Not burying Tom yet...but is the Fat Lady getting ready to sing? -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

I had pretty much made a vow not to write anymore about the Jurich saga and UofL until after the 18th. of October. That's an important date to remember because it is when the board of trustees is going to review the situation and evaluate Tom's performance. 

I changed my mind, though, after the Courier Journal came out with articles about Tom's financial situation and how the athletic department wasn't turning a profit. I also got a phone call from a well-meaning relative in North Carolina ( I have several down there and they're pretty much equally divided between TarHeels and Blue Devils...except for the one cousin who is a big Elon backer.) This particular relative that called can't understand why Jurich isn't gone already. I asked him about how he was doing in those sham classes he had enrolled in at Chapel Hill. 

Let's face it. We are hostage in our fair city to a newspaper that prefers the University 80 miles to the east of us. (Not, not Transylvania). It's why I cancelled my subscription, except for Sundays, years ago and I'm about to end that as well. Millennials and others talk of "cutting the cord" when it comes to dropping cable, dish or commercial television. I'm ready to "dis the delivery" completely now. The Internet and cable have made daily newspaper, even Sunday newspaper needs obsolete. 

I wonder if Kelsi wears a waterproof music player when she is
practicing.?And if she figured out how to program it if she does.

Technology, wow....Worldwide would insert here. He cut the cable years ago and dissed the delivery. He seems OK. I bet he could also figure out how to transfer musical files from my computer to the new waterproof music player I won in a raffle. For me, it was shortly around paragraph two in the instructions that I ran into trouble. I know what "Windows" is. I found "This PC" on my laptop, I found the "Removable Disk" folder there.   I thought I transferred the musical files I wanted to the device. I even got a computer confirmation telling me I could unplug the USB cable from the device. 

But I got no music. Just the lady's voice complementing me on my new acquisition and choice of product. 

PAYING THE PIPER

Anyway, (Steady, Paul...concentrate and get back on track. =) we were on Jurich. Yes, Tom gets paid well. Why shouldn't he? The C-J showed figures and I honestly figured he was making more than that. In our society, if you perform well, get great results and are admired by your peers and bosses...it usually, and well should, translate out into $$$$$ increases. 

Take a look at the Belknap Campus when I was there in the 70's. Not many vestiges of that sleepy little college campus remain. Take a look a Floyd Street and Denny Crum Overpass since the late 90's. You see growth, success and sign of a vibrant college campus. Take a look at where Louisville has gone in conference alignment. Louisville was a proud member of the MVC (Missouri Valley Conference) when I was there. They've progressed through the Metro, C-USA, Big East and AAC to the ACC. This is hard for fans from some other ACC programs to understand. Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Virginia, for example, have known the ACC and nothing else for a very long time .

How did athletics get there? Under the leadership of Tom Jurich. Do you remember when Maryland left the ACC? Do you remember who most pundits thought would replace them? Connecticut. Cincinnati. Louisville was a solid "show" bet here. Very few gave the Cards a shot at membership. 

How do you like UofL now? Who engineered the victory? Tom Terrific, that's who. The man is worth every dollar that is provided to him. How quickly would have UConn or UC tossed $20 mil at him five years ago to guide them to major conference affiliation?  If this board had the sense God gave a goose, if they're listening to the high profile, high dollar donors to the program and if they'll look at the overall picture and not just the last few months the choice should be as clear as the Montana sky. Keep Tom. Unfortunately, the board is a sham, Postal is an interim puppet for who knows what interest and the board would have difficulties reviewing the performance of a worm on a fishing hook, much less an athletic director's performance. 

UOFL ATHLETICS FINANCIAL STATUS

The Courier-Journal also took task to the financial situation of the UofL Athletic Department. Why aren't they showing a profit?   

This could be the four-iron that hits the green and sends Tom back to the clubhouse eliminated from match play. $7 million dollar subsidy to UofL Athletics in 2014-15 from the University prevented a $4.6 deficit. Again in 2015-16, helping reverse a $4.4 million deficit. 

UofL pays their coaches quite well. There are several "Million Dollar Men" on campus. Pitino was one, Petrino is another. Add Dan McDonnell and Jeff Walz to that exclusive fraternity. But, you pay good money for quality coaching. You can't control the idiocy of the coach, however, and that's why Rick took his third strike and walked back to the dugout with his bat on his shoulder. 

People rail about the $1.3 million dollar gender equity commitment subsidy provided to Athletics from the University. It's the best money spent on campus. It represents tuition paid by non-scholarship female athletes who otherwise might not attend the University if not for the chance to play. The University gives this money to the Athletic Department. The next time you see a freshman attack score on the pitch or a speedy right-fielder make a running catch of a dying quail flyball...thank UofL for this policy and payment, 

In their first two years in the ACC, Athletics spent $10.6 given to them by the University. 

Look at these schools: 

-- Houston spent $36.3 million in University money and $15 million in student fees. 

-- Memphis spent $21.5 million in University money and $15 million in student fees. 

-- Cincinnati spent $25 million and their athletic department is $140 million dollars in debt. 

And WE have a spending problem?  Seriously? 

I hope that, in ten days, the board wakes up and smells the coffee. I hope they retain Tom Jurich. However, I'm getting feedback of this "Carrie Nation, clean out everything" agenda the board is supposedly on. From more than one or two sources. 

This website is here today and you are reading it, thanks in part to some very encouraging words I received from Tom when Sonya and I were first considering it. 

And, no, I do not receive a penny from the athletic department, general fund, gender subsidy, university coffers or Knights of the Round Table. I can't even get a gratis Handicapped parking permit. Our fund raising drive is in November. I'll make some serious choices about our future after that. My pockets aren't as deep as they used to be because of a new hip, ailing knee and a few more little mysteries of life. 

I hope the board will listen to the voices around them. The donors, coaches, staff, student-athletes and fans who want Tom to stay.

Maybe we need Shoni to
"bark" at the board...

Toss interim President Postal in the dumpster and re-instate Jurich. Do the wise and right thing, Board of Trustees. You've cleared the bad apples out of the bag, including the $44 million dollar, 17-second man who had 'no knowledge' of strippers, scandals, payments, shoe deals and/or the student TARC bus schedule on campus. And, this guy had a golf cart and Sandy Pearsall doesn't. It boggles the imagination.

Keep Tom Jurich.  You don't have to be a scientist to figure out that this a successful formula.  You don't need a trip to Goobertown to realize how well we got it in Louisville. Tell the fat lady in the stage wings not to grab the microphone yet and we're NOT ready for her to belt out a tune yet. 


Do the right thing, Board of Trustees. Don't waste good. Keep Tom. 


paulie
xxxxx