Ad calling for action

[DrBox]

SMU and TCU are also in DFW: more $ and more people. SMU still doesn't draw squat in football
The school is doing well; and free tuition for in-state residents <100K should certainly add to the local alumni.
As for Tulane and athletics, it doesn't even take some great commitment. Just stop being lazy with unearned contract extensions and demand accountability. If a coach performs poorly or sits on his ass, replace him/her. i.e. do your job.
Hiring and extending Jewitt, lazy contract extension for Stockton (instead of firing her), and the excessive extension for Fritz really has nothing to do with commitment. It has to do with AD competence and willingness to do his job.

[winwave]

SMU and TCU are also in DFW: more $ and more people. SMU still doesn't draw squat in football
The school is doing well; and free tuition for in-state residents <100K should certainly add to the local alumni.
As for Tulane and athletics, it doesn't even take some great commitment. Just stop being lazy with unearned contract extensions and demand accountability. If a coach performs poorly or sits on his ass, replace him/her. i.e. do your job.
Hiring and extending Jewitt, lazy contract extension for Stockton (instead of firing her), and the excessive extension for Fritz really has nothing to do with commitment. It has to do with AD competence and willingness to do his job.

Your first paragraph isn't clear. iI you are claiming yet again Tulane gives free tuition to locals that have families that make less than $100k you need to stop the lie. It is a sliding scale program and there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get it . Last but not least it's very arbitrary with Tulane making the final decision as to how much one might get. So no it is not a program that is going to noticeably increase local alumni. Not even close.

I agree we shouldn't be giving out unwarranted extensions. But you are absolutely wrong when you say that alone will cure the problems and we don't need a great commitment. Those lack of facilities are apparent to all candidates. The lack of facilities commitment has taken us from a top stepping stone job to being seen as a career killer. So without that great commitment the pool of candidates will remain very poor. No commitment means things stay the same.

[HoustonWave]

Every time I see an article or report about realignment, and what conferences look for in candidate schools, one of the first things, if not the first thing, that is mentioned are the facilities—which clearly represent the true commitment that any university has to its athletic program. The conferences all know that coaches can come and go, and winning seasons can come and go, but facilities are permanent.

[NOLABigSteve]

Every time I see an article or report about realignment, and what conferences look for in candidate schools, one of the first things, if not the first thing, that is mentioned are the facilities—which clearly represent the true commitment that any university has to its athletic program. The conferences all know that coaches can come and go, and winning seasons can come and go, but facilities are permanent.

+1,000,000

Absolutely.

Every school that has ever been in the re-alignment talks over the years has invested in facilities, has not given ludicrous, unwarranted contract extensions, and has been fairly transparent in their vision and plan for athletics to the fans.

Tulane has done NONE of these. And we're never in the talks for those very reasons.

[Bigschtick]

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and Tulane not having the will to have a successful athletic program. You can talk yourselves blue in the face about the administration, coaching, facilities, recruiting etc but none of that will change anything with the current administration. Unless and until there is a new administration without Fitts at the top, NOTHING will change and even then, there will never be a guarantee that an incoming President will be athletics friendly! We really are at a point of no return. Its just not fixable, something we should have all admitted by now!

[RobertM320]

I'm sure we could dig up the letter in the Hullabaloo , do a find and replace with some names, and it would still be spot on relevant.

It used to be pinned on the top of the main page

[RobertM320]

Scary how nothing has changed in ten years. Here's the link to the thread, and the actual letter we ran.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1155&p=8196&hilit=open+letter#p8196



Dr. Cowen and Mr. Dickson:

In 2003, we were referred to as “the lunatic fringe.” More recently, we have been called “faceless internet cowards” among other names. What we should be called are the “loyal and faithful followers of a poorly run athletic program!” We are the few thousand fans that continue to spend our time and money attending athletic events while the Tulane Administration continues to short change Tulane Athletics and more importantly the student athletes that are trying to represent the University!

“THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT TULANE UNIVERSITY IS UNACCEPTABLE”

Dr. Cowen, ever since your “review” in 2003, the majority of Tulane supporters do not trust you. You have recently made a couple of disparaging remarks about the football program, and your continued actions just seem to confirm your contempt for a successful athletic program at Tulane. Your attempt at presenting the “The Playbook – Inside the Game Plan for Tulane Football” during March 2011 was an insult to the Tulane community, and in your successful method of operation, you talked, but nothing concrete was heard. You claim to be behind athletics and want to make it successful, yet you will only agree to athletic facilities IF the money to fund such improvements is donated. It is easy to commit someone else’s funds. It is a REAL commitment when it is the University’s funds. You pride yourself in helping New Orleans recover after Hurricane Katrina, yet you are obviously blind as to your own University’s potential in helping this City. What is it that prevents you and the Board from having the foresight to see what a SUCCESSFUL Division 1A program would mean to the City of New Orleans? It doesn’t seem to be a problem for TCU, SMU, Stanford and other similar universities. Our potential is unlimited. These failures lead us to believe that you and the Board are not forward thinkers but simply just an organization that refuses to think “outside the box.” You cannot be that much in the dark as to realize that a successful program would enhance the standing and respect for Tulane, would bring back lost alumni, and most important of all, would provide a cash inflow to Tulane and the City. If you cannot see this fact, perhaps it is because you and the Board have a different agenda. New Orleans is a City that is just begging for a successful program. If Tulane is the leader it professes to be, then there is no excuse. Perhaps, Dr. Cowen, it is time for you to resign your position at Tulane and let someone with a more progressive way of thinking take over the reins of OUR University. Over the past 6 decades, the University has taken methodical steps to slowly dismantle Tulane athletics, especially football. We are now reaping what past Tulane Presidents and Boards have done. You and the Board are directly responsible. The University has been under your watch since 1998, and our performance and reputation, both academically and athletically, has disintegrated.

To you Mr. Dickson, you lost the faith and trust of the remaining Tulane supporters when you retained Coach Toledo and provided him with a contract extension. Perhaps now you have come to realize what a terrible decision you made and unfortunately, football is now suffering from your misjudgment. It is a well-known fact that the number of season ticket accounts is probably near the 700 mark. This is your responsibility as you have not taken the proper steps to hire the proper coach. In fact, you have a history of hiring incompetent coaches. One only needs to look at basketball and football to confirm this undeniable fact. At The Playbook meeting in March 2011, your tone and attitude with the fans was demeaning and arrogant. You are not available to the fan base and perhaps, Mr. Dickson, it is time for you also to move on.

In order to restore this program to the level and respect it deserves, we, the long suffering Tulane supporters, demand the following:

-Proper funding to allow for the hiring of a competent, qualified head coach and assistant coaches and salaries commensurate to other top football programs.
-The formation of a Search Committee charged with the locating and hiring of the next Head Football Coach. It should include several fans/supporters and perhaps a community leader.
-Proper funding for recruiting
-Admittance of athletes under the current NCAA qualifications
-Athletic course programs and related majors

Our football program has been around for more than one hundred years. Hundreds of student athletes have worn the Olive Green and Sky Blue. A disservice has been done to those individuals. The same people who contributed to our athletic successes over the years are now ridiculed when they say they participated in Tulane athletics. As a result of the systematical dismantling of the athletic programs, they are embarrassed to admit any connection to Tulane. They are embarrassed because they still care, but they no longer contribute and they no longer come back to their University. To the current student-athletes of Tulane University, we, the fans, have not given up on you. We support you 100%. The fan base is here. Our absence has been the only way until now to express our dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. Unfortunately, our cries have fallen on deaf ears. When your years at Tulane are done, you will forever be one of the few that can call themselves Tulane alumni. We intend to make sure that will be something you can be proud of.

Tulane belongs to its Alumni, not to Scott Cowen, not to Rick Dickson and not to the Board of Administrators. You are only the caretakers of OUR University. It is time for you to look in the mirror and either do the right thing or step aside and let individuals with more foresight step in and return this great University to its proper and deserved national position!

ROLL WAVE ROLL,
FRIENDS OF TULANE & GOTULA.NET

[TURVS71]

Well, I wrote that letter 10’years ago. We were criticized and laughed at but the frustration was so great at that point in time there was pretty much nothing else to do. Did it help? Probably not. Has much changed, Probably not? We went ahead and hired Curtis Johnson. Undoubtedly one of the most blatant blunders in Tulane coaching history. We all know where that got us! We built an on campus stadium BUT gave into the demand of the neighbors and scaled it back. Didn’t have to and now we are stuck with it at conference realignment time and don’t have the backbone to change it.

