DSR: "David Brandon is the Devil"

Submitted by bdsisme on

A diatribe at Detroit Sports Rag gained some RTs on twitter (though it may be excessively derisive).  Recently-realized WARNING: Brian hates this writer (read Brian's 2005 column here).  Just like in 2005, I'm not sure if everything is 100% accurate -- he talks about how DB worked for Bain Capital, when I believe DB was merely hired by a headhunting firm to head up Domino's (who was owned by Bain).

http://detroitsportsrag.net/david-brandon-is-the-devil/

Because of Michigan’s status as a public university, Michigan residents can get rid of this eyesore of Ann Arbor next fall. In the spring, when the major parties announce their candidates for Regent, ask the candidates if they will support someone who believes himself to be bigger than the university he swears to love? If the candidate supports Brandon, vote the other way. Enough is enough. It’s time to put someone in charge on South State Street who can relegate their self promotion to the backseat, behind the greater good of the Michigan Athletic Department. Until then, Michigan fans will continue to be nickel and dimed – with all of it being siphoned into David Brandon’s bank account.

[Also of note, Brian was on DSR's podcast on December 4th: http://detroitsportsrag.net/dsr-podcast-with-mgoblog-dombrowski-presser/#more-1935 .]

TenaciousGrizz

December 12th, 2013 at 12:45 PM ^

Charging fans six bucks for a water and 100 bucks for their Appalachian State tickets next year helps hire million-dollar coaches and make hundred-million dollar renovations to Crisler, which are are the most important drivers of program health (at least right now) and likely outweigh the risk of alienating the fans who want to pay for Michigan football at below-market rates like they did in 1980.

I certainly understand that desire--I'd like everything I buy to be cheaper, and I'd probably have season tickets if they were cheaper. But cloaking what is at its core a "dammit I want this product to be cheaper" argument in the "Dave Brandon killed my childhood" gloss seems pretty disingenuous. Cheap seats are not "the fabric of Michigan football"; cheap seats are what Don Canham did to fill the stadium before we started kicking the ever loving shit out of the Big Ten--a ritual that is, in fact, the actual fabric of Michigan football. And if there's a criticism of Dave Brandon, it's that we're not currently kicking the ever loving shit out of the Big Ten. If we were, I'm 100% positive that this guy wouldn't be writing blog posts about how Dave Brandon "doesn't get it."

Giordano Bruno

December 12th, 2013 at 1:40 PM ^

It is not just alienating old coots who complain because tickets prices have increased.  It is more about damaging the long term interests of the "brand" of Michigan football.  Currently, I make more myself than both my parents combined currently make (and therefore more than they made at any time while I was growing up).  I am not unwise with my money (I am a CPA), nor am I excessively cheap.  Nonetheless, when I try to devise a realistic budget to take my family to AA and take my son to a game (as I recently tried to do for the OSU game), I end up having to scrap that plan. $190.00 for the tickets themselves already makes it a pretty expensive outing (and, in a teatament to the quality of the team, I was unable to entice any of my dude friends to go with me either).  Yet my dad, who was travelling from further away, is excessively cheap, and significantly less than me, managed to take me to a handful of games growing up (which cemented my M fandom).  

Unless I start making even more money (and the play of the team improves), I don't foresee ever being able to look at the comprehensive cost of taking my family to AA for a game (much less ever buying my own season tickets) and seeing an attractive value proposition.  For fuck sake, I could take them to the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, buy us all nice dinners, watch the game in a bar drinking premium beers and still come out ahead all told.  

 

The truth is that the "corporate mentality" or whatever you might call it is indeed harming college sports.  Increasing revenue in order to create greater facilities or a better gameday experience or whatever you might call it is really just an attempt to build something from which even more revenue  can be generated.  This makes some sense in business, in that the greater and greater profits can be distributed to ever more shareholders, or invested in myriad other projects.  It makes less sense in college athletics, unless the entire goal of the system is to provide $10,000,000 salaries for Nick Saban type individuals.  Unfortunately, constantly increasing prices tends to weed out working class individuals first, and to increase the proportion of the dreaded "wine and cheese" stereotyped affluent M fans.  While these types of fans are necessary for the donations and other types of funding they can help facilitate, excessively catering to their desires will, in my opinion, most likely tend to somewhat diminish the broader base of M football fans, the kids like me who grew up cherishing our M football memories when my dad could bring me to the Big House and with $10 or $15 in his pocket  buy us some pops and hot dogs and a program.  The value is not there anymore.  

