We’re all good
For the most part, we’re nice people.
We’re the only place in the country where we thank other drivers for letting us change lanes.
We leave the last piece of food on a serving tray in case there might be someone who might want it later. We call anyone older “auntie” or “uncle.” Even when we’re not at fault, we apologize to the people behind us in line when a computer-malfunction delays our transaction at the counter.
And when somebody is encouraged to resign, we feel bad, and apologize that maybe it was an impossible job, anyway.
Running an athletic department is not an impossible job. It’s difficult, to be sure, but not impossible.
For starters, UH sports is an attractive product. It’s so attractive people are willing to pay above the face-value of a ticket for the right to buy a ticket. Do you think people would fork over double the price for any other product besides a Bruno Mars concert?
There also are many people who want to contribute in any way. There was an “Archie” comic story in which multi-millonaire Mr. Lodge brags how he donates thousands of dollars to charity when Archie donated only a few dollars. Archie responded: “I only had a few dollars. I gave everything I had.” People with very little disposable income want to help. Any donation is a good donation. There was a church on Molokai in which some members donated fruit as tithe.
There is money in Hawaii. The Louis Vuitton store is never hurting for customers. Would it hurt Matson or Young Brothers to sponsor an event or two?
UH also should hire car-sales people to solicit donations on a commission-based arrangement. The thing about them is they work hard, and are relentless and motivated. In the car business, if you don’t make sales, you don’t eat or pay bills that month.
UH is flawed, but not broken, and people should not have to apologize when things don’t work out. Sometimes, it’s not the system that fails. Sometimes, leaders — no matter how nice, honorable and well-meaning — fail.
First. He was “encouraged” to resign? That’s not what they said at the press conference…
first. funny how they went out of their way yesterday to cover up that someone was “encouraged” to resign…
Some of us bow on the telephone…
The only people who resign after being encouraged to resign are honorable people. Those who reap praise upon obvious failures are full of the hot air. That is why many have mixed feelings about Ben Jay.
Ipu Man:
That’s pretty funny.
I still crack up about that Web site that says the search firm promises to offer a free recommendation if the first candidate doesn’t work out. That’s like those betting services who promise: If our picks are wrong, we’ll give you three new picks for free.
Uh, thanks?
Interesting editorial in today’s Star-Advertiser.
Well, all I can say is:
Good luck and best wishes, Ben Jay.
Hiring of a ‘car salesman’ is good… but even better is a car salesman type in marketing…that will get the job done 4 sure…
Monumental task…for sure….
He’s a nice guy and he’s well-meaning and I like him.
I’m a nice guy, too (or, at least, I can pretend to be a nice guy), but if I don’t make my mortgage, my bank will makes sure this nice guy gets his mail at Waimanalo Beach.
The athletic department was waist deep in red ink prior to Ben Jay. It is now drowning in red ink. With either no will or authority to change the direction of the main driver of revenue the football teams performance, it is of no surprise Ben Jay resigned.
I really respect the difficulty of a car salesman.
Sometimes, people are just “shopping around” for a car. The salesman greets you in the lot, then when he realizes you’re not interesting in buying a car that day, he goes to the back of the rotation and has to wait another hour or so for his turn with a potential customer.
Wow Shoji sure dropped a bomb on Bobby’s show this morning. It’s refreshing though that a coach makes an announcement before the media does. Scott Wong was an awesome coach and he will be missed. He elevated the Sand Volleyball team very quickly to a top 4 team in the nation and has proven to be an effective indoor coach as well as a great recruiter. It will sure be difficult to replace him. It did worry me though the way that Shoji was talking about his future. It sounds like the departure of Ben Jay and Scott Wong has been affecting his decision on how long he will continue to coach. He mentioned that Wong was the front man in the recruiting for the Wahine team so it will be interesting to see if any recruits follow him to Pepperdine.
11.
yes amen to that. I see that everyday. Not to mention if it’s a slow day and they just sit around with nothing to do and no commission.
YEA… n never smoke a pipe…when shopping for a car… you will never get waited on….and all the salesmen will run n hide…he he he
I agree with ST. Success for the athletic dept is not impossible but is difficult. In many ways the athletic dept is the most obvious place of interface between UH and the community. And for me here is the rub. Academia in general is a world unto itself. Many, if not most, in academia have never left school. Most have progressed from kindergarten through college and grad school without ever stepping out of the academic environment. The rules of engagement in academia are simply different. These “rules” are ill suited for the business world where customer service and sales of products are critical, or you fail. I don’t say this as any sort of criticism. I simply propose that the academic world is a different sort of world.
