Ask the AD - 5/23/2007

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:39 am

This may be the best discussion we've ever seen on this awesome site. We all want what's best for BGSU, no doubt in my mind. We definitely seem to be at the crossroads...either we step up, support and commit to making BGSU THEE top athletic dept in the MAC or else....

I know what it's like to live with a budget...everyone here does as well. You can only do so much with the funds present. To do more, increased funds are needed. In addition to our donation to the Sebo Center, we have football season tix every year as well as our FC donation. I wish so badly that I could drop $25,000 a year on the University. I simply can only do so much at this time. I am increasing our FC donation over last year as every little bit helps.

Another way for me to help is buying 50/50 tix at games. I spend at least $10 every football game and at least $5 every hoops/hockey game. That adds another $75-125 a year.

I guarantee if I ever win the Lottery or Mega Millions, one of the first calls I'll be making is to Greg Christopher and Jane Myers.

BGSU has a BiG enough alumni base where we shouldn't be struggling. I think GC, and his strong background in fundraising, is going to make a BiG difference.

h2oville rocket · Post by **h2oville rocket** » Tue May 29, 2007 12:26 pm

ZuluWarrior wrote:That's really interesting. What in his comments could be construed that hockey is on the blocks. I can't imagine what he could have said to be more reassuring.
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Falcon Hockey has a rich tradition and BGSU is fully committed to the sport.

That said, progress is needed to restore the program's stature. Scott Paluch and our team are working to move things in the right direction. While last season was disappointing, the team's performance down the stretch was promising.

Two issues are critical to our future: a facility and operating resources. The venerable BGSU Ice Arena is outdated in several respects and needs a lot of work just to stay operational in the near future. We are narrowing the "facility fix" options for both hockey and basketball/volleyball right now and expect to determine a path this year.

Along with a facility deficiency, we need to improve hockey's operating budget. It's a challenge to compete for championships when resources for recruiting, travel and other support are at or near the bottom of the CCHA. We are working from the department/university angle to improve resources, but we also need the help of fans. Whether it's buying a couple of season tickets or joining the Falcon Club, there are a number of ways to back BGSU Hockey.
Maybe I'm reading between the lines but aside from the opening line it sounds like the program has BIG issues.

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As for Eastern, they won 8 MAC Championships last year. How many did we win?
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I'm sorry and your point is??? Again, I'm talking the sports that matter to a university's prestige and finances: Football, Basketball and in our case hockey.

I assure you that there was a time that BG's athl;etic prestige and Eastern's as well derived as much from Track and Field as hockey or the two sports you mentioned. When you develop Olympic athletes and win NCAA events it generates a buzz.

Eastern is seen as weak sister in the money sports but when a Haysley Crawford wins the 100 meters in the O, believe me Eastern gets plenty of prestige. Just doesn't happen as much with the de-emphasis on T&F in the MAC. It used to be a premier league when I ran in the 70s (no cause-effect relationship here, I assure you). Nearly every team had an Olympian or two-Kent had at least three. Crawford, Tinker and Wottle all won Gold. BG was second in the NCAA one year and Wottle and Sink were household names. Well, in my household anyway, although usually accompanied by a colorful adjective.

BGFan · Post by **BGFan** » Tue May 29, 2007 1:30 pm

h2oville rocket wrote:
ZuluWarrior wrote:That's really interesting. What in his comments could be construed that hockey is on the blocks. I can't imagine what he could have said to be more reassuring.
_______________________________________________________________________
Falcon Hockey has a rich tradition and BGSU is fully committed to the sport.

That said, progress is needed to restore the program's stature. Scott Paluch and our team are working to move things in the right direction. While last season was disappointing, the team's performance down the stretch was promising.

Two issues are critical to our future: a facility and operating resources. The venerable BGSU Ice Arena is outdated in several respects and needs a lot of work just to stay operational in the near future. We are narrowing the "facility fix" options for both hockey and basketball/volleyball right now and expect to determine a path this year.

Along with a facility deficiency, we need to improve hockey's operating budget. It's a challenge to compete for championships when resources for recruiting, travel and other support are at or near the bottom of the CCHA. We are working from the department/university angle to improve resources, but we also need the help of fans. Whether it's buying a couple of season tickets or joining the Falcon Club, there are a number of ways to back BGSU Hockey.
Maybe I'm reading between the lines but aside from the opening line it sounds like the program has BIG issues.

_______________________________________________________________________
As for Eastern, they won 8 MAC Championships last year. How many did we win?
_______________________________________________________________________
I'm sorry and your point is??? Again, I'm talking the sports that matter to a university's prestige and finances: Football, Basketball and in our case hockey.
I assure you that there was a time that BG's athl;etic prestige and Eastern's as well derived as much from Track and Field as hockey or the two sports you mentioned. When you develop Olympic athletes and win NCAA events it generates a buzz.

Eastern is seen as weak sister in the money sports but when a Haysley Crawford wins the 100 meters in the O, believe me Eastern gets plenty of prestige. Just doesn't happen as much with the de-emphasis on T&F in the MAC. It used to be a premier league when I ran in the 70s (no cause-effect relationship here, I assure you). Nearly every team had an Olympian or two-Kent had at least three. Crawford, Tinker and Wottle all won Gold. BG was second in the NCAA one year and Wottle and Sink were household names. Well, in my household anyway, although usually accompanied by a colorful adjective.

I suggest that you go to the ice arena and take look at the east wall. There you will find a fair number of Olympians (both hockey and figure skating) that have passed through the doors of the Ice Arena. More than any other sport facility on this campus, I'll wager.

