Had a nice lunch at Buster's yesterday

[FranklinRaider315]

Met a fellow Blue Raider in the know to find out the good gossip. Passed on a Buster Burger (had burgers the night before) for the Friday Fish Special. Good stuff.

We really are broke. These brutal early season buy games are a necessary evil. We paid money to leave the Sunbelt and then paid money to join CUSA in the same move and lose a bowl trip to WKU who comes in the next year and has manhandled everybody. Then CUSA completely blows up the TV revenue package. Our Athletic Dept. leadership is sorely lacking.

 

[MTTim]

Our leadership has failed to land mega donors and corporate partners needed. They have failed to excite the younger alumni.
We need new leadership.

 

[MTFNBY5]

As far as mega donors and corporate partners. I would bet (not the first time I've mentioned this) that Massaro was really surprised early on at the lack of wealthy alumni and mid-state companies with MT connections considering the size of the school and alumni base.

I feel sure he tried hard in the first few years but finding either few suspects or being turned down by the few he found he gave up (and who could blame him). The job, to him, has just become a "lifestyle maintenance" position. I realized this when he pursued the Ga. St. job.

 

[SpaceRaider]

When 'leadership' is called out. I think you have to start at the top...

McPhee has been president for sixteen years. Way too long, IMO.

I'm hoping that the MT Board will have a positive impact but not holding my breath...

 

[cipjr]

Nissan has its corporate headquarters in Cool Springs, UBS moved a ton of operations to Nashville, and there are over 100,000 alumni in the Nashville area.

 

[Sommy]

If massaro gave up then someone new needs to come on. I would argue if he was surprised he should have adjusted his strategy.

There are plenty of big enough companies to make this successful but I see the same old tired strategy year after year. So maybe it's time for new leadership.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

I suppose one way to look at this is that they are doing something about it.

If football drives our athletic department's $$$, something needs to change. Interest is really low right now and a sub par season could be a disaster. If that happens, blame goes straight to Massaro. This is his baby.

Money is there for MT. They just don't give a vision for anyone to give. I don't look at a checklist of BRAA benefits and thinK "I gotta give". If I saw designs of planned athletic practice facilities or improvements I could see rendered, I would be much more apt to give.

We and a lot of other programs operate like we are in the 90s.

 

[SpaceRaider]

...Money is there for MT. They just don't give a vision for anyone to give. I don't look at a checklist of BRAA benefits and think "I gotta give". If I saw designs of planned athletic practice facilities or improvements I could see rendered, I would be much more apt to give.....

Boom. It's like a financial advisor asking you to give him more money without promising a return or where your money is going to be invested, when you haven't seen dividends or interest in a dozen years on the previous investments.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

I think our AD needs complete transparency to the fan base...tell us the absolute truth, tell us how many season tickets we sell and what our goal it. As others have said, tell us the priority list for improvements and what needs to happen. Give us a target!!!!

 

[BRaiderDave]

Massaro and McPhee lost all credibility with that Stockstill contract.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

Massaro and McPhee lost all credibility with that Stockstill contract.

Bingo. That contract rewards mediocrity.

And I still don't believe any Bowl revenue, attendance or ticket sales numbers they throw out.

 

[blueraiderJT]

We should have never stopped playing money games. That was the problem. Massaro did these "home and home, play for nothing game deals" to attract "bigger opponents" to JRF for an attendance play when he should have taken the sure money. We had a shot to play UT at Nissan in 2015 because of an open date and passed because he thought it would be unfair to Stock. Are you kidding me? We played Jackson State instead. We would have made over 1 mill and would have been on national TV in Nashville. Instead, we hang 70 on a JV squad in front of no one and had to pay out too.

I totally agree about the contract too. That needs to be corrected. Schedule 4 P5's and make bank. Tell our team to compete or go home. It's time to earn your spot. You'll never take the hill by running from it.

 

[SigmaNuBlue]

Boom. It's like a financial advisor asking you to give him more money without promising a return or where your money is going to be invested, when you haven't seen dividends or interest in a dozen years on the previous investments.

For the first time in almost a decade, I have not renewed my football season tickets or my BRAA donation. I keep looking at the invoices and think "Why?". All for a parking pass? I will just save my money for basketball. I feel like that is the only sport where I see an ROI. I hate feeling this way, and maybe that makes me a bad alum, but it is where I am right now.

 

[BRaiderDave]

I reached that point last year and quit giving. Feel the same way as you do with a touch of shame but, dadgummit, start operating things the right way and I'll consider jumping back in.

 

[C-Bow]

I think our AD needs complete transparency to the fan base...tell us the absolute truth, tell us how many season tickets we sell and what our goal it. As others have said, tell us the priority list for improvements and what needs to happen. Give us a target!!!!

I'm making headway on this actually. We submitted a request to the athletic department some tine ago inquiring about these very things. I received an email yesterday to arrange a meeting.

So....stay tuned!