Now the problem occurs when you have academics in charge of a business. College sports has unquestionably become big business. To me it is unreasonable to think that a linguistics professor would be the right leader to oversee the operations of a business. There is no way I would allow someone to operate on me who was not trained as a surgeon, no matter how smart they are. Why would we expect that academics who have no training in business would be able to lead a business. Several on the blog have outlined the history of leadership failure and identified the players (presidents, chancellors and athletic directors) who have not been able to right the ship. When I reflect on this I say of course they would fail. Other than the AD’s they are not qualified to run an athletic business.
So as we search for a new AD I think we must be aware that not only do we need the right person but we need this person to be supported by leadership that has the capability and vision to right this struggling business. Otherwise the new AD will also fail. I know it is easy to criticize Ben Jay and there were missteps along the way. But I really do wonder if the structure for success was in place for him. It seems to me that it was not and that the same structure of leadership may not be able to support the new AD’s success no matter who is chosen.
Lets face the reality of the situation, you could have JC as the AD but as long as the AD is under the thumb of the bureaucracy of UH thing will not change period.
ArcumFortis exactly!!
Good morning everyone!
Ben Jay tried hard but ran aground in the deceptively tranquil waters of Hawaii. In piloting, it is called unfamiliarity with the local hazards. Still, he tried hard and I wish him well in his future endeavors. His serving the last 6 months is OK with me as it allows him to leave with dignity.
Well said ST
SteveM da ting bout Hawai’i is dat we got sandbars, reefs, currents and sharks….
Who is JC? Justin Cruz?
Had a horrible nightmare this morning of Hawaii’s 2015 season being the Final Season of Warrior football. And all I remember is waiting in a crowd to watch the press swarm over UH Staff
I thought when June Jones was here, there were talks about hiring someone whose job was to do fundraising for UH Athletics. What ever happen to that?
It would be a good idea to hire someone with car salesman and marketing mentality to get donations and do fundraising. I believe a lot of the “big” universities have someone or an office that does this on a full-time basis.
Are the same people picking all the past Presidents, Athletic Directors, coaches, etc? If so, maybe they should be swapped out for people that have a different way of picking people. I don’t mind the Upper Campus getting most of the money, but the Athletics Department shouldn’t be treated like the bastard child.
GOOD MORNING, HAWAII!
Kinda hard to move a ship to port when there are many people steering the ship – some of whom think they know how – but don’t.
#15 I totally agree with what you wrote. It has been my contention that we need leadership that understands how to run a business. It is absolutely critical to the success of an athletic program that is dependent on generating income. Academia lives in a fishbowl and you are correct that the intellectual thinking does not match with the ability to run a business. The next AD will be faced with the same problems that Ben Jay faced. He may have not handled or understood the dynamics of the political structure to be successful. The community should not treat Jay harshly because the system failed him. The AD should have the autonomy to be the CEO of running a business since he has to generate the income. I wish Ben Jay well.
Great points Acrum. And concerning Scott Wong, we should offer him a head coach in waiting kind of deal if Dave is indeed considering only a year left before retirement. We know what we are getting and he has proven himself as a strong recruiter to this program. Not a given by any means despite the Wahine’s success over the years. The fan base would be very excited about the future and ticket sales will remain strong and vibrant.
It was time for BJ to go, it wasnt working out, the writing was on the wall ,Uh admin should be more forthright and truthful and tell it like it is ,like”we are going in another direction” moving on , gotta get a guy who knows how to raise the money and run a d1 program
I think a business background would be beneficial for the next AD, however it is not the only thing. The new AD has to be able to reach out and communicate with the community. He/she needs to be able to wear a tie when it is appropriate and shorts and slippers when that is appropriate and feel comfortable in either capacity.
Although unfamiliar with the waters of the UH admin and unnamed power centers, he/she needs to be able to tread lightly initially and build consensus. Once he has built the bridges, he will be able to bring people over to his side and hopefully build the support the teams need to thrive.
ArcumFortis…”do wonder if the structure for success was in place for him”..
I don’t think he was right for this ‘adventure’…but in his defense…you are spot on…handicaps are in place up there to assure failure and many to mention…
In somewhat similar…circumstances…where ‘structures for success’ are in place..there are failures…and that has to do to many other factors…style…demeanor…attitude…knowledge…etc…. of individuals…a few of Notre Dame former coaches come to mind…as in business…CEO’S….even a few College Presidents….and the list goes on….
