2/8/2000- The Saga of Tom Goss
If you jump up in the crosshairs don't be surprised if someone
pulls trigger...
The spinning has begun. Everyone has a different take on why
Tom Goss is being forced out. Here are some of the reasons
floating around town:
- UM President Lee Bollinger is pulling a power play to gain more
control over the Athletic Department.
- Influential Alumni have pulled the plug on Goss for the
dismissal of Steve Fisher.
- Goss is paying the price for controversial halo that adorns UM
Stadium.
- Goss is being forced out early without being given enough time
to succeed.
- Goss is paying the price for mismanagement of the Athletic
Department budget..
- Goss was unqualified for the job from the beginning.
- Goss was clumsy in his implantation of radical changes.
- Goss is being punished for raising Hockey and Football prices.
- Goss failed to inform Bollinger of an ongoing NCAA probe into
Jamal Crawford. Bollinger found out about it while watching
the UM/MSU basketball game with influential alums and
supporters. The probe had been ongoing for several weeks.
Here is my take on each point:
- The Athletic Department is just that- a department of the
University of Michigan. I'm no fan of Lee Bollinger but he
is well within his right to fire his employee, Tom Goss, and
appoint someone he is more comfortable with. If you have
problem with that then go after Lee Bollinger.
- I have never talked to anyone who has ever said that Steve
Fisher shouldn't have been fired. But the way that it was
handled was a joke. Goss deserves blame for his handling of
the issue. People are saying that Alumni shouldn't be able
to influence the Athletic Department. Well, when/if the Athletic
department can get along without Alumni donations maybe that will
be the case. But until then realize that Alumni are a constituency
that must be factored into the equation.
- The halo was Bollinger's idea but Goss defended it in the
press. Maybe Goss is getting shot in the back by Bollinger.
- Enough time? Maybe Bollinger is firing him to keep him
from doing more harm than he's already done.
- True. Goss has spent money like it's going out of
style. He has hired questionable people who have wasted
money. Despite making record revenues last year the Athletic
department ran nearly a $3M deficit.
- The Athletic Director position is a big job. There are
very few people who are in the situation that UM is in. Goss
certainly had the resume that seemed to show that he could have
done the job.
- True. Ticket prices were dumped on football and hockey
season ticket holders without explanation. Great announcements
were made (Internet projects) without successful
deployment. Tom Goss needed massive public relations help...
- Maybe. People were not happy to have prices raised without
explanation. They were pissed off to discover that even
after raising ticket prices Goss couldn't balance the budget.
- What a stupid move. I don't think that this issue alone is
what got Goss fired. But it sure does seem like the straw
that broke the camel's back.
Tom Goss did himself in with a series of bad decisions. He put
himself in the position where Bollinger could force him out after his
mishandling of the Jamal Crawford NCAA probe. Was it fair?
Who knows. Tom Goss bragged about his vast business experience
when he took over as Athletic Director so let's look at it in terms he
can understand.
A vice president is brought in to head a high profile division of a
major company. The new VP makes a number of changes that are unpopular
with his customers. He also compounds the damage with a number
of questionable public relations moves. The VP has made a number of
expensive investments to increase revenue, some work, some
don't. The division reports a $3M dollar loss despite record
revenues. The President is embarrassed to find out that the
division is under investigation while watching television with a
number of big customers. VP gets fired...
It's really not that hard to understand...
My other Goss Commentary
GO BLUE!
UMGoBlue.COM Editor-in-Chief, Phil
Callihan
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