Can Purdue Compete? (Guest Post)

Every now and again, someone makes a commet to us and we think it deserves more of a read than just within the comments section...Today, we got one of those.

If you visit here often, you might know 'zlionsfan' as he's a regular commenter.  He was thoughtful in his response to J's post, so I thought it warranted a post of its own...so here it is.

Keep in mind, the post isn't exactly in step with what J and I think...but I thought this might cause further discussion.  What are your thoughts?

Right now, there's obviously a gap between where Purdue football is right now (a barely-middle-of-the-pack program that struggles to get to bowls) and where we want it to be (perennial contenders). It's becoming very hard to make the case that Hope is still the right guy for the job. Burke isn't likely to make any changes, though, and in any event, he won't find good coaches willing to work for Hope's salary. With Daniels coming on as president, can he get Burke to put more emphasis on growing the football program, or will he let MJB continue to nickel-and-dime his way to bottom-tier bowls?

I don't think Daniels has a choice. The money to build an elite football program simply isn't there, and it isn't ever going to be, not unless he is able to find someone like T. Boone Pickens. (You know, the guy who donated $235 million to Oklahoma State's athletic program.)

Even with a season of sellouts, Purdue would be more than a quarter of a million tickets behind the top of the conference, and something like 100K-200K behind the next tier of stadiums. That's no less than $3M to $6M in revenue that they have no way to collect; of course when you get beyond the cheap seats, it turns out to be a lot more than that. 

In 2010, Purdue's football revenue was a little under $18.4M, dead last in the Big Ten. (Check the Revenues and Expenses tab for details.) You can probably see where this is going: Indiana's was about $24.2M. Iowa, in the middle of the conference, was $44.5M. Penn State and Michigan topped $70M. 

Basically, the conference elites make $60M-$70M ... but that's the result of decades of planning, support, and success. Beaver Stadium's capacity exceeded 80,000 in 1970; Ohio Stadium in 1960; Michigan Stadium in 1928. They were both lucky and wise, Michigan in particular: it was a lot cheaper to expand stadiums in the '50s and '60s than it is today. (Of course, renovations of a 100,000-seat stadium are expensive, too.) And it doesn't make sense to proceed with Phase II and III of the Ross-Ade expansion when Purdue doesn't even sell out now. 

I think it's reasonable to not be satisfied with catching and dominating the middle of the pack, but even for that, money is going to have to come from somewhere. Higher attendance will make up a little of the difference, but that still translates to IU- or Northwestern-level revenue. High-end JPC members can kick in some money. Where's the rest going to come from? 

In 2010, the cheapest adult ticket to the highest-demand home game cost $46. This was about 25% cheaper than the mean Big Ten price for similar games (right about $60). Burke has been working on department-wide measures to build and maintain a significant student presence, but that just deals with attendance, not revenue. How can a school with a low-capacity stadium and cheap tickets significantly build its revenue?

Well, it's hard. Revenue is suffering because of a lack of success, relative importance (basketball's obviously first here, and with good reason), and other factors. Raising attendance by dropping ticket prices is tricky: you don't want to lose revenue just to try to fill the seats. Raising prices isn't going to work unless you can point to a specific plan, and really, would we believe Burke if he laid one out? Hiring a marquee coach isn't going to happen without the revenue, and even a second-tier coach will think twice about coming here unless there's a plan in place to boost attendance ... which generally is going to require increased success. (And in the Big Ten, revenue is really about attendance: success itself doesn't help that much, because you're going to get a share of the bowl pool no matter what you put into it.)

Burke deserves criticism for not trying harder to build the program with the money he has available (Purdue had about $7M in "profit" from the 2010-11 season; no telling what it was earmarked for, though). Extending Hope because he'll work for next to nothing was a bad move. The root of the problem is deeper than that, and as much as it pains me to admit, it's likely beyond the ability of Burke and Daniels to change. 

However, they can at least make a start. Big-name coaches are not going to take a major pay cut to coach at a school with adequate facilities and a frustrated fan base, but there are up-and-coming coaching candidates available every year; all it takes is one of them who'll be willing to prove himself here. Find someone who can build a decent program at Purdue ... but don't make a long-term commitment to someone just because he's cheap. Give the next guy a few years, and if he doesn't work out, keep moving on until one does. Get the program back to where it was in Tiller's heyday, and maybe then, we'll start to see opportunities to close the revenue gap that is currently making it a challenge to keep up with Indiana and Northwestern, never mind Michigan and Ohio State.

