CSNbbs

I remember seeing stuff on their board about this, but didn't know any details.

It's like people don't realize this is a public forum, and anyone can see your posts.

I remember, but not the exact contents, those over the top comments about P.J. before the 2014 season started.

This is NOT related to anything here, but I remember some implying that WMU couldn't get a really good recruiting class without cheating.

That is a serious allegation to make absence any public statements which could be used as a basis for that opinion.

Generally speaking, I wouldn't make a real defamatory statement unless I was quoting someone else, e.g., "ESPN reported that University X is being investigated for recruiting violations involving..."

I have a 'rule of thumb': I do not post anything I consider sensitive, privileged, etc. unless I can find that information on the Internet and then I'll cite the Internet story.

I did this with the Murphy-Orlando story, the Reed murder, etc. I had the information before it was public so I kept quiet until the news was public. I Google for the story and if I can find it, I'll post what is public on the Internet.

I posted this as a public service announcement not to point fingers at anyone.

(02-06-2015 11:28 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/inde...cart_river

Uhmm!

In addition to defamatory stuff, we need to remember that there are HIPAA laws. E.g., a student-athlete, may not want his/her health information public even though they are in the public spotlight (as an athlete). Ditto academic information. Ditto information on student conduct (e.g., violations).

It made Deadspin too (language warning). National coverage, WMU! The comments are epic as well...a couple of my favorites:

"Shocking and appalling. Western Michigan Football has message boards and boosters?"

"I have to admit I'm surprised to see "prominent" and "Western Michigan University" used in the same sentence."

I just find it funny that they always give our program crap, yet they are essentially looked upon in the same light by anyone who isn't a MAC follower.

I can say as a Western alum, fan, and supporter, that this is so embarrassing. I hope these guys who took part in this get what is coming to them. It turned my stomach at the time.

One of the guys is actually quoted in the MLive article as saying he meant no malicious intent, which is BS.

I hope she wins. And I hope this is a word of caution to all those that think they aren't doing any harm when they character assassinate people.

(02-06-2015 02:24 PM)Stampede your face!! Wrote: [ -> ]I can say as a Western alum, fan, and supporter, that this is so embarrassing. I hope these guys who took part in this get what is coming to them. It turned my stomach at the time.

One of the guys is actually quoted in the MLive article as saying he meant no malicious intent, which is BS.

I hope she wins. And I hope this is a word of caution to all those that think they aren't doing any harm when they character assassinate people.

Well said. It's a shame how a few people end up indirectly representing the whole fan base. I've had some great discussion on your board, especially about hoops. Some friendly, logical posters over there. I hope that some bad eggs don't drive people away from posting.

(02-06-2015 02:30 PM)EagleSam Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-06-2015 02:24 PM)Stampede your face!! Wrote: [ -> ]I can say as a Western alum, fan, and supporter, that this is so embarrassing. I hope these guys who took part in this get what is coming to them. It turned my stomach at the time.

One of the guys is actually quoted in the MLive article as saying he meant no malicious intent, which is BS.

I hope she wins. And I hope this is a word of caution to all those that think they aren't doing any harm when they character assassinate people.

Well said. It's a shame how a few people end up indirectly representing the whole fan base. I've had some great discussion on your board, especially about hoops. Some friendly, logical posters over there. I hope that some bad eggs don't drive people away from posting.

Yeah. There are a lot of great WMU fans that don't behave in this way. Congrats on the signing class by the way. Despite the rankings, I think you guys got some good players. I know WMU's staff was real high on Nick Dillon at one time. I think they were even the first to offer way back in 2013.

Dear Friends,
The thread of this discussion has been removed from the Bronco Stampede. So if you wanted to get some of their feelings about it, you can't. Although from reading their thread before it was removed, most seem to be of the opinion of Stampede your face!

(02-06-2015 03:06 PM)Ken Barna Wrote: [ -> ]Dear Friends,
The thread of this discussion has been removed from the Bronco Stampede. So if you wanted to get some of their feelings about it, you can't. Although from reading their thread before it was removed, most seem to be of the opinion of Stampede your face!

