Sorry if already asked: what's the downside to firing DB now...
The President and the schools counsel would have to deal with DB, but it seems as if they have cause. Well, I'd imagine they had cause before with Gibbonsgate, Coke gate, and shanegate.
But that legal battle is something they would have to deal with anyway, if they're not already dealing with it. That holds especially true if what greg Henson said is true, about schlissel asking for DB's resignation.
It would also allow us to send out preliminary feelers and vet AD and HC candidates without obstruction.
I know there a million and a half threads about this stuff, and that I should quit drinking and go to bed, but there are some pretty well informed people on this board that could help me understand what downsides there are for axing DB right now
October 29th, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^
Gibbonsgate, Stakegate, Concussiongate, Cokegate, Emailgate guys we're running out of gates for this AD.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
We'll never run out of gates for this guy. That's the best part! Because now there's emailgate. Last night there was I don't read blogs I'm here to get an award-gate.
He's a one-man disaster spew. It's really entertaining.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^
Michigan wont get as much money, because a new AD wont rip off fans, alumni and students...Lol
October 29th, 2014 at 12:32 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 6:05 AM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 1:13 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
I know this season i have not been ripped off because i dropped my tickets after i was tired of paying at least twice the market value for tickets and dealing with brandon's BS. i dont see one benefit of being a season ticket holder anymore, especially under Brandon's regime.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^
You forgot Noodlegate and GeneralAdmissionsgate.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^
And is this "gate" where he'll have to walk out and never return?
October 29th, 2014 at 1:24 PM ^
as long as DB/Hoke are around, that gate should read "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
October 29th, 2014 at 12:52 PM ^
Just don't let the gate hit him in the ass on his way out.
On second thought, let it hit him.
October 29th, 2014 at 1:05 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
The downside is it almost forces you to fire Hoke right after the OSU game. And you don't want to do that because you don't want to go a month plus without a coach.
You want to fire Brandon after the OSU game, then take 3 weeks to replace him with Hoke's status up to a person who's yet to be hired. Then hire that person and let him/her fire Hoke shortly after and hire a new coach a week later.
You want the coaching transition to be 2 weeks MAX. Firing Brandon now leaves you in a situation where Hoke's timeline gets moved up. If not, everyone knows you're just hold on to him trying to buy time to the bowl season/end of NFL regular season.
It's better for the AD search be the longer of the two searches. Even if you know who you're going to hire. Give them the customary 2 week grace period and when they get to Michigan just before Christmas, they can use the holiday as reason to give it a week before firing Hoke on something like the 27th.
Hire Harbaugh, Harbuagh, Mullen, or Mark Stoops on the 5th of January and let's roll!
October 30th, 2014 at 6:35 AM ^
"stake" a claim to the most gates.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:15 PM ^
Also, he can be canned at any time, but michigan should have its search committee lined up. A firing isn't dependent on the football season.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:34 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^
I think the real reason that DB hasn't been fired is that Schlissel doesn't want to give the impression that he'll follow an angry mob's lead and there's a lot of stuff that comes with firing someone like Brandon (contract, replacement, how it happens, etc.).
But I think there's one football-related reason why waiting for a few weeks isn't such a bad thing. When Brandon gets fired, the AD and coach search stories will get much more plentiful and national. I don't think it's good for us if guys like Jim Harbaugh, John Harbaugh, Dan Mullen, and Les Miles are being asked about the Michigan job every week. Their only option is to adamantly deny interest, and once those denials pile up, it can both hurt our chances with those guys and damage their reputations if they came. The screams of "LIAR!" followed Saban around and that could happen here, too. It wouldn't be terrible for us to stay a little under the radar (relatively, that is) for at least a little while longer. The Harbaughs and Mullen could be coaching well into January.
October 30th, 2014 at 6:48 AM ^
I have problems with the second paragraph. It would be awful hard to get more stories on the front page of Mgoblog (those damn basketball posts get in the way occaisionally) or anywhere else. There is always daily speculation of the new coach and AD.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:15 PM ^
The only downside of firing him now that I can see is that the letter announcing he's being fired for cause for not only being screamingly incompetent, not only intentionally and illegally destroying records, but even actively damaging the program's long-term health through his own arrogance will be more awesome the longer they have to add rhetorical flourishes.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^
You left out being a prick.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^
We are hoping to uncover even larger, more embarassing details of DB's tenure before we shitcan him.
/S
October 29th, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^
I think this is a very good reason to title this post You're-no-fun-gate.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^
The downside to firing DB now, is that there would be fewer threads like this one.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^
that's an upside.
October 29th, 2014 at 4:36 PM ^
is that we don't get to fire him tomorrow. Or the day after...
Yeah, I used "we" as if MGoBlog is calling the shots, 'cause "we" are in fact calling the shots.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^
Firing Dave Brandon now may put the Lacrosse program in turmoil. Also I worry about gymnastics, cross country and our Varsity bowling program. We have some new lanes with a special wood finish that is nearing completion and firing him now may piss off the donor.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^
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October 29th, 2014 at 12:34 PM ^
given.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 1:26 PM ^
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October 29th, 2014 at 2:43 PM ^
Really, it makes sense, because the de facto primary donor to the non-revenue sports is the football program. If football revenues decrease sharply, the non-revenue sports will feel it.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
Yeah. I think it's already been covered, but let's talk about ways he could be fired.
I'll start. President Schlissel should send him this:
October 29th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
He would start reading blogs, which may include this one. Nobody wants that.
October 29th, 2014 at 1:16 PM ^
Even so, an account which nearly perfectly walked and talked like David Brandon would probably end up being one of the better troll / parody account ever to inhabit the blog. I can see his presence in a posbang now:
"I am here for the negbang tonight, so I appreciate you showing up, but that's not why I am here."
October 29th, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^
If you have someone ready, willing and able to step into the AD's chair immediately after the firing, it would be a good thing in terms of getting a new coach and possibly saving some recruits from abandoning ship. It might also help alumni donations.
Typically, a university would hire a firm to get a list of candidate, vet them and present them to the powers that be, and this all takes time. The noise over Brandon and the program hit max decibels not too long ago, right about October 1.
In Michigan's case, if the noise we hear is accurate about not being able to get the coach you want while Brandon is still heading the department, the downside would seem to be substantially mitigated in the short term.
It's all about the timing.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^
No Greg Henson.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^
I think it's more of a situation where Schlissel is not nearly as informed about Michigan athletics as even the most casual of MGo reader and is simply trying to gather all the information he can about everything before he makes a decision. This is basically his first major decision as University president and it's an enormously public one. He wants to make sure he gets it right.
While we all have our opinion on DB and the job he has done, I think Schlissel is more of an academician that just doesn't know that much about sports and, in particular, Michigan sports.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^
Fire him now (or whenever) and then hire the AD you want. These aren't like coaching searches where guys won't leave until after the season. It could be 2 weeks from firing to hiring Brad Bates.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
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October 29th, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
Insiders hint that his exit is being negotiated right now. People need to have a little patience.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:26 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
I heard it from elsewhere but it's pretty much the same as what Brian is reporting.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
Firing him while students are on campus may cause celebretory rioting. Better to wait till winter break when campus is dead.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
I'm aware, but not fully aware of the downsides.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:27 PM ^