Our stadium is two miles from campus and we're the primary tenant. We could spend $80M on a new stadium and have nothing left for everything else or spend $53M in upgrades on everything else and play in a decent stadium that's already paid for.

(06-15-2011 12:23 PM)TOGC Wrote:  We were in a bowl game two years ago, and we did it with crap facilities. It was out fifth bowl in six years, and we did it with crap facilities.

Now we're upgrading facilites.

10 million dollars is a good enough start, but if your facilities are "crap" as you say, 10 million is just a start. It certainly wont put you among the elite.

(06-15-2011 02:00 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  It certainly wont put you among the elite.

Nobody said it will.

(06-15-2011 02:10 PM)99Tiger Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:00 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  It certainly wont put you among the elite.

Nobody said it will.

Your video did.

(06-15-2011 02:31 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:10 PM)99Tiger Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:00 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  It certainly wont put you among the elite.

Nobody said it will.

Your video did.

I haven't watched it...I might later.

However, that was a sales pitch put together by an athletic depertment under fire from footbal fans because of the lack ot attention and developement in all things gridiron-related. Do you think they're going to come on there with their heads low and say "We screwed the pooch and are now trying to catch up to the Joneses. Please help us before you run us out of town."

(06-15-2011 02:00 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 12:23 PM)TOGC Wrote:  We were in a bowl game two years ago, and we did it with crap facilities. It was out fifth bowl in six years, and we did it with crap facilities.

Now we're upgrading facilites.

10 million dollars is a good enough start, but if your facilities are "crap" as you say, 10 million is just a start. It certainly wont put you among the elite.

It is just a part of $53M worth of football facility upgrades. It isn't the only thing we're doing.

(06-15-2011 02:00 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 12:23 PM)TOGC Wrote:  We were in a bowl game two years ago, and we did it with crap facilities. It was out fifth bowl in six years, and we did it with crap facilities.

Now we're upgrading facilites.

10 million dollars is a good enough start, but if your facilities are "crap" as you say, 10 million is just a start. It certainly wont put you among the elite.

They are not all crap, the indoor facility will be among the best around. So I guess Florida was among the "elite" in the 90's when the Tigers came to the swamp?

(06-15-2011 03:11 PM)99Tiger Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:31 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:10 PM)99Tiger Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:00 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  It certainly wont put you among the elite.

Nobody said it will.

Your video did.

I haven't watched it...I might later.

However, that was a sales pitch put together by an athletic depertment under fire from footbal fans because of the lack ot attention and developement in all things gridiron-related. Do you think they're going to come on there with their heads low and say "We screwed the pooch and are now trying to catch up to the Joneses. Please help us before you run us out of town."

It's better to be honest about making a mistake and figuring out how to fix it instead of trying to swindle Memphis fans out of donations built on lies...

(06-15-2011 09:56 PM)miko33 Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 03:11 PM)99Tiger Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:31 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:10 PM)99Tiger Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:00 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  It certainly wont put you among the elite.

Nobody said it will.

Your video did.

I haven't watched it...I might later.

However, that was a sales pitch put together by an athletic depertment under fire from footbal fans because of the lack ot attention and developement in all things gridiron-related. Do you think they're going to come on there with their heads low and say "We screwed the pooch and are now trying to catch up to the Joneses. Please help us before you run us out of town."

It's better to be honest about making a mistake and figuring out how to fix it instead of trying to swindle Memphis fans out of donations built on lies...

Guess every fan base has one.

congrats memphis, this is a great move, will bring success...

Memphis has the tools in place they just need to utilize them like Louisville did...I think we are about to see some major work going on at UM....DO IT TIGERS!

(06-15-2011 10:00 PM)TxTiger79 Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 09:56 PM)miko33 Wrote:  It's better to be honest about making a mistake and figuring out how to fix it instead of trying to swindle Memphis fans out of donations built on lies...

Guess every fan base has one.

Yeah, I've stopped taking miko seriously...I don't know if he's just that bitter of a person or if he finds it amusing to troll to piss off one or two particular fanbases...either way I don't lose any sleep over the stuff he spews.

(06-15-2011 09:42 PM)TxTiger79 Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 02:00 PM)Nola Gator Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 12:23 PM)TOGC Wrote:  We were in a bowl game two years ago, and we did it with crap facilities. It was out fifth bowl in six years, and we did it with crap facilities.

Now we're upgrading facilites.

10 million dollars is a good enough start, but if your facilities are "crap" as you say, 10 million is just a start. It certainly wont put you among the elite.