The thread is still there, but the posts in question have been removed. Just skimming through the end, you can see how badly it got out of control. There just aren't any details.

Dear EagleSam,
You are so right. It was sandwiched in between all of those position threads and with my poor eyesight I failed to pick up on it.

Wow, I just read the Deadspin article and the subject matter of what they were posting about...

Oh, s*it!!! (I won't discuss it here).

As I remember things, (SOME) WMU fans were really, really upset with Fleck for that 1 - 11 season in 2013. They really had no confidence in his abilities, considered him a 2nd rate coach and charlatan who could recruit by whatever means, etc. (those type of things).

Apparently they went far, far beyond questioning his professional abilities, and the wisdom of the AD to hire such a young, inexperienced coach and into areas which legally could be considered slanderous.

What fools. Who in their right mind would want Fleck fired? The guy is a great coach and an amazing recruiter! I bet you anything that Fleck could get way more than 3 Michigan high school kids to want to come to EMU and play football.

(02-06-2015 10:01 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote: [ -> ]What fools. Who in their right mind would want Fleck fired? The guy is a great coach and an amazing recruiter! I bet you anything that Fleck could get way more than 3 Michigan high school kids to want to come to EMU and play football.

Hmmmmmm. I think there were a lot of posters here last August who considered him little more a JV coach with a flair for promotion ("row the boat").

If I remember correctly, I was one of the few folks who thought that it takes more than one season to judge a coach and I jumped on his bandwagon after the first game (Purdue). I watched the 2nd half where Terrell played very well and saw what Franklin could do.

Lot of folks here had etched into stone a win over WMU in 2014.

(02-06-2015 10:01 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote: [ -> ]What fools. Who in their right mind would want Fleck fired? The guy is a great coach and an amazing recruiter! I bet you anything that Fleck could get way more than 3 Michigan high school kids to want to come to EMU and play football.

You always turn everything into a chance to blast EMU, even in a thread that has nothing to do with us.

(02-06-2015 11:28 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/inde...cart_river

No wait...

(02-06-2015 10:01 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote: [ -> ]What fools. Who in their right mind would want Fleck fired? The guy is a great coach and an amazing recruiter! I bet you anything that Fleck could get way more than 3 Michigan high school kids to want to come to EMU and play football.

Bob, I'm not sure of the 'value' of this post:

You are posting this after a great WMU turn around season.

The gist of this thread and my posts was SIX MONTHS ago, coming off a 1 - 11 record, Bronco 'fans' were trying to run P.J. out of town.

They are not trying to run him out of town NOW. Bob, need to go back six months in time.

The whole thread, lawsuit, etc. etc. was about the boorish, slanderous behavior of posters, last August, who did not like a head coach because the team had lost very badly the previous season.

Boorish behavior isn't just a Bronco board phenomena. Fans routinely try to run head coaches, athletic directors, university presidents, etc. out of town. (and, of course, when the coach starts to win, they love him. Fans can be so utterly SMH in their behavior).

This is a wake up call, to all posters on all boards to avoid slanderous comments.

I'm quoting from Ga Tech Swagger on the process of subpoenas, etc. to get IP addresses, e-mail addresses, etc.

"I usually demand contact from a barred attorney, or, if they are not legally represented, at least a copy of a government issued ID to know I am dealing with who they claim they are. 9 out of 10 times that alone is enough for them to never email me again. But this Fleck-gate thing was one of those 1 in 10. I am a hardcore libertarian, and a stickler for civil liberties. I actually demanded a subpoena before I turned over any private information about the posters in question. Once I was dutifully served that subpoena ... that was all she wrote. I then have to turn over poster's IP/email/etc or I go to jail.

So I don't want anybody to get the impression I sit around giving away poster's info in my spare time. I actually go (and went) well out of my way to demand that I be legally compelled to turn over any private info. But once that high hurdle is cleared (happened only once in 12 years now) I have to turn it over. "