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Baseball
17-12 (6-3)
7-1 win over Duquesne
9-4 win over New York Tech
8-0 win over Wagner
2-1 win over Xavier
4-3 win over Xavier
6-5 loss to Xavier

Golf
Hofstra Invitational: 3rd/3 teams
Yale Invitational: T10th/20 teams

Softball
20-10 (8-0)
14-6 win over UMass
8-2 win over Columbia
4-3 win over Columbia
4-1 win over Rhode Island
16-7 win over Rhode Island

Men’s Tennis
Atlantic 10 Championships: 10th/10 teams

Women’s Tennis
11-5 (3-1)
7-0 win over Rhode Island
7-0 loss to UMass
4-3 win over Lehigh

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
Rider Invitational: 2nd/4 teams

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Rider Invitational: 2nd/4 teams

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• These are all great ideas, but here's the key question: IS ANYONE GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? Or just post on the board and let it float away? (NT) -- Rambacker, Thu April 14, 2005 17:21:22

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• Click on this message to view the season-ending results for all fall and winter sports. -- ramMan, Sun April 10, 2005 21:57:51

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• ramMan, do you know the current Commissioner's Cup standings and where to find them? (NT) -- J92, Sun April 10, 2005 22:12:11
  • Fordham is next to last in the standings -- Click here, (NT) -- ramMan, Mon April 11, 2005 08:02:56
    • This is just one more piece of evidence that we need a new Athletic Director. Our budgets compare very favorably with other schools in the A-10, but our performance clearly does not. Frank is now in his fourth decade of presiding over a sports program that has been an ongoing embarrassment to Fordham. His retirement is long overdue. Why isn't Father McShane taking action? Is he so involved in academics, fund-raising, and planning expansions at Lincoln Center that he doesn't know (or care) about the abysmal Athletic Department a few hundred yards from his office? Does he simply feel sorry for Frank? Has he been charmed by Frank's blarney? Or is it that the president is relying on the unwise counsel of Jeff Gray? It seems that nothing ever changes at Rose Hill. (NT) -- Frank Must Go!, Mon April 11, 2005 18:17:33
    • Just the number(and length) of posts here on the need for a new AD illustrates the level of urgency people are feeling about this issue. It's a statement in and of itself. (NT) -- Rambacker, Wed April 13, 2005 14:29:51

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• We need a new AD. No question about it. But what remains a question is what is it going to take for a change to be made. Is there a legitimate chance we are stuck w/ current AD till he retires (yikes!!!) or are their potential catalysts out there that would cause a change sooner? I'd like to think that his record speaks for itself.... I'm curious to see what peoples thoughts are re: the feasibility of a regime change..... This is the real question, not whether or not we need a new AD... (NT) -- Ram1, Mon April 11, 2005 18:44:38

