athletics.

And I am going to continue to love to watch Michigan, regardless of whether or not my old coach is the head coach or not, regardless of whether or not I feel like we have a douche as an AD or not, and regardless of whether we go 3-9 or 11-2.

I do not know Dave Brandon, and I will not claim to know whether he is a good or bad person.

westwardwolverine

October 28th, 2014 at 1:33 PM ^

Except your opinion does matter in a small way. The more people who are writing letters and sending emails and chanting "Fire Brandon" does matter. The more public opposition there is to DB, the more likely it is that there will be a change at the head of the department. 

And again: I don't see how you can't care. Dave Brandon has helped sink something that you claim to love. I can understand you feeling bad for Brady Hoke as he is your old coach, but he simply wasn't qualified for the job. And his hiring is on Dave Brandon. So why would you want the guy who completely blew the last hire, who treats the fans with contempt, who writes open letters ignoring the contributions of players such as Denard Robinson, who covers up concussions...why would you want that guy in charge of picking the head coach of the thing you claim to love? 

IncrediblySTIFF

October 28th, 2014 at 1:50 PM ^

We will have to agree to disagree on a couple things.

First: I do not think the ship is sunk, and (whether correct or incorrect) I do believe that Brady Hoke would be successful if given more time and more support at Michigan.

Second: I obviously disagree about Brady Hoke being qualified for the job (aka his hiring by Dave Brandon will never be a flaw in my opinion)

So I don't think he blew the last hire (gave Michigan exactly what they wanted...Michigan Man, man-ball, big boy business, high integrity)--again my opinion, and I do not agree he treats the fans with contempt in general, rather he treats some fans with contempt.

I do not want David Brandon to choose the next coach of Michigan, but again, it is just not going to move my needle significantly.  Everyone has the right to be affected however they see fit by this, and I choose to not let it bother me.

Perhaps this makes me stupid, perhaps this makes me ignorant, perhaps a little of both, but I think it is not that difficult to see that there could be other opinions out there that are somewhat warranted at the very least.