Baseball Dropped (Updated)

[Roundball]

Bad press continues. I have to admit, this is a PR mess. Going to be a long summer.

[Roundball]

A couple of questions that need to be answered.
1. To the thousands of people that have signed the petition, where have you been the last few years? Why did you not bother to attend the games?
2. Evidently, this decision came down to dollars and cents. Our AD has been forthcoming on how much money the baseball program lost and how much the lacrosse program lost. In the spirit of transparency, he needs to share the net income or loss of every program. Mr. Donnelly, will you disclose to the Furman faithful the P&L of each sport, as you did with the programs that were eliminated?

[paladinfan12]

A couple of questions that need to be answered.
1. To the thousands of people that have signed the petition, where have you been the last few years? Why did you not bother to attend the games?
2. Evidently, this decision came down to dollars and cents. Our AD has been forthcoming on how much money the baseball program lost and how much the lacrosse program lost. In the spirit of transparency, he needs to share the net income or loss of every program. Mr. Donnelly, will you disclose to the Furman faithful the P&L of each sport, as you did with the programs that were eliminated?

Donnelly shared this in an interview with the State. Baseball was $1 million in the hole every year, lacrosse was $1.7 million.

Jason brought up a good point here too: The university's goal is to provide the best experience for each of the students attending Furman. Since tuition paid for $1 million of the baseball program, wouldn't those students' tuition money be better spend programs that affects a larger amount of the student body? Let's face it, the lacrosse and baseball programs affected less than 100 hundred students and had very limited fan attendance.

For the record, I was against dropping baseball, but I realize that it is not coming back unless someone on here has a couple million to give per year.

[Furmanoid]

A couple of questions that need to be answered.
1. To the thousands of people that have signed the petition, where have you been the last few years? Why did you not bother to attend the games?
2. Evidently, this decision came down to dollars and cents. Our AD has been forthcoming on how much money the baseball program lost and how much the lacrosse program lost. In the spirit of transparency, he needs to share the net income or loss of every program. Mr. Donnelly, will you disclose to the Furman faithful the P&L of each sport, as you did with the programs that were eliminated?

I agree, but I’m a little scared that they are all losing their ass and doubly afraid that my favorite is the biggest loser. The Furman financial statements are online, and the number that shows up for athletic revenues is pretty shocking. On the bigger picture the number for the school’s assets available within one year is pretty disturbing. I’m not an accountant so I can hope I’m just reading it wrong.

But the cut still seems weird because there is very little in the way of quick, guaranteed savings (since walkons might walk right on out while we still honor scholarships).

I’d also love to know what we spent on consultants.

[Affirm]

I'm sorry but I can't get past the first sentence of that article. CV is way too easy of an out and it's a minimal MINIMAL part of the equation. Period.

FA - Thank you. That's what I've been trying to say.

Affirm says he wants wants best for the university. That's great. I guess I do too. More importantly I want what's best for a group of 35 19-22 year olds that just had their dreams crushed because I and we, know how impactful this program is on young men.

You think this is a narrow, selfish small group interest? Wow man. Appreciate the judgement and sincerely hope that you don't lose something as important to you as we did. I am seriously biting my tongue right now...

On that note, I'm going to sign off until I can provide new information - this arguing back and forth is seriously giving me a case of the RA.

Impactful (?) on 35 (?) young men.
The university overall has needs and strategies that outweigh the need or desire to impact those 35 (?) young men. If there are 35 on the team, that means an average of 8 or 9 in every graduating class.
Yes, judgements have to be made, legitimately and necessarily.
If MetroMizzy has expressed concern for the university as a whole, that has been greatly overshadowed by comments about baseball. That is the reason the terms “narrow” and “small group” were used. So it seems the judgement is correct.
Again, I think the decisions were necessary and correct, and I support them.
I am sorry to see “serious biting of tongue and serious RA”. I hope that is hyperbole only. By the way, to me RA stands for Rheumatoid Arthritis, a very serious and painful condition for people including some I know who have dealt with and are dealing with it at a relatively young age. I hope, and I believe, that is not what you are referring to having.
...Maybe we will have to go to D-3 so that everyone’s desire to have all the sports they want to have can be
provided and everyone’s needs to have an impactful sports experience can be met.
...Some very good colleges and universities are D-3.
...I support where we are at present, trying to stay D-1.
——Keeping up this extended back & forth about the baseball decision is not good for the university as a whole. For my part, I very much hope to discontinue the back & forth. If possible, I will do so. If necessary, I may respond.

