we had a moniker for guys that would leave Goldman Sachs, the center of the banking universe, and who would take these huge contracts to jump over to a smaller, competing desk for a 4-5 yr deals for a lot of cake.
Goldman Syndrome: Inevitably, these guys would always show up at these other smaller places, telling everyone how much they did at their former shop, and how they were gonna “light it up”, “show you how it’s done.” All that kind of bullish.. What you would see, time after time, was someone going from this gigantic monolith of transactions (Goldman), that a large part of the world HAD to deal with, do business with....to what was probably an “outpost” where you had to use what skills you/others had, to create transactions, business...and fight, claw and shove to get deals done. It just didn’t knock the door down coming to you...you had to go get it. Every time we’d see/hear about these guys going somewhere...they would fall flat on their faces, time after time. Our firm was guilty of hiring a team of these jackasses once. After months of their scurrying around, lecturing everyone, etc etc...nothing! I remember on our desk, which was still huge on the Street...a trader standing up, screaming over at one of these Goldman transplants,”...hey (name)....you see that black thing that looks like a banana?! It’s a phone...try picking it up...they make outgoing calls here!” From there on out, they were dead! No coming back from that with a pedigree. You get challenged on a desk like that, honestly, the only way to save face or claw your way out would be to beat the sh... out of that guy....or at least try.
On the private equity side, I see these same Goldman bankers get hired on the operator side, to run businesses. LOL! Always....FAILURES! Utter failures! Disasters!
I say all this with some parallels, of Goldman to say Alabama...or the idea of the program known now as “Tennessee”. I worry CJP and these other folks, they come from pedigree places. The world of recruits wait on their calls. The world of position coaches worries themselves sick over what they will do tomorrow.
Folks we have a brand, and that can be used, ...but this ain’t Goldman (Alabama)...and right now, it’s masquerading as Tennessee of old....and sadly, the Cavalry ain’t coming!
To survive and move the needle, at this program right now, you gotta be ruthless. Nasty! Go wasaaaay beyond what many are comfortable doing, getting your hands dirty...while being clever...using every little trick in the book, every little thing you can do to get any edge whatsoever, on the field or just as important, in your opponents head. Nonstop.
You want to see somebody fierce, who climbed up that ladder from just about nothing to the top, and got in his opponents head? Spurrier. Took over a drifting sh... program and flipped that into FL, and just started recruiting and running his mouth nonstop. Good coach of course. Got good recruits believing in themselves, and to a point where they could back it up year after year. Want another one? Gino/UConn. Folks don’t like him, but man...he picked his opponent wisely, and did everything in his power to take her down. Went right for the jugular...
You want a real world example? Well, go no further ladies and gentlemen than Tennessee’s very own Charlie Ergen. That guy could do a “teach in” on how to be ruthless and smart. Do yourself a favor...go listen to his last conference call. He had a few folks messing with his business. In just a few sentences, just sort of in passing at the very end, he slit their ever loving throats..”yeah we’re not gonna deal with them going forward.” HINT to everyone: DON'T EVER MAKE THE MISTAKE OF F'ING WITH ME!!!
The most successful bankers I know who transitioned to businesses who absolutely lit it up....one was from Bear Stearns. The other one, Jefferies. I worked with one guy. Both were just relentless! Our boss used to joke, “Silvertongue (his nickname), would kick his grandmother into a puddle of piss to get her to pick up a nickel!” Both went on to take over these two shitty, nasty, unpretty businesses, and ruthlessly turned them around. They didn’t break a few eggs doing it either. They broke entire henhouses!
These guys better figure out where we are in the cycle, pick up a bat, and start swinging! They better get everyone on the same page pushing too...from Admin to boosters....all the way down to the lady turning hotdogs in the smallest concession stand at Neyland. FYI - it’s not just for themselves and their careers either. These kids see that fight, and if you do it,...kids will replicate what they see. Killer instincts and leadership. It’s two things that have been woefully lacking in this program for some time. It’s not gonna be pretty, and it might make your stomach a little queezy...but guess what, tough sh##... you get paid millions to do this!!
If these guys (coaching staff) want to live to see daylight, you better figure out where you are and what kind of fight you are in (Tennessee, a program that’s got some legacy but has been in the sink for a while and is looking for leadership and it’s identity again)....and you better get wild, mean, and smarter faster, or your ass is toast.
