The natives are restless!!!
I would say that some posting are yogwf members that have the chances to blast Tulane on the chat, something they can't do on the forumNOLA Tulane Chat Right Now.
http://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf/20 ... 11_am.html
The natives are restless!!! I would say that some posting are yogwf members that have the chances to blast Tulane on the chat, something they can't do on the forum
The natives are restless!!!
I would say that some posting are yogwf members that have the chances to blast Tulane on the chat, something they can't do on the forum'Here's a song for the Olive and the Blue"
Good grief I just read the transcript. Tammy Nunez is the perfect beat writer for the Cowen/Dickson regime. She's a cheerleader and an excuse maker, identical to the WFICF (worst fans in college football).
A few gems:
Someone named Hullaballoos points out the decline in all athletics and asks if there is any indication Cowen will, in effect, do something about it.
Rather than answer that very good question (why hasn't Cowen done anything about this in his 13 years as president and is he going to do anything about it?) Nunez jumps into "protect the administration" mode (like we've seen ad nauseum from another website) and actually brings up getting out of the SEC (46 years ago), tearing down Tulane stadium (30 years ago) and applauds the Cowen administration as "it isn't trying to tear down stadiums and stamp out athletic accomplishments anymore." That's right Tammy, rather than do something obvious like tear down a stadium, Cowen tried to tear down the entire football program at it's root. Or doesn't she remember that little episode back in 2003? And of course she completely avoided the question as to what has actually been done in his tenure to correct the problems? Answer? Nothing.
JonathanJoseph points out, "The results [of administrative policies], whether wins/losses, revenue/expenses, donations/support are all trending negative." Very accurate statement and is backed up by every fact in the book. Nobody who has been paying attention could deny this very simple fact.
Tammy's rambling, incoherent response is worth reading in it's entirety. It is at once laughable and sad. She immediately evades the topic at hand and begins by challenging JJ on finding a better hire than Conroy, sort of endorsing Conroy in a condescending way by, in effect, conceding that we don't have the administrative commitment to get anybody better. What the Conroy hire has to do with JJ's observation she doesn't bother explaining.
Then she transitions into a ramble about fund raising, along with the obligatory Katrina thrown in there for good measure. Also, the "review" excuse is in there as well, as if that somehow fell from the sky like the storm did and wasn't self-inflicted by the very administration she runs interference for.
I knew this woman was not a tough question type journalist, just a rah rah "the weather is good at the game tonight" kind of fluff writer. But I had no idea she was a cheerleader. The verbal gymnastics she struggles through to defend the indefensible, why? Is she afraid that she'll be denied access? Then she's worthless.
I won't read another thing she writes.
A few gems:
Someone named Hullaballoos points out the decline in all athletics and asks if there is any indication Cowen will, in effect, do something about it.
Rather than answer that very good question (why hasn't Cowen done anything about this in his 13 years as president and is he going to do anything about it?) Nunez jumps into "protect the administration" mode (like we've seen ad nauseum from another website) and actually brings up getting out of the SEC (46 years ago), tearing down Tulane stadium (30 years ago) and applauds the Cowen administration as "it isn't trying to tear down stadiums and stamp out athletic accomplishments anymore." That's right Tammy, rather than do something obvious like tear down a stadium, Cowen tried to tear down the entire football program at it's root. Or doesn't she remember that little episode back in 2003? And of course she completely avoided the question as to what has actually been done in his tenure to correct the problems? Answer? Nothing.
JonathanJoseph points out, "The results [of administrative policies], whether wins/losses, revenue/expenses, donations/support are all trending negative." Very accurate statement and is backed up by every fact in the book. Nobody who has been paying attention could deny this very simple fact.
Tammy's rambling, incoherent response is worth reading in it's entirety. It is at once laughable and sad. She immediately evades the topic at hand and begins by challenging JJ on finding a better hire than Conroy, sort of endorsing Conroy in a condescending way by, in effect, conceding that we don't have the administrative commitment to get anybody better. What the Conroy hire has to do with JJ's observation she doesn't bother explaining.
