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

[Wexahu]

The atmosphere for Tech and OSU games this year were dead - and they have not been that way since we joined the B12. So even if you blame that we didn't have UT or OU this year - and got Az, Houston, etc in their place, all that does is emphasize why 8-4 in a mediocre conference with a mediocre schedule is not acceptable.

Fans don't care who our AD is - boosters do.

Fans care who our coach is only to the extent they want a winner to watch - and 6th place isn't a winner in today's world of the B12

Our last coach wasn't a winner in his last decade as coach (the decade where he didn't coach in a G5 season), save for a few years.

Let's call it like it is. Some boosters who were GP sycophants got butthurt when their guy was let go unceremoniously, and they've had a burr in their saddle ever since. Have privately rooted against the team ever since. Like you do except maybe not so openly. And they won't ever support the current coach no matter how successful he is.

That isn't Donati's fault, Donati did what he was hired to do. GP needed to go, wasn't willing to go except under his terms, threw a little hissy fit, and the rest is history. Don't really care to hear about how certain people's feelings were hurt, proper respect wasn't given, etc. The program was turning into a total mess and it was obvious to anyone paying attention.

 

[Mean Purple]

One carefully worded line about the "misinformation" that translates into, "we told them not to invite us, so there's no truth to the rumor that we turned them down." In fact, I don't know that anyone really following the story ever believed that we turned down an invite.

one of the lines being tossed around is that TCU had told whoever the powers that be are ahead of time that it was not a preference.

 

[Jock Blalock]

Bottomline: Snakes are more comfortable in the desert. Too bad he won't still be around to enjoy the trip.

 

[G Mother Froggen P]

Why anyone would waste time and money on this bowl game is beyond me. Fitting end to a disastrous season with a cupcake schedule. Things need to change next year.

 

[Frog Attack II]

Wait. I don't like the situation either, but "disastrous season"? It's the 2nd best season we've had in the last 7 years.... What were GP's last 4 years if this year was disastrous?

 

[gohornedfrogs]

As I recall, not only do these bowls require you to buy your allotment of tickets, there is a fee just to be considered to be invited, this after the bowl committee first offers you a possible/maybe invite. I think that fee is 5,000 or 10,000 depending on the school. The higher you're ranking, the larger the fee. Is it a rip-off, ....possible. TCU often made millions off some bowls, plus media hype.. To be honest, the person who really makes the money is the original promoter. Again, the Cotton Bowl has stayed in the same hands for years and passed down. That is the income for the promoter/president for the year. Ha, most promoters are well known and endowed with money to start with.

A quiet number you won't hear is the *total honest payout to the schools. When TCU played in the national championship game, I'd bet it was several...several millions. Plus the media attention in reputation, sale of soft goods etc.

This bowl in NM will most likely cost TCU, and be a lost in revenue. But for the players, recruiting a win. Did I mention what the networks will pay to air the bowl game? Most major bowl games are owned by associations, like the Cotton Bowl Association.

**(The true payout number, not a quick answer.)
I'm sure there are holes in this post, as memory isn't as strong as a 30 yr old man.

ESPN owns the New Mexico Bowl. But, yes, it will still likely be a financial loss for TCU in the end.

 

[Double D]

Short trip from the Penthouse (Natty) to the Outhouse (ABQ)

 

[Mean Purple]

Wait. I don't like the situation either, but "disastrous season"? It's the 2nd best season we've had in the last 7 years.... What were GP's last 4 years if this year was disastrous?

we went 8 - 4 and 6 - 3 in conference. that's a good year. Ask USC if they would like some of that.
some people just want to keep our program in a bucket of "lil sisters of the poor".
well, to heck with that. We have won major bowls in the modern era. Since the inception of the college football playoff, we are the only team from Texas and the Big 12 to win a CFP game. and that was just two years ago.

Anybody who says this program is small time doesn't know jack. You want your team to progress through the year, and they did.

heck, just go down near the field and look at the players. Many of the guys on our Rose Bowl team would not have been a 1 on the current roster. Defense was a mess two years ago and SD made a change coming into this year. Now they have a year of that system under their belt. Offense now has two years.
We are in good shape and had a good year.

 

[Mean Purple]

There is the reality that we are playing a team ranked higher than us. (granted, if we had that schedule we would have more wins too)

 

[Paint It Purple]

Tell us where you live, Purple, so we can give our expert opinions about it.

I live in a crappy little East Texas town. We've got a decent football field, so if ya'll want us to throw a big bowl game...hey we can pull it off. I'll call Bubba.

 

[Mean Purple]

I think some folks are looking at GP through an incorrect lens at times.

