The Playbook Meeting

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timlan2057
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Indabag, you are absolutely right about ramping up the criticism. I think it has done its job so far.

Next step? Letters to the Times-Picayune and NOLA.com. Let Cowen and Dickson know there are fans who DO know the score and see through their BS.

I really do feel that what is now in the early stages of gathering momentum, will become an avalanche.

I have a ton of schoolwork and a debate tournament in Arkansas this weekend, but I plan to put pencil to paper next week, and we'll see about getting a letter published in the T-P.


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jonathanjoseph
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1ndabag wrote: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.
Yes yes yes.

It is working and the heat needs to continue.
jonathanjoseph
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sader24 wrote: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?
All of this is a great post, but the part of about Entourage has me LMAO. Unfortunately, a great analogy.
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On further reflection it is clear that this PC was called b/c of pressure over the years and then the meeting w/the letterman after retaining BT. RD and SC were told that you have to say we want to win championships and we do judge on wins and losses. So they got up and said it but made it clear that we were still doing it our way and that nothing had changed.

As for RD attacking other schools he made a complete fool of himself. We had the point shaving scandal, a tennis player kill a Tulane poiceman, a football player in jail for distributing crack and another for cutting people up on Bourbon street. There are numerous other incidents involving our student- athletes over the years too. We also have had great attrition in our football program under this regime. Saying we are the only one who cares about our players is bs.

The clear result of this was that nothing has changed.

I agree that we have to turn the heat up on RD. He needs to be fired before BT so a real AD can hire the next coach.
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sader24 wrote: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?
You hit the nail on the head Sader. SC and RD just don't know how to go about getting it done. The only thing this "announcement" did was show that they at least have some understanding of what the strategic goal should be, but they gave no indication that they know how to get us there. Again, they just are not very good managers or leaders. They now know what we, and the rest of the world, have been talking about for years, but they just don't know how to execute to get us there.
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sader24
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Does saying "We want to Win" really call for a Press Conference? I mean shouldn't that already be a given? If you read through the B.S. you can see they are being pulled kicking and screaming in the right direction by widespread criticism. I find it curious they held this conference right when the season ticket renewals come out. I'm not in the build a stadium as soon as possible camp, however, wouldn't that press conference have been much more successful if they came out and stated 1 of the following:
1) We are establishing a football coaches fund where fans can donate to help us build up the pool of money available to raise our salary pool that we can offer and pay head coaches on down. Let's say the university is willing to pony up 1 million per year towards the coaching pool, if we can find only 1,000 people willing to pony up $1,000 per year that's 2 million more per year we can offer to our coaches pool. They could've said this and had a table set up in the atrium and said here is the fund and you can begin pledging as soon as this press conference ends.
2) They could've said we are building an indoor practice facility and here are the plans, we need X amount, there's a table over there where you can begin pledging gifts and writing checks towards said facility
3) We are building a stadium, here are the sketches, here's what we need to raise, here's the projected starting capacity level and we're going to build it in a way that allows us to expand to said level, there's a table over there for the Tulane Stadium Fund, start donating.

There are alot of people who would donate at least some figure of money on a yearly basis to help this football program if you give them specific projects or funds that they can donate to, tell them what their donation is going to help the Football program do, and give them an avenue to donate.
tkrueman
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me,me , me, me , me , and ME. Yes I SAVED TULANE, NEW ORLEANS, AND WORLD , all by myself after Katina. So you must believe every word that comes out of crooked mouth. When I tell all is ok in GREEN WAVE LAND. :mrgreen:
RWR
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Even the student reporters get that Tulane is still not truly committed to football. He concludes his Hullabaloo article w/this,"Tulane fans have a right to remain skeptical."
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JTLiuzza
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RWR wrote:Even the student reporters get that Tulane is still not truly committed to football. He concludes his Hullabaloo article w/this,"Tulane fans have a right to remain skeptical."
Hullaballoo
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JDTulane
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I think years of losing seasons, hurricanes, plots to kill the program, and lack of success would make anyone skeptical. $50million dollars could fall from the sky and a 5 star quarterback could suddenly sign to Tulane and Tulane fans/students/etc. would still remain skeptical.
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On this observation of the age of the "crowd" if one wants to call it that, I have always noted that older alumni have few connections to the school and that athletics is one of the few ways we can still feel part of the university or relate. I would venture a quess that the vast majority of the students could really care less about Tulane athletics. They are busy attending classes, having fun and parties and they are there whereas many of us are in distant cities. If kids were demonstrating in front of Cowens home, I think that might get the point across but I am sure that it is not lost on Dickson and Cowen that its primarily older alumni yelling for improvements, not the average student. Would winning year to year change that? I am not convinced as I felt that our attendance during the miracle season was anemic even though we were "kicking ass".
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RWR
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Bigschtick wrote:On this observation of the age of the "crowd" if one wants to call it that, I have always noted that older alumni have few connections to the school and that athletics is one of the few ways we can still feel part of the university or relate. I would venture a quess that the vast majority of the students could really care less about Tulane athletics. They are busy attending classes, having fun and parties and they are there whereas many of us are in distant cities. If kids were demonstrating in front of Cowens home, I think that might get the point across but I am sure that it is not lost on Dickson and Cowen that its primarily older alumni yelling for improvements, not the average student. Would winning year to year change that? I am not convinced as I felt that our attendance during the miracle season was anemic even though we were "kicking ass".
Fans didn't know we were going to go 12-0 when the season began. It was precede by Davis and Teevens.
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Bigschtick
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1ndabag wrote:
RWR wrote:Even the student reporters get that Tulane is still not truly committed to football. He concludes his Hullabaloo article w/this,"Tulane fans have a right to remain skeptical."
Hullaballoo

