Bill Powers and the Intensive Care Unit

[BevoBlake]

Inferiority--

(7:00 am) - This morning Bill hopped out of bed, showered with the same brand of soap he's been using since 2005 and had the house staff prep the same cup of coffee he's been drinking since 1976. Bill lets out a grimace as the coffee slides down his throat like a fresh batch of razor blades, just like it's always done. One of the members of his house staff, a chipper young lady, notices the grimace and feels a tinge of empathy. The young lady notifies her manager that she's going on break and proceeds to make a trip to Starbucks. As she enters back into the Powers estate, she nervously hands Bill a large cup of Starbucks coffee and says "I'm not saying it's the best option out there and it's certainly not the cheapest...but it's better than what you've got." Bill gives the cup a once over before declaring "You don't fix what's not broken!"

Inferiority- the condition of being lower in status or quality than another or others.
Until Powers truly understands what is demanded of an athletic program with the stature of the University of Texas, he'll only hurt the program.

Complacency --

(8:00 am) - As Bill sips back the rest of his Dovo Coffee, he picks up the morning paper and notices that it's been halfway sunken into a puddle of muddy water. He shrugs his shoulders and slaps the newspaper against his mud-tangled bathrobe before heading back inside. He slides down into his recliner into the cushion dented spot he'd been sitting in for well over a decade before opening the soggy yet crinkled paper. He puts on his reading glasses and opens his eyes wide in his attempt to make sense of the words he sees before him. It isn't much longer before the chipper young lady finds herself in the living room, shocked at Mr. Powers' attempt at reading the morning news. Again, feeling an ounce of empathy, she retrieves her iPad from her bag, opens up the newspaper's website and hands it to Bill. She explains "I'm not saying it's the best option out there and it's certainly not the cheapest...but it's better than what you've got." Bill shakes the iPod around in his hand as if to be checking it's weight before handing it back and declaring "I don't need anything like this!"

Complacency - a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.
Until Powers is able to get over the moderate amount of success he's found in his tenure with Texas and Mack Brown, he'll only hurt the Program.

Uninspired--

(8:40 am) - Bill folds back the paper, disgusted by the predictions it had for the "upcoming" game against Baylor and makes his way for the kitchen. He's met by the same chipper young lady who generously offers to make him a nice breakfast. He retorts rather quickly "Make me a piece of toast. A piece of toast with jam. Nothing more." The chipper young lady looks in the fridge to find the perfect amount of ingredients to make a wonderful eggs benedict. She grabs the jam and closes the refrigerator door in disappointment. "Yeah, I suppose that's the best you've got."

Uninspired - lacking in imagination or originality (and/or) (of a person) not filled with excitement.
Until Powers can open his eyes to the incredible things he could make happen in Austin if he'd only use a bit of imagination and creativity, he'll only hurt the Program.

And this is how Bill Powers, acting President of the University of Texas, has found himself in the ICU. He's helped build an atmosphere of inferiority and complacency by maintaining and leading a staff that is utterly uninspired. And I think we're reaching the point where it will either cost him his job, or Mack's. But Bill has to make a decision...before the "powers" that be...make the decision for him.

 

[Lord Vader]

This is really good

 

[LegendaryHorn]

Good lord. Mack Brown's failure to "fix it" is not going to cost Bill Powers his job. Texas is not Mississippi State or some other backwoods school.

 

[Oilfield]

No, it's more like Berkeley.

 

[Randolph Duke]

Good lord. Mack Brown's failure to "fix it" is not going to cost Bill Powers his job. Texas is not Mississippi State or some other backwoods school.

We stated. As I said yesterday, UT would never never recover from the ridicule by other AAU academics if they fired the sitting chair of the AAU because he refused to fire the football coach.

That being said, the athletics program at UT is immense. Powers' failure to effectively a $200 mil arm of the university (combined with other issues that have arisen under his leadership) could lead some to question his effectiveness and erode his support.

Its about being an effective leader and effective leaders do not permit disarray.

