Fire Ford (and Holder)

[Spartan]

Why does that seem high? You realize Holder gave Ford a 10 year contract, don't you? When you have 5 years left on said contract, it's going to be a high buyout.

I think the buyout sounds better than I had expected. But it's a small cost to begin repairing the shambles.

This gets us to why Holder is implicated in all this. Who in their right mind gives Travis Ford a 10 year contract starting at $2M a year that grows later into $3M a year? That's longer than Gundy has been at OSU and longer than his contract. Holder has gotten a pass for a lot of things, but these events force you to go back and look at his record.

Holder tries to run Gundy off every off-season, squeezes fans for the nation's most expensive ticket prices, and has irresponsibly handled the athletic dept's financial windfall. We can all agree that keeping Gundy would be a good strategy.

[soonerguru]

As a Sooner fan, some of the behavior of my fellow "fans" is embarrassing. I love a good rivalry as much as anyone, but please accept my apology on behalf of some of the more obsessed among us.

[ou48A]

Why does that seem high? You realize Holder gave Ford a 10 year contract, don't you? When you have 5 years left on said contract, it's going to be a high buyout.

I had forgotten about the 10 year contract when I typed that.....
But I also heard that osu's low graduation rates are expected to keep osu out of the NCAA basketball tournament next season and this might give osu an out on paying out Fords full contract....?
So if more players leave osu without a degree it sounds like it might be the cheapest way to get rid of Ford....?

In a few years it also sounds like Gundy could be fired for the same reasons and using the same method?

[Lafferty Daniel]

I think the buyout sounds better than I had expected. But it's a small cost to begin repairing the shambles.

This gets us to why Holder is implicated in all this. Who in their right mind gives Travis Ford a 10 year contract starting at $2M a year that grows later into $3M a year? That's longer than Gundy has been at OSU and longer than his contract. Holder has gotten a pass for a lot of things, but these events force you to go back and look at his record.

Holder tries to run Gundy off every off-season, squeezes fans for the nation's most expensive ticket prices, and has irresponsibly handled the athletic dept's financial windfall. We can all agree that keeping Gundy would be a good strategy.

Nobody saw the financial collapse of 2008 coming so I have a hard time pinning that one on Holder. Plus, it was Boone's money and he was managing it so it's more Boone's fault if anyone. It does suck looking back knowing Boone's $165 million donation grew to over $400 million before the economy tanked. The entire Athletic Village would have been built by now. Oh well, gotta move on.

The Ford contract and bball ticket prices are two things that should be entirely directed at Holder. Why he has not lowered basketball ticket prices since the quality of product has gone downhill as well as the arrival of the Thunder is beyond me. He has lost almost a decade worth of students as future basketball donors because he priced everyone out. Sucks.

And while I do agree we should keep Gundy, I'm not going to act like he's Nick Saban. 1-8 against our rival? Gotta do better than that. As he's shown with his attitude towards the media, he's a pretty stubborn guy. I wouldn't blame the almost leaving on Holder either. I'm sure Gundy was just being a stubborn ass like always.

[ou48A]

As a Sooner fan, some of the behavior of my fellow "fans" is embarrassing. I love a good rivalry as much as anyone, but please accept my apology on behalf of some of the more obsessed among us.

Yes, but you never have anything at all nice to say about anyone, anywhere and that just a fact about the history of your post. So what you say here really is pretty shallow.

[ou48A]

Nobody saw the financial collapse of 2008 coming so I have a hard time pinning that one on Holder. Plus, it was Boone's money and he was managing it so it's more Boone's fault if anyone. It does suck looking back knowing Boone's $165 million donation grew to over $300 million before the economy tanked. The entire Athletic Village would have been built by now. Oh well, gotta move on.

The Ford contract and bball ticket prices are two things that should be entirely directed at Holder. Why he has not lowered basketball ticket prices since the quality of product has gone downhill as well as the arrival of the Thunder is beyond me. He has lost almost a decade worth of students as future basketball donors because he priced everyone out. Sucks.

And while I do agree we should keep Gundy, I'm not going to act like he's Nick Saban. 1-8 against our rival? Gotta do better than that. As he's shown with his attitude towards the media, he's a pretty stubborn guy. I wouldn't blame the almost leaving on Holder either. I'm sure Gundy was just being a stubborn ass like always.

What's sad for osu is that Holder said that osu was about 2 weeks from cashing in on the Pickens hedge fund before it totally collapsed. That's when Pickens had to kick in an extra 75 million dollar donation.
But there were many investors at the time who knew this was a very risky investment. Many like me had also seen the oil crashes before and knew the risk that was involved.
It was much like the insurance deal that also lost many millions

[Lafferty Daniel]

What's sad for osu is that Holder said that osu was about 2 weeks from cashing in on the Pickens hedge fund before it totally collapsed. That's when Pickens had to kick in an extra 75 million dollar donation.

I don't remember Holder ever saying that. It also doesn't make sense as Holder has said that they were eyeing the billion dollar mark for the hedge fund.

[onthestrip]

If Billy Gillispie would never had got himself fired from Kentucky we probably wouldnt be in this position.

[ou48A]

I don't remember Holder ever saying that. It also doesn't make sense as Holder has said that they were eyeing the billion dollar mark for the hedge fund.

Holder said they were about 2 weeks away from cashing out. This was in the DOK but I think they only intended to take out what they needed for the new facility’s at the time....and the rest was going to be left invested in the hedge fund with the hope that it would grow to a billion. Just as you indicated.

