(06-27-2022 03:55 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(06-27-2022 03:47 PM)HawaiiOwl Wrote:  

(06-26-2022 09:35 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  LSU just hired the Twins MLB pitching coach as their next pitching coach, nearly doubling his salary from $350,000 to over $600,000.

From Lafayette newspaper
LSU baseball pitching coach Wes Johnson, who was hired on Monday, has signed a three-year term sheet worth $1.14 million.

LSU released Johnson's contract information to The Advertiser on Monday after a public records request. The term sheet has a $380,000 yearly base salary and runs through June 30, 2025. He also receives an $800 per month vehicle allowance and a $25,000 relocation incentive.

Wonder where you got the > 600K ?

From a D1 baseball tweet. So, he's only getting a $30,000 raise from his current salary with the Twinkies? Does he have a connection to LSU or the state of Louisiana?

A quick search says "No" to a connection with LSU or Louisiana ... but "Yes" to significant prior connections with the region and the SEC.

From his Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes_Johnson_(baseball)

Quote:Johnson is from Sherwood, Arkansas. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello in 1994. He began his coaching career at Abundant Life School in Sherwood. (Note: their nickname is Owls!) He has served as a pitching coach for the Central Arkansas Bears and Dallas Baptist Patriots, before joining the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2016.

From https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/twins...uge-raise/

Quote:Prior to joining the Twins, he had filled coaching roles with both the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Johnson, 50 years old, was at the time the first collegiate coach in decades to make the leap directly to the majors.

... The Athletic has since reported that Johnson will receive a significant raise, from the $350,000 he made with the Twins to $750,000 with LSU.

... Industry sources who have spoken to CBS Sports over the past 10 months have pointed out a recent trend of Major League Baseball teams losing coaching and scouting talent to the college ranks for a variety of reasons, including better compensation, greater control, and reduced travel and scrutiny.

The Twins aren't the first AL Central team to fall victim to the trend in the past year. The Detroit Tigers lost assistant hitting coach José Cruz Jr. to the Rice Owls.

I support any person in whatever choice they make re: bonus and going on vs. staying.

The problem is that either of NIL and liberal transfer portal is anathema to the ideal of 'student - athletes'. Together it is even more toxic.

At the same time I dont begrudge a student-athlete for making scratch b/c of their status. Simply put the programs make literally tens or hundreds of millions, some even to billions.

I have zero problem with saying there should be *zero* college athletics at this point. Just rezone the neighborhood for the business that it is and call it as such.

But, I am rather askance to read of donors who will now put out hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe even millions, in order that Billy Bob Rattler will play for State U. Seems pretty stupid. Seems, at the same time, that there are a plethora of other things that level of money can do that is far better for society than supporting the local semi-pro athletic league that is the local university.

I dont begrudge any athlete of any action to further themself. But it is seemingly becoming very apparent to me that college athletics and athletic departments is a sludge pit, mixed with the very best now of the very best practices of outside slush funds.

My neighbor is donating 40k and committing to that for 5years to a slush fund to give kids a leased Lambo here in Austin. More power to the kids.

I think it shallow and sick to throw away 40k on that when that could be used to pay for 3 full rides to a school like UTEP and when there are a metric ton and a half of people that could absolutely use that UTEP education.

Kind of a scary view of what this society emphasizes, I guess. Lambos for athletes.... heck yah count me in. Sounds like a real awesome use of resources......
[/quote]

Makes more sense now. I thought you were begrudging the QB for chasing the NIL. I agree that the NIL is out of control and needs to be addressed, but I expect lots of legal battles before the cat gets put anywhere near the bag again.

I think we are headed for a schism. One semi-pro league full of NFL hopefuls, currently most of the P5. Another league much closer to the student-athlete ideal, with limited NIL, currently most of the G5.

The semi-pro league will eventually get around the pesky requirements of attending class or enrolling at the U. Academics will become a perk, there if they want it but not required.

(06-28-2022 10:44 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I think we are headed for a schism. One semi-pro league full of NFL hopefuls, currently most of the P5. Another league much closer to the student-athlete ideal, with limited NIL, currently most of the G5.

