UM Donors, Get Ready to Open Your Wallets: Jim Harbaugh and financing private luxury latrines

Submitted by markusr2007 on

It's been over 12 months since this story about Harbaugh and BathroomGate, but I still find it hilarious.  I imagine a massive HD screen to watch film and a high-tec X's and O's white board right next to the shitter.

From August 2009:

The Stanford athletic department is facing a multi-million revenue shortfall. Fundraising has cratered. Team budgets are being sliced. More than 20 jobs have been eliminated through layoffs and buyouts, and at least one sport (fencing) is in danger of being cut.

So by all means, build the football coach a private bathroom.

Harbaugh's response to austerity measures:

“It was something I’d asked for,’’ Harbaugh said. “It cuts down on drag.’’

$70,000? I don't care what anyone says, that is going to be one nice bathroom to spend lots of time.

CAHLChamp

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:50 PM ^

called "Colon Blow".  Also had a "Super Colon Blow".  I remember the pyramid of cereal bowls depicting how much bran cereal one would have to eat to equal one bowl of Colon Blow.  Yet I can't remember what I ate for lunch yesterday.  Stupid brain

Njia

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:57 PM ^

For the "Colon Blow" and "Super Colon Blow" cereal, (Phil Hartman sitting on a pyramid of bowls). But "Colon Flow" is a real product. First time I saw the ad on TV, complete with an animation of turds flowing through the bowels, I started laughing so hard I couldn't stop. Thus, my reference to SNL. I thought I was seeing another joke, and perhaps homage to SNL.

michgoblue

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:37 PM ^

Either this is a CC topic - because you think that JH will be our next coach - or it is so OT that it should be deleted.

But, more importantly, this story is 12 MONTHS OLD.  It has been posted about for over a year. 

And, you really didn't add anything other than:  that is going to be one nice bathroom.

Is there a point in here?

michgoblue

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^

Well I am one of the "bosses" at a large firm.  Tons of associates, secretaries, paralegals, clerks work below me. 

I, too, use the same men's room as everyone else. 

I know that nobody here cares, but it is about as relevant to M football as when Pete does.  Hell, more relevant because I am a Michigan alum, fan and donor.

tlh908

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^

The amount was given by a private donor, so who cares.  Besides, what can $70,000 buy in California for a bathroom?  By the time engineering and high cost labor are included, I doubt the bathroom is anything extra special.

Wolverine96

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:50 PM ^

I don't think the shitters at Schembechler Hall need to be replaced.  Now the ones at BlueintheLou's office are another story.  From

http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/mgovent-your-frustrations-open-thread

 

The shitter at my work gets dripped on by the shitter above. If you go in, you have to wait 20 seconds to see if there is any dripping to know if its cool to start, but the worst happens when you hear the flush upstairs and you're mid-shit, then you're all like, "Oh crap, got to hurry", and just before you rush it out and try the stand up wipe, you get shit water dripped on your back. It's splendid.

 

CalGoBlue

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^

If DB wants Harbaugh or a top notch D coordinator, we should pay whatever is required.  If Bama can pay a fortune to Saban and his coordinators, why not M?   We have lots of rich alumni, the seventh largest university endowment, the football program pays for itself, etc.  I would be embarassed if we didn't get someone we really wanted over money.  Also, i cringe every time I hear that OSU has the best facilities in the Big Ten. 

We are a big time monied universtiy, so let's step up if he have to!

CalGoBlue

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^

If DB wants Harbaugh or a top notch D coordinator, we should pay whatever is required.  If Bama can pay a fortune to Saban and his coordinators, why not M?   We have lots of rich alumni, the seventh largest university endowment, the football program pays for itself, etc.  I would be embarassed if we didn't get someone we really wanted over money.  Also, i cringe every time I hear that OSU has the best facilities in the Big Ten. 

We are a big time monied universtiy, so let's step up if he have to!

mtzlblk

December 3rd, 2010 at 1:45 PM ^

not RR.

It is SOP to at least go to discovery stage and find out if there is enough substance to get it reduced. No one in business just writes checks without looking

Furthermore, whatever transpired was absolutely part of the package in hiring RR away, so it wasn't as if anything was unduly charged to the University in favor of RR's income.

For the record, if Harbaugh came here and part of the package was that he gets a luxury bathroom to reduce drag, I have no problem with that.

CRex

December 3rd, 2010 at 1:13 PM ^

The Dean of LSA has his own private bathroom as well, complete with a very nice shower.  Directly attached to his office.  We snuck into the LSA building one day when it was under construction and low and behold that man has a nice office.

Tiles weren't in year, just the fixtures.  I wonder if he went with granite or marble?  

BlueGoM

December 3rd, 2010 at 1:36 PM ^

Typical boss-man thinking from Harbaugh.   I used to work for a company that was losing money (at that time) and was laying people off.   So what did management do?  Put up a new sign in front of the factory and redecorate the VP's office.  Oh and the VP went over budget on his redecorating.

SalvatoreQuattro

December 3rd, 2010 at 1:43 PM ^

Seriously, can we stop with the coach bashing? Neither RR or JH deserve this.
<br>
<br>If you need to bash a coach, bash Dantonio or Tressel. An UM guy should never be the target of this kind of stuff from UM fans.

TrppWlbrnID

December 3rd, 2010 at 2:05 PM ^

this all makes it sound like JH was overseeing blueprints and material selections.  it is likely that he mentioned it to someone who then ran it through someone else who then ran it through someone else who then ran it through someone else who ran it through facilities management who ran it through a state mandated bidding contract who discovered that the "goddang drain lines are way over there and this toilet goes in over here" and then new plumbing lines and a water reducing floush toilet (california after all) and new drywall repair and painting and lighting and door and door hardware and whatever later.  JH walks in and says "oh hey, a toilet."

anyone who is even tangentially related to the construction industry can understand how this works, its not just plopping a $70,000 toilet onto the floor. everyone bends over backwards to please the new coach.