Geoff Brown and Janine Purcaro Released from Duties in Athletic Department
- Thread starter RUScrewed247
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Exactly!! Bravo!! The question becomes who is leaning on Hobbs, and trust me someone's doing a little leaning here. To think otherwise is being naïve.
I think it's you complicating the uncomplicated.
Most likely it's as simple as these individuals were not performing up to Hobbs standards/expectations and/or he wanted to bring in his own people. Or they did something that would constitute as a fireable offense.
Not everything is related to politics, Christie, the Med Merger.
From 1990-2013. I am not sure of the Boscovs situation, but I know Kohls carries the local college and pro sports teams in all their markets(as does Target and Dicks) as an effort to tailor merchandise to the local community.
And my response doesn't make any sense lol.
The team isn't on the court during timeouts because it's a timeout? You don't say?
Now explain to me what any of this has to do with attendance. You're saying if our promos were better, we'd sell out even if our team stinks? Yeah, I don't think so.
This is what ive been alluding to - im not saying much because there is not much else to say. The assertion that someone is leaning on Hobbs to replace th CMO of Athletics marketing is off base. RUtrap clearly has an ax to grind.
The sixth page of no one knowing anything and counting . . .
Bingo. When I was at Michigan in the 90's there was a store in the local mall "M Den", everything Michigan. We need an equivalent.
Same as the napkin shortage at the football games. You're not getting alumni to the games (CC class of '91) to a basketball game on a weeknight in traffic when the team is terrible. No matter how good or bad marketing is. Same with football. I'm a diehard when we stunk before (& during the beginning) of Schiano's run I would go to the games & I couldn't give tickets away. I upped from 2 to 5 tx. Now in the B1G no one wants to go. The increase ticket pricing, mandatory donations, game start times (I understand this) is putting diehard fans at or above their pricepoint. Let alone someone from New Jersey (even if we were called NJU) coming to the games because of our marketing. Better product, more fans & people wouldn't cry about $5.00 water, premio sausage etc. Unless you have a medical condition eat before you get there. Even in your car 3 hours won't kill you.
Geoff did what he could. Can't wait to see what the next guy does. If we go 2-10 again next, even if we will get filet mignon at the concession stands, we won't sell tickets.
but better atmosphere and concessions can keep the diehards who have to sit through the hideous product year after year, customer service also involves taking care of your paying customer, I feel RU fails at that.
earlier this year for hoops they had free Big 10 calendar giveaway but in typical RU fashion they didnt come in and everyone received a voucher for it, same thing happened a couple years ago with free Big 10 t shirts, didnt have them and you have to get a voucher to get at future game, which of course they didnt have anymore after the first game, Its botched stuff like that matters, you think it does but it does, thats their job
Not to mention other issues Im not sure it has to do with Brown but the website for purchasing and renewing tickets is just amateurish and works like it came out of the late 90s....inexcusable in this day and age to have such a confusing and botched website that people have had difficulty with
earlier this year for hoops they had free Big 10 calendar giveaway but in typical RU fashion they didnt come in and everyone received a voucher for it, same thing happened a couple years ago with free Big 10 t shirts, didnt have them and you have to get a voucher to get at future game, which of course they didnt have anymore after the first game, Its botched stuff like that matters, you think it does but it does, thats their job
Not to mention other issues Im not sure it has to do with Brown but the website for purchasing and renewing tickets is just amateurish and works like it came out of the late 90s....inexcusable in this day and age to have such a confusing and botched website that people have had difficulty with
Michigan is the winningest college football program in the history of the game. They sell out a 100,000 seat stadium every week. They have a storied history of success in many sports, for literally generations. The M Den is awesome, I've been in it, but it wouldn't succeed in New Brunswick, let alone a mall somewhere in NJ. My daughter is at RU now and for her entire life we've never even lost a first round NCAA game. Over 10 years ago we finished 3rd in a 9 team league and beat a 7-5 KSU team in a 3rd tier bowl. How can you compare RU to UM? Cause we played them this year? It was 78-0
This is an entirely different topic than why the marketing guy got fired, but several people have brought this up. Not his fault. Not the fault of anyone at RU. Simply supply/demand. Nothing more. We go to BCS games 4 years in a row, you'll see more RU stuff than you can imagine. Hell, I'll take one Rose Bowl before I die
It's already been said my man.
