Recruiting presentation last Wednesday???

[DoubleDee]

I have to ask...
As a STH, why do I not know about a recruiting presentation the program put on last Wednesday, that 100 people or so attended as per Chris Gedney on TK99 this morning.
I've been invited to one of these before, so why not every time?? What is the criteria to be "in"? My status hasn't changed. Would've loved to go!!

 

[RF2044]

I have to ask...
As a STH, why do I not know about a recruiting presentation the program put on last Wednesday, that 100 people or so attended as per Chris Gedney on TK99 this morning.
I've been invited to one of these before, so why not every time?? What is the criteria to be "in"? My status hasn't changed. Would've loved to go!!

I can only say that traditionally the Athletic Department has done a tremendously poor job of publicizing these type of events. I'm sure that there are a LOT more than the 100 who'd be interested enough to go. It doesn't mean that they'd need to accommodate 1000+, but I'd bet this would garner more interest [case in point, people like you] and engender more active involvement in terms of fan participation.

 

[upperdeck]

I know a few years ago there were going to do some kind of program you had to RSVP and it got cancelled due to weather. it was going to be rescheduled and never happened and not sure they ever had one again with a general announcement to the public or season ticket holders .

 

[FAL]

Totally agree with lummgr on this. Are they really that stupid up on the hill? How difficult is it to pull a STH that has a local address/zip code and an email address out of a database that I am sure they have on us? If they would have sent said folks a quick email, I'm sure they could have surpassed a hundred spectators even in the middle of a Syracuse winter and maybe generate a little more excitement about the program as well.

Sometimes I think the AD is their own worst enemy.

 

[anomander]

Pretty sure it was for big time donors. You know since that's all Gross and Gedney tend to focus on.

 

[DoubleDee]

Totally agree with lummgr on this. Are they really that stupid up on the hill? How difficult is it to pull a STH that has a local address/zip code and an email address out of a database that I am sure they have on us? If they would have sent said folks a quick email, I'm sure they could have surpassed a hundred spectators even in the middle of a Syracuse winter and maybe generate a little more excitement about the program as well. Sometimes I think the AD is their own worst enemy.

Which is exactly how I found out before. The year I went it was at Manley with Marrone. In Marrones first class, he had a presentation in the backcourt before a men's BBall game. I would go to all of these things if I new. Help me support every aspect of the program. I'm not a big time donar, but I bet the highest percentage of STH aren't either.

 

[chakka3421]

I have to ask...
As a STH, why do I not know about a recruiting presentation the program put on last Wednesday, that 100 people or so attended as per Chris Gedney on TK99 this morning. I've been invited to one of these before, so why not every time?? What is the criteria to be "in"? My status hasn't changed. Would've loved to go!!

I hate to burst your & everyone else's bubble but they only have 2 objectives - one cater to big time donors and two, fill the dome with 50k people. And so they need to balance that against time spent with a few diehard fans versus focusing more on their jobs. I don't kniw what Shafer personally wants to do but maybe he doesn't even think about it much to know that it affects diehards like you and others like you.

I've been to those presentations before (didn't go this year) but what I think they should at least do is YouTube the session. Shafer does gets animated about the kids and sometimes their backstories with the parents and/or other recruiting battles with other schools but to me I lost interest awhile back. It does personalize each kid but one forgets the backstories as soon as you leave the room.

I think Tomcat used to recap each player (talk about a memory) on this Board but I am not sure if he attends anymore either.

 

[sutomcat]

I hate to burst your & everyone else's bubble but they only have 2 objectives - one cater to big time donors and two, fill the dome with 50k people. And so they need to balance that against time spent with a few diehard fans versus focusing more on their jobs. I don't kniw what Shafer personally wants to do but maybe he doesn't even think about it much to know that it affects diehards like you and others like you.

