Am I being unrealistic?

[Pinto]

With the National situation we are now in, is it unrealistic of me to expect the athletic department to have everything perfect come football season?

If I?m Cohen, I?d be sending out questionnaires to season ticket holders to see what suggestions/improvements they see/desire at football games this season. On top of correcting all the enormous screwups from this previous season.

Then I?m having Weekly staff meetings (can be done virtually) to make a plan of action and to see that as much as feasible is met.

If we have football season, people will be beyond hungry for sports and MSU must get the fan experience completely right to capitalize on that hunger.

[ShotgunDawg]

No it's not unrealistic.

In fact, it may be more realistic for everything to be perfect since all anyone has time to do right now is plan

[Commercecomet24]

Good idea.

[MetEdDawg]

Yeah but in theory who is going to be able to execute anything? Can't have crews working on stuff. No guarantee certain companies we partner with will have the ability to activate normal operations immediately.

I think it's great to have some ideas ready to go. But implementation of said ideas is virtually impossible. I mean sure you can create content and disseminate it to people. But as far as executing major changes to our football experience when we aren't even sure we are gonna play?

I would say wholly unrealistic. Like I said, great to be talking ideas. But you aren't gonna see hardly anything change this year across the country because of funding concerns. Big donors and big companies are laying off employees and not making as much money as you normally do. So university revenue streams and donations I would expect to be down. So free capital to do major projects just isn't going to be floating around like it usually is.

I would keep expectations low this year for any major changes and that goes for virtually every program. You just can't do much right now and that's not going to change for the foreseeable future.

[RiverCityDawg]

Yeah but in theory who is going to be able to execute anything? Can't have crews working on stuff. No guarantee certain companies we partner with will have the ability to activate normal operations immediately.

I think it's great to have some ideas ready to go. But implementation of said ideas is virtually impossible. I mean sure you can create content and disseminate it to people. But as far as executing major changes to our football experience when we aren't even sure we are gonna play?

I would say wholly unrealistic. Like I said, great to be talking ideas. But you aren't gonna see hardly anything change this year across the country because of funding concerns. Big donors and big companies are laying off employees and not making as much money as you normally do. So university revenue streams and donations I would expect to be down. So free capital to do major projects just isn't going to be floating around like it usually is.

I would keep expectations low this year for any major Ganges and that goes for virtually every program. You just can't do much right now and that's not going to change for the foreseeable future.

I agree with this. More contingency planning and distractions than there are opportunities to sharpen what you have in place or make wholesale improvements. Might get a new idea here or there, but I'm expecting more snags because of this rather than perfection.

[smootness]

Are you being unrealistic in an expectation that coming out of a national shutdown, where we likely won't know if any of the season will be played until basically right up until it is, and where nobody is really going to work until probably into the summer, everything will be perfect?

Yes, probably.

[FISHDAWG]

I'm curious as to how all of this is going to effect the advance season ticket sales ...... I'll bet we will probably see some re-shuffling from folks waiting to see ..... Maybe they should try the first come gets best seating or something

[Liverpooldawg]

I'll be shocked if we have football season.

[R2Dawg]

With the National situation we are now in, is it unrealistic of me to expect the athletic department to have everything perfect come football season?

If I?m Cohen, I?d be sending out questionnaires to season ticket holders to see what suggestions/improvements they see/desire at football games this season. On top of correcting all the enormous screwups from this previous season.

Then I?m having Weekly staff meetings (can be done virtually) to make a plan of action and to see that as much as feasible is met.

If we have football season, people will be beyond hungry for sports and MSU must get the fan experience completely right to capitalize on that hunger.

I would say that is unrealistic. No normal planning now. Everything is upside down. You can't plan in circumstances like normal.

I work in an essential business and it is a whole new world trying to do just simple things now. We can't even plan for tomorrow like we did today; that is how fast things are changing. The world will not flip a switch and go back to the old normal either. Our operation will forever change just like after 911.

[Commercecomet24]

Yeah but in theory who is going to be able to execute anything? Can't have crews working on stuff. No guarantee certain companies we partner with will have the ability to activate normal operations immediately.

I think it's great to have some ideas ready to go. But implementation of said ideas is virtually impossible. I mean sure you can create content and disseminate it to people. But as far as executing major changes to our football experience when we aren't even sure we are gonna play?

I would say wholly unrealistic. Like I said, great to be talking ideas. But you aren't gonna see hardly anything change this year across the country because of funding concerns. Big donors and big companies are laying off employees and not making as much money as you normally do. So university revenue streams and donations I would expect to be down. So free capital to do major projects just isn't going to be floating around like it usually is.

I would keep expectations low this year for any major Ganges and that goes for virtually every program. You just can't do much right now and that's not going to change for the foreseeable future.

