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It's Officialy Time: Fund The US1 Billboard UPDATE: $3845 Raised!

flip said:
How about

"Attention UM Board of Trustees:"

0 ACC/National Championships , 1 ten win season, etc etc....

U don't care so why should we #fireBlakeJames

If we word it like that they won't sue. We're just stating facts and bringing it to their attention. Then we can add like some graphic in the background
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If we didn’t care we wouldn’t be putting up a billboard. So the we don’t care if you don’t care angle is too passive and lame. We do care. We care more than they do.
 
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The Franchise said:
You actually can’t sue for whatever you want. That’s nonsense, friend. In Florida, you need to state a legitimate cause of action or be subject to pay the other party’s attorneys’ fees and costs.

The last thing a CEO of an AmLaw100 firm wants to do is file a frivolous cause of action and get stuck paying fees and costs and subject themselves to the humiliation of public ridicule for that. On top of that, an attorney filing a frivolous cause of action merely to attempt to intimidate someone from exercising free speech on a billboard would open herself up to a nice Bar complaint.
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The suit will be dismissed, but you certainly can. With that said, I entirely agree with you. As I said, I highly doubt they would sue over this, but like you said, I wouldn’t want my name attached to the billboard.
 
I think it should be something cutting, clever, and to the point.

Something like:

Wanted: A University Administration That Actually Is Competent

Requirements:
Hire A Real Athletic Director
Don't Require Head Coaches To Fund Facilities
Don't Extend Coaches Who Have Trouble Getting Eight Wins A Year

Apply At:
The University Of Miami
 
Creat a LLC and buy the billboard under that identity. Only put enough money in the LLC bank account to pay for said billboard.

Can’t get blood from a turnip in the rare event they sue.
 
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Problem2 said:
I think we should listen to the board lawyers. If they say we shouldn't include BOT names, then it's probably for a reason...
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As long as the words "Fire" , "Blake James" , "(insert other admins like Strawley)" are on that board.....it's fine. You can address BOT as "BOT"....don't necessarily need to put their names to get their attention at that point.
 
Asumcole said:
Creat a LLC and buy the billboard under that identity. Only put enough money in the LLC bank account to pay for said billboard.

Can’t get blood from a turnip in the rare event they sue.
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They’d pierce that corporate veil fast.
 
RVACane said:
They’d pierce that corporate veil fast.
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I don't know about that....the specific instances where a corporate veil has actually been pierced have mostly been due to straight up fraud.

I'm not an attorney, but would be curious to hear what the board lawyers think about that topic. Piercing an LLC isn't exactly a common occurrence.
 
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Jedi Master Cane said:
I don't know about that....the specific instances where a corporate veil has actually been pierced have mostly been due to straight up fraud.

I'm not an attorney, but would be curious to hear what the board lawyers think about that topic. Piercing an LLC isn't exactly a common occurrence.
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I’m a lawyer but I don’t practice anymore and didn’t do this type of work. If they are using the LLC for the sole purpose of committing what could be seen as libelous, there could be something there. @The Franchise or @TheOriginalCane might know.
 
305_separatist said:
I started this campaign after the original thread gauging interest received overwhelming support, and well over 3k views. If every single one of those readers donated just $2 to this effort, we would have more than enough to get it done.

Truth is simple banners aren't going to cut it anymore. I gave it several hours before checking the news today, and laughed that the most embarrassing loss in school history hasn't merited any firings. Blake James should have been shown the door immediately to get the party started at least, when you compound this loss with the way all the major athletic programs have performed in recent years.

It's time to take matters into our own hands, and give notice to the entire administration from the community that we think them a joke and a clown show. Clearly being beaten by the commuter school in Sweetwater wasn't embarrassing enough for them. So throw in your money, and throw in your billboard ideas. The one requirement is that it needs to target the school/administration as a whole, and not any one individual. There is plenty of stink to spread around. Bonus points for creative ways to embarrass the school as much as possible without getting me sued for defamation lmao.

