The two best women's golf teams in this week's field at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic are Arkansas at No. 7 in the nation, according to the current Golfstat rankings, and Kent State at No. 11.
Following today's second round, Kent State sits atop the leaderboard, five shots ahead of Arkansas.
You'd think the athletic director at Kent State would be all over social media, sharing his pride in a Golden Flashes women's golf program that has a legitimate chance at competing for a national championship... wouldn't you?
Well, you'd be wrong.
If you look at Joel Nielsen's Twitter account, he's been wearing out his right thumb pressing the like button in support of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Five hours ago, he "liked" @RazorbackWGolf's tweet touting "another solid round" and "in great position to accomplish our goals!" along with #WinAsOneRazorback.
Seriously!
No tweet or like of a tweet about Kent State actually leading the Razorbacks.
In fact, during the month of February Nielsen has pressed "like" for posts about Arkansas Men's and Women's Golf teams a total of 15 times. Compare that to the number of posts he has tweeted, liked or shared about Kent State's golf programs. That total? One. That's right, just once.
No congratulations to Kent State for a brilliant even-par round that has the Flashes in the lead. No love or even a feigning of interest since liking a tweet back on Feb. 5.
Now, for some perspective, Nielsen's daughter, Kelly, is the director of operations for Arkansas' men's and women's golf teams. How could anyone blame Nielsen for supporting the programs that employ his daughter?
But, how can an athletic director support a family member's team to the relative exclusion of the coaches and student-athletes from his own school. Remember, this is an athletic director who is cashing paychecks totaling more than $450,000 per year – a salary that is $130,000 above any other athletic director in the Mid-American Conference.
Based on my quick tabulation, Nielsen has shared more about Arkansas Golf in the last week than he has about Kent State Golf since May... And that's a Golden Flashes team that has been ranked in the top 10, won two tournaments and finished second three times since May.
There are only a few options (or combinations of options) that offer any sense in explaining Nielsen's apparent show of favoritism to Arkansas over Kent State:
1. Nielsen really does favor Arkansas to Kent State, which would be inexcusable considering the ridiculous salary Kent State is paying him. Yes, support your daughter... BUT SUPPORT YOUR OWN SCHOOL, TOO!
2. Nielsen is oblivious. If he doesn't understand the optics involved in supporting another team over the one representing the school for which he works (insert salary again here)... and when those teams are playing in the same tournament and battling for the top of the leaderboard... that's a big problem. Can any school justify overpaying an AD for this kind of attention to detail?
3. Nielsen doesn't really care about anyone other than himself and his family. This is a very real possibility. Remember, this is an AD who told coaches a few years back that he doesn't care about the morale in the department and that he answers to only one person (referring to KSU's president, who later gave him a contract extension). He has also told numerous staff members "you are replaceable." The results of an embarrassing climate study are pretty telling with this option.
Nielsen's social media activity is a slap in the face to Kent State Golf. It's a slap in the face to the coaches, student athletes, alumni, donors, parents, fans and community members who have cared about these programs for so many years.
It's a slap that, for me, is more proof that the person who really is expendable in Kent State's Athletic Department is Joel Nielsen himself. And his expendability could provide a nice financial boon that would allow so many underpaid "replaceable" staff members and coaches the chance to be paid closer to a living wage.
Sorry for the rant, but it's time for Kent State to thank Nielsen for his service and begin a new era.
Dave Carducci