Rumor

[FrancoPizza]

T

Shouldn’t he become a basketball coach then? It’s a bit weird to think of one donor thinking they’re going to personally recruit and pay a player. Does any other school have something like this?

Recruiting is now 70% money and 30% everything else. So no he doesn’t need to be a coach.

 

[RedtheGOB]

Shouldn’t he become a basketball coach then? It’s a bit weird to think of one donor thinking they’re going to personally recruit and pay a player. Does any other school have something like this?

My read is that he’s watching fellow billionaire Repole at St John’s and maybe a few others that have full access to their programs, recruits and decisions. and may be getting some ideas. Repole is bankrolling pretty much their whole nil 4 mil. Theres also no football or other sports to consider there.

Repole is prob the majority of their nil. AW was a just a small fish here turns out. Maybe that changes.

Personally am watching what Melo has to say. If he’s cool I’m cool.

 

[RedtheGOB]

T

Recruiting is now 70% money and 30% everything else. So no he doesn’t need to be a coach.

I think Fran Brown is proving otherwise. More and more these players are finding ways to monetize themselves without the schools money. Kiyan is worth 10s of millions with his social media and clothing brands, Calvin Russell has been making nil for years so may not need to go to the highest bidder. Hell who would’ve ever thought Eddie Lampkin would be opening a restaurant.

We all know that McCord took a hefty pay cut to come here. Just saying.

 

[nocohalo]

Define significant

I said earlier, it has to be 500k-mil. He was specifically referenced as a "big boy NIL contributor", and that moniker only applies to donations of that size at the minimum.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We have more generous NIL donors than AW and they don’t ask for this special treatment . The pro AW people don’t care because they don’t wave their own pom poms. That’s the issue at hand here. They still promote their companies.

In the past AW has basically asked the university to own a player or set of players. It’s ridiculous and there’s an entire set of ramifications that I see as problematic.

 

[PoppyHart]

Just like academia has endowed chairs for professors in English, History, etc…, it sounds like he wants an “AW Endowed Chair of Basketball”.

So, every time the player goes to the foul line it will show his game stats, and under his name it will show who the player’s owner-daddy is.

 

[bnoro]

No bit, man. That is cynicism, I expect that from you. We'll see how it plays out.

I don't care how it plays out. I'd wish he was like every other donor and it was out of sight, out of mind.

Is Adam paying you yet or are you still doing this for free?

 

[orangefog]

I don't care how it plays out. I'd wish he was like every other donor and it was out of sight, out of mind.

Is Adam paying you yet or are you still doing this for free?

He pays me nothing, and your version is not up to you. So long as it benefits Syracuse Basketball

 

[Cusefan95]

My read is that he’s watching fellow billionaire Repole at St John’s and maybe a few others that have full access to their programs, recruits and decisions. and may be getting some ideas. Repole is bankrolling pretty much their whole nil 4 mil. Theres also no football or other sports to consider there.

Repole is prob the majority of their nil. AW was a just a small fish here turns out. Maybe that changes.

Personally am watching what Melo has to say. If he’s cool I’m cool.

Repole doesn’t have a say in recruiting or making offers at St John’s - he provides the money. Then he gets to shake kids hands at practice and talk to them. AW wanted to recruit and I expect that’s still a nonstarter.

“Full access to a team” is a little like the “girlfriend experience” where the person paying is allowed to indulge in their fantasy by the recipient of said cash. But there’s a limit to how far the fantasy can go. If he’s satisfied with that, great. He has seemed to struggle with identifying where the fantasy ends and reality begins in the past, so I remain skeptical anything will work long term.

If he wants to pay people (by donating to their preferred charity) to be his friend at games, post photos on social media and claim that’s a gigantic contribution to Syracuse’s brand and helps attract recruits - I’m fine with that provided he’s actually contributing big bucks to NIL. Hell - if he is donating boatloads to NIL, I’m 100% on board with die-hard Syracuse fans indulging that fantasy.

 

[richmondcuse03]

Repole doesn’t have a say in recruiting or making offers at St John’s - he provides the money. Then he gets to shake kids hands at practice and talk to them. AW wanted to recruit and I expect that’s still a nonstarter.

“Full access to a team” is a little like the “girlfriend experience” where the person paying is allowed to indulge in their fantasy by the recipient of said cash. But there’s a limit to how far the fantasy can go. If he’s satisfied with that, great. He has seemed to struggle with identifying where the fantasy ends and reality begins in the past, so I remain skeptical anything will work long term.

If he wants to pay people (by donating to their preferred charity) to be his friend at games, post photos on social media and claim that’s a gigantic contribution to Syracuse’s brand and helps attract recruits - I’m fine with that provided he’s actually contributing big bucks to NIL. Hell - if he is donating boatloads to NIL, I’m 100% on board with die-hard Syracuse fans indulging that fantasy.

