Maturi says nature of Twin Cities media market makes U more challenging than other BT

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macturi will forever be remembered for the strategy of using a sequence of...

The Pope of Dinkytown said:
It doesn't change the fact that Maturi is the best Gophers AD since the 1960's. No other AD since that time even approaches Maturi's accomplishments both on and off the field. The best thing Maturi did was put together the the design team and the design process for the new Gophers football stadium. Many things could have gone wrong with the design of the stadium and almost nothing did. For the funds that Maturi had available to him it was almost a perfect project that will be his legacy long after Tim Brewster becomes a minor footnote in Gopher history.

Did Maturi leave Gophers athletics in a better position than when he started? Yes.

It would have been hard for Gophers athletics to be worse now than what he inherited in 2002. Maturi did what he was immediately hired to do: merge athletic departments, meet Title IX standards and fix the budget crisis. He also brought football back to campus. And non-revenue sports loved him because he cared and was always there to support them, too. Maturi left Teague with a better, more stable department then he inherited. .
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first extending a contract, then within a matter of months buying out that extension, firing a coach and then being totally unprepared to hire a different coach to replace the coach he had extended, bought out and fired. Also remember him for bringing the new stadium on board while spending more than TWICE as much for a basketball coach at the time he had an incompetent running the Football Program. That hoops coach, of course undr achieved and in the tradition that mac-man had started, was eventually extended, bought out and fired by mac-man's replacement... What a MESS mac-man oversaw.

And, there were MANY people who were each very influential in getting the new stadium built. BUT: badger joel mac-man brought the new stadium to the public in a way that totally bungled the Game Day Experience. By only the second season...the student section was a complete joke, the stadium was not selling out and much unrest and anger was being generated by loyal, long time season ticket holders about the pathetic Game Day Environment compared to what it COULD have been...SHOULD have been...

pope: if you want to praise mac-man...you are going to have to hear about his royal blunders too. He took a lot of hits for his boss, and now is being rewarded with a big-buck consulting job with the U...BUT, it would be better if he would shut his mouth, disappear and NEVER be heard from again...

Sign me NO fan of the mac-man. EVERY time you see the empty student section...think of badger joel mac-man.

; 0 )
 

Walrus, let me re-post the parts of my post that you didn't address with your post:

It doesn't change the fact that Maturi is the best Gophers AD since the 1960's. No other AD since that time even approaches Maturi's accomplishments both on and off the field. The best thing Maturi did was put together the design team and design process for the new Gophers football stadium. Many things could have gone wrong with the design of the stadium and almost nothing did. Considering the limited funds that Maturi had available it was almost a perfect project that will be his legacy to Gopher football fans long after Tim Brewster becomes a minor footnote in Gopher history.

Did Maturi leave Gophers athletics in a better position than when he started? Yes, without question. Maturi left Teague a far better and more stable athletics department then he inherited. Gophers athletics was in absolutely terrible shape when Maturi took over in 2002. Maturi did what he was hired to do: merge athletic departments, meet Title IX standards, and fix the intercollegiate athletics budget crisis. And Maturi was the person in charge when football came back to campus. Many of the decisions Maturi gets criticized for actually were made by Bob Bruininks who has a hands-on, contol freak where the athletics department was concerned.

I have been a Gophers fan pretty much as long as you have and I don't remember a time when the overall Gophers athletics program has been in as good of shape as it is right now after ten years of Maturi's work. Very little of it has to do with a carpetbagger AD from out east who hired a carpetbagger basketball coach from down south. You heard it here first - both Teague and Petino will be gone within five years.
 

I do believe there were hockey, golf and wrestling championships under Joel Maturi's leadership. The only sports not competitive were basketball and football. Can we move on from whatever Joel says and concentrate on getting a championship in football and basketball.
 

Dean S said:
I do believe there were hockey, golf and wrestling championships under Joel Maturi's leadership. The only sports not competitive were basketball and football. Can we move on from whatever Joel says and concentrate on getting a championship in football and basketball.
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No one has been more critical of Joel than me. However, I think that hockey championships should be grouped more with football and basketball than golf and wrestling.
 

