FWST: Outgoing TCU athletic director addresses football team’s bowl destination, controversy

[Wexahu]

I've wondered clear back to TCU's WAC days why New Mexico wasn't more of a football school. Just because of the part of the country they live in, I would guess that they have wealthy oil men among their alums. They treat their men's basketball nice (or have in the relatively recent past), have a relative large venue for basketball, and (at least in the near recent past) have had decent teams.

They have a sooper-dooper baseball field (although they share it with a minor league team).

But as far as I can tell, UNM hasn't gotten anywhere football-wise since Franchioni left, and obviously has crummy football facilities.

Terrible part of the country for recruiting and football in general, and a very small population.

They can make basketball work because it's just way easier to have a successful basketball program in an area like that.

 

[FrogBall09]

It’s not like the Liberty Bowl is great. It’s a big construction site right now.

and in a high crime city....and yet still better than the NM bowl at all levels.....this bowl game was scheduled to be cancelled a few years ago and the state of NM used the high indigenous population of the state and the value of the bowl to the economy as the basis for a potential discriminatory lawsuit to keep the bowl alive....

Its a crap-hole bowl at every level typically filled by the 4th place teams from two G5 conferences

 

[gohornedfrogs]

This just tells me that we were asleep at the wheel. If you are not a hot commodity (highly ranked or a big story) the non playoff bowls are just gonna treat you with $ in mind... Large state schools with avg years > small private schools with avg years... If and only if the school's leadership (mostly athletic and donor related) step up and politic (or pay) for a spot and exposure... As we have had to do in the past to build the program.

While we may not have turned any bid down, we sure didn't lobby on our own behalf and elevate our status. A couple plays here or there left us with a small school, non-story, avg performance, asleep at the wheel come bowl-time season... And this is what you get.

The whole department (across the board) better wake up and get back to rowing in the same direction!

I agree. I don't think Donati escapes criticism here, though. We were asleep at the wheel because nobody was at the wheel.

TCU’s only chance around this bowl destination was to pull the type of old school moves it did more than 20 years ago when it started to heavily invest in football.

If Donati had not been busy orchestrating his exit to South Carolina, maybe he would have been busy rallying our donors to make the commitment to step up to do what it takes to get a better bowl. That being said, maybe the Liberty Bowl being a construction zone limited us to the Rate or Houston Bowl, but there is no reason we couldn't have out-bid Baylor and gone to Houston.

 

[FrogBall09]

Okay fine, I’m willing to run with the Liberty Bowl just didn’t offer us even though we placed higher and beat Tech. But why can literally NOBODY answer why we ended up in a non-Big12 affiliated and non-P4 affiliated bowl game?

All the school has to do is come out and say, “we didn’t want to go to Phoenix or Shreveport”, and I’d believe that, and at least somewhat understand the justification. But the inability for them to be upfront and honest, tells me someone in the administration screwed up.

because that would be a lie....again the only bowls that offered TCU as spot were the local bowl across town and NM....

and the team wanted to travel - so Ford stadium was a no.

The question you might ask is why were we not willing to guarantee buying all of our ticket allotment to one of the other bowls this year - something every school is expected to guarantee and something we have always done in the past? probably because we knew that the fanbase is not excited about where ever we ended up.

And we have not "bribed" a bowl to invite us since before the disaster GalleryFurniture bowl in 2001 - where we never got paid anyway.... So Muck is full of crap per usual and just trying to stir up a reason to read his poorly written article since I assume his point was maybe this year we needed to go back to bribing bowls for invites....

 

[ftwfrog]

Cold weather bowls are generally not very desirable for anyone especially when they are outdoors. Midday on a weekday always sucks for everyone. Playing in a crappy stadium with poor facilities all-around sucks. At least at SMU the Frogs could still use their regular facilities. This is nothing more than a meaningless scrimmage against a mediocre opponent. Play Seals and prep for next year.

Does anyone know how this bowl is for the teams? I know several bowls have a reputation for being miserable for the teams.

The game is Saturday December 28th.

No worries, you get a pass since the hack who wrote the story originally poked fun that the game was on a Friday at lunch time, only to change the article later. (Muck actually mentioned twice that the game was on a Friday. Changed both instances. The beauty of digital print.)

 

[Mean Purple]

I agree. I don't think Donati escapes criticism here, though. We were asleep at the wheel because nobody was at the wheel.

TCU’s only chance around this bowl destination was to pull the type of old school moves it did more than 20 years ago when it started to heavily invest in football.

If Donati had not been busy orchestrating his exit to South Carolina, maybe he would have been busy rallying our donors to make the commitment to step up to do what it takes to get a better bowl. That being said, maybe the Liberty Bowl being a construction zone limited us to the Rate or Houston Bowl, but there is no reason we couldn't have out-bid Baylor and gone to Houston.

guess it could be that maybe one of the other bowls came to the Tech game. Our attendance at that game was just bad.

 

[TopFrog]

I get that noone wants to play ULaLa, but why are people bagging on Albuquerque? From what I hear it's a pretty nice place. While I enjoyed both Liberty Bowls and the BBQ was world class, most of what I saw of Memphis in 2016 looked like a great place to get shot.

Maybe I feel like getting shot. That would make for a memorable bowl trip. Although Albuquerque perhaps offers that opportunity as well.

 

[TopFrog]

The players will remember.

Wonder if they remember last year?

 

[Paint It Purple]

Okay fine, I’m willing to run with the Liberty Bowl just didn’t offer us even though we placed higher and beat Tech. But why can literally NOBODY answer why we ended up in a non-Big12 affiliated and non-P4 affiliated bowl game?

