The “Money Men”

[TooTall]

Three win seasons with history making losses thrown in will do that. I can't say that I blame them. People will only endure so much and then walk away. It happens. I know of two long time Florida season ticket holders that swore they would never again attend a Gator game as long as Mullen was coach and he actually had good football teams by our standards.

But they probably weren't going to sell their tix to f$u fans. Empty seats mean more to an AD vs rivalry colors in our seats.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

But they probably weren't going to sell their tix to f$u fans. Empty seats mean more to an AD vs rivalry colors in our seats.

I don't know. I went to a Florida game this year and saw something that five years ago I would not have thought possible. Thousands of empty seats for an SEC game.

 

[PantherWreck]

Does anyone have stats on the number of season ticket holders that are only odd year purchasers? I would not be surprised to find that substantial numbers of tickets are sold to folks only interested in attending their visiting team’s game at BDS and sell the remaining seats to offset their purchase. It is so much easier to resell unused tickets these days.

There are also likely large portions of ticket holders this year that attended no games due to COVID concerns.

Our game day environment, stadium amenities, traffic/parking situation, and seating comfort are woefully poor.

We’ve had season tickets in football since 2009 and Atlanta United since they started. United attendance was also negatively impacted by COVID and less competitive on field performance. My wife attended with her father in the upper west and were pretty lonely as GT fans.

GT needs to re-examine the entire game day experience. A more competitive product would help, but many of the problems related to attendance are deeper and things that the AD should be taking the lead in addressing.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

I am extremely thankful that we have wealthy donors to our athletics. I get frustrated thinking that some of them might believe we can become a football factory and compete with the big boys in the normal state school fashion, but honestly, they can think whatever they like, because they are footing a huge majority of the bill. With me, I just want a winning team with a chance to be special every once in a while. I still believe we have to do something a little out of the norm to make that a reality in today's CFB, but again, I have an opinion and not a lot of donations, so the ones that are providing the big $$, I will always appreciate.

 

[Ramblinwreck86]

Ken just out with an AJC article on 2 of the big money men. They do not sound very happy. It is not paywalled if you have the AJC app on your phone.

 

[okiemon]

Ken just out with an AJC article on 2 of the big money men. They do not sound very happy. It is not paywalled if you have the AJC app on your phone.

It sounds like they’re saying if we don’t win 7 or 8 games next year, both Collins and TStan should lose their jobs. And one of them also said this:

Zelnak did wonder about one change that Collins did not make.

"My big question mark is why is Thacker still here?" he said. "My understanding is that Collins commented to a GTAA senior staff-level guy that he wanted to keep Thacker because Thacker knew the defense."

Zelnak then noted Tech's defensive ranking near the bottom of FBS. The Jackets rank 117th in total defense after finishing 109th in 2020 and 89th in 2019.

"So my question is, what defense?" he asked.

 

[MonroeJacket]

Any relation to Danny? He was a good golfer and a helluva a caddy.

Right in the lumberyard.

 

[ramblin_man]

Ken just out with an AJC article on 2 of the big money men. They do not sound very happy. It is not paywalled if you have the AJC app on your phone.

Is an interesting article these 2 donors have put a good amount of “skin in the game” and seem to have become tired of the “hype, slogans, and talk” (@least one of them has for sure). Some brutally honest quotes in the article and direct calling out of Thacker’s GT employment status with GT. On the other hand I am not sure it’s good to air your dirty laundry in a formal printed fashion but again they’ve paid to do it but it is not a good look to say the least and could be used against us in recruiting by our enemies. On the flip side it’s not a big mystery that we have won 9 games in 3 years so… 1 of the 2 states that Stansbury’s AD employment status should go as Collins football record goes next year. However this is 2 big donors of who knows how many that came forward to hold Colllins’ and Stansbury’s feet to the fire. Put up or pack up.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

Recruiting is not an issue. The issue is we can’t coach. Fix that and we’ll win some games and then recruiting will grow. It’s always been this way. Players aren’t dumb and most D1 players had good high school coaches. They know within the first few practices if their new coach is good or not.

 

[cthenrys]

Is an interesting article these 2 donors have put a good amount of “skin in the game” and seem to have become tired of the “hype, slogans, and talk” (@least one of them has for sure). Some brutally honest quotes in the article and direct calling out of Thacker’s GT employment status with GT. On the other hand I am not sure it’s good to air your dirty laundry in a formal printed fashion but again they’ve paid to do it but it is not a good look to say the least and could be used against us in recruiting by our enemies. On the flip side it’s not a big mystery that we have won 9 games in 3 years so… 1 of the 2 states that Stansbury’s AD employment status should go as Collins football record goes next year. However this is 2 big donors of who knows how many that came forward to hold Colllins’ and Stansbury’s feet to the fire. Put up or pack up.

Wow. That article is brutal.... Two dead men walking. If the bar is really set at 7-8 wins, there is no coach coming in to take the job who makes that possible.