Then she transitions into a ramble about fund raising, along with the obligatory Katrina thrown in there for good measure. Also, the "review" excuse is in there as well, as if that somehow fell from the sky like the storm did and wasn't self-inflicted by the very administration she runs interference for.
I knew this woman was not a tough question type journalist, just a rah rah "the weather is good at the game tonight" kind of fluff writer. But I had no idea she was a cheerleader. The verbal gymnastics she struggles through to defend the indefensible, why? Is she afraid that she'll be denied access? Then she's worthless.
I won't read another thing she writes.
The second commandment has not been abrogated.
-
NOLABigSteve
- Riptide
- Posts: 4987
- Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:00 am
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Hey everyone! Thanks for joining the Tulane chat today. I'll get things going right away here.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:02 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:02
[Comment From JunebugJunebug: ]
Tammy, wow, what has happened to our bats? I thought offense was supposed to be our strong suit. Have we just run up against some good pitching or do you think this will be a longterm problem?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:02 Junebug
11:07
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Junebug,
Great question and also the question of the hour for Tulane baseball. I think the Green Wave has a lineup of "small ball" hitters with the exception of Jeremy Schaffer and possibly Briggs Barrios. Rob Segedin and his team-leading 54 RBIs are gone and now the lineup is really challeneged to make up for that production. It's hard to protect Schaffer in the lineup.
In short, yes, Tulane has faced some good pitching but Tulane is going to face good pitching all year. Rice has a couple guys who can throw it too. I noticed a lot of batters taking too many pitches on Tuesday against SLU. You have to swing the bat at good pitches to have effective at-bats. Conversely, they swung at bad pitches then and popped up after getting down in counts.
The good news is that some of that is fixable. Practice can take care of some of that and hitting is historically a streaky beast. The next game could key robust bats for a 10-game stretch, you never know.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:07 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:08
[Comment From GreenieGreenie: ]
OK, as a fan I can just not watch, but I feel sorry for you as a beat writer. First football, then basketball and now the baseball team is struggling. Is there any chance we won't stink all year in baseball like our other sports????
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:08 Greenie
11:10
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Greenie,
Have to giggle a bit at the first part of your thoughts. Yes, I have sat through now five consecutive losing campaigns in my time as Tulane beat writer. But, call me crazy, I love covering the Green Wave and am never short on story lines and intelligent players and coaches to talk to.
Here's the deal with baseball. I don't think all is lost -- we are just four games into a long season. But I do have grave concerns about the staff. A lot of folks focused on the hitting woes in the 13-1 Tuesday loss. I am much more concerned about the pitching sitaution.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:10 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:11
[Comment From JimJim: ]
Have you talked to Coach Jones since the game on Tuesday night? Do they seem concerned about the way they have played early on in the season or do they think things will turn around? Seems like the team is playing with very little confidence right now.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:11 Jim
11:13
[Comment From Jonathan JosephJonathan Joseph: ]
If the baseball season continues to disappoint, when will we start having a real conversation about the horrendous state of Tulane Athletics? How does Rick Dickson keep his job?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:13 Jonathan Joseph
11:14
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jim.....
