Athletic Dept / Chris May

[slufanskip]

Have we ever had a period where we had as many teams as we do now doing so well. 

Men's basketball has been ranked this year. 

Women's basketball has become a top tier A10 team

Both men's and women's soccer now ranked

Baseball consistently solid and occasionally better despite a slow start this year

[A10Ref]

31 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

Have we ever had a period where we had as many teams as we do now doing so well. 

Men's basketball has been ranked this year. 

Women's basketball has become a top tier A10 team

Both men's and women's soccer now ranked

Baseball consistently solid and occasionally better despite a slow start this year

It is actually a fun time to be a Billiken fan imo

[CBFan]

35 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

Have we ever had a period where we had as many teams as we do now doing so well. 

Men's basketball has been ranked this year. 

Women's basketball has become a top tier A10 team

Both men's and women's soccer now ranked

Baseball consistently solid and occasionally better despite a slow start this year

I like AD May and I have emailed him and complimented him on how well the men’s basketball program is doing.    I also think that his team at Chaifetz do a great job of taking care of customers like me.  The staff know what they are doing and are always polite.

Since AD May has been at SLU I have emailed him and he has always responded.

4 straight winning seasons for men’s basketball and some memorable wins like the game against UMass last night, A10 conference champs, beating Virginia Tech, and finishing 5-0 the last 5 last season, beating LSU.

[Cowboy]

-I do like the new look of the stats on the ribbon board, kudos for that, hope it stays or, if possible, improves

[slufanskip]

1 hour ago, CBFan said:

I like AD May and I have emailed him and complimented him on how well the men’s basketball program is doing.    I also think that his team at Chaifetz do a great job of taking care of customers like me.  The staff know what they are doing and are always polite.

Since AD May has been at SLU I have emailed him and he has always responded.

4 straight winning seasons for men’s basketball and some memorable wins like the game against UMass last night, A10 conference champs, beating Virginia Tech, and finishing 5-0 the last 5 last season, beating LSU.

I never cared for him as a fan. I've always found him not very outgoing towards fans. However, he is the AD and so many different teams are doing great, he deserves kudos. 

[cgeldmacher]

I will say that his seats at the games are very near my seats.  He is always very personable with fans.  I respect that he has seats in the same area as everyone else.  I know that he sits in the more expensive section, but he sits on the end across from the folks that pay much less like me.  He could very easily sit in one of the boxes or sit courtside every night, but he doesn't.

[billikenbill]

Aside from coming across a little nerdy, it's clear he's doing a terrific job. All props to Chris May.

[CBFan]

1 hour ago, slufanskip said:

I never cared for him as a fan. I've always found him not very outgoing towards fans. However, he is the AD and so many different teams are doing great, he deserves kudos. 

Try emailing AD May he will respond.  I do not know AD May but he returns thoughtful emails and is gracious for the fan support and very passionate about Billiken basketball.

[slufanskip]

1 hour ago, cgeldmacher said:

I will say that his seats at the games are very near my seats.  He is always very personable with fans.  I respect that he has seats in the same area as everyone else.  I know that he sits in the more expensive section, but he sits on the end across from the folks that pay much less like me.  He could very easily sit in one of the boxes or sit courtside every night, but he doesn't.

I respect that also. 

[slufanskip]

Just now, CBFan said:

Try emailing AD May he will respond.  I do not know AD May but he returns thoughtful emails and is gracious for the fan support and very passionate about Billiken basketball.

I don't need to email him. I can respect and appreciate that everyone else has had different interactions than what I've had. In the end though I'll take the results that have come under his watch over my personal interactions over him by a wide margin. I believe he's done an outstanding job. 

[BilliesBy40]

21 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

I don't need to email him. I can respect and appreciate that everyone else has had different interactions than what I've had. In the end though I'll take the results that have come under his watch over my personal interactions over him by a wide margin. I believe he's done an outstanding job. 

Well said. He’s done a good job overall. His interpersonal skills are lacking which is why he hasn’t been poached by a football school.

[willie]

1 hour ago, cgeldmacher said:

I will say that his seats at the games are very near my seats.  He is always very personable with fans.  I respect that he has seats in the same area as everyone else.  I know that he sits in the more expensive section, but he sits on the end across from the folks that pay much less like me.  He could very easily sit in one of the boxes or sit courtside every night, but he doesn't.

It think  Chris is smart enough to know that if he sat on the court he might say something that might get him in trouble.  Sitting away from the court allows him to express himself a little more. More of a fan and less of an AD. 

[slufanskip]

29 minutes ago, willie said:

It think  Chris is smart enough to know that if he sat on the court he might say something that might get him in trouble.  Sitting away from the court allows him to express himself a little more. More of a fan and less of an AD. 

Now this I like a lot

[Gremio14]

12 hours ago, slufanskip said:

I respect that also. 

This.  I normally don’t sit in 102, but that’s where the algorithm has placed me the last couple of games.  A fairly constant flow of fans stops to chat with Chris.  He engages them all.  He is also more than happy to discuss sports other than basketball.  Too bad the home season is over as I would love to get his take on the Columbia College game....

[billiken_roy]

except for this year where it's musical seats for my wife and I, i have been in 102 since the arena was built.   love the section.    great neighborhood.  great fan harmony.   view of the vistors bench is fantastic (i love watching the opposing coaches actions) close to the band (i love the worlds greatest pep band) and close to watch the students.   

and yes, Chris May has always been approachable and cordial.   i am a huge chris may fan.   i have grown to believe he is the best AD we have had in my fandom at Saint Louis University (was a freshman in 1978 thus the start).

