GP1

I wonder as well. I have a hunch, but don't know anything for sure.

Received my invitation this week. Nice card and the printing was very good. I'd hope that regardless of the condition of the team, as many people as possible would go to this event. Not going isn't very helpful. If you live as far away as I do, you have an excuse. If you live in NE Ohio, you don't have an excuse.

VERY good idea. Customers love options and deciding which is the best value for them. This is a very inexpensive promotion for a fan, yet is doesn't involve giving away tickets. For some, the best value may be 2-3 football games and then basketball or whatever they decide is important to THEM. I guess one thing is unclear to me. Do you have to purchase season tickets before buying this or can it be purchased on its own? IDEA.... Record all tickets used (assuming they use electronic scanners at the football games). If a person uses their allotment during football season, they automatically are allowed to buy a similar package for basketball, or just another package in general. The University has to have a mechanism for rewarding going to games, not just buying tickets. If I attend every Wake Forest football game, I get a discount on my donation for season tickets the following year. Every ticket is scanned as you walk in the gate. Know not only who is buying your product, but who is actually using it. Treat those using the product better than those just buying it, but treat both well. The football team needs to be good. If it is good, then people feel good about going to other sports and the University in general. Reward fans going to games with a good team, and maybe they buy another pack for basketball and there are more than 2,000 per game for OOC basketball games.

You are a man of few words DrZ, but this is getting a little silly.

Falling in the category of things that will make you vomit is this article. Is Tressel saying the coaches at MSU and Northwestern know what it is like to be a lying, cheating scumbag? Are those same two coaches really that stupid to respond in the way they did? Tressel's senator speak is just funny at this point. Would anyone other than me want to hear Barry Alvarez answer the same question under truth serum? I'd love to know what he really thinks of Tressel and the nonsense going on at tosu.

I received the e-mails below in my personal account. This is a good example of how a university should react to a negative story. I don't know if WF athletes were involved in the story, but the Athletic Director addressing the issue in a letter to supporters sends the right message to fans, the student athletes and the general student population. A president and athletic director can't control everyone, but they can send the right message. I just thought this was unique and a good way to handle a problem. They can't control the Today Show report, but they can manage the story from their end. If you have a problem, run to the problem, not away from it. On Tuesday President Hatch sent a letter to the campus community (below) in which he said, “It is my understanding that on Thursday, NBC's Today Show plans to air a story about the problem of sexual assault on college and university campuses. We have been advised by a producer of the Today Show that the story will include an interview with a former Wake Forest student involving an incident that occurred several years ago.” News accounts of the Today Show story have been picked up broadly and report the alleged involvement of two former Wake Forest student-athletes. I assure you that Wake Forest University and the Athletics Department take very seriously our commitment to provide a positive and secure environment for our students. As the President stressed in his message, Federal Law prohibits our sharing any details of the alleged incident or any other student-specific information. I want you to know that our department works diligently to encourage conduct that properly reflects the values of our university. Ron Wellman Director of Athletics Dear members of the Wake Forest community, It is my understanding that on Thursday, NBC's Today Show plans to air a story about the problem of sexual assault on college and university campuses. We have been advised by a producer of the Today Show that the story will include an interview with a former Wake Forest student involving an incident that occurred several years ago. I am aware that some members of the local news media have received an email purporting to provide information about that incident. I have also recently learned that this same email may have been circulated more broadly, and some members of our Wake Forest community may have received it in their personal email accounts. Regarding this matter, I must emphasize that Federal law (FERPA) prevents the University from discussing specifics of this or any other student case. I can assure you the University takes these issues seriously, has a well-established Code of Conduct and has procedures for hearing alleged violations of that Code of Conduct. In addition, Wake Forest offers significant resources to support our students in times of need. Fostering a positive and respectful living and learning environment is of paramount importance at Wake Forest University. As part of our Pro Humanitate mission we strive to treat all of our students with integrity and compassion. Rest assured that the University is taking appropriate action to respond to this matter. Sincerely, Nathan Hatch President

What about the other 49?

