The Power of Football

[SpikeUM]

Lets face it, football put Miami on the map. We became known and followed nationwide, our applications shot up, we now have an internationally recognized logo and brand, etc etc.

Yesterday, I attended graduation for a large private prep school. In addition to the Florida schools, IVY's, and usual suspects (MIT, NYU, Emory, Wake Forest, Duke, Vandy, Northwestern, USC, etc.), several graduates with good grades who could have gotten into the above named schools chose Alabama. Yes, Satan's school.

They are not doing it for their education, we know that. And its no affinity for the south....not one of the other kids is attending Georgia, Miss, Tenn, Clemson, NC, NSCT, etc etc. The whole experience really highlighted how much football can publicize and even define a school. For all the good Tad Foote did, he blew it with the football program. Even Donna didnt really focus on athletics and football until the last few years. More than ever, I am hoping that THE Golden ONE can bring us back to the promised land.

 

[eliteproxy]

I was reading until I read chose Alabama.

either those kids cheated to get those grades or you are lying.

Nobody smart enough to get high enough grades will end up giving up their future to attend a school for 4 years to watch a team play.


yes a kid smart enough to get in to MIT went to Alabama for the football team.. suuuure

 

[Whitemike813]

Nobody would go to Alabama over MIT or Ivy league school. You won't even get people in Alabama to believe that. But if your hope was to get us to realize we need to be more successful on the football field and the perks that come with that are grand, then I guess you succeeded. We all already knew that though.

 

[4Canes]

No way in **** I'll allow my kids to go to a school based on it athletics unless they have the academics to go with it.

 

[UMFarArcher]

Way back in another time, I posted somewhere that Saban doesn't cost the University of Alabama a penny. Not one cent.

Saban MAKES money for Alabama. Just like a good salesman - he (regardless of salary) doesn't cost a dime - he makes enough to cover his own salary, and he makes his employer a load of money.

Theoretically - theoretically, Miami could hire Saban and pay him several million dollars a year. He builds it up, wins, and you'd see stadiums loaded, licensing revenue really increase, you'd see significant enrollment increases, boosters going crazy with the checkbooks, on and on.

Football is one **** of an image - and for small private schools? Holy crap! Folks LOVE that stuff. The David and Goliath situation.

Let's see. I'm a five-star badass, and I can go to a national contender EVERY YEAR, but best of all? It's a small school with small classes, AND they do have one **** of a logo.

Football is money in the bank - IF you're winning - and bigger if you're a private school and winning.

 

[Dwinstitles]

Football is everything

 

[SpikeUM]

No way in **** I'll allow my kids to go to a school based on it athletics unless they have the academics to go with it.

I totally agree with you, and my kid is going into an Honors program.

And replying to another poster, yes, 3-4 kids with lots of cords chose Alabama. Thats when the power of football really hit me.

 

[Ernie McCracken]

Lets face it, football put Miami on the map. We became known and followed nationwide, our applications shot up, we now have an internationally recognized logo and brand, etc etc.

Yesterday, I attended graduation for a large private prep school. In addition to the Florida schools, IVY's, and usual suspects (MIT, NYU, Emory, Wake Forest, Duke, Vandy, Northwestern, USC, etc.), several graduates with good grades who could have gotten into the above named schools chose Alabama. Yes, Satan's school.

They are not doing it for their education, we know that. And its no affinity for the south....not one of the other kids is attending Georgia, Miss, Tenn, Clemson, NC, NSCT, etc etc. The whole experience really highlighted how much football can publicize and even define a school. For all the good Tad Foote did, he blew it with the football program. Even Donna didnt really focus on athletics and football until the last few years. More than ever, I am hoping that THE Golden ONE can bring us back to the promised land.

Wait... didn't the Orange Bowl get torn down under Donna's watch? The only person in Miami who could have saved that stadium is Donna Shalala, and she failed us.

Didn't Donna approve Paul Dee's decision to hire Randy Shannon, and basically pay him a Conference USA salary? Get a conference USA caliber coach and pretty soon you'll have a Conference USA caliber team. I call that mismanagement.