Always has to be a party pooper lol. But yeah I'm afraid you're right. It was a good idea, though. We are all in such unchartered waters right now, and nobody knows what's gonna happen. Our world will forever be changed by this and a new normal is taking place.

ETA I do like your reference to the major Ganges though lol.

[Pinto]

This whole thread and line of thinking is why the football experience and athletic department is garbage. It?s called contingency planning.

You know what you have to have, you know what you need to correct so you put those plans in place. You create a plan for normal operations then you determine what are essential to operations and can?t be cut. Then you figure out what levels need to be added back based on priority. Just because you don?t know the variables, doesn?t mean you don?t plan.

On top of all this fans need a distraction and to feel included (something our AD is terrible at) this gives fans that opportunity. Sure you can?t do it all but these are your clients so while you have time, see what they would like and study the feasibility of implementing it.

Too many company men in our AD. Just rowing the boat to stay afloat. Not caring if we surge ahead or if others pass us just so long as we float along. Have a dang vision and try something new even if it?s just reaching out.

Lastly, if we aren?t striving for perfection in everything we do as an AD and university then what?s the point?

[BiscuitEater]

With the National situation we are now in, is it unrealistic of me to expect the athletic department to have everything perfect come football season?

Hate to bust your bubble BUT no one knows what the country will even be like come football season. Much less what to expect for the first game.

[Pinto]

Hate to bust your bubble BUT no one knows what the country will even be like come football season. Much less what to expect for the first game.



So we sit back and do nothing? I just don?t get that line of thinking.

[Hot Rock]

Sit back and do nothing? Not exactly what is being said.

Actually being able to pull off a football season might be a monumental task in itself. It would be a poor time to try and implement change when you don't even know if you can pull off what you had before.

Sure, some new ideas can always be floated around and something may even happen but it certainly should not be a focus. Right now, I am trying to decide whether to get groceries in the house or not or see if we can make it until next week.

[smootness]

Planning can absolutely happen.

But the amount of unknowns that will be in place all the way until the season either happens or doesn't means that you have no idea when you can begin executing those plans.

They should absolutely be planning, and I'm sure they are. But expecting perfection is dumb.

[Maroonthirteen]

I don't see how any big, new changes can be made.

However Cohen is well aware of the entrance gate problems and concessions. Supposedly that was being addressed as the season ended. So hopefully those things can be improved upon. However other than that.... I can't see anything changing for next season. If there is a next season.

[Maroonthirteen]

I'm curious as to how all of this is going to effect the advance season ticket sales ...... I'll bet we will probably see some re-shuffling from folks waiting to see ..... Maybe they should try the first come gets best seating or something

I bet everyone's numbers are way way way down. I saw a TV commercial for Memphis tiger season tickets last night and laughed. Who would buy those now without any idea if there is a season?

[basedog]

I'll be shocked if we have football season.

I'm in agreement with you Liverpooldawg, after seeing what is going on in New York, I just don't believe now we can have a football season. I do think things will be much improved late summer early fall, but this thing about "grouping" ain't gonna work for a while.

Hope I'm wrong but can't seen schools up in the NE being ready for outside/inside sports for a while.

[dawgs]

I'll be shocked if we have football season.

At least a football season with crowds. I'd say a CFB season is 50/50 right now, and if it happens, looking like like at least 75% chance there's no crowds, probably a 20% chance there's stadiums at reduced capacity (~half?), and 5% chance of normal crowds.

[Todd4State]

I'll be shocked if we have football season.

I'll be shocked if you can accurately predict something like that five months out.

It's not like we're not progressing with how to manage this- and won't make progress between now and then.

And Trump will not let the economy collapse. He'll tell everyone to just fend for themselves before that happens.

[BrunswickDawg]

I don't see how any big, new changes can be made.

However Cohen is well aware of the entrance gate problems and concessions. Supposedly that was being addressed as the season ended. So hopefully those things can be improved upon. However other than that.... I can't see anything changing for next season. If there is a next season.

The concession issue isn't just football - it's Aramark services campus wide. That's why we had food trucks at baseball games and they had been allowing them on campus since mid January (until the shut down). My understanding is that the admin is working to get us out of the contract.

[Ezsoil]

Well I bet there will be a football season., I even think MLB will at least have a shortened season and I bet there will be NBA playoffs perhaps an expanded playoff field. I do bet a temperature check will become part of the screening for the next season and all arena activities.

It was just three weeks ago that we were watching MSU Baseball in Biloxi. Since that time, the private sector has developed a five minute test, masks and protective materials and ventilators are being produced by a number of companies, the treatments with approved drugs are showing a ton of promise....the public/private response to this has been unprecedented and just demonstrates why the US is the greatest country on the face of the planet. With what has been accomplished in such a short period of time, it won't be long before we will start to ease back into our regular lives.

