I don't like this, even though there are probably some positives buried in there somewhere. This helps Coke much more than it helps ETSU, imo. etsualumni00 is correct in pointing out (it was obvious to me immediately) that Coke will 'value' their product at some high number, and the $2 million "cash and product" could be $10,000 cash and $1,990,000 product, including or not including advertising. It's a sellout, but then everybody else is doing it, too. NOW would have been the time to paint the dome like a Coke can if we're going to prostitute ourselves....

Let me ask you all this. Who do you think is the better business negotiator - Coke (I believe Thomas is the big ETSU alumni guy), or Dave Collins (or whoever {mullins? I doubt it. Mason?} in athletics "spearheaded" the negotiations)?

And yes (and I can't believe I'm saying this), Pittiful is correct in pointing out that any new scoreboards are going to be at the softball field and so on. By the way, Coke is ramping up it's advertising in this genre. Appallingly, the tennis courts at Liberty Bell have just had installed court numbers with "Coca-Cola" at the top of each. ETSU is just part of the picture for them.

Doc,, there where some hard numbers listed in there such as money for scholarships etc so I don't think that unless ETSU is going to let some students pay their way into school with Coke cans I don't think it going to be split is going to be anywhere near as bad as you seem to think. Also Pitt wasn't the one who pointed out the new scoreboards where going to the softball fields. He seemed to think they were going to replace the ones in the Dome. It said new athletic facilities, yeah that might mean the softball field, the soccer field but why not let coke pay for them? they need it. But it could also include a new basketball arena, a new football stadium, baseball field, lots of places. ETSU is getting some good things out of the deal and obviously Coke thinks they are as well or they wouldn't have signed the deal but I don't understand why so many automatically assume the negative.

Rod- If ETSU is calling a press conference to announce there will be a Coca-Cola sign on the softball field scoreboard then I can't begin to tell you how sad and irrelevant this announcement is.

I literally want David Mullins and Coca-Cola arrested for hijacking the front page of my newspaper.

I would hate to think what would happen if Mullins stubbed his toe. An air raid siren, perhaps?

By the way, there is NO WAY this thread should have gone to 23 posts.

We're as duped as the Johnson City Press.

The bright side of this is that perhaps we can get one of the annoying posters to sacrifice themselves to preserve our collective honor.

The money would be better spent going towards a new basketball area. The Coke Center?

If you look at the main photo at ETSUBucs.com its Mullins and Densmore holding Coke products.

Pitt, I don't think they mind the photos with Mullins. I know you and Dave aren't on best terms, but apparently not everyone hates the man.

One last time, everyone on here that has blasted the program is showing their outright bias if they can't admit this was a positive for the athletic department and the university. It completely shatters any shred of credibility any of you (Pitt, etc.) would still have.

You guys are really disapointing me.

What do I have to do to get you to rejoice in the reference that was Max Headroom?

They still sell New Coke in American Samoa, you know.

Ya'll act like they just invented peanut butter. "Pouring rights" are a standard for the majority of campuses, throwing in some goodies for various offices/departments which usually includes a scoreboard or two, and drinks for staff/training room/travel...

Does this mean they will need Rusty to come back to run the vending contracts again??? That might smooth over the ill-will!!

Interestingly, the Pepsi vs Coke battle usually comes down to what that company will do for you, and athletics SHOULD/COULD be the linkpin. Coke has become the new Nike and they are willing to lay out cash/products to make sure they can get your entire campus. It's a win-win for everyone except the poor sap that likes Mtn. Dew!

Welcome to the new millenium, ETSU!!!


Lots of articles on "pouring rights" and athletics on google...
http://www.bgnews.com/home/index.cfm?eve...447b95c2d5
Campus groups look to get share of Coca-Cola funding
Student organizations can now compete for a piece of $42,000 in funding following the recent signing of the Coke contract.

Although the contract has been in effect since May 16, 2007, Chief Financial Officer Sherideen Stoll just signed the 76-page Coca-Cola contract in late September, officially making the University a Coke school for at least seven years.

Coke has agreed to pay more than $2.5 million to the University in sponsorship fees, granting $340,000 for pouring rights, campus, educational and athletic initiatives on or before May 15, 2008, and will pay an additional 2.5 percent on top of that each succeeding year until 2014.

The president and his special group of cabinet members determined how much money would be granted to each division of campus and allocated $50,000 to the Student Budget Committee to distribute, which is $11,500 more than under the Pepsi contract.

The SBC decided $3,000 would go to University departments and $5,000 would go into a "rainy day" fund, leaving the remaining $42,000 up for grabs among the 300-plus student organizations.

The $42,000 is spot funding, which means when student organizations need extra money for a special function or project, they can apply to the SBC for up to $1,000 per semester in funding. The SBC determines what amount is given.

"I encourage every student organization to apply," said Jeremy Lehman, junior and USG Senator.

He said student organizations should know about this opportunity from meeting with the Office of Campus Activities, so they need to take advantage.

Lehman said he wants students to know that he, along with USG President Johnnie Lewis, fought for student organizations and not for USG.

The Pouring Rights Committee felt it was time for a change to Coke after Pepsi's contract was up in May.

Lehman said the Coke contract is obviously better because it offers more money and different options. He said Coke's presentation was also better and that Coke is more willing to help out with athletics than Pepsi was.

"We're getting more than a million over seven years more than Pepsi, " said Bill Wheelock, director of purchasing. "Every dollar coming in doesn't have to come from the pockets of students and parents," he said.

The contract was recently signed after many months of negotiating between Coca-Cola Enterprises Bottling Company and the University's Pouring Rights Committee.