Right. Anyone who donates a lot to a collective or the school gets special access. None of this has ever passed the common sense smell test. Adam’s gotten a lot of mileage and attention out of what appears to have been minor contributions. That’s well done by him. Tons of articles claim he’s a billionaire whale who was cut off. Again, kudos to him. He played the PR game well and used Syracuse to reinforce his own brand. I’d love for anyone including him to donate to the school. He can get all the access he wants if he does. But I think personally recruiting one or two kids a year is weird and crosses a line. Let the coaches coach and recruit. You can give money and be at every practice or whatever you want with celebs if you’re donating. But the recruiting thing is weird.

The skeptic in me says he’s drawing a line he knows is impossible to achieve so this drags on forever. Hopefully he proves me wrong and steps up and contributes to the school or a collective directly.

 

[Newhouser]

My read is that he’s watching fellow billionaire Repole at St John’s and maybe a few others that have full access to their programs, recruits and decisions. and may be getting some ideas. Repole is bankrolling pretty much their whole nil 4 mil. Theres also no football or other sports to consider there.

Repole is prob the majority of their nil. AW was a just a small fish here turns out. Maybe that changes.

Personally am watching what Melo has to say. If he’s cool I’m cool.

You think Repole is visible at St John's - you should see him at Toga. The guy loves the attention - think he loves the sport too but the camera is his friend.

 

[RedtheGOB]

Repole doesn’t have a say in recruiting or making offers at St John’s - he provides the money. Then he gets to shake kids hands at practice and talk to them. AW wanted to recruit and I expect that’s still a nonstarter.

“Full access to a team” is a little like the “girlfriend experience” where the person paying is allowed to indulge in their fantasy by the recipient of said cash. But there’s a limit to how far the fantasy can go. If he’s satisfied with that, great. He has seemed to struggle with identifying where the fantasy ends and reality begins in the past, so I remain skeptical anything will work long term.

If he wants to pay people (by donating to their preferred charity) to be his friend at games, post photos on social media and claim that’s a gigantic contribution to Syracuse’s brand and helps attract recruits - I’m fine with that provided he’s actually contributing big bucks to NIL. Hell - if he is donating boatloads to NIL, I’m 100% on board with die-hard Syracuse fans indulging that fantasy.

I hear you but it's such a mess to get into. *Right Now Repole may not have a say in exact recruits but what if tomorrow he wants to. Then what? It's all his money. What if Pitino who's in his 70's has some bad health hit him? Then who's calling the shots, the person that is bankrolling the whole NIL or someone else?

 

[SUFaninNJ]

You think Repole is visible at St John's - you should see him at Toga. The guy loves the attention - think he loves the sport too but the camera is his friend.

We don’t need to see Adam in a toga no matter how much he donates.

 

[RedtheGOB]

You think Repole is visible at St John's - you should see him at Toga. The guy loves the attention - think he loves the sport too but the camera is his friend.

Where do you think I live .

 

[Lukeyloo]

I can't help but think that Weitsman's insistence on being involved in the recruiting process, and being the guy to bring in specific players, is his way of befriending kids who he sees as being future NBA players. The guy obviously likes to be around celebrities and this would be a way for him to "get in on the ground floor" so to speak.

The guy does everything with the intention of growing his image and relevance. To me, this all just seems like another way he's angling to do that.

 

[RedtheGOB]

I can't help but think that Weitsman's insistence on being involved in the recruiting process, and being the guy to bring in specific players, is his way of befriending kids who he sees as being future NBA players. The guy obviously likes to be around celebrities and this would be a way for him to "get in on the ground floor" so to speak.

The guy does everything with the intention of growing his image and relevance. To me, this all just seems like another way he's angling to do that.

Agreed and it's exactly why all the sudden this year when LaLa, Melo, Kardashians and other celebs will be watching Kiyan courtside that I expect his butt will be back to where it used to be.

Talented, athletic players that are winning are the surest way to put rich people's butts back in their boxes and front row seats (that goes for really everyone whether their worth a billion or million or hundreds though too).

I think it bodes well that we're hearing this stuff now, there seems to be a positive buzz building for this team. Hopefully it translates to wins.

 

[Scooch]

The skeptic in me says he’s drawing a line he knows is impossible to achieve so this drags on forever. Hopefully he proves me wrong and steps up and contributes to the school or a collective directly.

I think this is it. The guy needs attention like we need oxygen. I mean, he was front row at Summer Slam this past weekend.

 

[Cusefan95]

I hear you but it's such a mess to get into. *Right Now Repole may not have a say in exact recruits but what if tomorrow he wants to. Then what? It's all his money. What if Pitino who's in his 70's has some bad health hit him? Then who's calling the shots, the person that is bankrolling the whole NIL or someone else?

