The Playbook Meeting

[sader24]

Basically,
1) We want to win
2) We hired a football specific academic advisor (1)
3) We hired a strength coach with NFL experience
4) We named our advisory board the "Special Team" yet we haven't done anything about our actual special teams
5) We won't lower our standards, blah blah blah, Rick Dickson basically admonsihing the crowd for having the audacity to talk about standards
6) Our players do 30 hours of community service
7) Rick Dickson praising Scott Cowen like he's Jesus
8) Cowen gets up and brags about how he reinvented Tulane how delighted he is that Tulane alums that thought he didn't know what he was doing have to "Eat Crow"
9) Cowen talks about looking at options of a playing venue and all options are being looked at. How many options are there? Superdome, On Campus Stadium.
10) Cowen brags more about reinventing the university
11) Cowen basically admits that Football was the last priority after Baseball and Basketball and is somehow proud of it.
12) Rick Dickson holds up his folder and tells everyone to pick up a copy and gives the website to where we can find it and of course anyone who was watching types in the website address only to find out it's not up.

[HoustonWave]

The whole thing was pretty bizarre. Clearly they have their feathers ruffled by the growing criticisms, both athletically and academically. We once again had to hear the Katrina story, for which I give them a great deal of credit. But what about the 7 or 8 years before Katrina, when we went from a #7 program to falling out of the top 100? Katrina gave them a great excuse for many of their failings, before and after the storm.

We heard about how Tulane has won every award on the planet for community service--I say, so what. Nothing wrong with community service, but let that be an individual decision on the part of students, alums and fans. Universities are measured on academic and athletic performance, not on community service. This is a great example of Cowen trying to redefine the game, something that never has and never will work.

At the end of this "thing", the camera panned the crowd, and I was taken aback by how old the audience was--it looked like an old folks home (not that I'm that far away from one myself). But it makes you wonder whether we have any fans under the age of 50.

The silver lining to it all is that at least they are publicly acknowledging the need to focus on football, and build (within a reasonable time frame) a program that can generate 7 or 8 winning seasons per decade--and that would be a major improvement over the past 60 years. I just can't figure out why it took Cowen nearly 15 years (and Dickson 11 years) to figure all this out. Much of what they outlined, is exactly what we have been pleading for for many years. I suspect what has triggered this "announcement" is the growing disgruntlement of the alumni base, and a corresponding drop is financial support. The world doesn't support losing, so Tulane better stop mastering it.

[IM42lane]

We can do it here, or on another thread.

I HAVE NOT read it completely, so I reserve judgement until later when I can sound half-intelligent on the subject.

ROLL GREEN WAVE!!!

[NOLABigSteve]

They were 15 minutes late. All talk. Same ole shit. Ashamed I even went.

[NOLABigSteve]

Even mire embarrassing is that we called a press conference for this garbage.

[IM42lane]

The silver lining to it all is that at least they are publicly acknowledging the need to focus on football, and build (within a reasonable time frame) a program that can generate 7 or 8 winning seasons per decade--and that would be a major improvement over the past 60 years. I just can't figure out why it took Cowen nearly 15 years (and Dickson 11 years) to figure all this out. Much of what they outlined, is exactly what we have been pleading for for many years. I suspect what has triggered this "announcement" is the growing disgruntlement of the alumni base, and a corresponding drop is financial support. The world doesn't support losing, so Tulane better stop mastering it.

Initially, I am taking that as a sign that they know many of the natives are restless about what has been going on lately. As you state, at least they are publicly acknowledging the need to focus on football, and build (within a reasonable time frame) a program that can generate a few winning seasons per decade.

I will comment more as I gather increasing information on the subject.

[sader24]

I too was taken aback by the age of the crowd. I'm 28 and I would guess the avg age in the crowd was 60? All the more reason that new blood is needed in this program and announcements of this sort should be reserved for when you have something concrete to announce. Nothing about that conference will draw the attention of sub 40 yr olds except maybe myself and a few others. You've got a disgruntled 60 yr old AD babbling about Misinformation and what appears to be a delusional 70 yr old President talking about how great he is. My other question is if 68yr old Bob Toledo is our head coach, where was he? If they are so committed to this program why is our a head coach basically a moderator? They would've been alot better off asking Mack Brown and Tommy Bowden what the program needed. It seemed to me they kept throwing in 2003 with Katrina. Those 2 are not the same things at all. They created 2003 for no reason.

[IM42lane]

They were 15 minutes late. All talk. Same ole sh**. Ashamed I even went.

That is too bad. Not what I want to hear. I will give more comments later.

[JTLiuzza]

Sounds like it was exactly what I thought it would be; more self-serving bs by two failures. Is there any doubt that both of these clowns have to go?

[sader24]

I agree, I have the flu and I was about to drag myself out there, thank god I didn't. If they really GOT IT, they wouldn't sit up there and talk to us like we're stupid for wanting restrictions lowered or badgering Tulane Alumni that didn't believe in Cowen's plan about being forced back into the fold. I went and actually read the playbook online, seems pretty amateurish and slightly delusional. There are some good things in there, but the stadium outline seems delusional to me and of course they state we don't need a big stadium at this time and we don't need an Indoor Practice Facility because we can just bus to the Saints practice facility or the Superdome. The athletic department and the football program need younger more energetic leaders if they hope to rebuild this fanbase. The fanbase is dying off as it is.

[jonathanjoseph]

All good posts here so far.

