U names Ettinger interim president

[LesBolstad]

Couldn't win a Congressional seat in a conservative district. He will run for Senator and likely win when Tina Smith doesn't run. He's doing this for name recognition.
Because we're Minnesota

 

[WindyCityGopher]

The Hormel Chili Bowl is a great name for a stadium in Minnesota, trailing only the Wheaties Bowl and DQ Blizzard ... something.

That would require an expanded number of bathroom stalls.

 

[Mustang68]

ROW the SPAM!

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

With regional banks like Huntington teetering on the brink, we could be closer to Your Minnesota Golden Gophers running into SPAM Stadium than you think.

I thought at one point Huntington Bank said they would complete the stadium sponsorship but didn’t plan to renew it.


Having said that it goes through 2030 last I heard with extension options, so who knows.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Oh boy...

 

[matt]

Oh boy...

What?

He’s a former corporate attorney, F500 CEO for a Minnesota company, and he has familiarity with the political landscape. Those sound like good qualifications for an interim or permanent president.

 

[denguegopher]

Only the people in Austin know for sure!

I think that Austin people call it "Hor mels."

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I'm a little surprised they went with someone who was a political candidate last year. I thought they would go with someone more "neutral."

but, as noted, this is just the Interim President - someone to keep the seat warm until a permanent President is hired. (or Prexy, if you're a fan of Wren......)

If he can get Hormel to throw some NIL money in the U's direction, could turn out to be a good move. (not suggesting any quid pro quo is in place)

 

[WindyCityGopher]

I'm a little surprised they went with someone who was a political candidate last year. I thought they would go with someone more "neutral."

but, as noted, this is just the Interim President - someone to keep the seat warm until a permanent President is hired. (or Prexy, if you're a fan of Wren......)

If he can get Hormel to throw some NIL money in the U's direction, could turn out to be a good move. (not suggesting any quid pro quo is in place)

Donate a few cases of Dinty Moore Beef Stew and we’ll be swatting away 5-stars.

 

[Gopher Ally]

Im not ashamed to admit it, I like Spam

 

[WindyCityGopher]

I not ashamed to admit it, I like Spam

 

[BilldGopher]

Do we have an interim problem with Hormel bacon?

I still haven't forgiven Hormel for dropping Little Sizzlers from their breakfast line. Fried and diced made an excellent addition to any number of homemade soups.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I'm a little surprised they went with someone who was a political candidate last year. I thought they would go with someone more "neutral."

but, as noted, this is just the Interim President - someone to keep the seat warm until a permanent President is hired. (or Prexy, if you're a fan of Wren......)

If he can get Hormel to throw some NIL money in the U's direction, could turn out to be a good move. (not suggesting any quid pro quo is in place)

I suspect he thinks of himself and his abilities more than “a political candidate”.

 

[Gophers_4life]

I'm a little surprised they went with someone who was a political candidate last year. I thought they would go with someone more "neutral."

For Chrissakes people ....

in·ter·im
noun

the intervening time.
"in the interim I'll just keep my fingers crossed"

adjective

in or for the intervening period; provisional or temporary.
"an interim arrangement"

 

[Gophers_4life]

If he can get Hormel to throw some NIL money in the U's direction, could turn out to be a good move

He's not going to make a single decision that will have even an iota of impact on Gopher athletics in his brief time in the big chair.

 

[Atl Gopher]

I'm a little surprised they went with someone who was a political candidate last year. I thought they would go with someone more "neutral."

but, as noted, this is just the Interim President - someone to keep the seat warm until a permanent President is hired. (or Prexy, if you're a fan of Wren......)

If he can get Hormel to throw some NIL money in the U's direction, could turn out to be a good move. (not suggesting any quid pro quo is in place)

I am not sure why you would be surprised. Many business owners are conservatives all be it often not publicly stating their stances. Why not bring in a Demonstrate from California? So the university alienates some potential big money contributors. You really have to respect the powers that be for clearly stating their stance, even at the risk of losing potential big bucks funding donors. I spent a couple years in Albert Lea and I can still remember the smell emanating from both Albert Lea and Austin.

 

[Dave H]

He's not going to make a single decision that will have even an iota of impact on Gopher athletics in his brief time in the big chair.

Why do you assume he will only be interim? He could get the job ya know.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Went so you assume he will only be interim? He could get the job ya know.

Yes, absolutely.

Like I already said, IF that happens, then the news is worthwhile.


The claim has been made in this thread that he's using this just to get his name out in the public for his next political campaign. I guess we will see!

 

[Dave H]

Yeah I am not sure I buy he is doing that but yeah I guess we will see

BTW I hate autocorrect.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

to clarify my point:

by choosing someone with a political background, the Regents put themselves in a position where they can be accused of bias. considering that the Regents caught a lot of flack for decisions made during Gable's tenure, I would have thought that a "non-political" person would have been a safer choice.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

to clarify my point:

by choosing someone with a political background, the Regents put themselves in a position where they can be accused of bias. considering that the Regents caught a lot of flack for decisions made during Gable's tenure, I would have thought that a "non-political" person would have been a safer choice.

Everyone has bias...

This whole line of thinking seems like we'd then have to do some sort of bias testing for those sneaky "political" folks who haven't run office and made it known.

 

[50PoundHead]

Horm’l or Horm-el?

I've always heard it pronounced Hor-mel.

 

[Word]

Everyone has bias...

This whole line of thinking seems like we'd then have to do some sort of bias testing for those sneaky "political" folks who haven't run office and made it known.

Seems like a really biased thing for you to say.

 

[50PoundHead]

to clarify my point:

by choosing someone with a political background, the Regents put themselves in a position where they can be accused of bias. considering that the Regents caught a lot of flack for decisions made during Gable's tenure, I would have thought that a "non-political" person would have been a safer choice.

I think Ettinger's political known experience goes all the way back to 2022, when he ran as a Democrat in both the special election and the general election. I suppose there are some optics there, but with all of the Rs we've had on the Board of Regents (Sviggum, Brod, Johnson--although Johnson was both and R and a D at different stages of this career), that didn't seem to be much of an issue. Ettinger is probably going to be in the position for a year/year-and-a-half and it will be up to the Regents to set the course for the U.

Ettinger is a corporate guy and from all accounts would have probably qualified as a moderate Republcian ala Al Quie in an earlier era.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Seems like a really biased thing for you to say.

As a member of the Bias Party of Redundancy and Bias Party… that makes sense.

 

[Cedar Rapids Gopher]

Do we have an interim problem with Hormel bacon?

I still haven't forgiven Hormel for dropping Little Sizzlers from their breakfast line. Fried and diced made an excellent addition to any number of homemade soups.

I bought some in a large box from Fareway like 6 months ago. But it said for a limited time.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Do we have an interim problem with Hormel bacon?

I still haven't forgiven Hormel for dropping Little Sizzlers from their breakfast line. Fried and diced made an excellent addition to any number of homemade soups.

Hormel bacon is good but nothing special in my experience…. still is bacon, so that’s good.

 

[Word]

Hormel bacon is good but nothing special in my experience…. still is bacon, so that’s good.

You should know. (Your name and all)