We're already at 700 comments at 1:45? Yeah, let's go ahead and start another thread. Here are the main points from the last thread:
8:08 am: Flight Aware: ENGAGE!
9:11am: This Was Sent To John Purdue Club Members (from hammerandrails)
Dear John Purdue Club Members:
Thanks for the outpouring of support for Matt Painter and for your concern for our Purdue men’s basketball program.
In an effort to allay many of your concerns and dispel much of the misinformation by "unnamed sources", Athletics Director Morgan Burke has asked me to share with each of you that he is working diligently with President France Córdova and our Board of Trustees to ensure that Matt remains our head coach for many years to come.
Proactively they have made an investment in Matt that was communicated last evening, clearly reinforcing their continued commitment to him and to our championship program. They did not wait to counter anyone else’s offer. It is my hope that the words and actions of our President, our Board and Morgan will encourage Matt, Jerri and their family to remain with Purdue.
Personally, I have been overwhelmed with the number of e-mails pledging to join the John Purdue Club or increase support. Ironically, I believe we would not be in this situation had more than 11% of our current membership participated in the Mackey Challenge and more than 150 of our nearly 9,000 members recruited at least one new member. More of the Big Ten television revenues could have been allocated for compensation for the basketball coaching staff members and less toward the critical path of updating Mackey Arena.
As a self-supporting university auxiliary, we can spend only what we raise, so everyone’s participation will ensure that we retain Matt and provide championship-quality experiences for every single one of our Boilermaker student-athletes.
Thanks for your continued loyal support and passionate commitment….stay tuned!
BOILER UP, HAMMER DOWN, and HAIL PURDUE!
Nancy L Cross sig.tif
Nancy L. Cross
Sr. Associate Athletics Director-Development and Sports
10:00 am: good "news" from vahe gregorian:
Despite Purdue statement/counteroffensive reports, source close to Painter says believes "face-saving" attempt; indifference til Monday … … allowed MP three days to consider MU since MU contacted agent, wouldn’t allow Miz visit today if Purdue had persuaded him of fresh commitment. That is not to imply Painter definitely taking MU, just that if Purdue had locked him down he wouldn’t see MU
10:21am: Via @KC_SportsRadio on Twitter:
Matt Painter flying to Columbia today to get the lay of the land. Appears Mizzou has found their new coach. Lands at 2:30. #mizzou
10:25am: via MacTiger
I bet his kids are PISSED. "We’re leaving Disney for WHERE?"
10:37am: From Jay Williams on Twitter:
All I can say about the suppossed lateral move for Matt Painter to #Missour is that the facilities in Columbia are unbelievable
10:44am: A little light reading to pass the time.
From Gabe D…who is earning his money (and should earn a monthly chunk of yours for the work he has been doing)
11:28am: Vahe summarizes the situation.
1:37pm: The latest from Vahe via Twitter:
Despite buzz in mid-Missouri about idea painter could decide today those who know him note he’s deliberate by nature, likely to ponder more
1:42pm: The latest from Bernie:
* This may well be the most important day in Mike Alden's career as the Missouri director of athletics. He's in Florida to close a deal with Purdue coach Matt Painter. The money is in place, for Painter and for his assistants and for a well funded, smooth-running basketball operation. If they come to Missouri, Painter and his aides won't have to be showing up to recruit players in small cheap rental cars and getting embarrassed when other coaching staffs arrive in Cadillacs. And the Mizzou facilities are first-rate; no one has to sell Painter on that. So it's all there for Painter. It's all there except for the powerful closing argument from Alden, who must convince Painter that Missouri has legitimate aspirations to win a national championship, and that the AD will give the coach all of the emotional support and financial backing to make it possible.
* I say this, in part, because of a conversation I had at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday with an acquaintaince of Painter's that told me: "Unless Alden screws this up, Painter will take the Missouri job." That seems a bit harsh to me, and I wouldn't rush in to automatically put blame on Alden. In fact ...
* I think Alden gets it done. I'm confident in him. He's handled this very well up to this point. And if Painter stays at Purdue, it'll be because he'll be getting more money, and maybe because he had a conscience attack over the idea of leaving the alma mater.
* But still, you'd have to naive to pretend there isn't extreme pressure on Alden to seal the deal and get Painter on board. I give Alden large credit for thinking big and going hard after his No. 1 target, and for taking a straight line to the goal, without zig-zagging or indecision. But the bold move to pick up on Painter's signal and follow it all the way into a serious negotiation also carried risk for Alden.