Hope he thrives in his next position…
Really thought that Dave Shoji would be a good candidate for AD with Scott Wong taking over the Volleyball program. That idea was shot down pretty fast.
OBAKE-SAN…They have people up there that do that…it is called ‘MARKETING’…IT SHOULD BE GENERATING SALES ….ie….selling season tickets etc. n putting warm bodies in seats…Koa Anuenue is the fundraising arm of UHAD…
TOM… spot on…takes a good man…who can get all these factions to work as one…to ensure they all know which port the ‘captain’ is headed to….’Full speed ahead…damm the torpedos….
Now that we know for sure all staff will be back next season, would it be out of bounds if boosters send Jordon Wynn to a 3 day Gus Mulzahn coaching clinic?
I agree that Ben Jay was a good guy, but it wasn’t working out. I also wish him the best. He’ll land on his feet.
Regarding Norm Chow, BC contends that it would have been a PR nightmare for upper campus. He said that it would have been a tough sell to spend money paying someone for not working with cuts to TAs and the like. That may be true, but on the other hand, this was an opportunity for the new chancellor to show that the U of H is committed to re-building athletics. It would have made a statement that UH is not satisfied with the mediocre. Well, as what has become the NORM, he blew his big chance. Now, we’re facing another agonizing football season with an average of 10,000 in the house (although they’ll find a way to inflate this number). I’d be the first to admit I’m wrong if the team does well and goes to a bowl. I hope that’s the case. I’ll put it rest with that rant. The milk is spilled already.
No matter who will be the next AD for the University of Hawaii, it will always be an uphill battle trying to balance the budget.
LOL…What will make it easier balancing the budget comes from two significant sources: 1) Aloha Stadium (Receive a share from concessions, and parking…and definitely no fees for rental and cleanup); 2) State Legislature (Fully fund Title IX by perennially including it in their fiscal budget…money shouldn’t go to the UH general fund, but directly to the UH Athletic Department).
You can’t change being stuck in the middle of the Pacific, but the above TWO points will make the Athletic Department fiscally solvent. An athletic department in the black, will free up the AD to lobbying and fund raising.
IMHO giving coach Chow another year is a plus for the program. With the returning starters, RS, transfers, athletes returning from their mission, and athletes coming back from season-ending injuries, I’d say next season (2015) will be THE year for the program.
after reading the articles in the paper, I have concluded that UH is more than willing to accept mediocrity and all is well as the ship is sinking – it’s no wonder UH is in so much mess!
Scott Wong going to Pepperdine as HC? Guess he got tired of Shoiji’s willingness to continue as HC. Therefore, whomever is selected to replace Wong should have the understanding that he/she will be the next HC.
So, the never ending “saga” continues as the merry-go-round moves faster and faster.
while many have excellent ideas on how to increase revenue for UHAD, the main point is getting the Legislature to create a permanent “line-item” in the budget to allot XX millions to cover all the “non-revenue” sports that’s a constant drain of $$$
after all, we place Patsy Mink on a pedestal for gender equity, but no one in the past and current legislature has the initiative to introduce a “bill” to address this issue for UH; only grumbling and more grumbling about lack of funds
ha! the unions took the last administration to task and got “raises” for their members based on the PRESUMED tax increases for PRESUMED number of visitors who will spend XXX dollars – is there a fallacy to committing to spending XXX dollars based on some future tax income projection? suppose the world economy tanks next year and fewer tourists visit Hawaii – how will the legislature come up with the $$$ to pay for the wage increases??? I hated economics at UH, but there has to be better logic in finalizing union contracts whenever pay increases are granted – for example, have the union agree in the contract that if the tax $$$ disappear, then any “future” wage hikes will be put on hold or deleted.
if the basic premise is wrong – then everything that follows is wrong.
I really don’t think it matters who the AD is or will be, look at the previous two AD’s that were here. They both had their hands tied behind their backs. Seems to me that the AD position is a glorified “sports administration spokesperson”. Keith Amemiya for AD!! Dudes a beast and knows how to “lomi-lomi” the administration and “power-brokers” to get things done. It’s not an election year so we probably aren’t getting any help from the legislature.
37
The idea to earmark money from the legislature to the athletic department was talked about last session. It cannot be done under current law. The main opposition to earmarking funds to select departments comes from the UH administration.
I guess we can expect Oregon State to continue recruiting in Hawaii with the announcement that Gary Andersen is gonna be the new head coach…which means Aranda and Chad K will be visiting the islands even more…
38
The AD’s are hamstrung because they rely on funding from upper campus to make up their deficits. The problem for Ben Jay is those deficits have ballooned during Norm Chow’s tenure as head football coach. A football team in the dumps leaving you begging for money gives the AD has little leverage on campus.
