The View From Section 241 -- Maine

[Excalibur]

His hand was forced. MT and the rest of the morons in Providence never got out of the basketball mindset, everything else was secondary. The football schools should have left the BE immediately after Miami's exit.

He was pushing the idea before he became commissioner.

 

[BlueandOG]

I think Herbst is a lightweight when comes to the world of college sports. There is nothing in her resume to suggest she has the faintest clue. On the academic side, she certainly has the bonafides being a former dean of academics for Georgia. Her instinct to bring in an advisor was smart. She just picked the wrong guy, Traghese, a basketball guy with no chops in big time football. In fairness, the amount of money and deal complexity involved with big time college football has escalated in the last 15 years, and outpaced college administrators. That has given rise to a whole industry of sports management companies sucking off the proverbial teet. It is much more like a "for profit" enterprise than ever before. So, we'll have to see how this shakes out. As I've said in the past, if we get a Big12 invite she is a hero forever ensconced as one of the greats. If we lose out, she's on borrowed time, right or wrong. This is fairly existential for UConn sports as a whole. Given the alternatives, let's hope she is forever looked upon favorably for posterity.

I disagree. Herbst has positioned us for a move to a P5 conference. Traghese was on the CFB playoff selection committee - he has the knowledge and connections. We will get there, sooner rather than later.

 

[J187Money]

Do you think you might just be a wee bit biased there?

No offense to you or her because I think she is doing a very good job - but this is crazy talk.

I think he is talking about his hospital president.

 

[J187Money]

I think Herbst is a lightweight when comes to the world of college sports. There is nothing in her resume to suggest she has the faintest clue. On the academic side, she certainly has the bonafides being a former dean of academics for Georgia. Her instinct to bring in an advisor was smart. She just picked the wrong guy, Traghese, a basketball guy with no chops in big time football. In fairness, the amount of money and deal complexity involved with big time college football has escalated in the last 15 years, and outpaced college administrators. That has given rise to a whole industry of sports management companies sucking off the proverbial teet. It is much more like a "for profit" enterprise than ever before. So, we'll have to see how this shakes out. As I've said in the past, if we get a Big12 invite she is a hero forever ensconced as one of the greats. If we lose out, she's on borrowed time, right or wrong. This is fairly existential for UConn sports as a whole. Given the alternatives, let's hope she is forever looked upon favorably for posterity.

There are an awful lot of people associated with the school that don't care about sports. It is only part of the job. The BY might give up on her, but when you look at her body of work, it is hard to say that if she doesn't get us in she has done a bad job. Just means that she didn't get us in. Whatever weight you put to that depends on your point of view.

 

[BlueDogs]

Guessing you missed the part where Mike Tranghese was on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee for two years?

Apples and oranges. We are taking about media properties , syndication and distribution, intellectual property management.

 

[huskymedic]

Apples and oranges. We are taking about media properties , syndication and distribution, intellectual property management.

LOL... Keep digging. You don't like him fine, but his credentials/background for this project are on point.

 

[BlueDogs]

Or ... that Tranghese is universally acknowledged as very savvy in the business of college sports. (and Neal Pilson is also pitched in on UConn) Herbst, imo, is smart enought t0 build the right coalition to get us to where we need to go. Both Manuel and Benedict, imo, are excellent choices for leading us forward. Let's see ...

My only point was the level of sophistication required in this area is dramatically different from even a decade ago. I don't expect any college administrator to have the requisite experience or knowledge to navigate on their own. The advisors become critical. It is much more "for profit" like than ever before.

