October 29, 2014

 

Weeks have passed since the initial petition and protest calling for the removal of Dave Brandon as Athletic Director of the University of Michigan, and Mr. Brandon is still in charge.  Meanwhile, negative press and troubling revelations continue to pour out about Brandon and the athletic department.  This continues to be a black eye for the university and prevents the athletic department from progressing forward.  President Schlissel said that the department needs "a culture change".  Change begins by removing Dave Brandon, and that change needs to happen now!  

 

I want to reiterate the respect and support that we all share for all of our student-athletes. We ask that you join us in the "White Out, Dave Out" by wearing a white shirt to the football game this Saturday vs. Indiana as a show of protest against the current athletic director.  A change-minded alumni donor has generously purchased 2,000 shirts to be worn during the game.  T-shirts can be claimed on Friday, October 31st at the Diag from 2pm - 4pm.  If you do not get a t-shirt please still wear white to the game and encourage all other fans support our message to President Schlissel by wearing white as well. Go Blue!

 

Sincerely,

 

Craig Kaplan

University of Michigan - Class of 2015

& R.M.A.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Case for Culture Change Within the University of Michigan Athletic Department

 

As Athletic Director at the University of Michigan, Dave Brandon operates in a manner inconsistent with the values, culture and traditions of the University. He is responsible for a continuous series of offenses, indiscretions and blunders which have brought dishonor and embarrassment to the University, a black eye to the integrity of the athletic department and alienated its students, alumni, and fans. This can be seen in 5 distinct categories:

 

 

1. Disregard for Michigan traditions

2. Corporatization of the Michigan brand

3. Marginalization of students, alumni, and fans 

4. Self-centered, pompous, and condescending behavior and persona

5. PR blunders tarnishing Michigan’s public image

 

The culture of the Michigan Athletic Department needs to change, and new leadership is required to restore its tradition, values, and excellence. 

 

Below is a detailed list of the transgressions in values, culture and tradition presided over by Dave Brandon:

 

• DISREGARD FOR MICHIGAN TRADITIONS

  a. “If it ain’t broke… break it!” – This is a Dave Brandon quote and mantra. The Athletic Director of the most historic, respected, and proud program in the country is directed by a principle to break the program.  In 4 years his mismanagement of the athletic department has led Michigan Football to an unintended breaking point.

  b. “Miniature Superbowls” & The “Wow Experience” – Brandon has stated: “We all think of every home Michigan football game like a miniature Super Bowl.”  This would be true so long as we = nobody.  The Super Bowl is about Beyonce, flyovers, loud music blaring over a stressed sound system, and fireworks. Plus, the game usually isn’t any good. Ring a bell? Brandon has replaced the authentic Big House Experience with a minor league experience.

  c. No Marching Band In Dallas – Brandon inked a deal with Alabama to play in the 2012 Cowboys Classic in Texas.  This came with a supposed financial windfall for The University of $4.7 million.  It turned out that was not enough money to pay for sending the Michigan Marching Band to Dallas to support the team. This inspired incredible backlash, and donors picked up half the $400,000 tab to send the band. Brandon said it was all a “misunderstanding” – sound familiar??!!! It then turned out that the $4.7 million brought less money to the University than a regular home game would have. 

 

• CORPORATIZATION OF THE MICHIGAN “BRAND” – Brandon’s actions present Michigan as a brand congruous with Domino’s Pizza or Coca-Cola. It’s not.  The tradition of Michigan runs much deeper than any branding ever could.  Brandon has attempted to use this unconditional loyalty to generate more and more revenue from people he believes have no breaking point.

  a. Changing Uniforms – Against Penn State Michigan will wear its 9th alternate or “throwback” uniform of the Brandon era. Michigan has the best uniforms in all of College Football and these one-off jerseys represent a blatant cash grab. They weaken, distort, and water down the Michigan “brand” rather than supplement it.

  b. Advertising in Michigan Stadium – Michigan and Notre Dame were the last two schools to resist advertising inside of their football stadiums.  Under Brandon’s guidance, advertising has crept into The Big House concourse, scoreboards, and he even tried sneaking ads onto the field goal nets before that was struck down. Brandon had a giant Kraft macaroni & cheese noodle placed under the scoreboard in the Michigan Stadium concourse in some ill-conceived promotional agreement.  Another public backlash forced him to remove the noodle in short order.

  c. Rapidly Rising Prices – Ticket prices have increased in every area of Michigan Stadium.  Seat license fees have exploded.  Parking prices have increased exponentially.  This affects every fan that would like to watch the Maize & Blue on a Fall Saturday.

  Selling the naming rights to coaching positions – The J. Ira & Nicki Harris Family Head Coach Brady Hoke. The Dave Brandon Cornerbacks Coach Office. These are real!!!

