What Dave Brandon Changes Do You Want to Keep After He Is Gone?
When people anxiously follow twitter accounts of Regent meetings, hoping for any sign that the current Athletic Director will be thrown to the wolves, it seems clear that his days are numbered.
If and when the (proverbial, people, let's not get carried away) guillotine falls, we hope for a competent and passionate replacement. I look forward to an introduction at a basketball halftime, where, like arch-nemesis Jim Tressel, the new AD announces: "You will be proud of your team--in the Stadium (which will have no advertising and lower ticket prices), in their uniforms (which are awesome exactly the way they are and will be the same for every game), and especially next November, on the field, led by new coach Jim Harbaugh."
Ok, maybe not exactly. But I hope for some walkbacks of the recent "innovations" shepherded into the program by DB.
However, not every "innovation" is necessarily bad. There have been good developments in the past few years that we tend not to associate with Brandon precisely because we don't associate him with good things; yet some of his decisions, like retaining John Beilein and choosing to pay football assistant coaches market prices, are unquestionably good.
DB has made night games a thing. The lights installed in the Stadium for that purpose are classy and effective. He has also worked, successfully, to bring other major events (The Winter Classic, the soccer game, etc) to the Big House. These seem to be popular moves.
We all want ticket prices to go down and stupid stunts like skywriting to stop; however, not everything has been bad. What DB-era innovations do you want to see continue?
October 16th, 2014 at 7:37 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 7:39 PM ^
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October 16th, 2014 at 7:58 PM ^
I do give him some credit for that. There was a lot of resistance/institutional inertia he had to overcome to pull off the first UTL game.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:00 PM ^
You should have been on the board in 2009 when I first suggested we play a night game. The overall attitude was literally ''This is Michigan and we don't play night games''.
October 16th, 2014 at 11:05 PM ^
Dude, this might not be your intent, but it sounds like you're taking credit for that being an original idea; that's hogwash. People have been advocating for night games for decades. Yes, there have always been traditionalists who preferred noon starts, but some people have been on the horse for a long time.
October 16th, 2014 at 7:43 PM ^
- DAB and the marketeers did bring back the Slippery Rock tradition after it had gone away for too long a time. They've done it up right and it gives a nice nod to tradition.
- The Bo statue. I will always be grateful that he got the first statue of a Michigan person on campus in the 197 year history of the school. While he was patting himself on the back for that when the Towsley opened, it is one where I can say it was worth it.
- As someone mentioned above, a willingness to pay, if not top dollar, high dollar for assistants in all of the major sports.
- The fun parts of the Michigan football twitter account.
- Whomever he has on speed dial at Yankee Air Museum to keep bringing the B-25 out.
- The Veteran of the game. It's a small thing and not unique to Michigan, but I look at the faces of those veterans, especially the WWII guys, who have probably rooted for Michigan their whole lives, and I appreciate that they get that moment where people can thank them for their service.
- The willingness to not only let Dennis Norfleet to request "Atomic Dog", but to play it and point out that he had requested it on the video board.
This may seem like a long list, because I really am trying to be fair and give credit where credit is due. But man, this ends up feeling like damning with faint praise.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:06 PM ^
- The Bo statue. I will always be grateful that he got the first statue of a Michigan person on campus in the 197 year history of the school.
Absolutely disagree. Bo is still spinning in his grave over that bonehead move. No coach is more important than the team! The statue spits in the face of all that Bo stood for.
October 16th, 2014 at 7:53 PM ^
One thing about Brandon that is in his favor - he has been adaptable to negative feedback. He was going to change the timing of The Game, and walked that back after fan outrage. He has not put advertising inside the stadium, and I am sure that is in response to fan desire (he woudl probably love to put some in there). Now he is lowering ticket prices and doing away with the $5 water after fan outrage. And at the same time he has done some really good stuff that others have captured in this thread. If he would only stop with the boneheaded moves that alienate the fans, he would be ok.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^
Huh??
He backed away from these things only after nearly the entire fanbase was about to burn down his house.
His first response to feedback is to blow it off. Because only his superior intellect knows what is best.
He is not at all adaptable to negative feedback. He is adaptable to the threat of near violence.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^
I say Toe-MAH-toe...
