04-05-2013, 11:02 AM
Quote:You're a testy sumbitch, aren't you.
Yeah, perhaps I got up on the wrong side...but to be fair, Yvonne's post was fairly dismissive of my comment, so snark for snark is fair game, imo.
I agree that naming the position after someone relevant to the program is far superior to using the donor's name. But considering these names get used over and over again in press releases and news articles, using a name that has greater brand impact would be preferable. Every time an NFL fan searches for Andrew Luck, there's a chance they'll end up on an article about Stanford football, because of the position title. Few people will recognize Willie Shaw, let alone do an internet search.
Maybe the donor really gave an ultimatum of "it's Willie Shaw, or I take my money elsewhere!" but people ponying up that kind of money are clearly invested in the program and I suspect, willing to have a rational discussion about what would be "best" in the long run. But maybe in this case, it really is someone who played under Willie SHaw and would only have donated if it was names after him.
EIther way, I'll reserve my right to complain and wish it had been otherwise.