Regarding napkins (can't believe I started a sentence like that) it's the responsibility of the concessions employees. Aside from having our CMO of athletics stuff the napkins himself there is nothing that can be done other than Sodexo's manager being tougher on concessions staff.
the concession employees are volunteers which brings up another point....we need to ditch volunteers and move past the mom and pop stage in our athletic department
I met Geoff Brown since I was on the Fan Advisory Board last year. I found him to be open to new ideas, realistic about the ability to implement them and knowledgeable of the market for RU athletics. I spoke with him directly before the New Mexico game about the Alley and as muchh as he wanted it to succeed I could tell he was having concerns since it was getting pretty wild.
I dont know what his involvement with Concessions was but to me that task should not fall under Marketing but should be an Operations responsibility. Maybe he ws high enough on the organization chart that the Operations department reported nto him. Either way, he (we) was stuck with a terible vendor.
Regarding merchandise, a comment was made about Rutgers not owning any stores. The bookstore is run by Barnes & Noble who is probably the #1 college bookstore company in the country. As far as other retailers carrying RU items, the further you get from campus the less merchandise you see. Stores carry what sells. And winning teams selll more than losing teams.
In the end, sorry to see Geoff go.
I dont know what his involvement with Concessions was but to me that task should not fall under Marketing but should be an Operations responsibility. Maybe he ws high enough on the organization chart that the Operations department reported nto him. Either way, he (we) was stuck with a terible vendor.
Regarding merchandise, a comment was made about Rutgers not owning any stores. The bookstore is run by Barnes & Noble who is probably the #1 college bookstore company in the country. As far as other retailers carrying RU items, the further you get from campus the less merchandise you see. Stores carry what sells. And winning teams selll more than losing teams.
In the end, sorry to see Geoff go.
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seems like no one knows the real reasons and that might never come out.
So I'll just wish Geoff and Janine success in finding employment quickly.
So I'll just wish Geoff and Janine success in finding employment quickly.
Apparently one poster does and has already shared that info in the thread. But I can't seem to find it.
If you do, could you tell us the reason.
Awesome. There's some great deals on Monmouth & Seton Hall apparel too out there.
Gotta say, it's tough watching all you little people guessing at or pretending to know why they were fired. I mean, the real reason is right there in front of everybody's eyes obvious as the sun at noon on a cloudless summer day.
What two high-profit concessions have fans been clamoring for and are somehow still not available in either the football stadium or basketball arena?
It's a wonder they lasted as long as they did.
What two high-profit concessions have fans been clamoring for and are somehow still not available in either the football stadium or basketball arena?
It's a wonder they lasted as long as they did.
I suppose so. But I'm not a MU or SH fan because they aren't my state's university.
Something tells me Clemson is having no trouble with merchandise sales these days, whether it's anywhere in the state of South Carolina, heck even in Columbia SC....somewhere directly across the street from the USCe campus...or anywhere that bandwagon fans exist (which is everywhere since it's human nature)....but ya know, helps to win a NC in football and all.
i think sojo doesnt want to give specifics, but reading between the lines, it seems they were both let go for not performing up to Hobb's expectations
that's how I am taking sojos replies and references.
Mildone,
Janine was the CFO for RU athletics. Her job and the job of her staff was to make sure every Dept. in Athletics stuck to the budget. She is not responsible for the concessions profits!
I know Janine and my wife had the pleasure of working side by side when the 2 worked at the RU foundation. She was above board and never, ever did stupid shit with accounting when she was at the foundation! And I doubt she did any unethical things at Athletics as well because, we had conversations about being in a position that you sign your name to internal audits, budgets, etc., that she would screw her career on unethical accounting methods.
My wife is sad to see her go, and will reach out to her when the time is right. Whatever the reason for her dismissal is between her and Hobbs who she reported to.
I don't think anyone is saying people buy or don't buy tickets directly based on the timeout promos.
But they certainly have an indirect effect, because they impact the gameday experience.
I think a big reason people buy tickets to collegiate sporting events is because of an emotional connection. Alumni certainly have an emotional connection to their alma mater. And even non-alumni, like me, form an emotional connection to the collegiate atmosphere. The emotional connection makes you feel like you are part of something bigger .... the university. Without the emotional connection, college sports is nothing different than minor league sports.
Now certainly winning is the big driver in getting new fans. People buy tickets and attend to watch winning teams. But the emotional connection keeps them buying tickets, even in down years.