[CBFan]

33 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

except for this year where it's musical seats for my wife and I, i have been in 102 since the arena was built.   love the section.    great neighborhood.  great fan harmony.   view of the vistors bench is fantastic (i love watching the opposing coaches actions) close to the band (i love the worlds greatest pep band) and close to watch the students.   

and yes, Chris May has always been approachable and cordial.   i am a huge chris may fan.   i have grown to believe he is the best AD we have had in my fandom at Saint Louis University (was a freshman in 1978 thus the start).

Appreciate knowing your feelings about AD May because I trust your opinions and your knowledge of SLU.

Last season was my first season in section 101 and I love it there because of the band, students, the tunnel the players enter and exit the court and the restroom is close.

It took a while for the fans around us to get used to my wife and I yelling at the refs and being really engaged in the game but they warmed to us by the end of the season.

[Taj79]

Chris and company have always been great to me.  He knows me by name now from treks up and down the East Coast for games and the tournaments.  He has told me flat out that he will not discuss internal Billiken basketball workings due to this board, the fact that I post on it and my ability to post if he gives me things that are confidential.  I can respect that.  So, yes, he reads this board.  He did assign John Edwards to me and my wife on our visit back to SLU a few years ago and John gave us the royal treatment in terms of viewing and touring Chaifetz and the athletic facilities.  I went to school with John's father, the Honorable Jimmy Edwards.  So it was kind of neat (although my age was showing for sure).  I have had great interactions over the years with Janet and Matt and also did pretty well with Cheryl, Doug and Declan.  

I think Chris likes his role at SLU and is content to keep it going.  I never understood what Doug Wollard ever did to rate a hire at a football school.  I really liked Levrick but understand she was undermined and compromised by the Biondi/Majerus decision.  Doo-doo happens.  SLU doesn't use the mindet of "to make money you need to spend money" so tough decisions are sometimes hard to come by.  I think the three biggest/toughest were fire Grawer (Yow), hire Majerus (Biondi) and fire [dead] (May).  

May has to walk a fine line between fan and administrator.  I have seen him work with some of our biggest donors and I think his style works well with that.  He never seems to put himself ahead of the department.  And let's face it, balancing what we want versus a less-than-supportive BOT is difficult. 

[billiken_roy]

the biggest positive for chris may imo is the improvement that has happened for the non revenue sports since he came to slu.    sure there is more that can be done.   i understand the frustration by some fans.   but he also has to go begging from either big boosters or the BoT and sometimes i bet the BoT tells him hands off of some of the big boosters as their wallets are earmarked for other things.   no doubt getting the needed budgets to improve things whether it be men's basketball or women's field hockey is probably pretty tough as compared to an athletic director at a big public school that seems to have all the money they need for anything.    i am amazed we compete as well as we do actually.   

[cgeldmacher]

4 hours ago, CBFan said:

Appreciate knowing your feelings about AD May because I trust your opinions and your knowledge of SLU.

Last season was my first season in section 101 and I love it there because of the band, students, the tunnel the players enter and exit the court and the restroom is close.

It took a while for the fans around us to get used to my wife and I yelling at the refs and being really engaged in the game but they warmed to us by the end of the season.

Haha.  I'm in 102 and I'm the loudmouth, yell at the refs guy in that section.  05 was with me in that section several years ago, but then he left leaving me the only one that gets the side-eye from other fans.

On the topic of Chris May, he will snipe at the refs every so often.  When he does, he typically glances back in my direction as if to say "where were you on that one."

[Quality Is Job 1]

4 hours ago, Taj79 said:

Chris and company have always been great to me.  He knows me by name now from treks up and down the East Coast for games and the tournaments.  He has told me flat out that he will not discuss internal Billiken basketball workings due to this board, the fact that I post on it and my ability to post if he gives me things that are confidential.  I can respect that.  So, yes, he reads this board.  He did assign John Edwards to me and my wife on our visit back to SLU a few years ago and John gave us the royal treatment in terms of viewing and touring Chaifetz and the athletic facilities.  I went to school with John's father, the Honorable Jimmy Edwards.  So it was kind of neat (although my age was showing for sure).  I have had great interactions over the years with Janet and Matt and also did pretty well with Cheryl, Doug and Declan.  

I think Chris likes his role at SLU and is content to keep it going.  I never understood what Doug Wollard ever did to rate a hire at a football school.  I really liked Levrick but understand she was undermined and compromised by the Biondi/Majerus decision.  Doo-doo happens.  SLU doesn't use the mindet of "to make money you need to spend money" so tough decisions are sometimes hard to come by.  I think the three biggest/toughest were fire Grawer (Yow), hire Majerus (Biondi) and fire [dead] (May).  

May has to walk a fine line between fan and administrator.  I have seen him work with some of our biggest donors and I think his style works well with that.  He never seems to put himself ahead of the department.  And let's face it, balancing what we want versus a less-than-supportive BOT is difficult. 

(I know this is off of the topic but...)

Taj, you know Jimmie Edwards?!  He was my mock trial coach at Berkeley High from '85-'87.  Great guy!  (At that time he was a corporate attorney for Sabreliner.)  Your mentioning him compelled me to research whether he went to SLU.  The world gets smaller every day!

[Taj79]

@Quality —- I told John his dad had the biggest Afro this side of David Burns.  I understand Jimmie is bald now.  Jimmie was on 2C with the basketball team and later became an RA in Griese.  Might have been on 16G, my old floor.

[HoosierPal]

Great job by the Athletic Department, and it's captain Chris May.