Collegian feature on Sandy Barbour

[ChiTownLion]

Quality write-up in a 3-part series featuring Barbour, Franklin and Barron.

Sandy Barbour pioneering as Penn State's first female athletic director
Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 3:00 am
By John McGonigal | Collegian Sports Edition

Link: http://www.collegian.psu.edu/sports/article_5260ed9a-ee13-11e4-8ce5-07a6d635b76a.html

 

[TheWitchDoctor]

Cool

 

[lionlurker]

She's a dumbass.

 

[cronk]

I knew I liked her when she spent the nights in Dublin drinking with us fans and RT'ing our tweets about how awesome the bar was!

 

[TheWitchDoctor]

She's a dumbass.

What's your issue? Just a hater?

 

[bjf1984]

I knew I liked her when she spent the nights in Dublin drinking with us fans and RT'ing our tweets about how awesome the bar was!

Yep...she can sure tweet (in fact, I think that may be the only "job responsibility" she hasn't yet hired someone else to do)......probably picked up your tab too (she can spend $$$ pretty good, like a 14 year old girl at the mall). Other than that.....might want to talk to the folks at Cal.

 

[lionlurker]

Oh, she's fine, other than the fact that every time we get trashed publicly she won't ever, ever, ever say anything about it. And she's fine, other than the fact that she remains quiet even though the Big Ten still wasn't giving us our bowl money in full, even though all sanctions by the NCAA were dropped. And she's fine even though she was not qualified for this job to begin with.

She's a dumbass who only does what she is told by the criminals that run this place. Without the scandal, a halfwit failure like her would not have gotten a sniff from PSU for an AD internship, let alone given the keys to run the whole damned thing.

So, yeah, plain and simple, she is a dumbass. I don't care how many stupid tweets she sends out.

And who can forget that she APOLOGIZED for the 409 stickers on the helmets, and said that the gesture was insensitive? That was the most dumbass thing that this dumbass has done yet.

But don't worry. I'm sure she will one-up that massive mistake before much longer.

 

[bjf1984]

Oh, she's fine, other than the fact that every time we get trashed publicly she won't ever, ever, ever say anything about it. And she's fine, other than the fact that she remains quiet even though the Big Ten still wasn't giving us our bowl money in full, even though all sanctions by the NCAA were dropped. And she's fine even though she was not qualified for this job to begin with.

She's a dumbass who only does what she is told by the criminals that run this place. Without the scandal, a halfwit failure like her would not have gotten a sniff from PSU for an AD internship, let alone given the keys to run the whole damned thing.

So, yeah, plain and simple, she is a dumbass. I don't care how many stupid tweets she sends out.

And who can forget that she APOLOGIZED for the 409 stickers on the helmets, and said that the gesture was insensitive? That was the most dumbass thing that this dumbass has done yet.

But don't worry. I'm sure she will one-up that massive mistake before much longer.

One would think that her hemorrhaging Athletic Department funds like a kid in a candy store.....and blowing up the Administrative head count and expenses budget exponentially....might have already significantly "one-upped" the impact of her "409" SNAFU.

 

[OldTiredLion]

So really must be a dumbass if she needs bankrupt Joyner's "advise" on how to run an athletic department.

 

[fairgambit]

I opposed her hiring and so far I am unimpressed with her performance. Still, I want her to succeed and hope in a year or two I will become a fan.

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

As a PSUAlumni....I hope this guy gets and prevails a fair criminal trial. He then sues PSU in a civil suit and further prevails with a verdict so unanimous that he gets his demands... $10 million and his old job back.

Now we'll have two AD's. A real one and some imposter who got fired by Cal. Do you know how difficult it is to get fired at / by a university affiliated with State of California?

So far, all I've seen her do is tweet, which apparently impresses some. Wow...what a threshold for acceptance and competency.

 

[Art]

As a PSUAlumni....I hope this guy gets a prevails in a fair criminal trial. He then sues PSU in a civil suit and further prevails with a verdict so unanimous that he gets his demands... $10 million and his old job back.