And the timeout promos impact that emotional connection. If the timeout promos makes fans feel like they are at a college event and get them engaged with the traditions and collegiate atmosphere, you help build and reinforce emotional connections. If the timeout promos make fans feel like they are at a minor league game, you lose the opportunity to engage the fan and build the emotional connection.
So while no one is basing ticket buying decisions on the timeout promos, it is part of the experience that determines if someone becomes a long-term fan, even in down years, or not.
Yes - "make sure every Dept. in Athletics stuck to the budget" - but also a lot more - see her RU BIO -
Purcaro joined Rutgers Athletics in September, 2011. Her responsibilities include athletic financial affairs, strategic planning, budget preparation and management, contract administration, human resources, information technology, ticket office and athletic financial aid.
She was the athletic department’s chief financial officer and human resources liaison - basically, in addition to chief financial officer - she was head of HR for the Athletic Department - she was the point person for HR through the whole basketball coach Mike Rice mess - during said mess she was athletic director Tim Pernetti's right-hand & very much involved - she was the voice and authority for HR .... and continued to be throughout her tenure. So, if there were issues with how the athletic department’s HR operated, how policies were enforced, how employees were trained on policies, how performance was measured & reviewed, how HR compliance was assured .... she was the one ultimately accountable. When Kyle Flood would insist he was never trained on various policies and procedures - he was basically throwing her under the bus ... especially if some how he had been allowed to skip out on some of that HR stuff cause 'he didn't have time' ... if there were stated policies regarding substance testing that were not followed - ultimately she is accountable for the lack of complete compliance with the policy.
Given that there have been a number of items in this general area that have created a stir, she was in a bit of a vulnerable position. To be very clear - ABSOLUTELY NOT claiming to know what went down - simply pointing out that she was in a role that had multiple exposures to risk - - risk that was potentially attributable to the mis-steps of others.
It may be entirely unfair - but it is like the guy who is president of company "X"
.... and some Pacific Region division manager for company "X" bribes an official in country "A"
.... guess who ( by regulation) gets prosecuted and can go to jail? yep - president of company "X" .... ah .... accountability in a regulated environment....
It's called "winning".
You put a team of the quality of Clemson or Ohio State in Piscataway and you'll see Rutgers gear everywhere. The football team just had a sad, sad season and the basketball team is in the midst of what seems like an endless series of non-competitive seasons. And now even the women's basketball team has become inferior.
Just what kind of conversations does one expect will be initiated by wearing Rutgers gear ?
So you're saying that winning is the antidote to many of the problems we face state wide. I agree.
Here's a licensing pet peeve of mine.. why do we need to SEE the TM or register mark on all the Rutgers products?
Put it in the lable.. put it on the packaging.. put it on the tag... but why does it have to be printed on the shirt, sewed into the hat, etc?
Is our spirit mark the R or Rtm ?
Put it in the lable.. put it on the packaging.. put it on the tag... but why does it have to be printed on the shirt, sewed into the hat, etc?
Is our spirit mark the R or Rtm ?
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"politics" does not necessarily mean "Trenton". The politically connected want to be able to get their friends and family jobs in the public sector. Many people think Hobbs selection was a political accommodation. Recommended by Christie, Barchi said "great.. I'll fire JH right away". Is it really so hard to believe that such an accommodation is not in the works for this position?
Sure, whoever is hired will have some marketing background... but will they also have political connections to support their candidacy for the position?
Suppose Hobbs ignores suggestions from the politically connected in these hires.. and things do not improve. His head then become the plum for the next hire.
Maybe you know Hobbs will go outside the state and hire someone from one of these universities that sells a lot of product. Someone with no connections in New Jersey. That's the kind of thing that puts this question to rest, imho.
EVERYONE is a buckeye fan. down to the high school dropouts, who all sport their Buckeye gear. Even aholes who went to other schools are Buckeye fans. My boss went to Cincinnati and all she wears is Buckeye gear with her never-went-to-college husband. Annoying. The pro teams all suck so that contributes some what.
The poster I was replying to specifically mentioned Christie, hence, my Trenton reference. The firing of Geoff Brown was not politically motivated. Will the next hiring being political? Will there be influence from Trenton? Maybe, maybe not. I tend to think the latter.
But no one politically connected said fire Geoff Brown.
How do you know this to be true? If you think the new Governor coming in is going to leave people in place from the last administration you're mistaken. Rutgers is not that immune from political influence and their autonomy will only provide so much cover. I'm not sure why the firings occurred, it could have been for a host of reasons including politics.
