Post by storlie2 on Nov 22, 2007 17:30:05 GMT -5
Happy Thanksgiving and Holidays to all the supporters and donors to 'saveoregonwrestling"--the turn out for the ALL-Star event shows the pride and emotion that Oregonians and people
from all over the country feel for this Varsity sport , the coaches
and the U of O team of wrestlers---the standing ovations for Olympic coach & National Champion Ron Finley were heart warming--and thanks to all the wrestlers that traveled and competed at this event--many of these competitors-- will represent the USA at the next Olympics--and will show why the
whole world respects our wrestlers--
This week- news of a Seattle school official--announcing that the
teachers were not allowed to wish a HAPPY THANKSGIVING to the students--and my wife reminding me that the schools in Portland
are not allowed to decorate Christmas trees
-all in fear of being sued and the legal costs --reminds me of the decision to drop the UNIVERSITY of OREGON'S WRESTLING PROGRAM--what is happening to our COUNTRY ???--why are HONOR and TRADITIONS being replaced ---and what will be next ?
About 45 years ago---I remember Hayward field was condemned by the Eugene Fire Department and the building of Autzen Stadium was dead--because of the lack of matching donations--Leo Harris Athletic Director--cut all the athletic budgets
--and announced--all future football games would be held in Portland at Civic stadium--the bulldozers were delivered to crush
Hayward field--but from this chaos--Coach Bill Bowerman-and assistants Phil Knight & Bill Dellinger--put together a plan--to raise money & support--4000 fans showed --they were asked to put pressure on the Administration--to donate money--to fix-up Hayward field--to buy time--so football and track would have a stadium in Eugene--and Bill Bowerman--asked wrestling coach
Mike Reuter --can the wrestling team help us set up for the track
meets--all our help has been cut--and Leo Harris asked --can they
man the trunk lines and call alumni--for donations for Autzen stadium--well--we succeeded--and Hayward and Autzen are there today-----NOW we have a similar challenge--(there are 30 seconds left in the third round) and we are behind in this match--and I don't plan to lose--losing is NOT an option--if we allow this to happen the Pac-10 wrestling championships will be next--there are NO college wrestling programs in Washington or Idaho--where will our children & grandchildren and 33,000 wrestlers get the coaches and have the opportunities to compete and the dream to be a college and Olympic Champion ???
My reaction to the news of cutting wrestling and adding baseball and competitive cheer was the same as ALL of yours--the
first call I made was to Ron Finley--then I called a very successful
coach on the east coast that has been through a similar situation--he is a tough North Irishman--my question was how do we deal
with this "ONION" ??--He answered back--"the BATTLE-HORNS have sounded--there is NO TIME to sharpen the swords"--and then we discussed what were the best ways to try to change this decision-
So this is what I see and what I bet is happening--Dave Fromeyer is a true visionary--he has seen the building inspectors report on how long Mac Court has left and the costs of maintaining this building--Bill Moose said we would be using the new basketball arena four years ago-- he is gone---didn't make it happen--so the President sees another option--brings in a tough Irishman --he finds a way to get Phil & Penny Knight (who we are ALL very proud-of their generous donations) to contribute 100 million (not for a basketball arena) but an ATHLETIC LEGACY FUND for all athletics--now they have collateral and are asking the State of Oregon to offer 200 million in bonds to build the basketball arena--
Can you imagine what cuts would have been necessary to athletics if we lost Mac Court with NO new arena-congratulations
to Pat Kilkenny and Dave Fromeyer--and to Phil and Penny Knight
and to the Donors to the new baseball program---but the facts still remain --the athletic budget about 37 million a year was down to 85 thousand at one point recently and the rest of our big athletic donors were tapped --Dave Fromeyer was quoted --that he has "pulled every rabbit out of the hat and is running out of rabbits"--
So the wrestling community has to help---THIS IS ALL ABOUT MONEY---nothing else--here is what my wife and I are doing to
saveoregonwrestling--we donated a Hawaii/Hyatt/Maui trip(see on the web page)--to be raffled--if you help us sell the tickets(50,000)--it will raise $50,000 for grade/high school/club wrestling programs @$5.00/ticket and $200,000 for the U of O wrestling team--we sent $2500 to my employer UBS and they will match the gift(because saveoregonwrestling is a non-profit 501-c-3 program) and we will do the same in January of 2008---UBS and Smith-Barney(the two largest banks and money managers in the US)--have agreed to support saveoregonwrestling by paying for ticket printing, postage(return envelopes), posters,registered matching gift programs for all employees of UBS and Smith-Barney to donate---and have allowed us to set up accounts--and teams of financial advisers to
answer questions on how to donate and talk with the donors CPA's and tax advisers--ALL DONATIONS to saveoregonwrestlers are tax-deductible--We donated from our IRA accounts because --
that helps with the IRS---and there are many. many other ways--
two of my clients called me when they heard the news and offered to send in big donations of appreciate stock and we are just starting--Dr. Joe McFarland(ex-wrestler) has pledged to donate a six-figure contribution--we need 3-5 million
My high school wrestling coach--a collegiate wrestler--drove on the point--- of the Badge you would wear for the rest of your life --"if you give-up,roll over and get pinned-you have to do whatever it takes to NOT GET PINNED" I REFUSE TO WEAR THIS BADGE--and ALLOW the UNIVERSITY of OREGON WRESTLING PROGRAM to be ELIMINATED---Please help---find a relative,neighbor,business,
grandparent,rancher,ex-wrestler,help sell/buy raffle tickets--REFUSE TO GIVE UP and have them call Ron Finley or me at UBS or donate at any Smith-Barney office--
and the most important message to Ron Finley,the coaches,the 4380 that drove and took off work to support All-Star wrestling and the 6700 that have signed on to saveoregonwrestling petition
HAPPY THANKSGIVING---
--Bob & Diane Storlie
from all over the country feel for this Varsity sport , the coaches
and the U of O team of wrestlers---the standing ovations for Olympic coach & National Champion Ron Finley were heart warming--and thanks to all the wrestlers that traveled and competed at this event--many of these competitors-- will represent the USA at the next Olympics--and will show why the
whole world respects our wrestlers--
This week- news of a Seattle school official--announcing that the
teachers were not allowed to wish a HAPPY THANKSGIVING to the students--and my wife reminding me that the schools in Portland
are not allowed to decorate Christmas trees
-all in fear of being sued and the legal costs --reminds me of the decision to drop the UNIVERSITY of OREGON'S WRESTLING PROGRAM--what is happening to our COUNTRY ???--why are HONOR and TRADITIONS being replaced ---and what will be next ?