TenaciousGrizz

December 12th, 2013 at 3:11 PM ^

But what are you suggesting?  That Brandon price the seats lower than people are willing to pay ?  Look, when prices were lower, the "wine and cheese" folks still filled the stadium, because they were the ones willing to buy my student tickets for $200 a pop.  Brandon isn't setting the prices--the market is. 

I agree that corporate culture, coaching salaries, and other issues are gravely impacting the college fan experience.  I hate that shit to death.  But Brandon isn't responsible for that system; he's just living in it.  Hating him for it, calling him names, or expecting him to do anything differently strikes me as misguided, mean, and naive, respectively. 

Mr. Yost

December 12th, 2013 at 12:46 PM ^

...no one gave a shit about this crap when we won.

And when someone did, there were 99 people yelling "SHUT UP!" at Mr. 100.

 

Rich people are rich, plenty of people get paid far more than they should...this is motherfucking America...what else is new? And I say that with the utmost respect.

True Blue Grit

December 12th, 2013 at 12:46 PM ^

to upgrade the success of all U-M sports - not just the revenue producing ones.  The huge investments in new facilities and better coaches to make those sports more competitive costs money.  That's a simple fact.  In order to do this, he's tried many different revenue models and programs.  Some of them have definitely rubbed me the wrong way, as they have others on this blog.  The worst to me was definitely banning bringing water bottles into the stadium THEN gouging his new captive market by charging an obscene $4.50.   But, getting back to the building of a competitive sports program, it can only be accomplished by someone who is very good at building revenue streams and fundraising.  So, like it or not, it probably means David Brandon is the best one for the job.  

RickAndScott

December 12th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^

Brady Hoke is the eighth highest paid coach in America even though Brandon did not have to pull him from a high-paying gig and there is no threat of him leaving. Al Borges is the third highest paid offensive coodinator even though his career path before Michigan was Auburn to out of football to San Diego State.

If you are paying people these salaries and they aren't doing a job anywhere close to worthy of these figures, it ceases to be admirable and becomes bad budget-making at best and a screw-you to the fans who have funded those big wages with the price hikes of their gameday experience at worst.

Money means nothing if you have the wrong people in place.

hart20

December 12th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^

the athletic department to a better place! He's totally completely evil for making money at some point in his life. I bet he didn't even fill up the cups at his lemonade stand all the way when he was a kid.

StephenRKass

December 12th, 2013 at 1:01 PM ^

I don't think Dave Brandon is trying to make a quick buck. I believe that he is doing what he can to bring Michigan to a competitive level, across the board. It was well known that the infrastructure for Football and Basketball was substandard. Michigan got by on the cachet and reputation it had of success, but that only lasts so long. I remember the wars about the Football stadium, and the luxury boxes. I also remember how dingy Crisler was, and that was more than 25 years ago. Changes for those venues just had to happen, as much as there were complaints about it.

This also goes for the cost of coaching. If Michigan wants to compete with Alabama and USC and Ohio and all the rest of the Big Boys, they need to pay competitive salaries. Mattison doesn't come to Michigan for chump change.

The reality is that if you want a cheap ticket, you can go to an EMU game, or a high school game. I myself actually went to a bunch of local high school games this Fall, which was cheap, entertaining, and a way to keep my eye on my 12 year old twins.

You know, DB is going to strike out some of the time. I am probably least enamored with some of the changes at Yost. Having said that, he strikes out partially because he is swinging for the fences.

As for the nickel and diming complaints, DB isn't alone. I hate the world we live in, but I can't think of too many venues anymore where you can bring in your own food and beverages. And you know what? I bring in an emptied water bottle and fill it; I bring in some peanuts and sandwiches in coat pockets, and I'm never stopped. If you really want to be cheap, it still is possible.

This just strikes me as a hatchet job on DB, and some will eat it up, and others see the reality of the situation.

RickAndScott

December 12th, 2013 at 1:17 PM ^

If Michigan wants to compete with Alabama and USC and Ohio and all the rest of the Big Boys, they need to pay competitive salaries. 

None of those programs hired a head coach whose biggest appeal was that they used to coach there and were friends with a lot of influential people. Brandon did. When you throw meritocracy out the window for old boy ideals, you have already put yourself behind Bama, USC, OSU, etc. No matter what the figures are. 

RickAndScott

December 12th, 2013 at 1:25 PM ^

Outstanding question. For a non-profit model, you would certainly hope not. But why hire a corporate raider to lead such an enterprise unless that was all you were looking for?

Mary Sue is a lame duck and maybe she's out to lunch on these issues. Brandon has pissed off so many people, I would not be shocked if he and the next president don't hit it off.