 

• MARGINALIZATION OF STUDENTS, ALUMNI, & FANS. Brandon treats them as customers who have no opinion, not partners and stakeholders in the university.

  a. Football Seating – students are on their 3rd football seating arrangement in as many years. After a century without issues in seating assignments, there have been multiple changes that have driven students away from the program.

  b. Basketball Tickets – season tickets weren’t guaranteed, and there was a complex protocol for gaining/maintaining seats.

  c. Alumni Seating – there is a point system for alumni seating where the highest bidder (in terms of donations) can essentially supersede seniority, loyalty, etc.

  d. Lack of Communication – A petition signed by over 11,000 students and alumni has been submitted without any formal response.

  e. Divisive Behavior – Brandon has demonized those with concerns against the direction of the department as being “against the players” when the message is clearly and exclusively focused on the Athletic Director and his Department. The department’s characterization of the protestors is divisive and 100% false. The student athletes are the forefront of the concern.

  f. Excessive Student Ticket Prices – Student football tickets are well above what students at other schools pay: Michigan is $300! MSU is $100, Alabama is $10/game, UGA is $5/game. 

 

• DAVE BRANDON’S SELF-CENTERED, POMPOUS, CONDESCENDING BEHAVIOR AND PERSONA; He acts like he owns Michigan Athletics. 

  a. Visibility on the Sidelines – Brandon’s presence is very noticeable on the sidelines at football games. He has been seen chest bumping players. Brandon relates to his teams like Jerry Jones and Mark Cuban.

  b. Cutting down the nets – Dave Brandon was first in line to cut down the nets during Michigan’s final four run!!!  He was ahead of Coach Beilein and the rest of the team.

  c. Doug Nussmeier hiring press conference – After Coach Hoke stated that there would be no further questions and left the conference, Dave Brandon took questions from the media! 

  d. Watching Film – It has been reported numerous times that Brandon invites himself to film breakdown with the current football coaches. 

  e. Interview Tour – When Brandon finally decided to speak publicly on the Shane Morris concussion situation, he stated that he has been unavailable due to having “more important things to do.” He used student athletes as a wall to protect himself from what was the largest media story in all of college athletics, and the tone and content of his quotes had an and undeniably pompous and condescending air.

  f. Excessive Salary – Dave Brandon is paid nearly three times more than his predecessor and more than the President of the University. 

 

• PR BLUNDERS TARNISHING MICHIGAN’S PUBLIC IMAGE

  a. Brendan Gibbons Expulsion – the former Michigan kicker who was under investigation for sexual assault/rape and eventually expelled from the University played in a game against Iowa when he should not have. The athletic department, via coach Hoke, clearly lied when reporting on why Gibbons was withheld from the Ohio State game and ensuing bowl game. 

  b. Shane Morris Concussion – the athletic department did not issue a public statement on the issue until nearly 3 days after Michigan Quarterback Shane Morris suffered a concussion and was then re-inserted into the 2014 Minnesota football game. Brandon eventually released a statement at 1 AM later claiming that it was not a “news dump.” The statement was verbose and convoluted indicating that they were trying to protect themselves rather than be honest and act in the interest of the student athletes. The statement also used the phrase “probable mild concussion” as the diagnosis of Shane Morris. Medical professionals have claimed that there is no such thing as a “mild concussion” and that diagnosis was made on Saturday not during the day on Monday. Earlier in the day at his weekly news conference Brady Hoke claimed he had not spoken with Dave Brandon since the game and was not aware of any concussion diagnosis. 

  c. Two Cokes Promotion – Michigan students were offered the chance to purchase two bottles of Coca-Cola and receive a Michigan football ticket as part of the package. Yes, two cokes for a ticket!!! After this became a disgraceful media headline, the promotion was positioned as a “miscommunication”, a trademark Brandon ploy to cover up bad decisions. Brandon has also resorted to Groupon and Living Social to “firesale” tickets.

  d. Skywriting Fiasco – during a 2011 game, Dave Brandon hired an airplane to skywrite “Go Blue” over Spartan Stadium, then denied that he had anything to do with it. He lied. It was later proven that he did hire the plane.

  e. Backtracking & Double Talk – Brandon proposed the idea of moving the Ohio State game from its traditional place during the last week of the Big Ten Regular Season.  Once this was met with an unsurprising backlash, Brandon remarked that such a move was never in the cards or even considered.  Similar double talk arose around the subject of Michigan creating a mascot, which Brandon floated, then denied was being seriously considered.

 

The writing of John U. Bacon and the content of MGOBLOG were heavily influential in the compiling of this list.  Neither party has any involvement in its publishing.