Author Topic: firebrucewebernow.com  (Read 102663 times)

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Offline Shooter Jones

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1050 on: February 15, 2021, 09:11:12 AM »
The allegation is that several key academic side donors have withheld support due to Klieman getting a raise when the athletic department is operating at a significant deficit.   Leadership anticipates blowback at a larger scale if they use money to remove oscar and install a new coach.

This doesn't make a bit of sense to me. The athletic department budget works completely independent of the university and has for several years, I'm 100% certain academic and athletic donors are aware of this.

I completely agree. I think the concern is that President Myers would have to approve of the buyout, correct?

Offline wetwillie

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1051 on: February 15, 2021, 10:51:56 AM »
The allegation is that several key academic side donors have withheld support due to Klieman getting a raise when the athletic department is operating at a significant deficit.   Leadership anticipates blowback at a larger scale if they use money to remove oscar and install a new coach.

This doesn't make a bit of sense to me. The athletic department budget works completely independent of the university and has for several years, I'm 100% certain academic and athletic donors are aware of this.



I have no way of verifying any of the details but DY usually doesn’t put stuff out there until he’s damn sure it’s true.   
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Offline MakeItRain

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1052 on: February 15, 2021, 11:37:27 AM »
Well, broke ass Boston College just found the money.

Offline wetwillie

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1053 on: February 15, 2021, 11:50:46 AM »
Well, broke ass Boston College just found the money.

It leads me to believe there are larger more systemic issues university wide.   I think things are more mumped up than I thought.




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Offline Shooter Jones

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1054 on: February 15, 2021, 11:55:10 AM »
Well, broke ass Boston College just found the money.

The way DY hinted, we have the money to make the move, but it's all about how it's seen. Like you said, the AD operates independently from the University. The issue is the university laid off/furloughed tons of employees, and days/weeks later the AD announces Klieman's extension. So, many people and large donors on the University side raise hell for that being announced while the University is explaining all the financial issues. Think he even hinted that maybe Gene and Klieman are even renegotiating a new contract (would be really weird if true?).

Either way, Gene is scared of the blow back.


Offline Shooter Jones

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1055 on: February 15, 2021, 11:56:56 AM »
I'll bet we get an extension soon, at a discounted yearly salary for oscar (he's working for 13% less this season already), but with similar buyout numbers and timeline.

Sucks.

Offline Trim

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1056 on: February 15, 2021, 12:21:23 PM »
If he loses out, it’d be mumped up to not let him see how far out he can set the record.

Offline sonofdaxjones

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1057 on: February 15, 2021, 12:58:57 PM »
Gene is in a tough spot:

1.  Most people, even smart people don't get how KSA Inc works and how the university works in relation to KSA Inc.   You gotta follow it and understand it.

2.  He give his guy a raise in the middle of tough economic times

3.  He's got another $50 million in facilities improvements about to get finished in the middle of pandemic

4.  They're talking about the next round of $55 million dollars worth of facilities improvements being done in 2 years. 

5.  Paying a buyout to oscar in the middle of a throw away season just isn't going to sit well with people who don't get it, even the smart big donors

Potential really bad optics all the way around, and the worst of it, is horrible basketball






Offline Shooter Jones

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1058 on: February 15, 2021, 01:07:57 PM »
If it's optics, why don't you... Pay oscar's buyout (leave it up to him if it wants to be announced as a firing or retiring). With the small monthly payments of the buyout, you can hire Jacob Pullen for like $800k and bring back dozens of jobs, save the athletic department millions of dollars over the next 2-3 years.

Basically like any company in American doing layoffs/voluntary layoffs/early retirement. Spend a little money to save some money.

You're welcome.

Offline wetwillie

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1059 on: February 15, 2021, 01:10:00 PM »
Thank you Dax, that is really well said.
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Offline sonofdaxjones

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1060 on: February 15, 2021, 01:26:35 PM »
Thanks WW.

While I haven't been tearing into the wonky things like normal because I don't want to get depressed about all the bad things I'd read caused by the pandemic.

After a flurry of around $500 million dollars worth of academic side construction that ended about 2 years ago, there's lots of projects that are kind of in holding pattern.   Gene, pops-up handing out the purple handled shovels again, while giving his bro a raise, while paying oscar to go away while telling people to take a paycut . . .  some people are going to take that the wrong way.   

I suspect some are probably looking at the West campus corridor and are all like  :dunno: :dunno: without understanding that it's been in the works for a number of years.  I can assure you, there are people who think it's to benefit athletics (which it kinda is, honestly).  You can bet on it. 


Offline sonofdaxjones

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1061 on: February 15, 2021, 01:36:36 PM »
If it's optics, why don't you... Pay oscar's buyout (leave it up to him if it wants to be announced as a firing or retiring). With the small monthly payments of the buyout, you can hire Jacob Pullen for like $800k and bring back dozens of jobs, save the athletic department millions of dollars over the next 2-3 years.

