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Featured Replies

1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Are you kidding? This is like leaving Cal to take the same job at Pepperdine. Nobody makes this move who is happy with their oversight situation and it’s incredibly embarrassing for Texas.

Look. Maybe you’re right… but your take is also just speculation. I know both Jay and Kevin a bit, so far as I see them at the gym, see them at parties, and have both of their phone numbers. I’ve never heard either of them mention politics, but I have heard them both mention that running UT is like running a small country. 

Well- I’ve heard Eltife bitch about Tx Lege plenty, but not as it relates to UT. 

1 hour ago, Longhornfan1024 said:

My worry is that this means SMU is going to try to money whip CDC into being their new AD.

SMU doesn't need an AD change. Hart has been doing fine.

2 hours ago, Surly Bevo said:

So what sycophant will be coming on to guide the ship?

Prager U leadership.

I don't see how it would be impossible for SMU to pay him quite a bit more.  He makes ~ $1.5M at UT.  SMU has a shit ton of money and I doubt the powers that be would be willing to escalate Hartzell's salary at UT to compete.

All that said, fuck Hartzell, he did a terrible job.  This looks really bad, but the bigger problem is that we're going to get a worse version of him.  Education in Texas is done.

abbott's choice will be someone from the Texas religious right, ut degree 

any guesses ?

35 minutes ago, Gucci_Suit said:

Look. Maybe you’re right… but your take is also just speculation. I know both Jay and Kevin a bit, so far as I see them at the gym, see them at parties, and have both of their phone numbers. I’ve never heard either of them mention politics, but I have heard them both mention that running UT is like running a small country. 

Well- I’ve heard Eltife bitch about Tx Lege plenty, but not as it relates to UT. 


Good points. But still, as an alumnus, it’s just really embarrassing. 
 

Also user name checks out. 😉

Edited by Bozo_Casanova

15 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

abbott's choice will be someone from the Texas religious right, ut degree 

any guesses ?

Shit, I’d thump a bible for that job. 

 

2 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:


Good points. But still, as an alumnus, it’s just really embarrassing. 
 

Also user name checks out. 😉

Yeah, I’m an alumnus too and I agree it’s not the best look. 

But… (to further validate my username, which is from a rap song btw), I texted a buddy of mine from Amarillo who is a SMU guy and dad is a long time trustee. They say they money whipped… but they say that about everything. 

I don’t doubt that the lege is a significant headache to running a world class research institution. But not the knee jerk boogeyman either. 

3 minutes ago, Rex Kramer said:

Absolutely. Our major loss and SMU’s major gain. 

It’s right-leaning. I’m sure of it. Is this a serious question?  Do you know David Miller, and really anyone from SMU?

I would say the Trustees are by and large a little more to the right...but it's like Highland Park moderate right vs. Southlake Carroll right.

Administration, other than Turner and a couple of others, are left.  Your academic leadership from the top down are all left.  The faculty is all left with small pockets of moderate conservatives sprinkled in but who don't say anything.

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Well, the UMC has changed that policy since.  And notwithstanding that, the UMC is far left of the aforementioned axis of evil.  And there are other reasons for seeking the "divorce."

And, we both know damn well that the power that be at SMU are bidness types that are right-leaning.  But more in the intelligently right-leaning, to the extent that exists anymore.

There board is big and is a hodgepodge of billionaires, and ethnicities with varying POVs. I suspect Hartzell’s major task would be to elevate SMU’s academic profile (see Emory). He at least won’t have to talk out of both sides of his mouth about DEI. Given the political climate in Texas, his move is completely understandable.

Edited by Satchel

Last thing I’ll say here.

During Covid, Jay and I worked out a lot at about 5:30am at the neighborhood country club. The way I felt about it then and since, is that he was stressed the fuck out by all the shit that is UT… protests, donors, development, faculty, legislature, etc. My take was that everyone wanted him to be a blowhard and all he wanted to do was play school. Which is awesome- playing school is what we need. But much like being the head football coach at UT, being the President ain’t just about the X’s and O’s of education. 

It’s our loss. Happy for him. 

2 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Are you kidding? This is like leaving Cal to take the same job at Pepperdine. Nobody makes this move who is happy with their oversight situation and it’s incredibly embarrassing for Texas.

75% of the state’s population won’t even know this happened. 99% won’t give any shits about it.   It’s not embarrassing at all.

Do Eltife and Hartzell split the difference and work out in Corsicana?