IMHO, this problem stems from the president's office. He has very little, if any, interest in sports and the university's sports programs have suffered as a result. Prior to his tenure, it seems to me, there really wasn't an operating budget problem that I recall. Either convince him that sports are important, or hope he moves on in the near future. Don't get me wrong, from an educational standpoint he's been a good if not great president, just not from an athletic standpoint.

ZuluWarrior · Post by **ZuluWarrior** » Tue May 29, 2007 1:50 pm

Great point BG Fan. The University President seems absentee when it comes to athletics.

h2oville rocket · Post by **h2oville rocket** » Tue May 29, 2007 3:11 pm

Been in the arena and have seen that wall many times. Doesn't change tha fact (and you should be proud, not defensive-if that comment was defensive) that BG has such a great tradition in sports outside of the money sports.

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Tue May 29, 2007 3:12 pm

"Don't get me wrong, from an educational standpoint he's been a good if not great president, just not from an athletic standpoint".

I'd agree with that statement.

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Tue May 29, 2007 4:51 pm

As good as a president as Sid Rib is, his blindness to the importance of athletics in modern Universities is pretty evident. It's pretty scary considering he's on the President's Council for the NCAA.

BGFan · Post by **BGFan** » Tue May 29, 2007 4:59 pm

h2oville rocket wrote:Been in the arena and have seen that wall many times. Doesn't change tha fact (and you should be proud, not defensive-if that comment was defensive) that BG has such a great tradition in sports outside of the money sports.

Not defensive at all, just pointing out other sources of Olympians from BGSU. Personally I'd love to see mens track and field come back but it would have to be offset by an additional women's sport if it happens...I just don't see that happening without a windfall.

Also, fwiw, at the height of BG's hockey reign it was a money maker. Tickets, at times, were almost impossible to get and there was a waiting list for season tickets. Given that, at it's low point, it still out draws basketball, the potential is still there to make it a money maker again.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Tue May 29, 2007 5:03 pm

BGFan wrote:Also, fwiw, at the height of BG's hockey reign it was a money maker. Tickets, at times, were almost impossible to get and there was a waiting list for season tickets. Given that, at it's low point, it still out draws basketball, the potential is still there to make it a money maker again.

I have to say that covering the hockey team in the wake of the national title was one of my greatest strokes of luck. Being able to use press credentials to get in and getting a good view to boot, well, that's about as good as it gets. Well, that and the spread Eastern Michigan used to put out for halftime of football games.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Tue May 29, 2007 8:02 pm

ZuluWarrior wrote:Great point BG Fan. The University President seems absentee when it comes to athletics.

I don't agree with this. I ran into Dr. Ribeau in Mobile in 2003.

That suggests interest.

Is he obsessed like us? No.

I'm not sure that would be healthy.

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Wed May 30, 2007 12:05 am

Schadenfreude wrote:
ZuluWarrior wrote:Great point BG Fan. The University President seems absentee when it comes to athletics.
I don't agree with this. I ran into Dr. Ribeau in Mobile in 2003.

That suggests interest.

Is he obsessed like us? No.

I'm not sure that would be healthy.

I ran into him and his wife in East Lansing this year for the Tourney. Twice. He is more devoted to BGSU athletics than some of you realize. In a lot of cases, I think, it is timing that creates perception.

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:58 am

Also, this may not be the place for it, but there is more to a University than athletics. If it is a choice between degrading the actual education people get at BG, or having strong athletics, the education has to come first. As a BG alum, I'm fine with that.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Wed May 30, 2007 8:21 am

Screw that!! Go FOOTBALL!!!

Does just showing up at the games=support from the Pres?

My issue with the Sidster...Sid Vicious...Sidderella (ok I'll stop) is this. The Library is looking beat, the student rec center looks a tad beat, the athletics facilities look beat.....what do all of these buildings have in common? No fat cat tenured professors have offices there. At least none that I'm aware of. I think the facilities (ok the new Union is nice...but c'mon they HAD to fix that) that students use...that non tenured contract employees use, have gotten the shaft in terms of maintenance and improvement.

Dr Sid need to spread the love beyond the tenured....

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Wed May 30, 2007 5:00 pm

Flipper wrote:Screw that!! Go FOOTBALL!!!

Does just showing up at the games=support from the Pres?

My issue with the Sidster...Sid Vicious...Sidderella (ok I'll stop) is this. The Library is looking beat, the student rec center looks a tad beat, the athletics facilities look beat.....what do all of these buildings have in common? No fat cat tenured professors have offices there. At least none that I'm aware of. I think the facilities (ok the new Union is nice...but c'mon they HAD to fix that) that students use...that non tenured contract employees use, have gotten the shaft in terms of maintenance and improvement.

Dr Sid need to spread the love beyond the tenured....

Every college and university that saw a huge building boom in the 1960's thanks to the G.I Bill is experiencing the same facilities problems that we are. Other institutions may be further along or further behind in ameliorating those problems than BGSU is, but this is one of the main focuses of the capital campaign that is currently underway, which was started by none other than our Prez.

It is actually pretty interesting to look at the infrastructure on college campi around the nation right now. HVAC systems, for example, generally have a 30-40 year lifespan, as do other critical building components. Because of the nationwide educational building boom in the 1960's (look at how many CC's were founded in that decade), all of those systems are all coming due for replacement. So, if it seems like a lot of institutions aren't spending money on facilities, they probably are, but the improvements are likely internal. We saw first-hand what can happen when you allow a critical system to linger 20 years past it's intended lifespan - a mudbowl against Miami usually breaks out, and a kicker always slips.

ziggy · Post by **ziggy** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:06 pm

The president and his wife are very good supporters of women's bb. They even traveled to Cancun with the team in December. At football banquet I remember at least one senior publicy thanking Dr. Ribeau for his support and help.