S.PadreIsl.Sooner
9/8/2013, 03:39 PM
Found this on a another board I frequent down here in Texas. It is mainly fishing, but it has a sports section. I have no idea how much truth there is here. It's just fun to read. BTW, the Lassies on the board are relentlessly all over it. Friggin' hilarious!
The state of the program...Texas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following is a post from a well connected Longhorn that may shed some light on why things are happening the way they have been and what may be the next step. I trust this guys opinion and thought some of the Longhorn faithful would appreciate his insight. Below are his thoughts. Ags please try and **** in this thread. Go find another reason to gargle JFF's nut sack instead of blessing us with your presence.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I live in NY, and I could only stand to be up about an hour last night before I just had to collapse. I am frustrated, disgusted and surprised. I actually thought that our lines would have a hard time with BYU, but I had no idea that we would be manhandled, soft and embarrassed.
As some of you know, I sit at the kids table in the world of UT politics. I am not a rich entrepreneur, nor a CEO, nor am I related to anyone. But I do give a lot of money to UT and I am on the board of one of big UT schools. I talk to BMDs all the time. I know Powers, but am not close to him. I know a couple of current and a number of former members of the BOR. I am a MMD.
I actually get paid to help very senior people to make decisions. Including if we should hire or fire. At 12:30 last night, during an email screaming match people stopped talking to me. Maybe because they were tired or sick or didn't like my diction. Or because i said manny needs to be fired today and Mack and the AD need to be replaced by Jan 1...Its raw and emotional now
Background on Decision Making:
1. We have a President that is both fighting for his life and is also trying to retire. In effect, he wants to make sure that Perry's cronies don't burn the place down. Powers might have given up long ago, but the BMDs, the staff, the administration, the students and the government of Texas all want him to stay until the institution is safe (presumably perry is out of office)
2. We have an athletic director that helped create a powerhouse (there was a time a few years ago that all our major programs were humming) and he certainly created an economic powerhouse. With the major cable outlets picking up the LHN, it looks like it will work. But the athletic programs are all doing poorly, and its time to replace the AD.
3. The plan to replace the AD has always been right about now, as he is at retiring age.
4. We have a BOR at war with itself, as Perry has a witches brew of people who understand education and political sycophants.
Conclusion: This is not a particularly good set of circumstances for good decision making. We don't have a protected and empowered leader. The BOR is a functional joke (there are some great people on it, but it doesn't function), and the president and AD are lame duck. We have a massive structural problem.
Our Style
1. I know its hard to believe for some, but Texas does not cheat at sports. There is an absolute ethos among anyone with any stroke that we will tolerate no cheating. And, if anyone does it, they will be blackballed and ruined. This is entirely different than some of the SEC schools, where its business as usual.
2. No clown shows. A clown show is where 30 people roll out of an old mini car (like a metropolitan), with makeup on, floppy shoes and clown noses. There are no clowns at Texas. The way things have gone down at A&M and TT with their coaching changes is not how we are going to do things here. We may suck, but we suck with dignity.
3. Mack Brown: Like it or not, he restored the program, so he is going to be given too much leash.
Conclusion: Our style is not particularly conducive to firing a coach mid season, but that a longer term plan will be put in place.
ADs and Head Coaches
1. Every AD in the nation knows that the UT job is coming up. ADs want job security and they want to know who their boss is. Its an open question if the very best AD will come to UT with a lame duck president. I simply do not know the answer, but I think its a qualified maybe (perhaps you put in a huge golden parachute to mitigate the risk...)
2. Head coaches want to know who their AD is. DD is gone within a year, so we don't have an answer to this question.
3. It gets even worse for us because if we fire Manny, we need a new defensive coordinator. And it appears our head coach is a lame duck.
Conclusion: We have a perfect storm of needing change-over at the AD and coach level, combined with the fact that we don't even have a president or a functioning board with full authority. Nightmare.
The BMDs.
1. BMD means big money donor. It does not mean "person with decision making authority". BMDs don't typically have an obligation to do anything other than write checks, make speeches and buy suites and be big shots.
2. People on this board are saying that the BMDs don't care because they are fat, lazy, stupid, don't care and that they have access. Well, most are in perfect shape, work 75 hours a week, have high IQs, and care more about UT than anything else. And the access point is nothing special...these guys will always have access. This point is actually beside the point.
3. There is a misconception that all of the BMDs know each other and hang out with each other, which is far from the truth. Sure the Dallas gang knows the Dallas gang, and same for Houston...but the further you get a way,the further from the truth that is. So the BMDs are a disorganized mob.
4. but some of the very senior, very rich and very giving BMDs were Mack protectors. At first they were fighting to keep Mack, then they were fighting to give him "one more chance", the question right now is where are they? Are they in denial or are they where they need to be?
