Fox 9 "investigates" Maturi's spending, quotes random students

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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for their reaction:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/investigators:-maturi's-records

I'm sure there are some ADs who abuse T&E, but I would guess that Maturi is about as honest of a BCS level AD as there are out there. I don't mind that Fox looked into this, but it sure feels like they cherry-picked the student responses, and I'm not even sure how their responses are relevant.

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
for their reaction:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/investigators:-maturi's-records

I'm sure there are some ADs who abuse T&E, but I would guess that Maturi is about as honest of a BCS level AD as there are out there. I don't mind that Fox looked into this, but it sure feels like they cherry-picked the student responses, and I'm not even sure how their responses are relevant.

Go Gophers!!
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I honestly don't get it with Fox 9. Maybe they're pining for the shocked and outraged taxpayer marketshare, but I would bet worse spending outrages can be found at the capitol building in St. Paul or the Governor's mansion than at the U or in Maturi's account ledger.
What a joke of a news station. Maybe next they can find some more underage gopher hockey players drinking beer. Oh wait. Or maybe they'll announce Royce White has been expelled from school in October. Oh wait.
 

Wow, what a terrible piece. Maturi has a budget. He isnt spending on anything rediculous. Leave it alone.
 

Once again - the coverage difference between a pro-sports town, and a college town.
 

Been outstate for a while, when did UPN change to Fox? Just curious. I didn't see the story but knowing it came from a fox affiliate there is little doubt it was fair and balanced.:D Anyone get a feel for what the average Minnesotan/Gopher fan felt about the story? I wonder if it could pick up any steam.
 


minibeaver said:
Been outstate for a while, when did UPN change to Fox? Just curious. I didn't see the story but knowing it came from a fox affiliate there is little doubt it was fair and balanced.:D Anyone get a feel for what the average Minnesotan/Gopher fan felt about the story? I wonder if it could pick up any steam.
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They switched in September of 2002. Who could forget the non-stop barrage of "Make the Switch" ads?

I actually watch Fox 9 news as I like the personalities but they've really reached to generate a big story on the U. I wouldn't worry about this picking up steam because it doesn't involve sex or athletes.
 

This could be the hardest hitting piece of journalism since Fox 9 uncovered the horror of UofM hockey players consuming beer.
 

BleedGopher said:
for their reaction:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/investigators:-maturi's-records

I'm sure there are some ADs who abuse T&E, but I would guess that Maturi is about as honest of a BCS level AD as there are out there. I don't mind that Fox looked into this, but it sure feels like they cherry-picked the student responses, and I'm not even sure how their responses are relevant.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

I'm no fan of Maturi, but this is ridiculous. The reporting is so slanted ($5 - 600 a night for a hotel room in NYC is pretty average and I'm talking hotels not as nice as the Radisson there on campus) and so out of context (how does his spending compare to say, tOSU's AD, or Iowa's?) the only conclusion is they are trying to ignite a fire where there isn't one.

Must have been a slow month in the Twin Cities.
 

i agree with the general sentiment expressed so far - maturi has a job to do and needs to have some leeway to make executive decisions, which includes strategically spending money when need arises. i like the idea of checking in on our public servants, but i don't like the idea of dragging someone into the mud undeservedly. this is an unfair piece.
 



Usually not a fan of Maturi talking to the media, but he handled this non-story very well. He has shown a knack in the past for turning a non-story into a story simply with his choice of words.

You pour over four years of receipts...find nothing...and report it anyway. Brilliant journalism.
 

BleedGopher said:
for their reaction:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/investigators:-maturi's-records

I'm sure there are some ADs who abuse T&E, but I would guess that Maturi is about as honest of a BCS level AD as there are out there. I don't mind that Fox looked into this, but it sure feels like they cherry-picked the student responses, and I'm not even sure how their responses are relevant.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Oh another Badger 9 investigation. Glad to see that they can be "fair and balanced" :rolleyes:
 


That was a pretty pathetic piece of journalism. The receipts for meals actually show how conservative Maturi is when taking out clients and staff to dinner. Hell it is not uncommon for my company to spend $1,000 when there are just four people going out not eight. I think this piece did more to show how conservative Maturi is when it comes to spending money on the extras. In some regards it is a little embarassing how the U has to pinch pennies on things like travel. You know OSU, Wis., Iowa, PSU fb teams do not even think about busing across state lines for a game.
 



