CSNbbs

I used to like him, but he's trying my patience quite a bit lately.....
Give Huggs his due. And, puh-leeze - dopes on Fountain Square? Toe that company line, shill boy.

<a href='http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050703/COL03/507030353/1082/SPT' target='_blank'>It was all Goin, apparently.</a>

UC has Goin to thank for Big East future

By Paul Daugherty
Enquirer staff writer

Forget for a minute Nancy Zimpher vs. Bob Huggins for the heavyweight championship of Cincinnati. Remember instead a smooth, self-effacing, candid, folksy, fox-dumb man who is less than a year from retirement. Without Bob Goin, there is no Richard E. Lindner Varsity Village. Without Varsity Village, UC isn't going to the Big East.

In the middle of the Zim-Huggs feud that has sadly overshadowed what should be the athletic department's finest hour is the guy who made the finest hour possible.

If only the administration and the basketball coach had Goin's way with people.

(If only the dopes on Fountain Square Friday had celebrated the occasion instead of using it to boo the university president. Classy gesture, fans. But we digress.)

Find me another athletic director who could keep the peace with Huggins the way Goin has the past eight years.

With that alone on his résumé, the 68-year-old's next move should be to the United Nations.

He'd make a great country lawyer.

Goin is the Matlock of the locker room, equal parts fishing buddy and CEO. He pitched and wooed Richard Lindner to the tune of $10.2 million for the $80 million sports complex that bears the businessman's name. When Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese expressed concern to Goin about UC's sports facilities, Goin told him: "Don't worry about that. We've got that covered." Then Goin went back to Lindner and said he needed more money. "My credibility was on the line," Goin said Friday.

"I wouldn't let Rich Lindner say no," Goin said. "I knew if he came on board, others would follow. I used him as my point guard."

Being an AD involves more than schedules, TV contracts and keeping coaches happy. At the big-time level, it means being able to look a donor in the eye and say, "I need a million dollars." Or, in Lindner's case, $10 million.

"A lot of people in fund raising are afraid to ask," said Bill Mulvihill, UC's senior associate AD for development, the department's head fund-raiser. "Bob's not afraid to ask. He can lay the vision out. If somebody says no, or not quite yet, he'll work through that."

Goin has a visionary's ability to forget what happened yesterday. "When Monday gets past and I get to Tuesday, I don't go back to Monday," was how Goin put it. Mulvihill said UC's courting of Lindner began 20 years ago, when the school asked him to put its athletic schedules on Thriftway grocery bags. It stepped up almost as soon as Goin arrived, in 1997.

"I don't annoy people," Goin said. He persuades them, gently and firmly and persistently. Think of Sheriff Andy Taylor, persuading Barney to take the bullet out of his gun. "I give you the vision. We did a very good job of showing (Lindner) what his contribution could do."

Or as Mulvihill put it: "Bob made it very clear this project would not work without (Lindner) stepping up. His first response was good, but not quite as good as we wanted. But he saw the vision, and each time his contribution got a little bigger."

They got along. Everyone gets along with Goin, even as he's making sure they do what he wants. That's not just good management style. It's a gift. Goin and Lindner shared a belief in second chances for deserving kids, and first chances for everyone. Goin played to Lindner's belief in investing in young people.

"We're not dinner-eatin' friends," Goin said. "But there is a mutual respect, and I enjoy his company."

Once Tranghese was convinced the facilities would improve, UC's entrance to the Big East was all but approved. It helped that Tranghese and Goin had been friends since 1991, Tranghese's first year as Big East commissioner. "I didn't have to tell him what we expected from Cincinnati," Tranghese said. "We knew we had a pro here."

The pro has achieved everything he set out to do eight years ago. Varsity Village will contain training facilities and offices that Goin says will keep UC sports competitive for years. The move to the Big East assures better competition and more prestige.

The athletic department is in good shape, even if its relations with the administration are not. "I've always had a vision of what (UC) should look like," Goin said. "When you walk through the Richard E. Lindner (Varsity Village's) front door, you're going to see professionalism, top to bottom."

Maybe you'll remember who made it possible: a folksy, old pro who never let small stuff cloud the larger picture.

I love the notion that everyone should have celebrated on Friday. Great idea! Lets celebrate joining a league with Huggins not under contract. Lets celebrate the fact that due to the contract situation UC is now in a position to be a bottom feeder. Thats great news indeed. Not to mention there aren't any other forums to show displeasure.

For whatever reason Paul D has become a puppet. But he's right without varsity village UC wouldn't be in the big east. I'm sure people would have donated money if the basketball team was going .500 every year. Get a clue

I sent him an e-mail early this morning after reading his article. I was politely sarcastic, using the word "dope" many times in my letter.

I even said the same thing as you Sobchak..........I asked him if he is now "tow-the-line" Paul Daugherty.

