I just sent this history to ATL for him to post on his blog, some is historical, and youve heard some before but I've fucking had it and if they lose ME, we're doomed
I'M SICK TO DEATH OF WHAT OUR FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL PROGRAMS HAVE BECOME, AND THATS THE CLEVELAND BROWNS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE WASHINGTON GENERALS OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL
AND NOT SO LONG AGO IT WASN'T LIKE THIS AT ALL
heres a history lesson for the young folks, I'm old, saw my first game in 1962, Navy and Roger Staubach vs Jack Concannon and BC, in the old wooden Alumni, with the track and the clock you couldnt read, I think we lost that one too... My father joined the faculty in the mid 60s and I was there for most of the games in the 60s when when the schedule looked like what we now think of as cupcakes, Villanova, VMI, Buffalo, and of course the Cross. Oh there would be a good game like Penn State, Army, Navy but untill Bill Flynn and Yukika stepped up the schedule to 'play anyone anywhere' the schedule was pretty weak. Then we started with the big games mixed in and while I was in school I was at Sheaffer Stadium for ND in '75, Alumni for Texas in '76, Knoxville for the first time we played Tenn in '77. Too the big boys we were the cupcake then but we played them tough from kickoff to final whistle, and it was a great time to be a fan. Tickets were reasonable, you could drive right onto campus and tailgate wherever you wanted and even though we were going 6-5 7-4 those days there were still good crowds for most games, even after the 0-11 seaason. BC was still the nice northeast school that most teams would schedule for a home and home, and in terms of admissions, a popular school in the New England, NY, NY and a safety school for many who applied to the Ivies.
Then #22 arrived and everything changed for the better, there is no need to recap what Doug did for BC, next to Fr Monan who rescued us from bankruptcy's door in the late 60s I honestly believe that Doug Flutie is the single most important man to go thru BC since 1863. He made us the national University we are today.
and there in is what I think is at the heart of all of our ongoing problems in the athletic department (other then Jerry and the Hockey program) its that there is NO ONE in the BCAA who has any institutional memory of what life was like around here PreFlutie. i've said this tome and again that my biggest fear when Leahy was made President after Monan was that coming from Marquette, with no football there, he wouldn't understand the importance of athletics to the 'BC Brand'. Hey I'm as proud as anyone in our top US News ranking every year, but if the Northwesterns, Stanfords, Dukes, and yes even NDs can field competive athletic programs, why in gods name can't BC???
i'm about to type something I've always hated but thank god for GDF and him getting us into the ACC when he did or else Leahy would've dropped footbal like BU, and we know that Leahy has no problem cashing the ACC checks. But in his own style, GDF is as responsable and the other suspects in the demise of our programs, it all started under his watch/reign of terror. Donor Based Seating, and the insane tailgating prices 'becausse all the other schools are doing it' was his ridiculous reasoning, which drove out the most loyal fans, and for that you got those sweet padded seat cushions. This is what i mean by no knowledge of what and who we are, this isn't Baton Rouge, Gainsville, College Station etc where its the olny game in town and you can get away with it. Even Bob Kraft knew that when he built Gillette Personal Seat Licenses were a non starter. This is a PRO TOWN first and we need someone who knows just where college sports, not just BC but all the local schools fit in the sports/entertainment enviroment.
When he was hired, Brad Bates held 'town hall meetings' for season ticket holders. I was at one of them and the newly hired football coach, wanted to say a few words to us. I like most if not all of us in the room that day bought Addazzio's pitch hook, line and sinker. we were ready to pull on a helmet and go out on the field, in hindsight, I feel like such a fool for buying his spin. Bates did one thing which was brought up in the meeting, and that was opening up Brighton campus to parking, thats it.
Bates has had two major hires in his tenure, and he blew both of them. Addazio is Spaz on the offensive side of the ball, with the same know it all personality, just a bit, ok, much more psycho on the sidelines. He was suposed to be an offensive genius, we all know now why the Gator fans were laughing at us when he was hired. for the 4th straight year, Addazio's excuse after every blowout is that 'we're young'. Ok, that worked the first couple years with Spaz's classes but these are YOUR RECRUITS now, if you're forces to play the youth its because YOUR FIRST TWO CLASSES CAN'T PLAY. So much for Addazio being an ace recruiter.
Bates then let Donnaghue twist in the wind, for a few weeks before whacking him, not getting Tommy Amaker (hey why would he want to leave the other side of the River anyway), and ending up with Christian with whom, rumor has it, he shares an agent with. Then after going 0-18 in ACC play he EXTENDS him when a good boot out the door was warrented.
so what is the point of this history lesson? BATES MUST GO, NOW! if his contract isn't going to be renewed, let him walk today, pay off the rest of the deal. Hire someone with knowledge of what life is like in the northeast, where college sports have a place, but thats not at the head of the table, and in a perfect world a BC Guy. Is there one out there? I don't know. and the sooner the better. We were sitting up in our seats last week, watching the #7 team in the country run ruffshod over BC infront of a half full stadium, and we again were debating getting tickets next year. We're all on the fence, and you know, as much as I love BC, its getting harder and harder to defend with this ship of fools running the big athletic programs.
Let the new AD hire his own guy, and he must also realize that BC isn't a 'destination job' its a stepping stone job, if we can get a young guy for 5 or 6 years to build the program back up and he moves on to bigger and better things, all the better. What we need is Tom Coughlin2.0