Goldman Syndrome: Inevitably, these guys would always show up at these other smaller places, telling everyone how much they did at their former shop, and how they were gonna “light it up”, “show you how it’s done.” All that kind of bullish.. What you would see, time after time, was someone going from this gigantic monolith of transactions (Goldman), that a large part of the world HAD to deal with, do business with....to what was probably an “outpost” where you had to use what skills you/others had, to create transactions, business...and fight, claw and shove to get deals done. It just didn’t knock the door down coming to you...you had to go get it. Every time we’d see/hear about these guys going somewhere...they would fall flat on their faces, time after time. Our firm was guilty of hiring a team of these jackasses once. After months of their scurrying around, lecturing everyone, etc etc...nothing! I remember on our desk, which was still huge on the Street...a trader standing up, screaming over at one of these Goldman transplants,”...hey (name)....you see that black thing that looks like a banana?! It’s a phone...try picking it up...they make outgoing calls here!” From there on out, they were dead! No coming back from that with a pedigree. You get challenged on a desk like that, honestly, the only way to save face or claw your way out would be to beat the sh... out of that guy....or at least try.
On the private equity side, I see these same Goldman bankers get hired on the operator side, to run businesses. LOL! Always....FAILURES! Utter failures! Disasters!
I say all this with some parallels, of Goldman to say Alabama...or the idea of the program known now as “Tennessee”. I worry CJP and these other folks, they come from pedigree places. The world of recruits wait on their calls. The world of position coaches worries themselves sick over what they will do tomorrow.
Folks we have a brand, and that can be used, ...but this ain’t Goldman (Alabama)...and right now, it’s masquerading as Tennessee of old....and sadly, the Cavalry ain’t coming!
To survive and move the needle, at this program right now, you gotta be ruthless. Nasty! Go wasaaaay beyond what many are comfortable doing, getting your hands dirty...while being clever...using every little trick in the book, every little thing you can do to get any edge whatsoever, on the field or just as important, in your opponents head. Nonstop.
You want to see somebody fierce, who climbed up that ladder from just about nothing to the top, and got in his opponents head? Spurrier. Took over a drifting sh... program and flipped that into FL, and just started recruiting and running his mouth nonstop. Good coach of course. Got good recruits believing in themselves, and to a point where they could back it up year after year. Want another one? Gino/UConn. Folks don’t like him, but man...he picked his opponent wisely, and did everything in his power to take her down. Went right for the jugular...
You want a real world example? Well, go no further ladies and gentlemen than Tennessee’s very own Charlie Ergen. That guy could do a “teach in” on how to be ruthless and smart. Do yourself a favor...go listen to his last conference call. He had a few folks messing with his business. In just a few sentences, just sort of in passing at the very end, he slit their ever loving throats..”yeah we’re not gonna deal with them going forward.” HINT to everyone: DON'T EVER MAKE THE MISTAKE OF F'ING WITH ME!!!
The most successful bankers I know who transitioned to businesses who absolutely lit it up....one was from Bear Stearns. The other one, Jefferies. I worked with one guy. Both were just relentless! Our boss used to joke, “Silvertongue (his nickname), would kick his grandmother into a puddle of piss to get her to pick up a nickel!” Both went on to take over these two shitty, nasty, unpretty businesses, and ruthlessly turned them around. They didn’t break a few eggs doing it either. They broke entire henhouses!
These guys better figure out where we are in the cycle, pick up a bat, and start swinging! They better get everyone on the same page pushing too...from Admin to boosters....all the way down to the lady turning hotdogs in the smallest concession stand at Neyland. FYI - it’s not just for themselves and their careers either. These kids see that fight, and if you do it,...kids will replicate what they see. Killer instincts and leadership. It’s two things that have been woefully lacking in this program for some time. It’s not gonna be pretty, and it might make your stomach a little queezy...but guess what, tough sh##... you get paid millions to do this!!
If these guys (coaching staff) want to live to see daylight, you better figure out where you are and what kind of fight you are in (Tennessee, a program that’s got some legacy but has been in the sink for a while and is looking for leadership and it’s identity again)....and you better get wild, mean, and smarter faster, or your ass is toast.
Last edited:
