Wofford and the Finals

[FUBeAR]

#FUATT

Just figured this out.

Couldn't understand why we would have a beef with a telecom provider, er, media company.

FFPA put it on the back of the Player's Day T-Shirts this past year....

I want a Purple T-Shirt with a silhouette-style (y'know - Che Guevera style) pic of Dr. Johns in action leading the cheer at a Football game on the front with #FUATT overlaying his image.

[Mr. Taggart]

I live in Spartanburg, and I have no ill will toward Wofford. Saw a lot of friends from there at the Tourney.

I would love to be where they are in basketball, but the overall athletic program is not remotely comparable. They basically compete in two sports. Other than those two, they may have a stray Socon tourney win in a sport or two, but they have little history of success on a conference level. We spend a lot more on the other sports, and I am fine with that. I think Furman has an athletic program that helps the university with diversity of region, experience, wealth, and ethnicity. That's why the program exists.

I'd love some tourney titles in basketball. I think they will come. I wouldnt trade athletic departments.

[DungeonRealm]

I live in Spartanburg, and I have no ill will toward Wofford. Saw a lot of friends from there at the Tourney.

I would love to be where they are in basketball, but the overall athletic program is not remotely comparable. They basically compete in two sports. Other than those two, they may have a stray Socon tourney win in a sport or two, but they have little history of success on a conference level. We spend a lot more on the other sports, and I am fine with that. I think Furman has an athletic program that helps the university with diversity of region, experience, wealth, and ethnicity. That's why the program exists.

I'd love some tourney titles in basketball. I think they will come. I wouldnt trade athletic departments.

What are we talking about here, support of tennis, golf, soccer, womens sports ect. or neglect of Mens Basketball? To me those are two different things, I see a lazy Furman Admin when it comes to supporting the Mens Basketball program, getting anything done is like pulling freaking teeth, its absurd

[MidlandsPaladin]

I live in Spartanburg, and I have no ill will toward Wofford. Saw a lot of friends from there at the Tourney.

I would love to be where they are in basketball, but the overall athletic program is not remotely comparable. They basically compete in two sports. Other than those two, they may have a stray Socon tourney win in a sport or two, but they have little history of success on a conference level. We spend a lot more on the other sports, and I am fine with that. I think Furman has an athletic program that helps the university with diversity of region, experience, wealth, and ethnicity. That's why the program exists.

I'd love some tourney titles in basketball. I think they will come. I wouldnt trade athletic departments.

Thanks for the post. You make me feel somewhat better about the situation, but I still feel like we could do more. Waiting until a day or two before the tourney to promote the event with the students, at a time when they are all on Spring Break and have already made their plans for the week including when they might return to campus, is not doing enough.

Also, don't neglect baseball. Wofford has passed us by and is slowly leaving us in the dust.

[Mr. Taggart]

I agree the preparations for the tourney were a dropped ball. I would say we could do better on making sure people who want to come to home games can get tickets as well. I just think things are not as rosy at Wofford nor as dismal at Furman as portrayed.

For the poo-pooing of other sports, I think there is a pretty strong argument that the most recognizable Furman athlete from a national and international perspective is a men's soccer player.

[DungeonRealm]

I agree the preparations for the tourney were a dropped ball. I would say we could do better on making sure people who want to come to home games can get tickets as well. I just think things are not as rosy at Wofford nor as dismal at Furman as portrayed.

For the poo-pooing of other sports, I think there is a pretty strong argument that the most recognizable Furman athlete from a national and international perspective is a men's soccer player.

Its my understanding that Dempsey has pretty much ignored Furman since he graduated long ago

[dinhead]

Furman made 6 NCAA tourney appearances in a 10 year span from 1971-1980 and won 1 game, then began this 40 year drought

Wofford has made 5 in 10 years and won 0 games, after this season they can begin their own 40 year drought from the Big Dance

Is Mike Young leaving to go to Florida State?

Have not heard that. But I did hear someone say Mike Young is candidate for Weak Forest.

Morning,
That was an oblique reference to the event that precipitated our 40 year drought: our HC left for FSU.
I wouldn't think Mike Young would leave WC for Weak (I like that), but I guess anything can happen when the rich girl winks at you.
I want him to stay. The best thing for FU is a strong SoCOn.

It's a little early for oblique! Young had a chance to move up 4 years ago--and chose to stay. Would not surprise me if he did the same now. if they win a game in NCAA--a distinct possibility--his stock will rise even higher.