About 45 years ago---I remember Hayward field was condemned by the Eugene Fire Department and the building of Autzen Stadium was dead--because of the lack of matching donations--Leo Harris Athletic Director--cut all the athletic budgets
--and announced--all future football games would be held in Portland at Civic stadium--the bulldozers were delivered to crush
Hayward field--but from this chaos--Coach Bill Bowerman-and assistants Phil Knight & Bill Dellinger--put together a plan--to raise money & support--4000 fans showed --they were asked to put pressure on the Administration--to donate money--to fix-up Hayward field--to buy time--so football and track would have a stadium in Eugene--and Bill Bowerman--asked wrestling coach
Mike Reuter --can the wrestling team help us set up for the track
meets--all our help has been cut--and Leo Harris asked --can they
man the trunk lines and call alumni--for donations for Autzen stadium--well--we succeeded--and Hayward and Autzen are there today-----NOW we have a similar challenge--(there are 30 seconds left in the third round) and we are behind in this match--and I don't plan to lose--losing is NOT an option--if we allow this to happen the Pac-10 wrestling championships will be next--there are NO college wrestling programs in Washington or Idaho--where will our children & grandchildren and 33,000 wrestlers get the coaches and have the opportunities to compete and the dream to be a college and Olympic Champion ???
My reaction to the news of cutting wrestling and adding baseball and competitive cheer was the same as ALL of yours--the
first call I made was to Ron Finley--then I called a very successful
coach on the east coast that has been through a similar situation--he is a tough North Irishman--my question was how do we deal
with this "ONION" ??--He answered back--"the BATTLE-HORNS have sounded--there is NO TIME to sharpen the swords"--and then we discussed what were the best ways to try to change this decision-
So this is what I see and what I bet is happening--Dave Fromeyer is a true visionary--he has seen the building inspectors report on how long Mac Court has left and the costs of maintaining this building--Bill Moose said we would be using the new basketball arena four years ago-- he is gone---didn't make it happen--so the President sees another option--brings in a tough Irishman --he finds a way to get Phil & Penny Knight (who we are ALL very proud-of their generous donations) to contribute 100 million (not for a basketball arena) but an ATHLETIC LEGACY FUND for all athletics--now they have collateral and are asking the State of Oregon to offer 200 million in bonds to build the basketball arena--
Can you imagine what cuts would have been necessary to athletics if we lost Mac Court with NO new arena-congratulations
to Pat Kilkenny and Dave Fromeyer--and to Phil and Penny Knight
and to the Donors to the new baseball program---but the facts still remain --the athletic budget about 37 million a year was down to 85 thousand at one point recently and the rest of our big athletic donors were tapped --Dave Fromeyer was quoted --that he has "pulled every rabbit out of the hat and is running out of rabbits"--
So the wrestling community has to help---THIS IS ALL ABOUT MONEY---nothing else--here is what my wife and I are doing to
saveoregonwrestling--we donated a Hawaii/Hyatt/Maui trip(see on the web page)--to be raffled--if you help us sell the tickets(50,000)--it will raise $50,000 for grade/high school/club wrestling programs @$5.00/ticket and $200,000 for the U of O wrestling team--we sent $2500 to my employer UBS and they will match the gift(because saveoregonwrestling is a non-profit 501-c-3 program) and we will do the same in January of 2008---UBS and Smith-Barney(the two largest banks and money managers in the US)--have agreed to support saveoregonwrestling by paying for ticket printing, postage(return envelopes), posters,registered matching gift programs for all employees of UBS and Smith-Barney to donate---and have allowed us to set up accounts--and teams of financial advisers to
answer questions on how to donate and talk with the donors CPA's and tax advisers--ALL DONATIONS to saveoregonwrestlers are tax-deductible--We donated from our IRA accounts because --
that helps with the IRS---and there are many. many other ways--
two of my clients called me when they heard the news and offered to send in big donations of appreciate stock and we are just starting--Dr. Joe McFarland(ex-wrestler) has pledged to donate a six-figure contribution--we need 3-5 million
My high school wrestling coach--a collegiate wrestler--drove on the point--- of the Badge you would wear for the rest of your life --"if you give-up,roll over and get pinned-you have to do whatever it takes to NOT GET PINNED" I REFUSE TO WEAR THIS BADGE--and ALLOW the UNIVERSITY of OREGON WRESTLING PROGRAM to be ELIMINATED---Please help---find a relative,neighbor,business,
grandparent,rancher,ex-wrestler,help sell/buy raffle tickets--REFUSE TO GIVE UP and have them call Ron Finley or me at UBS or donate at any Smith-Barney office--
and the most important message to Ron Finley,the coaches,the 4380 that drove and took off work to support All-Star wrestling and the 6700 that have signed on to saveoregonwrestling petition
HAPPY THANKSGIVING---
--Bob & Diane Storlie