slu72 Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I'm curious if SLU has any passionate big time big $$ supporters who have influence with CL and Biondi? In seven years of posting on the board, one would have thought that someone or some group's name would have come up that they aren't real happy about five years of mediocrity, but it never does. As an example of these types, the College of Charleston fired Tom Heron in June. It's a well known fact that there was a small core group of high $$ supporters that didn't like him or where he was taking the program. Even though Heron won a lot more than he lost, they didn't like the type of kids he was bringing in and they didn't like his abrasive personality. They presured the college to fire him and raised the buyout money, around $750,000. Does SLU have any of big $$ boosters who are this passionate about the program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 So you want Brad gone now? Any big time donors that are not ready to fire him now are not passionate? Look I am not happy with the way the season has gone so far. I am not happy with the job brad has done this year. But to call for his head before the season plays out is wrong. I can already tell that there will be fans pissed off if we win the conference tournament. It will mean that Brad stays and they are so invested in getting him fired they won't enjoy the run. Don't be happy with the season so far. I am not. But, don't start calling for his head yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 slu72, maybe that tells you that those in the know see the picture for what it is and it isnt coach soderberg's fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I highly doubt there are any big time boosters at SLU. Highly highly doubt. Otherwise we wouldn't be wallowing around in perpetual mediocrity with not so much as a whisper to the press, to the AD, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Where in the above post, Brian, did I say "get rid of him now?" I didn't even say get rid of him after the season. The question was do we have any Mr. Got Rocks Boosters who might have CL and Biondi's ears and saying stuff like, "I don't know about this guy?". Look, I'm not hiding my dislike for the job UB's done. But this was just a simple quetion for some who might know. On Mizzery's board when Q was there you would see posts all the time about how Q was Laurie's guy, and when the situation got so bad, even Laurie had had it with him. Implication being boosters can use the almighty $$ to influence the decision makers. We never hear anyone's name mentioned in that vein on this board. Therefore, I'm led to believe we don't really have many, if any, high profile influential boosters who really care. Understand now? Read other posts where I said it would be foolish to think CL's going to can UB today or tomorrow. This season and the spring recruiting period have to be put in the books before anything is done with him. Who knows maybe he wins the A-10, we go dancing, and everyone's pleased. But his firing was not the issue in the original post. I can see however, how you thought that was the implication. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Guess you're saying no big time boosters no resources to get the job done, correct? Broy, I'm not as convinced as you that lack of recruiting $$ is the issue with UB. Granted, it doesn't help, but he seemed to have enough $$ to go chasing after a kid in GA, Chicago, Wisc, etc. Now if the lack of funds reduced his recruiting effort to phone calls, your point is legit. But you know and I know he and the staff go to AAU tournaments so they are having some face time. And they bring them in for visits, and I'm sure they do home visits. Besides, SLU's primary hunting grounds right now should be our own backyard, that can't cost much.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 OK, minus the pro/anti Brad rhetoric, I would be interested in who our big time donars are...if there are any. For instance, it is well know that Martha Ingram and Monroe Carol are two HUGE HUGE donars to Vanderbilt. Who are those types for SLU? Is there anybody out there willing to drop $10 mil on SLU? Who's on the board of directors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 you are very wrong. the problem is not the boosters at the top. we have a number of very good big boosters. it is below that. look just ten years ago my billiken seat priority number was over 3,000. in just that time i have went to one that is approaching 200. we know the priority number system is driven by donations. the more you give the lower your number goes. i donate about $600 a year. that isnt much. yet it was enough to leap over over 2600 people in just ten years? the problem isnt at the top. the problem is below that. there should be more $$ coming from the small time boosters like me. the fact is the lion's share of the season tix holder's and fans dont give one red cent to the billiken club. canadian/realistic are you a member of the billiken club? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 I think SLU's got some deep pocket folks, but whether they give a hoot about hoops is the question. I mean the new business school was funded by one guy and his wife, correct? Now, what if this guy had said, "Future donation are contingent on improving the hoops program, because I'm sick and tired of losing to the St.B'a and Duquene's of the world." That would have to grab someone's attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 How can you be a member of the billiken club while still being a senior at slu? I pay my $30 for season tix unlike most students. I've debated next year whether joining or not, but this year has really taken a toll on me so I'm seriously doubting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACE Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 >slu72, maybe that tells you that those in the know see the >picture for what it is and it isnt coach soderberg's fault. It isn't Coach Soderberg's fault that a team that you said was better than the Clag/Waldman teams isn't even in the top 100 right now? It isn't Soderberg's fault that he landed NOBODY in last year's recruiting class to help us this year? Roy, it's ok to admit you were wrong about something. It's ok to hold Soderberg accountable for some mistakes. The longer you fail to do either, the less credibility you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I would imagine most big time donars could care less about hoops, 72. Chances are they didn't make there money by playing basketball. That seems to be a relatively common thing at non-state schools...minus ND. In the example you gave, it took a number of boosters just to raise $750,000. You're also seeing that with a lack of big donations for the arena. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 slu72, you are missing the picture if you think i am only talking about recruiting dollars. it is all inter-related. you need to expand the marketing budget. the area needs to know who the billikens are. the more they see billikens in stores, on radio, on tv, in newspapers on billboards, etc the better. you have to go on a mission to find billiken marketing. sports information. our sports information dept apparently thinks things begin and end with figuring the half time stats and putting out the media guide. imo a good sports information dept does that and also is out smoozing the media and being very proactive for the program. there is no way this avalanche of negativity should have been allowed to happen whent the team is actually at a point recordwise that few teams in the last few decades have been when it started. fund raising. cant do the above without the funds. we shouldnt have one or two people raising funds. we should have a hired army. facilities. yeah we are getting the new arena. why did it take so long. build it and they will come. worry about how to pay back the fund after the fact. there is enough proof that a top 50 program will expand student applications in general that this should have never taken this long. hard telling how many recruits could have been won in the last few years if the arena and facilities were already in place. game day promotions and activities. my gosh we play musical chairs at halftime on occasion. enough said. staff. not just the coaches, but all throughout. i would bet whatever you want to bet that the top 25 programs do not have the youth and inexperience and lack of numbers in their athletic department that we do. now dont get me wrong. i am very impressed with the energy of most of our athletic department. but who can deny what you get with experience and with numbers. yet we lose staffers to local high schools because of salary? or staffers quit to build houses? they quit to go to work for smaller schools on the left coast? talk about stepping stones. assistant coaches. other than randy bennett and derek thomas, what other former assistants are college division one head coaches? i would think that is a sign our assistant coaches throughout history havent been very desireable. i can only assume they were the best we could get. why? salary immediately comes to mind. but then you hear we wont even reimburse for cell phone bills when cell phones are obviously the key piece of equipment to recruiting in this day and age. your point about coach soderberg getting face time is correct. however all coaches do that and if he didnt he would be even further behind. again, my budgetary argument is not just recruiting. it is the whole ball of wax. we have to present a bigtime picture across the board if we want to be bigtime. a coach can try to fake it till he makes it, but that will only work so long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 my son has been a billiken club member for the last two years and is only a junior. ironically he is automatically in front of the 30 year season tix holder that doesnt belong to the billiken club when the new arena opens to get seats. there is no age limit to pay your starter's level fee of $125 per year. hell i would bet you could eat that worth at the billiken club meetings alone for the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 So Roy, I really don't think I'm the one you and brian and skip should be attacking. Why don't you look at the 95% apathy on the campus for the program?? Maybe those are the ones you should insult and put down. This more specifically applies to skip and brain who are on the looney train, not so much you roy because your responses at least are civilized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 if you insinuating that skip isnt a booster that pays his fair share you are off base. skip is a paying booster and season ticket holder. i do not know brian, but would be surprised if he is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Sadly, I agree. I think I'll joing the Billiken Club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 No, I am not insinuating that at all. I am saying that I think you should lay off the personal attacks (more skip