They are not all crap, the indoor facility will be among the best around. So I guess Florida was among the "elite" in the 90's when the Tigers came to the swamp?

I assume you are talking about 1988 when Memphis won at Florida 17-11. And the answer is no, Florida was not elite. It took hiring the right coach, Steve Spurrier, to turn our program into a nationally elite program.

I don't understand this push on the part of some fans on here for Memphis to build an OCS. The Liberty Bowl is practically on campus, being only a 5 minute drive away. It's not a bad facility by any means, though it could stand to use a face lift before too long.

(06-16-2011 06:44 AM)3rdandBlunder Wrote:  I don't understand this push on the part of some fans on here for Memphis to build an OCS. The Liberty Bowl is practically on campus, being only a 5 minute drive away. It's not a bad facility by any means, though it could stand to use a face lift before too long.

Although I would "like" an OCS, the University has directed resources to other sports venues which were higher priority. Some of the push for an OCS has fueled the perception that the Liberty Bowl is crap. I actually like the Liberty Bowl and really like the upgrades which have been made. Does it need a few more, yes, are they coming, yes.

(06-16-2011 06:44 AM)3rdandBlunder Wrote:  I don't understand this push on the part of some fans on here for Memphis to build an OCS. The Liberty Bowl is practically on campus, being only a 5 minute drive away. It's not a bad facility by any means, though it could stand to use a face lift before too long.

One has to remember (or learn) that the Liberty Bowl is located in a large old fair grounds area...where until recently, an abandon amusement park was at one end...plus old "barns" littered the area.

Unlike some of their nearby neighbors of Ole Miss or even Miss St where the CAMPUS on GameDay shines, Memphis doesn't experience an on-campus "GameDay" atmosphere...which is what helps set apart the college football experience for most.

The new Liberty Bowl Tiger Lane tailgate area is nice...and yes, more improvements are planned for the old fairgrounds area...but some diehard Tiger Fans would prefer a real ON-CAMPUS 40,000-45,000 seat expandable stadium...because season tix sales are hurt by the fact that virtually no game (not even against Ole Miss or Miss St or even Tenn) will most likely sellout...which means one can always end up with a good seat to a Tiger game on GameDay...so why fork out the $$$$ to the booster club and/or to season tix.

Many tiger fans want what most other college football fans get to experience, an ON-CAMPUS Football Weekend.

PS. Plus, add the fact that Memphis Basketball also plays "off-campus" at the FedEx Forum Downtown...Univ of Memphis lacks those main events to bring their Alumni BACK HOME...which most schools get to do in both football AND basketball.

(06-16-2011 01:08 AM)99Tiger Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 10:00 PM)TxTiger79 Wrote:  

(06-15-2011 09:56 PM)miko33 Wrote:  It's better to be honest about making a mistake and figuring out how to fix it instead of trying to swindle Memphis fans out of donations built on lies...

Guess every fan base has one.

Yeah, I've stopped taking miko seriously...I don't know if he's just that bitter of a person or if he finds it amusing to troll to piss off one or two particular fanbases...either way I don't lose any sleep over the stuff he spews.

I was responding to one of your comments, 99Tiger:

Quote:However, that was a sales pitch put together by an athletic depertment under fire from footbal fans because of the lack ot attention and developement in all things gridiron-related. Do you think they're going to come on there with their heads low and say "We screwed the pooch and are now trying to catch up to the Joneses. Please help us before you run us out of town."

Nola took a realistic view of the sales pitch and pointed out that what Memphis is trying to do is not going to make them elite, which is in fact stated in the video (I watched it), it will merely help them catch up to what most of the other schools have already done. The part of the quote in bold indicates that you would prefer to not hear a request for donations based on honesty. You would prefer your AD to use spin and sell the idea based on what is at best a half truth but more likely an outright lie. This IS Memphis trying to keep up with the Joneses because there was a lack of support for football.

I think it's great that Memphis is trying to put a greater emphasis on football - it's much overdue. My opinion is that it would bear more fruit if the administration comes out with honesty and candor about the fund raiser. They can state it much more positively by stating something along the lines of "We have decided to reposition Memphis to become a complete competitor in college athletics instead of concentrating on a few sports. With your help, we can reposition football to become much more competitive in the future...". Something like this would bear more fruit that stating that "if we do this, we'll become elite...". It's disingenuous and a slap to the face of Memphis fans. Just my opinion.