2023-2024 Season

[Brighton]

and there's this

 

[HoosierPal]

Stu

 

[billikenbill]

@RichChaifetz tweeted props to TJ for his “monster game.”

[cgeldmacher]

23 hours ago, billikenfan05 said:

1. Nothing has changed with international recruiting. The rules are the same as they've been since Chris Harriman was here the first time. 

2. Chinese basketball money is no joke.

3. Kansas' compliance department would have caught the issues in a cursory google search of Bruce's legal name. 

4. There are no other two time non-grad transfers playing to my knowledge. 

5. I'm sorry but CMay is lying to you, Stu Durando and every other Billiken fan. This is not an NCAA injustice it just isn't, nor did they JUST find out about Zhang, They are covering up for a compliance staff error. 

To be clear I do not believe Travis Ford or any of his direct staff to be in the wrong here, did they roll the dice on some euros and Brad? You bet, but that's why you hire someone with a law degree and NCAA rules experience to handle compliance, that's why it's likely a 6 figure job.

I agree with a lot of what you said, but I think your being a little bit hard on CMay.  Any employer can tell you that dealing with an employee who screws up is very hard.  This is especially true when you have to fire that employee for the screw up and when your business is in the public eye.  If you want to criticize May for hiring that person in the first place or for not micro managing that employee to make sure she did her job, I can see that.  However, I think it is much harder to criticize a manager for not wanting to continue to dredge up that person's mistake in public forums.  I'm not saying that how he is handling it is wrong or right, just saying that it's tough to discuss the details of something that resulted in an employee's termination.

[billikenfan05]

17 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

I agree with a lot of what you said, but I think you’re being a little bit hard on CMay.  Any employer can tell you that dealing with an employee who screws up is very hard.  This is especially true when you have to fire that employee for the screw up and when your business is in the public eye.  If you want to criticize May for hiring that person in the first place or for not micro managing that employee to make sure she did her job, I can see that.  However, I think it is much harder to criticize a manager for not wanting to continue to dredge up that person's mistake in public forums.  I'm not saying that how he is handling it is wrong or right, just saying that it's tough to discuss the details of something that resulted in an employee's termination.

That’s part of the game man. As Rick Majerus once said, leadership is a lonely role. Blame ultimately falls on you. If this happened at X or Creighton it’d be front page of the sports section. SLU talks about being big time, but they don’t want the magnifying glass of the big time programs. This is on par with Situation 1 and 2 except the players have no place of blame. It’s a major waste of money, resources and ultimately a season. 

[TheA_Bomb]

13 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

Stu

 

What????!!!!!! Actual pertinent information from SLU to a reporter to the public?  Crazy.  A few days late but hey Chris May and Ford are still learning they'll get it down in another 23 years or so.

@cgeldmacher 05 for sure has an axe to grind with May but you can't deny he's a rabid fan.  Dude breaks down SLU field hockey at length (the players parents probably pay less attention).  Anyway, I tend to agree with him on May, this criticism on the compliance person isn't just one incident.  He!!, look today at the tweet with the wrong location on it.  Just amateur hour time after time.

WARNING SPECULATION BELOW

BUT, I'm starting to have some other thoughts in this whole T-Ford matter.  IF some Big Money Booster was behind the Ford hire, contract and extension as we speculate.  That Booster by over-paying and then subsequently extending is the one that saddled us with this situation. Did the Booster guarantee too much money that they now can't afford to pay a buyout?  Or is that Booster happy with the status quo?  Or has that Booster just not reached the limits of patience yet?  IF the above is true and the Booster is satisfied and we're continuing on in the status quo, then I am generally unhappy with the Booster for creating this situation.  Thanks for ponying up the money but if it doesn't work now we all have to suffer for your bad choices. Coulda had these results with Diener the helm and paid him in Kutis Bucks.

SO come on big money Booster stop making us all suffer for your mistakes.  Get out the checkbook and make a change.

The above speculation is a situation you see at all kinds of schools.  The rabid fans get mad when Big Money Boosters interfere and it doesn't work out (see Jimbo at aTM).

[brianstl]

8 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

I agree with a lot of what you said, but I think your being a little bit hard on CMay.  Any employer can tell you that dealing with an employee who screws up is very hard.  This is especially true when you have to fire that employee for the screw up and when your business is in the public eye.  If you want to criticize May for hiring that person in the first place or for not micro managing that employee to make sure she did her job, I can see that.  However, I think it is much harder to criticize a manager for not wanting to continue to dredge up that person's mistake in public forums.  I'm not saying that how he is handling it is wrong or right, just saying that it's tough to discuss the details of something that resulted in an employee's termination.

The employee in question had been there for almost a decade.  She was, also, Deputy Title IX coordinator.  So, she was deeply involved in the whole S2 thing. 

[billikenfan05]

11 minutes ago, brianstl said:

The employee in question had been there for almost a decade.  She was, also, Deputy Title IX coordinator.  So, she was deeply involved in the whole S2 thing. 

It should be noted that this person is no long findable on SLU people finder. 

[Pistol]

4 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

It should be noted that this person is no long findable on SLU people finder. 

And the compliance job posting is still open.

[brianstl]

12 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

That’s part of the game man. As Rick Majerus once said, leadership is a lonely role. Blame ultimately falls on you. If this happened at X or Creighton it’d be front page of the sports section. SLU talks about being big time, but they don’t want the magnifying glass of the big time programs. This is on par with Situation 1 and 2 except the players have no place of blame. It’s a major waste of money, resources and ultimately a season. 

Can't believe I am going to defend May here, but this one falls on Oberle and not May.  She reported directly to Oberle.