I agree that she has made some great choices. I don't think Tranghese was one of them . He presided over the BE collapse, failed to anticipate and proactively counter CR. The BE had consolidated the Northeast media market and was threatening the ACC markets. He failed to capitalize on it and was out maneuvered by the ACC. The proof is in the pudding. The Providence mafia was so obsessed with their own creation and protecting the basketball franchise, they missed the boat. Tranghese was the BE commissioner up to 2009. By then, the writing was on the wall and he had few cards left to play. To put it mildly, he was the captain of the Titanic. To say he is the right guy because he managed to survive his own disaster doesn't make too much sense to me. In Herbst’s case, I don't think it is about” being smart enough” as much as when you are inserted into an environment predominated with the same cast of characters you can get some skewed information and perspective from incumbent players. It’s like the Pasqualoni debacle. The same crony network backslapping and recommending each other. It is easy to fall into the “expert” trap of because they were there and know.

 

[BlueDogs]

LOL... Keep digging. You don't like him fine, but his credentials/background for this project are on point.

No need to dig. The guy's track record speaks for itself... presiding over the ultimate failure of the BE and bailing out at the end. You know what happens to failed executives? They become senior consultants and collect money from their old cronies.

 

[Pudge]

My only point was the level of sophistication required in this area is dramatically different from even a decade ago. I don't expect any college administrator to have the requisite experience or knowledge to navigate on their own. The advisors become critical. It is much more "for profit" like than ever before.

I agree that she has made some great choices. I don't think Tranghese was one of them . He presided over the BE collapse, failed to anticipate and proactively counter CR. The BE had consolidated the Northeast media market and was threatening the ACC markets. He failed to capitalize on it and was out maneuvered by the ACC. The proof is in the pudding. The Providence mafia was so obsessed with their own creation and protecting the basketball franchise, they missed the boat. Tranghese was the BE commissioner up to 2009. By then, the writing was on the wall and he had few cards left to play. To put it mildly, he was the captain of the Titanic. To say he is the right guy because he managed to survive his own disaster doesn't make too much sense to me. In Herbst’s case, I don't think it is about” being smart enough” as much as when you are inserted into an environment predominated with the same cast of characters you can get some skewed information and perspective from incumbent players. It’s like the Pasqualoni debacle. The same crony network backslapping and recommending each other. It is easy to fall into the “expert” trap of because they were there and know.

Before I took the LEAP you are taking ... I would have to know this about Tranghese personally. In almost 20 years of "reading" the internet, my conclusion is the guy gets University executives and Sports Business people to pay attention. Is that enough for what we need? At the end of the day, UConn (and UConn Football + our TV eyeball demand) needs to be the proof in the pudding - to use your tired cliche.

 

[whaler11]

That decision is made long before "executive" status is reached. Both the University President and CEO have reached the pinnacle of their respective professions. It's very difficult to choose a life in academia, get close to the pinnacle of that profession, and then convert that over to the business world. It is similarly difficult (though more common) to advance an entire career in business and then transition to run a university.

I guess my point is that the fact that the people who run big companies know more about business than University Presidents has more to do with their chosen profession than inherent ability or intelligence.

I didn't say that University Presidents weren't smart. Maybe people inferring things that aren't in the post is what sets some people off.

The original post used one very specific word and skill 'negotiate'. I am not speaking from an uninformed position - I don't really think it's all that inflammatory anyway.

 

[whaler11]

I think he is talking about his hospital president.

In that case I would say that was one of the populations of people I was talking about. Hospitals employ some of the best negotiators on the planet.

 

[businesslawyer]

No need to dig. The guy's track record speaks for itself... presiding over the ultimate failure of the BE and bailing out at the end. You know what happens to failed executives? They become senior consultants and collect money from their old cronies.

Must find people to blame. Life too complicated otherwise!

 

[BlueDogs]

Must find people to blame. Life too complicated otherwise!

Res ipsa, pal.

 

[huskypantz]

Do you think you might just be a wee bit biased there?

No offense to you or her because I think she is doing a very good job - but this is crazy talk.

That sentence was in reference to my company's CEO. I compared my industry (health care) to higher ed.

 

[freescooter]

I don't love Tranghese but it is widely acknowledged in the industry that he knows the media side of things as well as anyone and better than most. I've heard him speak on it and he just knows his stuff, knows markets and how to tap them. And he predicted BC's current problems.

 

[Husky68]

You guys are triggering me (I think)!