MAJERUS UPDATE

[jjray]

>>Anyway, if he is this intimately involved, then why was I told otherwise by the insider types? make a splash with a signing. Biondi calls Chaifetz, tells him he wants to make a change now and that Majerus is in play. Chaifetz commits to pony up some money to make it happen. Biondi sets his jaw to the wind and decides he's making a bold move regardless of the negative timing.

Biondi was the prime mover on the timing but was aided and abetted by Chaifetz in that Larry could not have made the move now without his financial backing.

[Billiken Law]

>BLaw we have disagreed vehemently on here in the past, nut

>you are right about this. This is how the game is played on

>BIG TIME level. This info makes ne feel much better about

>the selection process overall. I can't say I care much for

>what got us to this point, but I am starting to feel a lot

>better about were we are headed.

The reason boosters are so important is that as money becomes tighter for colleges and athletics salaries become more and more outrageous someone needs to step in to bridge the gap. I don't know if this is the case now, but when Steve Lavin was at UCLA his base salary was under $200,000 because of limits places on salaries by the state of California. Guess where the rest of the money he made came from? Professors and anti-athletics students complain about money being taken away from the classrooms and given to coaches and athletics, so boosters step in and provide the money needed to compete while ensuring money is not taken away from other areas in the University. Boosters also provide things like use of their private jets for recruiting, something that is almost a necessity in big time athletics and by providing perks like this it costs the university NOTHING!

Most complained about the financial committment SLU has made to athletics, particularly hoops. Well, it looks like the question of "where will the money come from" has been solved.

[SluSignGuy]

DoctorB, I took your reputation comments yesterday as more of a warning not to be using Cheyfetz's name/defame him. Am I misinterpreting? The last thing I want to do is upset a donor that may take us to the promised land. Just wondering if you could explain your comments more from yesterday (if I am making sense).

[bluecrewfinance]

statistically...I'd say 1 or none.

[jjray]

>i thought he was on campus today

Apprantely our campus has a satellite athletic department office in Chicago manned by an army of one. If this Chaifetz guys both solidifies the funding for our new arena and brings Majerus in as our new head coach, they need to cast him in bronze and place it out by the water fountain at Spring & West Pine.

[bonwich]

(Don't forget, DocB: A gram is better than a damn!)

I think the simple fact is that the "insiders" dropped significantly in rank when a guy showed up with $12M. And as far as we know, Mr. Chaifetz came out of the woodwork -- he wasn't recruited to give the money by any of the existing boosters.

And as I said in a different post in this thread, I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, either. Anecdotally, it appears that Mr. Chaifetz has extremely high standards -- something the athletic department could definitely use (Ms. Levick notwithstanding -- I think she does have the standards, she simply had not yet had the means to implement them.)

[Billiken Rich]

From Jimbo: "That's all I'm thinking - that if he got a wild hair he could put his "father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate" in charge of the field hockey team and no one would bat an eyelash."

From Mr. Bonwich: "(Hey, maybe whoever's been keeping Phillips in his job will now be reduced-enough in rank that we'll remedy that flaw as well.)"

PLEASE Mr Chaifetz lobby for your "father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate" to be but in charge of the PA system at your new arena......

[3star_recruit]

If all Chayfetz was doing was writing a check then he wouldn't be a part of the interview process.

[Box and Won]

Let's hope that we don't all need to take Soma after this ordeal has ended!

[jjray]

>If all Chayfetz was doing was writing a check then he

>wouldn't be a part of the interview process.

Do not agree that his involvement in hiring means he was the guy that got the axe moving. It could be that when Larry approached him to fund the Sodie buyout and underwrite a splash hire, Chayfetz said "OK Larry but I get veto power ovfer the hire." That makes sense and doesn't make him the prime mover in calling for Sodie's head on April 17. All supposition of course.

[Grapes of Wrath]

DoctorB,

You are a voice of reason in a gossip space; the inmates don't want rational, they want Major College Athletics. As Miklasz showed in today's column SLU's commitment to the basketball program is substantial......ONLY in relation to SLU's overall athletic budget: 20% of just over a $10mm budget. It is insubstantial when compared to others. Several on this space WANT there to be a big money guy, therefore it must be happening. And if Frank C said it, it must be true.......right? And this would put SLU in the realm of Major College Athletics if Biondi was dancing to a donor's wish? I would love to see Larry's response to THAT suggestion, which is that he can be bought!

Thanks for your thoughtful input, although in the couple of days I have read/participated I would say you are casting pearls.......I doubt I will participate ongoing as it is difficult to have reasonable discussion where speculation and innuendo are defended, with vitriol, by their perpetrators.

[3star_recruit]

Let's say your scenario is correct. The second Biondi consented to veto power Chayfetz went from being an accomplice to the one picking the coach.

I just wish there were more boosters involved. There are no checks and balances here.

[jimbofive]

I'm onboard if we get Majerus and SLU cleans this all up.

http://www.capcityspeakers.com/speakers/images/Majerus.jpg

This is Majerus saluting Chaefitz in his throne after every Bills home victory.

[jimbofive]

Sorry, I couldn't find a bigger picture.

[Billikan]

The fact that he is involved in the effort to recruit RM does not mean that he was the reason for Brad's termination. I have been told by several people close to the situation that this speculation is just plain wrong and I beleive them.

[Majerus Magic]

Fair enough. I was a little over zealous this morning.

[Billiken Rich]

There are check$ and (account) balance$

[jjray]

>Let's say your scenario is correct. The second Biondi

>consented to veto power Chayfetz went from being an

>accomplice to the one picking the coach.

>

>I just wish there were more boosters involved. There are no

>checks and balances here.

I've only proposed for Doc B's benefit that there is a way that Chaifetz is now driving the bus on picking the new coach but was not the prime mover on chopping off Sodie's head. Could be true that Chaifetz was not the guy demanding Sodie's head on April 17 ... but when Larry came to him for money to do the deed, he demanded power over the hire in return.

"checks and balances" ... if it is Majerus or Montgomery or even Gillen, fine, we don't need a real committe approach to this thing. If they go the assistant route or lower level D1, I am with you. I'm nervous about putting the whole deal in Fetz's hands. Don't know the man nor have any clue as to his judgment in basketball matters.

[davidnark]

>David, I can't imagine you're actually objecting to any of

>this, even if Chaifetz is unilaterally calling the shots for

>Larry. I can't think of any other scenario that would have

>resulted in fulfilling your desire for a top-notch coach.

Trust me, I am not objecting to any of this. This is capitalism at its finest. I feel like I have been writing the rationale stated in the press release for the last nine months.