I've been to those presentations before (didn't go this year) but what I think they should at least do is YouTube the session. Shafer does gets animated about the kids and sometimes their backstories with the parents and/or other recruiting battles with other schools but to me I lost interest awhile back. It does personalize each kid but one forgets the backstories as soon as you leave the room.

I think Tomcat used to recap each player (talk about a memory) on this Board but I am not sure if he attends anymore either.

I attended it and gave a detailed run down in the chatroom immediately afterwards.

Sorry you missed it.

 

[TheCusian]

I attended it and gave a detailed run down in the chatroom immediately afterwards. Sorry you missed it.

Aw - that would be sweet to read. Next time I suppose...

 

[OrangeMojo]

I thought Tomcat was going to post one of his super-duper / better than actually being there re-caps of that event? maybe he did and I missed it (very possible)

lol - and while I was typing this I see Tomcat did in fact deliver this and I did in fact miss it.

Tomcat - was there some keep-it-here type information delivered that caused this to just be in the chat room and not posted to the regular board?

 

[sutomcat]

I thought Tomcat was going to post one of his super-duper / better than actually being there re-caps of that event? maybe he did and I missed it (very possible)

lol - and while I was typing this I see Tomcat did in fact deliver this and I did in fact miss it.

Tomcat - was there some keep-it-here type information delivered that caused this to just be in the chat room and not posted to the regular board?

The browser I did the chat with did not allow me to save the transcript and post it, so I am afraid it was lost to Data Heaven. Maybe someone who attended was able to copy it. If so, I don't have a problem with them posting it.

 

[bcubs9497]

There's video of it floating around somewhere.

 

[sufandu]

They know when signing day is. There's no reason they couldn't send out invites to every donor and and season ticket holder two weeks before to gauge interest and then set up something in an appropriate venue. If SU football were a real business, it would be bankrupt and it's management would have a hard time explaining why they did their job so poorly in their next job interview.

 

[reedny]

Tom, do you know if this event was for certain level OC donors? That would explain the lack of publicity.

 

[sutomcat]

Tom, do you know if this event was for certain level OC donors? That would explain the lack of publicity.

Yes, it was for major money donors only. Not sure what the dollar limit was.

Many schools use a briefing like this as a way to spread good will and build enthusiasm in the mainstream fanbase for the program.

One of the major weaknesses of the current group in the athletic department has been their inability to connect with/build relationships/get donations from the small and midsize donors. Though frankly, I don't think they have done well with big money donors either. This is an area we are not good at.

I am not saying an exclusive event for big donors is a bad idea. It is a good idea. People who pay the big bucks should get something substantial for their contributions, and access to the coaching staff, food and an open bar are a nice benefit. Though I couldn't believe the event did not include a brief tour of the IPF. What were they thinking?

I just think they should have another one for the middle level donors that doesn't have all the bells and whistles. Maybe 2 or 3 coaches show up instead of all of them, and you have to pay for food and drinks. But show them the film on the recruits, give some inside stories on how the players were recruited, things the staff liked about them, etc. Give the donors who make substantial donations something for their money to know they are appreciated, and let them know what they need to do next year to get the VIP treatment.

And let the lower level donors know what they need to do to get into the middle level event.

IMHO, the way to maximize donations is to build major donors from small donors one step at a time. This is how well run athletic departments are run that are good at fund raising. You really shouldn't waste golden opportunities to raise money like our athletic department does so often.

Just my opinion, and I am only saying this because I love the school, love the football program and want what is best for it. I will get off my soapbox now...

 

[reedny]

Yes, it was for major money donors only. Not sure what the dollar limit was.

Many schools use a briefing like this as a way to spread good will and build enthusiasm in the mainstream fanbase for the program.

One of the major weaknesses of the current group in the athletic department has been their inability to connect with/build relationships/get donations from the small and midsize donors. Though frankly, I don't think they have done well with big money donors either. This is an area we are not good at.

