A good look from the President

[77GTFan]

I saw Cabrera up close several times Saturday and was very impressed by him and his wife. I saw them interacting with Nell Fortner and the ladies basketball team at a tailgate. They were at the library for Budweiser played by the band. They were very comfortable interacting with fans there. He was very visible and engaged at the stadium. I was impressed. I believe he will be very supportive of our athletics and want them to succeed. That his not his main job, but it is nice when the President seems to enjoy being around Tech people at sporting events. We have had Presidents and even AD’s did not.

As an aside, it was also nice to see Nell Fortner before the game with her players and perhaps recruits. They were throwing the football around and enjoying themselves. The next day she was very visible cheering on the volleyball team. She is a real asset to us.

 

[andrew]

Despite what was said often on this board, Cabrera has consistently indicated that athletics are important to him. I'm glad to see that is getting more recognition and, more importantly, that his actions are backing it up.

 

[G776T]

He wants to see some goal posts at his house before he is done.

 

[GTsapper]

What's his feelings on turf vs grass? Will he send more astronauts to the moon? These are the key issues here.

 

[JoltinJacket]

What's his feelings on turf vs grass?

Bryant-Denny has been groomed by the man that Bama swooned away from us. Would not be surprised at all to see grass back on Grant Field in 2023 or '24.

 

[Liberty]

I saw Cabrera up close several times Saturday and was very impressed by him and his wife. I saw them interacting with Nell Fortner and the ladies basketball team at a tailgate. They were at the library for Budweiser played by the band. They were very comfortable interacting with fans there. He was very visible and engaged at the stadium. I was impressed. I believe he will be very supportive of our athletics and want them to succeed. That his not his main job, but it is nice when the President seems to enjoy being around Tech people at sporting events. We have had Presidents and even AD’s did not.

As an aside, it was also nice to see Nell Fortner before the game with her players and perhaps recruits. They were throwing the football around and enjoying themselves. The next day she was very visible cheering on the volleyball team. She is a real asset to us.

I’ve met him and his wife 3 times now, I’m a big fan. He’s a huge GT sports fan and he loves our athletes. Think back to many of our previous Presidents, I’m not sure you could even say they were mildly interested. He and his wife talked to myself and my wife like normal people. That’s what impressed me the most. I wasn’t being shaken down for money, he was just talking with a passion about the game and how GT needed to support the student athletes better. The fact he engages like that with people he doesn’t know on first contact is great. He didn’t cut off the conversation when he realized I wasn’t going to have my name on a GT building or even over a conference room, he just keep talking to me like we’re neighbors and he shared a bit of his vision for the Institute and athletics that I found refreshing. He’s a real good dude that did good and GT is going to love his legacy.

 

[Supersize that order mutt]

I’ve met him and his wife 3 times now, I’m a big fan. He’s a huge GT sports fan and he loves our athletes. Think back to many of our previous Presidents, I’m not sure you could even say they were mildly interested. He and his wife talked to myself and my wife like normal people. That’s what impressed me the most. I wasn’t being shaken down for money, he was just talking with a passion about the game and how GT needed to support the student athletes better. The fact he engages like that with people he doesn’t know on first contact is great. He didn’t cut off the conversation when he realized I wasn’t going to have my name on a GT building or even over a conference room, he just keep talking to me like we’re neighbors and he shared a bit of his vision for the Institute and athletics that I found refreshing. He’s a real good dude that did good and GT is going to love his legacy.

Bud always seemed to show up at least for football games, and at alumni functions, he was pleasant and easy to talk to, but I never trusted him. It was all show for him. I hope Cabrera is not just show and words, but action too, and lately, it sure seems like action is his "game". Sure hope so anyway.

 

[Liberty]

Compare our current President to the previous guy. Peterson loved his elite, high roller meetings and I’m sure he excelled when it came to politics. He just wasn’t the blue collar, high tech GT Man that has always been our Institute’s core strength. Cabrera is much more grounded, he understands what GT is and is better suited to leverage our strengths. Peterson belonged at MIT or Cal Tech, some place like that. He also hired Sasquatch, Stansbury, Collins, etc. How could you not be better?

 

[originalwombat]

Hiring Fortner was probably the best thing Stansbury did.

 

[ClubSeats]

I’ve met him and his wife 3 times now, I’m a big fan. He and his wife talked to myself and my wife like normal people.

Does anyone else ever do that, or was this the first time?

 

[vapspwi]

Bud always seemed to show up at least for football games, and at alumni functions, he was pleasant and easy to talk to, but I never trusted him. It was all show for him. I hope Cabrera is not just show and words, but action too, and lately, it sure seems like action is his "game". Sure hope so anyway.

I ran into Bud and his wife in the concourse before a game at Miami and they were chatting it up with the fans that were sitting out there. Seemed like nice enough people. I also saw them walking back to the President’s house from AMC after basketball games on at least a couple of occasions. They seemed to be appropriately involved in athletics as an observer, but I can’t speak to any behind the scenes stuff.

JRjr

 

[Beej1953]

I saw Cabrera up close several times Saturday and was very impressed by him and his wife. I saw them interacting with Nell Fortner and the ladies basketball team at a tailgate. They were at the library for Budweiser played by the band. They were very comfortable interacting with fans there. He was very visible and engaged at the stadium. I was impressed. I believe he will be very supportive of our athletics and want them to succeed. That his not his main job, but it is nice when the President seems to enjoy being around Tech people at sporting events. We have had Presidents and even AD’s did not.