Your NCAA Basketball Bracket Master and Overlord Finally Speaks

[You may recall that winners of the BS Handsome Bracket Challenge get a chance to post here, if they so choose. This year's winner, Kirk, not only has a decent post, but also uses this opportunity in front of BS's roughly 2.3 billion readers (again, I might have to check the figures) to promote his new site. Check it out to feed your ongoing hunger of all things Purdue and keep him honest. And now, please welcome Kirk.]

A guest post at Boiled Sports?  All for putting the smart money on Kentucky in the NCAA tournament (and narrowly beating J in the process)?  Talk about a dream come true. I mean it.

Not to get all hipster on you, but I’ve been reading the site since 2006 (back when some dude named Tim wrote posts).  As a bored graduate student and university employee, I was kicking myself for not starting a blog like Boiled Sports.  I would have fit right in, you see, my story is all about being Boilermaker.

I was born to two Purdue alums who both grew up in West Lafayette but found teaching jobs in suburban Chicago.  As a kid, we’d make the 2.5 hour drive most fall weekends to visit my grandparents and go to football games.  I grew up celebrating the back-to-back-to-back Big Ten champions in basketball, hating Jim Colletto (learning some new curse words thanks to fans in the stands) but loving Mike Alstott, and wearing my Purdue pride on my sleeve as I combatted all the Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Indiana fans that lived near me.  I still remember how nervous I was as I saw Glenn Robinson, still in high school, at Ross-Ade watching a game and meekly asked for his autograph.

Despite my roots as a Boilermaker, it took some fortuitous financial incentive for me to enroll.  My bags were packed for Duke (yep, make fun of me all you want, I deserve it), and it seemed odd as I sat in Cameron Indoor Stadium in the spring 1999 as a pre-frosh on a recruiting trip, surrounded by faithful Duke students and watched on the jumbotron as the Purdue women’s basketball team won the national title against the Blue Devils.  I almost got murdered as my silent rooting for Stephanie and Ukari sometimes manifested in loud claps and shouts of “yes!” (I still believe the only thing that saved me from a beating was the fact that the Duke men’s team would be playing the next night for the national title, so most of the Duke fans weren’t too torn up with the women losing).

Apparently that was the sign that I couldn’t resist the siren song of Purdue.  I was incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to spend a glorious 8 years on campus, completing a variety of undergraduate degrees and grad school.  Call me a geek, but it was hard to leave the place and the friends I’d made. 

Ryne Smith Shares Some End of Season Thoughts

Excited to be here

By Ryne Smith

Special to Boiled Sports

Boilers- 

First of all, I want to send a huge thanks to all the fans for the past four years of my life. Being a Boilermaker is something that I am unbelievably proud of, and I know its cliché but black and gold will run through my veins forever.

I’m glad to join the chumps of Boiled Sports. I was fortunate enough to get to know these guys through Keith Rhoades (BoilermkrHero on Twitter), who is also a chump. But I love ‘em. As for this post, I just wanted to give y’all a follow up of our season, and give some perspective that most people may not get.

The majority of people may already believe this, and you can call me biased but I could care less. Matt Painter belongs in the category of the top tier coaches in college basketball. He is simply the best. I’ve been around the game since I was an infant and he has forgotten more about coaching/basketball than I know. I can say this now that I don’t ever have to participate in one of his practices again, and I’m sure he knows this, but on certain days, I couldn’t stand him. But that was all part of my immaturity. I didn’t see the bigger picture at times. He is a tremendous motivator and looking back on the bad days all can say to myself is, “Ok, I gotcha Coach. You were right.” 

Although there were days where I thought it wouldn’t work out for me, that was never an option. I can say now that I would run through a brick wall for that man if he asked me to, which is true for every guy who was on the roster at the end of the season. After four years deeply involved in the Purdue Basketball program, I can guarantee this: there is not a sniff of illegal activity going on. Purdue just does things the right way. Win or lose. With everything that goes on in major college basketball these days that is seriously something that the Boilers can hang their hat on. Coach has created a system of rules on and off the court that not only creates improvement on the court, but turns boys into men. Coach Paint doesn’t use players for his own good; he helps players use the game of basketball for their own good.   