having technical problems here. I sent a response that did not post. Standby for the full response.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:14 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:16
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jim,
I haven't talked to Coach Jones since I spoke to him after the game on Tuesday night. But he is really stressed and frustrated in a club he thinks is underperforming right now. The thing that got me was he said he thought Southeastern was "more aggressive" in every phase than his team. I have to admit, I saw that too. Did ya'll? It seemed like the Lions had more pep in their step both in the field, on the bases and at the plate. That is a huge concern moving forward.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:16 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:19
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jonathan Joseph,
You bring up a great point. I think all involved are feeling some heat. The slack from things like Hurricane Katrina, etc. is eroding and I think Rick Dickson's fortunes are very closely tied now to the coaches he has hired in the past five years. Much rides on the upcoming football season in my opinion for both Toledo and Dickson. I will say this. I think the team is far better than the record it put up. But that's the way developing programs go. They get much better before it shows in the win-loss column. Just look at basketball. You can't tell me that the team this year isn't light years better than last season's squad. But you look at the record and you don't see the improvement yet.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:19 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:19
[Comment From Dr. Dandy DeganDr. Dandy Degan: ]
Tammy, rumors have been circulating that Tulane is going from the Tulane Model back to NCAA standards as they had adhered to from 1969 to 1984 because every sport is in the dumps now. Any veracity to that?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:19 Dr. Dandy Degan
11:22
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Dr. Dandy Degan,
I have not heard anything with regard to this. In fact, I have steadfastly heard from both Cowen and Dickson is that they are determined to build an athletic program around "The Tulane Model." There are a few things Dickson has intiated to try to grease the wheels, however. He did score greater monetary support from the University in terms of funding scholarships, increasing sports' athletic budgets and streamlining academic registration. Those things are helpful. But I think the Perry Clark years will stay in the past.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:22 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:23
[Comment From YatYat: ]
In your conversations with administrators in the athletic dept., university, coaches etc...is there any recognition that this just may be the lowest Tulane athletics has been in decades? Even baseball and women's basketball are now hollow shells of what they once were. My question I guess is there any sense of urgency to change things or is the culture that the Tulane model is more than just wins simply dominant? I fear this attitude has led to the current state of athletics. Also, is there any action or announcement forthcoming that would send a jolt or excite fans and or student athletes?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:23 Yat
11:28
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Yat,
Interesting points... I have had many conversations with administrators over the past few months and I don't get a sense of panic or extreme frustration. They believe the programs are on the right track toward building back. If you look at women's basketball, for example, it made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in like eight years last season and won both the regular season and conference tournament crown. I wouldn't call that a "hollow shell" of what it once was.
Baseball is dealing with a plethora of issues that don't all have to do with Dickson. It's awfully hard to give a kid half a scholarship and expect his parents to fork over $25,000 (estimated) and be happy with that. That's a hunk of change for having a kid on scholarship. Tulane regardless has to compete in the climate it's in. We'll see if the program can respond.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:28 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:28
[Comment From greenbackergreenbacker: ]
Give us some hope that the basketball team will ... ok, I can't say turn it around, but maybe win another game????
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:28 greenbacker
11:31
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Greenbacker,
I'm sure you were at the Marshall game and saw how good the team can be in stretches. I think if you can play UTEP tight, beat SMU and be competitive against a host of other teams to the final five minutes, you can get another win this season against anyone in the league. Wouldn't it be something if the team made a run in the tournament? Conroy told me last week that he isn't building for the future right now and there are no white flags waving. That's a good sign to me.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:31 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:31
[Comment From HullabaloosHullabaloos: ]
As we've seen athletics at tulane steadily decline in all areas (football basketball and baseball), is there any indication or hope that the administration (Cowen) might re-emphasize athletics and loosen the admissions chokehold that is currently in place? Tulane is a great school, and if you're going to have D-I athletics, why not have the best program possible. I'm not talkling about non-qualifying recruits, just good kids that are not elite students with 4.0s and 2100 SATs.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:31 Hullabaloos
11:37
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Hullabaloos,
You'll have to check my math and history here, but there has been something like 11 winning football seasons in the modern history of Tulane athletics. You can't just pin that mediocrity on one decade, There have been several moves over Tulane's history that have undercut athletics and challenged it to remain viable and competitive (think pulling out the SEC, tearing the down Tulane Stadium, etc.). For as much flack as this administration gets, it isn't trying to tear down stadiums and stamp out athletic accomplishments anymore. It is actually trying to raise money for a new on campus stadium and operate under the umbrella of the University's academic standards.
As far as that goes, Tulane does get 3.5 GPA athletes, not just the super smarty pants students. There are some exemptions to the stanards, just not many. And at the end of the day, the kids have to be able to thrive in the classes Tulane offers. Just getting them in won't help if they are eligible because they can't hang in Tulane classes (think Garrett, football grades victim from last year).
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:37 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:37
[Comment From Jonathan JosephJonathan Joseph: ]
Thanks for your response, Tammy. But at some point we're talking about a decade of horrific results and the excuses need to end. If the baseball season does continue on its current trajectory Dickson should absolutely be relieved of his duties before next season.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:37 Jonathan Joseph
11:41
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jonathan Joseph,
I don't disagree with you. I see the programs loading up and rebuilding -- excuses perhaps --- and I'm not a long-suffering Tulane fan who has heard all these excuses before. I see things from a different perspective. I think the football team and men's basketball team was better this season, but it hasn't made a big impact in the win-losses yet. I think that frontier can be crossed next season -- "could" being the operative word. At some point Dickson will have to be held accountable for the win-loss side of things, not just for setting the athletic program in the right direction. In short, I agree with you and think the slack is shortening on things.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:41 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:41
[Comment From CampStreetWaveCampStreetWave: ]
Tammy-If you know-Does Tulane really require its recruits to have a higher ACT score than NCAA standards? If this is true, do other schools like Vandy, Duke, SMU, ND and Stannford require the same? And finally, if Duke and Vandy don't, why do we we?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:41 CampStreetWave
11:45
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
CampStreetWave,
I don't have an interior knowledge of Tulane's admission standards but I am fairly certain is is a great deal higher than the NCAA minimum. Other schools have higher standards as well and I would imagine Duke, Stanford, and ND are like. But schools have different policies about athletic admissions. Some schools stamp applications with "athletic stamps" that go into a different pile and are evaluated differently. Some schools have different stanards for kids from impoverished backgrounds. I don't know enough about Tulane's admissions policies to give you a clear cut answer, I'm afraid. I would love to get a University rep to join us in a chat and clarify some of this.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:45 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:45
[Comment From Harvey UpdykeHarvey Updyke: ]
Roll Tide!
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:45 Harvey Updyke
11:46
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Harvey,
Good to have you, grab a drink and have a seat on the couch, interesting discussion going on.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:46 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:46
[Comment From Manuel RandenwegheManuel Randenweghe: ]
Any veracity to the rumor of Tulane building a retractable and/or prehensile dome stadium near campus in an effort to attract better coaches, staff, athletes?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:46 Manuel Randenweghe
11:49
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Manuel,
To be short, the answer is: none. There is no truth to the rumor of a retracable roof stadium, sorry to break everyone's hearts. Privately, I've had many TU administrators laugh out loud at that notion. Right now the object is to get money for a 25,000-35,000-seat stadium and I think if Tulane gets half of the money, they will announce it and hope the general fan base can come up with the remaining half. This won't be a Jerry Jones palace, but a stadium built to match the athletic footprint and flavor of the existing athletic structures like Turchin Stadium, for example.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:49 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:49
[Comment From TURVS71TURVS71: ]
Not to beat a dead horse, but with Rick Dickson's comments in the Hullabaloo interview, he appears to have done a 180 stating that WE will not be doing what TCU is doing. Isn't this a complete "crawfishing" of what he said we wanted to do it to be like the TCU's and SMU's? Some years ago weren't those schools pointed to as our models? Seems once they started spending money, we scattered. I have to say that I have lost faith in Dickson.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:49 TURVS71
11:57
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
TURVS71,
Great point, yes I had that interview brought to my attention, tks SK. And I've had the same confusion in Dickson's reaction to those two schools. Here's my take, Tulane considers Tulsa, SMU, Rice, and TCU to be "like schools" because they are small, private universities with higher admission standards than, say, Houston or Memphis (I'm guessing on those two, I have no interior knowledge of their admission standards other than seeing the transfers they pull in). Dickson does not like Tulane being compared to SMU, however, and was hesitant to do an interview with me about comparing the two schools. He considers Tulane's standards to be higher in certain areas and so in that way, they aren't "like" schools.
TCU, I would imagine, falls into the same category. At the end of the day, they can bring a lower caliber athletic transfer in than Tulane can. I speak to Rick Dickson consistently, but I wouldn't say I can explain everything he says or does -- I don't know him that well. In this case, that's my best stab.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:57 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:57
[Comment From Jonathan JosephJonathan Joseph: ]
Tammy, your comments that the administration believes they are on the right track are extremely troubling. This is a sign of truly clueless leadership. The results, whether wins/losses, revenue/expenses, donations/support are all trending negative. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:57 Jonathan Joseph
12:07
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
ugh, not again!!! just had another response wiped out. hang on, I'll retype.