Actually, the student's comments were far more insightful and articulate than many of ours! interesting talk about prioritizing academics when under Cowen, our ratings have slipped! His priority: Making himself look good. The guy is a ego- maniac, hardly the kind of university president we need!
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RobertM320
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Bigschtick wrote:On this observation of the age of the "crowd" if one wants to call it that, I have always noted that older alumni have few connections to the school and that athletics is one of the few ways we can still feel part of the university or relate. I would venture a quess that the vast majority of the students could really care less about Tulane athletics. They are busy attending classes, having fun and parties and they are there whereas many of us are in distant cities. If kids were demonstrating in front of Cowens home, I think that might get the point across but I am sure that it is not lost on Dickson and Cowen that its primarily older alumni yelling for improvements, not the average student. Would winning year to year change that? I am not convinced as I felt that our attendance during the miracle season was anemic even though we were "kicking ass".
I disagree. I think winning year to year AND playing teams people want to see would have a positive effect on attendance. Remember, a lot of the students come from the Northeast. To them the likes of Tulsa, UTEP, Marshall, Southern Miss and UCF are not worth going to see, regardless of the record. But start winning, and by that I mean being able to beat teams like Ole Miss and Mississippi State when they come to town, and you'll start seeing the students take note.

Second, as has already been stated, going to see a game in the Superdome, regardless of opponent, is hardly the "college gameday experience" the kids are looking for. An on-campus facility would change that. Students are always looking for a place to party. Assuming (BIG IF, HERE) things are done properly, can't you see students setting up and spending an entire day tailgating? Especially if the University was smart enough to turn the Quad into a big tailgate event every game day. It would then naturally gravitate to the stadium as game time neared.

Look, I was in school for the Larry Smith years. The first three we were 2-9 ('76), 3-8 ('77), and 4-7 ('78), and that was only 3 years removed from the 14-0 win over LSU in 1973. Attendance was average at best. Yet, by the end of that 1979 season, we sold out against Ole Miss, sold out against LSU the following week, then battled Penn State tough in the Liberty Bowl. When the 1980 season started, we had almost a full house for Mississippi State. But with Vince Gibson and Hindman Wall running the show, the team underachieved and the support eroded.

It will take a lot of time, but winning and the proper schedule will rebuild the base. Its also why I personally think it imperative that we take EVERY opportunity to position ourselves for a possible conference change. (Big 12, WAC, MWC, Big East)
"That mantra is the only consistent thing that never needs to ever change for the rest of this program’s existence because that is all that matters & as long as that keeps occurring, everything will handle itself" -- Nick Anderson
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Bigschtick
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I hope you are right! I would love to see the program turn around and I would be proud and delighted to attend games in our own stadium.
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jonathanjoseph
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RobertM320 wrote:
Bigschtick wrote:On this observation of the age of the "crowd" if one wants to call it that, I have always noted that older alumni have few connections to the school and that athletics is one of the few ways we can still feel part of the university or relate. I would venture a quess that the vast majority of the students could really care less about Tulane athletics. They are busy attending classes, having fun and parties and they are there whereas many of us are in distant cities. If kids were demonstrating in front of Cowens home, I think that might get the point across but I am sure that it is not lost on Dickson and Cowen that its primarily older alumni yelling for improvements, not the average student. Would winning year to year change that? I am not convinced as I felt that our attendance during the miracle season was anemic even though we were "kicking ass".
I disagree. I think winning year to year AND playing teams people want to see would have a positive effect on attendance. Remember, a lot of the students come from the Northeast. To them the likes of Tulsa, UTEP, Marshall, Southern Miss and UCF are not worth going to see, regardless of the record. But start winning, and by that I mean being able to beat teams like Ole Miss and Mississippi State when they come to town, and you'll start seeing the students take note.

Second, as has already been stated, going to see a game in the Superdome, regardless of opponent, is hardly the "college gameday experience" the kids are looking for. An on-campus facility would change that. Students are always looking for a place to party. Assuming (BIG IF, HERE) things are done properly, can't you see students setting up and spending an entire day tailgating? Especially if the University was smart enough to turn the Quad into a big tailgate event every game day. It would then naturally gravitate to the stadium as game time neared.