Last time I looked, Ben not the guy calling run, run, pass, punt, leading us to three years of failure.
I know we’re all hoping for better results in 2015, but the schedule is just a daunting. Anyone want to speculate on next year’s win/loss record?
2015 Football Schedule:
Non-Conf.:
Colorado
Ohio State
UC Davis
Wisconsin
Louisiana-Monroe
M-W Conf.:
Fresno State
SDSU
UNLV
SJSU
Nevada
Boise State
New Mexico
Air Force
St. Is Oregon in town recruiting right now? Das what I heard.
I expect to see Hawaii to lose even more recruits to Oregon State now…
@NotNasti Non-Conf.: 2-3, M-W Conf.: 2-6
Overall: 4-9
So, Marketing and Sales is the problem. What about the product? Do you think putting out an bland plate lunch will attract customers to your food truck? If you car has a reputation as a lemon, will customers beat a path to your door so long as you heavily advertise and have a slick salesmen?
No way. Me old fashion. You put out a good product first, then worry about marketing and advertising. Right now, our big money maker (football) is a poor product that is badly in need of retooling.
I wonder if attendance was a steady 35K to 40K due to a good exciting offense with smash mouth defense, the numbers wouldn’t largely fall into place?
Terrible news for Hawaii football. Not only does Gary Anderson to Oregon re-open the Hawaii pipeline for the Beavers, it is another school that aggressively recruits Utah ( Norms other main ground). So while Oregon St., Utah, BYU fight over the top in state kids, Utah. St will be competing more for guys we go after.
Steven Tsai. I like your input on Coach Chow’s show and your articles. You are always fair and right in your comments. You are not mean like other writers. Please keep writing so they don’t forget and brush this matter under the rug. Can you think of a way we nobodys who are somebody can do something before this happens again? so frustrating. thank you
Not that this has any impact on Hawaii football besides the fans who like miracle stories but Eric Prater appears to be transferring to Montana. Sorry to those who thought he was the next Colt Brennan.
Come on, Ige, time to “buss out” the lottery!
old diver #39:
if that’s the case, then UH administration has to “pony up” the extra $$ and/or the legislature needs to change the “law” or both.
nothing is set in concrete – well, maybe Jimmy Hoffa. sorry!
There is a very good fundraiser that works on a commission for the foundations and non-profits in town. I cannot recall her name– I think she is Chinese– she does terrific work and knows anyone in town who might be willing to give. She is someone UH should hire for both the general UH Foundation, but also the athletic department. Some of you may know her. She has an excellent reputation.
Ben, you can do us one fayvah? Take norm wit you, brah. Tanks, ah!
Gary Anderson is a terrific coach and I hoped we would get him to coach at Hawaii. If you ever want a run down on coaches, by the way, ask Tomey he knows all the ones on track to become head coaches or top coordinators at top schools.
49.
Awesome for him. I think he could sense that it would be very unlikely that he would have much chance to move up the depth chart.
Not that he’s not talented, but that the coaches probably have in mind who they are gonna be concentrating on
#15. Fully agree. Academia cannot function in the real world. They can serve a limited function by using their expertise, but beware if they are the “captain of the ship.”
#26. But, athletics is not an ordinary business. The BOR is full of notables with business experience, but it does not translate to athletics.
#37. Just tell UH that x amount included in the budget is for the UHAD, and if UH does not, of its own volition, ensure funds are given to UHAD, then their budget will get chopped the next go round — as they clearly don’t need it.
AKAMAI… you are correct… if food you are dead meat… n over time will have to close..but we talking football…n no matter how bad we are..or have been in the past…there will always be people bleed green n attend…
BUT even food..if you are stubborn n have the money…you can open other place n start all over… but sooner or later it will catch up with you…
If there were 10 million people on Oahu…maybe can survive with putting out crappy food…
HOWEVER…..a football season is not forever…few months only…n change athlete every year…so if you use food as an analogy…can change menu (new players new year) can change location (new coach new year)…the two work hand in hand….but food is not a good comparison…then that small little place that was or still is in Kapahulu that serves Hawaiian food..has a bench outside that you can sit n wait till a table opens up….