2 hours ago, Longhornfan1024 said:

This is the move of someone who wants to get the fuck away from the politics.  My worry is that this means SMU is going to try to money whip CDC into being their new AD.

CDC didn't come to Texas to work for Jay Hartzell. He came to Texas to take the helm of an athletic department that is one of a select few that can aspire to be the preeminent athletic department in the country. SMU aint that. 

As for Hartzell,good fucking riddance. He's a spineless bootlicker who couldn't spread his cheeks fast enough for abbot. And yeah, I'm certain the next guy will be worse. Whatever, fuck off Jay. 

22 minutes ago, Rex Kramer said:

This is what he’s sick of. Idiots questioning his leadership, which was superb during the protest bullshit. 

Hmm… respectfully I think he mismanaged that situation. Especially calling in the police for what was a peaceful demonstration. 

29 minutes ago, Satchel said:

There board is big and is a hodgepodge of billionaires, and ethnicities with varying POVs. I suspect Hartzell’s major task would be to elevate SMU’s academic profile (see Emory). He at least won’t have to talk out of both sides of his mouth about DEI. Given the political climate in Texas, his move is completely understandable.

You nailed it.  This is 10000% his task.

39 minutes ago, Gucci_Suit said:

Last thing I’ll say here.

During Covid, Jay and I worked out a lot at about 5:30am at the neighborhood country club. The way I felt about it then and since, is that he was stressed the fuck out by all the shit that is UT… protests, donors, development, faculty, legislature, etc. My take was that everyone wanted him to be a blowhard and all he wanted to do was play school. Which is awesome- playing school is what we need. But much like being the head football coach at UT, being the President ain’t just about the X’s and O’s of education. 

It’s our loss. Happy for him. 

You said it was the last thing, but who’s to blame here? The BOR? Abbott? I get that it was a lot of factors but who could have talked him out of leaving and didn’t?

4 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

You said it was the last thing, but who’s to blame here? The BOR? Abbott? I get that it was a lot of factors but who could have talked him out of leaving and didn’t?

Man I honestly don’t know. Sometimes it just happens?

He should have ended the email with "please respect my decision" and we would all calm down

1 hour ago, Rex Kramer said:

This is what he’s sick of. Idiots questioning his leadership, which was superb during the protest bullshit. 

He didn’t lead shit. He did exactly what Daddy Abbott told him to do.

43 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

You said it was the last thing, but who’s to blame here? The BOR? Abbott? I get that it was a lot of factors but who could have talked him out of leaving and didn’t?

I don’t think either are of a mind to talk anyone out of leaving.

I would have liked him to have stuck around through the lege session, just to take some bullets if nothing else. 

1 hour ago, Rex Kramer said:

This is what he’s sick of. Idiots questioning his leadership, which was superb during the protest bullshit. 

No, it was poorly thought out and embarassing to anyone with a conscience.  He needed to be fired.

More money, fewer headaches. Anyone who turns down that opportunity is an idiot. 

Maybe other shit factored into it. But I'm thinking those 2 reasons are why he made the decision.

Guy persevered (rather impressively, IMO) through two psychotic left-wing invasions in less than 5 years.  UT could (and absolutely would) be in drastically worse shape today had many others been in charge.  Very easy role/position to criticize but extremely difficult to effectively manage given the cultural/political dynamics.

It is both unfortunate and embarrassing for the State of Texas if straw that broke camel's back was in fact the meddling from Abbott, Paxton, et al

Edited by Muny_Tex

3 hours ago, chainsaw said:

That's interesting. I always thought it was like Baylor in that respect.

Then you know little about the United Methodist Church vs. the Southern Baptist Convention. Methodists, as a general proposition, appreciate education and other liberal values, without interference from the church.  

I imagine you can only stomach being President of UT for so many years because of all it takes out of you.  Dealing with State Politics, University Politics, Staff Politics, and trying to run this entire campus has got to be draining.  I'm sure most President's will burn out in that 5 to 10 year range and move on because of what it demands out of 1 person.

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

 

All that said, fuck Hartzell, he did a terrible job.

 

 

2 hours ago, Satchel said:

There board is big and is a hodgepodge of billionaires, and ethnicities with varying POVs. I suspect Hartzell’s major task would be to elevate SMU’s academic profile (see Emory). He at least won’t have to talk out of both sides of his mouth about DEI. Given the political climate in Texas, his move is completely understandable.