In 2020, we only got to play 10 games. Won 60% of our games and and 5 -4 in conference.
Won a bowl game in 2018. 11 win season in 2017 with a AP ranking of 9. Went to the infamous Liberty Bowl in 2016. 11 win season in 2015 with AP ranking of 7 and a historic Alamo Bowl. And an incredible season in 2014 where we got screwed out of the playoff. 2012 made it to a bowl in our first season in a Power conference.

So people bagging on GP are a little tinted themselves. So maybe they can't be bagging on people who are upset about how GP was pushed out.

On top of that, those who claim the "game has passed him by" don't know a lot about football. There is not some magic change in the game. tackling, blocking, schemes ... the basics don't change much.

Oh, and we aint anywhere without him.

The lense is like back in high school If you haven't had those dry pre season practices where you swear even the dirt smells different in the heat, then it is not as easily understood.

 

[Wexahu]

I think some folks are looking at GP through an incorrect lens at times.

In 2020, we only got to play 10 games. Won 60% of our games and and 5 -4 in conference.
Won a bowl game in 2018. 11 win season in 2017 with a AP ranking of 9. Went to the infamous Liberty Bowl in 2016. 11 win season in 2015 with AP ranking of 7 and a historic Alamo Bowl. And an incredible season in 2014 where we got screwed out of the playoff. 2012 made it to a bowl in our first season in a Power conference.

So people bagging on GP are a little tinted themselves. So maybe they can't be bagging on people who are upset about GP being pushed out.

On top of that, those who claim the "game has passed him by" don't know a lot about football. There is not some magic change in the game. tackling, blocking, schemes ... the basics don't change much.

Oh, and we aint anywhere without him.

The lense is like back in high school If you haven't had those dry pre season practices where you swear even the dirt smells different in the heat, then it is not as easily understood.

I think the bar with some people changed quite a bit once GP left. It’s obvious a group of former TCU fans just don’t like SD, and I think the main reason is he’s the guy the guy who fired GP hired, and of course Sonny went 13-2 and made the NCG with kids that GP couldn’t win with, so that was very uncomfortable for some who considered GP the gold standard of coaches. We could go 0-12 next year and SD’s winning percentage at TCU would still exceed GP’s last 4 years.

I think more than anything, people are underestimating how bare the cupboard was that Sonny was left with a good group of seniors, and VERY little else.

 

[Brog]

Good news for Paint it Purple! Marshall just withdrew from the Independence Bowl, so if we work it right, withdrawing from IsletaBowl, we can still go to Shreveport!!

 

[TopFrog]

Good news for Paint it Purple! Marshall just withdrew from the Independence Bowl, so if we work it right, withdrawing from IsletaBowl, we can still go to Shreveport!!

From bad to worse. The NM Bowl matchup is much better.

 

[NewFrogFan]

I hereby 2nd this post.
Avoid S-port. Get your gas on the Texas side of the border.

Imma raise a BS flag and tell people looking for diesel to avoid the “robbery” in Waskom and get it at Walmart in Shv just off the interstate 5 minutes away. YMMV. BTW, La. was over 70% for Trump, what was NM.

 

[NewFrogFan]

if we win starting out in 2025, we'll have way more in the seats, as we did at the start of this year.

Houston was a no excuse game for TCU.

 

[FrogBall09]

w

Our last coach wasn't a winner in his last decade as coach (the decade where he didn't coach in a G5 season), save for a few years.

Let's call it like it is. Some boosters who were GP sycophants got butthurt when their guy was let go unceremoniously, and they've had a burr in their saddle ever since. Have privately rooted against the team ever since. Like you do except maybe not so openly. And they won't ever support the current coach no matter how successful he is.

That isn't Donati's fault, Donati did what he was hired to do. GP needed to go, wasn't willing to go except under his terms, threw a little hissy fit, and the rest is history. Don't really care to hear about how certain people's feelings were hurt, proper respect wasn't given, etc. The program was turning into a total mess and it was obvious to anyone paying attention.

well it is more of a mess now that it has ever been inside the building - so if this was Donati's job - he failed and glad he is gone.

Athletic giving was the lowest this year it has been in over a decade - wonder why?
What significant capital programs are currently underway in our Athletics Department? we have a long list including Lupton but yet not much - wonder why?
We not a top 75 school in NIL? wonder why?

Not surprisingly - the level of spending a school has on athletic improvements is directly related to success on the football field for all but 5 D1 universities.

And since Sonny got our butt kicked on the national stage - our giving has fallen off a cliff - we didn't even get a bump from that NC run - the single greatest opportunity in our school history and nothing...