I am not saying an exclusive event for big donors is a bad idea. It is a good idea. People who pay the big bucks should get something substantial for their contributions, and access to the coaching staff, food and an open bar are a nice benefit. Though I couldn't believe the event did not include a brief tour of the IPF. What were they thinking?

I just think they should have another one for the middle level donors that doesn't have all the bells and whistles. Maybe 2 or 3 coaches show up instead of all of them, and you have to pay for food and drinks. But show them the film on the recruits, give some inside stories on how the players were recruited, things the staff liked about them, etc. Give the donors who make substantial donations something for their money to know they are appreciated, and let them know what they need to do next year to get the VIP treatment.

And let the lower level donors know what they need to do to get into the middle level event.

IMHO, the way to maximize donations is to build major donors from small donors one step at a time. This is how well run athletic departments are run that are good at fund raising. You really shouldn't waste golden opportunities to raise money like our athletic department does so often.

Just my opinion, and I am only saying this because I love the school, love the football program and want what is best for it. I will get off my soapbox now...

This all makes sense ... I'm not in marketing, but you would think they would invite the next level down to these things (perhaps on a pay for your own basis) to boost interest in the program and take in more high-level donations. The worst that could happen is that the mid/lower level donors go back and tell their friends how cool it was and more people buy tickets.

 

[sutomcat]

This all makes sense ... I'm not in marketing, but you would think they would invite the next level down to these things (perhaps on a pay for your own basis) to boost interest in the program and take in more high-level donations. The worst that could happen is that the mid/lower level donors go back and tell their friends how cool it was and more people buy tickets.

I don't see much of a downside to doing something like this. If you talk to the coaching staff, the biggest single problem the program faces is the lack of fan support/enthusiasm/attendance.

Forget about raising money, you would think this would be a no brainer to try and build fan interest and support. The SU AD desperately needs a strong leader with vision and energy. Hope we get one soon.

 

[reedny]

They know when signing day is. There's no reason they couldn't send out invites to every donor and and season ticket holder two weeks before to gauge interest and then set up something in an appropriate venue. If SU football were a real business, it would be bankrupt and it's management would have a hard time explaining why they did their job so poorly in their next job interview.

That may be true .. but I've seen a whole lot more recently from the AD (at least in regard to FB) than in the past. For example, there are always pressers, but Matt Park had a nice broadcast with a couple of guests (HCSS was one) to talk about the recruits. That was new. And there was something on TWC just focusing on SU's 2015 FB recruiting -- that was also new and quite interesting and informative.

On the other hand, there's room for improvement, not just with the AD, but in the local media arena (3rd tier rights). For example, last night I saw a program on TWC local sports channel (TWC is our local sports "partner") called "Thruway Sports Talk". Not sure who sponsors/produces it, but Robin Dewind was the moderator -- a former WHEC news anchor and current co-host (with Matt Park) of Syracuse Sidelines. With that background, I watched the show expecting it to be positive (about SU). Unfortunately, it was anything but. Dewind had 3 guest panelists, each of whom spent the entire time bashing the FB and BB programs, while she sat either clueless or dumbfounded. Here's a run-down of some of the comments:

1- Our FB recruits are all "scraps" overlooked by "selector" schools ... because the class only graded out between the top 50-60 D-1 recruiting hauls (this was echoed by all 3 panelists, each of whom admitted that they knew nothing about the actual recruits);
2- We're never going to get over the hump and get back to the successes we enjoyed from 1980 -2000;
3- It doesn't matter who we recruited because "you'll probably never hear of any of them again";
4- HCSS's presser comments about good GPA's among the recruits was a fruitless exercise, since GPA's and good academics are "all fine" but you "have to win"; and
5- The Dome is just an "old building" that kids don't care about any more (here Dewind made her loan defense, pointing to the IPF, which they showed but said nothing about);
6- Pity about Rak and the self-imposed ban but "this team was NIT all the way".