There’s a risk that Repole is like a drug dealer - in this case he’s getting St John’s hooked on his money. He’ll be able to make demands they can’t refuse because they need the money once they’re addicted. Ideally we have enough other donors and an administration with a backbone and a clear grasp on reality - look at anything AW donates as found money. When he inevitably makes ridiculous demands, you can tell him to go pound sand. He’ll throw a tantrum - but you know that’s eventually going to happen anyway so who cares?

 

[Gotothehole]

We have more generous NIL donors than AW and they don’t ask for this special treatment . The pro AW people don’t care because they don’t wave their own pom poms. That’s the issue at hand here. They still promote their companies.

In the past AW has basically asked the university to own a player or set of players. It’s ridiculous and there’s an entire set of ramifications that I see as problematic.

A little swag doesn't hurt.

 

[Cusefan95]

The skeptic in me says he’s drawing a line he knows is impossible to achieve so this drags on forever. Hopefully he proves me wrong and steps up and contributes to the school or a collective directly.

Yep. In the grand scheme of things, he donated a small amount to Syracuse and used that to leverage his brand…AND damage Syracuse’s. The article helped mitigate that to some degree, but not completely. (If someone wants to argue Syracuse also damaged their own brand with ineptness, or Lally needs to STHU at this point - you will get no debate from me. That doesn’t absolve AW from his unacceptable behavior though). Which is why imho the folks saying they just want what’s best for Syracuse while pushing that the administration do whatever it takes to get AW into the fold are either naive, dishonest, or gullible dupes who fell for AWs nonsense. He already showed his character and his willingness - borderline eagerness - to damage Syracuse’s brand as a way of building his own. You cannot truly care about Syracuse without looking at AW and anything his says or promises skeptically.

 

[RedtheGOB]

There’s a risk that Repole is like a drug dealer - in this case he’s getting St John’s hooked on his money. He’ll be able to make demands they can’t refuse because they need the money once they’re addicted. Ideally we have enough other donors and an administration with a backbone and a clear grasp on reality - look at anything AW donates as found money. When he inevitably makes ridiculous demands, you can tell him to go pound sand. He’ll throw a tantrum - but you know that’s eventually going to happen anyway so who cares?

Well said. 100% agree.

 

[Scooch]

I bet people said the same things about Phil Knight many years ago. I'd say that's worked out just swell for Oregon.

It's important to remember that Repole, like Knight, is donating a lot of money to the academic side of St. John's as well as the athletics side. Given his deep love of that school it seems unlikely he'll go off the rails and do something that'll damage it, if only reputationally.

That's another dynamic in regards to the SU situation that is under discussed. Most of the big time athletics donors also spend considerable money supporting academic initiatives at SU. Weitsman never has. Which, as I always qualify, is 100% his right. But it makes his connection to the school shallower.

 

[BomberOrange]

Oi

Yep. In the grand scheme of things, he donated a small amount to Syracuse and used that to leverage his brand…AND damage Syracuse’s. The article helped mitigate that to some degree, but not completely. (If someone wants to argue Syracuse also damaged their own brand with ineptness, or Lally needs to STHU at this point - you will get no debate from me. That doesn’t absolve AW from his unacceptable behavior though). Which is why imho the folks saying they just want what’s best for Syracuse while pushing that the administration do whatever it takes to get AW into the fold are either naive, dishonest, or gullible dupes who fell for AWs nonsense. He already showed his character and his willingness - borderline eagerness - to damage Syracuse’s brand as a way of building his own. You cannot truly care about Syracuse without looking at AW and anything his says or promises skeptically.

Outside of some board posters here, how did Adam damage Syracuse’s brand? I am sure nobody from a team in the top 50 or even lower looked at our “ brand” and blamed AW. The play on the field/court did that on its own.

 

[FloridaCuse]

Yep. In the grand scheme of things, he donated a small amount to Syracuse and used that to leverage his brand…AND damage Syracuse’s. The article helped mitigate that to some degree, but not completely. (If someone wants to argue Syracuse also damaged their own brand with ineptness, or Lally needs to STHU at this point - you will get no debate from me. That doesn’t absolve AW from his unacceptable behavior though). Which is why imho the folks saying they just want what’s best for Syracuse while pushing that the administration do whatever it takes to get AW into the fold are either naive, dishonest, or gullible dupes who fell for AWs nonsense. He already showed his character and his willingness - borderline eagerness - to damage Syracuse’s brand as a way of building his own. You cannot truly care about Syracuse without looking at AW and anything his says or promises skeptically.

As BomberOrange also said, how was the SU brand damaged by activities related to AW? I doubt if anyone outside the SU family even knows anything about it.

 

[nocohalo]

I wouldn't go so far as to say AW damaged SU's brand. I just really dislike all the main character syndrome going on here with everyone involved.