If you don't know boosters that are just as vocal about Dykes as I am - then you don't know many boosters. Our larger donors have ZERO connection or affection for Sonny beyond his ability to win - and win more than GP did since we fired him. Sonny used all his chits from the NC run already - so he is in a what are you doing for us now status for pretty much everyone I know.

Donati didn't do the job he was given with GP - he decided his personal brand to not be seen as a little B hired to babysit was more important than TCU and went rogue - that is why the BMD's you are talking about initially quit donating. He needed them to authorize any action then decided he didn't need them to enact it - and he was wrong if he didn't think that would affect their view of him and TCU.

Now a couple of them have left us unfortunately and their heirs are never coming back at anything beyond token giving - permanent damage to TCU from his actions.

And then the few that were willing to forgive him changed their mind when he decided to use his status and position to sleep around Ft Worth and turn our Athl Dept into a party instead of a department with a 9 digit budget materially funded by that donor group - those may come back now that he is gone but it will take some work from our new AD.

The idea that our Athl Dept is in a healthy state because we are winning in Olympic sports that no one cares about is a view of people that literally have zero insight into the current condition of the operational aspects of the athletic department.

 

[Wexahu]

w


well it is more of a mess now that it has ever been inside the building - so if this was Donati's job - he failed and glad he is gone.

Athletic giving was the lowest this year it has been in over a decade - wonder why?
What significant capital programs are currently underway in our Athletics Department? we have a long list including Lupton but yet not much - wonder why?
We not a top 75 school in NIL? wonder why?

Not surprisingly - the level of spending a school has on athletic improvements is directly related to success on the football field for all but 5 D1 universities.

And since Sonny got our butt kicked on the national stage - our giving has fallen off a cliff - we didn't even get a bump from that NC run - the single greatest opportunity in our school history and nothing...

If you don't know boosters that are just as vocal about Dykes as I am - then you don't know many boosters. Our larger donors have ZERO connection or affection for Sonny beyond his ability to win - and win more than GP did since we fired him. Sonny used all his chits from the NC run already - so he is in a what are you doing for us now status for pretty much everyone I know.

Donati didn't do the job he was given with GP - he decided his personal brand to not be seen as a little B hired to babysit was more important than TCU and went rogue - that is why the BMD's you are talking about initially quit donating. He needed them to authorize any action then decided he didn't need them to enact it - and he was wrong if he didn't think that would affect their view of him and TCU.

Now a couple of them have left us unfortunately and their heirs are never coming back at anything beyond token giving - permanent damage to TCU from his actions.

And then the few that were willing to forgive him changed their mind when he decided to use his status and position to sleep around Ft Worth and turn our Athl Dept into a party instead of a department with a 9 digit budget materially funded by that donor group - those may come back now that he is gone but it will take some work from our new AD.

The idea that our Athl Dept is in a healthy state because we are winning in Olympic sports that no one cares about is a view of people that literally have zero insight into the current condition of the operational aspects of the athletic department.

I do know a couple boosters that are just as vocal about Dykes as you are. They fit the profile I talked about. Not sure they would be considered "BMDs" but they are boosters.

You're proving my point. It's personal with Dykes for many, because he was hired by the guy who fired GP, and he frankly embarrassed GP in 2022. I can tell from your tone that you just can't stand any kind of success out of Dykes. Meanwhile, Donati moved on to an SEC job, Dykes won 8 games this year and by all accounts is recruiting very well. How about giving Dykes a chance, or I guess you're too bitter and motivated to discredit anything he does.

And BTW, I think it would have been pretty pathetic if Donati relied on some boosters to do his dirty work for him. He did his job.

 

[Mean Purple]

Houston was a no excuse game for TCU.

yup. and the difference was mostly focus. things that make position coaches lose their minds.

 

[FloridaFrog76129]

I do know a couple boosters that are just as vocal about Dykes as you are. They fit the profile I talked about. Not sure they would be considered "BMDs" but they are boosters.

You're proving my point. It's personal with Dykes for many, because he was hired by the guy who fired GP, and he frankly embarrassed GP in 2022. I can tell from your tone that you just can't stand any kind of success out of Dykes. Meanwhile, Donati moved on to an SEC job, Dykes won 8 games this year and by all accounts is recruiting very well. How about giving Dykes a chance, or I guess you're too bitter and motivated to discredit anything he does.

And BTW, I think it would have been pretty pathetic if Donati relied on some boosters to do his dirty work for him. He did his job.

8-4 with a MWC caliber schedule is embarrassing. The losses to Houston and UCF were flat out terrible…

The reason a real bowl game for this program matters is to understand where we truly are this year…a matchup against LSU would’ve been telling