Different Worlds For Harbaugh And Neuheisel

by Nestor on Sep 23, 2009 6:00 PM PDT in Football Comment 15 comments

Before getting into the real subject matter of this post let me get something out of the way. I think Jim Harbaugh is a solid football coach. I always liked his fire and passion for the game dating back to his days as a Michigan quarterback. There is no doubt that he has been able to breathe signs of life and passion (even though apparently they have been having a hard time getting people to come to their games) into their football program.

The game against his tough, hard nosed Stanford team which seems to play their hearts out (just like our guys do for CRN) is going to be huge in terms of setting the tone for rest of our season. We will have plenty of time to get to the gmae notes. That said, I thought this story from late summer is worth noting now that the Cardinal are our next opponent. Jon Wilner from the San Jose Mercury News reported the following at the end of August:

This summer, Stanford mega-donor John Arrillaga built a private luxury bathroom and shower for Harbaugh that sources said cost between $50,000 and $70,000.

"John A did a nice job," Harbaugh said Monday of the man who built Stanford Stadium.

The bathroom might look good from the inside, but it looks awful from the outside.

The Stanford athletic department is facing a multi-million revenue shortfall. Fundraising has cratered. Team budgets are being sliced. More than 20 jobs have been eliminated through layoffs and buyouts, and at least one sport (fencing) is in danger of being cut.

So by all means, build the football coach a private bathroom.

"It was something I’d asked for,’’ Harbaugh said. "It cuts down on drag.’’

In other words, it saves time.

Until now, the nearest bathroom was about 20 steps down the hall from the football office. The nearest shower was two floors below Harbaugh’s desk

Wilner went on to speculate how the project "would enrage athletic department staffers and members of the Cardinal sports community," in the current economic climate.

I thought the story was kind of interesting given the message Coach Neuheisel and Howland sent to the UCLA community this past summer when both of them volunteered to take as much as 10 percent cuts from their salaries. Note even though the cuts were mandated for other state employees even though, Neuheisel and Howland were not subject to that reduction because of their multi-year contracts.

Well, I think what folks at Stanford Athletics decide to do is strictly their business. I don't really have an opinion on Harbaugh's (rather expensive) throne. The stark contrast with what CRN (and CBH) did is kind of funny though.

What do you guys think?

GO BRUINS.

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I'm not quite sure what to think

Yes, the message it sends isn’t great, but it’s very different for UCLA, which is a public university. It is also a single private donation and what that man wants to do with his money is up to him. If the guy has the money to build Harbaugh a $50,000-70,000 bathroom then I’m sure he could make a donation to the athletic department as a whole and he most likely already does. Yeah, it looks bad from the outside, but being at a private university and a private, single donation makes it tough for me to criticize it. I can see where criticism would be coming from, but I couldn’t jump on board with it.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Sep 23, 2009 6:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

That’s why I am kind of ambivalent about it as well. Still the whole deal is kind of crazy.

by Nestor on Sep 23, 2009 6:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

you risk allienating players you are asking to put their

all on the line for you with this type of stuff. Its not illegal, but I don’t think it sends the right message of being part of a single team. It looks more like selfishness.

"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"

by silverlakebruin on Sep 23, 2009 7:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

hrm

mixed feelings for me, too. but you have to think that harbaugh is a coach they want to keep around. no doubt he will have suitors in the offseason if the cardinal continue to improve. so, while the timing wasn’t great, i don’t think this is that big of a deal.

by hicalliber on Sep 23, 2009 6:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

No story

John Arrillaga is a mega donor and has donated millions upon millions to the trees. Chalk this article up as another economic scare tactic to spark emotion and drive readers. John A is a classy guy and most likely forced harbaugh to take the bathroom.

by beeru on Sep 23, 2009 7:43 PM PDT via mobile reply actions 2 recs

Harbaugh is just being selfish

Looks like Harbaugh wanted a new bathroom and there was no money in the department budget. So he goes to the big donor tells him he wants a bathroom. He doesn’t care that the rest of the athletic department is struggling. Harbaugh wanted the bathroom to make his life a little easier and that’s all he cared about. Looks like a case of a selfish man doing whatever it takes to get what he wants.

by Gen2Bruin1987 on Sep 23, 2009 7:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Devil's Advocate again.

It does seem like an extravagant expenditure, but I can see the efficiency of the move. I’ll give a couple of examples to support my argument.

