Men's Basketball Schedule is up

[msdos]

http://www.tulanegreenwave.com/sports/m ... sched.html

I see about 5 games I want to go to. Other than that...

[msdos]

http://www.tulanegreenwave.com/sports/m ... 11aaa.html

The Hoops for Hope Classic is scheduled for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving and will feature cross-town foe New Orleans, Alcorn State and San Diego.

I guess they assume none of us are going to Hawaii. Right in my case

[tpstulane]

I'm going on record to say that this is the worse schedule in Tulane basketball history.

[NOLABigSteve]

The non-conference schedule is atrocious. Wow, just wow.

[jonathanjoseph]

It's ridiculous, but at this point I expect nothing more.

[RobertM320]

I'm going on record to say that this is the worse schedule in Tulane basketball history.

I don't know about that. Maybe the worst schedule in the last 30 years. Does anyone remember back in the early-mid 70's when we played that City Series thing? We'd play Xavier, Dillard, Loyola, etc.............. never mind. I went back and looked at the schedules from the 60's and 70's. This IS the worst schedule ever.

[OUG]

This should be a major data point in the evaluation of Rick Dickson's time as AD.

I realize this is an unpopular opinion on this forum, but Cowen is not the antichrist as concerns TU athletics. He's pretty agnostic, in my opinion, and has to manage a lot of competing interests. We need Rick Dickson to be an effective advocate for his department, and he quite frankly is not.

This piece of crap schedule fail falls completely on Rick Dickson's doorstep. Somebody needs to answer for it. I hold both Conroy and Dickson accountable, but mostly because Conroy was hired by Dickson, and because Dickson is accountable for the product he is asking us to pay for.

You cannot ask your fans to buy-into a program that willfully states that they do not see themselves as a national basketball product. This is as big a deal as the football failures, because it once again signals that we are just disinterested in the product we are putting in front of fans.

I feel sorry for the flack in the SID's office that has to write the press release meant to make this big plate of fail sound exciting. He's the real victim here.

[NOLABigSteve]

Welcome to the board '05. I just have a hard time believing this is all just on Dickson. Cowen has a major influence on athletics.

[JTLiuzza]

I won't use the word OUG used but the "review" of 2003 was not the act of an agnostic.

[OUG]

Welcome to the board '05. I just have a hard time believing this is all just on Dickson. Cowen has a major influence on athletics.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter whether you think Cowen is part of the problem or not.

TU atletics supporters aren't getting rid of Cowen. Even at a huge athletics factory, Presidents are NEVER removed due to athletics. In fact... presidents are really never removed, period.

That's my main thinking on Cowen, the whole issue is a distraction. Cowen will be here as long as he wants. Complaining about him won't help, because he doesn't have a boss. Focusing on Cowen is like complaining about the Pope. If you want to make change, you need to pressure the Cardinal about your Bishop. And if that doesn't work, you pressure the Pope about your Cardinal.

Cowen can't and won't be fired because of athletics failures. That's a change that can't and won't happen.

Rick Dickson can and should be removed over athletics failures. THat's a change that can happen. But it won't happen, if we're too focused on Cowen being the problem. Focus on the problem you can solve.

How do we solve it? What will Cowen listen to? Not an open letter, I'll tell you that.

MONEY.

They look at the stands and think they see the sum total of Tulane athletics support.

What they need are pledges of support, real financial support, from people who don't buy tickets anymore, but will if X, Y, and Z happen.

In my opinion, this is politics 101. This is how grassroots movements are built and how they work. Target something achievable, identify a strategy to put pressure in the right places, claim victory. Consolidate your gains and tackle the next, bigger target.

[NOLABigSteve]

Who's in charge of hiring a new athletic director???

[JTLiuzza]

I think you're missing the point. Equating Scott Cowen's departure with the saving of Tulane University (something he is convinced he has already done) is not so much intended to get him fired but to embarrass him. We know that works. And it's intended to be a salvo against the thing that is most important to him: the cult of adoration that he has painstakingly built.

And getting rid of one meat puppet AD won't accomplish much if the next one has the same hand up his chute.

Neither will Cowen play ball quid pro quo style if he's the first guy who has to ante up. No way. That's not his style. Going to him with pledges of money based on him doing x, y, and z with x, y, and z having to happen before the money comes will not even get a response.

[OUG]

Who's in charge of hiring a new athletic director???