Now we'll have two AD's. A real one and some imposter who got fired by Cal. Do you know how difficult it is to get fired by a California University? You really have to suck to get fired in the State if Califirnua, especially at a state-funded institution.

Putting your university in hock for 100 years (and that is not an exaggeration) helps. Yes, there was a need to retrofit Memorial Stadium to safeguard against seismic catastrophe, but then to add $200 mil to the project for non-mandated construction..........when it was known that Cal athletics struggled financially........ expensive on the job training!

 

[Cruising Route 66]

One would think that her hemorrhaging Athletic Department funds like a kid in a candy store.....and blowing up the Administrative head count and expenses budget exponentially....might have already significantly "one-upped" the impact of her "409" SNAFU.

Predictably, the old gas bag makes his appearance. You have about as much knowledge of the Athletic Department's budget/finances as the average ten year old girl. If you don't like how things are being run, I suggest you pack up your tent and go root for a program that will make you happy.

 

[lionlurker]

Predictably, the house-husband makes his appearance. Isn't this supposed to be your busy time of year?

Failing that, isn't that pagan golf course open yet? Or did they remodel the men's locker room and take away the toilet stall that you used for a locker?

 

[richmin3]

Predictably, the old gas bag makes his appearance. You have about as much knowledge of the Athletic Department's budget/finances as the average ten year old girl. If you don't like how things are being run, I suggest you pack up your tent and go root for a program that will make you happy.

 

[richmin3]

I think you need to look in the mirror old man

 

[Cruising Route 66]

I think you need to look in the mirror old man

I look in the mirror every day and smile knowing we're on the right trajectory and the future looks bright.

 

[lionlurker]

I look in the mirror every day and smile knowing we're on the right trajectory and the future looks bright.

Yeah, things are really looking up. They are paying out mega-amounts of money to avoid putting C-woman on the stand, which just gave any other lawyers suing the university a very nice game plan for their retirement planning. As well, it won't matter anyhow, since Sollers will have her under oath eventually anyhow.

Know this, miniprick: one day, there will be a monument in State College, somewhere, that has all of your names on it. And you won't like what it says.

 

[Southeastern PA Buck]

As a PSUAlumni....I hope this guy gets and prevails a fair criminal trial. He then sues PSU in a civil suit and further prevails with a verdict so unanimous that he gets his demands... $10 million and his old job back.

Now we'll have two AD's. A real one and some imposter who got fired by Cal. Do you know how difficult it is to get fired at / by a university affiliated with State of California?

So far, all I've seen her do is tweet, which apparently impresses some. Wow...what a threshold for acceptance and competency.

Dear God please make this happen. It would total justice for Tim and the Paterno brand to have him back in the old job that he was unjustly removed from in 2011.

 

[UNCPSUFAN]

Tim Curley is a good guy, but he was not qualified when he got put in the AD job by Joe. Please the guy botched two men's basketball hires.

 

[richmin3]

I look in the mirror every day and smile knowing we're on the right trajectory and the future looks bright.

Give me a break. Where's the transparency?

 

[bjf1984]

Predictably, the old gas bag makes his appearance. You have about as much knowledge of the Athletic Department's budget/finances as the average ten year old girl. If you don't like how things are being run, I suggest you pack up your tent and go root for a program that will make you happy.

I gotta' admit CR.......I do think this was your finest hour!



LMAO


BTW - Don't think I've forgotten, The invitation remains open...ANYTIME....to get together in person, so that you will have the opportunity to prove just how much I would like you once I get to know you.

I'll await your RSVP.

 

[Cruising Route 66]

Now we'll have two AD's. A real one and some imposter who got fired by Cal. Do you know how difficult it is to get fired at / by a university affiliated with State of California?

Not difficult at all when one is a woman, arguably low on the senior management totem pole, and the Regents need a sacrificial lamb to cover their @sses for approving $445M of Athletic Department debt in the midst of a recession and for a program that wasn't winning.

 

[Cruising Route 66]

Give me a break. Where's the transparency?