Vote_Crisler_1937

December 12th, 2013 at 2:09 PM ^

I had no idea he had so much notoriety at MGoBlog, assuming it's the same kid. /cool story bro



I tend to think DB is trying for mostly the right reasons but doesn't get it. I hope the increased revenue can help M football win a championship in the next 3-5 years, I won't feel bad paying more if it does.

gwkrlghl

December 12th, 2013 at 1:17 PM ^

I can skim through threads again and just scan for obvious positive and obviously negative ideas to get the gist of a thread. I very much enjoy the old voting system. I am still posbanging people

Feat of Clay

December 12th, 2013 at 1:20 PM ^

Is DSR aware that Brandon WAS a regent?  And by all accounts a quite good one?  And that when he lost his bid for re-election, he threw himself into fundraising for the UM health system?  

There are a number of AD decisions I'm not thrilled with, but I think it's misguided to paint DB as some kind of selfish, egomaniacal leader.

 

BraveWolverine730

December 12th, 2013 at 1:24 PM ^

Yeah I (like many here) think Dave Brandon has a big ego and can come off as smug and so I don't particularly like him. However, I do believe that most DB complaining is way over the top and that Brandon is honestly trying to do what he believes is best for Michigan athletics (however misguided some efforts may be). 

chatster

December 12th, 2013 at 2:00 PM ^

Best place to work is Bain.  http://www.fastcompany.com/3023191/leadership-now/the-6-secrets-of-americas-happiest-workplaces?partner=newsletter&utm_source=facebook

Glassdoor's most-recent survey of employees found that Bain & Company's consulting firm is the best large company to work for.  Interesting results. Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook were chosen as the top three tech companies to work for.  The Motley Fool was chosen as the best medum-sized company.

bb7877

December 12th, 2013 at 2:08 PM ^

I wonder if DSR realizes their website has been hacked and is covertly selling cialis links. Maybe yhey should clean up their own house before they try shitting in someone elses. Proceed with caution of visitng DSR. 

steve sharik

December 12th, 2013 at 2:21 PM ^

Don't hate the player; hate the game.

I don't think a major college AD can compete in today's collegiate athletic landscape unless it acts like a business first, function of the university second.  Pandora's box was opened a long time ago and there's no way to close it, just blow it up and start over (if one wants it back the "way things were").  Once the power structure changed from the AD reporting to a faculty board to reporting to the University President (money, money, money), it was over.

In other words, if it wasn't Brandon doing it, someone else would.  If not, Michigan would be struggling to win or even field competitive programs, especially in sports not named "football" or "men's basketball."

Can anyone find an example of an athletic department of a power conference who hasn't bowed to the business model, and who is successful in all sports across their department?

Blue Bunny Friday

December 12th, 2013 at 5:31 PM ^

Does Stanford fit? I honestly don't know enough about all other athletic departments to tell you.

TV money is there, seats in the stadium are >everywhere else, and you have a very large group of loyal alumni. You do not need to squeeze the nickles out as they come back as quarters when you've gained more people with attachments to the school and program. He's not doing that. He's tried to make the most money off ticket sales, uniformz and cheap advertising. With the home environment and TV production values so high that is myopic.

Spending $40+ million on a rowing facility and telling everyone in attendance at an overpriced tomato can opponent probably isn't a way to make friends. 

steve sharik

December 18th, 2013 at 11:28 PM ^

...but:

  1. Stanford has a huge athletic endowment, and have used it to give the non-revenue sports more scholly $.  You can bet that w/o that endowment, they'd be playing the game just the same as the rest of the gang.
  2. I was out there a few years back and there was a giant billboard with Jim Harbaugh's mug, complete with the schedule and marketed to the gills with graphics, fonts, etc.

BlueCube

December 12th, 2013 at 2:29 PM ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2013/03/06/athletic-direct…

According to this, Brandon is below a lot of other  AD salaries at  top schools for athletics.

I don't agree with all of his policies but to imply that he's raiding the departments resources is grossly inaccurate based on salary.

Surprisingly, the highest salary I saw scanning through the list is for David Williams at Vanderbilt. My guess is that his salary may include his duties as Vice Chancellor for University Affairs and Athletics as well as Professor of Law.

Tater

December 12th, 2013 at 3:14 PM ^

I like the piece.  I think that David Brandon is damaging the only brand that matters: the one with "Michigan" on it.  

If he continues to micromanage the playcalling and turns a team that scored 41 points against Ohio with an overmatched OL back into one that scored six against Sparty and 13 against Nebraska, it will mean that Borges becomes the first coach sacrificed at the altar of the Brandon brand, with Brady Hoke to follow the year after.  