Cowen.

Which is why you pressure him and persuade him to hire a new one.

Screaming for him to be hired or comparing him to Hitler ain't gonna work. Scott Cowen. Will. Not. Be. Fired. Over. Athletics. Rinse and Repeat. That doesn't even happen at Notre Dame, and this stuff is life and death to them. Its virtually impossible for a University President to be fired unless he's embezzling funds or something.

Donors, and more importantly, potential donors, need to be approaching Cowen and pursuading him in ways that matter ($$$) that we need a new and energetic athletic director that doesn't accept failure on the field, and that a message needs to be sent that wins and losses matter.

A new AD and football coach would be a tremendous shot in the arm. And its acheivable. Focus on what we can control.

[NOLABigSteve]

Equating Scott Cowen's departure with the saving of Tulane University (something he is convinced he has already done) is not so much intended to get him fired but to embarrass him. We know that works. And it's intended to be a salvo against the thing that is most important to him: the cult of adoration that he has painstakingly built.

+1

[NOLABigSteve]

I get what you are saying OUG, but there's no harm in getting after his ass too.

[OUG]

I think you're missing the point. Equating Scott Cowen's departure with the saving of Tulane University (something he is convinced he has already done) is not so much intended to get him fired but to embarrass him. We know that works. And it's intended to be a salvo against the thing that is most important to him: the cult of adoration that he has painstakingly built.

And getting rid of one meat puppet AD won't accomplish much if the next one has the same hand up his chute.

Neither will Cowen play ball quid pro quo style if he's the first guy who has to ante up. No way. That's not his style. Going to him with pledges of money based on him doing x, y, and z with x, y, and z having to happen before the money comes will not even get a response.

Not missing the point at all, I just disagree.

The culture of adoration in the national media about Cowen, as you call it, will not stop because sports fans at Tulane think he doesn't care about athletics.

There is not enough leverage for Tulane fans to embarrass him into action. The guy was named one of the top ten presidents in America. Athletics didn't even enter remotely into that equation.

And furthermore, he's not directing anything behind the scenes regarding athletics. He's too busy with all his outside endeavors to tell RD who should and should not be on the freaking basketball schedule.

Believe me, the biggest problem with Cowen is that athletics are a blip on his radar -- he just doesn't care -- not that he's fiendishly sabotaging us at every turn.

The guy whose job it is to ensure that he cares is failing miserably.

[JTLiuzza]

I think you're missing the point. Equating Scott Cowen's departure with the saving of Tulane University (something he is convinced he has already done) is not so much intended to get him fired but to embarrass him. We know that works. And it's intended to be a salvo against the thing that is most important to him: the cult of adoration that he has painstakingly built.

And getting rid of one meat puppet AD won't accomplish much if the next one has the same hand up his chute.

Neither will Cowen play ball quid pro quo style if he's the first guy who has to ante up. No way. That's not his style. Going to him with pledges of money based on him doing x, y, and z with x, y, and z having to happen before the money comes will not even get a response.

Not missing the point at all, I just disagree.

The culture of adoration in the national media about Cowen, as you call it, will not stop because sports fans at Tulane think he doesn't care about athletics.

There is not enough leverage for Tulane fans to embarrass him into action. The guy was named one of the top ten presidents in America. Athletics didn't even enter remotely into that equation.

And furthermore, he's not directing anything behind the scenes regarding athletics. He's too busy with all his outside endeavors to tell RD who should and should not be on the freaking basketball schedule.

Believe me, the biggest problem with Cowen is that athletics are a blip on his radar -- he just doesn't care -- not that he's fiendishly sabotaging us at every turn.

The guy whose job it is to ensure that he cares is failing miserably.

He is not an absentee landlord vis a vis athletics. He is a micromanager. So the only thing we agree on is that we disagree.

[tpstulane]

Welcome to the board '05. I just have a hard time believing this is all just on Dickson. Cowen has a major influence on athletics.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter whether you think Cowen is part of the problem or not.

TU atletics supporters aren't getting rid of Cowen. Even at a huge athletics factory, Presidents are NEVER removed due to athletics. In fact... presidents are really never removed, period.

That's my main thinking on Cowen, the whole issue is a distraction. Cowen will be here as long as he wants. Complaining about him won't help, because he doesn't have a boss. Focusing on Cowen is like complaining about the Pope. If you want to make change, you need to pressure the Cardinal about your Bishop. And if that doesn't work, you pressure the Pope about your Cardinal.

