Urban coming back to BG!!!

Tricky_Falcon · Post by **Tricky_Falcon** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:52 pm

http://tinyurl.com/3a84n4

From the Sent-Trib

Urban Meyer to speak at BG golf outing
Urban Meyer is returning to Bowling Green, for at least one day.
Meyer, the head football coach for the Falcons in 2001 and 2002, is the keynote speaker at the Falcon Bash golf outing on June 2.
Meyer led Florida to college football’s national championship this season, defeating Ohio State in the BCS title game.
“He’s a great draw. We’re lucky to get him to come back,” said Scott Seeliger, BG’s associate athletics director/external affairs. “It’s going to be really exciting to hear what he has to say after winning a national championship.”
In previous years, Bowling Green’s coaches held golf outings to raise money for their programs to use for spring trips or to help fund summer school scholarships.
The Falcon Bash has been started as an all-encompassing fund-raiser for the 18 Falcon sports.
“This is one more effort to combine our fund-raising,” said Jane Myers, BG’s assistant athletics director/Falcon Club. “We hope to raise a significant amount of money that will take care of what all the individual fund-raisers did. It’s a department-wide effort.”
“With everything the coaches have been doing, they have actually been competing with themselves for the money. If we get together, we can bring in more (money),” Seeliger said. “They (the coaches) have to trust that we share the wealth the right way and that we’ll be supportive of each program.”
Greg Christopher, BG’s athletics director, is stressing while there are 18 sports, they are all one team, Seeliger said.
“We want to have one event that is fun and raising money,” Seeliger added. “We don’t want our athletes to have to raise money.”
For the Falcon Bash, Seeliger is hoping for 50 foursomes with 25 playing at Stone Ridge Golf Club and 25 at Forrest Creason Golf Course. The actual cost for play on each golf course is still being worked out, Seeliger said. That cost will include golf, a reception and champions dinner. Sponsorship packages are also available.
The reception and champions dinner, with Meyer as the speaker, will be held at the Perry Field House. Tickets priced at $100 each are available for the reception and dinner only.
“We need to raise money. This is really big for us. We need to hit a home run and have people support it,” Seeliger said.
“Our goal for this bash is that the donors got more than they expected,” Seeliger added. “They are still involved in a lot of different ways, but this is a one-time deal.”
Seeliger stressed that the individual coaches could still have a “fun golf outing” for their athletes and supporters, but that those events would not be used to raise money for their programs. The cost would just be for golf and dinner.
Also coaches can still generate money from clinics and camps.
“That’s not hitting our donors over the head; that’s a niche,” Seeliger said about the summer clinics and camps.
In addition to the Falcon Bash, BG coaches and administrators will be hitting the road in June on a barnstorming tour.
“Many times we ask people to come to us, come to games. But we need to go to them to get them excited about what we have here,” Myers said. “The more in the know someone is, I think they can see it’s a worthwhile investment to be involved and try to move things forward.”
A total of eight different stops are planned.
“We’ve got to go out and relate with people,” Seeliger said. “Our coaches are buying in and they have been great. That’s the key to it, people want to see the coach.”
The dates and courses for the Barnstorming Tour are:
• June 5, Sandusky/Firelands area, Cedar Point Conference Center;
• June 6, Defiance area, Kettenring Country Club;
• June 11, Fremont area, Fremont Country Club;
• June 12, Lima area, Shawnee Country Club;
• June 14, greater Cleveland area, 100th Bomb Group;
• June 19, greater Toledo area, Toledo Zoo;
• June 21, Findlay area, Findlay Country Club;
• June 26, Fostoria/Tiffin area, Camden Falls.
“We want to show that they (BG’s fans) are important enough for us to come out and get on their turf and meet with them,” Seeliger said.
Seeliger said the barnstorming events will be held in the early evening with a reception and program.
The events in Cleveland and Toledo will feature all the head coaches, cheerleaders and the pep band.
“We would like to have 200 to 300 people at those events,” Seeliger said.
In addition the Falcon Invitational is planned for May 20-21 in Las Vegas.
Dave Preston, a former standout football player at Bowling Green and in the National Football League, is hosting the event, which includes golf at both the Angel Park Golf Club and the Badlands Golf Club and a reception and dinner at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar.
More information on all of the planned events can be obtained by calling the Falcon Club (419) 372-7100.

kdog27 · Post by **kdog27** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:59 pm

That's cool that he is making a stop here.

100 bucks a head. Urban aint cheap anymore.

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:25 pm

I liked the idea of the article that came well after the "other" stuff. Getting coaches and admins out around NW Ohio is a great idea. I hope they have a good turnout. Camden Falls is a rugby punt away from my aunt and uncle's house in Tiffin.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:25 pm

I'll never forget the years we were blessed with one of the best coaches in college football. Those were a fun ride.

I wonder how he'll be received at this outing though? Surely there are a number of people who have not forgiven him.

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:32 pm

Then I doubt they'll pay the $100 to see him.

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:35 pm

I don't know, Drew. With as angry as some people get around here over even the littlest things, I would imagine that there would be a person or two willing to shell out a hundred bucks to let off a little steam...

Say what you will about Urban, but I guarantee you he is doing this gig for free in order to help BG's fundraising efforts. That is a profoundly classy move, no matter what anyone thinks of how he left.

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:08 pm

I would venture a guess that no one will say a word. First, of course, it is one thing to blow off steam here, anonymously. It is another to do it in person.

Second, I suspect people have largely forgiven and forgotten. That was something special we were part of--and I was as angry as anyone the way he left.

Third, most people are probably afraid of him.

It's the Journey... · Post by **It's the Journey...** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:22 pm

I will just donate my $100.00 to the department and tell Urban to suck some swamp water. I can support BG athletics without listening to a sell out.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:28 pm

Don't be an ass...the man has every right to move up the ladder. The next time you get a chance to move onto a higher paying job will you turn it down or will you "sell out"?

Could he have handled his departure form BG better? Yes he could have. Is it worth getting angry about after all these years? No...not really.

bobio · Post by **bobio** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 10:34 pm

I agree with Flipper. I was rootin' for the Gators all year until their last game. Urban would have been a fool not to leave BG.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:15 am

Flipper wrote:Don't be an ass...the man has every right to move up the ladder. The next time you get a chance to move onto a higher paying job will you turn it down or will you "sell out"?

Could he have handled his departure form BG better? Yes he could have. Is it worth getting angry about after all these years? No...not really.

Doesn't happen too often in the football forum, but I also agree with Flip.

factman · Post by **factman** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:08 am

I was rooting against the Gators all year until the final game!!

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:42 am

I certainly rooted for Urban to win the BCS. What a brush with greatness we had.

Dayons_Den · Post by **Dayons_Den** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:35 am

I think it is great because it kind of serves as an eff-ewe to the Ohio State fans. . . dude beats your school then come to "your territory" to speak hahahahah.

The percentage of people that hold disdain towards Urban for leaving BG probably pales in comparison for the Buckeye fans who dislike an Ohio boy taking home the National Championship trophy.

JoeFalcon · Post by **JoeFalcon** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 2:22 pm

Yeah, we only got his entire career started by having enough faith to give a wide receivers coach from a running offense who'd never been a coordinator a chance at a Division IA head coaching job.

He doesn't owe us anything and we should be "lucky" he's coming.

I'm glad that he'll help raise money for BG sports, but in reality, it is the least he could do under the circumstanes.