Time to get rolling on the new practice facilty

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vagopher said:
Even if it doesn't have an immediate need? I'm confident that a cost/benefit analysis favors a basketball facility.
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Since the plan now calls for $190 million rather than $125 million, the fun of the fund raising efforts just increased by $65 million. BUT, we have been told that our new Norwood is really quite the little fund raising unit. At his disposal is that mature guy who is still on the payroll and focusing on fund raising (He was really something as a fund raiser while he was ad) and the gang of how many our new Norwood brought in from VCU. With an additional $65 million to raise, our Norwood fund raising unit should probably bring in some more VCU people just to show off the way he fancies himself to be able to smoothly raise funds.

What exactly is the time frame on this $190 million drive? Will it be incorporated into any other University of Minnesota Drives (the way Prexy Y did when he went out and raised over $2 billion? (now Prexy Y really was a fund raising unit of unmatched proportions around these parts.)

I think our new Norwood should see if he could bring former Prexy Y in to spearhead this fundraising job...

Hope this gets done in a timely manner, but, as always: I will have to see the shovel break the earth on this project before I get too excited about it...

; 0 )
 

imthewalrus said:
right now? When, where and how will this administration raise the 125 million? Hope you are right kids...but 125 million is a LOT of money in this 2013 economy. I'm going to have to see it happen before I believe this is any more than "prexy-speak" on K's part to appease we "facility arms race hungry gung-ho, but basically "cash-strapped folks trying to pay the mortgage..." who write on message boards and scrap together enough bucks to buy our season tickets and MAYBE give a few hundred for scholarships. And the too frequently used "slick-speak-lines" coming from the office of the AD about the specific plans and time table for the fund-raising drive to start and finish that never really give us any answers and when analyzed, are meant only to "take the heat off..."

I care about the Football Program...but...to think 125 million has to be raised before anything is done pretty much moves the time frame back five...ten...maybe even 20 years into the future. The administration at the U talks kind of like politicians who want to balance the budget five or ten years after their terms are completed.

Show me the money administrators...don't just talk with your administrator-speak b.s. Take the heat until you can give us some specific, honest and real answers. Don't talk to the public about it until you have all the lead donors lined up and then talk to us as the shovels are going into the ground to start construction. Maybe then I will believe what our administrators have to say about this situation...


; 0 )
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As a public service, I will sum up walrus' post:

$125 million is a lot of money. He cares about the football program. He doesn't want b.s., he wants to see shovels.
 

imthewalrus said:
Since the plan now calls for $190 million rather than $125 million, the fun of the fund raising efforts just increased by $65 million. BUT, we have been told that our new Norwood is really quite the little fund raising unit. At his disposal is that mature guy who is still on the payroll and focusing on fund raising (He was really something as a fund raiser while he was ad) and the gang of how many our new Norwood brought in from VCU. With an additional $65 million to raise, our Norwood fund raising unit should probably bring in some more VCU people just to show off the way he fancies himself to be able to smoothly raise funds.

What exactly is the time frame on this $190 million drive? Will it be incorporated into any other University of Minnesota Drives (the way Prexy Y did when he went out and raised over $2 billion? (now Prexy Y really was a fund raising unit of unmatched proportions around these parts.)

I think our new Norwood should see if he could bring former Prexy Y in to spearhead this fundraising job...

Hope this gets done in a timely manner, but, as always: I will have to see the shovel break the earth on this project before I get too excited about it...

; 0 )
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One more time:

$190 million is more than $125 million. He wants to see more shovels.
 

Rescooter said:
As a public service, I will sum up walrus' post:

$125 million is a lot of money. He cares about the football program. He doesn't want b.s., he wants to see shovels.
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Thank you! You are now appointed as the official wren translator.
 

Rescooter said:
As a public service, I will sum up walrus' post:

$125 million is a lot of money. He cares about the football program. He doesn't want b.s., he wants to see shovels.
Click to expand...

Rescooter said:
One more time:

$190 million is more than $125 million. He wants to see more shovels.
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Thanks. I know you won't be available 24/7 but when you are available keep up the good work.
 




Well rescooter: go ahead and join the short, insifnificant list of little...