Cowen can't and won't be fired because of athletics failures. That's a change that can't and won't happen.

Rick Dickson can and should be removed over athletics failures. THat's a change that can happen. But it won't happen, if we're too focused on Cowen being the problem. Focus on the problem you can solve.

How do we solve it? What will Cowen listen to? Not an open letter, I'll tell you that.

MONEY.

They look at the stands and think they see the sum total of Tulane athletics support.

What they need are pledges of support, real financial support, from people who don't buy tickets anymore, but will if X, Y, and Z happen.

In my opinion, this is politics 101. This is how grassroots movements are built and how they work. Target something achievable, identify a strategy to put pressure in the right places, claim victory. Consolidate your gains and tackle the next, bigger target.

As much as we hated the review, OUG is correct. SC will leave when he's ready and not a minute before. The problem I see is that RD is just following orders from SC. Tulane admin hires people they can control, SC can control RD, RD can control CBT and CEC. Tommy Bowden and Perry Clark weren't going to be controlled they wanted to win too much. Unfortunately I would expect to see the same type of hire in the future (AD or Head Coach). Winning is not as important as finding someone who they can control and hire on the cheap.

[OUG]

I get what you are saying OUG, but there's no harm in getting after his ass too.

Other than him tuning you and your agenda out completely ("lunatic fringe" ring a bell?)

Once we understand that we can't do anything about Cowen's job, the operative question becomes how we can best influence him.

Its Sun Tzu, same is true in politics as it is in war.

Rick Dickson and the athletic staff that are miserably failing in their jobs (how can we see the basketball schedule as anything other than the athletics staff just totally mailing it in?) would love you to keep focusing on Cowen as the enemy, for what its worth.

[NOLABigSteve]

Looking forward to that Wofford game on Dec. 6.

[tpstulane]

I get what you are saying OUG, but there's no harm in getting after his ass too.

Other than him tuning you and your agenda out completely ("lunatic fringe" ring a bell?)

Once we understand that we can't do anything about Cowen's job, the operative question becomes how we can best influence him.

Its Sun Tzu, same is true in politics as it is in war.

Rick Dickson and the athletic staff that are miserably failing in their jobs (how can we see the basketball schedule as anything other than the athletics staff just totally mailing it in?) would love you to keep focusing on Cowen as the enemy, for what its worth.

OUG, you have opened up my mind on SC. I agree with your point of view.

[JTLiuzza]

I get what you are saying OUG, but there's no harm in getting after his ass too.

Other than him tuning you and your agenda out completely ("lunatic fringe" ring a bell?)

Once we understand that we can't do anything about Cowen's job, the operative question becomes how we can best influence him.

Its Sun Tzu, same is true in politics as it is in war.

Rick Dickson and the athletic staff that are miserably failing in their jobs (how can we see the basketball schedule as anything other than the athletics staff just totally mailing it in?) would love you to keep focusing on Cowen as the enemy, for what its worth.

As I recall, the "lunatic fringe" was successful, despite Cowen's attempt to marginalize them (us). Why? Because he was exposed. Because the media began wondering what he was doing. He began getting attention that wasn't accolades and adoration and he didn't like it, that's why. It certainly wasn't money. He got that anyway because he turned his attempt to kill D1 football into another scam to extort money. Remember the "pledges?"

Cowen's job is not the issue.

You can stand there with a poster with a dollar figure on it all day long. That is your approach. Do try it. If it works I will be the first to congratulate you.

[OUG]

I get what you are saying OUG, but there's no harm in getting after his ass too.

Other than him tuning you and your agenda out completely ("lunatic fringe" ring a bell?)

Once we understand that we can't do anything about Cowen's job, the operative question becomes how we can best influence him.

Its Sun Tzu, same is true in politics as it is in war.

Rick Dickson and the athletic staff that are miserably failing in their jobs (how can we see the basketball schedule as anything other than the athletics staff just totally mailing it in?) would love you to keep focusing on Cowen as the enemy, for what its worth.

As I recall, the "lunatic fringe" was successful, despite Cowen's attempt to marginalize them (us). Why? Because he was exposed. Because the media began wondering what he was doing. He began getting attention that wasn't accolades and adoration and he didn't like it, that's why. It certainly wasn't money. He got that anyway because he turned his attempt to kill D1 football into another scam to extort money. Remember the "pledges?"