Conclusion: Regardless of this sideshow on if they care or not, with the administration incapable of making a decision, there needs to be BMD pressure for change. We need the BMDs to put pressure everywhere to make a change.
The team
1. I think its safe to assume that this team will not run the table. They looked bad, our QB is hurt, our best offensive player is hurt, our defense looks beyond repair. Even our boy wonder Applewhite had little answer. So, its safe to say we lose more games and this season will be viewed as another crummy season (call it 8 or 9 wins...if we are lucky)
Conclusion: Again? What did i do to deserve this?
What I think happens:
1. Mack needs to do something. The only way he can save his job is to win almost all of his games (like 10 wins) and not get blown out again.
2. Mack doesn't want to fire Manny because he doesn't want to end Manny's career. Mack will be counseled today and tomorrow that he has to fire Manny. He will be told this because i) manny is terrible and everyone knows it, ii) this allows mack to buy some time to right to ship and iii) I THINK THAT EVERY BMD NOW KNOWS THAT MACK IS DONE, and that its merely a matter of execution, not result (so they will start to threaten mack finally) The "heated discussions" are from the second generation BMDs screaming at their fathers that "its over, the ship is sunk." I am talking about Red and Jamail and guys like that. Sunday dinner tonight will not be a happy place to be.
3. If Mack does not fire manny and we lay another egg, Mack will be in danger of being fired mid season. I actually have always thought that it would be impossible for Mack to get fired mid season, but now I am not so sure. Most of the BMDs dont want to do this. Again, we hate clown shows.
4. We can not snap our fingers and get an AD and great head coach. Its hard.
5. I don't see what the big deal is about firing Manny. Our defense is beyond terrible. Just bring Robinson back and do it his way. It could not be worse than it is now. Is it a great solution? No, but its better than keeping manny
Conclusion: Fire manny, limp through the season, and then replace Mack. Mack can only save himself if the team wins out or nearly so, and that seems impossible at this point. If mack is intransigent, then we fire him mid season and you can paint our face and put on your big floppy shoes.
Conclusion II: As painful as it is to read about people saying that the BMDs "don't care", I actually agree that its a reasonable way to kick the hornets nest to get the BMDs to force change. The organization is structurally impaired from making and executing decisions, so we need people with de facto power to force change, as those with de jure power cannot get out of their own way....
I feel like a person with the flu, half asleep, watching Lifetime channel movies, blowing my nose, napping, watery eyes, sneezing and looking terrible. I simply cannot wait to be well again.
nuufaola
The state of the program...Texas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following is a post from a well connected Longhorn that may shed some light on why things are happening the way they have been and what may be the next step. I trust this guys opinion and thought some of the Longhorn faithful would appreciate his insight. Below are his thoughts. Ags please try and **** in this thread. Go find another reason to gargle JFF's nut sack instead of blessing us with your presence.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I live in NY, and I could only stand to be up about an hour last night before I just had to collapse. I am frustrated, disgusted and surprised. I actually thought that our lines would have a hard time with BYU, but I had no idea that we would be manhandled, soft and embarrassed.
As some of you know, I sit at the kids table in the world of UT politics. I am not a rich entrepreneur, nor a CEO, nor am I related to anyone. But I do give a lot of money to UT and I am on the board of one of big UT schools. I talk to BMDs all the time. I know Powers, but am not close to him. I know a couple of current and a number of former members of the BOR. I am a MMD.
I actually get paid to help very senior people to make decisions. Including if we should hire or fire. At 12:30 last night, during an email screaming match people stopped talking to me. Maybe because they were tired or sick or didn't like my diction. Or because i said manny needs to be fired today and Mack and the AD need to be replaced by Jan 1...Its raw and emotional now
Background on Decision Making:
1. We have a President that is both fighting for his life and is also trying to retire. In effect, he wants to make sure that Perry's cronies don't burn the place down. Powers might have given up long ago, but the BMDs, the staff, the administration, the students and the government of Texas all want him to stay until the institution is safe (presumably perry is out of office)
2. We have an athletic director that helped create a powerhouse (there was a time a few years ago that all our major programs were humming) and he certainly created an economic powerhouse. With the major cable outlets picking up the LHN, it looks like it will work. But the athletic programs are all doing poorly, and its time to replace the AD.
3. The plan to replace the AD has always been right about now, as he is at retiring age.
4. We have a BOR at war with itself, as Perry has a witches brew of people who understand education and political sycophants.
Conclusion: This is not a particularly good set of circumstances for good decision making. We don't have a protected and empowered leader. The BOR is a functional joke (there are some great people on it, but it doesn't function), and the president and AD are lame duck. We have a massive structural problem.