Thursday February 24, 2011 12:07 Tammy Nunez, T-P
12:16
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jonathan,
I hear you, but think of this: Who would you pick to coach the men's basketball program at Tulane? Who could do a better job with this program right now? Tim Floyd? Coach K? Honestly, if you were athletic director, who would you hire and keep in mind what Tulane can pay and who would or would not interview here (think Billy Kennedy wouldn't even step on campus for an interview).
As for revenue and contriubutions, name some schools that aren't big state monsters like Ohio State and Alabama that are getting more money donated in this economy. There aren't many. Did you give more money to Tulane this year than five years ago? To single out Tulane on lower fundraising seems senseless to me. The economy has gutted the fundraising of many things like the women's pro golf tour, even NASCAR. That's kind of like accusing Dickson of not raising enough money in 2006 -- the year after Katrina. If you were athletic director, would you be getting big donors to give money in this economy? Even the largest pockets have less liquid assets right now.
I know a lot of folks don't like Rick Dickson. It's true the sports teams have struggled since the review and Katrina. How much of that is directly Dickson's fault and how much of that is unusual circumstances like a University questioning whether it should continue to have athletics and a storm of the century is up to each individual to think through. My stance is that those situations are finally getting in the rear view mirror and now we are finally getting to the point where Dickson can be evaluated on his own merits, not unusual obstacles. If Conroy turns out to be a terrible coach, if the football team doesn't start winning games, etc., then it's time to turn attentions to Dickson's job security.
Thursday February 24, 2011 12:16 Tammy Nunez, T-P
12:18
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Folks, thanks so much for tuning in today. I need to get back to writing my Kendall Timmons feature that is scheduled to run in Monday's paper. What a player! Keep your eyes peeled for that one and thanks again for all the great discussion. Ya'll keep me on my toes! Have a good day
Hey everyone! Thanks for joining the Tulane chat today. I'll get things going right away here.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:02 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:02
[Comment From JunebugJunebug: ]
Tammy, wow, what has happened to our bats? I thought offense was supposed to be our strong suit. Have we just run up against some good pitching or do you think this will be a longterm problem?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:02 Junebug
11:07
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Junebug,
Great question and also the question of the hour for Tulane baseball. I think the Green Wave has a lineup of "small ball" hitters with the exception of Jeremy Schaffer and possibly Briggs Barrios. Rob Segedin and his team-leading 54 RBIs are gone and now the lineup is really challeneged to make up for that production. It's hard to protect Schaffer in the lineup.
In short, yes, Tulane has faced some good pitching but Tulane is going to face good pitching all year. Rice has a couple guys who can throw it too. I noticed a lot of batters taking too many pitches on Tuesday against SLU. You have to swing the bat at good pitches to have effective at-bats. Conversely, they swung at bad pitches then and popped up after getting down in counts.
The good news is that some of that is fixable. Practice can take care of some of that and hitting is historically a streaky beast. The next game could key robust bats for a 10-game stretch, you never know.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:07 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:08
[Comment From GreenieGreenie: ]
OK, as a fan I can just not watch, but I feel sorry for you as a beat writer. First football, then basketball and now the baseball team is struggling. Is there any chance we won't stink all year in baseball like our other sports????
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:08 Greenie
11:10
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Greenie,
Have to giggle a bit at the first part of your thoughts. Yes, I have sat through now five consecutive losing campaigns in my time as Tulane beat writer. But, call me crazy, I love covering the Green Wave and am never short on story lines and intelligent players and coaches to talk to.
