October 2nd, 2014 at 2:23 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^
By conditioning his interview with Channel 7 that they don't promote it...
At least it's not rolling at 1:30 am? Progress....
October 2nd, 2014 at 10:12 PM ^
In its prime, there was nothing better. And THAT character? One of the greatest in TV history.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:26 PM ^
"The protest Tuesday, he said, hit him hard."
Yup. That was the intent, Dave.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:29 PM ^
Did it hit him as hard as the bus that he threw Brady under?
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:39 PM ^
very well played indeed.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:17 PM ^
Did he get checked for concussion after getting "hit hard"?
October 2nd, 2014 at 8:01 PM ^
This fucking carbuncle needs to be removed.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^
that Dave Brandon was the CEO of Domino's and not Pop Copy?
"Why treat the Michigan students, alumni, and fans this way? Because fuck em. That's why." -Dave Brandon
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:06 PM ^
Whoop his ass, whoop his ass!
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^
You know what else is hurtful Dave? When you treat the students and alumni like cash dispensing robots. When you cause the university we all love to be dragged through the mud repeatedly. But I guess to you, since we're just cash dispensing robots, we don't have feelings. Only you can be hurt. And why bring up your family? That's a move in poor taste. Don't hide behind them. You wanted the AD position at UM. A position that requires you to answer to both the student athletes and the fans who make up the UM community.
That said. I do, in a small way, feel bad for the guy. I mean, he deserves and has earned all the scorn coming down on him, and is frankly, just not good at the job he was hired for. But still, it's not fun to have those you work for calling for your head publically.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:29 PM ^
He handled this interview well, and is saying the right things. The addition of a medical professional in the pressbox is an idea that other teams all over the country will adopt soon enough. He is going to survive this, and ultimately I'm OK with it.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:43 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:49 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^
First, is it possible for him to change the way he runs the AD? This is presumably how he's been doing things at every job his whole life. While it may be a more successful tactic at other places, can an old dog learn new tricks? Secondly, it's become so toxic around him that I don't think he can stay. If he really did change things and get back in touch with all those he's alienated, that would be great. But that will take a long time. And at this point, I'm thinking of the future. How many luxury boxes will be renewed under him? How many empty stadiums will UM have to endure before people trust him again? And probably most importantly, what decent coach in their right mind would want to work for him at this point?
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^
Honest question...if we're winning, you think people stay away from the Big House to spite an AD? We are going through an awful stretch, no doubt, but to think Dave Brandon is strong enough of a reason for Michigan fans to stay away from a typically good product, you're sorely mistaken.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:10 PM ^
people will stay away if they can't afford the tickets.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^
I disagree. If we are winning and competing for championships fans would grumble moderately, but then ultimately swallow the increase or be replaced by someone willing to pay it.
But, yes this ticket hike increase paired with our on field performance, paired with the lack of must see matchups is why the Big House has been struggling to get people in it's seats. For this to fall squarely on Dave Brandon because people don't like a noodle they pass by on the way into the stadium, or a fireworks display (which let's be honest, fireworks are awesome) is the easy way out. Brandon is a target because he is an executive and people resent executives.
We start winning, and Wolverine Devotee will have a Dave Brandon poster up in his room and a loyalty card to Domino's
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^
we went 3-9 my freshman year and attendance was fine, next season was 5-7 still no issues, and then 7-5 no problemo.
maybe you had trouble selling a delaware state ticket but other than that tickets were snatched up instanly if you couldnt make a game. last year people were struuuuugling to sell tickets for close to face, this year its borderline impossible.
we also had at least ND/OSU or MSU on those schedules so its relative.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^
This is all fixed with a consistent winner. Those years you mentioned (which I experienced a few of) were close enough to past times where we were playing in Rose Bowls and carrying Lloyd Carr off the field after beating Tim Tebow. As we have gotten further and further away from that it has taken a toll on the fans (rightfully so). Let's face the facts. Michigan hasn't been good enough recently, but they will be great again (soon?) and when they do waiting lists will be long, sponsorships will be accepted, and this blog can go back to talking about double A-Gap blitzes rather than the fate of our AD.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
for student ticket pricing ... NONE. Brandon needs to back down to 2007 levels with the student ticket prices or LOWER. Until then he's still a Douchenozzle or a Douchebag ... whichever is worse!
Go Blue!
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^
I agree with you about a consistent winner fixing the ticket problems, but when things are bad as they have been recently, you're supposed to do what you can to make things more appealing to try and make up for the fact you're selling a mediocre product.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:43 PM ^
The way Dave Brandon treats the alumni and students I couldn't care less how many games we win. I have met Dave on several occasions and he came off as an arrogant tone-deaf DB.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
Being as we have encountered on a sports blog dedicated to Michigan Football, I'm going to say BS on you not caring about wins and losses. Secondly, it's unfortunate you have had bad interactions with the AD. Personally, he has always been a very nice to me both during and after college. This man bleeds maize and blue.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:24 PM ^
his #1 priority is football. i hate to say it, but it's the truth. it's the entire athletic dept's cash cow. so how he manages that program has the biggest impact on his evaluation.
