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I'm trying to picture Beamer scolding him. Its not going very well

EDIT: supposed to be a response to VTGuitarMan

Sounds like either his parents or one of his teachers/principals gave him a stern talking to

antidisestablishmentarianism

Good points. Especially a good point that this is how UA got started and that yes their founder is active at Maryland.

I would still say that because of public company considerations, it is more likely that he uses his personal net worth to benefit his alma mater and first client, while UA gives Maryland a market based deal like any other school /UA client. Running a public company like a personal fiefdom or as an extension of your personal bank or field of dreams can get you into serious trouble. Rich people don't want serious trouble. Its not so much the letter of the law as the culture that it brings that gets you into trouble.

With that said there is a bit of a nuance to what I perceive to be the business strategy of UA which is to increase the pressure on their competitors at the margin and getting a high visibility presence in major sporting goods markets. This means they try to get a toehold in large sports related clothing markets and then innovate as best they can to show what they can do. English football club Tottenham Hotspur, ACC (used to be MD), SEC (Auburn), golfers (don't think they are throwing wild money around there, yet), etc., etc. They traditionally have not been large enough to compete with Nike marketshare and reputation so at the end of the day they have to pay up to play in a Nike dominated marketspace.

So what that means is that anyone getting a UA deal gets a better deal than someone getting a Nike deal. Nike cannot or chooses not to afford to give all their customers UA money. Conversely if UA had all of Nike's clients they couldn't or wouldn't afford that either. This may change over time as/if UA gets closer to Nike financial size. With that said, UA really wants all their clients to succeed and do really well and be shown wearing UA gear as much as possible. So....UA in some sense may show their clients a little more love than a traditional clothing company, who has multiple dogs in each conference race. When UA puts money into you through a deal they want you to succeed and that probably makes it seem like favoritism, when really its just the financial reality of their business strategy.

Now that Md is leaving the ACC, hopefully UA is on the hunt for an ACC client. I don't know who UA has in the ACC and/or when their deals renew, but I would imagine the prime target is FSU, then Clemson, then VT, but who knows a school like Syracuse might be a darkhorse... probably depends on their geographic client representation among other things... we might overlap MD too much. Would love to see us get bumped up by Nike wanting to renew us and/or UA wanting to get a deal done with us. Our geographic footprint is pretty large IMHO. Lots of ad $, merchandise sales by getting VT under contract IMHO. Not sure our alumni base is ready for the designs of UA, but if the kids like it....

Would love to see where Plank said he was responsible for the MD move to the B10. Know a few folks from UA and they insist UA/Plank had nothing to do with it. They want whats best for Maryland, but they're not picking and choosing conferences or football conference configurations. Maryland got itself in a huge hole financially had to cancel some sports, then seems to have gotten some legal advice that has yet to bear fruit regarding the exit fee. Economically the B10 is the most attractive option out there and MD desperately needs to find new funds. While I have no inside info, I do believe that Plank probably told UM he would personally (not from corporate funds) pay the $50M exit fee if that is what it took to get Maryland into a conference that wanted them and was capable of signing a reasonable TV deal. Not to say Plank hates the ACC, just that he sees the B10 as offering more to his alma mater. From what I understand the f***nuts in Tobacco Road are a decade away from an ACC network (with revenue sports), so the ACC will not be able to provide relief to Md's funding issue, and unless we start funding with alumni $, we will continue to lose coaches that want to be paid a market based salary.

Should this trial over the exit fee happen, I would guess that lots of information will be requested from both sides. My guess is the conference folks will really want to not have their information divulged in press leaks etc. Should UA/Plank have been a big driver of the MD to the B10, it might have to be divulged in the information as well. Some of that information could be very damaging. I just don't see it. A businessman would have been very clear about wanting what is best for his alma mater but his love for all conferences, all football teams in general. The ACC is either on firm legal ground, smoking something looking for the extra $30M, or thinks that there is something that will fall out of depositions / disclosure. Should be interesting 4 sure and I personally would love to see what comes out (might not be a jury trial, but likely there would be press leaks etc) at trial. Given the basketcase that is UNC, I think the Tobacco Road(most likely as the $50M and subsequent Media Rights riders seem wholely made up to me) or Maryland Admin (guy seems like someone who takes legal advice but who knows) will settle because of damaging leaks before any UA damaging information comes out, but who knows maybe noone in the case paid any heed to what their lawyers told them to do.

Don't really get the UA hatred on this board. Maybe it comes out that he was more forceful driver of Maryland leaving the ACC, but I doubt it. Either way I really wish VT hadn't signed on with the ACC. Its like having a spouse who gives you things you want and need versus a spouse who says you'll never leave and I'll make it impossible for you to leave. Yes both situations can be good situations, but it is far more likely that a spouse that is responsive to needs will provide a more bountiful relationship. VT would have been happier in the SEC or B10 than the ACC.

Hate on Plank and UA all you want. I wish the guy had been a VT alum.

Aaannnd their hula hoops and Dan Fogelberg 8-tracks...

Wait, do any of you even remember 8-tracks? You've probably seen pictures -it's worth a Google...

How about disestablishmentarianistic?

French, thanks for the balanced assessment. Hoping to see Loeffler will force him to demonstrate those things (throwing those outs, knowing when to throw it away) in the spring.

He looks like a natural fit for the Orange and Maroon.

It is the one bad thing CFA has done.

Been so looking forward to this one. Haven't even read it yet and I'm giddy.
Thanks French, for making me feel like a schoolgirl!

You're correct... I don't personally have a contract with the NCAA and they can't do anything to me if I violate their rules. But Virginia Tech does and if I meet the definition of a Booster (and I believe all fans who purchase tickets and/or attend games do) then Virginia Tech can be punished if I break the no contact rule. So the bottom line is, if you meet the NCAA's definition of a booster, don't break the rules because they can punish your team, who HAS agreed to follow the rules.

That's a sad story tho. 1 of his arms only has 60 percent of the strength of the other arm. That would affect him as an OL