The semi-pro league will eventually get around the pesky requirements of attending class or enrolling at the U. Academics will become a perk, there if they want it but not required.

I think this post is spot on. The only quibble I have with it is that the P5 remnant will be, and is a PROFESSIONAL league after the recent transfer and NIL rule changes.

People don't play wealth games, they play status games.

Giving X dollars in a highly visible manner to further the NIL arms race brings much more potential status than giving X/10 dollars to a low-visibility cause even though the latter would accomplish much more.

(06-28-2022 05:12 PM)Seventyniner Wrote:  People don't play wealth games, they play status games.

Giving X dollars in a highly visible manner to further the NIL arms race brings much more potential status than giving X/10 dollars to a low-visibility cause even though the latter would accomplish much more.

That is a pretty sad, but probably accurate, reflection that impacts in a multitude of areas.

(06-26-2022 07:29 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Rice people need to stop thinking about NIL as a disadvantage. We’re actually far better positioned than most G5 schools, with deep pocketed alumni and a large media market/metro area.

Like why aren’t we recruiting off the roster of every Southland, Atlantic Sun, and SWAC team? I’m sure their best players would have a price, and when mixed with better HS recruits, we’d quickly be competitive in C-USA/AAC.

Of course, the real answer to this question is that Rice people see better uses for their money (don’t disagree) and would rather complain. When I made a post several months ago about setting up a NIL fund similar to the one on the UT Surly Horns message board, it was met with crickets.

(06-28-2022 09:09 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(06-26-2022 07:29 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Rice people need to stop thinking about NIL as a disadvantage. We’re actually far better positioned than most G5 schools, with deep pocketed alumni and a large media market/metro area.

Like why aren’t we recruiting off the roster of every Southland, Atlantic Sun, and SWAC team? I’m sure their best players would have a price, and when mixed with better HS recruits, we’d quickly be competitive in C-USA/AAC.

Of course, the real answer to this question is that Rice people see better uses for their money (don’t disagree) and would rather complain. When I made a post several months ago about setting up a NIL fund similar to the one on the UT Surly Horns message board, it was met with crickets.

I think it more, in terms of NIL, is whether Rice people would want to join the carny huckster used car salesman insurance salesman world that NIL seems to be on the trajectory of. Which it is.

If the answer to getting Rice major sports out of a basement is abasement --- I would hope that is not what a base meant.

Count me as not wanting to go down that path.

Unfortunately that looks like the path one must take in this day and age.

(06-28-2022 10:07 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(06-28-2022 09:09 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(06-26-2022 07:29 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Rice people need to stop thinking about NIL as a disadvantage. We’re actually far better positioned than most G5 schools, with deep pocketed alumni and a large media market/metro area.

Like why aren’t we recruiting off the roster of every Southland, Atlantic Sun, and SWAC team? I’m sure their best players would have a price, and when mixed with better HS recruits, we’d quickly be competitive in C-USA/AAC.

Of course, the real answer to this question is that Rice people see better uses for their money (don’t disagree) and would rather complain. When I made a post several months ago about setting up a NIL fund similar to the one on the UT Surly Horns message board, it was met with crickets.

I think it more, in terms of NIL, is whether Rice people would want to join the carny huckster used car salesman insurance salesman world that NIL seems to be on the trajectory of. Which it is.

If the answer to getting Rice major sports out of a basement is abasement --- I would hope that is not what a base meant.

Count me as not wanting to go down that path.

Unfortunately that looks like the path one must take in this day and age.

I used to support Rice with my money for season tickets in three sports, and donations to the Owl Club and the University, and mone for travel to support the Owls.

But I have no business for an athlete to promote.

(06-28-2022 10:07 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(06-28-2022 09:09 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(06-26-2022 07:29 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Rice people need to stop thinking about NIL as a disadvantage. We’re actually far better positioned than most G5 schools, with deep pocketed alumni and a large media market/metro area.

Like why aren’t we recruiting off the roster of every Southland, Atlantic Sun, and SWAC team? I’m sure their best players would have a price, and when mixed with better HS recruits, we’d quickly be competitive in C-USA/AAC.

