http://www.riceowls.com/sports/m-footbl/...13aad.html

(06-26-2013 10:56 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  http://www.riceowls.com/sports/m-footbl/...13aad.html

The El Fenix location presumably is Dallas? I know the Cedar Door is in fact Austin.

(06-26-2013 12:23 PM)Barney Wrote:  

(06-26-2013 10:56 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  http://www.riceowls.com/sports/m-footbl/...13aad.html

The El Fenix location presumably is Dallas? I know the Cedar Door is in fact Austin.

Yeah, up in the text it says El Fenix is Dallas. Someone just wrote Austin twice in the lower portion by accident.

edit: It is now fixed.

I am a bit surprised they are doing two stops in DFW, the 14th in downtown Fort Worth and the 15th in downtown Dallas. Last year they only did Dallas at the same location as this year (El Fenix).

(06-30-2013 10:28 PM)DFW Owl Wrote:  I am a bit surprised they are doing two stops in DFW, the 14th in downtown Fort Worth and the 15th in downtown Dallas. Last year they only did Dallas at the same location as this year (El Fenix).

Maybe after the bowl game last year, they decided stopping in Fort Worth was worth adding to the list.

By my count Ft Worth event had 18 people attend including Rice staff. Staff numbered 8 or 9...I wasn't sure about one person. I hope Dallas had a significantly larger turnout tonight.

(07-15-2013 09:45 PM)DFW Owl Wrote:  By my count Ft Worth event had 18 people attend including Rice staff. Staff numbered 8 or 9...I wasn't sure about one person. I hope Dallas had a significantly larger turnout tonight.

Got any interesting tidbits from the event?

(07-15-2013 11:02 PM)ChicagoOwl (BS 07) Wrote:  

(07-15-2013 09:45 PM)DFW Owl Wrote:  By my count Ft Worth event had 18 people attend including Rice staff. Staff numbered 8 or 9...I wasn't sure about one person. I hope Dallas had a significantly larger turnout tonight.

Got any interesting tidbits from the event?

Nothing really super newsworthy that I can recall. Lots of optimism from Mello and Bailiff regarding this football season and the direction of Rice Athletics.

The non-admin turnout for Dallas was probably about 35 - better than FW but not where it should be. One tidbit: the football team's graduation rate (to be announced in October) will be 100%. Good job!

(07-15-2013 11:22 PM)DFW Owl Wrote:  

(07-15-2013 11:02 PM)ChicagoOwl (BS 07) Wrote:  

(07-15-2013 09:45 PM)DFW Owl Wrote:  By my count Ft Worth event had 18 people attend including Rice staff. Staff numbered 8 or 9...I wasn't sure about one person. I hope Dallas had a significantly larger turnout tonight.

Got any interesting tidbits from the event?

Nothing really super newsworthy that I can recall. Lots of optimism from Mello and Bailiff regarding this football season and the direction of Rice Athletics.

Thanks.

(07-16-2013 09:43 AM)wrysal Wrote:  The non-admin turnout for Dallas was probably about 35 - better than FW but not where it should be. One tidbit: the football team's graduation rate (to be announced in October) will be 100%. Good job!

That is seriously a fantastic job. As many of us have said, while we may not be thrilled, or even fully satisfied with the on-field results, Bailiff has done, and continues to do, an exemplary job off the field with our team.

eh, crap. It would've been 36 if I didn't think the event was on Thursday...

More thoughts on the Fort Worth visit, now that I've had a bit more time to digest:

-Went with my parents (Wiess and Brown '83) and younger sister, so got multiple takes on what went on.

-Had multiple staff people come over to talk to us, asking us what questions we had. Which was a nice change from my recollections of the previous administration.

-Staff was also really good at reading interests of the people they were talking to, focusing on those things in conversation, etc. A very good job all-around with that aspect.

-Discovered that the system for tracking alumni information cross-campus was being overhauled and standardized so that all the various departments (athletics vs. Jones School vs. Shepherd, etc.) that look at these things can all track everything, which should be beneficial.

-Talking with Jimmy was fun. Mostly because it meant I got to tell my parents about what he was like to watch as our first baseman my freshman year (like the time a group of us at a game discussed how the least likely thing we'd ever see at a game was Jimmy hitting a stand-up triple, because he'd slide in even if he didn't need to because that's how he played, then watched him hit a stand-up triple in his next at-bat).

-Mello was surprisingly good at working the room, too. Not as much with pressing the flesh and talking one-on-one, but he was quite good in his pumping-things-up speech before Bailiff's talk. This probably comes at least in part from him having the "interim" title, but it was nice to see.