The Pope of Dinkytown said:
Walrus, let me re-post the parts of my post that you didn't address with your post:

It doesn't change the fact that Maturi is the best Gophers AD since the 1960's. No other AD since that time even approaches Maturi's accomplishments both on and off the field. The best thing Maturi did was put together the design team and design process for the new Gophers football stadium. Many things could have gone wrong with the design of the stadium and almost nothing did. Considering the limited funds that Maturi had available to him it was almost a perfect project that will be his legacy long after Tim Brewster becomes a minor footnote in Gopher history.

Did Maturi leave Gophers athletics in a better position than when he started? Yes, without question. Maturi left Teague a far better and more stable athletics department then he inherited. Gophers athletics was in absolutely terrible shape when Maturi took over in 2002. Maturi did what he was immediately hired to do: merge athletic departments, meet Title IX standards, and fix the budget crisis. And Maturi was the person in charge when football came back to campus. Many of the decisions Maturi gets criticized for actually were made by Bob Bruininks who has a hands-on, contol freak where the athletics department was concerned.

I have been a Gophers fan pretty much as long as you have and I don't remember a time when the overall Gophers athletics program has been in as good of shape as it is right now after ten years of Maturi's work. Very little of it has to do with a carpetbagger AD from out east who hired a carpetbagger basketball coach from down south. You heard it hear first - both Teague and Petino will be gone within five years.
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Holy crap. Whatever you're smoking pass it around.
"Maturi did what he was immediately hired to do: merge athletic departments, meet Title IX standards, and fix the budget crisis."
Then he should have retired, or we could have just hired an accountant and a mediator in the first place and hired someone with balls to run the AD.

The money owed to past coaches and to lawsuits alone should solidify Maturi's legacy as one of the most destructive AD's in U history.

His attitude equating the non-rev sports with football, basketball, and hockey along with his godawful media savvy has put gopher sports squarely in the rear view mirror for most TC sports fans. He (probably inadvertently) de-emphasized football and basketball by his hirings and miscues.

His lack of a spine when advocating for the athletics dept has perpetuated a culture of complacency and weakness when it comes to standing up for the athletics dept.

Of all these, his fumble of the football program is most damning.

He inherited a mediocre coach, extended him and fired him. He did get football back on campus, and did NOTHING to parlay that excitement into an expanded fanbase or a niche sports event. His lack of creativity and vision is directly responsible for the godawful and vanilla gameday experience at our beautiful new stadium.

Then he hired an unqualified candidate, extended then fired him.
Ran a second rate hiring again, getting embarrassed multiple times by a rag tag alumni group and a monday night football reporter, and hopefully for all of us closed his eyes threw the dart and lucked into a solid hire.

"best Gophers AD since the 1960's"
If he was an SEC AD he'd have been run out of town tarred and feathered. Or worse.
 


I think we need to START keeping track of "GopherHole Wins" for Walrus/Wren what's his name.... So FAR I think he's about 0-258 or something LIKE that...

After all THAT'S what really matters right?? Winning the BATTLE of words on Gopherhole.... And the NEW WREN uses more than ANYBODY
 

Ole said:
Holy crap. Whatever you're smoking pass it around.
"Maturi did what he was immediately hired to do: merge athletic departments, meet Title IX standards, and fix the budget crisis."
Then he should have retired, or we could have just hired an accountant and a mediator in the first place and hired someone with balls to run the AD.

The money owed to past coaches and to lawsuits alone should solidify Maturi's legacy as one of the most destructive AD's in U history.

His attitude equating the non-rev sports with football, basketball, and hockey along with his godawful media savvy has put gopher sports squarely in the rear view mirror for most TC sports fans. He (probably inadvertently) de-emphasized football and basketball by his hirings and miscues.

His lack of a spine when advocating for the athletics dept has perpetuated a culture of complacency and weakness when it comes to standing up for the athletics dept.