October 16th, 2014 at 8:52 PM ^
M-Dog nit-picking one of my comments. Big surprise. Yes, I should have said he could be more adaptable, and is not immediately responsive. But at least he has been willing to heed to student demands. Does that make you happy this time?
October 16th, 2014 at 9:25 PM ^
Didn't mean to nitpick. He does not seem very adaptable until there is no other recourse. He clings on to things longer that most. Everything turns into a battle. But he does eventually see the writing on the wall.
I don't know if it will be enough to make him change his stripes. I could see him backsliding.
October 16th, 2014 at 10:39 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^
for other events. It's a tremendous asset in that regard. But I would like to see that revenue used to ease ticket prices rather than lining the pockets of the department
October 16th, 2014 at 7:55 PM ^
- Night games (have fun with it, a little bit of showmanship is fine in this context).
- Getting use out of the stadium and other M facilities that would otherwise stand idle (the emphasis is on truly idle. Don't do stupid things like charge to look around when people used to be able to do that for free).
- Facilities for the athletic campus and non-revenue sports (in phases . . . don't gouge us to make this happen all at once).
- Willingness to pay for top assistant coaches (slippery slope here . . . again don't use it as an excuse to gouge us).
Not much else. Doesn't seem like all that big a challenge for the next guy.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:09 PM ^
I've never understood the rationale for putting a dollar sign on the stadium all the time. The whole "security" angle for the towers only goes so far until you realize that doors have locks, and they can be secured quite easily.
Open up the stadium for visitors the rest of the year. Let folks run the steps. Let out-of-town visitors come by and see the bowl. When I used to run the steps, you'd see people in there all the time with their jaws on the ground, seeing the stadium for the first time. You think those folks won't want to buy a ticket later on to see it in all its glory?
During the season, close it on Thursday evening, just like before, so you can have the bomb dogs go through. But there's no reason to charge folks to see an empty stadium.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:19 PM ^
Agreed. They don't seem to have any "security issues" when they want to open it up to make a buck off of it.
Yet when there'e no money to be made, it's off-limits because of "security".
It belongs to all of us, not just the big money people.
#FREEMICHIGANSTADIUM
October 16th, 2014 at 7:55 PM ^
this whole nightmare started wearing Adidas..jsut sayin.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:39 PM ^
We wore Nike for The Horror.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:08 PM ^
And during the whole time we wore Nike basketball uniforms (1994-2007) we won a total of one NCAA tournament game - and had to vacate it. We've done a bit better wearing Adidas.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:17 PM ^
And encore performance a week later.
October 16th, 2014 at 7:56 PM ^
Love your spirit and passion and I can only hope that you challenge your politicians as fervently as you chaise down this AD.....'cause there are important things happening in the world these days
October 16th, 2014 at 8:28 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^
If I had to choose something, then like others, it would be the committment to making the entire offering of Michigan athletics modern and well-supported by the University. In other words, the work that has been done for the benefit of less celebrated non-revenue sports is noteworthy and should be preserved, in my own estimation. That commitment was needed and it is something that was done correctly, I would say.
The night games and the willingness to open the pocketbook to get first rate hires (not just in football either) would be a nice legacy to continue as well.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^
What makes people so confident that he's gonna leave? I'm still skeptical, like really skeptical. It's worrying me that his sudden changes will somehow keep him afloat around here despite all the negative press. It just seems like a total Michigan thing to happen to us all unfortunate plebian fans :(
October 16th, 2014 at 8:03 PM ^
Ponying up for assistant coaches.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^
Night games, if only occasionally. There's no need to have one every year, and no need to market it like we invented the novelty of playing "Under the Lights."
Other than that, I can do without a lot of it. Unlike most people, I don't necessarily support the rapid expansion of non-revenue sports if it means the Athletic Department pushes fundraising and ticket sales even harder to make up the difference. I question whether or not the phenomenal level of non-revenue sports facility upgrades are sustainable, and if there's going to be a significant cost to renovating and maintaining those facilities in the future when there's little chance they'll ever pay for themselves. I'd rather have a leaner slate of more competitive and better-managed sports than a seemingly unlimited expansion of both facilities and sports that, honestly, many people don't really care all that much about. They're called non-revenue for a reason, and when you expand the slate past what your revenue sports can support without the fanbase being treated like an ATM, you're going to be in trouble in the long run.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:27 PM ^
But Brandon wouldn't have been given the money (still approved by the Regents, many of whom are accomplished business people in their own right regardless of their political affiliations) if he wasn't able to offer a plan for how he would pay for all of those additional sports and facilities well into the future.