Here's the deal with baseball. I don't think all is lost -- we are just four games into a long season. But I do have grave concerns about the staff. A lot of folks focused on the hitting woes in the 13-1 Tuesday loss. I am much more concerned about the pitching sitaution.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:10 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:11
[Comment From JimJim: ]
Have you talked to Coach Jones since the game on Tuesday night? Do they seem concerned about the way they have played early on in the season or do they think things will turn around? Seems like the team is playing with very little confidence right now.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:11 Jim
11:13
[Comment From Jonathan JosephJonathan Joseph: ]
If the baseball season continues to disappoint, when will we start having a real conversation about the horrendous state of Tulane Athletics? How does Rick Dickson keep his job?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:13 Jonathan Joseph
11:14
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jim.....
having technical problems here. I sent a response that did not post. Standby for the full response.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:14 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:16
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jim,
I haven't talked to Coach Jones since I spoke to him after the game on Tuesday night. But he is really stressed and frustrated in a club he thinks is underperforming right now. The thing that got me was he said he thought Southeastern was "more aggressive" in every phase than his team. I have to admit, I saw that too. Did ya'll? It seemed like the Lions had more pep in their step both in the field, on the bases and at the plate. That is a huge concern moving forward.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:16 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:19
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jonathan Joseph,
You bring up a great point. I think all involved are feeling some heat. The slack from things like Hurricane Katrina, etc. is eroding and I think Rick Dickson's fortunes are very closely tied now to the coaches he has hired in the past five years. Much rides on the upcoming football season in my opinion for both Toledo and Dickson. I will say this. I think the team is far better than the record it put up. But that's the way developing programs go. They get much better before it shows in the win-loss column. Just look at basketball. You can't tell me that the team this year isn't light years better than last season's squad. But you look at the record and you don't see the improvement yet.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:19 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:19
[Comment From Dr. Dandy DeganDr. Dandy Degan: ]
Tammy, rumors have been circulating that Tulane is going from the Tulane Model back to NCAA standards as they had adhered to from 1969 to 1984 because every sport is in the dumps now. Any veracity to that?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:19 Dr. Dandy Degan
11:22
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Dr. Dandy Degan,
I have not heard anything with regard to this. In fact, I have steadfastly heard from both Cowen and Dickson is that they are determined to build an athletic program around "The Tulane Model." There are a few things Dickson has intiated to try to grease the wheels, however. He did score greater monetary support from the University in terms of funding scholarships, increasing sports' athletic budgets and streamlining academic registration. Those things are helpful. But I think the Perry Clark years will stay in the past.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:22 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:23
[Comment From YatYat: ]
In your conversations with administrators in the athletic dept., university, coaches etc...is there any recognition that this just may be the lowest Tulane athletics has been in decades? Even baseball and women's basketball are now hollow shells of what they once were. My question I guess is there any sense of urgency to change things or is the culture that the Tulane model is more than just wins simply dominant? I fear this attitude has led to the current state of athletics. Also, is there any action or announcement forthcoming that would send a jolt or excite fans and or student athletes?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:23 Yat
11:28
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Yat,
Interesting points... I have had many conversations with administrators over the past few months and I don't get a sense of panic or extreme frustration. They believe the programs are on the right track toward building back. If you look at women's basketball, for example, it made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in like eight years last season and won both the regular season and conference tournament crown. I wouldn't call that a "hollow shell" of what it once was.
Baseball is dealing with a plethora of issues that don't all have to do with Dickson. It's awfully hard to give a kid half a scholarship and expect his parents to fork over $25,000 (estimated) and be happy with that. That's a hunk of change for having a kid on scholarship. Tulane regardless has to compete in the climate it's in. We'll see if the program can respond.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:28 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:28
[Comment From greenbackergreenbacker: ]
Give us some hope that the basketball team will ... ok, I can't say turn it around, but maybe win another game????