So ... piss poor job by Robin Dewind in this case, and very unfortunate, negative and uninformed panel discussion on that show. Excitement about recruiting is an important part of building a program, so this was definitely not the kind of publicity we need, especially on our "local sports partner's" cable channel. The only good thing about the program is that comments were limited to 20 seconds.

 

[OrangePA]

I don't see much of a downside to doing something like this. If you talk to the coaching staff, the biggest single problem the program faces is the lack of fan support/enthusiasm/attendance.

Forget about raising money, you would think this would be a no brainer to try and build fan interest and support. The SU AD desperately needs a strong leader with vision and energy. Hope we get one soon.

Exactly.

A guy who loves people and who loves CNY.

A guy who connects with fans and who is comfortable addressing the fans.

A guy who knows how to raise money.

Doug Logan.

 

[chakka3421]

I don't see much of a downside to doing something like this. If you talk to the coaching staff, the biggest single problem the program faces is the lack of fan support/enthusiasm/attendance.

Forget about raising money, you would think this would be a no brainer to try and build fan interest and support. The SU AD desperately needs a strong leader with vision and energy. Hope we get one soon.

Tomcat - my gut tells me that from top to bottom its a solid class especially given the number of big uglies we added this year as those positions are the most unknown but best able to develop into the level of Jones & Pughs. It's amazing but adding just 2-3 strong 4 star position players would have moved this class way up the rankings.

However, I realize adding 2-3 playermakers in every recruiting class, over 4 years can take the program to the next level. So again having solid classes top to bottom will build consistency so that we never again see a 3-9 (actually we were really a 2-10 team as Nova should have beaten us easily - easily a reminder to so many of a Gerg season).

I guess this has been talked about before but it does take strong leadership to break out #44 from retirement to land the big 4-5 star players - especially if that what it takes to do it. That takes vision and leadership which I agree, along with fundraising & building the donor support levels - from the smallest donor to the largest donor, also lacks vision. A major change throughout SUAD is long, long, long overdue.

I'm going tomorrow night and will bump into my friend named Floyd. Maybe I'll ask him about his thoughts on #44 directly. Nuff said.

 

[Crusty]

The browser I did the chat with did not allow me to save the transcript and post it, so I am afraid it was lost to Data Heaven. Maybe someone who attended was able to copy it. If so, I don't have a problem with them posting it.

Time for a special investigator.

 

[Full_Rebar]

I don't see much of a downside to doing something like this. If you talk to the coaching staff, the biggest single problem the program faces is the lack of fan support/enthusiasm/attendance.

Forget about raising money, you would think this would be a no brainer to try and build fan interest and support. The SU AD desperately needs a strong leader with vision and energy. Hope we get one soon.

How could SU not take donors on a tour of the IPF? The decision-making coming from Manley is just hard to understand.

Like you, this University needs someone to take the Ath Dept to the next level and let's hope a move is made soon.

 

[upperdeck]

if you only cater to the 2% that give big money you dont energize the program. big money is not the people going to the games, buying the beer, creating the crowd noise.

money is not the only thing that will make the team\program better.

 

[DoubleDee]

I like a lot of your opinions on this.

I'm that guy who spends money on seasons, apparel, random lax games, etc. the cost of seasons is an expense, it's not like disposable income that I get to blow on anything I want. If I had a lot more money, I'd do a lot more. Better seats, away game trips etc. I am not an alum, I am orange born and raised. And aside from how much I spend, I'd put my passion up against any of you. When an event like this happens, and you get to go, you feel like your a part of the program. You get some of the inner workings that the "average" fan does not. We need access to this kind of stuff. When fan fest happens, you get all sorts of people, including some that will never come out to a game. Some perhaps because it's the only chance they will get to see the team, others file in just to get a free this or that, and a Popsicle, and come just because it's free.

I'm not stupid enough to think I'm going to get the same wining and dining the big shots get, but I AM part of the program. Don't have us some times, and not others.