AUcivE09 582 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 53 minutes ago, AUGoo said: Oh yeah!!! I'm all for the HUNBGCO! I read that and this is all I can think of now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerbelle 5,299 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 49 minutes ago, gr82be said: I love this post but it reminds me of something Yogi Berra once said. He suggested moving first base another foot down the line to eliminate close plays at first. The last inning drama will still be there even in the seventh. But I wouldn't want it to change from nine either. 😁 It wouldn't be the same in the 7th.....not enough time for the build-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLoofus 35,182 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 55 minutes ago, AU64 said: can't imagine what it's like to sit in the stadium with all that nothing going on between plays or changes of possession I feel pure, uncut rage towards that bastard in the red hat when I'm at the game. I know he's just doing his job but he is a proxy for all that is wrong with the business of sports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomstick 1,315 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 On 6/17/2019 at 5:29 PM, tigerbrotha12 said: Have heard a few thoughts on this recently, but I’m wondering how Auburn puts themselves in a position to become a re-occurring presence in Omaha. We seem to be starting to move in the right direction with batting cages and facilities down the right field line, but I’d like to see us do more in terms of scholarship money, player and game analytics, and even increased fan facilities. Big emphasis on facilities and analytics as many elite programs are starting to move towards these big time themes We’re getting the analytics portion in the new training facility down the RF line. It’s going to have pitching and hitting analytical equipment installed in the hitting and pitching bays. Not much hope on extra funding for baseball. As I understand it, since we’re a state school, nothing can be offered through the school to athletes that isn’t offered to the general student body. Private scholarships like the Bryant Scholarship are now banned, although the Bryant Scholarship was grandfathered in. And in order to do like the Mississippi schools and waive OOS tuition for student who qualify, I’m pretty sure that has to come from the legislature. Since neither Alabama nor Auburn are struggling with OOS enrollment, there’s no reason to waive those fees. Unfortunately, fan facilities are probably done the line, in terms of athletics facility improvements. It seems every program on campus has their hand out right now with facility needs. With baseball about to get the practice facility, it probably pushes any stadium improvements down the list. I have heard that incorporating the new practice facility and combining with seating in RF is being looked at, but that will probably be a couple years after the indoor building is up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustache eagle 2,402 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 2 hours ago, McLoofus said: I feel pure, uncut rage towards that bastard in the red hat when I'm at the game. I know he's just doing his job but he is a proxy for all that is wrong with the business of sports. A few years ago they changed the play clock rules to speed up the game ... well they could simply eliminate some tv commercials and speed up the game. But that would be too logical (and nobody is gonna give up the dollars). I actually enjoy the very rare games against the cupcakes that are not televised ... sub 3 hour games have become a thing of the past. I’m not a fan of all the money in college sports. Personally, I’d prefer lesser quality and more amateurism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLoofus 35,182 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 7 minutes ago, mustache eagle said: A few years ago they changed the play clock rules to speed up the game ... well they could simply eliminate some tv commercials and speed up the game. But that would be too logical (and nobody is gonna give up the dollars). I actually enjoy the very rare games against the cupcakes that are not televised ... sub 3 hour games have become a thing of the past. I’m not a fan of all the money in college sports. Personally, I’d prefer lesser quality and more amateurism. Football should get creative like soccer with in-game advertising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustache eagle 2,402 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 2 minutes ago, McLoofus said: Football should get creative like soccer with in-game advertising. I’m shocked they don’t do that more. There are so many ways they could speed up games without changing the darn rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellitor 33,093 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 30 minutes ago, McLoofus said: Football should get creative like soccer with in-game advertising. 24 minutes ago, mustache eagle said: I’m shocked they don’t do that more. There are so many ways they could speed up games without changing the darn rules. With the commercialization of sports me too. By now I figured we'd have something like, "And that's a Budweiser first down!". Or, "That's a Delta Touchdown for the Saints! When you fly Delta, you fly in style like a Drew Brees Touchdown pass." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auburn Kev 1,653 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AU64 10,122 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 They already have a top facility and draw like a class AAA baseball team...up there close to LSU and Miss State. JMO..but our fans have to earn the upgrade with better support of the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellitor 33,093 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 @AU64 said something similar in another thread but Jason said it pertaining to baseball so I'll post his comment here... Quote The state and legislature determines a lot of what schools are able to do in terms of scholarships, funding, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auburn Kev 1,653 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Quote #PMARSHONAU: Auburn's Butch Thompson deserves better By Phillip Marshall 17 hours ago It’s understandable that spending $60 million or more on a football-only complex can cause heartburn for some. That’s a huge investment. It’s money that must be spent and apparently will be spent. But a much less expensive and badly needed baseball player development facility, one that was promised to head coach Butch Thompson when he took the job and again when he spurned Mississippi State last year to stay at Auburn? The status of that one is uncertain. Thompson deserves better. The playing area at Plainsman Park is as nice as any. The player amenities and developmental areas are last in the seven-team SEC West, and not even close to sixth. Not only that, should Auburn host a regional next season, unless something changes, national media people will be welcomed to a press box with windows that can’t open and have been stuck for three years. That is not much fun on hot summer days. Even if the promised facility were already built, Auburn would still be behind the programs with which it must compete on the field and in recruiting and would still be in last place in the SEC West So what’s the plan? What is the timetable? No one seems to know. At least nobody is saying. Our Jason Caldwell takes a look today at the baseball situation, which was seemingly not changed by the departure of president Steven Leath. Thompson has revived Auburn baseball, He took his fourth Tiger team to Omaha for the College World Series. He had an opportunity to leave last year and didn’t do it. He’ll have opportunities again. He deserves to get what he wants and needs, especially considering that $4 million of the original $4.8 million price tag has been raised. Apparently, the cost has gone up by half a million dollars or so. That’s enough to put the whole project on hold when Thompson and the baseball program have already raised most of the money from private sources? As Jason reports, Arkansas announced plans Tuesday to spend $27 million on a baseball developmental facility. The Auburn facility was supposed to be under construction already. It’s not, and there is no indication when it will be. That’s on the heels of Auburn’s first trip to the College World Series in 22 years and its first-ever super regional championship. Thompson took over a program in turmoil. He arrived in the fall of 2015 when Sunny Golloway was fired. Fall practice was already over. There was dysfunction and division within the program, things that could not be fixed overnight. Since struggling through that first season, Thompson has taken three consecutive teams to regionals, winning two of them. He’s taken two straight to super regionals, winning one and losing the other in heartbreaking fashion. He has the most loaded Auburn roster since at least 2010 coming back. Baseball isn’t the only program with urgent needs. Jane B. Moore Field is even further behind the competition than Plainsman Park. The plan is to start construction on a player development facility for softball in the fall. But the plan was also to start construction on the baseball facility as soon as the season was over. Facilities for soccer and track are well behind, too. It costs money to compete at the highest level. It just does. No one is going to spend the least and win the most. Outside of football and basketball, what does the Auburn administration really want and what is it willing to do to get there? Maybe that’s the biggest question of all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#PMARSHONAU: Auburn's Butch Thompson deserves better By Phillip Marshall 17 hours ago It’s understandable that spending $60 million or more on a football-only complex can cause heartburn for some. That’s a huge investment. It’s money that must be spent and apparently will be spent. But a much less expensive and badly needed baseball player development facility, one that was promised to head coach Butch Thompson when he took the job and again when he spurned Mississippi State last year to stay at Auburn? The status of that one is uncertain. Thompson deserves better. The playing area at Plainsman Park is as nice as any. The player amenities and developmental areas are last in the seven-team SEC West, and not even close to sixth. Not only that, should Auburn host a regional next season, unless something changes, national media people will be welcomed to a press box with windows that can’t open and have been stuck for three years. That is not much fun on hot summer days. Even if the promised facility were already built, Auburn would still be behind the programs with which it must compete on the field and in recruiting and would still be in last place in the SEC West So what’s the plan? What is the timetable? No one seems to know. At least nobody is saying. Our Jason Caldwell takes a look today at the baseball situation, which was seemingly not changed by the departure of president Steven Leath. Thompson has revived Auburn baseball, He took his fourth Tiger team to Omaha for the College World Series. He had an opportunity to leave last year and didn’t do it. He’ll have opportunities again. He deserves to get what he wants and needs, especially considering that $4 million of the original $4.8 million price tag has been raised. Apparently, the cost has gone up by half a million dollars or so. That’s enough to put the whole project on hold when Thompson and the baseball program have already raised most of the money from private sources? As Jason reports, Arkansas announced plans Tuesday to spend $27 million on a baseball developmental facility. The Auburn facility was supposed to be under construction already. It’s not, and there is no indication when it will be. That’s on the heels of Auburn’s first trip to the College World Series in 22 years and its first-ever super regional championship. Thompson