Thursday, October 16, 2014

No Giving Day, No Ted Gregory



The new annual Columbia tradition of "Giving Day" is coming on October 29th.

I hate to make students and other divisions at Columbia suffer, but this is a chance for our voices to be heard on the mess in football and athletics in general.

I just can't see why anyone who is unhappy with the way this administration treats athletics, ignores the alumni, and truly hates and denigrates the fans would participate in this event.

There are so many good people and projects at Columbia who will miss out on added funds if this becomes some kind of wider boycott, but this unresponsive, defensive, and abusive administration has left us with no choice.



Not this guy


Stop the Gregory Campaign NOW

Another thing true supporters of Columbia Athletics need to do is make sure the wrong person isn't hired as the new A.D.

Two separate sources have now told me that former Lion football star and close Bill Campbell confidant Ted Gregory is pushing to get the job.

Mr. Gregory is a very nice person, but his failure in the Pete Mangurian hiring process alone should bar him for any decision making role at CU forever.

Remember, it was Gregory who supposedly assembled and led the search committee that clearly did not search and did not vet the candidates at all. They just rubber stamped Dianne Murphy's previously-made decision, all with Bill Campbell's urging.

Gregory is simply a crony of Campbell's as it is. His role would be to be Campbell's eyes and ears on the department, but this is a department that's already suffering from decades of cronyism as it is.

Bill Campbell is a great person and a giant of support for CU. This is not a personal attack. But the fact is, he's not a great judge of coaching talent and perhaps some of the people surrounding him don't have his best interests at heart.

Ted Gregory cannot be our next Athletic Director, period.



19 comments:

Big Dawg said...

Jake

I have no clear idea of the relationship you describe here, whether true or not.
However, I completely concur and demand that any choice of AD CANNOT derive from the polluted pool of sycophants and under achievers which CU has consistently assembled over the years.

How do we find a single good apple in the barrel of rotten fruit that is the Athletic Department? If what you say is true, it is another example of lazy rotten and cozy thinking by an arrogant administration.

Seeunt said...

get the popcorn ready, this charade of a sports department, just when you thought it couldnt get any worse, is about to do just that.
The next thing will be to give Prince Pete a contract extension.

Big Dawg said...

PS

Jake, you published an in-depth description of Ted last year while discussing the PM appointment. I suggest you consider summarizing/excerpting those details for the benefit of your readers.

I remain, very truly yours, Richard Szathmary said...

Jake, there comes a time when being (sort of) "the loyal opposition" crosses over into mere unfocused peskiness. I suspect your crossed it this season even by the kindest, most forgiving standards. Way too often, too.

Calling for the Ivy League to place Lions football into a kind of court-administered receivership was also, however, just plain ridiculous.

I also await the probably inevitable calls to hire Don Bosco's Toal as coach, which so dominated this web site a few years ago. (And even though whomever coaches Paramus Catholic is probably this season's "flavor of the year.")

oldlion said...

Just exactly was Ted Gregory's role in hiring Pete?

Anonymous said...

Please, no career HS coaches. There are plenty of qualified candidates with collegiate experience if the hiring committee/AD has competence to evaluate the fit. That's the main issue to resolve.

Chick said...

Dear Mr. Very Truly.Yours Szathmary,

No one is calling for the hiring of Toal, nor for placing the team into receivership. It would be a good idea, however, for the League or our trustees or someone to give Prez Bollywood a good kick in the pants and remind him he promised to change the culture of losing but instead has doubled down on it.

The only things that matter in this discussion are 60 years of mostly misery; 44 straight losses, and at the moment i5 straight.

Coach said...

It is time to hire a proven head football coach. Hasn't been done since 1989, when we hired Ray Tellier. Somebody with some "W's " on his record.

Coach said...

It is my understanding that Gregory's search firm was hired. They submit a list of names to Columbia. The hiring of PM was the decision of Murphy, not the search firm or Columbia's football committee. This one is on Murphy entirely.

Jake said...

Coach: Gregory was hired to conduct a real search and vet candidates. Instead he just rubber stamped Dianne's pre-ordained choice. He let us down in every way.

#1 Lion said...

Don't forget, Ted Gregory has been part of the Athletic Advisory Committee/Football Committee since. Tellier. AgIn, not a good track record with Tellier, Shoop, Norries, and now Pete.

We keep going over this again, and again, and again... These cronies ARE the problem, not the administration. Ted is part of a group that constantly pick losers, it's that simple. Why give him a broader range of authority? Having this guy at the helm would be like giving Pete Mangurrian a contract extension.

oldlion said...

Jake, how about publishing the names and addresses of the board of trustees and writing to them en masse. This is like a proxy contest at this point. And how about doing some research on how to get more pro athletics trustees on the board through the alumni voting process? Surely there is a pathway to a better board of trustees. And if there are any former teammates of the new board chair out there, how about using that vehicle?

Chick said...

Come on, Coach. Gregory, in return for a big fee, submits
a list of names? What are the names? Larry, Moe and Curly? Manny, Moe and Jack? Hey, two Moes! He's
the guy! M for Mangurian. Gives Bollinger enough time till Bolly retires to keep saying "give M a chance for a few more years."

Coach said...

Chick: Murphy knew Mangurian when they were both at Cornell. Mangurian needed a job and Columbia was available. Done deal right from the beginning, but the football committee did think PM was a great choice.

Anonymous said...

I am pretty sure Bill Campbell lives somewhere close to me, within driving distance. I just need to nail it down and see if I can get a conversation, even through wrought iron gates. If I get the dead fish handshake I will back off.

Chick said...

Coach, you just confirmed everything I wrote: Murphy/PM/Gregory, plus President Bollywood off in la-la land, combing his bangs.

Anonymous said...

I see what you did there. Moe=bangs. Clever.

Coach said...

To all: just finished reading the Chancellor's Task Force on Athletics and Academic Issues at Cal Berkeley.
This is a great read.

Chick said...

Thanks for the compliment, Al, but I wasn't that clever.
I was thanking of Bolly's own bangs. Moe's are better-looking.