The University of Michgan deserves better than David Brandon.  Hopefully, he doesn't do much more damage before he gets bored and leaves.

YOUVE BEEN JAMMED

December 12th, 2013 at 4:17 PM ^

Am I alone in not thinking Dave Brandon is a horrible human being?  He seems to be genuine in his love for the University and especially the football team.  All he's trying to do is build a brand, much like he would do as a CEO of a corp.  Thats my tought on it though.  /NEG

Blue Bunny Friday

December 12th, 2013 at 5:09 PM ^

The University of Michigan is not a corporation to most of the people that care the most about it.  "Building a brand" is not something he appears to be very good at, and it continues to be at odds with the university part.  He's alienating current students (horribly implemented general admission), loyal supporters (increasing PSDs, dynamic pricing, selling home games to Jerry Jones, etc.), and making himiself too much of a public figure, IME.  

I don't like what he does or what he says, and I wish there were someone else as AD of my university.

BlueHills

December 12th, 2013 at 11:11 PM ^

There's no doubt that Brandon loves Michigan. But that doesn't make him anything other than what the rest of us are - Michigan fans, alums, etc. If loving the school, being an alum, and doing what one thinks is best for Michigan qualifies a person to be the AD, then most of us would be reasonably solid candidates.

The point is, these are only a small part of the necessary qualifications.

The problem I have with Brandon, aside from his personality, is that his taste leans toward cheesy PT Barnum hucksterism, only we are the "suckers born every minute."

The Athletic Department should exist, first and foremost, for the students. And by that I don't mean only for the student-athletes. I mean for the student body. 

Brandon treats the students is as if they didn't matter. To him, they're just a bunch of kids in maize shirts who show up too late for the stadium to look good on TV. Michigan students aren't good marketing. So he punishes them.

His treatment of the alumni fan base is barely acceptable, and his expressed opinions and actions regarding Michigan tradition are (in my opinion) shameful.

How many people did he add to a marketing staff that didn't need to be there in the first place? How many times will we have to listen to piped in crap at the stadium, see guys in jetpacks like some kind of circus, and be embarrassed by his marketing genius as shown by such stunts as skywriting over MSU's stadium?

No wonder they wanted to, and did, kick our asses.

The fact is that Dave Brandon is the Devil because he is an embarrassment. I don't care about him being a Republican, that's his business. I don't care about Bain or Domino's Pizza. That's his past.

But he has not done right by us, his fellow alumni (I was at Michigan when he was). He is an arrogant SOB who does not, and should not, run Michigan's athletic department.

 

Ty Butterfield

December 12th, 2013 at 5:39 PM ^

Running a major college athletic department has changed a lot even in the last ten years. I don't pretend to know how to keep the Michigan Athletic Department in the black. I think what many people, myself included, want to know exactly what happens when DB is meeting with the coaches. What is the conversation like? Is DB the driving force behind "Manball" or is that Hoke? This is the main issue I have with Brandon.

Schmoe

December 13th, 2013 at 8:10 AM ^

I wonder the same things.  I have been comparing Dave Brandon to Jerry Jones for a while.  And I feel that it is not important if DB is actually getting in the way of the coaches.  It is important that is APPEARS that DB is getting in the way of the coaches.  I do not like the FACT that the face of Michigan Football is Dave Brandon....not the head coach.

KBLOW

December 12th, 2013 at 6:48 PM ^

Can't DB both want what he thinks is best for the university AND be saddled with a world view that sees making a quick buck as the way to do things? Personally I dislike many of his decisions around marketing and building a brand, (especaially b/c I see the "brand" he's building as damaging to the authentic/traditional brand that really is Michigan)  but I do believe he thinks it's best. And that's what bothers me more than if he was cynically trying to increase his own wealth.

philhersey

December 13th, 2013 at 12:17 AM ^

David Brandon can SOX my troll bells...

and...apparently gorgeous B CAN call plays if liberated from M man, man ball.....

RichRod will win NC within 5yrs.  Could'a been us.

Please remember...he ,DB, only gave you want you wanted (like the Mafia does...)

Schmoe

December 13th, 2013 at 8:07 AM ^

Someone gets it.

I realize that some facts may be messed up.  I hope they are not.  There aren't many facts here.  As an opinion piece this is remarkably accurate and truthful.  Some things are almost direct quotes from myself over the past three years.  My friends and I actually repeat this mantra over and over for years:  "Dave Brandon is the Devil".  Thank you for sharing.  I am not alone.  Learn this.  It is impoortant if you are a fan of Michigan Athletics.