Stansbury

[JacketOff]

I don't have the energy to thoroughly argue this point with you. I said unwatchable not decent, and I don't mean survive as in exist/not exist. The examples you gave are mostly not applicable. All except UConn and Villanova have had recent success in P5 football conferences. Villanova is FCS football, but they went 9-2, so not exactly unwatchable. UConn might be the most relevant example. Do you want to become UConn? I certainly don't and I'm sure the school doesn't. I don't have time to compare our revenues but I guarantee GT is doing better.

Because what you’re saying is irrelevant. Vandy, Duke, Kansas, and Arizona have had success in football? That must be breaking news. Since 2019 Vandy has 5 football wins, Duke has 10, Kansas has 5, and Arizona has 5.

Your only argument is that football brings in more money than other sports, which is true. But it obviously does not matter that much when there are numerous schools who can be terrible at football, yet still compete for national titles in other sports

 

[Jmonty71]

So the question is... Where is most the angst directed? Is it TStan for listening and believing Collins? Or is it Collins, for totally flopping as a head coach? Just curious. For me... I'm in supply chain and procurement. So, listening to people full of BS is pretty common for me.. I quickly can figure those full of BS and those that are honest. However; I know my job well enough to know when people are full of BS. I put myself in TStan's chair. His job should be to know his job well enough to know when people are full of BS. So, I would tend to be more angry at TStan than Collins. I mean, clearly Collins got a hell of deal. 7 years...untested and all you had to do is talk your way into a job. Collins must me one hell of an interview. I think when the next 1-2 season are over, both TStan and Collins will be gone. Bad mistakes just cannot be fixed. I really hope some miracle happens and things magically get better, however; doing the same thing over and over, while reaching the same results is the definition of insanity, isn't it? Something HAS to change... Collins HAS to do things different... TStan HAS to force the issue... For both their sakes...

 

[Vespidae]

Such a public message, though. He went out of his way to say it out loud.

I was on a global telecon once as part of executive team for a Fortune 50 company. And I got reamed, royally, in front of all my peers ... globally. Let's just say it NEVER happened again.

Geoff might need a public message because he is tone deaf.

 

[lv20gt]

I think everyone is just tired of the deflective, defensive, excuse making reasons our coach gives everyone for being a poor team. And then when his boss comes out and says literally verbatim, the same things, you can expect what you see here, or Twitter.

People are tired of losing. Nothing TStan or Collins can say will please people that isn't head coach being fired or resigning. TStan could have come out with the wet dream of a release and said it was a clown show, the DB plays was terrible, there was too much time spent on hype, no substances, skinny jeans are stupid, yada yada yada. It wouldn't have mattered if he said everything that has been said. If the message was "we're keeping collins" people would have hated it. Just the justification for the hate would have changed.

 

[ibeattetris]

Don't say the results are unacceptable and then 'slpain to us about how they are and we're the problem.

Yep…if it was truly “unacceptable”, the coach would be fired. TStan is accepting what has happened on the field and is allowing CGC the chance to fix it. I understand an AD has to publicly say things in a manner that is positive spin, but the way TStan approached the letter made it feel like he’s got his head in the sand.

 

[bobongo]

Bad mistakes just cannot be fixed.

You can't go back for a do-over, but this is the kind of mistake I can see as being fixable, with the right decisions going forward. TStan isn't a goner, yet. Even Collins could potentially make it through all this - albeit as a figurehead, recruiter, and head cheerleader. Doesn't look good, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility. I hope it isn't.

 

[wesgt123]

People are tired of losing. Nothing TStan or Collins can say will please people that isn't head coach being fired or resigning. TStan could have come out with the wet dream of a release and said it was a clown show, the DB plays was terrible, there was too much time spent on hype, no substances, skinny jeans are stupid, yada yada yada. It wouldn't have mattered if he said everything that has been said. If the message was "we're keeping collins" people would have hated it. Just the justification for the hate would have changed.

You right. Winning would solve all of our problems. It’s that simple.

 

[acedarney]

Because what you’re saying is irrelevant. Vandy, Duke, Kansas, and Arizona have had success in football? That must be breaking news. Since 2019 Vandy has 5 football wins, Duke has 10, Kansas has 5, and Arizona has 5.

Your only argument is that football brings in more money than other sports, which is true. But it obviously does not matter that much when there are numerous schools who can be terrible at football, yet still compete for national titles in other sports

The athletic department is a moneymaking venture. That's the point. A 20% drop in football revenue is basically all of the other sports - that's significant. The fact that other teams can be competitive is not terribly relevant to the department's revenue stream.