took over a program in turmoil. He arrived in the fall of 2015 when Sunny Golloway was fired. Fall practice was already over. There was dysfunction and division within the program, things that could not be fixed overnight. Since struggling through that first season, Thompson has taken three consecutive teams to regionals, winning two of them. He’s taken two straight to super regionals, winning one and losing the other in heartbreaking fashion. He has the most loaded Auburn roster since at least 2010 coming back. Baseball isn’t the only program with urgent needs. Jane B. Moore Field is even further behind the competition than Plainsman Park. The plan is to start construction on a player development facility for softball in the fall. But the plan was also to start construction on the baseball facility as soon as the season was over. Facilities for soccer and track are well behind, too. It costs money to compete at the highest level. It just does. No one is going to spend the least and win the most. Outside of football and basketball, what does the Auburn administration really want and what is it willing to do to get there? Maybe that’s the biggest question of all.
AU64 10,122 Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 So what is AG doing or saying? He's been at AU long enough to assess facilities and present a plan to get those facilities into a more competitive state. I guess Leath will get the blame but seems it's AG's job to present the vision which we have not heard or seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellitor 33,093 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 8 hours ago, AU64 said: So what is AG doing or saying? He's been at AU long enough to assess facilities and present a plan to get those facilities into a more competitive state. I guess Leath will get the blame but seems it's AG's job to present the vision which we have not heard or seen. You know Leath gets the blame to this point. He basically neutered Greene as AD til he was fired. There is a hierarchy to these things often times too. Football gets something first then things trickle down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLoofus 35,182 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 13 hours ago, AU64 said: So what is AG doing or saying? He's been at AU long enough to assess facilities and present a plan to get those facilities into a more competitive state. I guess Leath will get the blame but seems it's AG's job to present the vision which we have not heard or seen. You're a hoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellitor 33,093 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 4 minutes ago, McLoofus said: You're a hoot. I'm not sure how I would take that if I were an owl... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomstick 1,315 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 14 hours ago, AU64 said: So what is AG doing or saying? He's been at AU long enough to assess facilities and present a plan to get those facilities into a more competitive state. I guess Leath will get the blame but seems it's AG's job to present the vision which we have not heard or seen. I think there’s some issues with revenue as well. I think we did a lot of spending when we started seeing this increase in revenue from the SECN and increased bowl purses. But I believe that is starting to flatline a bit, maybe even decline. And with that, I think Greene has had to step back and really reassess the spending throughout the AD. Because of some previous issues, Greene is handcuffed a bit because the previous regime didn’t seem to have any long-term goals in mind when they were spending money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellitor 33,093 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 30 minutes ago, boomstick said: I think there’s some issues with revenue as well. I think we did a lot of spending when we started seeing this increase in revenue from the SECN and increased bowl purses. But I believe that is starting to flatline a bit, maybe even decline. And with that, I think Greene has had to step back and really reassess the spending throughout the AD. Because of some previous issues, Greene is handcuffed a bit because the previous regime didn’t seem to have any long-term goals in mind when they were spending money. Jar Jar's idea of saving money was taking drinks away from the football staff & making them bring their own water bottles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerbrotha12 2,362 Posted June 27, 2019 Author Share Posted June 27, 2019 3 hours ago, ellitor said: I'm not sure how I would take that if I were an owl... Got em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCTiger2011 1,277 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 I’ve read a couple articles on the baseball facilities delay now, and I keep waiting to see a legitimate reason it’s being delayed? Facilities improvements and the bureaucracy it takes to get them done are above my head, so I’ll plead ignorance in my opinion, but reading these articles frustrates me to no end. Especially after this season, it feels like a slap in the face to not expedite improvements in any way possible while Auburn baseball is familiar to recruits in the national sphere again. I may be wrong but the Auburn way of facilities upgrades seems to be 1) acknowledge the need; 2) convene a committee, 3) hear proposals 4) choose proposal 5) cite some unforeseen circumstance that delays or changes the project. Baseball (and softball from those who follow that program more closely than I do) desperately need upgrades and seem to constantly have the rug snatched out from under them with regards to what they’re promised. The fan support (sadly) isn’t there for us to get near the baseball shrines that are Starkville and Fayetteville, but Plainsman needed its upgrades just to stay middle of the road about a decade ago, and it is still waiting on those needs. Dont know enough to know if I should be frustrated at Greene, BoT, Leath, nobody, or everybody, but on its head it sucks