Where is Lubrano's transparency and the transparency of the PS4RS slate? Nowhere to be found! Maybe you should ask them first.

 

[bjf1984]

Not difficult at all when one is a woman, arguably low on the senior management totem pole, and the Regents need a sacrificial lamb to cover their @sses for approving $445M of Athletic Department debt in the midst of a recession and for a program that wasn't winning.

There are currently 7 female ADs at FBS level schools.

Of these women in "high positions", NONE of them had ever been fired from a prior athletic administration position.....except for Sandy B. So maybe the issue is not what you purport it to be?

The most accomplished of the female ADs, Debbie Yow of NC State, before joining NC State - turned around a sinking Maryland Athletic Department.......turning huge deficits into surpluses, reducing debt, improving academic performance and on field performance.

Debbie Yow's compensation is approximately 1/2 of what PSU is paying for the woman who was fired after overseeing a Cal athletic department that was driven into the ground.....financially, competitively, and academically.

Those are indeed the facts.
They are history.
One can only hope that history is not prologue.


CR, still awaiting your RSVP.

 

[Raffycorn]

To be frank, aside from being the conductor of the Joe Paterno Gravy Train - the low costs of which helped make football to be one of the most profitable programs in college sports and bankrolled the entire department for Curley's entire tenure - can anyone really provide a comprehensive list of Curley's accomplishments as Athletic Director? He ushered PSU into the Big Ten (although he wasn't the AD when we were invited, accepted, or joined), he was the AD when we built the BJC (which is now derided), the Lasch Building and Holuba Hall, and a number of other large private donation-based infrastructure projects like Medlar-Lubrano and the Rec Hall expansion. On the other hand, Curley's consistent mismanagement and outright carelessness regarding the mens' basketball program, combined with the embarrassment of the Rene Portland situation and the implementation (although not the idea) of STEP showed a distinct lack of vision and leadership.

The fact is that Barbour entered her job at Penn State at a very different place than Curley. For starters, Barbour does not have the instant profits of a football program that makes gobs of money while spending next to nothing on coaches' salaries, recruitment and support staff. Regardless of what happened in 2011, Paterno's inevitable retirement and the inevitable modernization of the football program would have presented extensive challenges - both financial and otherwise - for any athletic director, Curley included. I don't really see any concrete reasons why we're worse off with Barbour than we would have been with Curley, unless you want to argue that if Curley were still here, then the scandal would have never happened - in which case I'd agree.

 

[Cruising Route 66]

There are currently 7 female ADs at FBS level schools.

Of these women in "high positions", NONE of them had ever been fired from a prior athletic administration position.....except for Sandy B. So maybe the issue is not what you purport it to be? Irrelevant. Barbour was at Cal for almost a decade. If she was a bad AD she would never have lasted as long as she did. She received high praise from her former bosses/colleagues and her firing occurred when the Cal Regents needed political cover after the $445M of capital projects/debt they approved for Cal Athletics became problematic when Morgan Stanley fell short of selling enough premium seats.

The most accomplished of the female ADs, Debbie Yow of NC State, before joining NC State - turned around a sinking Maryland Athletic Department.......turning huge deficits into surpluses, reducing debt, improving academic performance and on field performance.

Debbie Yow's compensation is approximately 1/2 of what PSU is paying for the woman who was fired after overseeing a Cal athletic department that was driven into the ground.....financially, competitively, and academically.

Better find a new fact checker because Yow is making $700K/yr. Hang around a bit longer and you'll likely see Julie Hermann at Rutgers get axed.

Those are indeed the facts.
They are history.
One can only hope that history is not prologue.


CR, still awaiting your RSVP.

 

[bjf1984]

LOL I truly might be beginning to feel a bit sorry for you......you've been put in a tight spot by your "betters".

They hired an AD with such an abysmal record, and paid her such huge piles of cash.....that you are reduced to defending their decision by discussing how much money an AD at another University, with a stellar track record, is making.

Not to mention the fact that Yow just received an extension and a pay bump (of 35%) this month..........and still, has a lower comp. package than "track record of failure" Barbour.

