Kennedy vs. Engelstad Foundation: GF herald feature

[AJS]

One could argue that trying to renegotiate a bad contract at a time when UND is “looking for money” would make sense.

For those reading headlines, this doesn’t come off looking good for Kennedy. Brad definitely doesn’t have an agenda though, no ulterior motive at all.

 

[SWSiouxMN]

3 minutes ago, AJS said:

One could argue that trying to renegotiate a bad contract at a time when UND is “looking for money” would make sense.

For those reading headlines, this doesn’t come off looking good for Kennedy. Brad definitely doesn’t have an agenda though, no ulterior motive at all.

 

No.... Brad has no agenda at all.

<sarcasm font>

[fightingsioux4life]

23 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

Pretty much a gaurantee that Kennedy will sit down with the Herald and give his side of the story.  Or at least he would be smart to do so.  There is always two sides to every story.  I don't mind Kennedy looking out for the best interests of the University, but you still need to do it the right way.  Upsetting your biggest donor is probably not the best way.

So MISS McGarry gets to run UND from Vegas? Sorry, no dice. Kennedy doesn't work for MISS McGarry. He works for the State Board of Higher Education and, indirectly, for us.

[cberkas]

Maybe just maybe the Engelstads were not happy that women’s hockey got cut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[UNDBIZ]

Kris McGarry is UND's most prominent donor?

[fightingsioux4life]

44 minutes ago, siouxfan512 said:

I think it is pretty clear that if you are going to donate (as in give away, for free) your own money, you may want some degree of say in how it is used. If Kennedy doesn't want to play ball, then he is going to have funds withdrawn.

Personally, I think Kennedy is being a bit of a moron. When the school and programs are already strapped for cash, you may want to work with your donors. Not tick them off.

Some say in how the money is used? Sure.

Wanting a constructive relationship with the institution you are donating to ? Absolutely.

Running to the media whenever someone dares (DARES, I tell you) to question something in the current contract and DARES to suggest making it better for the institution that someone is paid to lead and look out for? Hell to the No!

MISS McGarry is acting like a spoiled, entitled brat who inherited everything from her father. Ralph Engelstad didn't make a fortune in business by treating people like peons and threatening them in the media and/or in person. He built REA to make UND "the Notre Dame of college hockey". He didn't build it so that him and his family could run UND from Vegas.

His daughter seems to have forgotten that. And that is sad.

 

[fightingsioux4life]

3 minutes ago, UNDBIZ said:

Kris McGarry is UND's most prominent donor?

No, RALPH ENGELSTAD is our most prominent donor. But since he's dead, MISS McGarry is representing the foundation he made possible. And she is proving to be more difficult to deal with. Especially since she felt it necessary to point out that her dad was a UND alum, but no one else in the family is. The implication being she doesn't really care about our institution like her dad did. That doesn't sit well with me and others who love this place like a second home.

[Siouxperfan7]

3 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

So MISS McGarry gets to run UND from Vegas? Sorry, no dice. Kennedy doesn't work for MISS McGarry. He works for the State Board of Higher Education and, indirectly, for us.

I totally agree.  My point was Kennedy needs to find a way to work with the Engelstad Foundation.  Even if they are unreasonable and wrong in many cases.  I don't think that Kennedy and UND need to bend over backwards and give the Engelstad Foundation everything they demand.  Kennedy is being bold and is doing what he thinks is right for the University.  And I commend him for that.  McGarry is an Engelstad remember and she has inherited many of her dads negotiating traits.  I agree with what Kennedy is saying and doing.  He just needs to adapt to who is dealing with.  

[DB Cooper]

Don't have an opinion  on it until I hear both sides of the story. What I do personally know is Kennedy is destroying relationships with UND donors, not only the englestad family, but the richards family as well. He tried going behind the richards family's backs in the sale of the golf course land money. Didn't communicate what he would use the $$ for, not what richards family intended, pissed off the family, now  kennedy may be in legal trouble for it. Just another example of Kennedy and the donor relationship he has been ruining. ALso, most faculty at the Alumni Foundation is scared to speak up against him in anything, says he's a bully. While i think Kennedy does some things right, he still is doing things wrong. Tough job.  

[UND-1]

34 minutes ago, Goon said:

My Bad, AD and President pissed off an Engelstad. 

 

Ralph should have been praising Wanless because he was the reason they won the 1997 National title that put the program back on top.  Made a pretty good hire, plucking a guy from high school, IIRC.

Telling Gino to move on was the best move in recent UND hockey history but I don't think Ralph saw it that way, for whatever reason.  Just my opinion. 

 

[Siouxperfan7]

5 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

Some say in how the money is used? Sure.

Wanting a constructive relationship with the institution you are donating to ? Absolutely.

Running to the media whenever someone dares (DARES, I tell you) to question something in the current contract and DARES to suggest making it better for the institution that someone is paid to lead and look out for? Hell to the No!

MISS McGarry is acting like a spoiled, entitled brat who inherited everything from her father. Ralph Engelstad didn't make a fortune in business by treating people like peons and threatening them in the media and/or in person. He built REA to make UND "the Notre Dame of college hockey". He didn't build it so that him and his family could run UND from Vegas.

His daughter seems to have forgotten that. And that is sad.