Our Style
1. I know its hard to believe for some, but Texas does not cheat at sports. There is an absolute ethos among anyone with any stroke that we will tolerate no cheating. And, if anyone does it, they will be blackballed and ruined. This is entirely different than some of the SEC schools, where its business as usual.
2. No clown shows. A clown show is where 30 people roll out of an old mini car (like a metropolitan), with makeup on, floppy shoes and clown noses. There are no clowns at Texas. The way things have gone down at A&M and TT with their coaching changes is not how we are going to do things here. We may suck, but we suck with dignity.
3. Mack Brown: Like it or not, he restored the program, so he is going to be given too much leash.
Conclusion: Our style is not particularly conducive to firing a coach mid season, but that a longer term plan will be put in place.
ADs and Head Coaches
1. Every AD in the nation knows that the UT job is coming up. ADs want job security and they want to know who their boss is. Its an open question if the very best AD will come to UT with a lame duck president. I simply do not know the answer, but I think its a qualified maybe (perhaps you put in a huge golden parachute to mitigate the risk...)
2. Head coaches want to know who their AD is. DD is gone within a year, so we don't have an answer to this question.
3. It gets even worse for us because if we fire Manny, we need a new defensive coordinator. And it appears our head coach is a lame duck.
Conclusion: We have a perfect storm of needing change-over at the AD and coach level, combined with the fact that we don't even have a president or a functioning board with full authority. Nightmare.
The BMDs.
1. BMD means big money donor. It does not mean "person with decision making authority". BMDs don't typically have an obligation to do anything other than write checks, make speeches and buy suites and be big shots.
2. People on this board are saying that the BMDs don't care because they are fat, lazy, stupid, don't care and that they have access. Well, most are in perfect shape, work 75 hours a week, have high IQs, and care more about UT than anything else. And the access point is nothing special...these guys will always have access. This point is actually beside the point.
3. There is a misconception that all of the BMDs know each other and hang out with each other, which is far from the truth. Sure the Dallas gang knows the Dallas gang, and same for Houston...but the further you get a way,the further from the truth that is. So the BMDs are a disorganized mob.
4. but some of the very senior, very rich and very giving BMDs were Mack protectors. At first they were fighting to keep Mack, then they were fighting to give him "one more chance", the question right now is where are they? Are they in denial or are they where they need to be?
Conclusion: Regardless of this sideshow on if they care or not, with the administration incapable of making a decision, there needs to be BMD pressure for change. We need the BMDs to put pressure everywhere to make a change.
The team
1. I think its safe to assume that this team will not run the table. They looked bad, our QB is hurt, our best offensive player is hurt, our defense looks beyond repair. Even our boy wonder Applewhite had little answer. So, its safe to say we lose more games and this season will be viewed as another crummy season (call it 8 or 9 wins...if we are lucky)
Conclusion: Again? What did i do to deserve this?
What I think happens:
1. Mack needs to do something. The only way he can save his job is to win almost all of his games (like 10 wins) and not get blown out again.
2. Mack doesn't want to fire Manny because he doesn't want to end Manny's career. Mack will be counseled today and tomorrow that he has to fire Manny. He will be told this because i) manny is terrible and everyone knows it, ii) this allows mack to buy some time to right to ship and iii) I THINK THAT EVERY BMD NOW KNOWS THAT MACK IS DONE, and that its merely a matter of execution, not result (so they will start to threaten mack finally) The "heated discussions" are from the second generation BMDs screaming at their fathers that "its over, the ship is sunk." I am talking about Red and Jamail and guys like that. Sunday dinner tonight will not be a happy place to be.
3. If Mack does not fire manny and we lay another egg, Mack will be in danger of being fired mid season. I actually have always thought that it would be impossible for Mack to get fired mid season, but now I am not so sure. Most of the BMDs dont want to do this. Again, we hate clown shows.
4. We can not snap our fingers and get an AD and great head coach. Its hard.
5. I don't see what the big deal is about firing Manny. Our defense is beyond terrible. Just bring Robinson back and do it his way. It could not be worse than it is now. Is it a great solution? No, but its better than keeping manny
Conclusion: Fire manny, limp through the season, and then replace Mack. Mack can only save himself if the team wins out or nearly so, and that seems impossible at this point. If mack is intransigent, then we fire him mid season and you can paint our face and put on your big floppy shoes.
Conclusion II: As painful as it is to read about people saying that the BMDs "don't care", I actually agree that its a reasonable way to kick the hornets nest to get the BMDs to force change. The organization is structurally impaired from making and executing decisions, so we need people with de facto power to force change, as those with de jure power cannot get out of their own way....
I feel like a person with the flu, half asleep, watching Lifetime channel movies, blowing my nose, napping, watery eyes, sneezing and looking terrible. I simply cannot wait to be well again.
nuufaola