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• I find it interesting that people are screaming about Frank below the most positive set of team records I think I've ever seen on the board. I'm not doubting that we're next-to-last in the Commissioner's standings, but talk about not looking at the silver lining. It never helps your credibility when you hammer someone when the reasons for doing so seem quite apart from the subject at hand. P.S. I'm using a new monicker. I've given up "Drag-less," adopted to celebrate the departure of Hill. (NT) -- Rambow, Mon April 11, 2005 18:57:43
  • Rambone would be a better monicker. Just one man's opinion - maybe I should take that one. (NT) -- J92, Mon April 11, 2005 19:25:56
  • I was responding to the post indicating that we were next to last in the Commissioner's standings, an annual assessment--and not the results of one good week. You remind me of a broker who tried to sell me tech stocks when they went up for one week during the "tech wreck" of 2000-2002. Do you really think a bunch of victories in one week signals the end of four decades of athletic mediocrity under Frank? You can't be serious. (NT) -- Frank Must Go!, Mon April 11, 2005 20:36:38
  • And the whole time I thought it was b/c you stopped wearing dresses. (NT) -- ace93, Mon April 11, 2005 21:25:52
    • Who stopped? Maybe Hill's famous "Fordham Drag" remark was actually an allegation about the sexual preference of rams. Of course, wearing a dress might have been a good strategy for male Fordham fans in those years, somewhat like fans wearing paper bags over their heads out of embarassment at their team's performance. (NT) -- Rambow, Tue April 12, 2005 19:18:49
  • Rambow f/k/a Drag-less. you have nailed the problem. Frank survives because no one makes an intelligent case against him. The rantings on this board are frequently so ridiculous, and from the same posters over and over again, that it is easy for Frank to say that his detractors are nuts. (NT) -- WordsofWisdom, Mon April 11, 2005 23:42:36
    • "no one makes an intelligent case against him"??? The stats alone should be intelligent enough to get him fired. If there was a case to be made then even Marcia Clark could win this battle. I think the real question is.. Has the administration ever called him to the carpet for his continually sub par leadership and lack of any sustainable success? I find it hard to believe they have. If there has been a trial questioning the competence and efficiency of our AD then the witnesses have not been from this message board. I find it insulting that you believe that no one on this board makes an intelligent case against our AD. We are all Fordham grads and mostly rational, informed and intelligent people. (NT) -- J92, Mon April 11, 2005 23:59:12
      • The problem of this message board is that even when a rational anti-Frank post is made, it is invariably followed by a number of less rational posts with a fair amount of personal abuse thrown in. Thus, the value of the first post becomes diluted, as it becomes associated with the rest of the dicussion. As a result, posting a message here, even a thoughtful one, isn't the way to make the case against Frank. Can we just leave it at that? (NT) -- WordsofWisdom, Tue April 12, 2005 02:25:07
        • You are correct in that if a case is to be made for replacing the AD, it should be made directly to Fr. McShane and the Board. And it should be done rationally and with tact. There have been some very eloquent arguments on this board that favor a new AD, but this won't result in a change. Only true activism on the part of alums and students will do that. (NT) -- Rambacker, Tue April 12, 2005 05:55:49
          • I'm a freshman at Rose Hill and very involved in the athletic program ie. 6th Man Club and work study job in the athletic department. There are rumblings around campus, as most students are definitly looking for a positive change in the Athletic Department. Furthermore, most of these students recognize that this change must come at the highest level of the Athletic Department and not from lower "band-aid" type solutions. Fortunately, these rumblings are growing. What types of actions would you suggest for students to show their dissaproval for the current athletic administration and to voice our opinion that dramatic change is necessary? Any thoughts would be appreciated (NT) -- BronxRam, Tue April 12, 2005 13:00:37
            • A massive letter writing or petition drive to Fr. McShane urging him to: 1. properly fund and staff the athletic department; and 2. to elevate the AD's position to VP and create a direct reporting line to the President's office. The current structure where the AD reports to the VP for Student Affairs is too bureaucratic. (NT) -- bfg, Tue April 12, 2005 13:37:55
              • Great suggestions. Also, get the United Student Government involved. The administration will take your efforts more seriously if your elected student leaders are behind this. They are supposed to function as the student's voice to the administration. This will give you more credibility. (NT) -- JoltinJoe, Tue April 12, 2005 14:15:31
                • And avoid personal attacks on the AD. The administrators like the AD. He is well regarded by many administrators and benefactors. It's not about the AD. It's about improving our current system. (NT) -- JoltinJoe, Tue April 12, 2005 14:17:57
                  • Joe, Frank is despised by many benefactors and adminsirators that I know personally. Also, he has run programs that consistently lose and consistently come in at the bottom or near the bottom of the A-10 across the board. In spite of very competitive budgets. His arrogance and his attitude towards many is why he gets attacked personally. He is responsible for two ( 2 ) of the worst university decisions in the school's history ( Patriot League, Bob Hill ) and he goes on public radio complaining that their are enemies within his own organization preventing him from performing. There are valid reasons he gets personally attacked. Let's get a little bit realistic here. (NT) -- '85, Tue April 12, 2005 15:23:19
                    • " there are " (NT) -- '85, Tue April 12, 2005 15:25:05
                      • How do you account for Frank's astonishing longevity, given the lackluster results under his watch? Frank has been a part of Fordham for nearly forty years, and he has built his fair share of goodwill. Attacking Frank, as a strategy for change, has limited upside. An overall positive message and vision is more important. (NT) -- JoltinJoe, Tue April 12, 2005 19:09:03
                        • BronxRam, suggestions enclosed. Click on message. -- JoltinJoe, Tue April 12, 2005 21:37:19