 

[mtfblue]

i'm sure this thread is received well by recruits and there family, hell if I didn't know about MT, my son wouldn't be even entertaining the thought of coming here to play ball, with all the talk of broke and crime around the campus, something are better left in private board.

 

[MTFNBY5]

Very few fans read or post either here or at the other place; and you're worried recruits and their parents may remove MT from consideration because of what's written here?

From what little I know it appears that our criticisms are mild compared to what one finds on many "power" schools boards.

And if we, as posters, know the negatives concerning MT athletics you can be damn sure that opposing recruiters know them also and are making recruits aware. All is fair in love, war, and in college athletic recruiting.

 

[mtfblue]

actually no recruiters have said anything negative about MT since we started the process. we tell them the schools we that are recruiting him and they jump in the mix anf start selling there school and why he should be a choice. comparing MT to a power 5 school talking about fans and what they say is apples and oranges when talking about money, but im glad you know who reads these boards and who they are if they are fans, parents or recruits. all im saying is you never know who is reading what and basing their opinions on whats out there. lime i said i know what MT is all about and so does my son, at the they it will be his decision if wants to come to the boro for 5 years or go some where else.

 

[blueboro007]

Great way to get program moving in right direction...quit buying tickets and giving...is that what I am reading?????

 

[MTTim]

Great way to get program moving in right direction...quit buying tickets and giving...is that what I am reading?????

Unfortunately that is already happening.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

I reached that point last year and quit giving. Feel the same way as you do with a touch of shame but, dadgummit, start operating things the right way and I'll consider jumping back in.

I was a couple of years ahead of you. Good to hear from you today. Like we both said, it's probably gonna take a complete housecleaning from the top down to make any headway. Starting with the President's Office. Then Massaro and Stock. Our football coach has zero incentive to deliver a CUSA championship nor any consequences if he doesn't. Just fire the DC and hopefully placate the naysayers.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

I would like to just say something. mtfblue may be correct. Maybe a percentage of people could be concerned about what they read on this board. HOWEVER, that being said...none of us know....and that is the problem.

There is no transparency. It is all speculation. We are all speculating why BRAA admins are turning over...why we scheduled $$$ money games all of the sudden....how many season tickets have we sold....We are all just being fans wanting MT to succeed....shooting the sh!t with each other. Maybe the parent or coach browsing this board will see alumni and fans who want nothing more than MT to succeed.

 

[MTFNBY5]

IMHO the modest number of posters on this and the other board would be more of a concern to a potential fan/player/parent than whatever is being talked about.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

IMHO the modest number of posters on this and the other board would be more of a concern to a potential fan/player/parent than whatever is being talked about.

What is discussed on Blue Raider message boards pales in comparison to the image of less than 5,000 people in the stands for Senior Day and an empty student section except for the band. Recruits notice this.

 

[SpaceRaider]

It should be a useful tool. I don't agree with everything said in this thread or any other for that matter. But I believe, for the most part, anyway, that what posters are placing on these forums are their true feeling, and perceptions. Instead of dismissing (slappies, ignore the noise, etc.....) what people post on this forum or any other, maybe those in decision making positions should be asking why do the fans feel the way they do and look how things are or are not being done. My own personal feeling is they don't and won't.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

It should be a useful tool. I don't agree with everything said in this thread or any other for that matter. But I believe, for the most part, anyway, that what posters are placing on these forums are their true feeling, and perceptions. Instead of dismissing (slappies, ignore the noise, etc.....) what people post on this forum or any other, maybe those in decision making positions should be asking why do the fans feel the way they do and look how things are or are not being done. My own personal feeling is they don't and won't.

BRaiderDave and I both have a really bad case of Blue Raider apathy and it didn't just settle in overnight.

 

[MTTim]

I don't think a recruit and their family considers message board banter in their decision. As FR said when we have a scattering of fans on senior day and a band the recruits notice that. Unfortunately I believe the admin has given up on trying to fill JRF.

 

[dukewayne]

As far as board discussions go, there has been about as much agreement over this issue as one could find on boards.

For all of the basketball success, there is a lack of enthusiasm and energy for football. It's really pretty bad. Sadly, it seems to be creeping beyond football. I'm not even hearing or reading anything about the athletic dept capitalizing and promoting all the basketball success during the offseason. Sadly, buying some extra basketball season tickets will likely be my fall back position to get money and support to the much deserving basketball program. It doesn't seem that the athletic dept is doing much to promote and raise funds. It's the whole lack of vision and communication thing that strikes me as terribly troubling.

Slightly off topic, but what has happened to the baseball program? Time for a new coach?

Rick Insell and women's basketball continue to do well. While they do pretty good, it seems that next level of Sweet 16 appearances just never arrived even though the Lady Raiders have seemingly been so close for so many years.

Then there's football again. There just doesn't seem to be much energy for the program. I have to say for the first time, it's seeming pretty difficult to not acknowledge that there is a problem at the Athletic Director level. For years, Massaro has seemed to do a good job. The lack of energy and activity in promoting and building the Blue Raider community speaks loudly and poorly. And this in light of unprecedented success by Kermit and the basketball team.