 

I think the biggest issue with McGarry is that she isn't dealing with pushover Presidents that UND has had in the past.  As soon as someone questions her and wants to renegotiate in the interests of UND, she runs to the paper complaining about it.  UND needs to treat all of its donars with respect.  Whether they donate 10 dollars or 10 million.  But expecting UND to do what you demand is something the McGarry expects is simply wrong.

[Oxbow6]

......at least no one is saying "bring back Kelley" so there's that.

[UND1983]

4 minutes ago, Oxbow6 said:

......at least no one is saying "bring back Kelley" so there's that.

STOP!  Don't ever say that again not funny.

[SiouxVolley]

Like Kupchella and Kelley got along royally with McGarry so the Engelstad Trust showered UND with big gifts.

The REA Trust and UND athletics need to both be in good financial health.  Kennedy should just talk with the lawyer of the Engelstads and the Trust, as he wouldn’t get all up in arms about a renegotiation.

[forksandspoons]

11 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

I think the biggest issue with McGarry is that she isn't dealing with pushover Presidents that UND has had in the past.  As soon as someone questions her and wants to renegotiate in the interests of UND, she runs to the paper complaining about it.  UND needs to treat all of its donars with respect.  Whether they donate 10 dollars or 10 million.  But expecting UND to do what you demand is something the McGarry expects is simply wrong.

Heard he pissed off the family within his first few weeks on the job. 

[fightingsioux4life]

9 minutes ago, Oxbow6 said:

......at least no one is saying "bring back Kelley" so there's that.

No, we don't need that.

[UND1981]

Ask anyone trying to raise money right now for UND.  This Kennedy joker needs to leave.

[Teeder11]

17 minutes ago, DB Cooper said:

Don't have an opinion  on it until I hear both sides of the story. What I do personally know is Kennedy is destroying relationships with UND donors, not only the englestad family, but the richards family as well. He tried going behind the richards family's backs in the sale of the golf course land money. Didn't communicate what he would use the $$ for, not what richards family intended, pissed off the family, now  kennedy may be in legal trouble for it. Just another example of Kennedy and the donor relationship he has been ruining. ALso, most faculty at the Alumni Foundation is scared to speak up against him in anything, says he's a bully. While i think Kennedy does some things right, he still is doing things wrong. Tough job.  

Trust me. He's far from a bully. If we are going to start a narrative, let's make sure we are darn sure of what we are talking about and not relaying second third hand garbage from the scamps at the Cenex coffee klatch.

[Oxbow6]

11 minutes ago, UND1981 said:

Ask anyone trying to raise money right now for UND.  This Kennedy joker needs to leave.

There's are reason for all those empty tequila bottles outside Gorecki every night.

[DB Cooper]

22 minutes ago, Teeder11 said:

Trust me. He's far from a bully. If we are going to start a narrative, let's make sure we are darn sure of what we are talking about and not relaying second third hand garbage from the scamps at the Cenex coffee klatch.

This isn't information from "second third hand garbage". I stated I PERSONALLY know of the way he treats donors. He is a bully. 

[Oxbow6]

14 minutes ago, DB Cooper said:

This isn't information from "second third hand garbage". I stated I PERSONALLY know of the way he treats donors. He is a bully. 

.................................but he can't recall how he has treated you.

[Teeder11]

22 minutes ago, DB Cooper said:

This isn't information from "second third hand garbage". I stated I PERSONALLY know of the way he treats donors. He is a bully. 

He's not. Trust me, I've been on the receiving end of some pointed criticism from the man. He is passionate and demanding and wants nothing but the best for UND, within the external restrictions laid out before him.  Never once have I walked out of a frank one-on-one with the man, feeling degraded, demoralized or that our encounter was anything short of professional.  If you like the status quo, things may be uncomfortable for you, if you're a motivated go-getter with an entrepreneurial mindset, it's not exactly a cakewalk but it's much smoother. 

[Teeder11]

Life's tough, I know. But sometimes you have to buck up and be a big boy or big girl. In this era of "Me Too" ... it's becoming way too common for folks to run crying to the media when they feel they weren't treated nicely. 

[Siouxperfan7]

As UND has transitioned to a new Fighting Hawks moniker, McGarry said Kennedy has argued the arena's Fighting Sioux holdovers have created "brand confusion." "I feel as we got drug in, we got blamed for causing brand confusion," she said. "But the fact is we didn't change, the building stayed the same. ... Everything around us changed. We can only do what we can do in our space to be in accordance to the NCAA. We are going to obey the law and do what we have to do to have games and make revenue. We can't dig our heels in, but this whole revolution and change had a momentum of its own. It didn't have anything to do with us. We're there and somehow through the course of this, we become the nemesis of students, faculty and the sporting world."

 

Gee, I wonder why they would be accused of "brand confusion?"  Maybe because the REA has been dragging their feet the most in adopting the new Fighting Hawks name and logo. The Ralph could replace the neon logos outside the arena with the new logo.  Adding more Fighting Hawks signage around the concourse would be an easy modification as well.  And of course the most obvious change of putting the new logo at center ice.  But they don't.

Not meaning to turn this into a nickname discussion, but her statement saying that they aren't creating brand confusion could not be any more false.  She admits they are basically doing the bare minimum appease the NCAA.  But they are doing nothing to support the new name and logo.  

 

[UND1981]

Where can I lay down a bet that Kennedy is holding the short straw and will be leaving UND before this time next year?  Will Vegas give me decent odds?