zambam,
1. We cannot move on until this horrible teratoma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teratoma in the form of Joel Maturi, who has traumatized, beleaguered, sickened, and irreparably damaged University of Minnesota revenue sports programs is summarily relieved of his duties as Athletic Director, and any other duties or collateral positions he may hold at the University of Minnesota.
2. I find most disturbing Sid Hartman’s revelation that Kathryn F. Brown
http://www.umorepark.umn.edu/planning/llc/governors/brown/index.htm, Joel Maturi’s immediate supervisor
http://www.academic.umn.edu/accreditation/orgcharts/b_pres.pdf, was copartner in the decision to have Joel Maturi deliver the termination notice to Glen Mason. As I have stated many times before, I find it totally irrelevant who was the authority that gave the order to pull the trigger, be it Robert Bruininks, The Regents of the University of Minnesota, Kathryn F. Brown, Paul Tagliabue, Red McCombs, Ziggy Wilf, or Joel Maturi himself.
a. The Athletic Director is the firewall between the coaches and all other external power brokers, which includes Morrill Hall. If any of the aforementioned gave the order to Joel to deliver the termination notice to Glen Mason, then in my mind Joel Maturi failed a sacred responsibility. Joel should have had the character and integrity to stand up to them, refuse the order, and tender his own resignation in protest.
b. If the decision to fire Glen Mason was indeed Joel Maturi’s and Joel’s alone, then he should have resigned before he fired Tim Brewster, in acknowledgement of his own personal mistakes and lack of judgment. He did neither.
3. Joel Maturi is at it again. Recent news indicates he just approved a three year contract extension to his good personal friend Don Lucia. I no longer follow Golden Gopher Hockey much anymore. Yet the pattern is all too familiar. Grant an extension to the coach, then pull the rug out from under him a year later, and then pay a huge sum of money to the coach to buy out the contract. If this is not the pinnacle of financial and fiduciary irresponsibility, then what is it? More to the point, whose money is it that Joel is playing with and throwing around like confetti?
4. I am tired of the propaganda machine that seeks to paint Glen Mason as not caring about the football program and giving up on it. This is a convenient story propagated by the NFL / Vikings cartel. Glen had totally outmaneuvered and outflanked the NFL / Vikings cartel in succeeding to convince the Minnesota Legislature and Governor to bankroll a new Golden Gopher football stadium with public money. The NFL / Vikings had unsuccessfully been trying to extort such a deal from the Minnesota Legislature and Governor for many years, threatening to move the Vikings franchise many times as punishment for not bankrolling a new stadium for the Vikings with public money. The NFL / Vikings cartel bosses were infuriated by what Glen accomplished with the Legislature. They were terrified that if Glen was allowed to continue as head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the new TCF Bank Stadium, Golden Gopher football starts resurging, consistently playing .500+ football within in the Big Ten Conference. This would constitute unacceptable competition for Vikings ticket sales and royalties. Glen Mason had to be fired. Joel Maturi was the trigger man.
5. Let us remember that despite whatever anybody may claim, Glen Mason was the best football coach we had since Cal Stoll. There was no good reason for firing Cal Stoll. Likewise, there was no good reason for firing Glen Mason.
6. In the annals of NCAA Division 1A athletic directors, Joel Maturi’s leadership, decision making, and stewardship of the University of Minnesota revenue sports programs begs comparison and runs parallel with Herr Generalfeldmarschall Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus’ leadership, decision making, and stewardship of the much vaunted German Sixth Army.
7. We must break out of The Kessel entrapment which Joel Maturi has led us into. Let us hope and pray that Jerry Kill will lead us out of “The Kessel.”