I think it comes down to the projection of revenues into the department going well beyond "yield management" based ticket sales and $5 water. I'm confident that revenues from broadcast rights, donations (the big money kind), and licensing the Michigan "brand", etc., factored heavily and were probably shown to be increasing steadily over time. Given the money pouring into major college athletics, particularly football and basketball, it probably wasn't a stretch.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:30 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:32 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
We definitely should have one every year.
They are great events and we've figured out how to run them pretty well (and we even seem to win them).
October 17th, 2014 at 2:36 AM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:36 PM ^
Is there something specific you would do with the money not spent on all the facilities (or cut ticket prices below equilibrium, 2014 nonwithstanding)? I agree about all those facilities being ongoing expenses and needing to be sure bills can get paid in 2024 and 2034 before breaking ground, but in practical terms what's the best use of all this cash the AD is bringing in?
My thinking is if you either keep the cash in the AD or write a (in relative terms) fairly small check to the general fund the better move is to spend it within the department, and unless you can get hockey head count scholarships or spend more on football/basketball/hockey players you're left with academic centers and expensive non-revenue facilities.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:47 PM ^
Keep it to improve what you already have, endow better scholarship funds for existing teams that don't have the same level of support the others have, write more checks to the general fund, and keep ticket prices and fundraising drives at a minimum to pay for what you already have.
I'm not one for the Director's Cup pissing match--I'd rather have a leaner slate of sports and facilities the Athletic Department can support as-is, with the fans not treated as ATMs, and a better relationship between the Athletic Department and the university's general fund.
But that's just me.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:52 PM ^
Endowing more of the athletic scholarships is an especially good idea, IMO.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:10 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:30 PM ^
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October 16th, 2014 at 8:36 PM ^
If he pretends that Ebola is student attendance at Michigan Stadium, he could wipe it out in a year.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:16 PM ^
You win the internet.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:13 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 8:19 PM ^
I like the night games. I like the idea to host other types of sporting events at Michigan Stadium. I like the revival of the Slippery Rock traditions. I like the phasing out of the split block 'M'. I like the willingness to spend top dollar to attract the best coaching talent.
That's all I can think of right now.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:21 PM ^
Being objective, I do think that Dave Brandon has done a lot for the University to advance the cause of the non-revenue sports. At this point for the circus to end, he probably needs to go along with Hoke.
Pluses:
Night Games
Non-Revenue Facilities
Revenue/Donations for Upgrades
If he gets a reprieve, I think it is imperative for Hoke to be replaced. Another year of both would be unbearable.
Hoke does not deserve another year. The level of incompetence displayed with the Morris situation is unacceptable. He was still unaware that Morris had a concussion days after the event, when the whole country was discussing it. As the head coach, how is it that you don't seek out the answer before your press conference on TUESDAY? How the hell do you not know days later?
Either he was lying or incompetent on a level that is truely unacceptable. I get that Brandon may not have known the answer, but the coach who has responsibility for player safety has to know or seek out the answer. Totally clueless.
October 17th, 2014 at 6:43 AM ^
I thought Hoke's press conference where he said he was unaware of the concussion was the Sunday before the 1am (Monday) press release stating he did have one.
October 16th, 2014 at 8:27 PM ^
with Band Day and Cub Scouts and Boys Scouts, and Brownies and Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Girls and I don't know what all else to "usher" during the game that week.
Please tell me that they are having Band Day and scouts etc ushering as well.
#*#&!(!!)R$@@~@&^&+_!****\
Now, get off my freaking lawn!
October 16th, 2014 at 8:49 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 9:26 PM ^
Trite piped-in music.
Wordy endowed chair names for coaches.
Removing Hydration Stations and charging for water.
General admission.
Curly fries mascots.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:38 PM ^
Is to stop playing ACDC and find some new music to replace it. I have nothing against Hell's Bells but it's played to death.
October 16th, 2014 at 9:53 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 9:54 PM ^
October 16th, 2014 at 10:21 PM ^