Stoll, who signs all University contracts as the contracting authority, knows that a contract has to go through extensive legal work on both sides of a deal.

Also, when a committee is involved, such as the Pouring Rights Committee, it automatically adds more time into coordinating a contract because of conflicting schedules.

The contract was exactly what Coke and the people at the University had worked out, said Wheelock, who worked on the Pouring Rights Committee to make sure the contract was completed legally according to the appropriate terms and conditions.

There is simply something wrong with a world in which *any* university has something called a "Pouring Rights Committee". It may be "standard", but it's crazy. Crazy, I say.......



What's next, a "Pillowfight Infractions Board"? "Freshman Accessories Advisment Committee"? "Greek Letter Caligraphy Standards Board"?
I know, this is money-driven. Doesn't make it right. At all.

I agree. Your home must be doing you wonders.

I'd just like to point out that AGAIN we get the code of the area that we are so afraid to criticize something around here that we wind up having to say something nice about a non-issue.

This is the perfect case in point. I was going through some of my files today and happened upon a interview I did with Keener Fry five years ago where he spoke about securing $100,000 worth of advertising for a scoreboard.

That was 10 years ago. We're bragging on $20,000 here?

By the way, Paul Stanton says Mullins is his best athletic director ever.

Remember the scoreboard advertising revenues and, evidently, Stanton's comprehension that $20,000 > $100,000 the next time you hear the administration tell you they can't afford football.

Coke will definately inflate the value of their products to make it seem like they are donating a ton, but Coke will be giving ETSU 55% commission on all vending machine sales on campus, Im not sure if that also covers the product sold at games and in BucMart.

DIdn't Pepsi give ETSU a cut of their beverages sold at games?

And if not, then what excuse could the administration give for signing off on that three years ago, when they championed higher basketball attendance and that cutting football did not cut into their basketball season ticket base (didn't increase it, either, after an NCAA appearance)?

This was a non-story. It deserved a blurb on the business page at best, and the fact the local media haven't given any follow-up shows how out of it they are.

Buc2002 Wrote:If you'll remember, Pepsi was the beverage provider for athletics just over the last three years, and the overall campus had no deal whatsoever. This has to have stemmed from what they saw athletics do with Pepsi in the past few years, and the deal just grew to include the whole campus. Athletics obviously was the focus considering the press conference was in Memorial Center (also know this from the radio report), and all the photos on the link show athletic logos, Bucky and Mullins with the Coke reps.

Here he goes again...02 and his p.r. campaign for buddy Mullins.

He and Shaw make quite the team.

Apologists to the rescue!

On a side note, I guest lecture at a lot of universities and it seems like many of them have signed similar deals with coke this year. While I was at Kent State, they were removing the Pepsi machines and replacing them with Coke across campus.

They did a press conference to announce they were switching from Pepsi to Coke.

That's absurdity. Total and complete absurdity!

Now, here's something to consider. Wouldn't this have better been announced via the promised advertising? You know- "COKE! THE OFFICIAL SOFT DRINK OF THE ETSU BUCS!"

"WHEN BUCS FANS ASK FOR A POP AT THE GAMES, THEY ALWAYS SAY 'COKE!'"

very good observation, Pitt, on the "drop" in value of the etsu athletics brand! That's a big drop by the way.

So, it begs to differ, will this "count" toward the "fund-raising" side of the propaganda spreadsheet or will they be forced to call a spade and spade and list it as "commercial" revenue? Either way, it is so stupid on the part of the press to list this as a top story. And I agree with Pitt, this really doesn't deserve the length of the thread, but we have to address the plant!

Let us know when there is something really news-worthy, like a computer being stolen or mismanagement of funds or covering up student criminal conduct.

Or a player being signed, or a game being won, or whatever. That's legitimate positive press.

Here's what one of my birdies told me. He said David Mullins, whenever there is a critical article, holds a meeting and asks "How do we deal with this?"

My guess is that he is trying desperately to find ways to put his face in front of the media in a positive light. That's why he does the Johnson City Honda ads- would you know of any other AD who would publicly wish to identify with a car dealer?

That's why that promo video for recruits ended not with a shot of a slam dunk to win a game or a celebration at home plate, but rather David Mullins, standing alone at center court.

Did he really think a recruit was going to attend ETSU based on the vanity of the AD?

And that's why he does this. Again, do a bit of research and you'll find they are bragging on $20,000 worth of scoreboard advertising.

Keener Fry once got $100,000 worth of scoreboard advertising at Marshall.

That's pretty damning since Stanton ran off Fry and hand-picked Mullins.


Now, if you're looking for ETSU stories to get into the media at this otherwise "off" time of year, you could hold a press conference stating Courtney Pigram's declaration to the NBA Draft. That's been done before at many other schools.

You could make some sort of an announcement on Tony Skole. You could release "Members of ETSU's nationally ranked golf and tennis programs will be on hand in a media event to discuss their seasons."

But no, the only good news surrounding ETSU is switching from Pepsi to Coke.

Whatd you expect from the JCP, the front page headline today is that a computer was stolen and it even has a picture in case anyone reading the paper doesnt know what a computer looks like. Pultizer prize is in the mail

Did the BHC even cover the press conference about changing from Pepsi to Coke?

Regardless, here's what you have to get on the Press today.

They had the Elizabethton Covered Bridge Festival on the front page today. Okay, nothing wrong with that.

But the problem is the picture on the front page. It's a good picture. Kudos to Lee Talbert.

The problem is, look at the woman playing the bass. She's quite the bine footy.

And they put her BELOW the fold?