Of all these, his fumble of the football program is most damning.

He inherited a mediocre coach, extended him and fired him. He did get football back on campus, and did NOTHING to parlay that excitement into an expanded fanbase or a niche sports event. His lack of creativity and vision is directly responsible for the godawful and vanilla gameday experience at our beautiful new stadium.

Then he hired an unqualified candidate, extended then fired him.
Ran a second rate hiring again, getting embarrassed multiple times by a rag tag alumni group and a monday night football reporter, and hopefully for all of us closed his eyes threw the dart and lucked into a solid hire.

"best Gophers AD since the 1960's"
If he was an SEC AD he'd have been run out of town tarred and feathered. Or worse.
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In case anyone has forgotten, the Gopher FB program has not won a Conference title since 1967. Is that Maturi's fault, too? There have been a lot of AD's and College Presidents over the last 45 years, and they have all played a role in the success or failure of the Gopher FB program.

I'm not saying Maturi was a great AD - but I don't think he is solely to blame for all the problems of the Gopher FB program or athletics in general. I don't think Joel Maturi told Clem Haskins to commit academic fraud. I don't think Joel Maturi told the U to move FB off-campus. I don't think Joel Maturi hired Jim Wacker.

Again - Maturi wasn't great, but he isn't some evil monster who plotted to destroy the Gophers' athletic program. He was a person who was hired for a job, and tried to do his best. Hey, I'm not perfect either - I've been fired from a couple of jobs. I'm willing to bet Maturi would do some things differently if he had it to do over.
 

S.O.N.: How many games at TCF BANK STADIUM have you attended? Under five? From...

short ornery norwegian said:
In case anyone has forgotten, the Gopher FB program has not won a Conference title since 1967. Is that Maturi's fault, too? There have been a lot of AD's and College Presidents over the last 45 years, and they have all played a role in the success or failure of the Gopher FB program.

I'm not saying Maturi was a great AD - but I don't think he is solely to blame for all the problems of the Gopher FB program or athletics in general. I don't think Joel Maturi told Clem Haskins to commit academic fraud. I don't think Joel Maturi told the U to move FB off-campus. I don't think Joel Maturi hired Jim Wacker.

Again - Maturi wasn't great, but he isn't some evil monster who plotted to destroy the Gophers' athletic program. He was a person who was hired for a job, and tried to do his best. Hey, I'm not perfect either - I've been fired from a couple of jobs. I'm willing to bet Maturi would do some things differently if he had it to do over.
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five to ten? Over ten? Have you been happy with the Game Day Environment? How often do you come to the home games? There are some pretty sad things happening and not happening considering the fact that there is this beautiful almost $300 million dollar facility standing there...the crown jewel is starting to tarnish because of lack of planning and consideration for the remaining fan base and potential fans. The disappearing Student Section? Did the mac-man ad have his ducks in a row on the opening and selling of the new stadium? (Granted: it looks as though our new Norwood doesn't have a clue about Football Game Day stuff either...and...he may very well be just a talker who fancies himself to be pretty slick...He may be short for the Gopher AD department unless he can do more than just talk...) But he is stuck with the millions of contract buyouts that mac-man joel left him AND then he used mac-man's formula for extending, buying out, ditching and dumping Tubby and added to the debt that mac-man's legacy consists of. And who will stop the evil Borton reign of terror that mac-man set up and kept on extending? Is our new Norwood man enough to tackle that Women's Hoops Coaching problem? Not all is all so well. What about the golf law suite? How much will that one cost before all is said and done?
 

Maverick said:
I think we need to START keeping track of "GopherHole Wins" for Walrus/Wren what's his name.... So FAR I think he's about 0-258 or something LIKE that...

After all THAT'S what really matters right?? Winning the BATTLE of words on Gopherhole.... And the NEW WREN uses more than ANYBODY
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Be careful for what you wish for! I can see it now, wren's next post will read "It's all about GopherHole wins."
 