I noticed you chose your date range to exclude Duke, Vandy, and Arizona's recent bowl seasons. You have a point with Kansas...they haven't been good since they won the Big 12 in 2007/2008. Again, the Kansas athletic department is a step down from Tech's, but it wasn't 15 years ago.

 

[JacketOff]

The athletic department is a moneymaking venture. That's the point. A 20% drop in football revenue is basically all of the other sports - that's significant. The fact that other teams can be competitive is not terribly relevant to the department's revenue stream.

I noticed you chose your date range to exclude Duke, Vandy, and Arizona's recent bowl seasons. You have a point with Kansas...they haven't been good since they won the Big 12 in 2007/2008. Again, the Kansas athletic department is a step down from Tech's, but it wasn't 15 years ago.

Lmao I chose the date range because that’s when Collins took over, and when Tech football became “unwatchable.” Tech made a bowl game in 2018 too.

Since 2000 Tech has made 17 bowl games
Duke has played in 6
Kansas has played in 4
Vandy has played in 6
Arizona has played in 8

Yet all of those teams are able to field nationally relevant teams year-in year-out in other non revenue sports. The revenue stream from football seems irrelevant to those schools.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I can’t speak for anyone else but my point about doing a better job phrasing the letter had everything to do with the way the leader or our athletic department sounded. It had nothing to do with it doing anything to convince anyone of anything about our coach.

I also think the poster misses the point. If I am apologizing to my wife, how I word it won’t keep her from being angry with me but I could make it MUCH worse. TStan decided to pour gasoline on the fire.

 

[bke1984]

Pretty sure that it was meant as a message to Collins. The short term goal would be to pick up capable coordinators and, if the trajectory doesn't improve next year, fire Geoff mid-season and name the OC as interim. Then you're early in the coaching carousel cycle.

I can’t understand why folks keep saying this. Firing him midsession next year is a $3.3M decision. To consider firing him midseason means we are a train wreck and the season is lost. If you’re only six weeks away from that savings there is literally no reason to absorb the cost at that point.

 

[Sheboygan]

So the question is... Where is most the angst directed? Is it TStan for listening and believing Collins? Or is it Collins, for totally flopping as a head coach? Just curious. For me... I'm in supply chain and procurement. So, listening to people full of BS is pretty common for me.. I quickly can figure those full of BS and those that are honest. However; I know my job well enough to know when people are full of BS. I put myself in TStan's chair. His job should be to know his job well enough to know when people are full of BS. So, I would tend to be more angry at TStan than Collins. I mean, clearly Collins got a hell of deal. 7 years...untested and all you had to do is talk your way into a job. Collins must me one hell of an interview. I think when the next 1-2 season are over, both TStan and Collins will be gone. Bad mistakes just cannot be fixed. I really hope some miracle happens and things magically get better, however; doing the same thing over and over, while reaching the same results is the definition of insanity, isn't it? Something HAS to change... Collins HAS to do things different... TStan HAS to force the issue... For both their sakes...

Exactly what I have been trying to express. You did it much better than I could have !

 

[acedarney]

Lmao I chose the date range because that’s when Collins took over, and when Tech football became “unwatchable.” Tech made a bowl game in 2018 too.

Since 2000 Tech has made 17 bowl games
Duke has played in 6
Kansas has played in 4
Vandy has played in 6
Arizona has played in 8

Yet all of those teams are able to field nationally relevant teams year-in year-out in other non revenue sports. The revenue stream from football seems irrelevant to those schools.

Okay, we're obviously not having the same conversation. Have a nice day.

 

[bobongo]

I can’t understand why folks keep saying this. Firing him midsession next year is a $3.3M decision. To consider firing him midseason means we are a train wreck and the season is lost. If you’re only six weeks away from that savings there is literally no reason to absorb the cost at that point.

I know it's crazy, but in the long run $3.3 million might prove to be a small sum to pay in order to have plenty of time to assess the situation and make the right choice. Besides, although waiting until the end of next year would be the cheapest way out, Tech would actually save millions by dropping the axe mid-season next year as opposed firing him now.

The whole skyrocketing coaching salary scale is insane.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I can't imagine a task so dreary or dreadful as to trying to pick and choose exactly the right word or phrase over the entire length of a one page letter or email while trying to gauge another person's (or group of people) reaction to it. Dabbling in semantics is exhausting and I believe is why I gravitated to STEM type courses as a younger person.

Mark Twain once said: "The difference between an almost right word and the right word...(is) like a lightning bug and lightning." I can just only imagine what he might have said about that letter.