                        • One disturbing but logical conclusion: Frank has pleased his bosses over the years. I've always believed that what you see is what was wanted. How else do you explain so many years of losing records? (NT) -- Rambow, Wed April 13, 2005 15:03:47
                          • Frank doesn't make waves and goes with the flow. He also let's Jeff Gray do his Woody Hayes act without a peep. Any real AD would have been gone years ago with that dark cloud hanging over his head. We will never get a top flight AD if the position reports to Gray or any VP. The new AD must be a VP reporting to the President. (NT) -- Rambacker, Wed April 13, 2005 15:13:20
            • Gather as many students as possible(hundreds would be preferable) and ask for a meeting with Fr. McShane, and Fr. McShane only. Closed door is preferable so there is no intimidation by athletic staff, Jeff Gray, etc. and air your grievances in an organized, intelligent and tactful fashion. Be prepared with a list of reasons why you think the change is needed. And I would suggest that you arrive with a petition from as many students as possible(over 1000 names would be preferable to illustrate the extent to which students are dissatisfied). Then ask for a similar meeting with the Board of Trustees. (NT) -- Rambacker, Tue April 12, 2005 13:39:58
      • Frank has become a political institution at this point and serves as the designated javeline-catcher on all matters pertaining to athletics, even the things he has no control over (such as facilities investment decisions). Fordham's Administration moves slowly but they're not stupid. Since they haven't fired Frank for performance then it's clear that it's not as important to them as some other perceived benefit of keeping him on. I think any argument for his removal should be made based on the vision for the future and how we need new leadership to take us to that next level, instead of impugning his character and focusing on the past. Let's keep it professional and future-focused. (NT) -- DamnRam, Tue April 12, 2005 11:00:00
        • Frank may have no control over decisions like those on upgrading facilities. Nonetheless, his role should be that of an ADVOCATE for his department and for the part athletics can play in helping Fordham establish the kind of profile that supports its aspirations to become a true national university. While he is a nice guy, Frank tends to be REACTIVE rather than PROACTIVE. His comments (e.g "I'll do that if a check for a hundred million dollars comes in....") tell it all. Rather than building a broad constituency among alums, students, and friends of Fordham, he just waits for things to happen. More.... (NT) -- JCC, Tue April 12, 2005 14:32:42
        • ....Frank has never aggressively marketed our programs in the metropolitan area, and he does little to turn our athletic contests into real "events" (though he occasionally responds to specific suggestions on this board on minor things like concessions). He resisted mightily our move from the Patriot League to the A-10, and still shows no interest in exploring possibilities for moving football to a higher league/level (let alone selling such an idea to the administration). He seems content with things as they are, and is happy to always be the voice of why we CAN'T do this or that. We need a CAN-DO guy at the helm, not a CAN'T-DO guy who endlessly makes excuses and accepts the staus quo as an inevitability. I agree that our focus should be on the future, but our current AD has a record which is deplorable (and I'm not just talking about wins & losses). His record is one which certainly doesn't bode well for a brighter future. It's time for a change. (NT) -- JCC, Tue April 12, 2005 14:52:39
          • JC the man got on public radio and stated that there were enemies within his own organization that wanted him to fail. Need anyone say anything more? Imagine going on the radio and taking pot shots at your own board of directors? You would be out the door in 1 minute. (NT) -- '85, Tue April 12, 2005 15:27:09
          • You make some good points, but I think that Frank's defeatism may be the result of dealing with an Administration that has long been indifferent or at least ambiguous towards athletics (as well as his management style limitations). He may have even been told to work within certain constraints and don't expect more than that given the higher priorities the University had to deal with. I'm not defending him or the AD's poor performance over two decades, just trying to reconcile how we could be so bad for so long and the person in charge of all that could still have a job. Frank may think he has enemies but if I were him I'd be thanking my friends for protecting me all this time, especially given the poor results, petty politics, and constant complaints. (NT) -- DamnRam, Tue April 12, 2005 21:32:59
    • No , the problem is not this board, its the Board of Trustees. Haven't they been entrusted with oversight? What exactly do they do at their quarterly meetings for the past 10 years when they discuss athletics. Hmmm, we lost in every sport, we have the fourth highest budget in A-10 and we are a lughing stock in the New York media.....let's renew Frank's contract. The Board should be sued for Non-Profit D & O malpractice! (NT) -- Frank's Brain, Tue April 12, 2005 17:29:08
    • Exactly my point, WOW. I think it's time for Frank to go, but the case should be made without ad hominem attacks. Frank does not come across as the smarmy, n'er-do-well that too many posters depict here. The lack of respect for a decent guy is ridiculous. He has not succeeded as athletic director; that's clear. It's time to move on without personal attacks. (NT) -- Rambow, Tue April 12, 2005 19:24:33
      • LISTEN- This is a chatboard- not a formal meeting in front of the board. Yes, there's a lot of sarcastic posts re: Frank, but you'll get that w/ years of frustration.... However, there's also many, many posts with numerous points as to why a change in athletic management is needed- many anecdotes and facts so egregious it's scary.. (NT) -- Ram1, Tue April 12, 2005 20:00:31
        • lemme clarify that although I think sarcasm can be expected, personal attacks are not necessary, so I would agree w/ you there.. (NT) -- Ram1, Tue April 12, 2005 20:02:31
      • People take sarcastic pot shots at Frank out of frustration. Is it right, probably not, but is it wrong, well where else can these guys vent? Its a bad situation but it is made worse by a terrible feeling of frustration. We are all professionals and know how to read a balance sheet. Its just foaming frsutration boiling over. Also, about 2 years ago, some of the more rational posters like BFG authored a succint, detailed and dispassionately pointed letter to Fr. O'hare pointing out the obvious. It got us nowhere. (NT) -- Frank's Brain, Wed April 13, 2005 00:23:20

