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Post by sader1970 on May 16, 2019 7:49:06 GMT -5
I wonder if Marcus' little girls will ask, "Daddy, where's their mascot?"
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Post by timholycross on May 16, 2019 8:05:05 GMT -5
Make A (Holy Cross Athletics Event) Great Again!
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Post by alum on May 16, 2019 8:10:16 GMT -5
I wonder if Marcus' little girls will ask, "Daddy, where's their mascot?" No mascot is better than that molting Eagle. (My cousin's daughter and her husband are both BC grads. The damn bird came to the wedding reception.)
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Post by rgs318 on May 16, 2019 8:29:45 GMT -5
LOL
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Post by matunuck on May 16, 2019 8:44:55 GMT -5
We can dump on DR all we want but he was the one who penned a detailed report to the BOT that our facilities were pathetic and they needed to act. Its not that DR did nothing, because Fr. K field, swimming pool renovation, the replacement outdoor track and field hockey field were all done during his watch. But the new field house was to be like this: Middlebury's new field house, designed by Sasaki (who designed Luth) For years, DR pushed the BOT hard for a massive renovation of the Hart, among other facility issues he identified. He wasn't perfect, but he deserves a bit more credit on a few things considering the administrative bureaucracy he confronted.
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Post by purplehaze on May 16, 2019 8:47:25 GMT -5
there should be an album of sorts of the day press conference yday on the webpage - showing ADMB with his family, school administrators and coaches/players in attendance. I see nothing today
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Post by HC13 on May 16, 2019 8:49:40 GMT -5
Its not that DR did nothing, because Fr. K field, swimming pool renovation, the replacement outdoor track and field hockey field were all done during his watch. But the new field house was to be like this: Middlebury's new field house, designed by Sasaki (who designed Luth) For years, DR pushed the BOT hard for a massive renovation of the Hart, among other facility issues he identified. He wasn't perfect, but he deserves a bit more credit on a few things considering the administrative bureaucracy he confronted. A lot more actually.
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Post by hc87 on May 16, 2019 9:21:08 GMT -5
I like what I see/hear about Blossom....going through the "normal route" i.e. executive search firms, HC BoT vetting etc etc he is about as good as we could hope for at HC.
That being said, let's keep in mind that if things broke a little differently, he'd be the AD at Austin Peay right now. It hasn't been his life's mission to improve HC athletics until about December 2018.
I wish him all the success in the world at HC of course, but I remain skeptical that much change will be made (above and beyond the margins) with regards to HC athletics moving forward.
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Post by gks on May 16, 2019 10:11:34 GMT -5
Blossom was impressive at the press conference. Wish him all the luck in the world.
Burroughs on the other hand....as a fan of HC and College athletics he is no ally. High Schools would shiver at his approach to the athletic department. Nothing will change until he either leaves or decides that being competitive and winning are a goal.
Aren't there any Jesuits that are sports fans?
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Post by hchoops on May 16, 2019 10:16:07 GMT -5
John Brooks,S.J. Earl Markey S.J.
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Post by rgs318 on May 16, 2019 10:31:54 GMT -5
I like what I see/hear about Blossom....going through the "normal route" i.e. executive search firms, HC BoT vetting etc etc he is about as good as we could hope for at HC. That being said, let's keep in mind that if things broke a little differently, he'd be the AD at Austin Peay right now. It hasn't been his life's mission to improve HC athletics until about December 2018. I wish him all the success in the world at HC of course, but I remain skeptical that much change will be made (above and beyond the margins) with regards to HC athletics moving forward. The logic of a recurring statement that appears here on CROSSPORTS (i.e. "If things had been different they would not be the same") escapes me. I rank that up there with, "If we had not lost we would have won". That appears in many forms on monuments throughout Ireland where they had battles with the British..."If only (fill in the blank) had happened, the Irish would have won a great victory." Of course, the event, such as the arrival of French troops in one battle, did not happen, but I guess it does look better than simply saying, "We lost here too." Things did not break differently. We now have Marcus Blossom as our athletic director. I am looking forward to seeing what he does to improve (as in "change") things on the Hill. He is new to HC, so he may not bring in the "hopelessness" that some posts mention regarding the possibility of change. I wish him well. Let's see how things break for HC in the coming seasons with him at the athletic helm.