There is a lot more on the general topic on this link

http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle...l#.UwOwfbCYZjo

[ou48A]

Just on WWLS

Traber just said that Mike Gundy is losing his mind
Traber said Gundy is doing his best to make people mad
Traber said he is blowing off the entire media
Traber says this is really, really bad for OSU football.

Traber has a feeling that this is the last year that Gundy will coach at OSU. May go to Florida
Traber said people at OSU are mad at Mike Gundy.

Traber indicates that Gundy is basically sabotaging his own program
Gundy is out to alienate

Traber said that Mike Gundy doesn’t want to be the coach at OSU





[Richard at Remax]

He also said that his thoughts were way way way out there.

But I agree with him on some level. Gundy does not seem like a happy camper

[ou48A]

He also said that his thoughts were way way way out there.

But I agree with him on some level. Gundy does not seem like a happy camper

I type slow... what else did Traber say?

[Richard at Remax]

no you got it all covered. he just prefaced his comments that what he was about to say was out there on a limb. esp about not coaching next year and going to florida, a team he just kinda threw out there since they are having problems notable with muschamp

[SoonerDave]

I just heard it, too, so in the interest of completeness let's also put out the rest of what was said --- that Traber's predictions were purely speculative, based on his own personal opinion and observation of the direction of the football program in general and Gundy in particular. He made it clear he was not making claims based on some double-secret insider information.

I'm not sure I agree that Gundy will leave after this year, but I think in the context Traber provided, there's a lot of sense in what he's saying - the overarching notion is that the athletic department is not exactly healthy from a leadership perspective. Has to suggest Holder is the problem, but as he's Pickens' guy, not much chance of him getting chased.

[onthestrip]

I thought the Oklahoma media didnt bash OSU?

[soonerguru]

Yes, but you never have anything at all nice to say about anyone, anywhere and that just a fact about the history of your post. So what you say here really is pretty shallow.

Wrong.

[OKCretro]

something is not right at all in Stillwater with gundy.

not sure if the media knows and is covering it up like they did with the old Sutton, well and with the younger Sutton too.....

[jerrywall]

And here comes the massive "media conspiracy" plot again...

[trousers]

Nothing obsessive or neurotic about this thread...nothing at all.

[OKCretro]

why did he do his signing day presser the day after? and now he cancels the spring game?

[Stew]

Just on WWLS

Traber just said that Mike Gundy is losing his mind
Traber said Gundy is doing his best to make people mad
Traber said he is blowing off the entire media
Traber says this is really, really bad for OSU football.

Traber has a feeling that this is the last year that Gundy will coach at OSU. May go to Florida
Traber said people at OSU are mad at Mike Gundy.

Traber indicates that Gundy is basically sabotaging his own program
Gundy is out to alienate

Traber said that Mike Gundy doesn’t want to be the coach at OSU





Traber's poor health has really turned him quite bitter here lately. He's always had a bit of a caustic side but anymore he's insufferable. Poor health can do that to you. Sad case.

[SoonerDave]

Traber's poor health has really turned him quite bitter here lately. He's always had a bit of a caustic side but anymore he's insufferable. Poor health can do that to you. Sad case.

Yeah, but I don't think today's rant was because of his "poor health." I think he's just echoing the sentiments of apparently more than a few folks who are observing the peculiar status that is OSU athletics right now. More than one local sports writer has pointed out Gundy's chafed relationship with the media. I tend to agree with Traber's observation that something behind the scenes is going on up at OSU that's made the situation what it is. There's just no point - none - in canceling a spring game. That's a fan thing, a rite of passage every year, an off-season "party" if you will, and there's simply no PR "plus" to canceling it - but LOTS of negatives.

I don't think its an unusual or stretched conclusion to observe something goofy is going on at OSU. I personally suspect its Holder, and as it pertains to Gundy, I suspect it has to do with Ford getting a ten-year contract for doing essentially nothing (so far), while Gundy has won them a Big 12 title in Boone's favorite sport. I think nerves, personalities, emotions, and feelings are raw now. Perhaps bridges are burned. Who knows.

Anyway, I think something is going on, and I don't think Traber's observations are that out of line. Don't know if I'm ready to agree that Gundy is "gone" after this year - but would it shock me? Nope. To say the OSU athletic dept right now is dysfunctional is to be generous.

[jerrywall]

There's just no point - none - in canceling a spring game. That's a fan thing, a rite of passage every year, an off-season "party" if you will, and there's simply no PR "plus" to canceling it - but LOTS of negatives.

Hrmm. I don't know their reason for the change, but with them doing the "Orange Blitz" in place of the game, it's more of a shift than a cancellation. You still get the fan interaction, off-season "party" that you got from the game.

[SoonerDave]

Hrmm. I don't know their reason for the change, but with them doing the "Orange Blitz" in place of the game, it's more of a shift than a cancellation. You still get the fan interaction, off-season "party" that you got from the game.

I suppose, but the "Spring Scrimmage" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Fans like the notion of an off-season game even if they all know it isn't "real." what's the point in taking it away except to kinda thumb your nose at the fans?

LIke I said, there's no upside to cancellng the spring game for anyone.

[jerrywall]

I imagine Gundy thinks there is for him. It avoids the "Quarterback" and other debates that he seems to dislike so much.