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Post by Crucis#1 on Apr 27, 2023 14:28:17 GMT -5
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Post by timholycross on Apr 27, 2023 15:30:58 GMT -5
It seemed to me that due to "the company that we would have kept", Father Brooks would have seriously considered that move.
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Post by longsuffering on Apr 27, 2023 16:35:45 GMT -5
While MM mishandled the ECAC presentation, in his defense, several new athletic venues were built or renovated during his tenure, Hanover Park, Fr. K field, Smith Stadium and Sinnott Tennis. Unfortunately the programs that play in these now relatively new facilities did not achieve in their athletic endeavors on the field of competition. Full support was needed for success. A lost opportunity at the time. Wasn't HC gift-wrapped Hanover Park and didn't pay a dime for it? I wouldn't really say that a turf field, soccer "stadium" and a series of tennis courts are much to write home about during a decade-long run as president. From what I gathered, Fr. McF didn't like how Gonzaga became synonymous with a great men's basketball program, rather than educational institution first, and athletic success at HC really wasn't important. HC definitely received HIP@Fitton Field with Hallmark wrapping paper. It only cost $350,000 iirc and the money and momentum came from the owners and Worcester businesses. The city was starved for minor league baseball but were shut out of getting a team in organized ball by being in the PawSox territory. So they went for the Independent Can Am league. The Tornadoes won the pennant under manager Richie Gedman the first year, had Comedian/DJ Frank Foley, DJ Zip Zepfel and another funny guy as the radio crew and had broad support. But the ownership wasn't as financially sound as the Railers owner and the team folded after several years.
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Post by longsuffering on Apr 27, 2023 16:42:54 GMT -5
Five minutes late? Reaching the AHA final means now is better than anytime in the last several years to ask for support of hockey. All we had to sell in recent years was desperation. Now we have a narrative to pitch. If you are referring to the ECAC swing and miss, that's ice under the bridge. Where would HC have found the money for bigger deficits in the ECAC or H.E.? Gut minor sports more? The concept of moving up as a magic pill is belied by Women's hockey experience since moving up to H.E. That really increased deficits with scholarships and more coaches while still not even being able to charge admission to games. Where did HC find that money? Did the move up insure continued futility in minor sports due to low resources available? I'm not criticizing the move, just pointing out that HC moving up to a higher level league can fail as well as succeed and also potentially have collateral damage in the department. Missing out on the ECAC was such a colossal miss. HC likes the PL because we are associated with high-academic and peer schools like Colgate, Bucknell, Lehigh, Lafayette, and the service academies, right? Then imagine not strongly pursuing an opportunity (when the league wanted us!) to essentially play in the Ivy League for college hockey. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton...or AIC, Mercyhurst, and Niagara? While the ECAC would have required a stronger investment and upgrading the facility ($$$), over time we'd see better returns than that Atlantic Hockey has delivered. Teamer? When you bring up almost playing in essentially the Ivy League, this was a colossal miss. Let's face it, without directly saying it often, Ivy League and Little Ivy schools are the schools HC seeks to emulate, with a men and women for others slant.
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Post by longsuffering on Apr 27, 2023 17:00:07 GMT -5
FADDR, a FHCPGR hire….no explanation needed. During the PGR tenure, I visited family in the Bay Area that includes an HC graduate. We attended an HC President's Reception at the St. Francis Yacht Club in SF. Father Reedy was holding court in a plush chair with a cocktail. I asked a question or floated an idea and he belittled it. Most CEO types, by the time they reached CEO would have the skills to point out why an idea wasn't realistic without being dismissive to the stakeholder who raised it. Most Clergy would have those skills after a few years of ministry. So it was an eye opener.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Apr 27, 2023 17:31:23 GMT -5
Regarding the Bay Area….
Another eye opener, in March of 1998, I submitted a Honorary Degree nomination to him directly regarding a candidate that I hope would be seriously considered. Her credentials at the time were stellar as an academician at a world renown University, and should have been greeted cheerfully. When I showed him the recommendation in his office, his reply after seeing the candidate was …..who is she? He had no idea who I was recommending at the time.
The candidate at the time was Provost at Stanford University.
I walked out of his office on mahogany row, shaking my head and realizing the man did not have a clue regarding the upper echelons of United States academic leadership. And we wonder why the HC profile plummeted during his leadership.
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Post by nhteamer on Apr 28, 2023 10:03:11 GMT -5
Fr McF deserves zero--ZERO-- credit for the tennis courts.
That was 100% a private effort.
Classic decision making to boot. We wanted to paint the courts purple but were told that was too "garish."
Incredible
The stories of HC own goals are endless.
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Post by Tom on Apr 28, 2023 10:23:12 GMT -5
While MM mishandled the ECAC presentation, in his defense, several new athletic venues were built or renovated during his tenure, Hanover Park, Fr. K field, Smith Stadium and Sinnott Tennis. Unfortunately the programs that play in these now relatively new facilities did not achieve in their athletic endeavors on the field of competition. Full support was needed for success. A lost opportunity at the time. Wasn't HC gift-wrapped Hanover Park and didn't pay a dime for it? I wouldn't really say that a turf field, soccer "stadium" and a series of tennis courts are much to write home about during a decade-long run as president. From what I gathered, Fr. McF didn't like how Gonzaga became synonymous with a great men's basketball program, rather than educational institution first, and athletic success at HC really wasn't important. The upgrades to the baseball field came when HC entered into a partnership with the new affiliate in the Can-Am baseball league. Getting the upgrade for Fitton for basically nothing is an accomplishment that TPTB of the time deserves some credit for. I believe that the Tornadoes then traded the naming rights to Hanover Insurance for Hanover paying for the renovations. HC had to give up something like 25 years of rent free use of the field to the Tornadoes. I assume that free use of the field was an asset in the bankruptcy of the Tornadoes. Don't know if the Railers acquired that asset or if they have a separate deal Not sure why HC needs to keep the Hanover sign hanging over Fitton Field, since I was not aware of any relationship Hanover had with HC about naming rights
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Post by gks on Apr 28, 2023 13:22:25 GMT -5
Wasn't HC gift-wrapped Hanover Park and didn't pay a dime for it? I wouldn't really say that a turf field, soccer "stadium" and a series of tennis courts are much to write home about during a decade-long run as president. From what I gathered, Fr. McF didn't like how Gonzaga became synonymous with a great men's basketball program, rather than educational institution first, and athletic success at HC really wasn't important. The upgrades to the baseball field came when HC entered into a partnership with the new affiliate in the Can-Am baseball league. Getting the upgrade for Fitton for basically nothing is an accomplishment that TPTB of the time deserves some credit for. I believe that the Tornadoes then traded the naming rights to Hanover Insurance for Hanover paying for the renovations. HC had to give up something like 25 years of rent free use of the field to the Tornadoes. I assume that free use of the field was an asset in the bankruptcy of the Tornadoes. Don't know if the Railers acquired that asset or if they have a separate deal Not sure why HC needs to keep the Hanover sign hanging over Fitton Field, since I was not aware of any relationship Hanover had with HC about naming rights I believe the naming rights are with the Bravehearts and the Tornadoes before that. I know that doesn't seem to make any sense but any announcement about this has come from them. Not HC.
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