 

[GetHooked]

Very well written. I don't know if Powers' problem is his friendship with Mack or his elitist attitude about Saban not being good enough for his school.

He needs to get out of the way.

 

[HornNdriftwood]

So, you fabricate a total fantasy and end by saying, this is how Bill Powers finds himself in his predicament. Then you predict he'll be fired.

The BOR meeting Thur. is more likely to be a vote of confidence.

Powers has much more on his plate than football.

 

[BevoBlake]

So, you fabricate a total fantasy and end by saying, this is how Bill Powers finds himself in his predicament. Then you predict he'll be fired.The BOR meeting Thur. is more likely to be a vote of confidence.

Powers has much more on his plate than football.

Do you need analogies explained to you? And this is about far more than football, as has been explained on this site by many posters on various occasions.

 

[Lord Vader]

Dude made a funny. Don't shoot him over it....

 

[Embrey]

Interesting allegories. They make your point well and the critiques are fair.

I am on record that I believe it is best for Texas' football program if MB steps down ASAP.

That being said, I would hope all of us remember this: Sometimes when you win, the cost is too high. There are going to be hurt feelings on both sides of the current equation when this is all settled. If you are a win at all costs person then this post will all be mush to you. But if you have ever tromped on, on been tromped on by, the one's you care about, you never look at them quite the same. Let us be civil in our disagreement remembering that we all are going to wake up looking at each other first thing every morning.

 

[Oilfield]

So, you fabricate a total fantasy and end by saying, this is how Bill Powers finds himself in his predicament. Then you predict he'll be fired.The BOR meeting Thur. is more likely to be a vote of confidence.

Powers has much more on his plate than football.

Completely agree with this point. He needs to let Patterson do his job.

 

[HornNdriftwood]

Completely agree with this point. He needs to let Patterson do his job.

Patterson wasn't hired to find, vet, interview and hire a football coach. I'm sure that was made plain to him.

Powers raised almost half a billion dollars for the academic side of the University in the last school year alone. That's what he appreciates about Mack. MB allowed Powers to focus on the more important aspects of his job.

Now that that appears to be over, he certainly is not going give up his job over it.

Any notion that Powers is or will stand in the way of releasing Mack and hiring the best available to replace him is speculation. Wait and watch what unfolds.

I think we'll all be happy at the end of the day.

 

[Topstarr]

So, you fabricate a total fantasy and end by saying, this is how Bill Powers finds himself in his predicament. Then you predict he'll be fired.The BOR meeting Thur. is more likely to be a vote of confidence.

Powers has much more on his plate than football.

I agree to this statement and approve to the fullest.

 

[bcherry168]

We stated. As I said yesterday, UT would never never recover from the ridicule by other AAU academics if they fired the sitting chair of the AAU because he refused to fire the football coach.
That being said, the athletics program at UT is immense. Powers' failure to effectively a $200 mil arm of the university (combined with other issues that have arisen under his leadership) could lead some to question his effectiveness and erode his support.

Its about being an effective leader and effective leaders do not permit disarray.

It appears that many on the boards consider Texas to be a football team with an academic institution tied to it. In truth, Texas is a world class academic institution that happens to have a football team. We should not let the tail wag the dog.

 

[Oilfield]

B Charry is right. Why is the president of the university tangled up in issues involving athletics?

 

[lahorns]

Here is my feelings on Powers. If he interferes with Mack being retired, fired or if Mack decides to walk away and Mack comes back for another year he be in trouble. I think the uproar of UT fan base will allow Perry to get enough support to get Powers removed. JMHO no inside information.

 

[TheContractor]

It appears that many on the boards consider Texas to be a football team with an academic institution tied to it. In truth, Texas is a world class academic institution that happens to have a football team. We should not let the tail wag the dog.

No but the Dog is essentially cutting of the tail and the left hind leg of itself. And when you can have a great academic instution and a great athletic department you have the best of both world, aka Stanford. I am not suggesting firing a lame duck Powers but he obviously isnt the best man for this job if the Dog looks the way it does right now, the whole Dog, including the tail.