I think you guys missed a very important point about the donation. I shows Tom Crean's commitment to Marquette. I do not know if it actually occurs, but several times it has been claimed that Bo Ryan and other coaches used the fact that Crean's name is always mentioned with other jobs against MU. Basically they tell recruits that if they sign with MU, Crean might be gone in a year. I think this allows Crean to tell a recruit like Wilson that he would not have given $100,000 to MU for a soccer stadium if he was not committted to Marquette. I think there is real value in being able to demonstate your committment to a school.
I completely agree with that. Not only was the donation very generous, it essentially renews the fact that TC is as committed to Marquette as they are to him.
I don't think many missed that. Rather I think the disappointment came from overblown expectations of the event today, not the actual outcome.
kidding me? Its all Crean, all the time.
you're right. How dare he give anything back to the university?
If I was making as much as Crean, I would be very generous too. It's a drop in the bucket for TC. Crean probably makes at least $100K in interest every year. Plus he gets a nice tax break out of the deal. This is not a big deal. To call a press conference to announce this was completely ridiculous.
Quote from: MilTown on June 29, 2007, 09:19:25 AM
If I was making as much as Crean, I would be very generous too. It's a drop in the bucket for TC. Crean probably makes at least $100K in interest every year. Plus he gets a nice tax break out of the deal. This is not a big deal. To call a press conference to announce this was completely ridiculous.
Do you think Crean called the presser or MU? (there is a difference)
MU is trying to use Crean's donation to promote the new stadium and the new donation campaign.
I think in this case MU is using Crean to promote soccer... not Crean using MU to promote himself.
Just think about it...
Knowing that this stadium is going to be paid for with ONLY private donations, I don't think this was a bad move by MU at all. I mean aren't they planning on breaking ground in only a few months anyway and they probably don't even have a quarter of it paid for? Any visibility to this project is a plus and I think it will help people to get excited about this. I mean this is a really cool idea since the whole valley fields area is surrounded by a complete dump that is the menonomee valley and I think a multi-million dollar stadium will help to "brighten" up the area if nothing else. Plus, a nice venue like this will make it easier for students to make the journey off campus to see games and should help promote our soccer programs.
Its fantastic that Crean has donated the money to the soccer stadium, and it is a great gesture. However, to read that it means that he will stay at MU long-term is stretching it a bit.
I love Crean, and think that he will stay at Marquette, but donating money for a soccer stadium probably won't be a big thing on the mind of incoming b-ball recruits.
And honestly, MU men's basketball is Marquette athletics. I think that 'major' MU athletics news should revolve around the sport that funds the entire department and is responsible for Marquette having a national profile. The other sports are great, but you need to emphasize your money-maker.
My problem was how this was handled by Marquette. There didn't need to be a 'major' announcement or a press conference. A simple press release would have done the trick.
All this did from a PR standpoint was give ammunition to Crean-haters like PRN and 4everwarriors. The silliness of calling a press conference over this almost overshadows the donation, in my mind.
Why wasn't a press conference called for that enormous donation to the Law School? Why does Crean get a press conference for his donation to the soccer stadium?
Those are legitimate questions that don't make you a Crean hater or a negative ninny like PRN or 4everwarriors.
Quote from: snakesinthesnoilet on June 29, 2007, 11:45:00 AM
I mean this is a really cool idea since the whole valley fields area is surrounded by a complete dump that is the Menominee valley and I think a multi-million dollar stadium will help to "brighten" up the area if nothing else.
The Valley, while still grungy, is waaay better than it was even two years ago. Smells were referenced on a different thread--but I believe most of that has been eliminated. The stock yards are gone, I think Red Star Yeast is gone, and the only potential smell comes from the shipping canal. The huge casino addition is well underway and the Harley-Davidson Museum is planned, or perhaps being built already, in the Valley. I wouldn't be surprised if a hotel springs up there soon. Not to mention one of the better taverns--Sobelman's--near by the playing fields.
