Interesting Bland article on UT barter deals

BGorDeath · Post by **BGorDeath** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:48 am

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... /-1/SPORTS

I'm just surprised that the restaurants allowed Numnutz to be included in the deal.

HoustonFalcon · Post by **HoustonFalcon** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:39 am

I don't see anything wrong with these barter agreements, as long as they are used for business use. The reality is that any school that isn't a major athletic program has to try to work out deals with local businesses to defray costs. It happens at all levels. I'm sure there are some abuses in the system, there is going to be at any school. A couple coaches are going to go out to eat and say that one of them is a recruit on the receipt. I just can't fathom that they would need to make almost $700,000 worth of these deals. And some of the people that are getting cars in the deal really don't need them. Why does the third athletic director need a car? Do they do a lot of traveling that they would need it. Most coaches are given a car so that they don't have to use their own personal car for all of the traveling that they have to do recruiting all the time. I also think that a Yukon and a couple other of those cars are not necessary either. I am all for the practice, but with a little more discretion and common sense.

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:10 pm

HoustonFalcon wrote:I also think that a Yukon and a couple other of those cars are not necessary either. I am all for the practice, but with a little more discretion and common sense.

I would agree with that. Set some rules and follow them. Everyone gets an Impala/Taurus/Five Hundresd/Liberty (it is Toledo), then it gets replaced after 45,000 miles. Not that hard to have a fleet policy. I can see where there would be a perception of impropriety when the football coach rolls up in an Escalade while the Women's track coach has a Kia.

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:19 pm

Warthog wrote:I can see where there would be a perception of impropriety when the football coach rolls up in an Escalade while the Women's track coach has a Kia.

I believe Tom actually was downgraded to a Kia after he blew his Escalade budget in one night at Ponderosa.

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:15 pm

BG has a couple of teams who get these kind of perks from local restaurants. The one that comes right to my mind is the hockey team and DiBendetto's.

MacGuy · Post by **MacGuy** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:59 pm

I would be very surprised if there were any DI program in the nation that didn't get cars from local dealers for its coaches. It's quite common at DII and DIII also. Just look at any press guide, and you'll probably find a list of "car coaches".

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:00 pm

Pretty sure nothing to read into it, but it's still interesting - Amstutz has an '07 Honda while Joplin has a '99 Lexus. I would have thought all of the head coaches and senior administrators would be in '07 vehicles.

The one that really surprised me was the head athletic trainer getting use of a car. But hey, if you can negotiate that into your contract, good for you.

cowboyjoe · Post by **cowboyjoe** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:43 pm

How does bartering with these car dealers help the University of Toledo's athletic budget? Toledo gives them free tickets and in return the big wigs get free use of cars? Don't see the monetary gain.

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:28 pm

cowboyjoe wrote:How does bartering with these car dealers help the University of Toledo's athletic budget? Toledo gives them free tickets and in return the big wigs get free use of cars? Don't see the monetary gain.

No cash expenditure for the cars. And no lost revenue on the other side as you look at like those people wouldn't have bought tickets anyway. That's one way to look at it.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:24 am

I really don't have problem with this....BUT.... you could look at this "barter" system as another method for the athletic department to co-opt University resources for it's own benefit. Joplin tries to channel a game payout to a vendor...the department trades ad space and tickets for various perks and freebies around town. Could the ad space have been sold for $$ that would have gone into the University coffers? Absent the "barter system" would there a be a justification for all the meals and golf and cars? If those things had to be paid for in hard dollars would they have been approved? When does a few tradeouts become an abuse of priviledge?

On it's own...this isn't a big deal. Looking at the other things that have come out and the restructuring of the department's financial reporting, it reinforces the notion that the department was on a pretty long leash so far as expenses and expenditures go.

The Blade is getting pointed towards some nice little easter eggs. I wonder what the NCAA and the Feds are finding...

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:34 am

As far as I'm concerned this is a non-story. I'm sure the same thing goes on at a LOT of universities, and I'm certain it goes on at a lot of companies as well.

It's not that big of a deal, to me.

Falcon52 · Post by **Falcon52** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:52 am

Hell let them all drive Vipers. If the dealer is willing to lend the car, who cares what it is, or how much it costs. I'm pretty sure that is the American way. If someone is willing to pay and it's not against any law or league rule then skies the limit.

FalconTurf · Post by **FalconTurf** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:45 am

Wouldn't be great if alumni, donors and students could pay for all the programs without getting credit or asking for some return on their money. My take is that is what The Toledo BLAH wants people to do for UT while keeping business interest out of the colleges. Too late, it doesn't work today at any level of college or high school athletics.

I remember when the boards at the Ice Arena were blank, the scoreboard in AA only had the only ads in the arena, and correct me if I wrong the scoreboard at the Doyt had no ads at one time. Mr. Gregory worked very hard as the A.D. to keep the traditional look of college athletics at BG long after others conceded that it wasn't economically possible. I really appreciated the fact we did not have the tacky facilities others had but the economic reality is too much today. Hopefully we can avoid the abuses but full speed ahead and don't ever lose sight of competition again.

I am now all for Al Smith recruiting trips, Al-Mar Lanes bus trips to the airport, Di-Ben hockey golf fundraising feeds and even the new Frickers Frickin' Falcon Basketball Wing(we all have our dreams) at AA. Go Ahead and put your name or company name on anything to support our programs and make them competitive DI programs.

JoeFalcon · Post by **JoeFalcon** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:37 am

It's not the program itself per se that raises red flags. It's when it's abused by coaches and athletic department staffers who are just looking for free food and perks outside the context of their department duties.

If Mike Karabin wants to schmooze donors at a golf course and has a pre-existing arrangement with the place to avoid payment, he can go to town. If he decides to play with his buddies or eat for free by himself, people have the right to question it.

VDub26Falcon · Post by **VDub26Falcon** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:07 am

Warthog wrote:No cash expenditure for the cars. And no lost revenue on the other side as you look at like those people wouldn't have bought tickets anyway. That's one way to look at it.

How much does Fatstutz make? Why can't the bastard buy his own damn car? Same thing for Joplin. There's a good way to free up a couple hundred thousand dollars. Having a person with a 6 or possibly 7 figure salary buy their own vehicle??? That's unheard of.

Interesting Bland article on UT barter deals

Interesting Bland article on UT barter deals

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