[Todd4State]

Well I bet there will be a football season., I even think MLB will at least have a shortened season and I bet there will be NBA playoffs perhaps an expanded playoff field. I do bet a temperature check will become part of the screening for the next season and all arena activities.

It was just three weeks ago that we were watching MSU Baseball in Biloxi. Since that time, the private sector has developed a five minute test, masks and protective materials and ventilators are being produced by a number of companies, the treatments with approved drugs are showing a ton of promise....the public/private response to this has been unprecedented and just demonstrates why the US is the greatest country on the face of the planet. With what has been accomplished in such a short period of time, it won't be long before we will start to ease back into our regular lives.

Well said!

[BiscuitEater]

So we sit back and do nothing? I just don?t get that line of thinking.

OK .. I'll play. Instead of 'sitting back and doing nothing' .. post the depth chart and the date we start fall practice.

[BiscuitEater]

I do bet a temperature check will become part of the screening for the next season and all arena activities.

You're betting they do a temp check on ~61,337 + all workers, players and coaches? Before they play the Thursday Night game?

I'm hoping that won't be necessary by opening day.

[coachnorm]

I am worried about this upcoming season because medical clinics are closing down here in San Diego. I received communication from Kaiser Permanente that only hospital care is available at this time. This tells me that Kaiser is freeing up space for a reason. I hope that this is not upcoming triage planning. I know someone in the medical field that has had sit downs with high ranking military officers who are trying to grasp how to integrate with civilian medical also. Again I keep thinking triage contingencies. Sport venues are being designated for potential triage facilities also. I am worried that even if we weather the storm, will it flare up again if social distances are breached at sport venues? I am worried yet hopeful for this upcoming season but not confident. I just do not know how important this season is in the grand scheme of things.

[BeardoMSU]

You're betting they do a temp check on ~61,337 + all workers, players and coaches? Before they play the Thursday Night game?

I'm hoping that won't be necessary by opening day.

We can hope (or dream).

Consider this....do y'all think the NCAA is going to allow a situation that permits Alabama's starting QB, RB, CB, and/or stud DL having to sit an important game because their temperature wasn't kosher? No way we play a season with such a random (and potentially far reaching) variable seriously impacting games.

[Jack Lambert]

There will be football. There could be schools not field a team. It is very possible we have to reschedule another team to replace Tulane. It might be a shorten season where we only play SEC schedule. I believe there will be football. We have about four more weeks of shut down before people start to get angry. The country will start to open up again in 30 days. There will be football and I will be sitting in my seat ringing the hell out of my cowbell. I may not go to a road game this season but I will be at Davis Wade.

[Bothrops]

50/50 is probably the best guess on football season.

[Todd4State]

There will be football. There could be schools not field a team. It is very possible we have to reschedule another team to replace Tulane. It might be a shorten season where we only play SEC schedule. I believe there will be football. We have about four more weeks of shut down before people start to get angry. The country will start to open up again in 30 days. There will be football and I will be sitting in my seat ringing the hell out of my cowbell. I may not go to a road game this season but I will be at Davis Wade.

I'd cut Alabama A&M before Tulane.

It's not going to be an issue anyway.

[coachnorm]

The US Navy is getting hit hard. Read the link about what has evolved on the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Roosevelt was on deployment and now is not capable to function being that the commanding officer has notified his superiors to remove the crew because of the virus? The team, the US Navy, is impacted so how can we be certain that football is not at risk? That is why I am worried about this season.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/battling-an-outbreak-captain-of-aircraft-carrier-asks-navy-to-evacuate-crew/2020/03/31/cfa57e1c-7363-11ea-ae50-7148009252e3_story.html

[Todd4State]

The US Navy is getting hit hard. Read the link about what has evolved on the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Roosevelt was on deployment and now is not capable to function being that the commanding officer has notified his superiors to remove the crew because of the virus? The team, the US Navy, is impacted so how can we be certain that football is not at risk? That is why I am worried about this season.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/battling-an-outbreak-captain-of-aircraft-carrier-asks-navy-to-evacuate-crew/2020/03/31/cfa57e1c-7363-11ea-ae50-7148009252e3_story.html

Don't make assumptions on the future based on the present. This WILL end at some point. We're probably about to enter the worst of it. In the meantime we will make progress on how to treat this and also it will get weaker over time. Even if it tried to make a "comeback" in the fall.

[BB30]

I know this is getting a touch off topic and has been discussed but if we aren't back to team workouts by beginning to middle of July I don't think you'll see a college season. These guys will need some time to get back into playing shape and if they don't have that time you won't see a football season for fear of a lawsuit. All it takes is one player dying during a game to start a lawsuit feeding frenzy and I don't think the NCAA nor the conferences will be willing to take that chance.