As an aside, it was also nice to see Nell Fortner before the game with her players and perhaps recruits. They were throwing the football around and enjoying themselves. The next day she was very visible cheering on the volleyball team. She is a real asset to us.

We have done extremely well with coach hires in women’s sports - Nell, Michelle Collier in volleyball, and Aileen Morales in softball have all done great jobs. Haven’t done nearly as well in the men’s sports.

 

[Liberty]

I ran into Bud and his wife in the concourse before a game at Miami and they were chatting it up with the fans that were sitting out there. Seemed like nice enough people. I also saw them walking back to the President’s house from AMC after basketball games on at least a couple of occasions. They seemed to be appropriately involved in athletics as an observer, but I can’t speak to any behind the scenes stuff.

JRjr

Peterson was always nice enough. It was just that type of nice I've never really cared for. Perhaps it's because I'd rather be in jeans & a t-shirt drinking beer and other people on here like the suit & tie type functions more.

 

[ramblin_wreck08]

Peterson was always nice enough. It was just that type of nice I've never really cared for. Perhaps it's because I'd rather be in jeans & a t-shirt drinking beer and other people on here like the suit & tie type functions more.

I despise suits and a tie is nothing but a noose.

Glad to see Cabrera backing up his words with action so far!

 

[Liberty]

I despise suits and a tie is nothing but a noose.

Glad to see Cabrera backing up his words with action so far!

It's hard not to like this move. GT fans are a fickle bunch though. This guy better be a serious force multiplier because we deparately need it. He comes in with momentum on his side. President cares about athletics, GT fans are pissed at the old regime, football & basketball are in the tank and have no where to go but up. The only albatross he has is debt, but a few more years of rampant inflation may provide him the conditions under which he can more rapidly right the ship.

 

[GTCrew4b]

If Cabrera were the president of GMU at the time, Larrañaga never would have left.

 

[StraightFresh]

Peterson was cool. He visited the student section a bunch of times at basketball games (he's from Kansas and was probably more of a basketball fan), shook his hand a couple of times and hugged his wife once. He was the guy during the nuclear explosion of GT's academic prestige in the 10's, it's not his fault that his underlings ööööed up sports, not like he inherited some well-oiled machine of an athletic department. I like Cabrera but Peterson-slander is misplaced.

 

[Liberty]

Peterson was cool. He visited the student section a bunch of times at basketball games (he's from Kansas and was probably more of a basketball fan), shook his hand a couple of times and hugged his wife once. He was the guy during the nuclear explosion of GT's academic prestige in the 10's, it's not his fault that his underlings ööööed up sports, not like he inherited some well-oiled machine of an athletic department. I like Cabrera but Peterson-slander is misplaced.

I was only referring to what I consider his general demeanor regarding GT athletics which quite frankly will go down as one of the worst tenures of any GT President in school history since Joe Petit. Read his strategic plan, barely even mentioned we had NCAA sports programs on camus. Ok, he's a decent chap and can turn on the charm and act like a man of the people when he needs to. My cut on it is it's fake, he's just a shallow guy who climbs the promotion ladder like many other high ranking politician or corporate elite. However, the man presided over some of the worst ethical lapses in GT's history- kickbacks, improper contracting, conflicts of interest, nepotism, etc. He mananged to GT to get dragged into in one of the worst political scandals in our nation's history. He heralded in a system where multiple GT students were expelled without due process. None of things happened before Peterson & I'm pretty positive we won't have another President like him any time soon. To have major failings like that on as large as scale as he had unchecked is really pretty damning. It just doesn't happen anywhere else & it sure as hell should happen at GT. Call it misplaced if you like, but the GT campus is a substantially better place without him being around on many levels.

 

[DeepSnap]

I was only referring to what I consider his general demeanor regarding GT athletics which quite frankly will go down as one of the worst tenures of any GT President in school history since Joe Petit. Read his strategic plan, barely even mentioned we had NCAA sports programs on camus. Ok, he's a decent chap and can turn on the charm and act like a man of the people when he needs to. My cut on it is it's fake, he's just a shallow guy who climbs the promotion ladder like many other high ranking politician or corporate elite. However, the man presided over some of the worst ethical lapses in GT's history- kickbacks, improper contracting, conflicts of interest, nepotism, etc. He mananged to GT to get dragged into in one of the worst political scandals in our nation's history. He heralded in a system where multiple GT students were expelled without due process. None of things happened before Peterson & I'm pretty positive we won't have another President like him any time soon. To have major failings like that on as large as scale as he had unchecked is really pretty damning. It just doesn't happen anywhere else & it sure as hell should happen at GT. Call it misplaced if you like, but the GT campus is a substantially better place without him being around on many levels.

For an ex-jock, albeit at a then-horrible pre-Bill Snyder Kansas State, Peterson was as absolutely worthless to the GTAA as he & his VPs were corrupt/indicted.

Not a Peterson fan.

 

[Deleted Stingtalker 69]

He was the guy during the nuclear explosion of GT's academic prestige in the 10's

GT's rankings slipped during the 10s. We used to be ranked in the 30s overall, now we're in the 40s. Individual programs that I track slipped from #2 to #3-5 (though some have recovered under Cabrera).