OT: Texas has their own Dave Brandon & Lochdawg

don't know how many people on here ever read shaggybevo, but that site is hilarious. They have been irate with their athletic director and how similar he is to DB. They have mentioned him being DB on that site.

This is an article from the Austin American-Statesman that was published awhile ago. It's no longer up and requires a sub to read it so here is most of it that I found on shaggybevo:

 

The person most responsible for turning up the music, finding DJs and bringing fireworks to Texas athletic events is Felisa Israel, a striking brunette just under 6 feet tall with copper-toned skin, charisma and someone who, quite frankly, got a little freaked when the locals refer to her as ma'am. She's from LA.

Israel, who has a long background in working with NBA teams, had never really spent much time in Austin. She knew of Texas men's athletic director Steve Patterson from their days together at the Portland Trail Blazers.

When Patterson came to Texas in the fall of 2013, he saw what most Longhorns fans have known for years. The Frank C. Erwin Jr. Special Events Center has about the same dull, lackluster basketball atmosphere as the name implies.

No offense to the progressive former Texas regent, of course. So Patterson hired Israel to, as she said, "sprinkle some professional sports dust on what's going on here."

Welcome to Club Erwin. Patterson didn't want to know what was planned.

"They told me they had some good things coming and they wanted to surprise me," he said.

Israel went to work.

"The first thing that came into my head was how am I going to incorporate Kevin Durant's MVP speech?," Israel said.

The arena staff was incredibly helpful with some out-of-the-box ideas. What about lasers? What about video mapping, the hot new NBA craze? That's where an image is projected onto the floor to give it a three-dimensional look. Katy Perry used it during the Super Bowl. But Israel said 90 seconds of video mapping costs $100,000. Per game.

"I said let's get a $7,500 disco ball and start with that," Israel said.

A new pregame video featuring Durant, a darkened arena, lights bouncing off the mirror ball and some on-court pyrotechnics create a completely different environment lasting 2 minutes, 30 seconds.

"I think they've tried to embrace who we are. I think it's awesome," said Texas coach Rick Barnes, now in his 17th season. "

I know I appreciate it, and I know the players do." Patterson made a lot of die-hard fans nervous when he first took over in November 2013 because he suggested changes were coming. "Everyone's afraid of change. Everyone's afraid of the unexpected," Israel said.

Club Erwin is a prime example of Patterson's laser-like focus on improving customer relations and the fan experience. That's what Disney Institute officials stressed during their meetings with Texas administrators in Orlando, Fla.

"We can't control what happens on the field, but we can control how people feel," said Brent Centlivre, Texas' account manager at the Disney Institute.

"Even if it's a close game and we lost, did someone thank me for coming? Did someone say they appreciate me being here? "I'm going to remember how someone treated one

of my daughters as opposed to whether Texas won the game," he added.

Bringing fans back Reporters who cover Texas football games would be aghast at the scene in the Royal-Memorial Stadium press box. It now looks like a Wall Street trading floor, with dozens of computer workstations, dual monitors and more than 20 people smiling and dialing. The press box inside Bellmont Hall is now the home to "the largest customer service and sales team in collegiate athletics," said Bernie Mullin, CEO of The Aspire Group.

"It's not even close." Patterson initially signed a one-year services contract with Aspire to outsource Texas' ticket selling operations.

"Wabash Cannonball, March Grandioso, Texas Fight, that is not going away," Hank said. "We are not here to denigrate, ruin, get rid of the traditions that have made the University of Texas great. But you know what? Every tradition started somewhere." Israel has carte blanche to try new things this fall at Royal-Memorial Stadium.

As a self-professed "band geek," she smartly brings up ways to go about highlighting the Texas band.

"I definitely want to enhance it. I want to make it more fun, make them more of a presence than they already are," she said. School officials have already confirmed to the Statesman that Jet Pack Guy won't return in 2015. Trey Goldsmith, longtime marketing consultant for Mighty Fine Burgers, is excited about what opportunities lie ahead at Texas athletic events. "The fact they're willing to do a jet pack says to me they're willing to do almost anything," Goldsmith said.

Texas officials said they've budgeted $200,000 for Israel's consulting, paying the DJs, adding pyrotechnics and all the new extras at the Erwin Center.

good lord, she is the female lochdawgg. These people need to be banned from college athletics.

Look at their complaints about their AD in this thread. seems very familiar. http://www.shaggybevo.com/board/showthread.php/152451-Steve-Patterson-i…