McGuirk Upgrade

[Jack]

What's that saying about gift horses?

Not sure, but please feel free to try and explain how it has any relevance whatsoever to what I posted.

[minutefanjsf]

What's that saying about gift horses?

Not sure, but please feel free to try and explain how it has any relevance whatsoever to what I posted.

You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Means be grateful for gifts, don’t nit pick when a gift doesn’t match your goals/ideas. Your post starts by thanking a guy for a very large donation, but then flipped to how it shouldn’t be used the way it is being used. The amount of the donation was equal to the price tag for the things being purchased.

[DrG]

This program can only take baby steps right now and we should all be grateful to the Jacobsons for their support. When we start qualifying for and winning bowl games, then we can think about bigger and better things.

[MJatUM]

how about actual Seats w/seatbacks for Section 14, 15 and 16 ???

I've long thought that the "poortable" seat backs with a UM logo would be a great gift for STH. They are not terribly expensive, even less so if you buy them in bulk. I'm sure you could get someone to pay for them in exchange for slapping their logo on there.

[Steve81]

how about actual Seats w/seatbacks for Section 14, 15 and 16 ???

I've long thought that the "poortable" seat backs with a UM logo would be a great gift for STH. They are not terribly expensive, even less so if you buy them in bulk. I'm sure you could get someone to pay for them in exchange for slapping their logo on there.

While seat backs would be welcome, I'm glad the 2019-20 upgrades are going in and we'll be ADA complaint. Then and only then seat backs will be a possibility. Like to see more on the incremental upgrades in the plans. Heck, waited this long, so I'm in the grateful camp of Marty Jacobson's donations and that improvements are really going to happen and student athletes are actually getting an IPF.

[MJatUM]

Absolutely! I do not think they should be putting much money at all into McGuirk except for absolute necessities (ADA compliance, plumbing etc).

I was thinking more something like this as a gift to STH or maybe certain donor levels:

[chapter 11]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... on-campus/

seems Bama could have bolstered its political science building instead but yes im being petty.

[McKinney]

Absolutely! I do not think they should be putting much money at all into McGuirk except for absolute necessities (ADA compliance, plumbing etc).

I was thinking more something like this as a gift to STH or maybe certain donor levels:

At some schools (like Army) they include a seat (preinstalled at your seat number) with purchase of season tickets, at others (like Houston) they're like $50 for the season. If they're looking for a value-add, I'd think a "rental" included program would be more sensible than just giving out chairs.

[minutefanjsf]

Absolutely! I do not think they should be putting much money at all into McGuirk except for absolute necessities (ADA compliance, plumbing etc).

I was thinking more something like this as a gift to STH or maybe certain donor levels:

At some schools (like Army) they include a seat (preinstalled at your seat number) with purchase of season tickets, at others (like Houston) they're like $50 for the season. If they're looking for a value-add, I'd think a "rental" included program would be more sensible than just giving out chairs.

I like the idea of purchasing seat backs. At Notre Dame and other schools they are installed after consecutive years of owning the same seats, instead of purchase up front. A combination of any of these ideas would be good, IMO.

[Jack]

You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Means be grateful for gifts, don’t nit pick when a gift doesn’t match your goals/ideas. Your post starts by thanking a guy for a very large donation, but then flipped to how it shouldn’t be used the way it is being used. The amount of the donation was equal to the price tag for the things being purchased.

Nobody is looking a gift horse in the mouth. quite the opposite. A seasonal practice bubble over the field seems like a poor use of the Jacobsen gift. Better use would be to apply those gifted funds towards a permanent IPF. Is it okay with you that fans have opinions on such things or is your mindset that we all must sit here agreeing with whatever the AD's priorities are regardless of how short sighted those priorities may be ? In my view Bamford's decision to use the Jacobsen Gift for a seasonal practice bubble is a poor decision.

[FightMass19]

You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Means be grateful for gifts, don’t nit pick when a gift doesn’t match your goals/ideas. Your post starts by thanking a guy for a very large donation, but then flipped to how it shouldn’t be used the way it is being used. The amount of the donation was equal to the price tag for the things being purchased.

