Stop Venerating Brandon

Submitted by UMaD on

I don't follow other sports as closely, but David Brandon is NOT doing a good job managing over the football program.

Strike 1:  He is responsible for neutering the Ohio State rivalry.  Michigan and OSU should be in the same division.  The last game of the season decides who wins between them.  There is no rematch the following week.  End of Story.  Brandon, wisely, floated the october-game scenario as a red herring and most bit on that as the issue.  Bottom line: he compromised the rivalry -- forever.  The Game will never be the same. This will probably be his greatest legacy as AD and its not a positive one.

Strike 2:  The general "I'm here to make as much money as possible for the athletic department" corporate mentality.  Brian complained about this a few weeks ago.  UofM is more than a corporation.  The athletic department is more than a business.  Michigan football is more than a cash cow.

Strike 3:  The "we'll decide at the end of the season" strategy is crap.  Every single day he waits to decide one way or the other damages the program. Make a decision and let everyone know. Harbaugh's regular season is over.  If he's the guy, hire him YESTERDAY.  If Harbaugh hesitates in the least, give your full unconditional support to RR.

I like how Brandon handled the ncaa investigation, i like how he's dealt with rebuilding the basketball program, and I like how he handles the media.  All that said, "the pimp hand" is slapping the Michigan football program in the face as we speak.  What has this man done to deserve your trust and unwavering support?

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bleuadams

November 30th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^

*****THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POST TO READ BECAUSE IT'S 'THE' TRUTH*****

#1) Michigan is NOT Jim Harbaugh's 'dream job.'  He wants an NFL job, because him and his brother are so competitive.  SD, SF, Oak and Car (and maybe even Dal and Min) are all going to be fighting over him this off-season.

#2) Dave Brandon is going to be doing absolutely everything he can to convince him to come to Michigan over the next month.

#3) In all likelihood, Rich Rod will be brought back (signing a two year extension after the bowl game), and Greg Robinson will be replaced (along with the 3-3-5).  Ron English is supposedly an early DC candidate. 

Joined: 09/05/2010

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Brandon_L

November 29th, 2010 at 5:35 PM ^

i agree i think this process he is following is total bullshit. i myself work for a CEo and he does the same shit. he always makes certain he is in a win win situation. if he says he is evaluating, it means he is also looking. he is just leaving the option open t retain if harbaugh or whomever he is pursuing turns him down. he doesnt want to look like martin did during 2007. he wants to be the guy everyone likes.

Joined: 11/23/2009

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profitgoblue

November 29th, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^

I also work in "corporate America" and I also am not sure that this mentality works in an athletic department.  Brandon has never run an athletic department and, hopefully, the research he is doing and time he is taking is being done in order to make a fully-informed decision.  Lets all hope that its not just about money!  If so, college sports are doomed forever.

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mgoblue52

November 29th, 2010 at 5:36 PM ^

Sigh.

Strike 1: compromises had to be made in the scheduling process.  We got as good as a deal as anyone with the division alignments.  If you want to talk about getting the shaft, ask MSU how it feels.

 

Strike 2: It is about money.  This is not Soviet Russia where money doesn't matter.  IF you have money, your program will be better off.

 

Strikie 3: I can partially agree with you, but at least he's being consistent throughout the entire season.

Joined: 03/04/2009

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kscurrie2

November 29th, 2010 at 9:12 PM ^

We all seem to forget that this is not the NFL.  Univeristy of Michigan is an institution of higher education.  I agree.. I think the way that DB is handling this is ridiculous.  He has the futures of these kids hanging in the balance.  At the end of the day, he should be doing what is best for the STUDENTS.  We as alumni and fans are really only concerned with bragging rights.. to say that our team beat your team.  These 4-5 years for these young men spend in this program help determine their future.  This is not something that should be hung over their heads.. I dont believe this is fair at all.. RR will get another job, it is the students that are really getting screwed here.

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Seth9

November 29th, 2010 at 9:16 PM ^

 

Strike 1: compromises had to be made in the scheduling process.  We got as good as a deal as anyone with the division alignments.  If you want to talk about getting the shaft, ask MSU how it feels.