Feel like if he was going to leave he would have done it at any point in the last decade +. I'm sure he's gotten offers almost every year. I could be wrong, but I think he's a Wofford lifer.

The advantage of him having stayed this long is that he can probably go straight to a major instead of taking some BS horizontal position at a school like Drake.
Danny Manning made $1.8 million this year at Wake Forest. Wofford better pony up !
Wonder what McKillop makes at Davidson. They won't say but I bet it's over a million.

[Fessor]

I agree the preparations for the tourney were a dropped ball. I would say we could do better on making sure people who want to come to home games can get tickets as well. I just think things are not as rosy at Wofford nor as dismal at Furman as portrayed.

For the poo-pooing of other sports, I think there is a pretty strong argument that the most recognizable Furman athlete from a national and international perspective is a men's soccer player.

Its my understanding that Dempsey has pretty much ignored Furman since he graduated long ago

Other than the un-inspired video for the fieldhouse fundraising, that seems to be true. However, I'm not sure he graduated. I believe he left after three years, or three seasons.

[Fessor]

Nice article on Wofford, also from The State, which might be enlightening for a Furman fan to read:

https://www.thestate.com/sports/college ... 07889.html

[apaladin]

Nice bus. Never seen it before. Furman doesn't even have a "team" bus do we?

[gman]

Nice bus. Never seen it before. Furman doesn't even have a "team" bus do we?

Furman is smart not to have one. The liability is outrageous.

[Fessor]

Nice bus. Never seen it before. Furman doesn't even have a "team" bus do we?

Furman is smart not to have one. The liability is outrageous.

I'd argue that it's more expensive to take Wofford's approach, but that maintaining your own bus and interviewing and hiring your own driver is less risky that the alternative of contracting it out. They're putting the safety and well-being of their athletes ahead of $$.

If you had 25 sons, had the same travel requirements, and had the means to do either, you'd buy a bus and hire a driver rather than contracting it out.

[Fessor]

Wonder what McKillop makes at Davidson. They won't say but I bet it's over a million.

It's been previously posted that McKillop's salary is in the $400-500,000 range and is one of the lowest in his conference. Granted the cost of living in his neck of the woods is less than other cities in that conference and that salary will go far in Davidson NC, but the point is that money isn't what keeps McKillop at DC.

[FUBeAR]

Nice bus. Never seen it before. Furman doesn't even have a "team" bus do we?

Furman is smart not to have one. The liability is outrageous.

I'd argue that it's more expensive to take Wofford's approach, but that maintaining and servicing your own bus and interviewing and hiring your own driver is less risky that the alternative of contracting it out. They're putting the safety and well-being of their athletes ahead of $$.

If you had 25 sons, had the same travel requirements, and had the means to do either, you's buy a bus and hire a driver rather than contracting it out.

We've been on the same page a lot recently, Fessor, but I am on the other side of this one. Strong believer in outsourcing pretty much everything an organization/institution does outside of its core competencies. Having, in the past, run transportation operations for 2 major companies, I can assure that the Federal & State rules and regulations of such an endeavor are vast & onerous. From Driver Qualifications to Road Use Taxes to Vehicle Maintenance Standards/Records/Reporting, it's quite tedious & cumbersome. I would be very surprised if Wofford (or any other school) running their own vehicle larger than a passenger van with their own driver is in full compliance. For example, even though the Trans Ops was our primary competency, we outsourced our vehicle maintenance, fuel tax reporting, and drivers' records reporting. When I ran an operation in California, I outsourced the Drivers too. Furman Athletics should focus on winning games, recruiting/graduating outstanding student athletes, and getting paying customers to attend the events they host. As the old Greyhound ads use to say, "Leave the driving to us."

For another day......This concept is one of the reasons why I think the Presidents of P5 schools should make the right decision and 'outsource' their Football & Basketball Teams. Academic institutions do not (and should not) have running a PROFESSIONAL Sports Team as one of their core competencies....We'll save this for another day/another thread though.

[FUBeAR]

Just looked more closely at the pic. Wofford doesn't own that bus. This company does... https://www.atchisontransport.com/group-travel and I imagine the Driver mentioned in the article is the PorchYappers regular driver, but is employed by Atchison.

https://woffordterriers.com/news/2013/8 ... 31115.aspx



Kind of ugly, IMO...and the flags are furling the wrong way, aren't they? Unless the bus is going backward, really fast.