But having a ‘superior’ product.. n no sales or marketing support… will still survive..till the dynamics change…(carbon paper, IBM typewriter)…
Major league baseball have 150 plus games to fill their stadiums…go in person some times if you can…. n see what n how they try to fill them seats when they are at home….so does all the other professional sports…we not have enough ‘bleed green’ warm bodies to fill Aloha Stadium…all the more reason to try n get warm bodies in seats….marketing will help…
To many negatives at Aloha Stadium…bring the Hibachi…bring umbrellas…bring ur own food.. more ladies restrooms… all will help…is MULTITUDE OF THINGS…PRODUCT IS IMPORTANT ALSO… bur can’t n should not dismiss other variables…
ERIC IS smart…good luck to him at Montana…
I agree being the AD at UH is a very difficult job. Jay was not the right man for it. Regardless of what you think of him personally – I happen to disagree with ST’s description of him but can’t say it in writing because the post will get pulled – his problem is that he promised things that he KNEW would never happen. He deliberately overinflated his projections, knowing full well they would never come to fruition. $500,000 NET for H-Zone in its FIRST year? I don’t think so. That was a fairy tale number that he just made up, with no solid foundation for where that $500,000 would come from. Expecting money from being in a bowl game? Pipe dream. Assuming walk in football season tickets would increase this year? Another pipe dream. He manipulated his projections to make it seem like it would be a decent year, knowing full well it would never happen. Mark my words, the current $3.5 million projected deficit will be closer to $5 million come year end, and he knows this as well. His best bet is to find another job before all is revealed. The next AD needs to be politically savvy and connected in Hawaii otherwise they will not be successful either, because I agree that the UH is run not by employees (including the top administrators), but by behind the scenes boosters who exert influence on decision making, with often disastrous results. And I agree being a car salesperson is a difficult job. You gotta hustle. Just please, car salespeople, don’t lie when talking to customers, be honest about your product. Same goes with UH Athletics and the AD.
#47 Akamai – You see that is one of the big problems with UH, there are 20 other sports programs besides football, other than WVB how much marketing do you see or hear for the others. Because I am involved with softball I will use that. The UH softball program has an overall record of 843-468-1 for 22 seasons. Now that is a winning program but how much marketing do you see or hear about them?? Very little. We need to promote all of our sport programs and get more fans at all the venues, not just football……
While lot of people choose to focus on the negative vibes around UH, props to Jason Muraoka for being awarded a scholarship. Guy works hard and plays hard on the special teams units.
Gary Anderson to Beaver country is really surprising. I would take the Wisconsin job over Oregon St any day of the week if money were somewhat comparable.
Maybe good timing for Anderson considering Wisconsin’s embarrassing loss to Ohio St, and using the sting of the loss to cover the emotions from his exit.
On the other side, it’s going to send shock waves through Wisconsin as Anderson was doing well incorporating his style (9-3 and 10-2) considering he didn’t have a great QB.
Unless Trap & the UH baseball team has a winning season, it’s going to be a long Spring and summer…
Prater’s transfer isn’t too surprising. He’s seeking an opportunity to play vs having to fight his way through the depth chart. Before 1 practice is started, Wittek, Woosley, Reilly, and Zwahlen would be ahead of Prater to start.
Lots of #3 and #4 QBs transfer if they don’t think they are going to get a chance to play down the road, especially if they are walk-ons with high confidence in themselves. Many that do transfer often go to FCS because they don’t have to sit out a year like the FBS school to FBS school transfer rule requirement. Many #1 QBs transfer out if they’ve been demoted (ie Wittek, and several of JJ’s QBs at SMU).
I don’t blame these types of transfers because they are just seeking a better chance to play. It’s not fun to hold a clipboard for 4 years. It’s not a detriment to the coach because there’s only 1 QB that’s on the field and there’s usually 4 or 5 QBs on a college roster.
Did I hear right when I heard Bobby Curran say that Beeman and Treppaso still don’t have their contract extensions executed by UH Chancellor Bley-Vroman?
I sure hope this isn’t true.
Kyle Whittingham to Michigan or Wisconsin? Kalani Sitake to CSU? Dennis Erickson to become Utah’s HC? Hard fo keep up. Very puzzling move by Gary Andersen to OSU. He was one game from the national championship series. Madison, WI or Corvalis, OR?
Any word on some JUCO commitments, particularly on the D-Line? Congrats to Jason Muraoka.