It's actually a bit worse than I thought. https://www.smu.edu/aboutsmu/administration/trustees

The only identifiably liberal members are basically the UMC members.  They're all rich bidnessmen, lots of oil and finance/investments.  Rich Templeton of TI is the vice chair and I like him a lot, but don't know how he votes. 

44 minutes ago, royiv said:

He didn’t lead shit. He did exactly what Daddy Abbott told him to do.

His leadership of the University seemed to be pretty good.  The handling of the protests was a big oh shit among the attaboys, though.

I couldn't care less what Vic thinks.  He's a highly paid basketball coach.  He doesn't give a shit about anything but his team, he certainly doesn't give a shit about academics or UT's academic reputation.  He's a fucking Aggie, for crying out loud.

Just now, Rex Kramer said:

100% disagree. Attitudes like this undoubtedly contributed to his departure and make Texas a less attractive place to attend. So you got what you wished for absent the severance. 

LOL yeah the President of a top public university is a snowflake that turns tail when some alums disapprove of his job performance.  Get out of here with that shit.  Hartzell cares not one whit what I think.

4 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Are you kidding? This is like leaving Cal to take the same job at Pepperdine. Nobody makes this move who is happy with their oversight situation and it’s incredibly embarrassing for Texas.

Counterpoint:  Cal’s not in Malibu.

 

1 minute ago, Rex Kramer said:

If it’s pervasive negativity by left-leaning faculty, students, and alums, combined with a  smaller position for more $, I guarantee you he felt it, and it contributed to his decision.

I don't fault anyone for taking more money than their current employer will pay.  That was why he left, I'd bet a week's pay on it.  If he was butthurt over "negativity" then he's just even less cut out for the job.  Do you know many CEO's who get butthurt over what their employees think?  No?  I wonder why that is.

Stop carrying the bucket.  He was a failure.

Weird how there's a lot of political talk in this thread already and yet the mods haven't spazzed and instantly moved it like yesterday. Weird.

35 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

you know little about the United Methodist Church vs. the Southern Baptist Convention.

maybe, but how's your Tolkien and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons knowledge?

  • Popular Post

Lots of bad opinions here. He was a good (not great) president. Got Texas through multiple hard years/situations and left it better than he found it. I wish him well.

 

More concerned with who they bring in next. “The devil you know” and all…

1 minute ago, Rex Kramer said:

Failure?  Lol. Many CEOs get butthurt over what their employees think. That’s when CEOs do petty shit like reduce those employees’ influence or jettison them. Regardless, your characterization of him being “butthurt” is a wild fabrication.  He didn’t do anything petty. He didn’t behave in a manner deserving of a termination. He said “I don’t need this shit” and found a better gig. Unless you think Schlossnagle, after a national champ series appearance, was “butthurt”. Nah, he just didn’t want to be around Aggies. 

YOU said he was butthurt, in so many words.  He absolutely should have been fired, his response to the protests was reprehensible.  I'm done arguing with you, you're a nutjob.

15 minutes ago, Rex Kramer said:

He averted what plagued Columbia and UCLA. It was fantastic leadership. 

Again, he didn’t lead shit in that situation. He took his orders from Abbott. Give your man Abbott his due if you think it was fantastic leadership.

Just now, jimmyjazz said:

YOU said he was butthurt, in so many words.  He absolutely should have been fired, his response to the protests was reprehensible.  I'm done arguing with you, you're a nutjob.

Perfectly qualified to be the next university president?

28 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I like him a lot, but don't know how he votes. 

check his political contributions

13 minutes ago, chainsaw said:

check his political contributions

Good idea.  Small contributions to TI PAC, which is all over the place.

Can't blame him. Half of the faculty and alumni base of UT has gone full retard. SMU will be an easier job, a fraction of the headaches, and probably a pay raise. 

My guess is that Abbott and Soros are in on this together. Advantage ag

Edited by Gucci_Suit

Look. Maybe you’re right… but your take is also just speculation. I know both Jay and Kevin a bit, so far as I see them at the gym, see them at parties, and have both of their phone numbers. I’ve never heard either of them mention politics, but I have heard them both mention that running UT is like running a small country. 
Well- I’ve heard Eltife bitch about Tx Lege plenty, but not as it relates to UT. 

Lobo?
8 minutes ago, wong said:

Can't blame him. Half of the faculty and alumni base of UT has gone full retard. SMU will be an easier job, a fraction of the headaches, and probably a pay raise. 

 

saw an earlier tweet they doubled his salary 

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