ETSU Officials Passed On Opportunity To Play Team USA

Proof that Mullins is a complete dumb***, nothing more, nothing less. the one chance of drawing revenue in a NON REVENUE SPORT and the waterhead passes on it. He truly is an idiot.

Unfortunately, this doesn't surprise me. A lot of people think that the BFFF cares only about having football back on campus and that is just not true. This whole issue has always been broader than that. Our athletic program is in need of help. I realize that we won the all-sports program last year and that is great but declining basketball attendance, disgruntled season ticket holders, contract disputes, capital projects that are being delayed or unfinished, playing in a lesser conference and now this story that they passed on playing the Olympic softball team are issues that need to be addressed regardless of whether or not they bring back football.

I know it may just be me -- and I understand how everyone on here loves any opportunity to bash Mullins -- but the story seems to be slanted once again to try and hurt the ETSU admin. Just some examples:

1. Notice the headline: ETSU Officials Passed On Opportunity To Play Team USA. That is a definitive statement, but once you read the story it is obviously disputable whether an offer was really ever made. In fact, you have two sources at ETSU -- Mullins and Mangrum -- both saying an official offer to "play" was never made. However, Smith infers that there was an offer several times in the story. That does not appear to be good journalism.

2. Smith uses the typical reporters tact of making what appears to be a "factual" statement of hard truth in his first paragraph, and then throws "a Johnson City official said," at the end.

3. He does it again later in the story after telling Mangrum's side of the issue. "By then, ETSU already had turned down the city’s proposal, Whitson said." A proposal? Yes, they asked if ETSU would be able to host the game on their new field. It's not done so they couldn't. They DID NOT turn down an offer to "play" the team.

4. I may be wrong here, but Smith says there have been delays on the softball field. There have been delays on soccer, but the softball field broke ground last fall and appears to be well on its way to completion. I drive by the stadium quite often and they haven't stopped work over the last several months. The announced opening is Spring 2009. It doesn't appear they are behind.

My only point here is that I think Pitt might have a point sometimes when it comes to Smith. Certainly having a reporter out there that is looking for the story is great, but I think his "agenda" seems rather apparent and he's much more likely to see the side that "embarrasses" Mullins and company.

This was just a prime example of a story with two sides, but only the one that says "ETSU is stupid" comes through.

One other thing, did Whitson produce a memo, e-mail or contract with an offer either to "host" or "play" the U.S. team? The story doesn't mention one so do we assume there wasn't?

Yet again, seems like bad journalism.

This then makes one wonder why Milligan was offered in the first place. Could it be that the City of Johnson City is a little concerned about the fact ETSU will be moving out of the city parks over the next several years to play on campus?

Let's see, soccer is already out of Liberty Bell, softball will be out of Metro Kiwanis next year, and baseball is heading out of Cardinal Park. I would think that's a pretty good city contract with dollars coming from ETSU, seeing as baseball has been in Cardinal Park since that late 80s, and soccer and softball have been in city parks since their inceptions.

Just a thought.

So you really think that Team USA offered to play Milligan and not ETSU? You really think they would rather play an NAIA team?

I don't think Team USA makes the request, at least that's what I got from the story.

Sounds to me like it may have been this Ellis guy at Parks and Rec that oversees ASA. Who knows, he may have been tight with Holly at Milligan and decided to do a favor, which isn't a stretch when you consider Holly is an Elizabethton native who is intrenched with the local softball community. Meanwhile, Mangrum is in just her third season at ETSU and is under 30.

At least from the story, the City was making the requests and finding an opponent. I'm making the point that your really can't tell from the article if you read between the lines. It's literally a He said, She said between Mullins and Whitson. Did the city make an offer or not.

Sadly, the story HEAVILY implies that there was an offer, when in truth there's no factual evidence that there was. In fact, there are more sources in the story saying there wasn't an offer (both Mullins and Mangrum).

Buc2002,

Only you and the athletic department could try to spin this. Regarding your post...

1.) First, it is not disputable that an offer was made. Even Mullins suggests that an offer was made but he is going to try to spin it by saying it wasn't an offer to "play" just host the event. Can you name me one college that hosts an event where their team doesn't play? High school track events don't count.