Quote from: ozmetal71 on June 29, 2007, 12:24:32 PM
Why wasn't a press conference called for that enormous donation to the Law School? Why does Crean get a press conference for his donation to the soccer stadium?
Those are legitimate questions that don't make you a Crean hater or a negative ninny like PRN or 4everwarriors.
My educated guess (I work in PR and marketing) would be that they (MU admin) are using the Crean donation to help create "buzz" around the soccer stadium and to try and promote additional donations.
As far as the law school is concerned, I believe that was in a 1 time donation for the whole school... so my guess is that they weren't trying to drum up more donations for it.
I don't think anybody is wrong to question MU for having a presser or calling it "major" (not sure who came up with that), but I don't think Crean himself decided to donate and call a press conference to make sure everybody knew about it. I mean, I guess it's possible... but not likely.
Tom Crean is not perfect, but let's give him some credit for being very generous and not rip him for something the University decided to do.
Quote from: 2002mualum on June 29, 2007, 01:11:56 PM
As far as the law school is concerned, I believe that was in a 1 time donation for the whole school... so my guess is that they weren't trying to drum up more donations for it.
That's not quite right. The Eckstein's gave $51 mil specifically earmarked for the Law School building, which will have an estimated total cost of $80 mil. The fund raising to close the gap continues. I also seem to recall that there was a
major press conference when the Eckstein's were in town to seal the deal.
I concur with the rest of your comments--I don't care how much you are making--a $100,000 donation is quite decent. Had Wade done the same thing at the same dollar level, there would be universal acclaim.
It could have been given anonymously!
Did you know the Raymond Eckstein played on Marquette's basketball team in the 40's. Yes the same Eckstein Sir Lawrence was referring to that donated 51 million dollars. Feel free to edit his page if you know anything about his basketball career, ive updated as much as i could about his post marquette career.
http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/raymond_eckstein
Quote from: Murffieus on June 29, 2007, 01:59:44 PM
It could have been given anonymously!
I'm guessing the UNIVERSITY wanted the hype, not Crean.
By hyping the fact that Crean has donated, MU gets a chance to talk about the soccer stadium and how they need more donations.
Again, if Crean gave anonymously, then the university wouldn't have gotten to talk about the stadium.
Quote from: bilsu on June 28, 2007, 06:10:50 PM
I think you guys missed a very important point about the donation. I shows Tom Crean's commitment to Marquette. I do not know if it actually occurs, but several times it has been claimed that Bo Ryan and other coaches used the fact that Crean's name is always mentioned with other jobs against MU. Basically they tell recruits that if they sign with MU, Crean might be gone in a year. I think this allows Crean to tell a recruit like Wilson that he would not have given $100,000 to MU for a soccer stadium if he was not committted to Marquette. I think there is real value in being able to demonstate your committment to a school.
If that is true Crean's motivations for the gift are more than a little self serving.
Quote from: 2002mualum on June 29, 2007, 11:21:46 AM
Quote from: MilTown on June 29, 2007, 09:19:25 AM
If I was making as much as Crean, I would be very generous too. It's a drop in the bucket for TC. Crean probably makes at least $100K in interest every year. Plus he gets a nice tax break out of the deal. This is not a big deal. To call a press conference to announce this was completely ridiculous.
Do you think Crean called the presser or MU? (there is a difference)
MU is trying to use Crean's donation to promote the new stadium and the new donation campaign.
I think in this case MU is using Crean to promote soccer... not Crean using MU to promote himself.
Just think about it...
Crean was in a position to decline having a press conference.
Quote from: dennycrane on June 30, 2007, 10:51:23 AM
Quote from: 2002mualum on June 29, 2007, 11:21:46 AM
Quote from: MilTown on June 29, 2007, 09:19:25 AM
If I was making as much as Crean, I would be very generous too. It's a drop in the bucket for TC. Crean probably makes at least $100K in interest every year. Plus he gets a nice tax break out of the deal. This is not a big deal. To call a press conference to announce this was completely ridiculous.