and brian) against those who actually SUPPORT the program and direct your attacks at the students who aren't buying tickets. The students who don't go to the games. The students who couldn't name one player. Not the guy who buys his $30 season ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 This is what i'm talking about when I speak of the St. Louis fair weather fan. You made a comment yesterday about not even watching. You guys dog all your pro sports teams too...if they ain't winning, they can go *uck themselves (my first year at SLU, i don't think I heard one person mention the Rams). Titans have sucked for three years...no problems with attendance. Preds have sucked since their inception...we are some of the best fans in the league. Every football season this city rallies around the 'Dores...even though they haven' been atop the SEC in like a century. And this has NOTHING to do with debating changes, making changes, or being critical. It's about following you're team. And I think this is another major hurdle SLU has to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 If you don't think he should be gone now, why do you ask the question now? Why is the requirement for a passionate big time booster that he needs to be putting the screws to CL and Biondi right now? Most people who get that kind of money don't get it because they are reactionary. They develop a well thought out plan and they stick to it. They make adjustments when necessary, but they probably see this as too soon to hit the panic button. I assume that most of them were on board with both Brad's hiring and contract extension. Thus I would assume that they are on board with letting the season unfold. Hey 72 here is an idea. Go out and create your own large net worth. Make big time donations to the program. Then you can question the passion of other big time donors when they don't see it your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 SLU definitely has big time donors. Do they have a T Boone Pickens? Probably not. Also, the question is whether they are big donors to the Athletic Department. Also, many Athletic Departments will allow themselves to be bought. I don't believe SLU would. In some ways, maybe. I don't see Biondi ever allowing a big donor to come in and dictate something as big as firing the Coach. Influence the decision maybe, sure. Some schools will allow a huge donor to come in allow himself to influence greatly something in the AD. I don't think Biondi would ever allow it. Just in the same way, I don't think Biondi would allow a Coach to make what a Top 20 coach might command to come here. I'm not saying Father is not committed to a successful team, I just don't believe he would allow us ever to be bought as far as Athletics is concerned and I don't think that's a bad thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 How am I on the looney train? Because I call out your idiot reactionary postings. I have already said I will be on board with Brad getting the ax if things don't change soon. Just because I don't think the team is an embarrassment I am on the looney train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 ace, you are right. this team is not as good. i wrongly assumed that vouyoukas would continue to progress and be that nba quality player. he is not. i wrongly assumed that obi would fulfill that high school promise where he was a top 100 rated junior before his injury. he didnt have the guts to even get in shape. i wrongly assumed that dwayne polk we were seeing first half of the season would be the same one second half. since we have entered a-10 action, polk has been nothing but a minutes eater imo. i wrongly assumed that danny brown would fix his mental errors and garner the confidence to go along with his abilities. he hasnt. he is a turnover machine and a model of no confidence. i wrongly assumed that kevin lisch would not get body slammed in the siu game and remain healthy all year. ironically it appears it took another injury in the temple game to force him to sit out a week to finally get well. what i hold coach soderberg accountable for is when all the above happened, he did not bring dustin maguire and adam knollmeyer along faster. that is the question that bugs me and causes me concern. the other aspects i blame solely on our players and luck. but you are right, i do not think this team is better than claggett and highmark's junior and senior years. that said, i do believe this team is better than claggett and highmark's sophomore season. and lisch and liddell are sophomores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Because you attack supporters of the program. We have so few, so miniscule amount of fans and supporters, I find it utterly SHOCKING and UNACCEPTABLE you call out other supports of the program as being the embarressment, moronic, idiot, etc. You, brain, are a disgrace to the program in this respect. Disagree with my reasoning, but calling me out for being a moron, etc, is just flat out unacceptable and quite elementry to be quite frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 canadian/realistic said, "Because you attack supporters of the program. We have so few, so miniscule amount of fans and supporters" you do realize that we are ranked in the top 50 programs attendancewise? the fans are there. the ability to harvest those fans is apparently suspect. and the reward back to the fans is not what was promised. a top 50 program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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