Tony Bennett retiring

[richmondcuse03]

That to me is the reason for the timing. Plus I'm sure he's telling the truth about the self reflection, etc...but you do it now to force the AD's hand.

 

[Sbucketball]

It's tough to succeed in Bennett's type of program in the portal era. He made a living off developing guys and playing a certain way. Also high academic standards which might make getting transfers difficult.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[pearl31]

I always respected him, even revered him, as a coach - that's even more now

 

[GHLF]

Kind of screwed his team if it’s just because the changing landscape

I disagree

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If it's sitcom staring him and Jay Wright as roommates with Jim Boeheim playing the cranky neighbor, sign me up.

I'd watch the Hell out of that.

 

[Marsh01]

Good for him. College athletics are out of control with this NIL chit. I cant stand it. I am totally on the coaches side. If the athletes dont like TFB. Go pro.

 

[sufan59]

Lol i am reacting much differently than most of you guys. I think this incredibly weak. You quit 20 days before the season starts. Terrible look, IMO.

Yeah sure it’s definitely a weak move in the moment and at this time. I’ll say this though that it’s very courageous of him to deal with any public criticism now instead of continuing what was probably turning into a toxic situation, leading a program without being able to give your 100%. Had he continued, think of the following:
1. University being pressured down the road to have to buy out his contract if the program isn’t performing well.
2. Indirectly damaging career opportunities for his assistant coaches.
3. Coaching the players preaching their 100% effort when you know that you can no longer do the same.

Not an ideal situation and may seem selfish in the moment. But when you take a step back, it would’ve been more selfish had he continued. Maybe the public doesn’t find out the truth had he continued, but he can rest easy knowing that he stepped aside the moment he felt he wasn’t up for the job anymore.

 

[Scooch]

Assuming it’s because he got sick of all the bullchit - Good for Tony Bennett.

He’s young, seemingly healthy, and rich. Guys got years of good life ahead of him and gets to do whatever the heII he wants to.

I liked him before, and I kinda like him even more now.

I respect anyone who walks away when they're on the young(ish) side. Just as I lose respect for people who hang on, and on, and on, and on.

We are on the same page I suspect. The lack of control, the unfettered multiple transfers, the ability of players to sell themselves to the highest bidder year after year are all ripping apart the fabric of college sports. Players have no responsibility to the institution and the recent examples of some quitting on their teams to preserve a year of eligibility so they can get an even bigger payday based on blatant tampering is Armageddon.

Where we disagree is the assumption that the schools have the resources to pay the players. Especially with the proposed settlement of House v NCAA that will add $22MM in cost for direct payments to players and as many as 240 additional scholarships just in the small portfolio of sports that SU has. I can guarantee you John Wildhack is sleeping well trying to solve that. ACC media deal pays roughly $40MM. And the department barely breaks even. Additional costs need to be covered by either additional revenue or cost cutting. And cost cutting means elimination or deemphasizing non revenue sports. Debate probably belongs in a separate thread but I see no light at the end of the tunnel. Additional revenue falls on the fan in one way or the other. Using the NBA example, what’s the price of a Celtics season ticket today?

In all honesty, if schools don't have the revenue to pay their athletes and maintain programs, then maybe they should be getting out of the business of collegiate athletics.

I'm thrilled that kids have the opportunity to use sports as a means to attend college. My own kid is going to do so at the D3 level next year. But that doesn't necessarily mean they should be getting full-ride athletics scholarships, and the university should be funding expensive, money-losing sports programs, if they can't afford it.

I hate to say this, but if SU doesn't have the money to pay its players, then the obvious solution is to not field those teams.

Re: my Celtics point... Obviously, ticket revenue is one of the diversified revenue streams that enables a pro team to pay its players, along with media deals, sponsorships, merchandise, and the like. Players are guaranteed a percentage of team revenue to receive in salaries per their CBA.

The price of a ticket, like the price of a t-shirt, is an exchange of value between buyer and seller. A team doesn't solicit their fan base to donate money to pay players they can't otherwise afford via their revenue streams. That's preposterous on its face, and yet it has become the model for college sports.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Yay! That's a win for us at the Dome now.

 

[cuseinseattle]

I respect anyone who walks away when they're on the young(ish) side. Just as I lose respect for people who hang on, and on, and on, and on.

In all honesty, if schools don't have the revenue to pay their athletes and maintain programs, then maybe they should be getting out of the business of collegiate athletics.

I'm thrilled that kids have the opportunity to use sports as a means to attend college. My own kid is going to do so at the D3 level next year. But that doesn't necessarily mean they should be getting full-ride athletics scholarships, and the university should be funding expensive, money-losing sports programs, if they can't afford it.

I hate to say this, but if SU doesn't have the money to pay its players, then the obvious solution is to not field those teams.

Re: my Celtics point... Obviously, ticket revenue is one of the diversified revenue streams that enables a pro team to pay its players, along with media deals, sponsorships, merchandise, and the like. Players are guaranteed a percentage of team revenue to receive in salaries per their CBA.

The price of a ticket, like the price of a t-shirt, is an exchange of value between buyer and seller. A team doesn't solicit their fan base to donate money to pay players they can't otherwise afford via their revenue streams. That's preposterous on its face, and yet it has become the model for college sports.

I think my issue is what value do these players actually add. If the players change every year and the school still makes money then the play is not creating value. The money is driven by alumni loyalty and the coaches and the tradition they have created. I think the NBA and NFL need to have a minor league system that every kid who can be picked in the first 2 rounds goes to. Then all the other kids that want a free education and play college basketball can do it. Just my opinion.

 

[rrlbees]

Good for him. College athletics are out of control with this NIL chit. I cant stand it. I am totally on the coaches side. If the athletes dont like TFB. Go pro.

nil good
NIL bad

 

[dwilmont44]

Good for him. College athletics are out of control with this NIL chit. I cant stand it. I am totally on the coaches side. If the athletes dont like TFB. Go pro.

The coaches that are paid millions of dollars and can change schools whenever they want?

 

[Dcuse]

Standing O for Tony Bennett. The implosion has begun! Gonna grab a lawn chair and some popcorn

 

[kirbivore]

Lol i am reacting much differently than most of you guys. I think this incredibly weak. You quit 20 days before the season starts. Terrible look, IMO.

I agree. The landscape on April 18 wasn't different than October 18. Quit in the spring and give everyone a runway to this season.

 

[orangecuse]

Good for him. College athletics are out of control with this NIL chit. I cant stand it. I am totally on the coaches side. If the athletes dont like TFB. Go pro.

I couldn't agree more. The athletes/young adults completely sign their letter's of intent free and willingly, 100% voluntarily. Period!

I've yet to really see anyone be able to make any convincing argument that skirts around this proximate fact. Probably, because one truly can't, at least with any credibility.

As you've mentioned, simply go pro if it's so woe is me, taken such advantage of etc., and utilize their other options. However, they know darn well what clearly/hands down is their best option; taking full advantage of all the resources, facilities, platforms, etc. that they have been subsidized with to hone their skills in pursuit of their dream. The road less travelled though is obviously far more difficult than the given path of least resistance. And, again, why these athletes/young adults so free and willingly run to sign on that dotted line.

 

[Scooch]

I think my issue is what value do these players actually add. If the players change every year and the school still makes money then the play is not creating value. The money is driven by alumni loyalty and the coaches and the tradition they have created. I think the NBA and NFL need to have a minor league system that every kid who can be picked in the first 2 rounds goes to. Then all the other kids that want a free education and play college basketball can do it. Just my opinion.

Well, better players likely means more wins, which means better attendance and more TV appearances. So they’re certainly creating value for the school.

But, of course, the school itself isn’t paying them. Which makes the model all sorts of bizarre.

Now, whether or not the college-as-minor-league model for football and hoops is a crazy anachronism, that’s another issue altogether.

 

[TheCusian]

I couldn't agree more. The athletes/young adults completely sign their letter's of intent free and willingly, 100% voluntarily. Period!

I've yet to really see anyone be able to make any convincing argument that skirts around this proximate fact. Probably, because one truly can't, at least with any credibility.

As you've mentioned, simply go pro if it's so woe is me, taken such advantage of etc., and utilize their other options. However, they know darn well what clearly/hands down is their best option; taking full advantage of all the resources, facilities, platforms, etc. that they have been subsidized with to hone their skills in pursuit of their dream. The road less travelled though is obviously far more difficult than the given path of least resistance. And, again, why these athletes/young adults so free and willingly run to sign on that dotted line.

Lol. The argument is fairly straightforward. Time and circumstances change from when an athlete signs a letter of intent and they, like all students in college, need to be in situations that prepare them best and have full say over that future.

NIL is broken, but so was the system before. Blaming the athletes then and now is dumb. It's on the people in charge to fix it so it's healthy for all.

 

[MSOrange]

Yeah man, I kinda do realize that. Since I was part of the network that gave all that money to the ACC.

Look, rationalize it however you want. But it's ridiculous that we now have a system where player salaries are literally paid by fan donations.

It's hard to argue with that. I signed up for Orange United for a one year subscription after Fran was hired because I got caught up in the excitement. I'm hardly a big donor - $250 - but I wanted to do my part to help. But it definitely has crossed my mind more than a few times over the past year if this really makes any sense at all that fans are responsible for this and to be honest, I'm not sure I'll renew.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I’m totally mixxy on this. Seemingly a ‘good guy’ and an ambassador for the sport, but….

He accepted responsibility for a program, and should complete the year. I can’t see how it benefits the school to do this now. For all the talk about how ‘he isn’t feeling it,’ and ‘needs to be all-in,’ that’s kinda imbuing virtue to quitting on a group of young men and a massive fan base who were depending on him. Not feeling it? Like 95% of people who have to get up to go to work every day, to do a less glamorous, far less highly-compensated, definitely-not-my-dream-job?

The difference is that he has FU money and could afford to quit now. Which is convenient and freedom-allowing, but not exactly virtuous. On the other hand, he did work hard enough and accomplish enough to afford himself the resources to afford this move. So, yeah, mixxy.

Yes, the NIL system is horrendous and his response on that matter is both one that I agree with, and also one that does not suggest a resolution….

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Lol. The argument is fairly straightforward. Time and circumstances change from when an athlete signs a letter of intent and they, like all students in college, need to be in situations that prepare them best and have full say over that future.

NIL is broken, but so was the system before. Blaming the athletes then and now is dumb. It's on the people in charge to fix it so it's healthy for all.

Isn’t it… difficult… for the “people in charge to fix it” when they’re not really making unilateral decisions? Aren’t they combatting legal actions/suits? It’s not like the prez of the NCAA can just convene with some thinktankers, come up with a grand scheme, a beautiful scheme, maybe the best scheme anyone has ever seen, and just enact it. Or am I wrong?

 

[PoppyHart]

If Sanchez struggles, I wonder if Hop would be interested in the job.

 

[DCUNITED13]

This has caught me totally off guard. I had read that he died over a year ago - Lady Gaga was really emotional about it. I wonder if she knows he's still with us? I would think this would really tick her off.

You Left your Brain in San Francisco. (Jazz fans will get this LOL, not a bad joke btw)

But reality is that College Football and Basketball is now a professional sport. Only difference is pro sports have a CBA (collective bargaining agreement). College Sports do not, so I think that if a player has a grievance, they leave. They have no one to turn to if the Coaches do not fulfil their promises to said players.
We all had jobs that did not work out and left to a different situation.

As a fan, it was nice to see players develop and you learn to like what they contribute to the program. Now, its just the program that needs the support and we want to be sure the system is able to sustain the success we want. At this point, top players are getting paid and they should be buying a round of drinks at the bar for the fans.

I support HCBB Autry and HCFB Brown.

GO CUSE

 

[mark79]

Yeah sure it’s definitely a weak move in the moment and at this time. I’ll say this though that it’s very courageous of him to deal with any public criticism now instead of continuing what was probably turning into a toxic situation, leading a program without being able to give your 100%. Had he continued, think of the following:
1. University being pressured down the road to have to buy out his contract if the program isn’t performing well.
2. Indirectly damaging career opportunities for his assistant coaches.
3. Coaching the players preaching their 100% effort when you know that you can no longer do the same.

Not an ideal situation and may seem selfish in the moment. But when you take a step back, it would’ve been more selfish had he continued. Maybe the public doesn’t find out the truth had he continued, but he can rest easy knowing that he stepped aside the moment he felt he wasn’t up for the job anymore.

Exactly. He has every right to do what he feels is right for him and his family. He came to the conclusion that he was no longer the best person for the job and stepped down. It’s quite unselfish in many ways.

 

[orangecuse]

Yeah man, I kinda do realize that. Since I was part of the network that gave all that money to the ACC.

Look, rationalize it however you want. But it's ridiculous that we now have a system where player salaries are literally paid by fan donations.

100%! And, in large, why I will never be a part of such a particular donation. I had routinely donated to the university for sporting related ventures, etc. in the past, but not this.

It's akin to being a very successful business owner and, dumbfoundedly, somehow being able to bamboozle your customers to fund your employee payroll along with their raises, etc. Meanwhile, get this, you get to keep 100% of your profits to boot!

I think that trumps even Coach K's "amazement!"