Amazing how your post reflects my thinking exactly. Scary isn't it?

I have liked Doc at times, but it seems like every media outlet, political person, or entrepreneur (Wyler, Lindner) are standing behind the enemy. I don't get it. Is there like an unspoken boys club or something? Is NZ really included in the good 'ole boys network?

And I agree with the second poster.................what do we have to be excited about joining the Big East if our b-ball team has had it's legs taken out from under it????????

They act like we don't get it. When in truth...........THEY DON'T GET IT.

PD is just trying to take the opposite site of public opinion to create controversy and draw attention to himself.

I am keeping all of his editorials about Huggins, Zimpher, and Goin.

You know once Huggins is gone, and the UC team is mediocre at best, PD will publically criticize Zimpher and Cox for not extending Huggins' contract. And he will say "I told you so."

He has no journalistic integrity.

Daugherty still hasn't responded, or even reported, about Phil Cox. The only reason he wrote this article, even though it's a good article, is because Wheeler wrote an article praising Huggins. Instead, he has to call the protesters "dopes". The same "dopes" he ripped for attacking a great and honorable man like Phil Cox, who Daugherty publically kissed up to just weeks before finding out Cox got a DUI and is yanking the IRS' chain. He falls in the same category as Andy Furman, someone who doesn't give you their true feelings anymore, just someone who goes against the grain just for the sake of attention and something to talk about. Those people aren't entertaining, they're just annoying.

I don't often agree with PD but this time, I DO! Goin had a lot to do with the BE. For all those who think Huggs was the only reason, then plaese answer this question....

How did S Fla, Marquette and Depaul get in without a Huggins?

No one is saying that Goin DIDN'T have a ton to do with it. In fact, he ALONG with Huggs should get the lions share of the credit. Without either of these 2 men, the Big East was a pipe dream. What Dork is doing is giving ALL of the credit to Goin, while calling the Huggs supporters dopes out of the side of his mouth and giving Huggs NO credit while doing it.

colucat Wrote:I don't often agree with PD but this time, I DO! Goin had a lot to do with the BE. For all those who think Huggs was the only reason, then plaese answer this question....

How did S Fla, Marquette and Depaul get in without a Huggins?

How did they get in without Goin???

BDIAS Wrote:

colucat Wrote:I don't often agree with PD but this time, I DO! Goin had a lot to do with the BE. For all those who think Huggs was the only reason, then plaese answer this question....

How did S Fla, Marquette and Depaul get in without a Huggins?

How did they get in without Goin???

- Marquette and DePaul had a Notre Dame.

- South Florida had a Florida.

I sent the following email to DOHerty in response to todays article...


Maybe with all the animosity (and plummeting readership interest) your generating among the legions of Cincy/Huggins faithful...the Enquirer will determine not to renew your contract in two years.


I for one will be willing to do my part to see that happen...

Let me tell you what pisses me off the most about the whole situation. The whole contract issue is based on improving the academics/image of UC.

My experience as a June graduate... Interviewed with three companies....received three offers. I assume I interviewed against candidates from x, miami, and a host of other schools. Being a UC grad obviously didn't hurt me. So for z to say that the image hurts the university is total bs.

As it applies to the bball program, being in the big east will allow Huggins to not take as many chances on recruits thus limiting the negative image problems. Any moron could figure that out, just not the president of UC.

Yes, but Nancy's not just ANY moron....

colucat Wrote:I don't often agree with PD but this time, I DO! Goin had a lot to do with the BE. For all those who think Huggs was the only reason, then plaese answer this question....

How did S Fla, Marquette and Depaul get in without a Huggins?

I agree with you about Goin, that's why I added that it was a good article. It's just the timing of the article. It was clearly made to take a shot at Huggins and his supporters. He even called the protesters dopes. As for how did those schools get in without Huggins, Notre Dame specifically asked for Depaul and Marquette. Originally the frontrunners were Xavier and either Depaul or Dayton. As for South Florida, the Florida market, Florida recruiting bed and the George Steinbrenner connection along with the success the football program has had in its brief history. Last year was the only time they had a losing season in their young history.

sobchak19 Wrote:By Paul Daugherty
Enquirer staff writer

(If only the dopes on Fountain Square Friday had celebrated the occasion instead of using it to boo the university president. Classy gesture, fans. But we digress.)

Ok, I don't like being called a dope, especially after what the "dopes" at UC are doing to Huggs. But my question is, PD and several others have said that the Fountain Square Pep Rally was not the time or place, well when IS the right time and place!?!?!?! Zimph needs to be booed and often!!!! She needs to be publically humiliated every time she is out! Maybe, although I highly highly doubt this, she'll wake up and see what she is doing is wrong. Ok, I'm in fantasy land, but it's worth a shot.