We don't even need to get into the fact that aside from "tweeting", Barbour's greatest accomplishment has been spending additional piles of cash hiring other folks to take responsibility for all of the tasks normally associated with actually being an Athletic Director.

And now you are going to sit around hoping that some OTHER AD gets fired.......to justify the hiring of SB????

Even YOU can't actually defend the hire by DEFENDING THE HIRE. Given your low hurdle of logical reasoning....that is saying something!! LMAO. Poor, poor pitiful CR.

LMAO....I'd say I feel sorry for you.....and, if it were anyone else put into your no-win situation, I probably would feel sorry for them........but, hey, I can't lie.



BTW - Still awaiting your RSVP

 

[BlueBand]

It is not Barbour's fault that the once self sustaining athletic department is in the financial situation it's in. Penn State paid coaches on the cheap in just about every sport, and most especially in football. There was no way that was going to continue after Joe left, short of doing a retread of the old staff. It was great while it lasted, but we were spoiled in that way, and you couldn't expect it to last. But, we also accepted mediocrity in many sports because of it. We accepted results that were "good enough." That is changing, although we are not selling out on the academic side to achieve it.

We also had an athletic department that was woefully behind the times, and very inbred. It worked while we had an icon as a head coach, who could raise money just by showing up, and who had years of connections and relationships. He also set a tone of longevity, working for less than top dollar, etc. When we lost Joe, we lost more than a football coach. And we needed to join the 21st century or get left behind. To do that, a lot of changes needed to be made.

Curley, to his credit, pumped money into upgrading facilities. Just like we're hearing about Lasch now, our facilities in many sports were not even close to being on par with other B1G programs, let alone the top programs in the country. Unfortunately he didn't finish that (see the Natatorium) before everything happened. He did start to get serious about upgrading the coaching in some sports as well.

Despite all the changes and added expenses, if you took away the fine, I think we would be OK. Get football attendance back up, and that would help. success in basketball would add to that. We wouldn't have the profits we used to, but I don't think we'd be losing money either.

I've said this before, but I suspect there may be a plan in place to shift the responsibility for the fine over to the university and off the athletic department, but that may have to wait until after the trials. If CSS is found innocent, then its a no brainer (you know the university won't take the money back from programs, but they could forgive the loans to athletics). OR if Curley is found innocent, even if the other two aren't, it could be argued that it was an administration failure, not athletics.

As far as Barbour not demanding the bowl money, etc. -- you don't know what's being done or said in private between the league and the university. There are certain things you don't do in public (like addressing ref issues). So I wouldn't read much into that. I know we all want someone to step forward and defend the university and/or athletic department, but she still has to consider the general public to some degree (many of whom consider us pedophile enablers still), and remember she has a BOT over her that we know is dysfunctional and has its own share of bad actors with their own apparent motives and agendas. She can't just completely thumb her nose at them in public if she wants to keep her job.

 

[lionlurker]

She remains a dunce. No excuses, no rationalizations, and no Curley-insulting will change that. The fact remains that she got this job because she was unemployed and she was willing to do what she was told, and she was willing to take orders from liars and thieves and schemers and C-women.

If it weren't for the enormous damage that Surma and Peetz and company did to PSU, she would never ever in a million years had the qualifications for this job. Period.

 

[dwiz]

She remains a dunce. No excuses, no rationalizations, and no Curley-insulting will change that. The fact remains that she got this job because she was unemployed and she was willing to do what she was told, and she was willing to take orders from liars and thieves and schemers and C-women.

If it weren't for the enormous damage that Surma and Peetz and company did to PSU, she would never ever in a million years had the qualifications for this job. Period.

Agreed with everything, except she STILL doesn't have the qualifications. She just fit the pant-suit. No amount of hand waving by the resident trolls here can change that.

 

[lubrano]

Cruising, to what transparency do you refer in an earlier post?

by the way, why don't you share with all of us, since you suggest you know, your knowledge of the Athletics Department budget/finances? Given your background and success, I for one am interested in what you have to say.