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Post by matunuck on May 16, 2019 11:00:46 GMT -5
For years, DR pushed the BOT hard for a massive renovation of the Hart, among other facility issues he identified. He wasn't perfect, but he deserves a bit more credit on a few things considering the administrative bureaucracy he confronted. A lot more actually. I know.
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Post by bringbackcaro on May 16, 2019 12:18:49 GMT -5
ADMB's responses to the question on his top priorities over his first six months: 1) Get to know the coaches -- typical canned response 2) Enhance the game environment, starting with football -- I loved this response
The vast majority of these press conferences with new hires are just filled with the canned responses, but I thought it was awesome that he gave a real goal in a sorely needed area.
His first year would be a great success if he is able to clean up two messes that were left on his desk: 1) Bill Carmody & the basketball program 2) Transforming the football and basketball gameday experience (quick wins in year 1, plan for full transformation as a fast follow)
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Post by longsuffering on May 16, 2019 12:37:32 GMT -5
FADDR mildly puzzled me because I sometimes got the impression he was mailing it in but it was nothing I could put my finger on and I only browsed Crossports once a year or so then, so I had no real way of making a firm judgement. Then one day during his extended post-resignation tenure as AD I stopped into the Starbucks across the street from the main Worcester Post Office. I saw Dick waiting somewhat uncomfortably in a chair in an overcoat and suit with a portfolio or small briefcase and surmised he might have been meeting someone for some level of interview. I felt for him and and it really humanized him to me. I have been appreciative of his efforts ever since.
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Post by timholycross on May 16, 2019 15:14:04 GMT -5
Blossom was impressive at the press conference. Wish him all the luck in the world. Burroughs on the other hand....as a fan of HC and College athletics he is no ally. High Schools would shiver at his approach to the athletic department. Nothing will change until he either leaves or decides that being competitive and winning are a goal. Aren't there any Jesuits that are sports fans? Father Leahy at BC is no prize either. BC message folks would rejoice if he retired.
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Post by timholycross on May 16, 2019 15:18:54 GMT -5
ADMB's responses to the question on his top priorities over his first six months: 1) Get to know the coaches -- typical canned response 2) Enhance the game environment, starting with football -- I loved this response The vast majority of these press conferences with new hires are just filled with the canned responses, but I thought it was awesome that he gave a real goal in a sorely needed area. His first year would be a great success if he is able to clean up two messes that were left on his desk: 1) Bill Carmody & the basketball program 2) Transforming the football and basketball gameday experience (quick wins in year 1, plan for full transformation as a fast follow) I think you'd have to put finalizing the Gibbons/McInerney situation (hiring her permanently or not) on the list too. She shouldn't stay "interim" too long if they like the job she's doing.
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Post by alum on May 16, 2019 15:20:56 GMT -5
FADDR mildly puzzled me because I sometimes got the impression he was mailing it in but it was nothing I could put my finger on and I only browsed Crossports once a year or so then, so I had no real way of making a firm judgement. Then one day during his extended post-resignation tenure as AD I stopped into the Starbucks across the street from the main Worcester Post Office. I saw Dick waiting somewhat uncomfortably in a chair in an overcoat and suit with a portfolio or small briefcase and surmised he might have been meeting someone for some level of interview. I felt for him and and it really humanized him to me. I have been appreciative of his efforts ever since. I don't see how anyone can think that he was a bad guy. I think he was a reasonably competent administrator who was working with what the administration gave him as to financial and other resources. As to him sitting in a Starbucks, I can only suggest that another possibility was that he was meeting with a prospective donor. My wife raises money for a small liberal arts college. She conducts the majority of her business in coffee shops when travelling. Many people, even the owners of companies, don't seem to want to take those meetings in the office.
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Post by timholycross on May 16, 2019 15:23:34 GMT -5
Older timers than I (I'm Class of 73) may have a different take on this, but has any Holy Cross AD kept a lower profile than Vincent Dougherty (sp?) did?
I never saw him. Ever. And the fall of his final year (he was let go beginning of second semester) I was in the field house just about daily.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on May 16, 2019 16:46:50 GMT -5
First, I don't think DR was a 'bad guy', and on the old board, I often defended him by asserting that he had done a lot in terms of facility upgrades and improvements. However, I never viewed him as being financially bootstrapped by TPTB. When he left, DR was asked, I think by JT, why he was leaving, and he replied, 'I guess I didn't ask for enough money.'
Whatever that meant.