Mullins is quoted as saying "The way it was put originally was there was just going to be an Olympic exhibition game," Mullins said. "So, there was a little confusion there, I think, in what was intended and then, you know, where could a game like that be played? Because Johnson City doesn’t have a high-quality softball stadium. And we’re going to have one, but ours wasn’t going to be ready. So, was a game like that even going to be possible?" It was just a Olympic exhibition game? Confusion? Was a game like that even going to be possible? Milligan obviously said yes the game is possible and by the way let's play it where the ETSU men's baseball team plays. Mullins answer is we don't have a place to play it. Unbelievable. By the way, I am having a hard time finding any mention of Mangrum saying that there was never an offer.

I am not a journalism major but I assume most of these guys tape their interviews so a misquote would be damaging.

2) Again, I am not a reporter but isn't the first paragraph just a restatement of the quote form the identified JC official. Every person that reads that article, except for you and the athletic department know that the elected official is the lady from the Chamber of Commerce. Pitt, will even agree with that.

3) No where in that article does it say that they only extended the offer to host the event on their new field. Mullins does say that ideally they would play there. Let me ask you a question. Why would the chamber of commerce ask ETSU in "September" of last year to host an event on a field which by your own admission in part 4 hadn't even broken ground yet?

4) Well, you are wrong. Projected ground breaking was Spring of 2007. That's a delay.

http://www.etsu.edu/rh/pages/Athletics/softball_s.html

Are you kidding with you last post?

Maybe Pitt can tell you if he always asked for written proof when quoting people. Coach Mangrum, you said you wrote letters to the Olympics. Can I see them?

JC is so concerned about ETSU leaving their parks that they asked a college that already has facilities on their campus to play the game.

Then you go and wonder why Milligan was offered in the first place. Based on everything I read Milligan wasn't offered first.

You can't believe what you just posted, do you? I am guessing Pitt will agree that he sometimes says things for entertainment value and not really substance. Honestly, you are just trying to make this board fair and balanced, right?

I am indeed trying to bring some fairness to the board, because it is almost always lacking here.

The point I'm trying to make is that everyone -- at least those so far speaking on the board -- are trying to make this out like it was a black and white situation.

Whitson: Dave, does ETSU want to play the US Olympic team?

Mullins: No

That's a simplistic way of looking at it is my only point, and yes, I will give Mullins enough credit to think it wouldn't be that cut and dry for him either. Afterall, everyone on here always talks about how Mullins is a champion for the non-revenue sports. Well, this would have been heaven for him, right?

Now, that being said, do I think ETSU should have accepted an offer if one was made -- ABSOLUTELY. And do you think ETSU would turn down something that would so obviously be considered a positive. I just don't think so.

I don't think it was that straight forward, and I do believe -- without doubt -- that Smith is on a mission and looking for any reason to damage Mullins. That may be appropriate or welcomed by some on the board, but I'm just saying there's no place for it in journalism.

Even though I'm not naive enough to believe that it doesn't happen -- even on Fox news :)

By the way, on the softball facility page at ETSU.EDU, have you not noticed how out of date everything on that entire section is out of date.

And that page is ran by University Advancement, not athletics. I'm sure there are several issues with that whole part of the website when it comes to accuracy if you look long enough.

Sure, did it take some time to get enough money to get started, yes, but since it's been started there have been no delays. That was all I was trying to say.

Well, in the spirit of keeping it fair and balanced maybe Smith was hired to balance the fluff crap that the JC Press writes.

And obviously misinformation is OK on this board because your posts on this thread is full of it.

One more thing, you use Pitt very ineffectively. You remember his comments that Smith is a bad reporter with an agenda when it helps you but you forget that just recently he said he was a complete shill for Stanton.

Buc,

Listen, I'm not trying to pass along any misinformation. I'm only trying to get everyone to take a deep breath. Just as you may think I'm quickly willing to side with ETSU admin, I think your equally willing to take the other side.

I've conceded several things in the above posts, even saying I think ETSU should be playing the US Olympic team. However, I'm just not willing to accept blindly the stories from anyone (either the city, ETSU or Smith).