Nice article ST. Today, I’ll digress away from today’s topic about whether UHAD is damaged or broken. I always wondered where and how much money UH has to play with annually. To this end, I was able to find a few State of Hawaii reports on this subject, although dated. As I thought, the UH System has just over $1 billion in revenue to manage its system which includes the community colleges, UH-West Oahu, UH-Hilo, the John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH System Wide Support, UH-Manoa, and Other. The $1 billion pie is split accordingly: Community Colleges- $210 million (20%); UH-West Oahu – $42 million (4%); UH-Hilo – $76 million (7%); John A. Burns School of Medicine – $40 million (4%); System Wide Support – $108 million (11%); UH-Manoa – $641 million (53%); and Other – $6 million (1%). Total $1.133 billion. The revenue comes from the following sources: State of Hawaii Appropriations (General Fund) – 26%; Federal Grants/Contracts – 34%; Tuition and Fees – 24%; Private Gifts, Grants and Contracts – 5%; State Grants/Contracts – 3%; Auxiliary Services – 3%; Federal Appropriations – 3%; and Other – 2%. UH-Manoa spends its allocated amount in the following departments/function: Research, Instruction, Academic Support, Auxiliary Enterprises, Operation and Maintenance of Physical Plant, Public Service, Student Services, Scholarships/Fellowships, Institutional Support, Independent Operations and Expendable Unrestricted. There is no budget for UH Athletics. Well, not that I could discern from the reports. So when UH Athletics has a deficit, I don’t know where or which budget the monies come from. I do recall the question was posed to Donna Mercado-Kim and her response was that UH has not asked the legislature for specific monies for UH Athletics. I may be wrong as my memory may be flawed. The question I ask myself is, “Why is this?” I must be missing a key component or have missed something or just did not correctly grasp the information. $3 million deficit – a sham created by the budgeting and accounting system. My opinion.
#60 very good point. With softball being big in Australia and Japan, and the fact that we’ve had a few stellar Sissies on the team, why have we not thought of sending the team to play in both countries? Isn’t Hawaiian Air a major sponsor?
What if doing that ties both those countries closer to UH? What if in addition to getting players from down under we got a couple from Japan? Television in both countries? More sponsorships? So maybe softball does not generate dollars from ticket sales. What if by efforts like this to create a relationship there is enough sponsorship and television revenue to make that program operate in the black…without having to rely on ticket sales or football revenue?
Just asking if this is possible? An administrator needs to think beyond what everyone has done or is doing and create opportunities.
Sorry, spell check turned “Aussies” into “Sissies”, my bad.
I have to agree with the StarAdvertiser editorial today. Hiring a new/different AD (or even a new football coach) is not going to change the outlook for UH sports. UH as an institution is exhibiting symptoms of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. It may not have been the news that people wanted to hear, but Ben Jay was right: if there isn’t the will to pay the bill, Division I football at UH will go away.
Hey…Pomai…. get Mr. Coolen to get a few players from Japan… then you can stream there.. n maybe become A household word…HAWAII…oops 4-got..they already know about us…
Be nice to see a bus load or 2 of tourist pull into lower campus…n cheer them on huh…
naw…cannot…that thinking ouytside the ‘box’ again huh…
Future Hawaii opponent just lost to Incarnate Word 74-73.
The Cornhuskers fouled the three-point shooter on consecutive possessions towards the end of the game.
I am looking forward to seeing Hawaii play at the Neal Blaisdell Center. The last time I saw them, I remember I caught the bus. But it was worth it. It was the night Trevor Ruffin went off against Louisville.
I don’t go to many football games, but I support the athletic department by going to all the men’s and women’s basketball games. I even went to he women’s games during the Dale Takahara-Dias era.
I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if the Hawaii athletic program disappeared. I’m not somebody who has a backup team; somebody who ignores our teams because they want to associate themselves with the winner. Like I used to tell my friend at work, “You don’t live in Gainesville. You look pretty stupid in that Florida hat.”
… 9th Island news … don’t know if prev. posted
Wednesday December 10, 2014
UNLV: Tony Sanchez’ agreement is four years at $500,000 per. Should he choose to leave he would owe UNLV $1 million if he leaves before Dec 15, 2016, $750,000 thereafter. If UNLV wants to buy him out, he would receive $250,000 per year that he has left on his contract.
Also, lots of incentives …
… from high school coach to millionaire …
Governor Ige was asked what he thought about the State giving more money to help UH Athletics. He seemed to throw cold water on it in the way we have been thinking. He said the allocation of the money the state gives to UH is at the discretion of UH. The state gives the UH several hundred million and they need to decide how to spend that money (which is how the system is supposed to work).
#76. Guess we picked the wrong “leader.”
Why is this not surprising?