Perhaps Doc should have read this quote from when UC 1st celebrated their invitation to the B:

Quote:So, what does the University of Cincinnati basketball program have to gain by joining the Big East Conference?

"I don't have the answer for that," UC athletic director Bob Goin said Tuesday afternoon, just minutes after the announcement that his school and fellow Conference USA brethren Louisville, South Florida, Marquette and DePaul had accepted invitations to join the Big East.

Goin in no way was slighting his flagship program. "You cannot deny the rich tradition of Cincinnati basketball," he said, "and you play your trump card. -- We're not worried about basketball."

<a href='http://www.cincypost.com/2003/11/05/ucbigeast11-05-2003.html' target='_blank'>Link</a>

You play your trump card = Sell BE on UC invite by touting your perenial national basketball program.

Depaul invite = Chicago TV market

Marquette = Milwaukee TV market

SFL = Tampa TV market and rich FB recruiting area

BE will NOW reach 25% of the TV market. BTW Cincinnati = 27th largest TV market (so it wasn't TV).

Goin does deserve a HUGE amout of the credit BUT if Minter were still coach and Yates were still coach we'd still be in CUSA.

Bob Huggins made it fashionable to donate to UC athletics.....Goin wouldnt have gotten all of the donations for varsity village had it not been for the tremendous basketball success and following.

Daugherty is embarrassing as a Zimpher/Cox/Wyler hack. PD, did you get promised a professorship in the journalism school?....or did it only take a Jeff Wyler Cavalier to get you in the fold?

Paul, there is but two questions to ask....

1. why is UC hell-bent on destroying basketball because of personal distastes?

2. why is hypocrisy at this university tolerated?

Paul, one more thing.....Zimpher/Cox/Wyler do not own this university....they are mere stewards.....we the fans, the students, the graduates, the community, the taxpayers are the owners....so dont tell me that they can run the university the way they please.

....oh but phil cox wouldnt know too much about that taxpaying thing

Here's Daugherty's reply to my above email and my response back to him...



...I dont have a contract, but thanks... if you only knew how much zim had to do w/getting uc in the big east... of course, you dont... you just write ill-informed e-mails...Paul




...And how would you know how informed I am? You express the same elitist attitude in your emails as you do in your public writings.

The realities are this. There have been only two eras of UC athletic success. A 1950's-60's span of 6 straight Top 5 finishes (5 straight Fours) in hoops, and a current span for 14 straight NCAA Tourney appearances in hoops. Neither had anything to do with Zimpher, and not much more to do with Goin.

Spin all you like on your public stage about how Zimpher got Cincy into the Big East. The truly informed know better what created the BE's interest in Cincy. Their necessity and our tradition...not the other way around.

I'm a Cincy grad and Cincy hoops fan...and have been a fan since you were still learning your ABC's. While there may be a benefit to the UC inclusion to the BE, for Cincy hoops supporters, there certainly wasn't a need.

Our concerns for the well being of our flagship sport transcends Big East day. And it's Zimpher's own "ill informed" historical perspective of what has brought value to the Cincy brand...and apologists for her like you...that has Cincinnati supporters in such an uproar.

You may not have a contract, but you also got one less reader and supporter of the Cincinnati Enquirer. And if you weren't so ill informed, you would recognize that yours is the minority view, and there's a large contingent that supports mine.

Somebody needs to tell Doc that "Zim" wouldn't have had the impact she had if Huggins and the basketball program hadn't generated revenue for the athletic program. I know Doc thinks he's the end all be all and he's all knowing but I know what impact Zimpher had in getting UC into the Big East. It was a big impact, no doubt. No bigger though then Bob Huggins and Bob Goin. And for Doc to rip people for booing Zimpher but not defending Huggins who was also another reason UC was in the Big East, that tells you all you need to know about this "journalist", and I use that term VERY loosely. I mean, it's amazing that he rips a reader in his e-mail when he doesn't even KNOW if that reader knew anything. Example, he's ripping us for not knowing Zimphers impact in getting UC into the Big East. Yet I do know that Zimpher talked to the ADs/Presidents of West Virginia and Pittsburgh personally so of course she had an impact. That doesn't give Daugherty free reigns to call fans dopes, to thumb his nose down at people who disagree with him, and then to write articles kissing behinds.

On a final note, how ironic is it that he responds that someone wrote and ill-informed e-mail just weeks after he wrote an ill-informed article on Phil Cox that he refuses to take responsibility for? What a classy guy.

Personally, I dont even give a ****** about the Big East anymore, as we are just going to become the next Rutgers.

Doc made it sound like we booed everyone who took the stage at Fountain Square.For the most part,it was a celebration....Nancy got what she had coming.Too bad Philip Cox didn't take the stage!!!!!!