Email from Missy Setters

[CARTEK]

+1 for DONW

[supermel311]

Here's what really went down.

[mikedog]

This is obviously a "belief" and not a fact. I was one who, at the direction of the administration, communicated on Thursday to my friends, Kyle McInnis and John Hubbard, the second and first Vice Chairs of the Bowl, that if TECH did not receive an invite from another Bowl that would enable TECH "to play up" - TECH would play ULM in the IBowl. On Friday the Selection Committee unanimously issued TECH a bid - one without a deadline. On Saturday morning, when the IBowl realized that it appeared TECH would likely be offered an opportunity "to play up" in a different Bowl, Missy Setters was directed to call BVDV with a deadline. TECH told Missy that it wanted to wait until Sunday to see what happened with the other Bowl opportunity. The rest is history!
STF

STF

As you know, Tech reached out to the I-Bowl before Thursday. We flirted a little too hard early in the week to then take the position that we were going to explore our options.

There is plently of blame to go around. Tech should have been upfront from the very start that we were going to hold out for the best possible bowl. The I-Bowl committee should have given us until Sunday. BVDV should have got the Liberty Bowl to commit to Tech in writing.

[markay714]

Considering the Louisiana Industrial Institute didn't beat a single team with a winning record during the regular season they really didn't deserve a bowl bid anyways.

"Anyways", with the beating your team took yesterday I'd have thought you'd still be licking your wounds.

[Tech77]

"Anyways", with the beating your team took yesterday I'd have thought you'd still be licking your wounds.

They are still in celebration mode that they were part of the lowest actual attendance at the I Bowl in more than 30 years.

[supermel311]

They are still in celebration mode that they were part of the lowest actual attendance at the I Bowl in more than 30 years.

simply not true

[CARTEK]

No, it is absolutely true!

[supermel311]

2011 Independence Bowl. A few minutes before kickoff

[Bigdog13]

simply not true

Pathetic any way you look at it. LEave ulm out of it for a second, when Tech asked for more time, it was in the I-Bowls best interests to give that time. They not only hurt Tech but they hurt themselves.

[HogDawg]

My family is friends with several members of the I-Bowl executive committee. They have expressed thier concern to us that the selection committee really screwed up.

They are concerned with the large number of sponsors that have contacted them personally to cancel thier renewals. This large number of "Tech alumni" that are embarrassed by how Tech handled this situation simply do not exist. She may have recieved a phone call or two but they are seeing huge numbers of disgruntled fans and sponsors. Saturdays massive no-show by the local population is evidence of the backlash.

FINALLY! I'm very glad to hear this. It's about time LA Tech fans and alumni showed the I-Bowl folks how important we are to their season ticket and sponsorship base.

The bottom line is, LA Tech --just like any other school with 9 wins-- wanted to wait until Sunday to make it's bowl decision. But the I-Bowl wouldn't wait, despite the fact that neither of their alternative teams (ULM or Ohio) were highly sought after. It would have literally cost the I-bowl NOTHING to wait, and the potential upside from waiting was HUGE for the I-Bowl.

Make no mistake, the I-Bowl was the big loser in this one. Yes, I feel bad for our 31 seniors....but LA Tech will come out of this mostly unscathed. (Especially since we no longer have a coaching staff anyway.) The I-Bowl is in a free fall right now. Corporate sponsors are fleeing, local Tech fans --which make up a large block of the I-Bowls season ticket base-- are angry, and the local media is bitter with this outcome. Yep, the I-Bowl is the big loser here.




HD

[HogDawg]

I see your point. Overall, your post is correct. However, if there is a school an hour down the road with a 9-3 record and a nationally relevant offense, it would be in your best interest to cater to that program (within reason). Unless of course the I-Bowl doesn’t want to make money; if that's the case it looks like they are well on their way to accomplishing that task. It doesn’t matter that we viewed them as a last resort (Plan B). That’s the kind of emotional thinking that led to this disaster in the first place; this is the emotional response people commonly exhibit in the dating world, when they’re picked last for kickball at recess, or when they aren’t invited to Little Johnnies’ 3^rd grade birthday party. This is not the way executives are supposed to think. We’re not talking about trivial emotionally driven matters that hinge on one’s ability to handle rejection; we’re talking about a (potentially lucrative) business arrangement that’s purpose was to provide entertainment for North Louisiana. The I-Bowl lost a ton of money when they invited Ohio in lieu of giving Tech an appropriate amount of time to decide. This is the way an executive is supposed to think. But hey, I suppose it’s nice to feel wanted....

Good post.

[HogDawg]

Does Missy really believe Tech has enough power to get ESPN to digitally remove Advocare logo from the A&M game?

Well....regarding THAT issue, it seems to me that if the TX A&M game was truly a "home" game for LA Tech (as advertised), then LA Tech should be allowed to cater to its' own corporate sponsors, which is really what Tech was trying to do. To my knowledge, "Advocare" is an Indy Bowl sponsor, not a sponsor of LA Tech or TX A&M.




HD

[70TECHGRAD]

He's obviously actually a Tech fan living in total denial since he spends so much time on our board.

If he was a TECH fan....he would have a life.

[HogDawg]

The I-bowl made two major mistakes.

1) They invited Northeast WAY too early. There was NO reason to do that. NLU was going nowhere; there is no evidence or even rumor to suggest they had even a sniff from another bowl. Why? Cause LSU hacks want Tech to know their place and that is to play NLU and USL and stop trying to move up in the FBS world. They knew that a Tech vs NLU matchup would have sold the place out. Do you really think, if they had the chance to get LSU again, they'd try to match them up with NLU or USL or even Tech? You guys need to start seeing this from the eyes of LSU hacks.

2) They fully KNEW that either Tech or Iowa State and another MAC school would be available even late Sunday evening.

Everything else is just dressing/reactions caused by these two massive judgement failures on the part of that stupid bowl.

And, no, I do not think I can tell those idiots how to run their bowl, but, I CAN point out their idiocy.

GREAT POST!! I hope everyone reads it. The I-Bowl played their weakest hand early, when they could have waited and likely done much, much better.

The fact that the I-Bowl invited ULM so early is inexplicable, unless of course, one buys into the theory that the I-Bowl was ONLY doing it to anger LA Tech, and possibly force Tech to play ULM.


HD

[LaTechBulldog75]

If he was a TECH fan....he would have a life.

I was being rather sarcastic since he does nothing but sit on this board and spout off his diarrhea of the mouth in his post.