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• ramMan look at what you started. You simply post the weekly results and it ends up being yet another fire Frank thread. I love it! :) (NT) -- J92, Tue April 12, 2005 19:35:01
  • This thread was not in response to the weekly results, but to the item about our next-to-last ranking in the Commissioner's Cup competition. It underscores the continuing poor perfromance of our Athletic Department during Frank's tenure. Here's a suggestion: Promote Frank to a Vice-Presidential position where he reports directly to Father McShane (not wannabe-jock Jeff Gray). Let Frank schmooze and be an Ambassador of Good Will. Replace him as AD with someone who is up to managing & marketing a major athletic program. After a year or two, have Frank retire from his Vice-Presidential position, and then promote the new AD to that position. Since Frank seems to have supporters in high places (even if they agree that he's incompetent), maybe we should think of ways to ease him out gracefully--rather than attempt frontal assaults. (NT) -- Upstairs & Out, Wed April 13, 2005 09:31:07
    • I like the idea of not using frontal assaults and of giving Frank a graceful way out, but I'm not sure it would be realistic or honorable to expect him to retire from a VP post only a year or two after promoting him to it. That would only delay the reforms that are needed now, and may trivialize the role in the eyes of real prospects for that post. I think a more honorable way for all concerned would be to have Frank retire from his current position (complete with a banquet and toasts), and then give his permanent replacement the VP title (and he can then select his own direct reports, with a one year grace period for current line staff). Let Gray keep the seat warm during the search for the new Athletics VP since he has effective oversight control of the AD anyway. Frank could then be either shifted into the ambassadorial and/or fundraising role immediately, either full-time or part-time. (NT) -- DamnRam, Wed April 13, 2005 11:18:50
      • Excellent post. This is the way to go. No good AD/VP prospect would take the job under the premise that he will move to VP later. Gotta do it up front to get the best candidates. (NT) -- Rambacker, Wed April 13, 2005 14:27:41
        • Just the number(and length) of posts here on the need for a new AD illustrates the level of urgency people are feeling about this issue. It's a statement in and of itself. (NT) -- Rambacker, Wed April 13, 2005 15:15:25
    • Frank is EXACTLY the kind of AD that his bosses want. He's happy to report to Jeff Gray and let the latter play coach. Frank's other boss, Fr. McShane, doesn't care much about sports and is relieved to have an AD who doesn't rock the boat. By sticking with Frank, the administration sends the message that no real upgrading is in the cards. The basketball team will keep playing in an antiquated facility, and will have to hope that DW doesn't get frustrated and move on. As for football, forget going to D-1A or a better conference, allowing scholarships, or really improving the facilities. You don't need an expanded stadium when you're just going to be playing teams like Albany State and Marist. An old friend of mine who teaches at Scranton told me not to expect anything from Fr. McShane when it comes to athletics. I guess he was right. Frankly, there is a culture of mediocrity that has affected Fordham athletics for a half-century. It hasn't changed. I'm afraid it never will. (NT) -- Old Prof, Wed April 13, 2005 17:19:23
      • Old Prof and Damn Ram are right on the mark with their appraisal of Fr. McShane's intent. He would love for Men's Hoop to make a splash nationally and will be more likely to take a chance on prospective recruits here rather than anywhere else. He will rollback football by causing them to recruit students with higher academic credentials. The coaches of any of the other sports might as well forget getting a prize recruit that doesn't fit the general criteria. There will be limited concessions to participation among faculty and the Registrar. He will focus on the Academic Mission and care mostly about graduation rates and APR success for sports. Ultimately you'll have to live with decreased expectations. (NT) -- fu-worker, Fri April 15, 2005 11:41:56
        • Your last sentence is a very broad statement. I do not believe it applies to several sports, particularly basketball, and I think you must give Fr. McShane the benefit of the doubt at this stage in his tenure. That kind of pessimism this early in his tenure is what has caused our administration in the past to not take athletics seriously, since they believe the alums and students don't expect much anyway. Dare to dream and be actively involved - that's the way to get things done at Fordham. (NT) -- Rambacker, Sat April 16, 2005 14:26:48
      • Fr. McShane will have some problems if he doesn't replace Frank and upgrade the position to VP. There are many, many influential alums and students that are ready to step up and take action in a number of ways if there is not a change. This story is far from over. (NT) -- Rambacker, Wed April 13, 2005 18:27:48
        • Let me know who, how and when so I can jump on board. (NT) -- J92, Wed April 13, 2005 19:51:41
          • The recruitment of these individuals should start right here on this message board. (NT) -- Rambacker, Thu April 14, 2005 09:14:58