Spending four years under Painter, and fully buying into his system, regardless of how many points you score, or how many W’s you get, you will exit the program a winner. You will be prepared for the real world, which is ultimately the main goal, correct?

As for the athletic department as a whole, Purdue is first class. Absolutely a first class institution. I get the sense that people criticize Morgan Burke sometimes which is beyond me. [Uhhhh...-J] I didn’t hear anybody criticizing the 100 million dollar renovation to Mackey Arena. I was fortunate enough to get one year in the new palace. I’m jealous of the guys remaining on the team and recruits who get to enjoy that. Also, the work being put on the new baseball stadium, and renovations to the soccer complex is ridiculously nice. I fully believe that when it is all said and done Morgan Burke and his staff will be remembered as the masterminds behind the incredible improvements to Purdue sports. Not to mention the people who hired coaches like Matt Painter, Sharon Versyp, and Dave Shondell, whose résumés speak for themselves. 

Although the improvements to the facilities are remarkable, what’s truly remarkable is where the Athletic Administration has kept the student-athlete GPA. Again, as cliché as it sounds, being a student comes first at Purdue.

This season was a roller coaster ride. Fortunately, even though the end of the Kansas game was the most heartbroken I have ever been, the last portion of the season was the most fun I had ever had with a team. We came together, won some big games, and had a blast doing it. The bond I’ve created with my teammates is something that can’t be explained. 

Lewis and Rob were unbelievable for Purdue’s program. I am so privileged to call them not only my teammates, but my friends. If Robbie Hummel’s story doesn’t inspire you, then you probably just don’t have a soul, let’s just leave it at that. Unfortunately for my future kids, they will have to hear about overcoming adversity like that every time they complain.

I’m trading in my basketball sneakers for a laptop computer to give y’all another perspective with the boys from Boiled. Joining the ranks of non-athletic chumps, but hey, ya #CantKnockTheHustle. Last words of wisdom: Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. 

Then you will be a mile away, and you will have their freakin’ shoes.

Boiler Up, Hail Purdue.

-Ryno

@RyneSmith_

The Drew Brees Signing: An On-Site Report

Deputy field reporters Margaret and her friend Natalie volunteered to head to the Drew Brees book signing and to report back to BS with the experience. What follows is their story, after the jump.

"Yeah, It's Tennessee. That's The Way it is Sometimes"

(Due to technical difficulties on Friday, BS Bracket Winner Jonathan's post did not go up then, as planned. However, we've remedied things and his post is below.)

I go to UT football games and watch the best of the SEC play. Being around SEC fans is surreal. SEC fans are really unoriginal, they all have one chant: “It’s great to be a (insert team name here), I said it is great to be a (insert team name here).”

My favorite story was back in November when three University of Tennessee players held up two men in a car just off of campus. The next day the two men were interviewed and apologized for getting the players in trouble. When asked why he thinks no punishment should be given to the players who held a gun to his head, the victim responded with "Yeah, it's Tennessee. That's the way it is sometimes," Let me say that Knoxville is not as redneck as he makes us sound. To spite my general dislike for UT football and basketball I really love East Tennessee.I would like to say those two men were exceptions but they are more of the rule. I grew up in this culture of football at any cost.

That’s why I am a Purdue fan besides the fact I am an alum. Sure, we do have our occasional off the field issues. However, it is not a regular thing and is not acceptable to our fans. Purdue athletics generally has more STUDENT-athletes then the entirety of the SEC. I get into a lot of good natured debates about the differences between any SEC school and Purdue. For the most part I always win on the student-athlete comment.

Thankfully, Purdue is good at both basketball and football. I really appreciate the basketball team and how Painter coaches. Purdue basketball will always be a power in the Big Ten and in the nation. I hope we can get there with football. So with the last bit of my post I want to provide short predictions for both the basketball and football teams.

Football:

I will call football going 9-3 next season. Our offense will be killer and very tough to game plan for. Now, Ralph Bolden being out hurts but ATM can handle the workload. I think we will see a much bigger passing game. Even without Marve we have a bunch of very talented QBs that my UT fan friends would do anything for. The biggest question in my mind is defense. The D-line and linebackers are set and do not cause me much concern. The secondary is way too young to be good. They could surprise though.