 

[ramblin_man]

More than anything I wonder what will be different? I mean do the coaches sleep at the doorstep of recruits homes or pull 48 hours eating at the Waffle House or will all the flash and pony show go away and the coaching staff gets down to business and really makes a difference. If GT is truly Collins dream job then it’s a all in approach to produce tangible results in the W/L column or he and Todd (perhaps) are done.
Talk about pressure from players, donors, fans, alums, players’ families, and media. Every day poor PR is being printed talking about piss poor results all the while you’re in face/face meetings with recruits and their families trying to either convince the for the 1st time to come to GT or reaffirm their commitment to GT. I imagine it’s going to be hell on wheels in these coaches’ homes all Spring, Summer, and all football season or else they all go job shopping at some point in the season.

 

[ramblin_man]

Recruiting is not an issue. The issue is we can’t coach. Fix that and we’ll win some games and then recruiting will grow. It’s always been this way. Players aren’t dumb and most D1 players had good high school coaches. They know within the first few practices if their new coach is good or not.

I know the recruiting has been strong now it’s time for the coaching the X and 0’s kick into over drive so that the players and coaches produce a very different result on time expires in the 4th quarter and GT has more W’s and less L’s. Is a tricky tricky situation. A SOLID OC and DC is a must and they need them soon so they can begin to digest the current coaching staff and player roster & develop schemes to compliment our roster and their abilities. Simple if need be but more importantly practical and able to be applied on the field come game time. Oh and by the way demonstrate enough improvement that you satisfy the bars established by the big donors to pass their expectations and earn another year of employment.

 

[ramblin_man]

I wonder what the assistants opinions are as to what their level of buy in is that they can do it and not be lured away to join other programs that are being put together by new HC or just HC who are looking to shift their coaching staff and have vacancies.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

It’s hard to focus on your butterfly stroke when sharks smell blood in the water.

 

[g0lftime]

It sounds like they’re saying if we don’t win 7 or 8 games next year, both Collins and TStan should lose their jobs. And one of them also said this:

Zelnak did wonder about one change that Collins did not make.

"My big question mark is why is Thacker still here?" he said. "My understanding is that Collins commented to a GTAA senior staff-level guy that he wanted to keep Thacker because Thacker knew the defense."

Zelnak then noted Tech's defensive ranking near the bottom of FBS. The Jackets rank 117th in total defense after finishing 109th in 2020 and 89th in 2019.

"So my question is, what defense?" he asked.

He is one of the guys that TStan counts on. I totally agree with his assessment. What defense? Keeping the guy is just another reason to question GC competence. Loyalty is one thing but incompetence is something else. We have been one of the worst defenses in college football since he has been here.

 

[Mihalak]

Here's the link to the article

 

[Golden Tornadoes]

It sounds like they’re saying if we don’t win 7 or 8 games next year, both Collins and TStan should lose their jobs. And one of them also said this:

Zelnak did wonder about one change that Collins did not make.

"My big question mark is why is Thacker still here?" he said. "My understanding is that Collins commented to a GTAA senior staff-level guy that he wanted to keep Thacker because Thacker knew the defense."

Zelnak then noted Tech's defensive ranking near the bottom of FBS. The Jackets rank 117th in total defense after finishing 109th in 2020 and 89th in 2019.

"So my question is, what defense?" he asked.

Great take. I read the article as well and that section jumped off the page at me. I love GT and want GT to succeed, ergo I want Collins to succeed. If he can’t make that happen though and is hindering GT then he’s gotta go. My loyalty lies with GT, not Collins. Seems he doesn’t realize he’s a dead man walking and not making things any easier on himself.

 

[LargeFO]

Doesn’t Gregg Garrett post here on the board some?

 

[LibertyTurns]

More than anything I wonder what will be different? I mean do the coaches sleep at the doorstep of recruits homes or pull 48 hours eating at the Waffle House or will all the flash and pony show go away and the coaching staff gets down to business and really makes a difference. If GT is truly Collins dream job then it’s a all in approach to produce tangible results in the W/L column or he and Todd (perhaps) are done.
Talk about pressure from players, donors, fans, alums, players’ families, and media. Every day poor PR is being printed talking about piss poor results all the while you’re in face/face meetings with recruits and their families trying to either convince the for the 1st time to come to GT or reaffirm their commitment to GT. I imagine it’s going to be hell on wheels in these coaches’ homes all Spring, Summer, and all football season or else they all go job shopping at some point in the season.

Worse yet is every other team recruiting them is parroting the same info. It’s not like GT is in some sort of special vacuum. Everyone seems to be reading the handwriting on the wall except our AD, the HC being written about and a handful of very loyal & sympathetic fans hoping the problem magically resolves itself.

 

[GT_05]

It’s obvious that the money men read GT Swarm. Seriously though, they do espouse many of the same ideas posted here daily.