(02-11-2016 10:07 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  RC was still AD when Fuente was hired.

With 0 say on the hire

(02-11-2016 06:38 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:13 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  Here's the thing. Right now football > basketball. Conferences tell us that. TV tells us that. $$$$ tell us that.

We've just come off a two-year run in football that is the best in 50 years.

Basketball is set for our worst two-year run in 15 years.

and basketball STILL pays the bills

With the importance of football, this "50-year" success is MUCH better than our "15-year" basketball failure. Bowen is doing what he was hired to kdo.

If basketball is neglected much longer, there won't be an athletic department here. With this razor-thin budget, we can look pat a year plan for anything. If that.

Hyperbole? The program is bigger than a bad contract and bigger than a bad coach. The $10.6M is sunk and already funded. That won't kill us because the money is already there. We made it through 4 coaches in 6 years without a single NCAA tourney. We will make it through this.

Football on the other hand is growing and finally relevant.

(02-11-2016 10:10 PM)MemphisFan95 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:07 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  RC was still AD when Fuente was hired.

With 0 say on the hire

Correct but Bowen had zero as well. Maybe we should just have that committee as our AD with an extra associate AD or two.

(02-11-2016 09:42 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:38 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:13 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  Here's the thing. Right now football > basketball. Conferences tell us that. TV tells us that. $$$$ tell us that.

We've just come off a two-year run in football that is the best in 50 years.

Basketball is set for our worst two-year run in 15 years.

and basketball STILL pays the bills

With the importance of football, this "50-year" success is MUCH better than our "15-year" basketball failure. Bowen is doing what he was hired to kdo.

If basketball is neglected much longer, there won't be an athletic department here. With this razor-thin budget, we can look pat a year plan for anything. If that.

There is a growing number of boosters who feel slighted and angered by Bowen, real or imagined. lol. I'll be a monkey's uncle if that's what he was hired to do.

There are a growing number of boosters who also feel that the department is finally on the right track and are huge fans of Bowen. So using anecdotal hurt feeling boosters as evidence of Bowen's failure is thin.

Never gonna make em all happy. RC was one of the best glad-handers, and he really tried.

(02-11-2016 10:07 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  RC was still AD when Fuente was hired.

It's not just the hiring of Fuente. It's the building of the program.

(02-11-2016 10:16 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 09:42 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:38 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:13 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  Here's the thing. Right now football > basketball. Conferences tell us that. TV tells us that. $$$$ tell us that.

We've just come off a two-year run in football that is the best in 50 years.

Basketball is set for our worst two-year run in 15 years.

and basketball STILL pays the bills

With the importance of football, this "50-year" success is MUCH better than our "15-year" basketball failure. Bowen is doing what he was hired to kdo.

If basketball is neglected much longer, there won't be an athletic department here. With this razor-thin budget, we can look pat a year plan for anything. If that.

There is a growing number of boosters who feel slighted and angered by Bowen, real or imagined. lol. I'll be a monkey's uncle if that's what he was hired to do.

There are a growing number of boosters who also feel that the department is finally on the right track and are huge fans of Bowen. So using anecdotal hurt feeling boosters as evidence of Bowen's failure is thin.

Never gonna make em all happy. RC was one of the best glad-handers, and he really tried.

What's thin is looking through RC colored glasses to assess any AD.

(02-11-2016 06:13 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  Here's the thing. Right now football > basketball. Conferences tell us that. TV tells us that. $$$$ tell us that.

We've just come off a two-year run in football that is the best in 50 years.

Basketball is set for our worst two-year run in 15 years.

With the importance of football, this "50-year" success is MUCH better than our "15-year" basketball failure. Bowen is doing what he was hired to do.

very interesting perspective....sounds similar to a couple other posters

Oh what a little time can do to the collective torch bearers.

Just a few months ago people here would squeal and giggle like love struck girls at the mention of Rudd and Bowen's names. Martin was being nominated for Saint-hood.

If Pastner's contract buyout had been $2,000,000 he would still have been given this year and would still have the same people who would have paid the contract off. It's those people who put their money where their mouth is and stay loyal and supportive while the smaller donors get mad and withdraw support.

Funny isn't it. We turn on people who have given the most. But as always the Ambassadors will bail us out. Coaches will come and go. ADs will come and go. Presidents will come and go. Fans will be fans. We've been through this cycle before. We love them more than we should in the beggining and destroy them more than they deserve in the end.

If it helps, overheard today help for the buyout has been arranged. Some new money added to our tried and true big money people to make it happen.

Let the tar and feathering continue.

In recent history, I carried the torch for Cal, Pastner and Fuente. And I've got it lit for Norvell.