We neutered the OSU rivlary needlessly. There were alternative arrangements that would have almost certainly been acceptable to all parties and would have kept Michigan and OSU together. Here are some examples, all of which preserve more rivalries (such as Wisconsin-Iowa) that the current setup does not..* Brandon didn't fight to put the teams in the rivalry because he wanted the keep the possibility that Michigan would meet OSU for the Big Ten championship. I say this because he admitted as much.
 

Strike 2: It is about money.  This is not Soviet Russia where money doesn't matter.  IF you have money, your program will be better off.

True, but there is something to be said for the maintaining traditions that Michigan fans take pride in at the expense of short-term financial considerations because these traditions do have long-term financial advantages (keeping traditions alive keeps the program distinctive, builds loyalties, etc.).

Strikie 3: I can partially agree with you, but at least he's being consistent throughout the entire season.

Well, he's still making a huge risk in that if he chooses to fire him after the bowl game, we're in trouble recruiting-wise.
 

*I'm not considering the site's grades as anything definite, but I do think that all of these divisions would have been acceptable to the other schools if Michigan and OSU actually made any sort of issue out of being separated.

Joined: 04/01/2009

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ThWard

November 29th, 2010 at 5:40 PM ^

You write: "I like how Brandon handled the ncaa investigation, i like how he's dealt with rebuilding the basketball program, and I like how he handles the media." 

You then write: "What has this man done to deserve your trust and unwavering support?"

(1) You answered your own question.  Brandon's handling of the investigation was incredibly important.  Beyond your conjecture about what having OSU-UM in separate divisions *might* mean some day, the fact is, the NCAA investigation could have been a clusterfuck and black eye on this program.  DB stepped in midway through it, handled it, and UM came out looking pretty decent.  Sweet Jesus, you admit as much, and then ask "why do you trust and support him?"

(2) Your criticisms seem either (a) premature; (b) irrelevant; or (c) nonsense.  Because I don't want to be a jerk, I'll just say they're premature.

 

For now, he's given me no reason to doubt him, and legit reasons - the biggest being the handling of the NCAA investigation and report - to trust him.

 

I don't think your angst is thread worthy.

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UMaD

November 29th, 2010 at 5:51 PM ^

It is literally impossible for the OSU-Michigan game to mean as much as it did.  In the best case scenario (both teams are undefeated) there is a neutral-field rematch a week after the game.  We can argue over the magnitude, but theres no question the game loses its finality and potential to be the de facto conference championship game.  In the worst case scenario, one team is sitting key players so that they're healthy for the championship game (like RR sat Mouton and Martin to rest up for Wisconsin - this part is conjecture, obvs).

Handling the media (and the ncaa investigation, too, was largely about that) is not enough for unwavering support and hero-worship coming from many.  I named 3 good things and 3 bad things.  Then I asked why he deserves more trust.  I'm willing to be convinced, but yeah I'm very frustrated with his approach and upset with how the OSU division thing went down.

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REDvsBLUE

November 29th, 2010 at 6:07 PM ^

with your conjecture that either team would sit players getting ready for the next game is that if both were undefeated they would be playing for a national championship.  doubt either team would sit players for a rose bowl berth over a national championship berth

Joined: 10/16/2010

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NOLAWolverine

November 29th, 2010 at 6:20 PM ^

I agree with you that the apotheosis of DB around here is a little strange, but I disagree with your strikes against him. Your "worst case scenario" where a team rests key players in The Game in order to prepare for the championship game disregards the fact that if both teams are undefeated, or even only undefeated in the Big10, they will be fighting for a spot in the NC or at least a BCS at large. The Game will still be a conference semi-final for at least one of the teams most years where if they win they are in the championship. Putting both teams into the same division would have achieved the same result. Being in separate divisions gives us the chance to beat OSU twice. Again, agree with you on the DB=diety though. The guy is good, but lets wait a few years before we name the new Bball court after him.

EDIT: Beat me to it and more concisely at that. Would +1 if possible. 

