If you think moving the band back because the band wants to is a fireable offense, wouldn't publicly lying about it be even more of a fireable offense? I don't think they're lying or spinning, I think Gene saw that they are having a hard time selling student tickets and he's sick of hearing Tracz cry about it.
So what? The AD doesn't take orders from the freaking band. I don't think moving the band is a fireable offense, but not being able to stick up to the band director and tell him to shut up and enjoy his primo new seating area certainly is in the realm.
If everything really has gone down the way it's being given to us, then this is a giant disappointment. Winning will fill the student section back up. The band looked and sounded better in the NE corner, and if that's not being used for a new garden, then that part of the stadium is going to look really odd.
I hate that we now have to fix something that wasn't broken.
Other than the fireable offense thing I don't disagree with you.
@IPA4Me said we are getting fired up about band location but it's not really about that. I think it is ridiculous that we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars just 5 years ago to make that section specifically for the band and now we're going to have to spend money to change it because the band director wants a better seat for the game. The reason given, they are a distraction to the visitors, is idiotic. I have had season tickets since 1996, first four years in icat. It's cool that we give students and the band such good seats, but they're not distracting the visitors any more than they are in that corner.
I don't even hold it against Tracz for being a baby about this, I imagine coaches cry about petty stuff all the time. Tracz seems to have a cult of personality thing going, like Snyder did, so I'm sure he's a giant diva, but the AD needs to be able to tell his coaches to kick rocks when their wishes don't align with what's best for the department.
The problem here is that for the fan base this will be looked at as overwhelmingly positive, Gene and Frank both knows this too.