Parties involved in contracts do not set legal precedent. Judges do that when they decide cases and case law is established.

To be honest, I wish we'd have received more media coverage last season. Knowing the media would question UA decision-makers would put pressure on those people to do better. With no media coverage in bad times, there's no accountability. I don't disagree. However, they get what they deserve. Between the Browns, Indians (last year) and the Cavs, how many more negative stories can they put in the paper? People and the writers who write the stories can only take so much. I don't think negative articles in the paper drive coaches or ADs to do a better job. They are going to do what they do and it isn't a secret to them when the team is 0-8. Akron is a stepping stone to the next level. The coaches and administration know full well 0-8 doesn't get you to the next level. Want to put pressure on the team? It has to come from the high dollar donors. The people in the Athletic Department will care more when high dollar donors care more. The folks at Summa and InfoCision have to demand more.

You make a good point here. A major factor in making a story newsworthy is whether or not there is anything different about the current story than a past story. Specifically as related to Zips basketball, the story is largely the same over the past six years. In order to change that, you are right, they need some big wins against known teams and they can't fall in OOC teams against teams they shouldn't fall to. The bar has been rightly set high for Zips basketball by fans and the media. That's actually a good thing. If the Zips football team started out a season 3-1 with a win against a BCS level team, it would be a story. If the Zips start the season 3-1 and then are 3-4 after their next three games, they are no longer a story and don't deserve to be a story. They need to get winning.... and after they get winning, they need to win some more. Going 6-6 and making the Motor City Bowl is not a story except in the world of Terry Pluto, because the little guy is getting awarded for doing something incredibly average. We all know we would be one and done in the the Terry Pluto column world. Going 8-4 or 9-3, winning against a BCS level team and winning the MAC is a story even if it ends in the Motor City Bowl. Then the Zips need to do the same thing again the following year....and then the following year...and then the following year. As far as tOSU, it doesn't matter what they do if we don't do what we need to do to make ourselves a story. We get exactly the coverage in the local media we deserve for a team that went 1-11 last season.

I didn't get the memo on when we should start calling taxpayers "donors". Isn't this sort of like calling taxes "contributions"? One point nobody has brought up yet is the fact the case is filed in Portage County. Does anyone think an elected judge in Portage County is going to do anything other than side with Can't on this issue? I don't think it will go to any type of trial, but if it did, Bradley would lose badly (sort of rhymes...channeling my inner Jesse Jackson today I guess).

I don't know about all of that, but thanks for posting Mr. Limbaugh. I just think it would be a good thing to congratulate the President, the Seals and everyone involved for finally killing a guy we said 10 years ago we would catch or kill. The lack of Patriotism by Republicans is sad in this case. After all, aren't they the ones who told everyone they were un-Patriotic if they didn't support the misguided war in Iraq? Now that something meaningful has been accomplished long after they are out of the White House, they want to claim credit. It's beyone pathetic to just plain sad.

It seems to me that Brad thinks they are in the right as well. We seem to be omitting those quotes in the posts in this tread. These coaches get very good legal representation when they sign contracts. Words like "buyout" are nothing new to the coaches or lawyers. It was probably the first thing they looked at. I'd be highly surprised is Ford has to take a dime out of his own pocket to pay the amount. The previous coaches probably didn't have their buyout money sitting in their checking accounts when their buyouts were paid within two weeks. Brad is doing the right thing by going to court. In fact, they claim to be in the right. If they lose, they pay the buyout, which may not bother them. Less than the buyout is even better if they can settle out of court. All I know is this. I hope this case goes on for a couple of years.

I agree, it isn't their "responsibility. It is the responsibility of the Zips to make the team newsworthy. Winning is a good way to make a team newsworthy.

That's quite a list of bad choices. It must have taken some work to come up with the. I voted for the ABJ. Rasor's blog is a good reason and some of the writing has been good. Akron needs to get good enough to make the TV stations look at them. If Akron was good, they would cover them. As long as the Zips give them no reason to cover the program, they won't. I'd also like them to get good enough to attract a weekly interview on WKNR (if that still exists) and 1100AM. A lot of people listen to those stations even though they are Cleveland stations.