that Auburn can’t seem to get a minor financial project built for a big three sport. Rant ended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowebb11 9,321 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Slightly off topic, but this thread reflects an ongoing theme at Auburn. We are fresh off of a bowl win in football, a Final 4 in basketball, and a World Series in Baseball. At any other school, there would be nothing but positive an uplifting stories. Instead we get immediate controversy about substandard facilities and underfunded athletics. And we wonder why we can’t sustain excellence This has gone on for too long at Auburn an it’s very fatiguing. We can’t stay out of our own way. It sucks the joy out of AU sports for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomstick 1,315 Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 4 hours ago, Gowebb11 said: Slightly off topic, but this thread reflects an ongoing theme at Auburn. We are fresh off of a bowl win in football, a Final 4 in basketball, and a World Series in Baseball. At any other school, there would be nothing but positive an uplifting stories. Instead we get immediate controversy about substandard facilities and underfunded athletics. And we wonder why we can’t sustain excellence This has gone on for too long at Auburn an it’s very fatiguing. We can’t stay out of our own way. It sucks the joy out of AU sports for me. IMO that’s a leadership issue. The BOT, the president, the AD, there’s not a clear vision about the future. Greene is stuck in a position where very little significant future planning was done before him, a potentially crippling contract was agreed upon before he arrived, and the revenues received 4-5 years ago that could go a long way in helping with some of these current projects were spent on unnecessary or patchwork ideas that didn’t work with or have in mind a central long-term vision for the future of Auburn Athletics. We’ve needed a FOF for years. We’ve needed improvements at JHS. We’ve needed baseball and softball facilities improvements for years. Instead, we bought a ridiculous Jumbotron and built a makeshift addition to the stadium that will be almost impossible to incorporate into any future master plan for JHS. We’ve paid several crazy buyouts because of poor contract negotiations. And we didn’t stockpile cash when we had the chance. Greene’s in a pretty rough position, but I’m hopeful he has a long-term plan that everyone can get behind and create a singular vision, which I think would help with some of this negativity we’re seeing now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerbelle 5,299 Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 11 hours ago, boomstick said: IMO that’s a leadership issue. The BOT, the president, the AD, there’s not a clear vision about the future. Greene is stuck in a position where very little significant future planning was done before him, a potentially crippling contract was agreed upon before he arrived, and the revenues received 4-5 years ago that could go a long way in helping with some of these current projects were spent on unnecessary or patchwork ideas that didn’t work with or have in mind a central long-term vision for the future of Auburn Athletics. We’ve needed a FOF for years. We’ve needed improvements at JHS. We’ve needed baseball and softball facilities improvements for years. Instead, we bought a ridiculous Jumbotron and built a makeshift addition to the stadium that will be almost impossible to incorporate into any future master plan for JHS. We’ve paid several crazy buyouts because of poor contract negotiations. And we didn’t stockpile cash when we had the chance. Greene’s in a pretty rough position, but I’m hopeful he has a long-term plan that everyone can get behind and create a singular vision, which I think would help with some of this negativity we’re seeing now. Or we could go the bammer route.....spend money like it's in unlimited supply, and end up almost a billion dollars in debt. Not sure that's any better. This article addresses some of bammer's debt and also other schools with big problems. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-01-04/college-football-s-top-teams-are-built-on-crippling-debt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomstick 1,315 Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 10 minutes ago, Tigerbelle said: Or we could go the bammer route.....spend money like it's in unlimited supply, and end up almost a billion dollars in debt. Not sure that's any better. This article addresses some of bammer's debt and also other schools with big problems. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-01-04/college-football-s-top-teams-are-built-on-crippling-debt Someone posted on one of the many Auburn message boards I frequent that our recent financial records show we have $884 million in bond debt. Not quite a billion like Bama but close. Not sure we can afford to go much more in debt. (For clarity, I have no idea if that's true because I haven't seen any documentation, just taking an anonymous poster's word for it). Honestly, I appreciate Greene's approach here. At some point, we have to quit spending so frivolously like it's an endless supply and start managing the cash flow better. That probably should've been done when the SEC Network started, and we'd better in better position to make some of these improvements without having to rely so much on our donors to fund it. Clearly, we couldn't pay for all of the renovations we need with tv revenue, but had we been more judicious with those funds, we wouldn't be sitting in a holding pattern on the baseball facility because of approximately $2 million. We should have that money without having to completely fund it from donors, which is the way I understand how we're having to fund this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerbelle 5,299 Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 I appreciate his approach as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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