Email I sent to the Athletic Director
Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:58 pm
I have been contemplating the wording for an email to Greg Christopher regarding the state of the Men's basketball program and my commitment as a season ticket holder. I finally completed it and sent it to him today. Here is that email:
Mr. Christopher,
I want you to know how much my wife and I value the experience of being football season ticket holders. You and your athletic staff do an outstanding job making us feel important and an integral part of the entire program. From the invitation to the spring game, to the kickoff event in August, to the individual thank you note taped to our seats in September, to the outstanding parking location and finally the invitation to the recruiting day event, your staff goes out of its way to provide us an experience like none other in Division I football.
Combining those perks with a football program that continues to move in a positive direction, provides outstanding entertainment, represents the university in a positive way and is an exceptional value, makes being a season ticket holder one of the best sports entertainment values in the country. I'm always so pleased to renew my season tickets and to direct my Falcon Club Talon level memberships for my wife and me directly to the football program. I hope you will continue to invest well in the program because I really do believe it brings much positive publicity through the ESPN television package and the general success it enjoys. I thoroughly enjoyed the event at the Columbus Crew Stadium (I applaud you for trying something different) and the experience I had in Washington D.C. at the Military Bowl.
That same enthusiasm I am afraid does not carry over to my Basketball Anderson Club Season ticket package. This program is well on its way to only 1 winning season in the last 8. Our experience at the Stroh Center and the Anderson Club has been outstanding and it is run in a first class manner, however if something does not change with the leadership of the basketball program I cannot envision me renewing my Anderson Club tickets for a 3rd season or being a Falcon Club member at the Talon level.
We have a beautiful state of the art 4,800 seat arena and yet we get excited when 2000 fans show up. Does that not strike you as problematic? I am not a fan who basis my decision to join the Falcon Club at the Talon level and be an Anderson Club season ticket holder on winning 20 games per season. But when I watch a team unable to play with great energy and a head coach who spends a great deal of time on the sidelines shrugging his shoulders and still clapping his hands in spite of mistakes being made on the court, I begin to wonder about the wisdom of my financial investment.
I have never written an email to the athletic department criticizing any area of the athletic programs at Bowling Green, so if a positive supporter of the two major men's program, as I am, begins to wonder about the state of affairs with the men's basketball program I might suggest to you that there is a serious problem with the program.
I spend nearly $1,000.00 for my two Anderson Club season tickets/Falcon Club membership and additionally much more for dinner and drinks each night. Now, I realize that in the world of major donors this amount is rather insignificant. Yet as the losses pile up I have a growing resentment that the athletic department is taking advantage of me even at my level. All programs fall on hard times but I find it harder and harder to believe that this particular program has any chance of recovering and moving in a positive direction given the present leadership.
When the football program went through its struggles for a few years we had a man at the helm who articulated a plan and followed through with it culminating last year in an outstanding season. That work ethic and vision that Dave Clawson and his staff created is to be commended. With the basketball program I see a rudderless ship going in circles with no plan for improvement and I for one am loath to invest in such a program.
It's difficult for me to write this because I so much want to be able to enjoy my experience at the Stroh Center and the Anderson Club but instead of looking forward with anticipation to our home games I now look on it as drudgery culminating inevitably with disappointment.
I do hope you understand that as a football season ticket holder I could not be more pleased with the way that I am treated and the program that you present for me. However I will be finding another use for my financial commitment that I have made to the basketball program unless the athletic department makes some changes in philosophy.
Best Regards,
Roll Along!
Mr. Christopher,
I want you to know how much my wife and I value the experience of being football season ticket holders. You and your athletic staff do an outstanding job making us feel important and an integral part of the entire program. From the invitation to the spring game, to the kickoff event in August, to the individual thank you note taped to our seats in September, to the outstanding parking location and finally the invitation to the recruiting day event, your staff goes out of its way to provide us an experience like none other in Division I football.
Combining those perks with a football program that continues to move in a positive direction, provides outstanding entertainment, represents the university in a positive way and is an exceptional value, makes being a season ticket holder one of the best sports entertainment values in the country. I'm always so pleased to renew my season tickets and to direct my Falcon Club Talon level memberships for my wife and me directly to the football program. I hope you will continue to invest well in the program because I really do believe it brings much positive publicity through the ESPN television package and the general success it enjoys. I thoroughly enjoyed the event at the Columbus Crew Stadium (I applaud you for trying something different) and the experience I had in Washington D.C. at the Military Bowl.
That same enthusiasm I am afraid does not carry over to my Basketball Anderson Club Season ticket package. This program is well on its way to only 1 winning season in the last 8. Our experience at the Stroh Center and the Anderson Club has been outstanding and it is run in a first class manner, however if something does not change with the leadership of the basketball program I cannot envision me renewing my Anderson Club tickets for a 3rd season or being a Falcon Club member at the Talon level.
We have a beautiful state of the art 4,800 seat arena and yet we get excited when 2000 fans show up. Does that not strike you as problematic? I am not a fan who basis my decision to join the Falcon Club at the Talon level and be an Anderson Club season ticket holder on winning 20 games per season. But when I watch a team unable to play with great energy and a head coach who spends a great deal of time on the sidelines shrugging his shoulders and still clapping his hands in spite of mistakes being made on the court, I begin to wonder about the wisdom of my financial investment.
I have never written an email to the athletic department criticizing any area of the athletic programs at Bowling Green, so if a positive supporter of the two major men's program, as I am, begins to wonder about the state of affairs with the men's basketball program I might suggest to you that there is a serious problem with the program.
I spend nearly $1,000.00 for my two Anderson Club season tickets/Falcon Club membership and additionally much more for dinner and drinks each night. Now, I realize that in the world of major donors this amount is rather insignificant. Yet as the losses pile up I have a growing resentment that the athletic department is taking advantage of me even at my level. All programs fall on hard times but I find it harder and harder to believe that this particular program has any chance of recovering and moving in a positive direction given the present leadership.
When the football program went through its struggles for a few years we had a man at the helm who articulated a plan and followed through with it culminating last year in an outstanding season. That work ethic and vision that Dave Clawson and his staff created is to be commended. With the basketball program I see a rudderless ship going in circles with no plan for improvement and I for one am loath to invest in such a program.
It's difficult for me to write this because I so much want to be able to enjoy my experience at the Stroh Center and the Anderson Club but instead of looking forward with anticipation to our home games I now look on it as drudgery culminating inevitably with disappointment.
I do hope you understand that as a football season ticket holder I could not be more pleased with the way that I am treated and the program that you present for me. However I will be finding another use for my financial commitment that I have made to the basketball program unless the athletic department makes some changes in philosophy.
Best Regards,
Roll Along!