Cowen's job is not the issue.

You can stand there with a poster with a dollar figure on it all day long. That is your approach. Do try it. If it works I will be the first to congratulate you.

I disagree that Cowen himself wants or ever wanted to kill athletics. If that was his agenda he'd have done it in '05 when he freaking nuked half the engineering school and Newcomb college. That was his chance to enforce radical change on Tulane and he took it. You'll note that we committed to remaining in 1-A, received a temporary exemption from the NCAA, and now are fielding the full complement of 16 sports. Those are the facts.

If anything, his approach his too hands off vis a vis athletics. I saw the review as an exercise in telling the fiefdoms at Tulane "you want to kill athletics to save money for your programs? Go ahead and try, we'll put it all on the table!" Purely in order to save him politically from all the backlash he was getting from forcing other fiefdoms at the university to take financial haircuts in 2002-2004. Its like what politicians do when people start insisting that social security be reformed: Establish a commission, say that everything is on the table, and let the backlash speak for itself. The events of 2005 in the wake of Katrina support my contention. He passed on his real chance to take a hatchet to TU athletics.

The idea of standing with a banner saying that you have commitments for a 5,000,000 investment in the university if Dickson is fired is only an exagerated example. The point is that money works. Money is what talked the board into keeping athletics, not anybody embarassing Cowen. You want Cowen to do something, you show him money. Boom. Done.

Otherwise, he's basically agnostic.

Rick Dickson is not managing the athletic department properly or making the right strategic decisions. He needs to be fired, and he can be.

[Green Wave]

I disagree that Cowen himself wants or ever wanted to kill athletics. If that was his agenda he'd have done it in '05 when he freaking nuked half the engineering school and Newcomb college. That was his chance to enforce radical change on Tulane and he took it. You'll note that we committed to remaining in 1-A, received a temporary exemption from the NCAA, and now are fielding the full complement of 16 sports. Those are the facts.

If anything, his approach his too hands off vis a vis athletics. I saw the review as an exercise in telling the fiefdoms at Tulane "you want to kill athletics to save money for your programs? Go ahead and try, we'll put it all on the table!" Purely in order to save him politically from all the backlash he was getting from forcing other fiefdoms at the university to take financial haircuts in 2002-2004. Its like what politicians do when people start insisting that social security be reformed: Establish a commission, say that everything is on the table, and let the backlash speak for itself. The events of 2005 in the wake of Katrina support my contention. He passed on his real chance to take a hatchet to TU athletics.

I would just like to add if Cowen wanted to do away with D1 football then, why did SC pic 2003 to do it? Football had just come off a winning season for the 4th time in 6 years and the Wave ended it with an upset bowl win over Hawaii. That would appear to be the worst possible time to do that.

[JTLiuzza]

I disagree that Cowen himself wants or ever wanted to kill athletics. If that was his agenda he'd have done it in '05 when he freaking nuked half the engineering school and Newcomb college. That was his chance to enforce radical change on Tulane and he took it. You'll note that we committed to remaining in 1-A, received a temporary exemption from the NCAA, and now are fielding the full complement of 16 sports. Those are the facts.

If anything, his approach his too hands off vis a vis athletics. I saw the review as an exercise in telling the fiefdoms at Tulane "you want to kill athletics to save money for your programs? Go ahead and try, we'll put it all on the table!" Purely in order to save him politically from all the backlash he was getting from forcing other fiefdoms at the university to take financial haircuts in 2002-2004. Its like what politicians do when people start insisting that social security be reformed: Establish a commission, say that everything is on the table, and let the backlash speak for itself. The events of 2005 in the wake of Katrina support my contention. He passed on his real chance to take a hatchet to TU athletics.

The idea of standing with a banner saying that you have commitments for a 5,000,000 investment in the university if Dickson is fired is only an exagerated example. The point is that money works. Money is what talked the board into keeping athletics, not anybody embarassing Cowen. You want Cowen to do something, you show him money. Boom. Done.

Otherwise, he's basically agnostic.

Rick Dickson is not managing the athletic department properly or making the right strategic decisions. He needs to be fired, and he can be.

I didn't say Cowen wanted to kill athletics. Read the post. I said he wanted to kill D1 football, and that is not in dispute. I'm not arguing with you anymore. You're a know-it-all.

Get your sign with your dollar figure and knock yourself out.