Channel 9 News has been like this for a long time, since the days when they were an independent station. Cheap, sensationalistic "exposes" that expose nothing. I remember when they "exposed" a massage parlor. The massage parlor knew they were coming, so there was nothing for them to "expose". It was just cheap tittilation to get people to tune in.

Their student responses were utterly irrelvant, and would not have been relevant even if they weren't being asked leading questions.
 

Funny story...kind of had to be there, but still funny. After Fox 9 broke that underage college students/hockey players drink, my wife and I were out to dinner and we talking about what joke that report was. Anyway, we had a real good laugh about it and as we got up to leave we saw that Jeff Passolt was at the table behind us (I swear I didn't know he was there) and he just kind of looked away in shame. My wife and I could just tell he was embarrassed by the story.
 

RodentRampage said:
Their student responses were utterly irrelvant, and would not have been relevant even if they weren't being asked leading questions.
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What proof is there that they asked a student anything. They didn't use students names for any sort of verifiable source. For all we know the reporter just made those comments up to fill out the story. Shoddy journalism at best.
 

I guess it's good that sweeps month still inspires such pieces of great journalism. What a joke. Right up there with KSTP digging through Vikings players garbage.
 

This was such a non-story

This story was funny like watching a balloon go pft as it loses it's air. If anything this story
painted Maturi and the administration in the athletic department as good public servants unlike
most of our legislators and governors who act like babies and will never work together like 2nd graders.

At least the AD is doing the University business well within restraint and always on budget. They should actually be proud of there efforts even if we come off a little cheap, it's a well managed business for how many sports there are.
 

Maybe they should look through major corporations expenses and see how they spend their money! I know in my company some people are spending a lot of money on entertainment to get business in the door. It can't be all that different at a major D1 university. I wouldn't be surprised if OSU or Michigan and the like would blow our expenses out of the water.
 

who the hell...

watches channel 9 news? Are you kidding me, you can't find a more hack group!
 


I don't get it.

I thought the piece was fine up until they ripped him for the New York hotel.

They said U of MN Ahtletics has an annual budget of $75 million. FOX 9 is calling into question about $3000 worth of expenses over three years. That's less than 1%.
 

The Ghost of Bierman said:
is the news director there a lame ass becky grad or something?
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Not sure about the news director, but I know that a reporter and camera man that was lurking around the stadium and tailgating lots is.

I guess why I laugh at this story is that they lead the students and try to paint it like the U is spending money like AIG did bailout dollars.
 

wow, what a joke. no way am I even clicking on their link.

Next thing you know they will be finding used condoms in viking players garbage and investigating underage college kids drinking.
 

For as critical as I am of Joel - this is not an issue I have with him. I honestly don't worry about a $500 hotel room in NYC (we were just there last summer, stayed in a tiny room, checked Priceline non-stop, and to stay in a good location paid almost $200), I think a better story would be adding up the buyouts over the past 7 years...or examining the revenues with ticket sales, etc.

Not sure if they know how much things cost - $1333 for 23 people, is basically a $50 dinner. So, that's about 2 drinks, split apps, and a $20 entree a person. And half were boosters, I'm guessing they are boosters because they give more than $100.
Spending $1000 for a suite is not a lot...had we had alcohol, that would have double.
You have to spend money to make money- quite frankly, I think if they spent a little more appreciating donors/boosters, they would get more.
 

GopherLady said:
For as critical as I am of Joel - this is not an issue I have with him. I honestly don't worry about a $500 hotel room in NYC (we were just there last summer, stayed in a tiny room, checked Priceline non-stop, and to stay in a good location paid almost $200), I think a better story would be adding up the buyouts over the past 7 years...or examining the revenues with ticket sales, etc.

Not sure if they know how much things cost - $1333 for 23 people, is basically a $50 dinner. So, that's about 2 drinks, split apps, and a $20 entree a person. And half were boosters, I'm guessing they are boosters because they give more than $100.
Spending $1000 for a suite is not a lot...had we had alcohol, that would have double.
You have to spend money to make money- quite frankly, I think if they spent a little more appreciating donors/boosters, they would get more.
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Good points! I will mention that booster is kind of a loose term though. Technically any season ticket holder could be viewed as a booster. Any paid member of the GLC is a booster. However, your point is valid since Gold Level GLC members would have had to donate and participate at a higher level to sit in on that dinner.
 

I actually felt bad for Maturi. It seemed like he was having a hard time holding back his urge to yell out "Do you know how much a normal dinner out costs at a decent restaurant??!!!!!" "Do you know how much a hotel room in NYC costs??!!!!!" "Do you know how much other Universities spend???!!!!"
 

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