I wouldn't be so quick to criticize Tad Foote. At least he hired real football coaches. In fact, didn't he preside over the hiring of Schnellenberger back in the day, before we really had much of a football team?

It does seem like Donna's had a change of heart these last couple years though, because Al Golden is a really good coach, and she's hired good AD's. Also, it seems like this NCAA deal has made her more determined to help football.

Still, she has a lot to make up for. So I'm kind of in "wait and watch" mode right now. I'm interested to see how things go the next year or so. At least, that's my opinion as an alum, and that's what I tell the students who call me every week asking for donations.

Although I will say, she's been great for the basketball program. Who on earth would have thought Miami could ever have a top basketball team? Not I. That said, football is WAY more important to me.

 

[eliteproxy]

Lets face it, football put Miami on the map. We became known and followed nationwide, our applications shot up, we now have an internationally recognized logo and brand, etc etc.

Yesterday, I attended graduation for a large private prep school. In addition to the Florida schools, IVY's, and usual suspects (MIT, NYU, Emory, Wake Forest, Duke, Vandy, Northwestern, USC, etc.), several graduates with good grades who could have gotten into the above named schools chose Alabama. Yes, Satan's school.

They are not doing it for their education, we know that. And its no affinity for the south....not one of the other kids is attending Georgia, Miss, Tenn, Clemson, NC, NSCT, etc etc. The whole experience really highlighted how much football can publicize and even define a school. For all the good Tad Foote did, he blew it with the football program. Even Donna didnt really focus on athletics and football until the last few years. More than ever, I am hoping that THE Golden ONE can bring us back to the promised land.

Wait... didn't the Orange Bowl get torn down under Donna's watch? The only person in Miami who could have saved that stadium is Donna Shalala, and she failed us.

Didn't Donna approve Paul Dee's decision to hire Randy Shannon, and basically pay him a Conference USA salary? Get a conference USA caliber coach and pretty soon you'll have a Conference USA caliber team. I call that mismanagement.

I wouldn't be so quick to criticize Tad Foote. At least he hired real football coaches. In fact, didn't he preside over the hiring of Schnellenberger back in the day, before we really had much of a football team?

It does seem like Donna's had a change of heart these last couple years though, because Al Golden is a really good coach, and she's hired good AD's. Also, it seems like this NCAA deal has made her more determined to help football.

Still, she has a lot to make up for. So I'm kind of in "wait and watch" mode right now. I'm interested to see how things go the next year or so. At least, that's my opinion as an alum, and that's what I tell the students who call me every week asking for donations.

Although I will say, she's been great for the basketball program. Who on earth would have thought Miami could ever have a top basketball team? Not I. That said, football is WAY more important to me.

1. Donna has brought in billions to the school
2. Tad Foote did not hire any coach.. the athletic director did
3. Tad Foote did not want a school with a good football team, but a good school

 

[eleganttomcat]

Not to mention Donna doesn't necessarily seek out coaches. While she is involved in the process it's the AD's job to find the coach he desires and then present it to Donna. Considering Donna doesn't know **** about football (at least before Nevingate) she wouldn't just reject an AD's decision for head coach. That being said after this whole ****storm I think Donna will be much more involved in the football operations at Miami and that will greatly benefit our program.

 

[Ernie McCracken]

1. Donna has brought in billions to the school

So what? We're talking about football here. She might be a good university president but still be bad for football.

2. Tad Foote did not hire any coach.. the athletic director did

Yeah, but Tad Foote approved the funds to hire the coach... not to mention that he hired a pretty good AD.

How much did Shalala spend on Randy Shannon? If you don't invest money, you can't expect a great return. You gotta spend money to make money. Shalala was cheap with the football team early in her tenure, and that cost the team.... not to mention her reputation.

3. Tad Foote did not want a school with a good football team, but a good school

Yeah? And you say that based on what, exactly?