-Bailiff is still really good at pressing the flesh and making connections with people. He talked to everyone in the room at least once (talked to us briefly twice, after we came in and as we were on our way out). Also still good at reading the room and knowing what things to mention. E.g.: He recognized my MOB t-shirt and took a couple minutes during his talk to mention MOB specifically and the good things it does, which was cool (and appreciated).

-Getting to introduce myself at alumni events as "<insert name here>, Baker '13" is just as entertaining as I thought it would be when I got my college assignment four years ago.

Interesting program overall. Glad they did one in Fort Worth finally. Would have probably had a bit better turnout if it hadn't been raining and it hadn't been a Sunday night in downtown (which was rather dead at the time, mostly b/c of the rain/Sunday combo).

I think the attendance is about right. We attended a similar program in Dallas when Hatfield was the head couch and I think the attendance was also about 30 to 40 people. I hope the new AD improves Rice's visibility statewide over time.


r-'13' pid='9500362' dateline='1374038137']
More thoughts on the Fort Worth visit, now that I've had a bit more time to digest:

-Went with my parents (Wiess and Brown '83) and younger sister, so got multiple takes on what went on.

-Had multiple staff people come over to talk to us, asking us what questions we had. Which was a nice change from my recollections of the previous administration.

-Staff was also really good at reading interests of the people they were talking to, focusing on those things in conversation, etc. A very good job all-around with that aspect.

-Discovered that the system for tracking alumni information cross-campus was being overhauled and standardized so that all the various departments (athletics vs. Jones School vs. Shepherd, etc.) that look at these things can all track everything, which should be beneficial.

-Talking with Jimmy was fun. Mostly because it meant I got to tell my parents about what he was like to watch as our first baseman my freshman year (like the time a group of us at a game discussed how the least likely thing we'd ever see at a game was Jimmy hitting a stand-up triple, because he'd slide in even if he didn't need to because that's how he played, then watched him hit a stand-up triple in his next at-bat).

-Mello was surprisingly good at working the room, too. Not as much with pressing the flesh and talking one-on-one, but he was quite good in his pumping-things-up speech before Bailiff's talk. This probably comes at least in part from him having the "interim" title, but it was nice to see.

-Bailiff is still really good at pressing the flesh and making connections with people. He talked to everyone in the room at least once (talked to us briefly twice, after we came in and as we were on our way out). Also still good at reading the room and knowing what things to mention. E.g.: He recognized my MOB t-shirt and took a couple minutes during his talk to mention MOB specifically and the good things it does, which was cool (and appreciated).

-Getting to introduce myself at alumni events as "<insert name here>, Baker '13" is just as entertaining as I thought it would be when I got my college assignment four years ago.

Interesting program overall. Glad they did one in Fort Worth finally. Would have probably had a bit better turnout if it hadn't been raining and it hadn't been a Sunday night in downtown (which was rather dead at the time, mostly b/c of the rain/Sunday combo).
[/quote]

(07-17-2013 12:15 AM)baker-13 Wrote:  -Getting to introduce myself at alumni events as "<insert name here>, Baker '13" is just as entertaining as I thought it would be when I got my college assignment four years ago.

(07-17-2013 12:40 PM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote:  

(07-17-2013 12:15 AM)baker-13 Wrote:  -Getting to introduce myself at alumni events as "<insert name here>, Baker '13" is just as entertaining as I thought it would be when I got my college assignment four years ago.

That's pretty cool. You're in the (approximately) 0.1% of Rice grads that can say that.

Not something I heard at the coaches caravan, as they skip New Orleans every year, but I did hear some great offseason football news and this seems like the most appropriate thread to report it. It had previously been discussed that the stipends for athletes living off-campus was decreased last year after classes started. One result was a heated meeting between the football players and Greenspan where Greenspan actually threatened to fight one of the team leaders who asked him some pointed questions during the meeting. Well the good news is that the stipends are apparently being increased! I am not sure if it is back to the previous level or some other level, but good news none-the-less!

Improves the quality of life for the student athletes, fulfills he commitments to those athletes when they decided to matriculated at Rice, removes a potential negative recruiting tool, and will make some future alums a little happier (and maybe more generous once they are big-shots with Rice degrees). Sounds like a win for all around! Good job to the new decision-makers!

Mello and Bailiff seem to be working hard a solving the day-to-day issues while we wait on a new AD. Greenspan was referred to as a good internal AD while CDC was referred to as a good external AD. Seems they want a new AD who brings both skills. May have been party line. Will have to see with the new hire.

(07-17-2013 11:56 PM)mbrindley Wrote:  Greenspan was referred to as a good internal AD

LOL

CDC was a good AD period, whose immediate plan didn't involve money for football apparel, but money for a plan to self-sufficiency. Obviously this didn't endear him to football folk.