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:28 greenbacker
11:31
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Greenbacker,
I'm sure you were at the Marshall game and saw how good the team can be in stretches. I think if you can play UTEP tight, beat SMU and be competitive against a host of other teams to the final five minutes, you can get another win this season against anyone in the league. Wouldn't it be something if the team made a run in the tournament? Conroy told me last week that he isn't building for the future right now and there are no white flags waving. That's a good sign to me.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:31 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:31
[Comment From HullabaloosHullabaloos: ]
As we've seen athletics at tulane steadily decline in all areas (football basketball and baseball), is there any indication or hope that the administration (Cowen) might re-emphasize athletics and loosen the admissions chokehold that is currently in place? Tulane is a great school, and if you're going to have D-I athletics, why not have the best program possible. I'm not talkling about non-qualifying recruits, just good kids that are not elite students with 4.0s and 2100 SATs.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:31 Hullabaloos
11:37
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Hullabaloos,
You'll have to check my math and history here, but there has been something like 11 winning football seasons in the modern history of Tulane athletics. You can't just pin that mediocrity on one decade, There have been several moves over Tulane's history that have undercut athletics and challenged it to remain viable and competitive (think pulling out the SEC, tearing the down Tulane Stadium, etc.). For as much flack as this administration gets, it isn't trying to tear down stadiums and stamp out athletic accomplishments anymore. It is actually trying to raise money for a new on campus stadium and operate under the umbrella of the University's academic standards.
As far as that goes, Tulane does get 3.5 GPA athletes, not just the super smarty pants students. There are some exemptions to the stanards, just not many. And at the end of the day, the kids have to be able to thrive in the classes Tulane offers. Just getting them in won't help if they are eligible because they can't hang in Tulane classes (think Garrett, football grades victim from last year).
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:37 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:37
[Comment From Jonathan JosephJonathan Joseph: ]
Thanks for your response, Tammy. But at some point we're talking about a decade of horrific results and the excuses need to end. If the baseball season does continue on its current trajectory Dickson should absolutely be relieved of his duties before next season.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:37 Jonathan Joseph
11:41
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jonathan Joseph,
I don't disagree with you. I see the programs loading up and rebuilding -- excuses perhaps --- and I'm not a long-suffering Tulane fan who has heard all these excuses before. I see things from a different perspective. I think the football team and men's basketball team was better this season, but it hasn't made a big impact in the win-losses yet. I think that frontier can be crossed next season -- "could" being the operative word. At some point Dickson will have to be held accountable for the win-loss side of things, not just for setting the athletic program in the right direction. In short, I agree with you and think the slack is shortening on things.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:41 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:41
[Comment From CampStreetWaveCampStreetWave: ]
Tammy-If you know-Does Tulane really require its recruits to have a higher ACT score than NCAA standards? If this is true, do other schools like Vandy, Duke, SMU, ND and Stannford require the same? And finally, if Duke and Vandy don't, why do we we?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:41 CampStreetWave
11:45
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
CampStreetWave,
I don't have an interior knowledge of Tulane's admission standards but I am fairly certain is is a great deal higher than the NCAA minimum. Other schools have higher standards as well and I would imagine Duke, Stanford, and ND are like. But schools have different policies about athletic admissions. Some schools stamp applications with "athletic stamps" that go into a different pile and are evaluated differently. Some schools have different stanards for kids from impoverished backgrounds. I don't know enough about Tulane's admissions policies to give you a clear cut answer, I'm afraid. I would love to get a University rep to join us in a chat and clarify some of this.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:45 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:45
[Comment From Harvey UpdykeHarvey Updyke: ]
Roll Tide!
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:45 Harvey Updyke
11:46
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Harvey,
Good to have you, grab a drink and have a seat on the couch, interesting discussion going on.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:46 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:46
[Comment From Manuel RandenwegheManuel Randenweghe: ]
Any veracity to the rumor of Tulane building a retractable and/or prehensile dome stadium near campus in an effort to attract better coaches, staff, athletes?
