Posted by Bixby23 on 5/12/2008, 9:28 pm, in reply to "Re: KASSING / BOWEN"
61.213.181.34
Not meant as a criticism of any comment or person in this thread, I'm just thinking that we fans of Sparta have a genuine fear of "football death" that only the SMU faithful and a handful of other schools' alums can identify with (e.g., CSU Fullerton Titans - R.I.P. 1992, Marquette Golden Avalanche - R.I.P. 1960).
There's sufficient background to make the fears feel justifiable, so calling it "paranoia" may not seem fair, but I do think our collective worry borders on the unreasonable.
Leadership means a lot, and nobody likes seeing Kassing go (as I think SpartaRick said, he isn't a head-in-the-clouds intellectual -- the best never are, since they can actually apply what they know). But he and Bowen have put in place a model for making athletics work at SJSU. I don't know it well and don't want to pretend that just anybody could run it, but it would take willful intent and some pretty vigorous neglect to dismantle the framework.
As much work as went into making football simply viable, not to say competitive, at SJSU again -- and I doubt we fans know the half of it -- I believe that killing it off would take even more; a concerted pattern of apathy toward the athletics department, which now has a plan for success, and not just committed staff trying to scrape by on funds diverted from Shakespeare or Astronomy courses.
Yes, football can definitely come to an end at SJSU, but after all that has been invested in creating a sustainable model that improves school visibility and desirability, who would want a presidential legacy that includes the decline/demise of the football program? I doubt any of the three candidates has "Kill football" or even "Ignore athletics, generally" anywhere on their list of things to do after being appointed SJSU president.
In business, the turnaround-artist CEO who rescues a company or pulls it out of bankruptcy is not typically the same person who transforms a solid company into an industry leader, so transferring the analogy to college athletics, couldn't the next president be the one who starts up where Kassing leaves off?
I can't imagine anyone being as great as Kassing was, but then I couldn't imagine Kassing before whatever miracle landed him in the president's office.
Like most of us, I remain positive, and yes, fearful, but I think I'm being unreasonable.
--Previous Message--
: Don't expect to have another president like
: Don Kassing. He had the background and
: understanding of what athletics can do for
: you as he was a former participant, a
: player. He was not a head in the clouds
: intellectual but a smart pragmatic leader.
: One hell of a lot of confidence!. I love
: this man!!!
:
: As alums of our great university, we must
: stay involved and not accept mediocrity but
: confront it. If we get another
: "pinhead" president, or AD or
: Coach, we need to ban together and be
: obnoxious alumni and make demands that are
: needed or cut off the financial support.
:
: I hope that the presidential hiring
: committee is smart enought to not recommend
: candidates that just don't cut it. Go with
: an interim until we get the "right
: one".
:
: God Bless You Don Kassing!!!!
:
: --Previous Message--
: I think Bowen was paying Kassing a great
: compliment. That's all.
:
: --Previous Message--
: because I am usually an optimist.
:
: Don't get me wrong, I love what Kassing and
: Bowen have done with the AD. Matter of fact
: I love it so much I'm scared sh*tless that
: it's going to end.
:
: I'm not sure, because I try to pay as little
: attention as possible to Notre Dame, but
: were they ever in danger of losing their
: football program?
:
:
:
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