Okay. If the Gov. & Leg. are going to turn a “blind eye,” and not be part of a solution, & a $1 billion in revenue (25% of which is by general fund appropriation) is not enough for Upper Campus to allocate enough funds, then let’s appropriate $300 million annually (instead of $250 million). No excuses then.
#76. I guess Governor Ige is comfortable with being known as the Governor that killed UH football and UH athletics. Quite the legacy to be know for.
UH Football: 1962 – 20__? RIP.
#76. And who appoints the members of the BOR that would oversee and decide on any allocation of funds to UHAD? Can’t be the Governor, can it?
Great Evening All!
So…Anderson high-tailed it outta Madison before the Warriors got there, eh? 😈
(…to Corvallis after they already visited.
)
Did the Gov just say that he will NOT ‘rock any boats”?
yes, there is a law and agreement on how the State funds UH, but that should NOT preclude steps to change for the betterment of the people
guess I miss judged his character of a fighter for the people of Hawaii who voted for him – maybe we will see a new Gov in 4 years.
why is ige not wanting the state to dictate how UH disburses its funding a bad thing? Who says that increasing funding to a dysfunctional athletic department is in “the people’s” interest?
#82. Then following your logic, they need to cut all public funding to an Upper Campus with dysfunctional leadership too — BOR, President, Chancellor, UHPA, etc.
How many eons have gone by without any maintenance fund being established to fund repair & maintenance projects?
Governor Ige just “washed his hand” and figures to pass the buck. But, he can “direct traffic” with his appointments. Then again, maybe he can’t & owes too much.
Under current law, the UH needs to increase the line in its budget which goes to UH athletics and then factor this into the total budget that they request from the legislature. Unfortunately, from what I heard from Bley VRoman yesterday it seems that is not what UH wants. They want the athletic department to be self-sustaining (or as close as possible to it). With academic departments hurting and trying to get a bigger piece of the pie (or not have their piece shrink), it is politically difficult for the UH administration to budget more for athletics. So what is the answer– private funding– a combination of large donors, and crowd funding from small donors.
“#82. Then following your logic, they need to cut all public funding to an Upper Campus with dysfunctional leadership too — BOR, President, Chancellor, UHPA, etc.”
no. it’s not. i’m responding to A-House’s statement about how if there’s a law and procedure in place that bars the state from directly just earmarking money solely for UH athletics, presumably because UH is an autonomous institution (which i believe is a constitutional amendment btw, so i’m assuming that any law passed by the legislature to the contrary would get struck down in court), then the state should change the law/process “for the people.”
my response is, why would doing this be “for the people?” and why the hell would ige even want to get involved in that political fiasco that could possibly compromise the autonomy of the institution? lawmakes can technically enact laws regarding UH if it’s an issue of “statewide concern.” does increasing funding for the dysfunctional athletic dept REALLY meet that standard?
last post was directed to AdmrVT
Seems like another do nothing governor about the mess up there…ha many voters get burned again…guess we have to remember…’sports’ is not an integral part of their make up…politics as usual…maybe mufi or duke would have been a better vote…if you had sports as an agenda on ur mind in the booth…
UH leadership announced some key decisions this week. Knowingly putting the AD in limbo for 6 months seems risky, but not something that shouldn’t have been accounted for. The home game against Colorado isn’t until September 5th, so there are about 9 months to pull things together. Colorado only won two games last season, beating Hawaii and Massachusetts. Colorado at home should be a win. In 3 years of MWC play, UH has only 4 wins total and none against teams with more than 2 MWC wins in a season. Getting wins against a MWC team with 3+ MWC wins seems a must.
2012-2014: UH Conference wins
2012: UNLV – 2 MWC wins
2014: Wyoming – 2 MWC wins
2014: San Jose State – 2 MWC wins
2014: UNLV – 1 MWC win
#84. Then it is clear. UH submits a budget with minimal or no line item for UHAD, response is “please resubmit.” It is not appropriately “self-sustaining.” If UHAD its be “self-sustaining,” so should the rest of UH.
It will be up to UH to get is act together.
The Chancellor’s continuation tells me that the continuation of the “self-sustaining” mantra for UH athletics either means he doesn’t get it, or they are playing games and fully intend to bury collegiate athletics, and Lassner was pulling a charade when he came on board and said athletics is important to the greater mission of UH.
Not.
End it all. Close up the UH. Not only are THEY NOT “self-sustaining,” they also have a huge unfunded deferred maintenance problem — that past and current BOR’s are responsible for. Total mismanagement from top to bottom.
Clearly not a self-styled “Harvard of the Pacific” as one former UH President once claimed.