All you have to do is change the names and it is probably still appropriate for the current situation. I would bet it’s safe to say that the fan base is less now than at that time.

So Dannen, you can block us on Twitter and think that we don’t know what we are talking about. The facts are on our side and that is well proven by the “IGNORiNG” we are receiving at conference realignment time. The clock is ticking and the “self-destruct”- mechanism activated!

[DfromCT]

The actors have changed, but it's the same play it was 10 years ago. Thank God we had 1998, because I'm 1000% sure it's never going to be better, at least in my lifetime.

[Profoundwizard]

The actors have changed, but it's the same play it was 10 years ago. Thank God we had 1998, because I'm 1000% sure it's never going to be better, at least in my lifetime.

Not in any of our lifetimes. Tulane could start doing everything that we wish they would and they likely still wouldn’t top or even equal 1998

[mbawavefan12]

Well, I wrote that letter 10’years ago. We were criticized and laughed at but the frustration was so great at that point in time there was pretty much nothing else to do. Did it help? Probably not. Has much changed, Probably not? We went ahead and hired Curtis Johnson. Undoubtedly one of the most blatant blunders in Tulane coaching history. We all know where that got us! We built an on campus stadium BUT gave into the demand of the neighbors and scaled it back. Didn’t have to and now we are stuck with it at conference realignment time and don’t have the backbone to change it.

All you have to do is change the names and it is probably still appropriate for the current situation. I would bet it’s safe to say that the fan base is less now than at that time.

So Dannen, you can block us on Twitter and think that we don’t know what we are talking about. The facts are on our side and that is well proven by the “IGNORiNG” we are receiving at conference realignment time. The clock is ticking and the “self-destruct”- mechanism activated!

Read this twice!

[sader24]

Dannen is who the school hired. The issue is the University doesn't want to do what it takes to compete at a High Level and even if it did, it would have to hire a slew of people from Major Athletic Departments to handle it because even if they woke up and decided they wanted to compete at a high level there is nobody on campus that has any idea how to do that or what it looks like. The last person that was on campus that did was Tommy Bowden and he left as soon as he could.

[HoustonWave]

Dannen is who the school hired. The issue is the University doesn't want to do what it takes to compete at a High Level and even if it did, it would have to hire a slew of people from Major Athletic Departments to handle it because even if they woke up and decided they wanted to compete at a high level there is nobody on campus that has any idea how to do that or what it looks like. The last person that was on campus that did was Tommy Bowden and he left as soon as he could.

Absolutely true. From Fitts down—it’s a clueless void.

[DrBox]

I agree we shouldn't be giving out unwarranted extensions. But you are absolutely wrong when you say that alone will cure the problems and we don't need a great commitment. Those lack of facilities are apparent to all candidates. The lack of facilities commitment has taken us from a top stepping stone job to being seen as a career killer. So without that great commitment the pool of candidates will remain very poor. No commitment means things stay the same.

It's not a lie at all and the sliding scale program has been there for a while; it's been expanded and it certainly should increase local participation.
No shit we need better facilities. But is that the schools' fault? These things aren't that expensive; and raising money for them seems to be well within an AD's operating space.
Basketball, yes, that would require more university intervention.

[winwave]

I agree we shouldn't be giving out unwarranted extensions. But you are absolutely wrong when you say that alone will cure the problems and we don't need a great commitment. Those lack of facilities are apparent to all candidates. The lack of facilities commitment has taken us from a top stepping stone job to being seen as a career killer. So without that great commitment the pool of candidates will remain very poor. No commitment means things stay the same.

It's not a lie at all and the sliding scale program has been there for a while; it's been expanded and it certainly should increase local participation.
No shit we need better facilities. But is that the schools' fault? These things aren't that expensive; and raising money for them seems to be well within an AD's operating space.
Basketball, yes, that would require more university intervention.

It is a lie when you keep saying it is FREE TUITION FOR ALL WHO MAKE LESS THAN $100,000. That is a flat out lie. and no it is not bringing in a noticeable amount of locals.

Yes it is clearly the schools fault. They haven't produced a large number of truly rich alums and created a mindset within them that turned them off to athletics. The truth is coaches and AD's get hired here and they come in thinking they are coming to a school with a host of rich people that will get them the things they need to win. They quickly find out that is not true. They have been Tulaned time and again.