I can't imagine a task so dreary or dreadful as to trying to pick and choose exactly the right word or phrase over the entire length of a one page letter or email while trying to gauge another person's (or group of people) reaction to it. Dabbling in semantics is exhausting and I believe is why I gravitated to STEM type courses as a younger person.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Until the last few months, I thought TStan did a great job with communication. I felt like that's why AI2020 was successful. He was open and forthcoming with information. Told us what the GTAA needed and asked for it. Sent regular updates/letters on the state of the program. His appearances on media were pretty honest. If there was something he couldn't comment on, he'd say that...

All of a sudden, he's turned into a clown. I thought, maybe, it was typical AD 'vote of confidence' stuff. What's he supposed to say? Throw our coaches under the bus during the season? But this last letter is horribly tone-deaf and unnecessarily defensive. Don't say the results are unacceptable and then 'slpain to us about how they are and we're the problem. I looked for progress, I celebrated when it looked like there was some (against UNC and Clemson). But 3 wins and getting blown out 0-100 are not progress. Don't gaslight us.

All I can think is that he's feeling the pressure and he's in an impossible position. He knows he needs to fire the coach. But he feels like the money and timing will ultimately make things worse. We end up with a Hewitt/Gregory situation for football for the next 5 years. We spend too much getting rid of one guy and can't afford a better guy. So, he's trying to buy time. He's making the best case he can for the decision. But he's being dishonest and he's not a good liar.

When former Florida AD Jeremy Foley was faced with a similar fan revolt over Ron Zook he waited until a truly dreadful loss at Mississippi State and got rid of him. In Zook's defense, he did beat Georgia in 2 of the three years he coached and had winning seasons but had the misfortune of following a legend. Foley said that as an athletic director he had discovered that any firing never got easier by waiting. Best to do it and get it over with. Unfortunately, Tech does not have Florida's resources but this situation does not appear to get better next year or the following year. IIWII

 

[orientalnc]

I wish someone in the GTAA would draft a letter for TStan to release that basically said:

"Folks I am at heart an engineer. My strengths are not focused on public communication and my recent letter pays homage to that lack of talent. It probably upset many of you and failed to communicate how I feel about the football program at Ga Tech.

"I hope my decision to stick with Geoff Collins is the right decision and we have renewed success under his leadership. That said, these past three years have been difficult and I ask you to stick with us. I, and everyone in the athletic association and Board or Trustees, care about the program and share your frustration. We will do everything necessary to get the football team back on a winning track."

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

I wish someone in the GTAA would draft a letter for TStan to release that basically said:

"Folks I am at heart an engineer. My strengths are not focused on public communication and my recent letter pays homage to that lack of talent. It probably upset many of you and failed to communicate how I feel about the football program at Ga Tech.

"I hope my decision to stick with Geoff Collins is the right decision and we have renewed success under his leadership. That said, these past three years have been difficult and I ask you to stick with us. I, and everyone in the athletic association and Board or Trustees, care about the program and share your frustration. We will do everything necessary to get the football team back on a winning track."

Yes, this is well thought out. It would not have made people jump for joy, but it would have prevented a lot of the increased negativity. I also think demoting our DC would help that as well.

Truthfully, though, if the talent continues to enter the portal (& if we have any jump ship from new class), and we are not able to replace them with like players, this thing is probably going south, no matter who we are able to hire. (and we don't have much further south to go )

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I can’t understand why folks keep saying this. Firing him midsession next year is a $3.3M decision. To consider firing him midseason means we are a train wreck and the season is lost. If you’re only six weeks away from that savings there is literally no reason to absorb the cost at that point.

There is literally no reason to keep digging the hole deeper especially when you may compromise fan support for decades to come.

 

[Sheboygan]

I "liked" all of the posts above mine 1) Because they were measured and thought out and 2) Because they are from posters who have been around this blog for a loooong time. Not necessarily implying they are older- they may very well be- but judging by the number of their posts they are NOT newbies, or trolls.
May I suggest one other factor that might be playing a part in all the blow back TStan received ? It's not as important as all the content, just a less obvious factor.
The WORLD is divided - and very vocal about it- today ! People complain about everything they don't completely agree with , on all sorts of platforms .
Politics, covid, climate change, race relations, religion, law enforcement .......you name it. Civility, agreeing to disagree, keeping at least some of our thoughts to ourselves,
are things I remember learning when I was young ( 60 years ago ). I know I probably seem like a "dinosaur". Believe me, I feel like one sometimes.
Now we have become anonymous posters hiding behind our screens, spewing out our frustrations, posting things we would likely NEVER say to each other's face.
IMO, it's a lost sense of general acceptance and courtesy toward others that does not bode well for our future as a society. I used to think i had the makings of a
"Southern Gentleman ' if I smoothed off a couple of rough edges- and it was something admirable to aspire to...............back then. Sigh