Look, I was in school for the Larry Smith years. The first three we were 2-9 ('76), 3-8 ('77), and 4-7 ('78), and that was only 3 years removed from the 14-0 win over LSU in 1973. Attendance was average at best. Yet, by the end of that 1979 season, we sold out against Ole Miss, sold out against LSU the following week, then battled Penn State tough in the Liberty Bowl. When the 1980 season started, we had almost a full house for Mississippi State. But with Vince Gibson and Hindman Wall running the show, the team underachieved and the support eroded.

It will take a lot of time, but winning and the proper schedule will rebuild the base. Its also why I personally think it imperative that we take EVERY opportunity to position ourselves for a possible conference change. (Big 12, WAC, MWC, Big East)
The Superdome's atmosphere is not the problem. Winning is the problem. That places rocks during Saints games. The fact that it is an NFL stadium that's getting a $100M makeover and that the city is investing significant resources into reviving the area around the Superdome makes it stupid to leave.

A vision for successful Tulane football will include games against top-tier college football opponents. When Texas goes independent you can bet the house that they'd love, love, love to play a road game at the Superdome around hotels and Bourbon Street. You think they are going to play at a 25K seat stadium? No chance.

We need to plan for success.
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That's a common theory about an on-campus stadium helping w/student attendance. However,they didn't attend when we had a stadium before and they won't now. They still don't attend basketball games and baseball games in large numbers and both of those are played on campus. We drew a lot better when we moved in the Dome than we did at Tulane Stadium. Decades of losing have washed away the fan base not the Dome. BTW, there will be no parking and hence no tailgating. It's called tailgating for a reason.
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JTLiuzza
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I agree wholeheartedly with jonathanjoseph and RWR above.

The stadium issue is a red herring.

The students are also a non-issue. The only benefit to them showing up is that establishing a relationship and love for TU athletics will turn some of them into the donors of the future. Beyond that I don't care if they come or not. And more often than not, they don't. That's the least of our worries.
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I've gone through this many times but I will do it again regarding attendance in 98.

Prior to 1997 we had 10 years of abysmal football. In the 96 home finale we played Syracuse in the Dome in front of in my opinion 3500-4500 fans tops. For our home finale in 97 against Memphis I believe announced attendance was over 23K and in my opinion actual was a little over 20K. That's a 15,000 actual person increase in 12 months. In 1998 we went in with momentum, however the home Navy game which likely would've drawn 27-28+ was killed by Hurricane Georges evacuation which left us under 20K. The next week we played USM and Georges aftermath in Mississippi affected USM travel. That game drew 32K legit. The 2 last home games Houston and La Tech drew 27K and 38K respectively. Those numbers we 95% accurate as far as real bodies in the Dome in my opinion. That means in 24 months we increased actual bodies in the Dome to watch Tulane football from 4,000 to 26,000 and 37K. An increase of 22,000 for the Houston game and 33,000 for a Thanksgiving Night Latech game. There is numerical proof that winning Tulane football over the course of 5 or 6 years will likely have us averaging 32-37K per game which is already 7-12K above a 25K capacity stadium. Winning over the course of 10 years and scheduling 1 or 2 good games per year will bring that number in my opinion upwards of 42-45K. Do you think Cowen or Dickson know the numbers that I've just talked about in 97-98, the reasons for those numbers and actual bodies in the seats gains? Do you think they just look at the Media Guide and say, man we didnt draw flies in 98? If they plan on winning consistently why build a stadium that would house roughly 55-60% of what they would likely be able to draw? How many people would a 9-0 Tulane team in 98 against a 9-0 Tennessee team or 9-0 Florida St team in the Dome have drawn??? It would've sold out without a doubt. There is no vision from this administration. When you have a good team and you schedule 1 or 2 OOC home games against name teams there's reallly good chance you could draw big numbers in this city. Are we going to schedule any "moneymaking" games back in the Dome?
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I strongly disagree we need a oncampus stadium but it needs to hold at least 35,000 and I believe it will. We will never have full student participation without an campus stadium. The students are the heart of a fanbase in College Football. As the Student Population continues to grow this will be a bigger base for a fanbase. Other fans will come back into the fold once we get Sat. nite football on campus including the Neighborhoods around campus. This area also will be a base for new fans. When I park and walk to a baseball game I hear residents asking what time is the game. Because it is walking distance they go to the game. Wake up those against a OCS you are totally wrong.
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mbawavefan12
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That was the 3.5 years ago. The quotes from the playbook are laughable.
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NOLABigSteve
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mbawavefan12 wrote:That was the 3.5 years ago. The quotes from the playbook are laughable.
I'm aware. Just thought I would dig it up, see how far we come... or haven't.
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mbawavefan12
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NOLABigSteve wrote:
mbawavefan12 wrote:That was the 3.5 years ago. The quotes from the playbook are laughable.
I'm aware. Just thought I would dig it up, see how far we come... or haven't.
I know, I was just pointing it. They said it so long ago and now we are basically no better.
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I can't seem to find the "walk across the street quote in that video". I remember hearing it but can't find it.
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