 

[BlueBand]

She remains a dunce. No excuses, no rationalizations, and no Curley-insulting will change that. The fact remains that she got this job because she was unemployed and she was willing to do what she was told, and she was willing to take orders from liars and thieves and schemers and C-women.

If it weren't for the enormous damage that Surma and Peetz and company did to PSU, she would never ever in a million years had the qualifications for this job. Period.

Look at her entire resume, not just what happened at Cal. Also, lots of highly qualified people get fired for various reasons at some point in their career, let's be honest.

Now, was she the top candidate? We don't know who was interviewed. We also don't know who turned us down because of the situation in the athletic department (fine to pay, etc.). That's not her fault.

Most people don't seem to like her because 1.) she hasn't been as forceful in defending PSU as they'd like, and 2.) she's made a couple of missteps on Twitter. First, just like you can't say certain things at your job and expect to keep it, neither can she. second, you think Curley never made mistakes? His style was different, he kept himself very low profile, and hence you rarely saw him screw up (or only a handful of people did). Well, other than basketball coaching hires. Barbour has a different style, and that's OK. She's on social media, she's more visible. Nothing wrong with that.

OK, there are two other reasons people don't like her, but they probably use the above two as a cover.

The top candidate for a job isn't the only person who can do the job. Do you think that O'Brien or Franklin sniffs the job if Joe left under different circumstances? How many jobs have you interviewed for and didn't get that you know you would have done a great job at?

She's made a couple of mistakes but she hasn't done anything that is so horrible for anyone to consider her unable to do the job and incompetent. Joyner, on the other hand... how quickly we forget. Give her time.

 

[lionlurker]

Cruising, to what transparency do you refer in an earlier post?

by the way, why don't you share with all of us, since you suggest you know, your knowledge of the Athletics Department budget/finances? Given your background and success, I for one am interested in what you have to say.

Glad you saw that, Anthony. Unfortunately, CR doesn't respond when he is asked to explain his pronouncements. Much like the people in power whom he worships, he does not believe he needs to explain himself to anyone. Just like the people he worships, CR is a coward.

 

[bjf1984]

Let's be honest....that's one of the weaker straw-man arguments we've seen in a long time:

"Most people don't seem to like her because 1.) she hasn't been as forceful in defending PSU as they'd like, and 2.) she's made a couple of missteps on Twitter"

Oh, I am sure that there are some that will look at those issues and feel that is "enough" to not like the hire.
But most folks, certainly those who have taken any time to examine the hire, felt it was a disaster waiting to happen, given the decade of broad-based failure under her watch at Cal.....and since then, in her limited time at PSU, she has done nothing but reinforce those concerns (lack of fiscal discipline, failure to own up to missteps...."Yes, OK, so the results were atrocious....but, but, but...we improved the "culture". That's it, the culture. Yep, that's what I did. Let's see them try to measure that!" LOL).

Just like with any other individual in a high profile position, some people will just not like her because they don't care for her aura, her personality, or even the relatively inconsequential "social media" type stuff.......but there is PLENTY there of substance to make one VERY concerned about her hire, and about the huge costs associated with her hire.

In many ways, a very similar hire to the Eric Barron situation.


BTW CR - still awaiting your RSVP

 

[bwifan]

Glad you saw that, Anthony. Unfortunately, CR doesn't respond when he is asked to explain his pronouncements. Much like the people in power whom he worships, he does not believe he needs to explain himself to anyone. Just like the people he worships, CR is a coward.

I look forward to the day Tom or someone else finally bans CR66 and his spam... He spews this junk day after day and yet when called out directly never responds or disappears for several days to where he was called out in public is buried 3 pages down. Well CR66 Mr. Lubrano has asked for your facts and thoughts specifically to be stated here for all to see you brillance. What say you?

 

[91Joe95]

Cruising, to what transparency do you refer in an earlier post?

by the way, why don't you share with all of us, since you suggest you know, your knowledge of the Athletics Department budget/finances? Given your background and success, I for one am interested in what you have to say.