 

[Ernie McCracken]

Not to mention Donna doesn't necessarily seek out coaches. While she is involved in the process it's the AD's job to find the coach he desires and then present it to Donna. Considering Donna doesn't know **** about football (at least before Nevingate) she wouldn't just reject an AD's decision for head coach. That being said after this whole ****storm I think Donna will be much more involved in the football operations at Miami and that will greatly benefit our program.

Yeah but she approves the budget. She's the one who makes the call that says "we can spend this much money on football coaches."

Early on, she was cheap, and that cost us. Randy Shannon was the best we could get on a shoestring budget.

To her credit, Al Golden is a fantastic coach, and they've shown a willingness to pay for assistants.

They need to start paying SEC salaries eventually, though. Just saying. Enough cheapness.

 

[caneforlifeforreal]

1. Donna has brought in billions to the school

So what? We're talking about football here. She might be a good university president but still be bad for football.

2. Tad Foote did not hire any coach.. the athletic director did

Yeah, but Tad Foote approved the funds to hire the coach... not to mention that he hired a pretty good AD.

How much did Shalala spend on Randy Shannon? If you don't invest money, you can't expect a great return. You gotta spend money to make money. Shalala was cheap with the football team early in her tenure, and that cost the team.... not to mention her reputation.

3. Tad Foote did not want a school with a good football team, but a good school

Yeah? And you say that based on what, exactly?

how about his ******* direct comments on how despite the success of the football team, their behavior (wearing some camouflaged clothing) was completely reprehensible and unacceptable. their success no matter how high of achievement was never more important than the academic standing of the school. His words. He actually wanted to fire Jimmy Johnson, or at least thought about it, after an undefeated season in 1986 and perhaps the most talented football team ever fielded here. He refused to address Jimmy's contract and his raise which had beeen dangled in front of him. His comments and actions were completely of someone who didn't give a **** about the success of the football team, except in only how he could rape and pillage it's financial rewards for the rest of the school without any return to the football program. These are facts. And the fact that you defend Tad Foote in the name of support of the football program is absurd. We won despite him.

 

[Consigliere]

Make it stop

 

[Ernie McCracken]

1. Donna has brought in billions to the school

So what? We're talking about football here. She might be a good university president but still be bad for football.

2. Tad Foote did not hire any coach.. the athletic director did

Yeah, but Tad Foote approved the funds to hire the coach... not to mention that he hired a pretty good AD.

How much did Shalala spend on Randy Shannon? If you don't invest money, you can't expect a great return. You gotta spend money to make money. Shalala was cheap with the football team early in her tenure, and that cost the team.... not to mention her reputation.

3. Tad Foote did not want a school with a good football team, but a good school

Yeah? And you say that based on what, exactly?

how about his ****ing direct comments on how despite the success of the football team, their behavior (wearing some camouflaged clothing) was completely reprehensible and unacceptable. their success no matter how high of achievement was never more important than the academic standing of the school. His words. He actually wanted to fire Jimmy Johnson, or at least thought about it, after an undefeated season in 1986 and perhaps the most talented football team ever fielded here. He refused to address Jimmy's contract and his raise which had beeen dangled in front of him. His comments and actions were completely of someone who didn't give a **** about the success of the football team, except in only how he could rape and pillage it's financial rewards for the rest of the school without any return to the football program. These are facts. And the fact that you defend Tad Foote in the name of support of the football program is absurd. We won despite him.

All you need to know is that we won every single football national championship in our history while Tad Foote was president. After Shalala comes in, it's downhill every year up until she hired Al Golden. Results speak louder than words.

 

[canedotcom]

The positive and untold story of the UM is that football provided the opportunity to transform the school. It's not in any 30 for 30 but its true. None of the amazing things that have happened would've happened. Example DS never would've considered coming.

 

[SpikeUM]

The positive and untold story of the UM is that football provided the opportunity to transform the school. It's not in any 30 for 30 but its true. None of the amazing things that have happened would've happened. Example DS never would've considered coming.

I agree with this.

By the way, its well known that Tad Foote HATED the football team, and had almost nothing to do with their success. They were successful in spite of him. Doesnt mean he was bad for the U (actually, he was good for academics), but he was bad for football at the U.