Fundraising link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/us1-billboard-protest-um-administration

UPDATE 11/27 :

Billboard
Billboard companies are being pretty slow in responding given turkey week, but I've successfully given specifics to one who will be emailing me options on the Dadeland - i95 stretch shortly. I told him it was for community outreach haha. The only definite info I got from him on the call is that digital is cheaper, both in terms of monthly price (since it gets cycled with other ads on the same board), and since print costs can be pretty high, like easily 1k apparently. Unfortunately vast majority of that stretch is traditional print boards, and to compound matters printing is usually backed up this time of the season with holiday advertising in full swing. I'll create an official update to the OP and fundraising page when I have more concrete details. Takeaway is that this will be a logistical challenge even with cash in hand. So the more that can be raised the better, as it seems likely the amount will have to be raised if we're forced to go the print route.

Legal
Messaging wise, I've made the decision that while I would absolutely love to, I don't feel comfortable putting up names of the BOT. Simply put, all the members of the BOT are very wealthy and well connected locally. Many of them are attorneys/politicians or have many attorney buddies. There are a category of laws called anti-SLAPP laws which aim to prevent abuse of the civil justice system by way of frivolous lawsuits. Unfortunately Florida's variety of these laws are extremely narrow and only apply where government agencies are involved, not disputes between private persons. The take away here is if I go after any one of them personally, they can easily sue me even if no laws are broken and I would be screwed. Even if it's highly unlikely that they win, they can still tie me up in legal processes and fees for years out of spite if they were so inclined. Unfortunately I'm just not willing to paint that kind of target on my back. The furthest I'm willing to go would be a simple "fire blake james" type of thing. Fortunatly I think we can still take an effective shot at the school and the BOT by extension without resorting to outright naming.

Actual Messaging
I plan on throwing up a poll of the top few general ideas I've seen so far to narrow it down substantially, either late tonight or early tomorrow in a new thread. My own submission to the poll is the following, the exact details of which can be debated and decided later via another poll if it edges everything else out:

U Should Be Ashamed (or, The U Is Dying)
15 years. 0 ACC titles, one division title, one 10 win season.
UM 24 - 30 FIU (or, can be excluded)
www.fireTheAthleticDepartment.com (or, fireblakejames.com)

I'd argue that it's a simple and attention grabbing message that will embarrass the school. As for the details, I'm genuinely afraid that if Blake James gets fired they'll just promote some other loser from the same failing group in his place, just like they did with Manny. So I want to send the message that they need to just clean house without having a laundry list of names. Flip side is it might lack punch, idk.

If you have a substantially different, but still simple and effective, idea petition me to include it in the voting as an option here over the rest of today.
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they fire Blake and Carol Strawley would be worse and with Hillary Bass running BOT( runs a diversity business)
it would be a natural...... that would be terrifying.... Strawley experience if Football is from that Ivy league powerhouse Columbia...... Billboard should include H.Bass, B.Jame s and C.Strawely.... they all gotta go
hecht need a massive infusion of new blood and talent.... do think an HOF like Sam Jankovic would be interested in a BOT led by H.Bass .... Strawley already butchered the Mullin hiring what's next....
 
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I'm thankful for the opportunity to make a small contribution toward the billboard. I believe we are now at $2900.
 
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@305_separatist ok buddy I understand the whole BOT names thing. We definitely don’t need names of the BoT to make our point. But I implore you to please atleast add a fire Blake James & Jenn Strawley to the billboard or make it with a hashtag like on the banner #FireBlakeJames&JennStrawley because there public figures and there’s no worry of a lawsuit. But more importantly #1 Blake James is responsible for this whole thing and has to go. And #2 although I find this unlikely, we can’t risk them firing James and promoting Strawley to AD. That would be an epic disaster on all fronts if that happened! Either way my friend all of us who donated are extremely grateful to you for your hard work in making this happen and I know how big of pain in *** it can be. You’re a Cane hero brother, So thank you and happy thanksgiving to you and all my cane bothers.
 
At 2,930 and counting. All the people that are members and post on CIS, we should be higher than this at this point. Put up or shut up regarding UM's football program.
 
tvo1993 said:
Can't this please wait until after early signing day
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Given the logistical challenge of booking a billboard during holiday season, there's a chance it will. But if I can do it before I will because **** that noise, especially if the final product is just attacking james/AD/BOT
 
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