[billikenfan05]

Just now, brianstl said:

Can't believe I am going to defend May here, but this one falls on Oberle and not May.  She reported directly to Oberle.

That's a totally reasonable place of blame. 

[willie]

3 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

That's a totally reasonable place of blame. 

If it was Janet who screwed up would anyone seriously want her job to be on the line? I have never heard anyone say she wasn't good at her job. 

[billikenfan05]

9 minutes ago, willie said:

If it was Janet who screwed up would anyone seriously want her job to be on the line? I have never heard anyone say she wasn't good at her job. 

I almost included exactly what you stated. I have a lot of very positive opinions of Janet and have nothing but good things to say about her personally. But also I really don’t even know what her role is, to be honest. So I really cant make a call there. However if the AAD of compliance reports directly to Janet. Then Brian is correct in his placement of blame. 

[slufan13]

There's something to be said in this situation and life in general where the athletic department could just come out and say they f.u.cked this up, lessons learned, new procedures/headcount in place, etc. You can even blame the NCAA along the way because even though I think almost all of the blame falls upon SLU in this/these situation(s), the NCAA still doesn't have good, consistent processes in place. Fans could/should be pissed but at least you get respect.

But instead they hide behind  Stu and everyone involved communicates in an arrogant, condescending manner and take zero blame for anything that could go wrong. This includes the athletic department and the coaching staff. Not the best approach to alienate your fanbase in a season that is already beginning with the least hype in recent memory. 

#teamblue though

[DeSmetBilliken]

33 minutes ago, slufan13 said:

 

But instead they hide behind  Stu and everyone involved communicates in an arrogant, condescending manner and take zero blame for anything that could go wrong. 

I think Chris May has something to this effect on a placard somewhere in the athletics department office. Kind of like the Notre Dame “Play Like a Champion Today” sign.

[Cowboy II]

7 minutes ago, DeSmetBilliken said:

I think Chris May has something to this effect on a placard somewhere in the athletics department office. Kind of like the Notre Dame “Play Like a Champion Today” sign.

-??? is that next to or included with the ever present mantra of 'our fans are on a need to know basis and they don't need to know'

[slu92]

5 hours ago, willie said:

If it was Janet who screwed up would anyone seriously want her job to be on the line? I have never heard anyone say she wasn't good at her job. 

This is the asst AD I’ve heard runs department on day to day basis, ran off compliance person and literally runs staff off consistently. Very reliable, former employees say she is a very toxic person, plays the politics game, does charity work as a cover for all the bad things she does on a regular basis. Plus known as a running joke within university people as huge kiss up to Fred and Fran. Like Ben Stiller in Happy Gilmore character. She gets away with it because of her close relationship with AD. Apparently he’s afraid of her too. So take that however you seem fit. Never worked anywhere else and is poster child for an institutionalized empty suit. Heard she’s a major issue within day to day in that department per very reliable donors of program. Don’t let her act fool you, she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing in their words. Wonder if anyone else knows more? Very interesting. 

[slu92]

All the rumors and stories over the years I’ve heard about Chris May and that Janet….why doesn’t someone from slu talk to the coaches and staff and get the real story? Better yet since department staff seems to turn over consistently why doesn’t someone look into that? Is that normal? I’d reach out to every ex employee and get their perspective on their experience working for May and Janet. Sure you might have some disgruntled former employees, but no way everyone that leaves that department is disgruntled. We did it all the time at my former company. Really helps paint the big picture and see if there are common themes or issues that need to be addressed. Just a suggestion.

[VeniceMenace]

1 hour ago, slu92 said:

All the rumors and stories over the years I’ve heard about Chris May and that Janet….why doesn’t someone from slu talk to the coaches and staff and get the real story? Better yet since department staff seems to turn over consistently why doesn’t someone look into that? Is that normal? I’d reach out to every ex employee and get their perspective on their experience working for May and Janet. Sure you might have some disgruntled former employees, but no way everyone that leaves that department is disgruntled. We did it all the time at my former company. Really helps paint the big picture and see if there are common themes or issues that need to be addressed. Just a suggestion.

This sounds like a toxic workplace! They need to hire a motivational speaker—recommend Mr. Guy, he makes zany wisecracks that will make everyone laugh. 

[HoosierPal]

Apparently Tsvet Sotirov is going to sit out this year, a la Brock Vice. 

[Lord Elrond]

1 hour ago, VeniceMenace said:

This sounds like a toxic workplace! They need to hire a motivational speaker—recommend Mr. Guy, he makes zany wisecracks that will make everyone laugh. 

You mean a guy who lives in a van down by the river?

[DOC]

On 11/7/2023 at 6:38 PM, Brighton said:

and there's this

 

This is great. Chaifetz not posting about the basketball program is a concern. Chaifetz then tweets about the basketball team after the first game.

[Brighton]

1 hour ago, DOC said:

This is great. Chaifetz not posting about the basketball program is a concern. Chaifetz then tweets about the basketball team after the first game.

Hours after the fact, but sure..

[Old guy]

This is the early view of the season as per Team Rankings, this is after winning our first non conf game by 12 pts (below the spread), and winning a second game (exhibition game) with a DII team last night. We started the season with a 114 ranking (our ending ranking for last year's season), and we are now at a 125 ranking. Team Rankings has a very early set of estimates that we will win 15.5 games and lose 13.5 games by the end of the season, prior to the conference tournament. This early in the season, these are educated guesses rather than sound statistics. There it is, these are numbers that we should make our goal to prove wrong during this season.

The information about Janet is nice to have, things may not be well within the Athletic Department, or so it appears to be.

[slu72]

18 hours ago, billikenfan05 said:

That's a totally reasonable place of blame. 

That’s like saying the buck stops with Kamala Harris. Clearly May was asleep at the switch.