Basketball:

Obviously we will be national champions next season. I know there is very legitimate fear JaJuan is leaving but I think (at least hope) he will not. If he returns next season I see the Big Ten title race being very difficult with Michigan giving us a lot of opposition. I hope Purdue comes out with a hard non-conference schedule to test the team early. The freshmen will play a huge role on this team and really control how we will do whether or not JaJuan is back.

In conclusion, I would like to point out next season is setting up to be possibly the best year for Purdue football and basketball. I cannot wait to prove the UT and SEC people wrong.

Thanks for reading and thanks to the Boiled Sports guys for the prizes.

-Jonathan

Imposters of Purdue Players Removed at Halftime; Regulars Return in Second Half to Beat Hawks 67-56

I volunteered to write this article as the blog’s moderators are occupied with much more important business. As an alumni and current grad student (I’m in my 9th year at Purdue) I couldn’t wait to share my thoughts on the Boilers’ huge blowout, Robbie’s new free-throw record, and the debut of freshman big man Sandi Marcius. Unfortunately, I only get to discuss one thanks to a lackluster first 20 minutes.

Seriously, who were those guys in the first half? I mean the defense was fine. I’ll take 27 points allowed per half all year. However, the offense was sputtering (11-30 in first half) to yield only 26 points and Purdue’s reputation of starting slow continues (see Tennessee, Wake Forest, Alabama, and SIU-E games).

In all honesty, it really just came down to shooting. Other than the first eight minutes or so, it wasn’t that bad. Purdue was just 3-14 during this stretch, including 0-4 from deep. Meanwhile, the Hawks were 6-10 and 3-4 from the arc. I went back and watched this portion of the game, and nothing stood out as being that bad. Purdue was playing hard, most of the shots they took were good shots, and many of the made Hawkeye baskets were challenged or difficult shots that just happened to go in.

Something clicked after that first eight minutes, and especially after halftime. I don’t know if the guys had West Virginia in the back of their minds to start the game, Coach Painter ripped them at halftime, or it was just the law of averages evening things out, but the Boilers scorched the nets in the second half, shooting over 65 percent.

In the end, Purdue ended up above their season averages from the field and the three-point line, and this game just goes to show that the defense will keep the Boilers in games regardless of their offensive performance. Painter has never seemed too concerned about shooting woes, but let’s hope Purdue starts off Friday where they ended against the Hawks and forgets the first half.

Double digit conference road wins are good no matter the opponent, so let’s not be too critical of the boys and just enjoy the winning streak.

A few random thoughts:

• Congrats to Rob on his free-throw streak record. He made his first four of the game (before missing two in a row) to set the Purdue record at 36 in a row. Jerry Sichting hit 34 in a row during the 1978-79 season. If the time gap holds true, one of my sons should break Rob’s record in about 2040.
  
  
• With JJ in foul trouble during the first half, E’Twaun and Rob were their usual productive selves. They combined for 37 points, 15 boards, 4 steals, and 4 assists.
  
  
• Too bad Marcius didn’t get any action tonight. I was hoping the game would be well in hand with 5-10 minutes in the second half and he would get some playing time, but it was not to be. I can’t imagine him seeing much action against WVU, but the Mountaineers have a talented slew of forwards and he could be valuable if JJ or Bade get in foul trouble.
  
  
• Although Marcius missed the game, Bade continues to improve. Through the first ten games, he would usually only infuriate me. However, the last two games he has really impressed. He only played 8 minutes against the Hawks, but had 5 points and a very nice block in the first half.
  
  
• I have been cheering for West Virginia to win so they would come to Mackey undefeated, and they have needed all my support lately. Three of their last four games have been decided by two points or less or in overtime. They needed a last second shot against Cleveland State to win by two, blew a big lead against Seton Hall but prevailed in overtime, and stole a win they didn’t deserve at home against Marquette thanks to some missed free throws and an awesome fade away 20-footer from Da’Sean Butler. The matchup of undefeated teams is set for New Year’s Day. With only a portion of the Paint Crew in attendance on Friday due to Christmas break, all you alumni with season tickets better be screaming your heads off with me and maybe even stand up once in a while. Let’s make Mackey crazy and BTFU!
  