[HoustonWave]

I too was taken aback by the age of the crowd. I'm 28 and I would guess the avg age in the crowd was 60? All the more reason that new blood is needed in this program and announcements of this sort should be reserved for when you have something concrete to announce. Nothing about that conference will draw the attention of sub 40 yr olds except maybe myself and a few others. You've got a disgruntled 60 yr old AD babbling about Misinformation and what appears to be a delusional 70 yr old President talking about how great he is. My other question is if 68yr old Bob Toledo is our head coach, where was he? If they are so committed to this program why is our a head coach basically a moderator? They would've been alot better off asking Mack Brown and Tommy Bowden what the program needed. It seemed to me they kept throwing in 2003 with Katrina. Those 2 are not the same things at all. They created 2003 for no reason.

Buffet Bob was probably at the dinner table. And if he isn't eating, he better be packing his bags cuz Cowen said we start counting wins and losses next season. I can see the headlines resulting from the "announcement"---Tulane Realizes That Winning Matters

[glennc]

What is the web address of the so-called playbook from today's meeting

[RWR]

RD called the committee he put together his special team. Very appropriate as it was a complete failure. What an utter waste. It was insulting to the fan base.

[sader24]

I think there were positives in the press conference, however it seems very strange to me that the Head Coach of the Football Program isn't an important piece to the direction of the football program. If they are admitting that he isn't important then why didn't they axe him? You can't have renewed emphasis on a football program and keep a bad head coach around for CONTINUITY. Seems contradictory to me. I've read the so-called Playbook and I see some encouraging things from a funding standpoint I see absolutely nothing from an imminent improvement in facilities or any sort of well thought out plan for how we're going to accomplish these goals. Several pages are dedicated to charts showing improvement in bench presses and squats.

[sader24]

When he kept talking about his SPECIAL TEAM I thought he was going to tell us he was creating new emphasis on Special Teams. Why did I allow myself to get excited about this for even a day or two? They never fail to disappoint.

[JTLiuzza]

8) Cowen gets up and brags about how he reinvented Tulane how delighted he is that Tulane alums that thought he didn't know what he was doing have to "Eat Crow"
10) Cowen brags more about reinventing the university

Let me see if I've got the calculus down; cowen + crowd + microphone = self-aggrandizement

Cowen makes Charlie Sheen look like he has self-esteem problems. Sheen at least has the excuse that his brain is pickled in narcotics.

Anyone (who is not on drugs) that constantly goes around reading his resume' in public has issues:

1: ego. When you're a grown man and you are comfortable in your own skin, criticism doesn't rock your boat. Especially when you're in a high profile position where criticism comes with the territory.

2: insecurity. Deep down he knows he's the poster boy for the Peter Principle.

So onward we go, stumbling our way through trying to run a decent D1 athletics department, (not to mention a formerly top 50 university).

[NOLABigSteve]

Just merged everything about the meeting into one thread.

[IM42lane]

Good --- keep ALL comments coming.

Just merged everything about the meeting into one thread.

[Jaxwave]

The two commitments I was looking for were facilities, foremost stadium talk and academic changes including new majors for athletes. Is it just me or did they only say we are considering a stadium and will be back to you in 12 months. Also Dickson will begin talks with the school about new majors and they're optimistic they can accomplish this. Didn't really COMMIT to either or did I miss it? We knew the other bunk about good student/athletes, increased funding, higher coaches' salaries, new basketball facility, community service etc.

[TURVS71]

This was an embarrassing to us fans. I used to be a Dickson fan but he just restated that we are going to do it our way and if you don't like it you can take a hike!!. It was very unprofessional of him say that WE don't want or have 29 players arrested and that is not the way to do it. He tries to make is sound like ALL schools are operating this way. This is an insult to the Stanfords, TCU's, Boise State, etc., etc.. Where does he get off being to sacred and insulting the rest of the schools.

Cowen and Dickson were 15 minutes late.

As far a Cowen, he is a TOTAL idiot. He spent most of his time praising himself!

How embarrassed should we be with this "announcement." Very disappointed, no specifics, etc.

This University has taken a storied football program and have run it into the ground and now blame Katrina and called the fans out for not getting onboard.

I have no use for Cowen or Dickson.

[cdozer]

Hopefully this Football Playbook is more creative than the ones used the last 4 years.

[JTLiuzza]

I didn't go to the thing but, based on what I'm reading, the only conclusion to be reached is that the well deserved criticism of the both of them is working and we should step it up big time.

[golfnut69]

I swear I saw their mouths' move...but they did not say anything !!!!

[sader24]

Like I said, increased funding is a good thing but 45% above our 2007 level is not enough or something to call a Press Conference over. They nixed the indoor practice facility which is stupid. They have a goal of studying "Playing venue options" over the next 12 months with a goal of raising 60 million dollars for a facility that has no plans, predicted capacity level, or location. Also, they don't have a fundraising plan to meet that goal. They refuse to put academic standards at the same level as the rest of the country. Rick Dickson basically said anyone who lets kids in at the NCAA-wide standards has criminals and is cheating. I was really optimistic for some reason when I heard about this a couple of days ago. I think todays Press Conference showed just how incompetent these 2 are. Dickson came off as a disgruntled and defensive old man and Cowen looked like he was on happy pills. I felt like I was watching Entourage on HBO, "What if I said we could win alot of games and championships? Would that be something you'd be interested in?" Where are the specific details? Then they have quotes from current 19yr old players in their program about how great things are. How many times do I have to be yelled at about "Misinformation" when the guy yelling at me has refused for a decade to provide me with any information. Shouldn't there have been a question and answer segment from the crowd if it's really "OUR" program?