An extremely enlightening look at the end of the Dodds era B12

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/...g-12.html/

Some of my favorite highlights:

Quote:TCU director of athletics Chris Del Conte knew he had one opportunity to get TCU into the Big 12. In order to do so, Del Conte had to drive to Austin to meet with Texas AD DeLoss Dodds.

Dan Bebe says "at least being a puppet figurehead paid well!"

Quote:After hours of waiting on Dodds with a graduate assistant, Del Conte recounts to Dodd how he met with Dodds.

“[DeLoss] comes out and says, ‘Who are you?’ Chris Del Conte, Texas Christian U. He doesn’t hear ‘Chris.’ he hears ‘Del’. ‘Del, let’s go get ourselves a drink and discuss it,’” Dodd wrote.

For five hours, Del Conte met with Dodds, unsure of whether any of his sales pitch was registering with the Texas AD.

Keep a guest and fellow AD waiting hours, doesnt bother to find out his name ahead of time and then subject him to another 5 hours with him...TCU AD gets my vote for early sainthood for not choking the old man out.

Quote:It was not TCU’s back-to-back BCS games that got TCU into “the big time,” not their new stadium, not their location in the Metroplex, or not any other attribute that had to do with athletic success. Instead, Dodds and ‘Del’ shared stories of personal struggle.

See Coogs, your membership pitch just didnt share enough struggle with Dodds! Now next time you'll know!

I would have gone nuts if I were the TCU guy.

(02-05-2014 09:37 AM)10thMountain Wrote:  An extremely enlightening look at the end of the Dodds era B12

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/...g-12.html/

Some of my favorite highlights:

Quote:TCU director of athletics Chris Del Conte knew he had one opportunity to get TCU into the Big 12. In order to do so, Del Conte had to drive to Austin to meet with Texas AD DeLoss Dodds.

Dan Bebe says "at least being a puppet figurehead paid well!"

Quote:After hours of waiting on Dodds with a graduate assistant, Del Conte recounts to Dodd how he met with Dodds.

“[DeLoss] comes out and says, ‘Who are you?’ Chris Del Conte, Texas Christian U. He doesn’t hear ‘Chris.’ he hears ‘Del’. ‘Del, let’s go get ourselves a drink and discuss it,’” Dodd wrote.

For five hours, Del Conte met with Dodds, unsure of whether any of his sales pitch was registering with the Texas AD.

Keep a guest and fellow AD waiting hours, doesnt bother to find out his name ahead of time and then subject him to another 5 hours with him...TCU AD gets my vote for early sainthood for not choking the old man out.

Quote:It was not TCU’s back-to-back BCS games that got TCU into “the big time,” not their new stadium, not their location in the Metroplex, or not any other attribute that had to do with athletic success. Instead, Dodds and ‘Del’ shared stories of personal struggle.

See Coogs, your membership pitch just didnt share enough struggle with Dodds! Now next time you'll know!

Well, I guess this is the template for the Big 12 expansion.

Guess WVU had a bigger sob (er, struggle) story than Louisville.

Cheers,
Neil

(02-05-2014 09:37 AM)10thMountain Wrote:  An extremely enlightening look at the end of the Dodds era B12

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/...g-12.html/

Some of my favorite highlights:

Quote:TCU director of athletics Chris Del Conte knew he had one opportunity to get TCU into the Big 12. In order to do so, Del Conte had to drive to Austin to meet with Texas AD DeLoss Dodds.

Dan Bebe says "at least being a puppet figurehead paid well!"

Quote:After hours of waiting on Dodds with a graduate assistant, Del Conte recounts to Dodd how he met with Dodds.

“[DeLoss] comes out and says, ‘Who are you?’ Chris Del Conte, Texas Christian U. He doesn’t hear ‘Chris.’ he hears ‘Del’. ‘Del, let’s go get ourselves a drink and discuss it,’” Dodd wrote.

For five hours, Del Conte met with Dodds, unsure of whether any of his sales pitch was registering with the Texas AD.

Keep a guest and fellow AD waiting hours, doesnt bother to find out his name ahead of time and then subject him to another 5 hours with him...TCU AD gets my vote for early sainthood for not choking the old man out.

Quote:It was not TCU’s back-to-back BCS games that got TCU into “the big time,” not their new stadium, not their location in the Metroplex, or not any other attribute that had to do with athletic success. Instead, Dodds and ‘Del’ shared stories of personal struggle.

See Coogs, your membership pitch just didnt share enough struggle with Dodds! Now next time you'll know!

Something about this story doesn't ring true to me. As I read it, after I had read the posts on this thread, it certainly seemed to me that the gist of the story was that DeLoss Dodds was a pompous, arrogant ass who singlehandedly ruled the B12. Then I got to a part of the story that made me scratch my head. This story was supposedly related by the TCU AD at a B12 meeting to celebrate the career of DeLoss Dodds.