Of course, the real answer to this question is that Rice people see better uses for their money (don’t disagree) and would rather complain. When I made a post several months ago about setting up a NIL fund similar to the one on the UT Surly Horns message board, it was met with crickets.

I think it more, in terms of NIL, is whether Rice people would want to join the carny huckster used car salesman insurance salesman world that NIL seems to be on the trajectory of. Which it is.

If the answer to getting Rice major sports out of a basement is abasement --- I would hope that is not what a base meant.

Count me as not wanting to go down that path.

Unfortunately that looks like the path one must take in this day and age.

At this rate, nothing would surprise me.
Not even Benny, Bjorn, and Anna Frida reuniting just to sponsor a concrete supplier as an excuse to hand out NIL deals under the branding of…


…


… ABBA Cement

(06-30-2022 09:27 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(06-28-2022 10:07 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(06-28-2022 09:09 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(06-26-2022 07:29 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Rice people need to stop thinking about NIL as a disadvantage. We’re actually far better positioned than most G5 schools, with deep pocketed alumni and a large media market/metro area.

Like why aren’t we recruiting off the roster of every Southland, Atlantic Sun, and SWAC team? I’m sure their best players would have a price, and when mixed with better HS recruits, we’d quickly be competitive in C-USA/AAC.

Of course, the real answer to this question is that Rice people see better uses for their money (don’t disagree) and would rather complain. When I made a post several months ago about setting up a NIL fund similar to the one on the UT Surly Horns message board, it was met with crickets.

I think it more, in terms of NIL, is whether Rice people would want to join the carny huckster used car salesman insurance salesman world that NIL seems to be on the trajectory of. Which it is.

If the answer to getting Rice major sports out of a basement is abasement --- I would hope that is not what a base meant.

Count me as not wanting to go down that path.

Unfortunately that looks like the path one must take in this day and age.

At this rate, nothing would surprise me.
Not even Benny, Bjorn, and Anna Frida reuniting just to sponsor a concrete supplier as an excuse to hand out NIL deals under the branding of…


…


… ABBA Cement

They could invest with members of Genesis in a taxi company -- ABBACAB

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacab

(07-01-2022 07:33 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(06-30-2022 09:27 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(06-28-2022 10:07 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(06-28-2022 09:09 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(06-26-2022 07:29 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Rice people need to stop thinking about NIL as a disadvantage. We’re actually far better positioned than most G5 schools, with deep pocketed alumni and a large media market/metro area.

Like why aren’t we recruiting off the roster of every Southland, Atlantic Sun, and SWAC team? I’m sure their best players would have a price, and when mixed with better HS recruits, we’d quickly be competitive in C-USA/AAC.

Of course, the real answer to this question is that Rice people see better uses for their money (don’t disagree) and would rather complain. When I made a post several months ago about setting up a NIL fund similar to the one on the UT Surly Horns message board, it was met with crickets.

I think it more, in terms of NIL, is whether Rice people would want to join the carny huckster used car salesman insurance salesman world that NIL seems to be on the trajectory of. Which it is.

If the answer to getting Rice major sports out of a basement is abasement --- I would hope that is not what a base meant.

Count me as not wanting to go down that path.

Unfortunately that looks like the path one must take in this day and age.

At this rate, nothing would surprise me.
Not even Benny, Bjorn, and Anna Frida reuniting just to sponsor a concrete supplier as an excuse to hand out NIL deals under the branding of…


…


… ABBA Cement

They could invest with members of Genesis in a taxi company -- ABBACAB

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacab

Just don’t forget, you can’t spell Abacab without the A_AC

saw this in a story about Ole Missed's 1st Championship:

Quote:How does it feel to see your school finally win its first officially recognized men's national championship -- in anything -- since the school fielded its first football team in 1893?

I dunno...ask an Owl about 2003, I guess. We did it faster and sooner than them did. Thanks, Wayne.

(07-09-2022 11:59 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  saw this in a story about Ole Missed's 1st Championship:

Quote:How does it feel to see your school finally win its first officially recognized men's national championship -- in anything -- since the school fielded its first football team in 1893?

I dunno...ask an Owl about 2003, I guess. We did it faster and sooner than them did. Thanks, Wayne.

+1