ADs can carry their own torches. Admittedly, it's a thankless job, and they all have their shortcomings.

It's just a matter of their shortcomings not interfering with our needs. Results are the only thing I look at when it comes to ADs. I happen to be of the opinion that Fuente and the boosters had more to do with the success of our FB program than Bowen and Fuente is gone. End of story.

(02-11-2016 10:14 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:10 PM)MemphisFan95 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:07 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  RC was still AD when Fuente was hired.

With 0 say on the hire

Correct but Bowen had zero as well. Maybe we should just have that committee as our AD with an extra associate AD or two.

If you think hasn't done anything to help build that football program you are crazy

What our BB program has become is even worse than what I predicted when the new AD got here and I was already upsetz when I saw his personality surfacing in the tactics used.

Oh, I'm sure the fall of our BB program was a group effort that went somewhat awry. I don't think one person could get us to this ridiculous moment in place and time.

(02-11-2016 10:53 PM)MemphisFan95 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:14 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:10 PM)MemphisFan95 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:07 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  RC was still AD when Fuente was hired.

With 0 say on the hire

Correct but Bowen had zero as well. Maybe we should just have that committee as our AD with an extra associate AD or two.

If you think hasn't done anything to help build that football program you are crazy

I think what he was saying is that Bowen didn't hire Fuente. And we don't know how Norvell will turn out. Plus, Bowen was here when Fuente left in mid season at the peak of our potential. *shrug* Call us crazy but it doesn't change those facts.

(02-11-2016 11:01 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:53 PM)MemphisFan95 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:14 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:10 PM)MemphisFan95 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:07 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  RC was still AD when Fuente was hired.

With 0 say on the hire

Correct but Bowen had zero as well. Maybe we should just have that committee as our AD with an extra associate AD or two.

If you think hasn't done anything to help build that football program you are crazy

I think what he was saying is that Bowen didn't hire Fuente. And we don't know how Norvell will turn out. Plus, Bowen was here when Fuente left in mid season at the peak of our potential. *shrug* Call us crazy but it doesn't change those facts.

It didn't matter who the AD was Fuente was going to talk to teams during the season

(02-11-2016 10:11 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:38 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:13 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  Here's the thing. Right now football > basketball. Conferences tell us that. TV tells us that. $$$$ tell us that.

We've just come off a two-year run in football that is the best in 50 years.

Basketball is set for our worst two-year run in 15 years.

and basketball STILL pays the bills

With the importance of football, this "50-year" success is MUCH better than our "15-year" basketball failure. Bowen is doing what he was hired to kdo.

If basketball is neglected much longer, there won't be an athletic department here. With this razor-thin budget, we can look pat a year plan for anything. If that.

Hyperbole? The program is bigger than a bad contract and bigger than a bad coach. The $10.6M is sunk and already funded. That won't kill us because the money is already there. We made it through 4 coaches in 6 years without a single NCAA tourney. We will make it through this.

Football on the other hand is growing and finally relevant.

Great, football is relevant here. We've had 2 outstanding years. Terrific, seriously. Unfortunately, basketball pays the bills here. Always has AND will until football sustains success. Football needs basketball to be successful to prop it up until it can sustain itself and then some. When that happens, great! But we aren't there yet.
That's why it's painfully irresponsible to neglect basketball and let it flounder. It's a crime.

(02-11-2016 10:27 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:25 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:22 AM)fsquid Wrote:  fire him too?

You certainly won't have to be concerned about him being scooped up by someone else.

I think you are quite wrong about that. Can you name a better athletic director that we ever had?

Spook Murphy?

(02-11-2016 11:13 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:11 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:38 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:13 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  Here's the thing. Right now football > basketball. Conferences tell us that. TV tells us that. $$$$ tell us that.

We've just come off a two-year run in football that is the best in 50 years.

Basketball is set for our worst two-year run in 15 years.

and basketball STILL pays the bills

With the importance of football, this "50-year" success is MUCH better than our "15-year" basketball failure. Bowen is doing what he was hired to kdo.

If basketball is neglected much longer, there won't be an athletic department here. With this razor-thin budget, we can look pat a year plan for anything. If that.

Hyperbole? The program is bigger than a bad contract and bigger than a bad coach. The $10.6M is sunk and already funded. That won't kill us because the money is already there. We made it through 4 coaches in 6 years without a single NCAA tourney. We will make it through this.

Football on the other hand is growing and finally relevant.

Great, football is relevant here. We've had 2 outstanding years. Terrific, seriously. Unfortunately, basketball pays the bills here. Always has AND will until football sustains success. Football needs basketball to be successful to prop it up until it can sustain itself and then some. When that happens, great! But we aren't there yet.
That's why it's painfully irresponsible to neglect basketball and let it flounder. It's a crime.

