Gameboy

June 16th, 2017 at 4:49 PM ^

Puhleeze. If that was the case the OP would have been about how small it is and how its weird shape is precluding Beilein from recruiting much better endowed 5 stars and how the corresponding Napoleon complex is causing him to schedule all these cupcakes that are dragging down our RPI.

JBE

June 16th, 2017 at 3:02 PM ^

Can't get over how dumb this shit is. It's nice to give money and all, but don't be an asshole and put your name all over everything. You're eventually going to die, and nobody will remember you in time anyway. 

B-Nut-GoBlue

June 16th, 2017 at 3:08 PM ^

Seriously.  What's with the hubris of some people.  Like we're supposed to truly give a shit more about you because you have money.  I get it, money rules and people that have it have power.  But fuck off.  It all ties into this shit nowadays about growing one's "brand".  God that phrase kills me.  Like just live your live, do good things, and quit thinking we're supposed to ooogle over your name as the ages go as some legendary being that those who walked with you were just lucky to be in your company.  Again, live, do good, don't be bad, and if you're good enough your name will live on.   Don't throw money and force your name into be some beacon of greatness it probably isn't (and your kids and their kids sure as fuck won't be).

SAMgO

June 16th, 2017 at 3:11 PM ^

And the jeers continue to rain in from the cheap seats. Bad take.

You should be thanking them profusely for their donation that helps support championship level teams and leaving it at that. If you want to field athletic teams that can compete at the highest level, these sort of gifts are what it takes. Should Ross have not given over $300mm to the university becasue his name is on the business school and athletic campus? It's really no different, and in fact these offical coaching titles get mentioned far less.

JBE

June 16th, 2017 at 3:28 PM ^

It doesn't matter which seat you're in. The view is bad. Again any donation to the university is nice, but it's not necessary to slap your name all over everything, especially before a coach's. That shit is not classy. Ross, I will say, might be an anomaly. He gave a small county's worth, but it's also not the, "Ross Family Dean of Business," which would be just as hideous. And these donations does not a championship level team make. The athletic department is going just fine for itself.

JamesBondHerpesMeds

June 16th, 2017 at 3:30 PM ^

It's actually the Edward J. Frey Dean of Business and Stephen M. Ross Professor of Business.

https://michiganross.umich.edu/faculty-research/faculty/scott-derue

I suppose we should take the names off players' jerseys too, I guess. Or perhaps get rid of the Halls of Fame, take down championship banners, etc.

Egos exist. Some people choose to have them stroked in recognition of their economic or athletic prowess. Oh well.

 

The FannMan

June 16th, 2017 at 3:33 PM ^

Come on.   These people are throwing tons of cash to support MIchigan Atheltics.   I doubt that these people are "assholes," and I am sure that they are aware that they are going to die.  That is why they are leaving a legacy by endowing the basketball coaching position at the University of Michigan.  And yes, someone will remember them - namely the person who coaches at Michigan and who, at least in part, is paid with their money.  Oh, and the AD who is able to take the money that would have been spent on the basketball coach and spend it on something else - like facilities, other coaches, and so on. 

darkstar

June 16th, 2017 at 4:57 PM ^

I live in Grand Rapids and everything downtown here has someone's name on it - DeVos, Van Andel, etc.  Doesn't bother me one bit.  I grew up here and there wasn't a whole helluva lot going on.  Few random bars and restaurants scattered all over.  Once those guys threw $$$$ at an arena, convention center, medical institutions, satellite Grand Valley State campus, the downtown area started thriving.  Now there are great bars and restaurants, cultural events all the time, all over town.  So if the Kaplans want to endow this, then more power to them if it gives UM any kind of advantage. Or even if it doesn't.

Blueblood2991

June 16th, 2017 at 3:03 PM ^

I don't understand why people get bent out of shape about this stuff. The only time they're referred to by their endowed names are in MgoBlue press releases. It's not like broadcasters are calling them by these names.

There's plenty of times when tradition trumps money in Michigan sports (see Chobani and Kraft Noodle). This isn't one of them. Take the easy cash, and just glance over the stupid name if you read press releases.

ST3

June 16th, 2017 at 3:20 PM ^

If anything, I'd say it's a partial endowment. I thought the idea behind an endowment is that you live off the interest. Even if we invest that $7.5M with that Asadullah guy everyone keeps talking about (you know, Samir's friend,) that's what, $750K per year, tops. Beilein is making >$3M in total salary. How much of that does the University pay and how much is shoe money?

LSAClassOf2000

June 16th, 2017 at 3:25 PM ^

For some reason that I can't really explain, this only strengthens my resolve to one day ask my alma mater what the going rate is for endowing a bathroom on Central Campus. I feel that bathrooms are horribly underrepresented in the endowment game. 

Kevin13

June 16th, 2017 at 4:20 PM ^

this endowment is good for. I only ask becasue I was thinking of giving 8 million to have it called the Kevin13 head coach.  Guess I will just have to spend it on woman and blow....

Blue Vet

June 16th, 2017 at 4:29 PM ^

Yeah, it's all this new stuff, dammit! Not like the good, old days, when Carnegie and Rockefeller were salt-of-the-earth kinda guys like us, and they knew they'd be forgotten, so they didn't bother to brand anything . . . oh. Never mind.

SFBlue

June 16th, 2017 at 4:49 PM ^

That's pretty cool. 

If I am ever in a position to do this, I will endow the English Department (even though I was an Economics grad, it is the tradition of Auden, Roethke, Hayden, Hall et al. I admire most about Michigan.)

rob f

June 16th, 2017 at 4:56 PM ^

one of the cute young single secretaries, and how much would I need to donate? Would U of M then announce the recipient and position as "The U of M Rob F secretary to Coach __________" ?