A Must Read

[CykoAGR]

DO you expect them to look at your opinion the same as a season ticket holder or donor? If you do, you need to wake up.

With regard to the business comparison: If I have a customer come up to me and say "Hey, I think you guys need to change this because the way you are doing it isn't working" I am going to take it into consideration and possibly take action. Now if a non customer, someone who does not and has not done business here says "Hey, you guys do things completely wrong and the product you seel is ****. Also your employees suck as well" I am not going to try and please him. One, because he is an ******* and two because my company is no better off with someone like that on board.

My point is not only the status of the fan but also the tone. Had the original emailer had a different tone the response may have been different.

Look at this from the other end. If you are a season ticket holder or donor, do you really want your opinion weighted the same as someone who gives no money to the program and does not help further the program?

I agree, had the fan used better judgement then JP would have as well, but as the AD he should have used better judgement anyway. Even no response at all is much better than what he did.

If I am the business owner in the situation mentioned above I would at first try to say " I'm sorry that you feel this way, can you please tell me why you feel this way so that I can improve the situation and better serve you and my other customers." If i don't say this how do I know that this person doesnt use another branch of the same business that I run? Think of a chain restaurant or something. If you turn him away from your Burger King chances are he doesnt go to the other Burger King's either.

If the guy continues to be a jerk then you need to be the bigger person as the manager and just walk away or politely ask him to leave. This is my point, JP lost his cool and sent a message that could have been left alone but is now circulating and being talked about all over Cyclone country.

I'm not defending the fan, just saying JP used poor judgement and he should be better than that. I have made similar mistakes when I am emotional but I have had to pay for them and JP will/should have to admitt he is wrong. Unfortunately he hurt ISU more than he helped no matter if his intentions were good.

 

[benjay]

If you are a fan of something, I don't care if you pay or not, if you feel strongly about a program you actually follow even if you can't afford to contribute money to it, I think you have every right in the world to make suggestions on how to improve something.

Suggestions, yes. Lectures, bitter remarks, accusations, rude comments, calling for people's heads... not so much.

 

[marothisu]

It's a stretch to call that email suggestions on how to improve. That suggests constructive criticism. This was not.

I'm just talking about in general. I emailed JP a few years ago about an improvement and a suggestion. I said this is lacking, might want to consider this. He wrote me a completely defensive email back almost insulting me saying I didn't know what I was talking about. Then three days later he makes an email to the public stating something, which was my original suggestion.

 

[VeloClone]

This is really making JP look bad.

That's the general idea.

 

[06_CY]

I have never bought a BB ticket, yet have attended my share of games through the years.

That's fine; have you claimed you bought them in a email to the AD?

 

[VeloClone]

I'm just talking about in general. I emailed JP a few years ago about an improvement and a suggestion. I said this is lacking, might want to consider this. He wrote me a completely defensive email back almost insulting me saying I didn't know what I was talking about. Then three days later he makes an email to the public stating something, which was my original suggestion.

Fair enough...I have only gotten positive responses and have heard of very few (yours only if it was you earlier in this thread) negative responses.

 

[NobodyBeatsCy]

Sounds like a good kid to me.

 

[VeloClone]

Sounds like a good kid to me.

Doesn't write like one.

 

[marothisu]

I agree, had the fan used better judgement then JP would have as well, but as the AD he should have used better judgement anyway. Even no response at all is much better than what he did.

If I am the business owner in the situation mentioned above I would at first try to say " I'm sorry that you feel this way, can you please tell me why you feel this way so that I can improve the situation and better serve you and my other customers." If i don't say this how do I know that this person doesnt use another branch of the same business that I run? Think of a chain restaurant or something. If you turn him away from your Burger King chances are he doesnt go to the other Burger King's either.

If the guy continues to be a jerk then you need to be the bigger person as the manager and just walk away or politely ask him to leave. This is my point, JP lost his cool and sent a message that could have been left alone but is now circulating and being talked about all over Cyclone country.

I'm not defending the fan, just saying JP used poor judgement and he should be better than that. I have made similar mistakes when I am emotional but I have had to pay for them and JP will/should have to admitt he is wrong. Unfortunately he hurt ISU more than he helped no matter if his intentions were good.

Exactly. When you are in a powerful public or business position, even if someone writes you something nasty and it pisses you off, you don't jump the gun and respond with whatever is on your mind.

JP's general idea might be okay, but the way he presented it doesn't make him look very good. It's all about how you present ideas sometimes.

 

[CIVILCY]

Please tell me matt isn't a teacher that ate at Legends.

I got a free meal, the product wasn't good enough and now I want the staff fired.

 

[marothisu]

Fair enough...I have only gotten positive responses and have heard of very few (yours only if it was you earlier in this thread) negative responses.

Right. It surprised me how he responded to mine. The only remarks I made were about how I've been to many other colleges games and they don't do what we do in the situation. I think he took offense to it. Oh well.

 

[hursts]

As an AD of a BCS school you absolutely cannot send an email like that. Pollard MUST be more professional than that.

 

[CylentButDeadly]

This ordeal doesn't change my opinion of JP at all. He's a very good AD and we're fortunate to have him. Keep rolling JP and go Cyclones.

 

[michaelrr1]

Pollard doesn't come off looking good at all after that. He needs to win fans over, not push them away. He keeps digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole he may never get out of.

 

[jamestaylor]

Pollard stepped on it no two ways around it. Hes never shy for the media when things are good, step up, admit it was a mistake and move on.

Oh, and Mr Pollard, many of us have paid taxes in this state for years and were here prior to your arrival and will still remain when you are gone. Dont forget who pays your salary.

 

[06_CY]

I agree with this Kent guy; these 2 yo-yos are way off. This kid NEVER bought a ticket, according to him, so he has NO voice in this subject. It doesn't matter what his parents bought. He said that was his last ticket purchase...he said he never bought one.

 

[PGreen ISU '92]

I don't e-mail JP very often (maybe twice a year maximum); however, when I do he responds every time. He's also courteous, professional, and appreciative every time. JP's frustration comes from the fact that he is expected to produce Texas results on ISU's budget and not cheat (see K-State and Baylor). That should be brought up.

 

[coachdags]

Oh, and Mr Pollard, many of us have paid taxes in this state for years and were here prior to your arrival and will still remain when you are gone. Dont forget who pays your salary.

I think the whole point of Jamie's reponse was if want to help contribute and or support, It would give more value to Matt's opinion.

Kind of ironic with your post don't you think...?:wink:

 

[snowcraig2.0]

I am shocked at the lack of accountability by our fanbase. Our AD may or may not have said this, but if he did, it looks terrible for ISU, plain and simple. Own up to it.

 

[marothisu]

I agree with this Kent guy; these 2 yo-yos are way off. This kid NEVER bought a ticket, according to him, so he has NO voice in this subject. It doesn't matter what his parents bought. He said that was his last ticket purchase...he said he never bought one.

So, every single sports team you've ever been a fan of you've bought a ticket yourself to their games or what?


Not everyone has the money to go to games, or time. Just because you don't monetarily contribute to an organization doesn't mean you can't have a constructive opinion. I'm a consultant. Businesses pay my company money to do something for them -- whether it is making a new product, or improving a situation. I'm not going to lie, 50% of the companies I have consulted for, I've never once bought their product. So why would they pay us money to make them improve if the only way to measure something is by whether you've contributed monetarily to their organization?