1. he alients the alumni and gauges them for cash at every opportunity
2. ditto for the students, but he also has overseen the seating fiascos for both football and basketball.
3. he's cast the university in a bad light on several occasions; skywriting, gibbons issue, morris issue, etc.
4. horrible handling of RR firing; delay, hanging in the wind, then let late firing hurt recruiting class even more.
5. hiring hoke. this is the biggest impact he can have on the football program; it's most important asset. it was a horrible process and a complete failure.
6. attendance is dropping due to all the issues noted above and more, so future $$ will drop having a huge negative impact on all other UM sports.
7. if what we hear is true, our best future coaching candidates want no part of Brandon.
Brandon must go. Period.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:13 PM ^
That's a tough question, but one that isn't even applicable. I think the losing is just the symptom of the problem in this case. Football is obvoiusly the headline program under the most scrutiny so the issues are magnified. But I think there's just so much organizational dysfunction, which the AD sets the tone for, that losing is just an inevitability. And besides, in 2008, 2009, and 2010, there still wasn't the attendance issues, nor the vitrol to the AD, as there is now. It's tough to find examples in UM's history because they are usually winning, but in 2005 the attendance was still above 110,000 average and was about the same the following year coming off the crappy season. We're really in uncharted waters with UM that extends beyond just losing. People don't get as angry at the AD as they are now with just losing.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:17 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:08 PM ^
He's a dude who keeps failing upward because he knows the right people and already has money therefore he must be good at something, right? One of things we've learned in the last twenty years or so is that is just not true.
He and Lane Kiffin are emblematic of everything wrong with America.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:57 PM ^
...I want him gone even if he's seen some sort of light. Harbaugh may be a pipe dream, but Michigan should chase after him with great effort.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^
Show no mercy, Michigan Daily. No mercy, no quarter, no rest until this corporate blowhard is out on his ass.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^
If your relationship with the students was actually "outstanding" then they wouldn't be protesting at the president's house calling for your resignation/firing.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^
Dave: Huh? What do you mean? People like me, goddamnit. I know because they pay me millions of dollars! I many leather-bound books and my house smells of rich mohogany.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:06 PM ^
“One of the things I want to do is to figure out ways I could connect more with the student body.”
Translation:
"I'm confident in my abilities to charm my critics."
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:09 PM ^
Shows what a phony he is...
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^
He just thinks we are all stupid and he's still the smartest guy in the room. Amazing!
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
now can say;
"It's all in the Daily."
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:34 PM ^
This is basically Michael Scott apologizing for the dirty watermark.
"It would take a SWAT team to remove me from this office."
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:40 PM ^
- leaving this office. It will take a SWAT team to remove me from this office, and maybe not even then. There is no way I will resign. It wouldn't be fair. Not to the good workers I work with. Not to my clients. And especially not to me. Let's not forget who this resigning business is really all about.
- If I could leave you with one thought, remember, it wasn’t me. They are trying to make me an escape goat. If I am fired, I swear to god, that every single piece of copier paper in this town is going to have the F-word on it. The F-word. You have one day.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:16 PM ^
My thoughts went to Michael Scott, too, but it was in what I wanted the Daily editor to do.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:40 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:40 PM ^
Just more of the same. Critical minds can pick through all the bullshit he's spewing:
1. He's never going to resign because if he does so he loses out on his guaranteed money in his contract.
2. His belief that he is competing with television is either dilusional or he's doing it wrong. The only reason he's competing with television now is because the product on the field is garbage and he's made the gameday experience more akin to that of a circus. People go to Michigan games to be a part of the action, not to see flyovers or fireworks or listen to music we can hear on the radio or hear at a concert. We're there to see Michigan football and hear the band (yet another thing he tried to take away from us).
At the end of the day, he's a suit that thinks he's still promoting pizzas. Him having "played" for Michigan makes his approach to his job even that more dumbfounding.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^
Do you really think it's about that for him? Not that it's chump change, but isn't he really wealthy?
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^
No, I think first and foremost its about ego. There's two types of CEO's - those that truly love their company and want it to succeed and those that are egotistical self-absorbed maniacs taht want to see the company succeed so they can take the credit and increase their sense of self-worth. My company had one of the latter and he eventually opened the business up to speculative lending leading to the company's near-demise. But when it was good it was great for him.
These guys get compensated on how well the company does (the net profits). At the end of they day, most all of they are wealthy but what does that really mean? Even a billionaire would not walk away from a situation where they are leaving millions on the table. Especially not ones as egotistical as Dave Brandon.
That's my view on the situation, anyway. I could be wrong. He could be one of the former and .... HAHAHAHA! I couldn't continue with my devil's advocacy because it was just too ridiculous. :-)
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:30 PM ^
I agree, it's all about the ego. Resigning would be an admission of failure. I'm not even sure he's capable of making that admission to himself, let alone to the public.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:03 PM ^
Not to generalize, but people usually don't become CEOs of major corporations without being at least a little bit greedy.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:12 PM ^
Wealthy people still want more money. Just look at the wall street share holders that sued the governemnt because they didnt get dividends or whatever after the bailout.
October 2nd, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^