Bafoons and incomps I would agree. I think we should at least give Obama and the Seals some credit for killing the guy who masterminded the Sept 11 murder of 3,000 Americans. Americans should feel good about what happened and we should be able to express positive statements about those responsible for meting our justice the old school way.....a bullet through the head.

Good post. It is very shot sighted for Can't to do this. Don't get me wrong, I hope they continue down this path for a long time. The more they focus on the past, the less likely they will focus on the future. Loss of focus will kill an organization faster than anything. MAC schools have limited resources. To spend those valuable resources on a pissing contest is a waste of those resources. I'd be interested to know if there was an arbitration clause in the contract. I work in the construction industry and almost all contracts have arbitration clauses now and it wasn't that long ago nobody used them. The idea of having them would have been laughed at. Filing in Portage County Court may be an indication there is not, but I really don't know.

Who gave the order to send in the Seals? I agree, go Ron Paul.

Then who was? If Hitler left Germany in 1945, moved to an island to be by himself forever with a little communication with the Nazi party, would that have been OK? Please read the source above. The fact of the matter is, a crime was committed on American soil on Sept. 11. OBL was the leader of those responsible. The President at the time promised we would bring those responsible to justice. In a fit of neo-con insanity, they decided that it was more important to go after the leader in Iraq than to bring those responsible to justice. Looking back, it was all so very stupid. The primary mission of the US should have been to bring those responsible to justice and not proceed on a neo-con social experiment. Americans a for the most part a just people and we like it when justice is handed out. The President and the Navy Seals meted out the justice Americans have been waiting on for almost 10 years now. It was a great day for the United States of America. Isn't there anyone on this board other than me who would like to congratulate them?

I dont' believe there are any neo-cons in Idaho and I don't believe any belong to militias. Neo-cons just send other folks children off to war to get killed, they would never send one of their own. I don't even believe George W. Bush was a neo-con. His problem was his core group of advisors were neo-cons and unfortunately Sept. 11 happened and we got to see what they really believed. The interesting thing about neo-conservatism foreign policy is it was just a theory prior to Sept 11. After Sept 11, we got to see the theory in practice and it got us 10 years of flushing time and money down the toilet trying to civilize a group of people who simply don't want to be civilized. Thanks for nothing.

Actually, all the materials they are finding in his home indicate he was still involved in planning attacks against the US targets. Source The rebuilding of Afthanistan is something I don't quite understand. The people live in huts like most in the 16th Century lived. There isn't anything to rebuild and they are a people who aren't interested in living the way we live. They like living in huts, watching child porn and smoking weed/opium. It is sort of like the MAC story of building since 1940whatever. How will we know when it is rebuilt? If we make them a modern society, they will have access to even more porn and better drugs...How will that make them better off?

Article I haven't had time to congratulate the President on ending the war on terror by killing OBL, but let me do it now. Well done Mr. President. Well done everyone involved. I didn't vote for the guy and I don't agree with his politics, but he got the job done. The article above was written by a guy who I don't agree with as well, but he is right on this issue. The war is over. Let's declare victory, because we have won, and get the Hell out. Dear God, let this be the last time we listen to neo-conservatives. Neo-conservatives live in a constant state of fear and I don't want to live in a fearful country.

I wonder if it was in Ford's contract with his new school to pick up any money he would owe Can't for leaving early.?.?. Actually, I wonder how many contracts there are or have been out there that nobody has pressed the issue on.?.?.?.

Hmmmm. Short sighted potheads they are.

You are too idealistic. Anyone who uses the words "ethics" and "NCAA" (although NCAA isn't a word) in the same sentence is being too idealistic. There is a difference between breaking a contract and sending the wrong message. If Can't believes Ford broke his contract, Can't sends the wrong message by going to court. Sometimes you have to keep focused on moving forward and not get angry over the past. Yoda once said, "Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." In Can't's case, Yoda would have said, "Anger leads to poor coaching candidates in the future. Poor coaching candidates lead to losing." I guess the question on this case is...What is the upside for Can't?