They had a apple up there.. that took to task a dude..who very year over spent his budget.. n no one did jack about it.. so he calls him out.. n he gets canned…
Now sumone else cans that dude…just fun n games with ur tax dollars…
millions means nothing to them…they are tenured.. no one can touch them…
what a country…he he he
If Bley-Vroman gave athletics $25 million a year from tuition, the Gov and the Legislature will definitely get involved and everyone here will want them to mind their own business in the name of autonomy. Everyone needs to make up their minds about whether autonomy is good or bad, period.
Ige is just doing what he said he would be doing. No surprise. He has said that his focus would be on the classroom. He also wants to spend more on West Oahu. He said he would be consulting with Lassner and the BOR regarding the budget. People voted for Ige so this is what we got.
Making the University independent and autonomous relative to the State Legislature was a requirement of the accreditation board which is concerned that state universities start to be run by the State or with political interference. As a practical matter there is some guidance since the State allocates money, but the University does not really answer to the legislature on policy, programs, and how money is spent. The State dictating how much of the UH budget be directed to athletics would be illegal–it is up to UH. So the Board of Regents, the President, and Chancellors need to be lobbied to to get the University to provide more support to athletics. Of course , the more money the UH provides, the more control they will have.
Autonomy … is good… for me…
However Autonomy…without AUDITS…. is never ever good…especially state funds…
especially if the buildings are crumbling n they are always running a deficit
and always asking for more…
When they forgave that 9 million debt…please pray tell… where did that money come from…was it just sitting there for the sports dept ???
The handwriting is on the wall. UH athletics is a “dead man walking.”
Gov says allocation of any funds is up to the UH, so not his call. He can wash his hands and claim no responsibility. Sounds familiar. Real leadership at work. Forget that he appoints BOR members.
The Chancellor continues the mantra of athletics being “self-sustaining,” even though we all know it cannot be self-sustaining.
The Leg can put on a show, but do nothing. Autonomy, right?
Only choice is to close up shop. But, in my view, autonomy = self-sufficiency. Run UH “like a business.” Cut their appropriations. Cut salaries. Run it like a business.
Z – Gov can’t spend more on West Oahu by directing funds there. That’s tampering with UH’s budget. Another “line item,” right? UH is like the “Bermuda Triangle.” Money disappears, never to be seen again.
Tempmanoa — only one way to lobby them. Cut their budget and make it hurt. Then maybe they will wake up. Oppose every pet project they want. Since they are “in the red,” no new projects.
St. anthony — as I recall, the money used to forgive the paper “debt” was in a “rainy day” fund that was not earmarked for any specific expenditure.
Thanks Z….Just thinking out loud here….
Wonder just how much in that rainy day fund…
and who else they use it 4 ???
The Chancellor continues the mantra of athletics being “self-sustaining,”…..
…that is so much BS really from the chancellor…when they not fund the women’s sports….n travel n all non-revenue sports.. but use money from football to do that… then say… football is losing money…
So when they forgave that 9 million…maybe really was not money spent on or by the football program huh …???
And by the way…sure is nice to have a 9 million…not to spend on ne thing specific huh…
#96. I seem to recall that Apple and upper campus were in the black by around $53 million (after they forgave the “debt,” then after Lassner came aboard, they were suddenly in the red.
They announced budget cut backs, including reducing grad assistant positions which led to a demonstration.
But they have other bigger problems. Their medical school bio-labs got sideways with CDC (I think) for lack of security to protect biological specimens from theft or releases. Recall there was a news item on this. There are mess ups by their academic people too. Athletics provides a good diversionary target to divert attention from other problems with upper campus. Great leadership.
And, we want to continue that too, right?
If they really had 96 million..why not use sum for repairs…
Or buy Pomai that new cam…he he he
#73 – st. anthony trojan – In the 2013 seaspm Na Wahine played Kumamoto University and Tokyo Women’s College of Physical Education. In the 2011 season they played Tokyo Women’s College of Physical Education. All of the games where streamed to Japan. They are not scheduled this season.
We also had a chance to go to China last season but it didn’t work out due to NCAA rules, which IMHO the AD could have fought for a exemption which he did not, it was a win win situation. All we had to do was come up with the air fare all other cost was covered by the Chinese Host, it was for an 8 game series.
POMAI… really… WOW… ne chances we can recruit from there.. that would be nice huh…
see no marketing is why me not know… 2016 make sure schedule a few games in manila he he he.. me have a very many tent for the girls to sleep ..he he he
How did the na wahine do there… we won.. n were the games competitive ?
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