Details on Friday meeting between Blake James and large donors

[g8rh8rMD]

Didn't Dannyboycane break this story?

KIDDING.

Good lord, the last paragraph is going to destroy me.

You finally coming over to the dark side? Welcome, my friend.

 

[Bunker Mentality]

Not understanding why these BOTs are asking and not telling.

They ask Blake nicely. Frenk? They tell... He's the only person on campus a BOT can fire.

 

[NicKane]

Per a source with knowledge of the meeting, a group of high-level donors met with Blake James on Friday. The purpose of the meeting was to offer significant money if Manny was willing to make necessary changes.

Most notably, the group wanted Alonzo Highsmith to take on a general manager role that would usurp some of Blake and Manny’s power over the football program. One booster even offered to pay Highsmith’s salary for two years. Blake refused and instead offered a more traditional “chief of staff” role that was mostly administrative in nature.

Highsmith is not expected to accept the offer and instead is in discussions with Mario Cristobal at Oregon.

Burn that fvcker Blake James at the stake! The billboard is funded and coming for his tranny ******* @ss!

 

[2Live]

Maybe I’m reaching here, but perhaps this was leaked to DMoney in order to ratchet up the pressure even higher. The people on the BOT leaking these tidbits are trying to mobilize public outrage.

I love every minute of it, **** James and Manny this some bull**** politics going on

 

[dirtyred786]

They ask Blake nicely. Frenk? They tell... He's the only person on campus a BOT can fire.

Then they need to TELL Frenk to fire Blake

 

[DemCanesByke]

Blake didn't have a choice. You either become the least relevant AD in the country or take a risk on Manny being successful. If Highsmith is brought in and turns thing around then they would end up firing James a few years from now.

I dont think he would get fired if the other programs are doing well. Its just such a bad place right now in coral gables.

 

[MaximoCane]

Mario and zo can come back after we fire manny

 

[JAYBLAZE]

# Bring Alonzo Highsmith to UM ....Now By all means MAKE THIS HAPPEN......!!!!!!!

 

[ssvir]

If you James you get fired and take an associate AD job at another school. James isn't good at hiring coaches but by all accounts, he is good at fundraising.

This good at fundraising is horse****.

If you have successful and relevant football/basketball/baseball programs they do the fundraising itself with any kind of moron at the helm.

Donations for the entire school improve making Frenk look like less of a boob also.

 

[stb]

Per a source with knowledge of the meeting, a group of high-level donors met with Blake James on Friday. The purpose of the meeting was to offer significant money if Manny was willing to make necessary changes.

Most notably, the group wanted Alonzo Highsmith to take on a general manager role that would usurp some of Blake and Manny’s power over the football program. One booster even offered to pay Highsmith’s salary for two years. Blake refused and instead offered a more traditional “chief of staff” role that was mostly administrative in nature.

Highsmith is not expected to accept the offer and instead is in discussions with Mario Cristobal at Oregon.

Blake James and Diaz are like Siamese twins you have to get rid of James to get rid of Diaz

 

[Canesfan1899]

Unbelievable

Wow

**** this ******* Flake

James needs to be fired now, immediately, what an embarrassment.

 

[Hurracanes]

Frenk has gone ghost and is no where to be found. I believe the rumors to his retirement are true. I would think a new President would want to bring in their own AD but I assumed that with Frenk too. If Díaz wins 8 games next year then we are ****ed.

 

[stb]

If Highsmith goes to Oregon and Manny fails next year, then the Red Wedding will come to the Hecht.

if the season goes south at any times during the year the pressure of James will be unreal.

 

[ssvir]

The role that stu spoke on and said was agreed to was same power as blake but in relation to football. Not sure if anything has changed as I didnt speak to either today. But I'm curious if that's what the lashlee announcement timing was about. I'm sure plenty will have issues with me. No problem. I understand. You fellas have a great weekend.

If this **** Blake James screws this up he is truly the biggest ******* and program destroyer UM has ever seen.

 

[Andrew]

This good at fundraising is horse****.

If you have a successful and relevant football/basketball/baseball programs they do the fundraising itself with any kind of moron at the helm.

Donations for the entire school improve making Frenk look like less of a boob also.

I know you don't like Blake and that probably grades any evaluation you would do of him. That being said, by all accounts Blake James was good at fundraising and ticket sales and at a time when we sucked at football. None of this makes him a good AD, but being a bad AD doesn't make him bad at a job that by all accounts he did well.

 

[Bunker Mentality]

Then they need to TELL Frenk to fire Blake

I'm sure that's been happening. Maybe a few more voices now.

 

[The Sphinx]

Many BoT members have an obsession with Alonzo Highsmith...a very well accomplished NFL executive. The message board jabronis (like myself) that would support this understand that this might be a great f'n idea.

A lot of those same BoT members have an obsession with Mario Cristobal...who just won a ******* Rose Bowl and Pac12 championship. Some board members have been pounding the table for Mario forever, and they have been proven correct. Sometimes, a hot take takes a while to ferment. This is one of them.

Whoever is not listening to, or blocking those BoT members from having their way are the problem here.

Blake James should be fired. Everyone associated with him should be fired. Manny Diaz after last year...should be fired and his entire operation should be fired with him.

Whats the justification? They are all failures at their jobs. Do you need deep analytics to understand? Its not a nuanced issue.

Agreed. It's so obvious now the dysfunction among the President, the Board, the AD and all the way down. Massive vision and identity crisis at The U.

We were an outright embarassment this season, and Manny and Blake should have been fired immediately after the season ended.

Hopefully this 20-year period of stupidity ends now and we can get back to being Miami football once again.

 

[TheOriginalCane]

If you James you get fired and take an associate AD job at another school. James isn't good at hiring coaches but by all accounts, he is good at fundraising.

No, he is absolutely not "good at fundraising". He is not.

He struggled to get the IPF funded. He has benefitted from Hard Rock lowering seating and parking capacity in a way that he is able to charge us, the alums, more money.

And, in case you hadn't noticed, the meeting was with "high level donors". Beta Blake turned his back on the donors willing to fund the new position for Alonzo. So what do you think is going to happen with this vaunted "fundraising ability"?

Seriously. Tad Foote accomplished a Momentum campaign. Shalala accomplished a Momentum campaign. What has Beta Blake done in seven years that indicates "fundraising"? We funded the arena before that time. Outside of INFLATION and the fact that UM fans try to be supportive of the program (and were lulled into a 3-year boost in our contributions due to the hiring of Richt), what has BETA BLAKE HIMSELF contributed to an increase in fund-raising?

Honestly. Be specific. Don't just refer to his (undeserved) reputation for "fund-raising". Other great ADs who have ACTUALLY raised money around the country can point to new stadiums, new arenas, new facilities.

We have an IPF that took DECADES to build, and we got a million dollar contribution FROM OUR COACH, and we were STILL trying to crowd-source the last few million dollars by offering trinkets.

Give me a break on "fund-raising".

 

[Cane4L]

As a fan you can’t help but feel ******* hopeless smh

 

[Umfuture]

Diaz must have gone crying to Kames about how he could not operate with Highsmith...have to get rid of James to solve the problem as most of us have said.