Total Spending on Athletics $ in millions, ranked by 2013-14 spending School 2013-14 / 2017-18 / percentage increase between 2013-14 and 2017-18
Lehigh 28,8 / 36.5/ +27% Holy Cross 22.5 / 36.7 / +63% Colgate 21.6 / 28.2 / +31% Bucknell 20.8 / 29.3 / +41% Lafayette 17.0 / 24.1 / +42% American 12.6 / 14.7 / +17%
2013-14 was the last DR budget. 2017-18 is the most recent year for which data is available. 2018-19 is the last NP budget. The first true Marcus Blossom budget will be 20-21; that's simply a function of the calendar sequence of when budgets are approved by the BoT.
In 2013-14, Lehigh outspent HC by $1.2 million in men's sports, and by $4.9 million in costs not allocated by sport. ________________
His vision for the new field house was such that it was principally for the indoor track teams, and I suspect that the Luths and other donors wanted the field house to support more sports. Almost the very first thing that NP did was to re-design the field house, a design that substantially increased the total cost..
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Post by bringbackcaro on May 16, 2019 17:23:42 GMT -5
ADMB's responses to the question on his top priorities over his first six months: 1) Get to know the coaches -- typical canned response 2) Enhance the game environment, starting with football -- I loved this response The vast majority of these press conferences with new hires are just filled with the canned responses, but I thought it was awesome that he gave a real goal in a sorely needed area. His first year would be a great success if he is able to clean up two messes that were left on his desk: 1) Bill Carmody & the basketball program 2) Transforming the football and basketball gameday experience (quick wins in year 1, plan for full transformation as a fast follow) I think you'd have to put finalizing the Gibbons/McInerney situation (hiring her permanently or not) on the list too. She shouldn't stay "interim" too long if they like the job she's doing. Yes, while that’s also a priority, I don’t care if it’s McInerny or John Wooden coaching the women if the men’s program is still the Carmody dumpster fire.
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Post by sader1970 on May 16, 2019 17:55:02 GMT -5
Fixed it for you.
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Post by matunuck on May 16, 2019 18:53:16 GMT -5
I felt no one was pointing out some of the good things DR pushed, which prompted my original post about him. Just trying to provide a little context even if, on balance, his weaknesses outweighed his strengths.
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Post by sader1970 on May 16, 2019 19:05:51 GMT -5
Having had many, many conversations with Dick over the years when he was AD, I can tell you he was true and loyal son of Holy Cross who wanted nothing more than to see HC athletics succeed. The "true and loyal son," however, may have been a two-edged sword with both the obvious strength but also a glaring weakness as I think his loyalty prevented him from pushing TPTB for the kinds of things that might have made a difference in HC athletics. Give him credit (or blame! ) for being the one who managed to resume the BC football game that had long been relegated to the dumpster. You also have to pin on him the Sean Kearney hiring debacle that he doubled-up on with the hiring of Milan Brown (with a too-easy clause allowing for a contract extension) but he does get credit for recognizing the Kearney mistake and firing him quickly. With his second bite of the apple, he made things at least marginally worse.
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Post by longsuffering on May 16, 2019 20:30:32 GMT -5
Having had many, many conversations with Dick over the years when he was AD, I can tell you he was true and loyal son of Holy Cross who wanted nothing more than to see HC athletics succeed. The "true and loyal son," however, may have been a two-edged sword with both the obvious strength but also a glaring weakness as I think his loyalty prevented him from pushing TPTB for the kinds of things that might have made a difference in HC athletics. Give him credit (or blame! ) for being the one who managed to resume the BC football game that had long been relegated to the dumpster. You also have to pin on him the Sean Kearney hiring debacle that he doubled-up on with the hiring of Milan Brown (with a too-easy clause allowing for a contract extension) but he does get credit for recognizing the Kearney mistake and firing him quickly. With his second bite of the apple, he made things at least marginally worse. Perhaps DR should have attended Trustee meetings armed with PP's research. While I would say MB was only marginally better than SK, it would not be possible to be worse, imo. In one short season SK turned around a decade of winning and we haven't been able to get it back.
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Post by HCFC45 on May 16, 2019 23:17:39 GMT -5
John Brooks,S.J. Earl Markey S.J. You can't be serious about this one!!! He set HC athletics back at east 50 years with the decision not to go Big East! Just ask HC87!!!
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