Where's RC Johnson when you need him.

(02-11-2016 11:23 PM)Smith Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 11:13 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:11 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:38 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:13 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  Here's the thing. Right now football > basketball. Conferences tell us that. TV tells us that. $$$$ tell us that.

We've just come off a two-year run in football that is the best in 50 years.

Basketball is set for our worst two-year run in 15 years.

and basketball STILL pays the bills

With the importance of football, this "50-year" success is MUCH better than our "15-year" basketball failure. Bowen is doing what he was hired to kdo.

If basketball is neglected much longer, there won't be an athletic department here. With this razor-thin budget, we can look pat a year plan for anything. If that.

Hyperbole? The program is bigger than a bad contract and bigger than a bad coach. The $10.6M is sunk and already funded. That won't kill us because the money is already there. We made it through 4 coaches in 6 years without a single NCAA tourney. We will make it through this.

Football on the other hand is growing and finally relevant.

Great, football is relevant here. We've had 2 outstanding years. Terrific, seriously. Unfortunately, basketball pays the bills here. Always has AND will until football sustains success. Football needs basketball to be successful to prop it up until it can sustain itself and then some. When that happens, great! But we aren't there yet.
That's why it's painfully irresponsible to neglect basketball and let it flounder. It's a crime.

Where's RC Johnson when you need him.

He's just another one of the elephants in the room. It's sooooooooo crowded.

(02-12-2016 03:18 AM)danny1 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:30 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:27 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:25 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:22 AM)fsquid Wrote:  fire him too?

You certainly won't have to be concerned about him being scooped up by someone else.

I think you are quite wrong about that. Can you name a better athletic director that we ever had?

Are you kidding? What part of 'He's responsible for arguably the worst contract in college bball history' did you not understand? That will stick with him any time he tries to apply for other jobs. If you were a university president looking to hire an AD, would you not have major concerns about that? Would you want to hire a guy who is responsible for having to pay the largest buyout in college bball history to get rid of a coach? And this at a school that doesn't have unlimited funding to pay it. It's one thing for Notre Dame to do it. It's another for Memphis.

You're an idiot. Tom Bowen followed the instructions of the boosters that bankroll our program. Simple as that.

Do you struggle reading, my man? The counter argument to your opinion has been made about five or six times in this thread already. Get at me.

(02-11-2016 10:22 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:16 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 09:42 PM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:38 PM)450bench Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:13 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  Here's the thing. Right now football > basketball. Conferences tell us that. TV tells us that. $$$$ tell us that.

We've just come off a two-year run in football that is the best in 50 years.

Basketball is set for our worst two-year run in 15 years.

and basketball STILL pays the bills

With the importance of football, this "50-year" success is MUCH better than our "15-year" basketball failure. Bowen is doing what he was hired to kdo.

If basketball is neglected much longer, there won't be an athletic department here. With this razor-thin budget, we can look pat a year plan for anything. If that.

There is a growing number of boosters who feel slighted and angered by Bowen, real or imagined. lol. I'll be a monkey's uncle if that's what he was hired to do.

There are a growing number of boosters who also feel that the department is finally on the right track and are huge fans of Bowen. So using anecdotal hurt feeling boosters as evidence of Bowen's failure is thin.

Never gonna make em all happy. RC was one of the best glad-handers, and he really tried.

What's thin is looking through RC colored glasses to assess any AD.

We could use Cavagnaro glasses - better? Bowen's the best we've had in my fandom.

Even so, not just using that as the benchmark. I've also stated the 50-year success of the football program. The fact that we are a candidate for P5 expansion. Probably won't get it, but at least we're finally in the discussion. Facilities are majorly improving. Other sports are succeeding at high levels. These are all facts.

Basketball program is down as far as it's been in 15 years. I get it. And some boosters have their feelings hurt because he's not a glad-hander, and because they don't care about football. I get that too. I tell you though that the booster pool is growing. Many mid-level boosters have come on board as a result of football. And at least one super-booster is on board because Bowen is at the helm.

The AD is leading the program - even if he's dragging some of us along.

(02-11-2016 10:28 PM)k2tigers Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 06:13 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  Here's the thing. Right now football > basketball. Conferences tell us that. TV tells us that. $$$$ tell us that.

We've just come off a two-year run in football that is the best in 50 years.

Basketball is set for our worst two-year run in 15 years.

With the importance of football, this "50-year" success is MUCH better than our "15-year" basketball failure. Bowen is doing what he was hired to do.

very interesting perspective....sounds similar to a couple other posters

It's a large, diverse crowd here, I've found. Throw any opinion out there and a couple will align. And I mean "ANY" because I've seen some winners.