[FUpaladin08]

A couple of questions that need to be answered.
1. To the thousands of people that have signed the petition, where have you been the last few years? Why did you not bother to attend the games?
2. Evidently, this decision came down to dollars and cents. Our AD has been forthcoming on how much money the baseball program lost and how much the lacrosse program lost. In the spirit of transparency, he needs to share the net income or loss of every program. Mr. Donnelly, will you disclose to the Furman faithful the P&L of each sport, as you did with the programs that were eliminated?

I agree, but I’m a little scared that they are all losing their ass and doubly afraid that my favorite is the biggest loser. The Furman financial statements are online, and the number that shows up for athletic revenues is pretty shocking. On the bigger picture the number for the school’s assets available within one year is pretty disturbing. I’m not an accountant so I can hope I’m just reading it wrong.

But the cut still seems weird because there is very little in the way of quick, guaranteed savings (since walkons might walk right on out while we still honor scholarships).

I’d also love to know what we spent on consultants.

Agreed. These are long term savings not short term that help offset COVID losses. The biggest thing to me is cutting without any warning. No funding push to alumni and supporters. It seems they don’t want donations going to Baseball and Lax, just football and basketball.

[paladinfan12]

A couple of questions that need to be answered.
1. To the thousands of people that have signed the petition, where have you been the last few years? Why did you not bother to attend the games?
2. Evidently, this decision came down to dollars and cents. Our AD has been forthcoming on how much money the baseball program lost and how much the lacrosse program lost. In the spirit of transparency, he needs to share the net income or loss of every program. Mr. Donnelly, will you disclose to the Furman faithful the P&L of each sport, as you did with the programs that were eliminated?

I agree, but I’m a little scared that they are all losing their ass and doubly afraid that my favorite is the biggest loser. The Furman financial statements are online, and the number that shows up for athletic revenues is pretty shocking. On the bigger picture the number for the school’s assets available within one year is pretty disturbing. I’m not an accountant so I can hope I’m just reading it wrong.

But the cut still seems weird because there is very little in the way of quick, guaranteed savings (since walkons might walk right on out while we still honor scholarships).

I’d also love to know what we spent on consultants.

Agreed. These are long term savings not short term that help offset COVID losses. The biggest thing to me is cutting without any warning. No funding push to alumni and supporters. It seems they don’t want donations going to Baseball and Lax, just football and basketball.

Why on God's green earth would our leadership cut these programs and endure this PR nightmare if they truly thought there was any chance to raise funding to save them. They're going to have to watch that baseball stadium decay for the next decade knowing what they did.

If Furman wants to bring baseball back one day (which I does hope happens) it will take a multi-year several million dollar fundraiser to fund coaching salaries, travel expenses, and a handful of scholarships. I think the leadership was aware that money was not available at this point in time.

[fufanatic]

Heartbreaking to see former players transferring to conference foes like Wofford and The Citadel. But I'm glad that many are finding opportunities at the D1 level.

[Fessor]

If the athletic department funding is tuition-based, then why keep football? Keep baseball and basketball where you realistically have a chance to compete with the big boys in post season tournaments and make a name for yourself.

[Furmanoid]

Damn, you make sense, but I can’t believe you came out and said that.

[Fessor]

Damn, you make sense, but I can’t believe you came out and said that.

Said it many times before and the response was always that "FB pays the bills". (Also, cue the "It's the UFFP forum" responses.)

The irony is that people hold out FB as an example FU's commitment to athletics, when it currently looks and feels like DII or DIII FB to me.

[Furmanoid]

Damn, you make sense, but I can’t believe you came out and said that.

Said it many times before and the response was always that "FB pays the bills". (Also, cue the "It's the UFFP forum" responses.)

The irony is that people hold out FB as an example FU's commitment to athletics, when it currently looks and feels like DII or DIII FB to me.

Only more quiet and respectful than DII.

[FurmAlum]

Damn, you make sense, but I can’t believe you came out and said that.

Said it many times before and the response was always that "FB pays the bills". (Also, cue the "It's the UFFP forum" responses.)

The irony is that people hold out FB as an example FU's commitment to athletics, when it currently looks and feels like DII or DIII FB to me.

Ask Va. Tech and Ga. State if they think FU plays like a DII or DIII school?

[Furmanoid]

I think he means that if you watch on TV, it looks and sounds pretty rinky dink. I don’t care. I get fired up at rec league games.

[FUBeAR]

people hold out FB as an example FU's commitment to athletics, when it currently looks and feels like DII or DIII FB to me.