What's wrong with this picture?

The other ADs were probably just so happy Dodds was leaving that they didnt care that he asked "Del" to tell them about the time he made him beg for a B12 invite

Del Conte's patience and perseverance made TCU $20 million per year. And if you knew him, yes you would wonder how he stuck around that long since he has more energy than the law allows.

This story is far too simple and absurd to make sense. As the B12 Commish Bowlsby stated many, many times during B12's turmoil, there were many, many, many schools begging at the doorstep of the B12 at that time. And, if one is to beg to the B12, the first two doorsteps to beg at are Texas U and Oklahoma U.

TCU had beaten BiG Champ Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl and was a hot commodity at that time.

Without Dodds vote, we were not getting in.

(02-05-2014 11:21 AM)Big Frog II Wrote:  Without Dodds vote, we were not getting in.

That's apparent from this line in the story:

Quote:“The next morning I got up. Joe [Castiglione] goes, ‘I don't know what you did but it worked.' We got the vote. The Frogs are in,' Del Conte said.

Way to go, Del.

The Frogs were a great Rags to Riches story. But what do you guys think attributed to the decline in attendance? I'd always see some joke on twitter with a picture of the stands being bare of concrete.

This is a perfect illustration that relationships matter more than most of the great reasons thrown around explaining realignment.

Basically the story boils down to this, Dodd met with the AD and became comfortable he was someone he could work with.

(02-05-2014 09:37 AM)10thMountain Wrote:  See Coogs, your membership pitch just didnt share enough struggle with Dodds! Now next time you'll know!

Fortunately, Dodds won't be there next time. The new AD might not hate UH as much as Dodds. IIRC, Steve Patterson had ties with the Houston Rockets.

(02-05-2014 09:45 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  Well, I guess this is the template for the Big 12 expansion.

I think it will lead to more heartbreak as fans get their hopes up only to be strung along.

(02-05-2014 11:45 AM)chrisiskingx Wrote:  The Frogs were a great Rags to Riches story. But what do you guys think attributed to the decline in attendance? I'd always see some joke on twitter with a picture of the stands being bare of concrete.

That tweet was from late in the third quarter of the Kansas game. It was 97 that day, and people could not stand the heat any longer on the east side during a day game. It was horrendous. We still averaged 43,000 plus last year going 4-8. With 18 starters coming back for next year, I am optimistic.

(02-05-2014 11:45 AM)chrisiskingx Wrote:  The Frogs were a great Rags to Riches story. But what do you guys think attributed to the decline in attendance? I'd always see some joke on twitter with a picture of the stands being bare of concrete.

Losing seasons lead to reduced attendance. Happens everywhere. Give me enough time and I can dig up some photos of UT and A&M having vacated sections from down years so it's pretty universal that it isn't going to stay the same and the only question is where the floor is for that particular school.

So byu never had a chance with nonalcoholic drinks. The timing for TCU was perfect but in retrospect they are a pretty bad addition compared to Louisville.

Key part IMO:
"He worked the phones, calling every Big 12 contact he knew. Support within the Big 12 was growing, including at Oklahoma where good friend Joe Castiglione had been encouraging. But Del Conte knew if he didn't have Texas, he didn't have a chance."

Translation: Enough support (including OU) except that UT wasn't on board along with a 1-3 others. Dodds shifting his vote tipped the scales to where both power brokers and some others were on board. Assuming at least 3 others were with OU on that (BU, Tech, OSU most likely) that would have put it at a majority. At the point Dodds changes it's all but decided as it's not likely to convince the majority the other way and the league had to move fast.

(02-05-2014 12:50 PM)S11 Wrote:  Key part IMO:
"He worked the phones, calling every Big 12 contact he knew. Support within the Big 12 was growing, including at Oklahoma where good friend Joe Castiglione had been encouraging. But Del Conte knew if he didn't have Texas, he didn't have a chance."

Translation: Enough support (including OU) except that UT wasn't on board along with a 1-3 others. Dodds shifting his vote tipped the scales to where both power brokers and some others were on board. Assuming at least 3 others were with OU on that (BU, Tech, OSU most likely) that would have put it at a majority. At the point Dodds changes it's all but decided as it's not likely to convince the majority the other way and the league had to move fast.

Tech didn't want TCU but it was obvious the northern schools wanted another Texas team.

(02-05-2014 11:56 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  This is a perfect illustration that relationships matter more than most of the great reasons thrown around explaining realignment.

Basically the story boils down to this, Dodd met with the AD and became comfortable he was someone he could work with.

Then that settles it! Cajuns are headed to the Southland.