--Guest Posted by David Stewart

So...What Are You Guys Doing Next Week?

Next week the Boilers take on Iowa in the first Big Ten conference game of the season. And, frankly, Iowa is so terrible, we don't think we can watch. Seriously, the bloodshed may be enough to give this one a "mature audiences only" rating. I know I don't like watching baby seals get clubbed, but maybe you sick bastards do.

Does anyone want to write the game recap column? Seriously, we're offering this up in the hopes that someone who is brave enough to watch that game is willing to share their observations. We're afraid watching Iowa basketball might make us worse hoopsters than we already are and, well, we can't afford that.

Actually, none of the above is true, except that we do want someone to write about the game. Fact is, b-dowd and I will both be becoming papas and Tim is out of town antiquing that week.

So if you're interested, drop us a line at BoiledSports@gmail.com and tell us you're up for it. If we get multiple offers, we'll have to figure out a way to decide. I'm thinking arm-wrestling. Only requirements are that you need to offer insight and opinions and not just a stat line -- people can get that from the worldwide leader. Remember, they come to Chotchkie's for the atmosphere and the attitude. That's what the flair's about. It's about fun.

Guest-Starring Role for BS

And now a quick programming note.

The guys over at the esteemed Victoria Times asked us if we'd be willing to help fill in on their site while the two main numbskulls there are off at the wedding of one of them.

Boilerdowd has something of a rapport with Ryan, one of the co-editors there and he made the mistake of asking us if we could help out and guest-blog for them on Sunday. Well, Boilerdowd's out of town this weekend and Tim doesn't even post here, so that leaves... me. Heh. I told them that I'd do my best to bring down his site in just one day.

Hey, Jay Leno was always a guest host and then he got the gig.

Anyway, so if you're bored this weekend go on over and check it out. Barry Melrose Rocks will be handling Saturday and I'll be helping myself to the cookie jar on Sunday.

Please Welcome Our Tourney Winner to the Microphone

[After winning the first Boiled Sports NCAA Tourney Challenge, reader Nick B was "rewarded" with a post of his own here at BS. Not really a big prize, we realize, but what the hell, at least it was semi-original. At least, I thought it was. Then I was browing Deadspin yesterday and saw their tourney challenge winner got to do the same thing. So, uh, yeah, I'm not original at all. Whoops. Anyway, your winner was Nick and he now has the floor. -J]

J Money said "This is just ridiculous. Valpo is 90 miles away, right up I-65. How effing ridiculous. How can someone be such a mama's boy that they're "homesick" from 90 miles away. That's still near home!"

One of my favorite memories from college: Me and my now wife trekking to Columbus to watch the US Soccer MNT beat Mexico 2-0 and qualify for the World Cup. My favorite player: Clint Dempsey. My least favorite: Landon Donovan.

People who don't watch soccer ask me, "Why don't you like Landon Donovan? He's good, right?" My response is, "Yeah, but he could have been better." See, Landon used to play in Europe, where the level of competition is higher, and the ability to improve is greater. But, he came back to the States. Solely because he was not happy in Europe. I thought that was just ridiculous.

Most Americans also think its ridiculous when A) Joe Johnson takes a big contract to go play for the Atlanta Hawks, or B) Karl Malone tries to piggyback onto the Lakers to win a Championship. We are very judgmental when it comes to athletes.

But there other day I was reading a column about Landon, where the columnist pointed out that it seems like Americans don't like Landon because he didn't have an insatiable desire to be the best. Is that fair?

If your best friend told you he wasn't happy in college, and he wanted to transfer, would you call him a mama's boy?

If your brother told you he had an amazing job offer in Germany, but he turned it down because of the language barrier, and the fact that all his friends and family were here, would you call him a failure? Heck, I moved from Indiana to Utah for a good job, and I question that.

Likewise, if your dad had a chance to move from Honda to Chevy to make more money, or your coworker who worked his butt off for 15 years told you he was going to take a job on the board of directors for a direct competitor, would you tell them they were making a mistake?

When it comes to close ones, we realize that we don't know whats best for them, so why do you (and I) think we do when it comes to our heroes?

-Nick B