When I first graduated from school, I went to work at the Sony Studios in Culver City is some mindless entry level position. I soon learned the Studios had a gym on the lot, and furthermore it had showers. You don’t know how convenient it was to go in early, get a good workout, then jump in the showers and take a short walk to work.

Conversely, I was a with a company later that had moved headquarters in Santa Monica. Well, one of the restroom on the second floor had showers! Those that were into fitness and liked to ride a bike to work were thrilled! Imagine our disappointment when the company decided to use it as storage and filled the shower with a bunch of boxes!

Which company do you think has the happy employees and which has the kind of employees that gripe?

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on Sep 23, 2009 9:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with Mexi

I think it sends a message that Harbaugh is working so hard that he doesn’t have time to walk down the hall or down a couple of steps.

In my youth, I thought the Concorde was an extravagance (especially when I was working for an airline.) A friend of mine traveled to London a lot, probably twice a month, and his time really was so valuable (at least to him) that he needed to take the Concorde so he could have a couple of working hours in New York after he got off the plane from London. It made sense for him to do that given what he did on his job. It wasn’t extravagant for him. (He also bought me a ticket – you don’t get passes on the Concorde – because he had stuff he wanted to talk to me about as we returned from London. All the fast flight did for me was give me a 5 hour layover rather than a two hour one.)

Anyway, I think context matters. I’m sure most CEO’s have a private toilet and shower. Harbaugh is a CEO of Stanfurd’s football program, and would be entitled to a private toilet, just as any football CEO would. (just$c* would be the exception – the entire campus is one gigantic toilet, but I digress.) It isn’t just for the time savings, I’m sure, but time is probably a small factor.

Anyway, I would prefer having Coach Neuheisel working rather than schlepping all over the place looking for a stall that isn’t occupied. And I think he deserves a perk – if he wants a private potty, he should have a private potty.

by Fox 71 on Sep 23, 2009 10:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

CEO's getting special benefits is no longer automatically acceptable

In today’s economy, any little extra that a CEO gets is scrutinized. Even their pay is under review.

Interesting that you chose the Concorde as an example since it has become a dinosaur and can only be found in museums.

by Gen2Bruin1987 on Sep 24, 2009 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think the better comparison

would be if the santa monica headquarters was reducing staff and cutting costs yet decided to spend money to build a shower instead of dealing with the more pressing issues.

I don’t think him having a shower is a bid deal, but the timing is insensitive and could lead to resentment.

"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"

by silverlakebruin on Sep 23, 2009 11:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he’s anything like Tedford (who sleeps at the office 6 nights/week during the season), then it’s definitely warranted/efficient…Plus, it belongs to the Program…once he leaves, the shower/facility stays and acts as an inducement when trying to lure their next coach

by BruinByBirth on Sep 24, 2009 6:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Not an issue at all

I thought it was a stupid article when I read it the first time.

What if I were a big time donor and wanted to build a private hair salon for CBH?

CBH might like it, he might not, but he probably would do what he thinks would make the donor happy.

Harbaugh is going to use that bathroom well. He asked for it because it would help him.

If he had skipped the bathroom I doubt that would have saved anyones job because the money was coming from somewhere else.

If this is the worst I hear from Harbaugh, he gets a big thumbs up from me.

Now lets get back to the important issues and talk about Bruins.

by layout on Sep 25, 2009 9:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Dude...

…why did you have to pick a hair salon for CBH? That’s cold man…ice cold.

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Sep 25, 2009 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Be nice.

Coach Howland has a hair. I’ve seen it, as have we all. When you only got one, you need to care for it. So if Coach Howlend has a benefactor who wants to build him a hair salon, then so be it.

by Fox 71 on Sep 25, 2009 6:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I gobble up Propecia...

I have a lot of sympathy for CBH in that respect.

But back to Harbaugh, after seeing Stanford beat up Washington, he’s an excellent coach.

The Bruins need to be on top of their game to win next weekend.

Bathrooms and hair salons will not make a difference.

Living near Stanford, I hope that they have a good football program and win every game except when they play UCLA. I especially hope they beat CAL every season. I’m happy that it looks like their program is starting to get back to where they were when Willingham was their coach.

I can’t recall any bad things about Stanford athletes and I can’t say anything bad about their fans.

There is a saying that I’m going to mess up but it says that the measure of your success is the strength of your opponents. I want Stanford to have a great program and I want the Bruins to beat them.

by layout on Sep 28, 2009 9:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs