Jump to content
Guest #1Stunner

Hair Thompson? - Do you want a change in MWC leadership?

Hair Thompson? - Do you want a change in MWC leadership?  

79 members have voted

  1. 1. Hair Thompson? - Do you want a change in MWC leadership?

    • YES. Fire Hair Thompson. Get new leadership. Especially with a new TV Contract on the horizon.
    • NO. Keep Hair Thompson. Hair does a good job, and only does what the Presidents want him to do.


Recommended Posts

There has been so much shyt out of the control of G5 conferences and their commissioners, particularly those with conferences on the edge of P5/G5.  While I'm not defending the Hair, there has been many many bad things happen to the MWC this past 10+ years, most out of our control.  Schools jumped at the opportunity to go P5 and others continue to hope they also get the ask.  We all would jump at the opportunity.  This makes any G5 conference pretty untstable, right?  The only members with much, if any, loyalty to the MWC are the schools with the weakest chances of ever getting invited.  This is a tough environment to do well in, much less survive in.

The World Needs More Cowboys!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, pokebball said:

There has been so much shyt out of the control of G5 conferences and their commissioners, particularly those with conferences on the edge of P5/G5.  While I'm not defending the Hair, there has been many many bad things happen to the MWC this past 10+ years, most out of our control.  Schools jumped at the opportunity to go P5 and others continue to hope they also get the ask.  We all would jump at the opportunity.  This makes any G5 conference pretty untstable, right?  The only members with much, if any, loyalty to the MWC are the schools with the weakest chances of ever getting invited.  This is a tough environment to do well in, much less survive in.

Do you think he maximized your opportunities when the conference was going well though?  That's probably the big test.

You guys have seen him when things have been going well too. 

Other things, such as the conference not being pro-active enough can also be blamed on the Presidents at the time, but it's also the job of the commish to make the right recommendations and push it though.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, nvspuds said:

I would be fine if they got a new commish..The new person may have some fresh ideas.  However, the presidents make every single decision in this conference..Unless said presidents are willing to grant some actual power to a commissioner it is unlikely that the conference could get a top notch candidate to even consider the gig at all..

Although that may be technically correct I don't think most of them have a clue. For example look how often they hire terrible ADs. Nope, the presidents just do what Thompson tells them they should do in this penny-pinching conference.

Just wait. If CBS Sports offers a paltry couple hundred grand more per school if the MWC will bring in Rice and UTEP it's a slam dunk that will happen.

  • Cheers 1

Boom goes the dynamite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, WAC_FAN said:

The fact that despite everything the WAC had going against it--Benson came thisclose to killing the MWC says a lot about Thompson.

It's been too long for me to remember specifics however IIRC, but for Utah State's president letting the cat out of the bag, The Project could have worked.

Not that it much matters to anybody except Thompson since we're all now in the WAC 2.0 anyway.

Boom goes the dynamite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thompson does what he is ordered to do, period.

The presidents decide everything.  

I don't see any reputable commissioner candidate that would have any interest in this job.

I am fine with firing Thompson but it won't make any difference..

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, nvspuds said:

Thompson does what he is ordered to do, period.

The presidents decide everything.  

I don't see any reputable commissioner candidate that would have any interest in this job.

I am fine with firing Thompson but it won't make any difference..

 

I think Thompson has more leadership than you think he does.  Certainly his mission is approved by our presidents.  If I can simplify, there are three kind of commissioners these days.  One set for the P5 conferences, one for the non P5 conferences and one for what I'd call the G5/P5 tweener conferences.  The tweener conferences are the ones with programs that the P5 will poach when the time comes.  I think this is where the MWC conference is and I agree with you that there aren't too many reputable candidates that would want the job at a tweener conference.  P5s have stability (except for Texas), the smaller conferences have stability.  the tweeners are living in a constant state of instability.

The World Needs More Cowboys!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A by laws change that gives more autonomy to a commissioner might help..It isn't likely that the MW presidents will take that course.  But, even if they did make that change there are still problems that are almost insurmountable.  There are not a lot of schools out west and the MW footprint outside of a few big cities is fairly sparse population wise.

There is also a mindset issue.  Many of the members want to leave and will if the opportunity arises..This is a fairly young conference who had their legs cut off by TCU and Utah being poached and BYU going independent.  Boise and SDSU split too and that put the MW in a bind.  Should they try to survive with 8 football/7 oly schools or add schools from a very limited set of western D-1 football schools.. There is very little continuity or any sense of unity.  

You can blame that all on Thompson but I am not sure things could have ever gone any other way after the three schools left the conference.  Nobody would have turned down a chance for a spot in a P-5 conference, the MW never had any chance, even with those schools, of being accepted by the power conferences as an equal.

I, personally, really like this conference and I hope it stays intact and thrives but who knows what the future holds.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, renoskier said:

Was Craig Thompson doing a good job when the league was formed and eventually became prominent on the national stage? Was he doing too good of a job when two of the conferences most successful teams got poached to join richer conferences?

Whenever I hear this "Hair Thompson" bullshit, it mostly sounds like sour grapes from the fans a few schools who got left behind. Just maybe, he's doing what's best for the conference as a whole. How would raising the profile of certain schools, possibly making them a more attractive target for other conferences, help the MWC in the long run?

Says the fan whose school Hair "rescued" from the WAC.  That's OK, we understand your blind loyalty.  

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, aztech said:

Says the fan whose school Hair "rescued" from the WAC.  That's OK, we understand your blind loyalty.  

 

Still butthurt after all these years.

We should set this to music, it could be the Aztec's theme song.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I was to knock Craig Thompson on something recent, it would be how he handled Wichita State's inquiry into Mountain West membership.  

Not that he said no, but how he said it.  "It ain't going to be us."  Flat out rejection without even giving it a thought is a poor look.  Did Thompson even talk to the MW presidents about Wichita State? As the commissioner and face of a conference, he should be looking at ways to improve his league and representing it as best he can.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tell ya what, SGF.  You want Hair gone?  We'll trade you commissioners.  Word of advice though - you might start calling him Dumb Dumb Dennis too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, jdgaucho said:

If I was to knock Craig Thompson on something recent, it would be how he handled Wichita State's inquiry into Mountain West membership.  

Not that he said no, but how he said it.  "It ain't going to be us."  Flat out rejection without even giving it a thought is a poor look.  Did Thompson even talk to the MW presidents about Wichita State? As the commissioner and face of a conference, he should be looking at ways to improve his league and representing it as best he can.  

The article where the quote came from said right in the first sentence that no one from Wichita State had direct talks with the MW.  I do not believe for a second they were interested in joining the MW..But vaguely hinting that they might be interested probably got the AAC to move on this quickly..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I appreciate the job Thompson has done especially navigating realignment and bringing SDSU and Boise State back fron the AAC. 

However Thompson lacks a sophisticated modern strategy and acumen. He served his purpose but it's time for new vision and leadership. This conference could be doing so much more to improve itself as a brand and create separation from the Group of 5. 

It's time. Bring in a Jim Liverngood or another person with the ability to lead this conference in a new direction. The AAC is our main competition and they are pulling away. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We need a new strategic thinker. His stance on "no football, no way" has got to go. Football and Men's Basketball are 1A and 1B. We need to be actively courting Gonzaga, St. Mary's, and BYU to strengthen our conference in either of these two sports. These sports are leverage for better TV deals, either together or on their own merit. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thompson didn't decide the "no football no way stance" you are referring to.  That is a bylaw voted upon by the owners.  Bylaws can and I agree should be changed but Thompson is irrelevant to that.  We should start a concerted letter campaign to the conference presidents..

They won't care what we think but at least it is something. proactive..

However, it is very unlikely that Gonzaga or BYU would have any interest in joining the MW..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, nvspuds said:

Thompson didn't decide the "no football no way stance" you are referring to.  That is a bylaw voted upon by the owners.  Bylaws can and I agree should be changed but Thompson is irrelevant to that.  We should start a concerted letter campaign to the conference presidents..

They won't care what we think but at least it is something. proactive..

However, it is very unlikely that Gonzaga or BYU would have any interest in joining the MW..

This bylaw should be changed, and if we had a commish with balls then he would be the one coming to the Presidents with this change to conference strategy. He's a yes man who will likely never lose his job, but we will continue to fall behind the AAC as the top G5 conference. Even if Gonzaga and BYU have no interest, I'd love to see something that he's actively trying to better our conference with key west coast players.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have zero idea what Thompson does or does not recommend.  The presidents created the football schools only bylaw..

It should also be noted that ESPN, NBC etc..have existing contracts and would be highly unlikely to renegotiate the olympic sports side of the contract to make adding a basketball school more financially appealing to the presidents..

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/6/2017 at 6:12 PM, SleepingGiantsFan said:

It's been too long for me to remember specifics however IIRC, but for Utah State's president letting the cat out of the bag, The Project could have worked.

Not that it much matters to anybody except Thompson since we're all now in the WAC 2.0 anyway.

 

This. (its time to bump this poll)

I am convinced that "The Project" would have worked.

Keeping BYU Olympics as an asset was a crucial must. BYU Olympics was more important than some of the all-sports teams that were added.

Don't @ me. 

Under the WAC banner the conference would be much further along (it also could have claimed Boises 2006-2010 run as a conference achievement) 

Keeping the MWC brand without TCU and Utah was a mistake.

The present MWC membership has played in just 1 New Years Bowl as a member of the MWC.

The one positive about Craig Thompson is that he's not Larry Scott.

giphy.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He should have brought Boise State into the MWC sooner. He should have pulled out all stops to bring Gonzaga into the MWC. He should never have allowed SJSU into the MWC. Granted these aren’t his decisions alone, but a good commissioner should be persuasive when it comes to improving the conference. Thompson is not. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...