Rescooter said:
Oh no! I will however, take one for the team and accept this monumental challenge.
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uncontrolled and impotent control freaks who attempt to latch onto every one of my posts. Your strategy only makes you look bad. The few people who will gleefully pat you on the back really don't represent anyone I would ever give a rip about. I have NO control over you, nor would I want it. Have at it. Be my guest. You change NOTHING...you say nothing.

Please know that I will say EXACTLY what I intend to say. You and your other little "wren-chasers" can try to knock yourselves out.

So, what I feel needs to be stated will be stated and all you little control freaks can eat my dust...and all that jazz...I NEVER let the little tag-a-longs get me down...

; 0 )
 

Back to the main point of the thread.........

Color me highly skeptical. The powers that be at the U have been talking about the basketball facility for years - but they can't find a lead donor for a $15-million project. (You can bet if they did have a lead donor, they would be shouting it at the top of their lungs.) They scrambled just to come up with a few million to start the baseball facility - which is not finished yet.

And now, Teague and Co. say they're going to come up with $190-million for a project which they claim can be done in the next 6 to 8 years? Where is the freakin' money going to come from? For a project of that scope, they will need a lead donor to cough up at least $10-million plus. If it's not T. Denny, then who?

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I just don't see any way this project gets done in the next 6 to 8 years - unless some sugar daddy emerges from out of the blue with a HUGE check. ........OR - unless they divert income from other sources, including BTN and other TV money - which means that money would NOT be available for other sports/projects. They had better sell a LOT of booze in the suites at TCF and Williams. (Maybe that's the plan - get the boosters hammered, and have them write a check before they sober up.....)
 



short ornery norwegian said:
Back to the main point of the thread.........

Color me highly skeptical. The powers that be at the U have been talking about the basketball facility for years - but they can't find a lead donor for a $15-million project. (You can bet if they did have a lead donor, they would be shouting it at the top of their lungs.) They scrambled just to come up with a few million to start the baseball facility - which is not finished yet.

And now, Teague and Co. say they're going to come up with $190-million for a project which they claim can be done in the next 6 to 8 years? Where is the freakin' money going to come from? For a project of that scope, they will need a lead donor to cough up at least $10-million plus. If it's not T. Denny, then who?

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I just don't see any way this project gets done in the next 6 to 8 years - unless some sugar daddy emerges from out of the blue with a HUGE check. ........OR - unless they divert income from other sources, including BTN and other TV money - which means that money would NOT be available for other sports/projects. They had better sell a LOT of booze in the suites at TCF and Williams. (Maybe that's the plan - get the boosters hammered, and have them write a check before they sober up.....)
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And...if they use BTN money from this, there is NO fundraising going on by our new Norwood. Think about that for a while...
It might be a pretty "slick" plan, but, it would get the U no more funds than they have lined up by being a B1G member any way.
; 0 )
 

imthewalrus said:
And...if they use BTN money from this, there is NO fundraising going on by our new Norwood. Think about that for a while...
It might be a pretty "slick" plan, but, it would get the U no more funds than they have lined up by being a B1G member any way.
; 0 )
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I did and I can tell you are starting to drink way to early in the day. Go take a nap and sober up.
 


The Twin Cities is a fabulously wealthy metropolitan area. The families that created those Fortune 500 companies are still there. The families that created 3 or 4 of the largest privately held companies in America are still there. The actors, writers and artists are still there. The money is there without any question, in fact $190 million is pocket change for, probably, the 500 wealthiest families in the area. The issue isn't money, the issue is attitude. Bottom line can the Woody create access to this community of monied people? Can he create a desire in this community to elevate the only athletic program in the State to the level it deserves to be? Can he shake out enough of this pocket change to make a real difference? There are easily 500 people that could each write out a check for $500,000 without even having to first call their accountants. It isn't just Minneapolis either. The mineral, mining and Greyhound Bus money on the Range. The railroad, logging and shipping money in Duluth. The grain (it wasn't just Minneapolis) money from the farms areas. The snow mobile millionaires from western Minnesota.

The question is can Woody create the vision to make this happen? I don't know. These are, after all Minnesotans who "know" our proper place in the world is reasonably successful mediocrity. I personally believe without a doubt that he can and will do it.

Let's just watch. One thing for sure. If he's successful there will be a lot of "Woodies" out there.
 



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