He'd tell you, but the lawyers say he can't talk about it.

 

[JR4PSU]

Cruising, to what transparency do you refer in an earlier post?

by the way, why don't you share with all of us, since you suggest you know, your knowledge of the Athletics Department budget/finances? Given your background and success, I for one am interested in what you have to say.

Anthony, unfortunately, as soon as you posted asking for a response from CR, we are guaranteed not to hear from CR again in this thread. It's the only way he can feign ignorance of your post. He just ignore it. As soon as he posts in this thread again he has no out.

 

[Cruising Route 66]

Cruising, to what transparency do you refer in an earlier post?

Anthony, you and the PS4RS slate campaigned on a platform of bringing university transparency to the alum and other university stakeholders. The transparency I previously referred to was the same you and your PS4RS cohorts said they would provide which I assume to be the classic definition of openness, communication, and accountability.

While I never expected your cohorts to be successful in enhancing these things at the university level, I thought you and they would exponentially exhibit these attributes at the personal level but I don't find that to be the case except when it comes to vilifying your colleagues who don't see things your way.

by the way, why don't you share with all of us, since you suggest you know, your knowledge of the Athletics Department budget/finances? I didn't suggest anything other than bjf not knowing anything more about Athletic's budget than a prepubescent girl. But yes I likely know more about Athletic's budget and BTN finances than anyone in this forum but I'll defer to you to impart some of your own knowledge on the subject. In the spirit of the transparency that you yourself promised us, surely you wouldn't mind providing us with Athletic's budget including the line item detail. And while you're at it, why not be even more transparent by telling us who of the dissident group is funding Graham Spanier's defense (or any of the other defendants) and how much each is giving. Yet to be more transparent, why not tell us if the insurance companies have settled and for how much and what's contained in the report from the federal government's investigation of the Sandusky matter.

Given your background and success, I for one am interested in what you have to say.

The Board is comprised of a number of massive ego people each thinking they are smarter than the next and particularly of those running the show. It's just human nature. That's why people like you and I went out and started our own business. After being the top dog, it can be difficult transitioning to an environment where we no longer are in charge and I'm certain you know that.

All Boards have a pecking order and and a way of doing things. No matter what we might say or do to try to change any of it, the odds are heavily stacked against us when we're in the minority and the alumni elected trustees are in the minority. I refrain from giving you any advice because I think you really don't want any and because I think you're unlikely to take it. Recognize that the people at the top of the pyramid have big ego's too and will do whatever is necessary to maintain their place in the sun. Again, you're smart enough to know that.

Finally, I've found that I'm much happier looking forward in life than looking back. That's why I've moved on from what happened almost four years ago. Except for a small vocal minority, I think most alums have moved on too.

 

[TheWitchDoctor]

Oh, she's fine, other than the fact that every time we get trashed publicly she won't ever, ever, ever say anything about it. And she's fine, other than the fact that she remains quiet even though the Big Ten still wasn't giving us our bowl money in full, even though all sanctions by the NCAA were dropped. And she's fine even though she was not qualified for this job to begin with.

She's a dumbass who only does what she is told by the criminals that run this place. Without the scandal, a halfwit failure like her would not have gotten a sniff from PSU for an AD internship, let alone given the keys to run the whole damned thing.

So, yeah, plain and simple, she is a dumbass. I don't care how many stupid tweets she sends out.

And who can forget that she APOLOGIZED for the 409 stickers on the helmets, and said that the gesture was insensitive? That was the most dumbass thing that this dumbass has done yet.

But don't worry. I'm sure she will one-up that massive mistake before much longer.

So, she never says "anything" when Penn State get's trashed publicly? That's because she's smart. Unlike many on this board who like to "pretend play" CEO. Why comment at all? Penn State is trashed publicly every hour and a half. Chill the F out and let the woman run the athletic dept. without bringing Paterno into it somehow. For god's sake. Until they build some giant statue from the Game of Thrones with Joe straddling the campus, none of you chuckle heads will be happy.