Nobody is looking a gift horse in the mouth. quite the opposite. A seasonal practice bubble over the field seems like a poor use of the Jacobsen gift. Better use would be to apply those gifted funds towards a permanent IPF. Is it okay with you that fans have opinions on such things or is your mindset that we all must sit here agreeing with whatever the AD's priorities are regardless of how short sighted those priorities may be ? In my view Bamford's decision to use the Jacobsen Gift for a seasonal practice bubble is a poor decision.

I originally felt the same was as you Jack. However, I've come to the conclusion that getting a seasonal bubble now is the best use of the Jacobsen Gift.

For a start, Bamford's, and the Athletic Department's, biggest task at hand is to get the football team competitive fast. We need to be a competitive team (at least competitive with the AAC) for the next wave of conference realignment. In order to do that, we need to level the playing field facilities-wise to get higher level recruits and to improve our ability to train in the winter. Getting the bubble was the quickest and most cost effective way to do so. While a permanent IPF would be nice, and is an ideal solution down the road, it's obvious the donations needed to get that aren't coming anytime soon, and to hold off on getting a solution to training in the winter months would be detrimental to the team's success. The fact that other teams get to use the indoor bubble is a nice bonus and hopefully we see some immediate improvements on the field across the board.

Also, there seems to be no end to the list of facility improvements that are needed across the athletic department. It seems like most teams need their facilities to receive face lift, a complete renovation, or a new facility itself. It's easy to forget the capital projects the athletics department has undergone and is going to undergo soon - Mullins Center improvements, Boyden Academic Center renovation, Garber field improvements, etc. While none of these may be particularly expensive, they all add up. To focus an immense amount of funds on one project like an IPF probably isn't in the best interest of the athletic department.

[FightMass19]

And that long winded response isn't meant as a jab at your opinion Jack, I'm just bored during a layover at an airport and trying to kill some time

[minutefanjsf]

You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Means be grateful for gifts, don’t nit pick when a gift doesn’t match your goals/ideas. Your post starts by thanking a guy for a very large donation, but then flipped to how it shouldn’t be used the way it is being used. The amount of the donation was equal to the price tag for the things being purchased.

Nobody is looking a gift horse in the mouth. quite the opposite. A seasonal practice bubble over the field seems like a poor use of the Jacobsen gift. Better use would be to apply those gifted funds towards a permanent IPF. Is it okay with you that fans have opinions on such things or is your mindset that we all must sit here agreeing with whatever the AD's priorities are regardless of how short sighted those priorities may be ? In my view Bamford's decision to use the Jacobsen Gift for a seasonal practice bubble is a poor decision.

The gift is for a bubble and video board. It was not a gift that was some random number. The money is earmarked for these two items. The money for an a permanent IPF is not there. Banking the money or waiting for the funds to come in would be bad. I agree a permanent IPF is better, but when you want a Mercedes and can’t afford it you buy a beater that you can afford, because you need it.

[Jack]

And that long winded response isn't meant as a jab at your opinion Jack, I'm just bored during a layover at an airport and trying to kill some time

Hey whatever works to get you through a layover... Its all good - I've become inured to the UMass administration occasionally making odd business decisions. Spending millions to add a Bubble to McGuirk is lipstick on a pig. Comfortable Seating for STHs is lipstick on a pig that enhances the fan experience and ticket sales.

[Jack]

The gift is for a bubble and video board. It was not a gift that was some random number. The money is earmarked for these two items. The money for an a permanent IPF is not there. Banking the money or waiting for the funds to come in would be bad. I agree a permanent IPF is better, but when you want a Mercedes and can’t afford it you buy a beater that you can afford, because you need it.

Please don't be ridiculous. Marty Jacobson didn't buy a bubble, he made a donation. HIs donation could go towards an IPF just as easily as a bubble. I prefer an IPF because it can be used year round for various purposes, and it would be permanent addition to our Athletic facilities which could be augmented in the future. Therefore it would be a better investment of resources than buying a seasonal bubble.

As for crying poverty - UMass just acquired Mount Ida for 75M. I'm quite certain that we can figure out how to finance the construction of a permanent indoor practice facility for our athletes.