This morning at 7:00 the Mgoblue Special Olympics Auction started with 11 items open for bidding. Support a great cause and check out these one of a kind items including signed Hoke and Beilein gear, Outback and Sugar Bowl warm up suits, two game worn Legacy jerseys and a Big House tour.
http://mgoblue.cstvauctions.com/gallery.cfm
Awesome! Great cause. Thanks
Thanks for the info
Will bid to help this great cause : )
"I don’t wanna live in Rainbow Land, and you can’t make me!"
Is this really the best cause?
There's no such thing as a terrible cause so don't let me convince you not to participate in the auction. However speaking as a criticism of what the university could have this going toward (and has in the past) in the pantheon of good causes, I kind of consider the Special Olympics kind of...less good? I mean you're raising money so a few people can play a game.
I don't know if this is a different thing or a thing on top of or whatever, but I remember the university used to have an auction that went to scholarships--like there was a scholarship for 4 years to the university for someone whose primary breadwinner died under 40. Dave Brandon loves the Special Olympics and it worries me that some more important charities that the university has supported for many years (e.g. Mott) are getting pushed by the wayside because S.O.'s are a better marketing tool.
(Blogger alias: "Misopogon") This team is under construction. We thank you for your patience.
As a coach
As a coach of Special Olympians (Basketball, Softball, Handball) for going on 11 years now, I urge you to get involved with a local chapter and see how much Special Olympics means, not just to the athletes, but to their families as well. It's not just the athletic aspect that's important, but the social aspect as well, as often times these individuals have been ostracized because of their disabilities. You'd soon realize just how for granted we take something as simple as sports.
You Get Nothing MSU. You Lose, Good Day Sir!
Thank you
This mirrors my feelings.
I'll take you up on that.
I'll take you up on that.
(Blogger alias: "Misopogon") This team is under construction. We thank you for your patience.
Wow.
The Dave Brandon hate on this blog is over the top. The man can do no right with some. The partnership with Special Olympics is addition to other charitable support of the AD not in replacement of it. If you don't think Special Olympics is worth it, then don't donate to the events that support it. You will have other opportunities to contribute to the AD for a cause you care for. The main point is that the AD is trying to reach out to as many causes as possible that it sees as important.
To the above...
I ought to just come out and say where I'm coming from on this--there's a lot of quiet grumbling coming from Carr-era people in and around the program about this particular AD wanting to shift the department's charity focus away from what it has been, and also reign in a lot of the hodgepodge programs that have been created over the years by a particularly well-meaning fanbase. If I have biases--which I'm sure I do because so does everyone--it's because I only have strong connections within the Carr-ian segment and they have strong feelings about things that from the AD's perspective may just be unifying efforts and an attempt to better control his brand.
When have I been critical of Brandon before? You get that from Brian, but I haven't been after him anywhere to that degree. I think it's unfair to dismiss my criticism here as motivated by Brandon hate when I've provided no basis for that. I've never interacted with Dave Brandon but I'm very close to people who have and the only thing they've ever said is that he's a consummate professional whose competence is far far above that of people who previously held his position.
I reiterate--all I'm being critical of is changing the beneficiary of established events to this. They're doing the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics. That's a new event and the AD is going all out for it and that's great.
I'm not saying don't participate in the auction, or even that the Special Olympics aren't a worthy cause. My concern is what I see emerging as a trend of replacing established charity events for other causes for this one. If this auction is in addition to the traditional one for scholarships, that's great--the more charitiy the better. If it's a replacement, well then the auction was the best funding mechanism for those scholarships, and I wouldn't want to screw with them. If they switched the beneficiary of the Woodson-Hutchinson Golf Outing from Mott to the SO's I'd be against that too.
(Blogger alias: "Misopogon") This team is under construction. We thank you for your patience.
Fair Enough.
You have valid concerns. I too would be pissed if the AD shifted away from its support of Mott for the sole benefit of Special Olympics. But, as a participant in this weekend's Polar Plunge, I am pleased that the AD is offering more opportunities to be involved.
My comment was more directed out of frustration at what I see as the unnecessary anti-Dave Brandon atmosphere that Brian has created on this blog rather than at you personally.
I am inclined to agree but I
I am inclined to agree but I think you're underrating the Special Olympics a bit. These are people who in general don't get to achieve much and don't get to have any moments of glory like most of the rest of us do...and let's face it most of them have probably dealt with a good deal of ridicule throughout their lives. This is a chance for them to shine and I'm sure that for a lot of people it's one of the best times of their lives.
-Eternal guardian of the Prevent (you from winning) Defense
Polar Plunge
For anyone who wants to help support the Special Olympics, there is a Polar Plunge this weekend with proceeds going to the Special Olympics. Participants also get to hear Coach Hoke and Coach Carr speak prior to the event.
http://www.mgoblue.com/genrel/012513aaj.html?hq_e=el&hq_m=415559&hq_l=15...
Awesome! Great cause. Thanks for posting!
I got the shotgun. You got the briefcase. It's all in the game though, right?