Basically like any company in American doing layoffs/voluntary layoffs/early retirement. Spend a little money to save some money.

You're welcome.

I think you make oscar an offer he can't refuse, or he'd be dumb to refuse IMO.   $250K a year for 4 years, then drop to $150K a year for the rest of his life, a couple of courtesy cars every year, 4 club seats for Fball, extra privileges at Colbert Hills, benefits.   You know, basketball coach emeritus or something like that. 

Offline chum1

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1062 on: February 15, 2021, 01:38:56 PM »
This all feels like a big rationalization. It's not a given that oscar would be fired if there were no money/perception issues.

Offline sonofdaxjones

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1063 on: February 15, 2021, 01:41:24 PM »
The odds favor oscar returning.   This is all speculation.



Online ChiComCat

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1064 on: February 15, 2021, 01:41:48 PM »
This all feels like a big rationalization. It's not a given that oscar would be fired if there were no money/perception issues.

I don't know that Bill was any more or less of a given. 

Offline MakeItRain

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1065 on: February 15, 2021, 02:23:57 PM »
I empathize with the tough spot that Gene is in, but it's what he signed up for, firing coaches is almost always a tough decision, regardless of circumstance. The only time when it isn't tough is when the coach did something so horrific that they've have left the team/program in a really bad and/or embarrassing spot, like that beyond what happens on the court or field. Weiser got some crap for firing Wooly, not a ton, but enough, and people really hated the way he broke Wooly off. If there are issues with academic donors, it seems like that is something that the general should have managed better.

With all of the back of the napkin math being done, it seems like everyone is forgetting the insane amount of ticket and gameday revenue we're going to lose next year. Bramlage will be a ghost town.

Offline Shooter Jones

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1066 on: February 15, 2021, 02:50:40 PM »
Do we give Gene a pass for the Klieman extension though? Were there schools showing interest in the 4th week of this season?

If giving his buddy that extension with damn near 5 seasons left on his contract (and i would assume no one dabbling) is what makes us keep oscar, no one should empathize with Gene. It actually makes me rough ridin' furious.

Offline wetwillie

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1067 on: February 15, 2021, 02:52:23 PM »
If there are issues with academic donors, it seems like that is something that the general should have managed better.


This is really the heart of the issue.
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Offline michigancat

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1068 on: February 15, 2021, 03:19:51 PM »


With all of the back of the napkin math being done, it seems like everyone is forgetting the insane amount of ticket and gameday revenue we're going to lose next year. Bramlage will be a ghost town.

It will probably be a ghost town no matter who the coach is

Offline sys

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1069 on: February 15, 2021, 06:14:58 PM »
If he loses out, it’d be mumped up to not let him see how far out he can set the record.

i think that's right.  they'll probably be a much improved team next year, but you have to let him try.
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Offline Kat Kid

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1070 on: February 15, 2021, 07:08:27 PM »
I'm sorry but Gip, Shane, Spradling those guys were all pillow soft. 

go read the play by play from 3:11 in the 2nd half and try to remember this game. We somehow still won, but holy crap, so weak.

https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2013-14/kansas/boxscore/1400

Offline Kat Kid

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1071 on: February 15, 2021, 07:13:17 PM »
We called a timeout because shane couldn't in-bound the ball, then he passed it in to brennan greene. I was so mad.

Offline EMAWzifried

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1072 on: February 15, 2021, 07:48:21 PM »
If he loses out, it’d be mumped up to not let him see how far out he can set the record.

i think that's right.  they'll probably be a much improved team next year, but you have to let him try.
Can you imagine the cupcake non-conference schedule Oscar will line up next year? If we lose out, the opener could well be the first NCAA D1 mens vs D3 womens game in history.

Offline Kid In the Hall

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1073 on: February 15, 2021, 08:58:23 PM »
For some perspective - I have a good friend who's in the administration of a p5 school on the east coast (one with a larger budget than K-State, though not by a huge amount). Due to the pandemic, anyone over $200k got a 20% pay cut, anyone over $100k got a 10% pay cut and anyone under $100k got 15-20 days of furlough during the year. The cuts would have been worse, but they're fortunate to not have as much gameday staff because they play in a municipally-owned b-ball arena. They're in a state where indoor attendance for events is basically zero (they let a handful of super-rich donors in each game). While they believe football revenue will mostly come back in 2021 (attendance $$$, sponsor $$$, etc.), they still believe b-ball revenue will be massively shy of prior years due to lingering issues with the pandemic.

I say all of this because it helps explain the nuances of why Weber very likely could be around another year (and that's on top of all the other K-State specific reasons everyone else has already articulated). I'm not saying I like it, but it's a tough sell from a perception standpoint - both internally and externally.

Offline michigancat

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Re: firebrucewebernow.com
« Reply #1074 on: February 15, 2021, 10:35:08 PM »
I'm gonna guess nc state!