Killjoy said:
Be careful for what you wish for! I can see it now, wren's next post will read "It's all about GopherHole wins."
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I am always impressed at how Wren's rants make me reexamine my position whenever I agree with him on anything.
 


bleedsmaroonandgold said:
I am always impressed at how Wren's rants make me reexamine my position whenever I agree with him on anything.
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I can't believe people actually read them. I skip over them faster than I would a naked photo of Rosie O’Donnell.
 




I believe that over time, Maturi's legacy will be viewed more positively. I think he made a couple of mistakes with his hires in key revenue-producing sports, however..... it didn't stop him from putting key items in place that the pope details in his post. Be grateful for the new stadium you have. If your coach winds up working out... be grateful for him as well. Joel M. wasn't the total disaster that some want to portray him as being.
 

GophersInIowa said:
I can't believe people actually read them. I skip over them faster than I would a naked photo of Rosie O’Donnell.
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Usually have great respect for your posts, but putting that image into my head was just bloody wrong..
 

Iceland12 said:
Usually have great respect for your posts, but putting that image into my head was just bloody wrong..
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That's the last thing that would enter my mind while I was skipping over his posts.
 

Who have been the ADs since the 60's

Marsh Ryman - The AD for the last B1G championship. Oversaw President Moos' de-emphasis of sports.
Paul Giel - Moved football off campus. Not creative enough to see how to improve Memorial Stadium.
Holger Christianson - Who?
Rick Bay - Competent, only stayed 2 years.
Dan Meinert - Only was there one year.
McKinley Boston - Turned a blind eye to Clem's shenanigans
Mark Dienhart - See Mac Boston
Tom Moe - Did a great job getting the department out of the Clem mess.
Joel Maturi - Did most of the work to get TCF Bank stadium. He did spend a lot of political capital.
Norwood Teague - I give him an I at the moment.

I would rank Maturi #2, behind Moe. The Clem fiasco cost Boston & Dienhart.
 

Ski U Mah Gopher said:
Who have been the ADs since the 60's

Marsh Ryman - The AD for the last B1G championship. Oversaw President Moos' de-emphasis of sports.
Paul Giel - Moved football off campus. Not creative enough to see how to improve Memorial Stadium.
Holger Christianson - Who?
Rick Bay - Competent, only stayed 2 years.
Dan Meinert - Only was there one year.
McKinley Boston - Turned a blind eye to Clem's shenanigans
Mark Dienhart - See Mac Boston
Tom Moe - Did a great job getting the department out of the Clem mess.
Joel Maturi - Did most of the work to get TCF Bank stadium. He did spend a lot of political capital.
Norwood Teague - I give him an I at the moment.

I would rank Maturi #2, behind Moe. The Clem fiasco cost Boston & Dienhart.
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Good job Ski-U-Mah, pretty awful list huh? Two notes. Moe indeed had a tough job. The worst part for him was having to twist in limbo while Mason openly campaigned for tOSU. Felt very sorry and pretty pissed at Moe when he was interviewed during that dead period and basically said "What can you do. He wants to go elsewhere". Mason did a good job, but they should have fired him right then. All the "We need to prioritize FOOTBALL" people were pretty cowardly then. Understandable that after Salem, Holtz, Gutey and Wacker they were gun-shy, but no 'Football School" would have stood for their Head Coach publicly begging a Conference Rival for the job.

Moe's response was "Yeah, I'm impotent." Not A.D. material.

The other: Giel was the A.D. but did NOT take the Gophers to the Dome. He was at the Capital constantly begging for the money to re-model Memorial Stadium. When he found out that the "jig was up", he did his best to try and make things work at HHH. His downfall was after the series of scandals "How was I to know what was going on?" well once to often.

You're the damn A.D. It's your job to know.
 

Iceland12 said:
Usually have great respect for your posts, but putting that image into my head was just bloody wrong..
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I was wondering when someone would comment about it, but then realized that everyone was probably too busy throwing up.
 


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