Defending Dave Brandon

No one has a problem with more money, or using that money for new facilities and competitive salaries for coaches.  You make that money in the long term by building a brand that is special and that people feel connected to.  Michigan athletics had that before Dave Brandon walked in the door.  The winged helmet, "The Victors", the Big House, the long history of on-field success, the OSU rivalry, all of these things make Michigan athletics special.  Things that don't make "the brand" special: Neil Diamond, 7 Nation Army, "In the Big House", dancing curly fries, bumblebee uniforms, maybe playing OSU again a week later if/when both teams are really good, etc. 

These are the kinds of things that Brandon has added to the equation.  They do not bring any value as far as I can tell, and they reflect a pattern of bad business from his prior career.  Our AD's major achievement in the corporate world is turning the second largest pizza company in the country into the third largest pizza company in the country.  Would anyone be excited if we brought in the corporate wizard who has been running Burger King for the last decade to make sweet cash for the athletic department?  In that world, it seems there was a major disconnect between Domino's management and how to build a brand.  Papa John's grew exponentially because they offered, "Better ingredients, Better pizza."  In other quick service food sectors, Subway became a giant company by advising people to "Eat Fresh" and touting the health of their food compared with other fast food options.  Chipotle has become a similar success story touting flavor and freshness along with a dash of sustainability.

The Domino's answer: The Noid

Michigan football is a better product than Domino's pizza, so we are going to probably be fine either way, but cheap gimmicks and doing shit to be just like everybody else aren't a recipe for keeping any brand strong.  If the silly stuff and the aggressive money grubbing from the fans continue they will only serve to make Michigan seem less special to future fans, or "customers" as our fearless leader might call them.

Ok, his job is to make money. Got me! But let's remember that to most of us Michigan is a university first and a great sports program second. Can you run a very profitable athletic department while also maintaining high standards and preserving tradition well? Of course.

Dave may be in touch with what people want to pay for and giving it to them. He's probably using lots of smart people and good data. But I propose one of the data sources be dedicated alumni, big donors and non.

I was a good way towards being a DB fan when I saw how he handled the NCAA investigation.  Compare him to Smith....nuff said about that.

His football hire is 19-6 as of today, we are playing in some of the best athletic facilities in the country (Martin gets thanks for the Big House) and soon probably the best when the "other" sports facilities are updated, our athletics are turning a profit and when the guy goes on 60 Minutes, he sounds like the consummate professional, which he is.

I feel we are lucky to have the guy. Yeah, there are a couple of minor things that we can bitch about, because that's the way we do things, but on balance, we could be doing a hell of a lot worse.

but if that's it, then this isn't the Michigan I've loved for so long.

Does the OP even read postings?  Most of the regulars on the board have disagreed with Brian Cook on some point - this is Mgoblog, not Mgoblind.   Sorry I upvoted before I read that line...

despite all the negativism directed towards the OP, some of which is deserved.  But credit Cypress for bringing the discussion to the m-community, as it has struck a nerve on multiple different levels.  I have enjoyed the thread, as much a running dialogue on the microcosm of the blogoshphere as it is on society at large.  We all live in a world where money talks.  We buy plane tickets where  those who pay more board first, sit in better seats, and drink before departure.  Fashionistas who desire designer clothes will pay a premium.  Country club memberships cost more than the public course down the street.  We take this for granted.  Something about a public university playing by the same capitalist rules doesn't sit well with some, and our AD is the point man for critique in the debate about fairness, greed, tradition, values, loyalty, and competitiveness.  Atlas Shrugged has nothing on this blog.  I have enjoyed the read and welcome MOAR debate.

"most fall at the feet of Brian Cook,"

Stopped reading.

This entire thread is fucking amazing. Seriously. Really nicely done all the way around here. 

I dont know any AD that wants to get his mug on tv more than him. Hes like some of the most annoying pro owners.

that DB is responsible for turning Bo into the legend that he became.

First of all, as has been pointed out ad nauseum on the boards, we don't really have a very clear idea whether the current players actually like the jerseys or not.  They are very unlikely to say otherwise.

Secondly, the current players on the team are not the sum total of Michigan football.  Hence Team 133, etc.  If you polled all current and past players and asked them what to do with the jerseys, fine - I'd support whatever they came up with.  But I highly doubt that even the current players were allowed to give much input.  

Spare me the Empowering Our Nation's Youth argument. 

Like anyone, Dave Brandon is good at some things, and not good at other things.

Part of good business is keeping customers happy, and let's face it, we alumni are a very significant customer base. It is primarily we who donate to the school, who support the athletic programs with dollars, and give to the school in other ways.

A substantial portion of the alumni are traditionalists, others aren't that picky about traditions. It's my thinking that Brandon made a few very significant mistakes dealing with alumni early on in his tenure:

1. His handling of firing Rich Rod, with the two meetings and the failure to be candid about his plans, was poorly done. I have no problem with Hoke, but you don't hang a Michigan coach out to dry in public the way he did, even if your plan is to fire him. And one should do it in a way that he can line up another job for the next season.

2. His comments about the mascot idea to the media, along with his stated preference for stadium ads, put a bad taste in a lot of the alumni base's mouths. Same with the business about the "wow" factor. "Wow" should be the product on the football field.

3. Given the fact that part of the alumni base was feeling uncomfortable with his showmanship ideas, he completely failed to accommodate them when he OK'd so many uniform changes. One of the cool things that people across the country like about Michigan is the traditional uniform. The "special" ones are for a lesser school. 

4. He's kind of a dick in terms of how he comes across.

Michigan being among the most profitable brands in college athletics is not new, nor is it Dave Brandon’s creation.

Tom Goss was a dummy who ran the athletic department into the red, but it has been among the most profitable nationally every year since Bill Martin first showed up. It was top two with North Carolina as I recall back in the early 2000s. Don’t have the exact numbers, but I’d be willing to bet top five every year since Martin first took over.

Secondly, this notion that “the kids love the alternate jerseys” is often repeated, never supported.  Prove it.  Like define the schools that use the most alternates and the ones that use the least and compare their success in the recruiting rankings. I’d be willing to bet that it shows the kids do not like the alternates.

Finally, getting back to the money thing, the special jerseys don’t make Michigan much if anything. They are auctioned off for charity, which is nice. But the sale of alternate jerseys is not that high and is offset by the non-sale of other stuff … people leaving the store with an alternate likely would have left with something else had alternates not been available. Plus, I don’t even think Michigan’s merchandising deal with adidas works that way. I think it most a set amount and they just have more negotiating strength when the contract is up if the sales are high … could be wrong on that last point though.