As for Pitt, I think his points have been good ones when it comes to Smith. He's pointed out Smith's problems with taking up hours of Mullins' time and then just quoting him sparringly in a story, he's noted that he simply reads these boards and steals Pitt's points, and he's questioned Smith's motives.

To be honest, I'm surprised Pitt hasn't chimed in yet on this situation.

And frankly, I'm done with commenting on this myself. I've wasted enough of my time on a Saturday trying to make a point when I know there are those of us in the ETSU fan base simply too angry over football and our conference affiliation to listen to an alternative opinion. That's sad.

Mullins ultimate goal is for ETSU to be on the level of Milligan and King. This right here proves it.

Buc2002 Wrote:I know there are those of us in the ETSU fan base simply too angry over football and our conference affiliation to listen to an alternative opinion. That's sad.

What's sad my friend, is what Stanton and Mullins have done to this universities athletics program. Football is gone and we are in a terrible league, solely because these two morons have no vision of what an athletics program should look like.

You are right, I almost always take the side opposite of ETSU but I am willing to listen if any good points are made.

Here is what I find funny. You won't accept a story from Smith, ETSU or the city but you obviously completely believe a post by Pitt that says Smith interviewed Mullins for hours with using any quotes. Hey Pitt, did Buc2002 get a memo or a letter from you proving this?

No question, Pitt is a very knowledgeable person about sports in this region but I don't think he will tell you that every post of his is original in concept. Simply stealing all of his ideas, come on! Are any ideas related to sports unique.

The affect of a winning program on a school's enrollment is not a unique thought but Pitt points out that the JC Press article about the Flutie effect is sometjing he wrote about first. Did JC Press still the idea from Pitt as well? Of course not. I think it is fair to point out that an article he wrote on the issue was previously published. Heck, I thought about this issue about 7 years ago so I guess Pitt actually stole it from me.

Let's just agree that Smith has stolen every article from Pitt. Does that mean that the article is no longer valid? Of course not. There is no doubt that Pitt has posted about issues that Smith has written about but Smith still had to do the work to get it printed and he has a voice in the paper right now. That is worth something. If this is the accepted line of reasoning, I guess Smith gets credit for this one because I don't think Pitt posted about ETSU turning down softball.

As far as questioning motives, I think Pitt has suggested that Smith is a lap dog for ETSU which further discredits (if you accept Pitt's thoughts) the point that Smith is just out to be negative.
I believe his other posts have been about bad journalism and stealing ideas not that he is trying to get Mullins.

Don't worry about Pitt. He will chime in soon. I hope Pitt gets a job with a regional paper soon so we can have another voice in the paper but until that happens it is obvious that the only one that is critical of ETSU is Smith. Even Pitt will tell you that a critical voice is absolutely NECESSARY!!!!

The sooner that people realize that there are more problems with the program than not having football the sooner we can fix things.

By the way Pitt, where are you? what's your take on the softball issue (bad journalism, problem for ETSU or both )

I was goint to try and quit for the night myself but I had one more thought that drives me crazy. Why are so many web pages out of date on ETSU's website? Am I the only one that finds this unacceptable. That is bad marketing. Again, ETSU's problems are more than football.

Good night Board!!!!

To quote the article, "Mullins said ETSU eventually chose to pass on the opportunity..."

If reported correctly, it sounds an awfully lot to me like ETSU made the decision (rightly or wrongly and for whatever reason) not to play Team USA. Was this a correct decision? I don't know.

Now, apparently Milligan eventually chose not to "pass on the opportunity".

one word: INCOMPETENCE

wetsu58 Wrote:Unfortunately, this doesn't surprise me. A lot of people think that the BFFF cares only about having football back on campus and that is just not true. This whole issue has always been broader than that. Our athletic program is in need of help. I realize that we won the all-sports program last year and that is great but declining basketball attendance, disgruntled season ticket holders, contract disputes, capital projects that are being delayed or unfinished, playing in a lesser conference and now this story that they passed on playing the Olympic softball team are issues that need to be addressed regardless of whether or not they bring back football.

The all-sports trophy is a bit misleading. It states, for instance, that ETSU did better than Belmont did last year because ETSU won the regular season conference championship.