Joined: 10/11/2010

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UMaD

November 29th, 2010 at 6:41 PM ^

My "worst case scenario" is not both teams resting their starters for the rematch the following week (though that would suck too).  My worst case scenario is one team having already clinched the Big10 championship spot and the other being an also-ran like Purdue or Indiana.  Obviously, the rivalry game wouldn't be the same in this case anyway, but at least the also-ran gets to try to play the role of spoiler by ruining their rival's season in the last game.  That element is compromised, particularly if the team that has clinched is resting key players.

I'm not saying The Game is dead by any means, I'm just saying its unquestionably been diminished.  Again, we can argue about how meaningful that is, but the consider the following: there is no way it can mean more and there are many ways that it can mean less.

Joined: 07/02/2008

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REDvsBLUE

November 29th, 2010 at 6:49 PM ^

with you in what you're saying actually.  The Game may have been a bit diminished by this, but what were the other options?  There are down sides to almost all of the possible scenerios they could've come up with (scheduling in the middle of the season and then we might not play them in our last game of the season).  At least in this scenerio most of the time the loser won't be going to the championship game.  I suppose the best possibility would've been to put them in the same conference as us.  But not gonna lie, the thought of us playing OSU twice in a year kind of gets me excited (providing we win em both) that'd be a pretty sweet feeling to have and a great way to win the big 10.

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jmblue

November 29th, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^

I agree.  I don't understand the blind loyalty to Brandon.   Having said that, the waiting until the after the bowl would make sense in one instance - if Harbaugh really wants to coach Stanford in the bowl game before coming here.  

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KSmooth

November 29th, 2010 at 5:44 PM ^

I think this is less a rant against Brandon than it is against some of the nearly worshipful posts that have appeared about Brandon -- the whole "Pimp Hand" thing.  Brandon's a sharp guy and I think he's handling things about as well as they can be handled, But he's not a deity and frankly I suspect he cringes a bit inside when he reads that kind of thing.

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PurpleStuff

November 29th, 2010 at 5:52 PM ^

I agree with all three strikes and I think number one is the most damning.  The "compromises had to be made" line is BS because Brandon's own statements indicate he wanted OSU and Michigan in separate divisions so that they could some day play in a "super cool" championship game.  He wanted to move the game to the middle of the year to prevent the possibility of an awkward immediate rematch, but our fans complained about the wrong problem and now we're stuck with it.

Joined: 04/21/2009

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blueloosh

November 29th, 2010 at 5:56 PM ^

Strike 1: I agree Michigan and OSU should been in the same division.  You're sure Brandon is responsible for the fact that they're not?

Strike 2: The comment about making money would be troubling if you did not read every other comment the guy has made and had no knowledge of his past.  In context, it's just common sense.  Brian overreacted to this, in my opinion, and you have doubled-down on the overreaction.

Strike 3: Deciding after bowl games makes complete sense.  Were you around in 2007-08 when we pursued Miles in between the end of the season and the bowl game?  Did you think that went well, having a vacancy during the weeks in between, while we flailed about attempting to talk to coaches who were in no position to respond?  Brandon has it exactly right.  Look at the risks on each side.  Wait until after the bowls, some recruits might bail on you.  Start the search before the bowls, your target coach[es] might bail on you.  Getting the HC right matters more than the recruits.

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jmblue

November 29th, 2010 at 6:13 PM ^

Brandon has made it clear that he was in favor of splitting UM/OSU.  (Remember his "One Game is great; two would be even better" line?)  That doesn't mean that he alone was responsible, but it makes you wonder if he could have possibly prevented it if he'd wanted to.  I've got to believe that if both Michigan and OSU had been adamant about remaining in the same division, the conference would have caved.

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Yooper

November 29th, 2010 at 5:54 PM ^

the coaching situation plays out.  The most important thing a CEO can do is hire good people.  The most important thing an AD can do is hire good people, and hiring the right football coach.  So how he handles this-whether he "hires" RichRod or someone else, is how he will be measured in my eyes.

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