Do you think Crean called the presser or MU? (there is a difference)
MU is trying to use Crean's donation to promote the new stadium and the new donation campaign.
I think in this case MU is using Crean to promote soccer... not Crean using MU to promote himself.
Just think about it...
Crean was in a position to decline having a press conference.
But why would he? He is helping the soccer program and MU by helping MU get some PR for the new soccer stadium.
If MU wanted to publicize the donation, to get the drive underway fine----but leave the amount out----just say TC thought enough of the project to donate (period). The way it was handled reminds all the academic professors just how much they are making in relation to the head BB coach----jealosy reigns supreme-----most professors don't like the attention BB gets at MU in the first place, but the money differential sends many of them into orbit.
IMO TC's ego entered into the non anonymous nature of the donation----he wanted the recognition, which is human nature!
Quote from: Murffieus on July 02, 2007, 07:48:44 AM
If MU wanted to publicize the donation, to get the drive underway fine----but leave the amount out----just say TC thought enough of the project to donate (period). The way it was handled reminds all the academic professors just how much they are making in relation to the head BB coach----jealosy reigns supreme-----most professors don't like the attention BB gets at MU in the first place, but the money differential sends many of them into orbit.
IMO TC's ego entered into the non anonymous nature of the donation----he wanted the recognition, which is human nature!
hmmm...
If they didn't announce the amount, it wouldn't have been much of a story. Hell, people around here were complaining that even 100G isn't enough to warrant a press conference. If they had a presser and didn't announce the amount people would have been really pissed.
I understand that some people think this is about TC's ego... I'm just saying as somebody who works in PR and marketing, this feels like a play to promote soccer / the stadium. TC is the biggest star that MU has (that they can use... student athletes can only be used for so much marketing/promotional stuff). So, MU used it's biggest star to promote the new stadium fund. I think it's as simple as that.
Also, I find it funny that even when donating big money to the school, people are critical. Who the hell cares if he had a press conference or not? Sheesh.
Unbelievable. There aren't many circles where someone would get criticized for donating $100,000.
Do some people honestly think that Crean sat there and said, "look, I'll donate this money....BUT the university has to hold a press conference to let the world know how generous I am."
Give me a frickin break. Our head basketball coach donates $100,000 towards the construction of a new SOCCER stadium that the school decides to announce and then he gets criticized?! Hmmm....I'm guessing in Milwaukee Tom Crean would give some visibility to a donation campaign....maybe more than KBS Construction? (just a guess) But why would MU want to do that? Maybe they should've just tried word of mouth....or let Dennis Klein drum up some buzz on his own.
How about this for an idea....instead of criticizing....maybe he actually should be commended. Wait, that would be too much.
It's not uncommon for large donations to be publicized for any cause...why should this be any different? It was very well publicized that Roy Williams donated $100k for the Carolina Covenant (a scholarship program for lower income UNC students)...he actually filmed a TV commercial for it. Do you think he was criticized for that? Maybe he should've worn a fake mustache and glasses in the commercial and used an alias?
Almost every major D-1 coach has a charitable organization that is either in their own name or that they are the chairman of....how self-promoting of them.
How about Crean's work with Al's Run? I can't believe how selfish he is....maybe he should be an anonymous Grand Marshall next year...or disguise himself.
Unbelievable.
I'm very impressed and pleased by the Crean's involvement in the community, and especially the MU community..., but less press coverage of same wouldn't be a bad thing.
Quote from: MilTown on June 29, 2007, 09:19:25 AM
If I was making as much as Crean, I would be very generous too. It's a drop in the bucket for TC. Crean probably makes at least $100K in interest every year. Plus he gets a nice tax break out of the deal. This is not a big deal. To call a press conference to announce this was completely ridiculous.
No, this is a big deal. It was very generous any way you look at it. Crean didn't have to do this. He and his wife chose to do this to show their love and committment to and for Marquette University. To say anything less is just a shallow attempt to discredit Tom Crean. Which I have to say is very unfortunate. Sometimes things are as simple as they appear, and this was just a good and decent thing that the Creans did.