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:46 Manuel Randenweghe
11:49
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Manuel,
To be short, the answer is: none. There is no truth to the rumor of a retracable roof stadium, sorry to break everyone's hearts. Privately, I've had many TU administrators laugh out loud at that notion. Right now the object is to get money for a 25,000-35,000-seat stadium and I think if Tulane gets half of the money, they will announce it and hope the general fan base can come up with the remaining half. This won't be a Jerry Jones palace, but a stadium built to match the athletic footprint and flavor of the existing athletic structures like Turchin Stadium, for example.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:49 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:49
[Comment From TURVS71TURVS71: ]
Not to beat a dead horse, but with Rick Dickson's comments in the Hullabaloo interview, he appears to have done a 180 stating that WE will not be doing what TCU is doing. Isn't this a complete "crawfishing" of what he said we wanted to do it to be like the TCU's and SMU's? Some years ago weren't those schools pointed to as our models? Seems once they started spending money, we scattered. I have to say that I have lost faith in Dickson.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:49 TURVS71
11:57
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
TURVS71,
Great point, yes I had that interview brought to my attention, tks SK. And I've had the same confusion in Dickson's reaction to those two schools. Here's my take, Tulane considers Tulsa, SMU, Rice, and TCU to be "like schools" because they are small, private universities with higher admission standards than, say, Houston or Memphis (I'm guessing on those two, I have no interior knowledge of their admission standards other than seeing the transfers they pull in). Dickson does not like Tulane being compared to SMU, however, and was hesitant to do an interview with me about comparing the two schools. He considers Tulane's standards to be higher in certain areas and so in that way, they aren't "like" schools.
TCU, I would imagine, falls into the same category. At the end of the day, they can bring a lower caliber athletic transfer in than Tulane can. I speak to Rick Dickson consistently, but I wouldn't say I can explain everything he says or does -- I don't know him that well. In this case, that's my best stab.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:57 Tammy Nunez, T-P
11:57
[Comment From Jonathan JosephJonathan Joseph: ]
Tammy, your comments that the administration believes they are on the right track are extremely troubling. This is a sign of truly clueless leadership. The results, whether wins/losses, revenue/expenses, donations/support are all trending negative. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Thursday February 24, 2011 11:57 Jonathan Joseph
12:07
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
ugh, not again!!! just had another response wiped out. hang on, I'll retype.
Thursday February 24, 2011 12:07 Tammy Nunez, T-P
12:16
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Jonathan,
I hear you, but think of this: Who would you pick to coach the men's basketball program at Tulane? Who could do a better job with this program right now? Tim Floyd? Coach K? Honestly, if you were athletic director, who would you hire and keep in mind what Tulane can pay and who would or would not interview here (think Billy Kennedy wouldn't even step on campus for an interview).
As for revenue and contriubutions, name some schools that aren't big state monsters like Ohio State and Alabama that are getting more money donated in this economy. There aren't many. Did you give more money to Tulane this year than five years ago? To single out Tulane on lower fundraising seems senseless to me. The economy has gutted the fundraising of many things like the women's pro golf tour, even NASCAR. That's kind of like accusing Dickson of not raising enough money in 2006 -- the year after Katrina. If you were athletic director, would you be getting big donors to give money in this economy? Even the largest pockets have less liquid assets right now.
I know a lot of folks don't like Rick Dickson. It's true the sports teams have struggled since the review and Katrina. How much of that is directly Dickson's fault and how much of that is unusual circumstances like a University questioning whether it should continue to have athletics and a storm of the century is up to each individual to think through. My stance is that those situations are finally getting in the rear view mirror and now we are finally getting to the point where Dickson can be evaluated on his own merits, not unusual obstacles. If Conroy turns out to be a terrible coach, if the football team doesn't start winning games, etc., then it's time to turn attentions to Dickson's job security.
Thursday February 24, 2011 12:16 Tammy Nunez, T-P
12:18
Tammy Nunez, T-P:
Folks, thanks so much for tuning in today. I need to get back to writing my Kendall Timmons feature that is scheduled to run in Monday's paper. What a player! Keep your eyes peeled for that one and thanks again for all the great discussion. Ya'll keep me on my toes! Have a good day
Roll Wave!
Tulane University c/o 2003
Football Defensive End '99, '00, '01, '02
2002 Hawaii Bowl Champions
School of Engineering (Computer Science)
Tulane University c/o 2003
Football Defensive End '99, '00, '01, '02
2002 Hawaii Bowl Champions
School of Engineering (Computer Science)
-
- Fear the Wave NIL Collective
-
- American Athletic Conference