All the school has to do is come out and say, “we didn’t want to go to Phoenix or Shreveport”, and I’d believe that, and at least somewhat understand the justification. But the inability for them to be upfront and honest, tells me someone in the administration screwed up.

You and everyone else needs to trust me about the Sheveport Independence Bowl. Shreveport Louisiana is a crap-hole. The stadium in the very old fair grounds is certifiably awful. When forced to, I travel across the Texas state line and pass the stadium. It is terrible. Shreveport is worse. So, don't wish for the independence Bowl over Albuquerque.

 

[ShreveFrog]

@Paint It Purple - Hey. Where do you live? In addition to a bowl game, does it offer interesting cuisine, land and water recreation, and entertainment, including gaming?

 

[Brog]

You and everyone else needs to trust me about the Sheveport Independence Bowl. Shreveport Louisiana is a crap-hole. The stadium in the very old fair grounds is certifiably awful. When forced to, I travel across the Texas state line and pass the stadium. It is terrible. Shreveport is worse. So, don't wish for the independence Bowl over Albuquerque.

Anyone who says shreveport is a crap-hole must be very, intimately familiar with crap. Specialize in it. Shreveport is really a pretty good place, very much like Tyler or Longview, and infinitely better than waco.

 

[Big Frog II]

and in a high crime city....and yet still better than the NM bowl at all levels.....this bowl game was scheduled to be cancelled a few years ago and the state of NM used the high indigenous population of the state and the value of the bowl to the economy as the basis for a potential discriminatory lawsuit to keep the bowl alive....

Its a crap-hole bowl at every level typically filled by the 4th place teams from two G5 conferences

Are you always this miserable?

 

[BrewingFrog]

You and everyone else needs to trust me about the Sheveport Independence Bowl. Shreveport Louisiana is a crap-hole. The stadium in the very old fair grounds is certifiably awful. When forced to, I travel across the Texas state line and pass the stadium. It is terrible. Shreveport is worse. So, don't wish for the independence Bowl over Albuquerque.

I can't speak to the town, but that Stadium was a dump. An ancient, rickety dump.

 

[Spike]

You and everyone else needs to trust me about the Sheveport Independence Bowl. Shreveport Louisiana is a crap-hole. The stadium in the very old fair grounds is certifiably awful. When forced to, I travel across the Texas state line and pass the stadium. It is terrible. Shreveport is worse. So, don't wish for the independence Bowl over Albuquerque.

Agree Albuquerque better than Shreveport but Army better than ULaLa and 4 hours drive better than 10? short

 

[Paint It Purple]

Anyone who says shreveport is a crap-hole must be very, intimately familiar with crap. Specialize in it. Shreveport is really a pretty good place, very much like Tyler or Longview, and infinitely better than waco.

Superior Grill is outstanding, I'll concede. But, comparing Shreveport to Longview or Tyler for a college Bowl Game? You didn't really mean that I'm sure

 

[Brog]

Superior Grill is outstanding, I'll concede. But, comparing Shreveport to Longview or Tyler for a college Bowl Game? You didn't really mean that I'm sure

I mean it, I'm sure.

 

[Horned Frog Country]

You and everyone else needs to trust me about the Sheveport Independence Bowl. Shreveport Louisiana is a crap-hole. The stadium in the very old fair grounds is certifiably awful. When forced to, I travel across the Texas state line and pass the stadium. It is terrible. Shreveport is worse. So, don't wish for the independence Bowl over Albuquerque.

Playing in a bowl game in Shreveport is way better for the football program than playing a bowl game in Albuquerque for a number of reason. It might not be ideal but at least it is as easy short drive from East Texas where we get really good recruits. We’ve also gotten a number of good recruits from Northern Louisiana as well. It is less than a 4 hour drive from Fort Worth. Albuquerque is more than double that. Louisiana casinos unlike casinos in Oklahoma and New Mexico give you free drinks. They also don’t have the stupid ante rule where 50 cents of every hand in blackjack goes to the state whether you win or lose.

 

[Paint It Purple]

@Paint It Purple - Hey. Where do you live? In addition to a bowl game, does it offer interesting cuisine, land and water recreation, and entertainment, including gaming?

Shreve... Shreveport once was a nice Southern city. Sadly, time and decay has taken its toll. What remains are Red river casinos that are aging, crappy hotels and sad old stadium. Depending on the winter weather, it can be okay to miserable. Granted, there's are few good restaurants like the Superior or Capital. Look, I'm not saying all this to beat up Shreveport. I'm saying Albuquerque isn't such a bad destination in contrast

 

[Paint It Purple]

Playing in a bowl game in Shreveport is way better for the football program than playing a bowl game in Albuquerque for a number of reason. It might not be ideal but at least it is as easy short drive from East Texas where we get really good recruits. We’ve also gotten a number of good recruits from Northern Louisiana as well. It is less than a 4 hour drive from Fort Worth. Albuquerque is more than double that. Louisiana casinos unlike casinos in Oklahoma and New Mexico give you free drinks. They also don’t have the stupid ante rule where 50 cents of every hand in blackjack goes to the state whether you win or lose.

Great points, but do East Texas and Northern LA recruits go to the game on their own, watch on TV or get a free plane ticket to NM?

 

[ShreveFrog]

@Paint It Purple - ok. You just seemed to go out of your way to trash where I live. I’m not saying it’s a super great place. And the stadium is subpar. But all in all, Shreve-Bo is not a terrible place to spend a few days. The city looks forward to welcoming #22 Army and a conference champion Marshall for hopefully a great game.
Enjoy wherever it is that you live.