George Thomas of ABJ on 92.3 interview

[scottditzen]

I caught the tail end of the interview this a.m. by Jeff Thomas (Akron guy!!!) and Les Levine- they were sitting in for Kiley and Booms on 92.3 The Fan. Topic of discussion was coach Terry Bowden. I only causght the tail end of it, but in that short time I was shocked by two things:

First, George Thomas didn't know if Wayne State was Div. II or III.

Second, he couldn't tell the difference between Eastern, Western and Central Michigan.

And this guy is supposed to be a reporter? In AKRON...Covering AKRON and the MAC???

It has me wondering if any random poster here on Zipsnation would be better qualified than he. Now, he did inject some humor into the interview- which truthfully many posters here probably are incapable of- but my point is that shouldn't he, you know, be MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN US!!!

I don't know...maybe his style is to wallow in ignorance the same way Tony Kornheiser does. But come on George. You're repping the Beacon Journal. And your lack of knowledge casts a poor reflection on your employer.

[tbozeglav]

I don't know...maybe his style is to wallow in ignorance the same way Tony Kornheiser does. But come on George. You're repping the Beacon Journal. And your lack of knowledge casts a poor reflection on your employer.

theres a difference between wallowing in ignorance and just being stupid. In this case, i'm going with the latter of the two. TK may be ignorant, but he knows his sports and doesn't like to back down from his opinions. In fact, the same could be said about Steven A. Smith, Skip Bayless, etc. Theyre very intelligent and knowledgeable about the topics....

[scottditzen]

^ I got a "Tony K." vibe from George because he just didn't seem to even care about getting the facts right. Like, Kornheiser makes no secret he doesn't really know college football. So he doesn't even really try to "get it." It's endearing to many. To me it's just being lazy and annoying when the network sends him out to comment on.....college football!

Agree that the sports that Tony cares to know, he really knows.

George made some comment that he used to cover "big time" football, meaning the Buckeyes.

Now either he is lazy or just trying to be funny. But what I took away from George's tone, was that Akron and the MAC were, in contrast to OSU, small time, and somehow beneath him.

[ZipRoo]

...think we can all agree, G-Thom is pretty lucky just to have a writing job, let alone the sports beat of the largest D-1 college in Northeast Ohio. Perhaps he needs to re-examine his use of the term "big time." Was he just flashing back to his movie review of Any Given Sunday?

[bobbyake]

the fact that George Thomas still has a job is exactly why I hate unions. Michael Beaven should be full-time and the Zips beat writer.

[tbozeglav]

^ I got a "Tony K." vibe from George because he just didn't seem to even care about getting the facts right. Like, Kornheiser makes no secret he doesn't really know college football. So he doesn't even really try to "get it." It's endearing to many. To me it's just being lazy and annoying when the network sends him out to comment on.....college football!

Agree that the sports that Tony cares to know, he really knows.

George made some comment that he used to cover "big time" football, meaning the Buckeyes.

Now either he is lazy or just trying to be funny. But what I took away from George's tone, was that Akron and the MAC were, in contrast to OSU, small time, and somehow beneath him.

I could agree there. While it certainly doesn't help a show that is supposed to cover all sports, at least he makes it well known he doesn't know much about the game nor does he care to know much about it. Instead of faking the knowledge, he puts it out there that he doesn't know and just takes an objective stab at it which to me is a lot more respectable.

that characteristic is where I dont like Geroge... He seems to be a guy who doesn't know what he's talking about, but will do everything in his power to make it look like he does, using comedic quips to save face. In this case, its so blatantly obvious he doesn't know (or doesn't care to know) some of the fundamental facts about the league and the team he's assigned to cover that its appalling. This isn't ignorance, this is just being stupid. Put someone else in

[Blue & Gold]

I suppose if you're an upper-crust celebrity sports entertainer, ala TK, you're allowed this sort of behavior. However, if you're simply a beat reporter, for a mid-sized Ohio newspaper, you'd better get on your horse and know your work.

This thread infuriates me. The city of Akron, The University of Akron and we deserve so much better than George Thomas.

Lord have mercy.

[g-mann17]

the fact that George Thomas still has a job is exactly why I hate unions. Michael Beaven should be full-time and the Zips beat writer.

I Agree!

[ZachTheZip]

I listened to the whole interview on my way to work this morning. It didn't bother me at all. In fact, it made me laugh. It was just three sports guys from NE Ohio talking to each other, all with about the level of Akron Zips knowledge one would expect from cleveland radio. I'll let GT slide, because the real test will come from covering basketball and spring football. It will become apparent soon enough if he is learning.

I'm just happy that the Zips got a 15 minute segment on a major sports radio network during prime morning rush-hour time. It also showed the effects of this hire on the average NE Ohio sports fan. They know that the Zips have a football team, and they know that Bowden is a big name. They don't know much else, but its enough to get them talking. Get us to a bowl, coach, and you'll see the sleeping giant begin to awake. The level of support could be huge, but nobody's ever taken advantage of it.

[CoachGerry]

I caught the tail end of the interview this a.m. by Jeff Thomas (Akron guy!!!) and Les Levine- they were sitting in for Kiley and Booms on 92.3 The Fan. Topic of discussion was coach Terry Bowden. I only causght the tail end of it, but in that short time I was shocked by two things:

First, George Thomas didn't know if Wayne State was Div. II or III.

Second, he couldn't tell the difference between Eastern, Western and Central Michigan.

And this guy is supposed to be a reporter? In AKRON...Covering AKRON and the MAC???

It has me wondering if any random poster here on Zipsnation would be better qualified than he. Now, he did inject some humor into the interview- which truthfully many posters here probably are incapable of- but my point is that shouldn't he, you know, be MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN US!!!

I don't know...maybe his style is to wallow in ignorance the same way Tony Kornheiser does. But come on George. You're repping the Beacon Journal. And your lack of knowledge casts a poor reflection on your employer.

You have to remember, its not like the Beacon Journal is just down the street from the University. And come on, its not like the University tells anyone when they are playing their games. Its not hard to believe they can cover Zips football, I mean if they cover Zips football, who would cover Franklin County Community College football (AKA Buckeys). The ABJ is not a real paper. Its a place to find out what everyone reported on last week.

[Blue & Gold]

I listened to the whole interview on my way to work this morning. It didn't bother me at all. In fact, it made me laugh. It was just three sports guys from NE Ohio talking to each other, all with about the level of Akron Zips knowledge one would expect from cleveland radio...

Okay, I'm glad to read this. Over the years I've just been so turned off by the work of George Thomas that I'm really biased against the guy. Now that he's the beat writer I'm trying to recalibrate, give him a second chance and not immediately & .

[skip-zip]

First, George Thomas didn't know if Wayne State was Div. II or III.

Most sports fans probably don't even know that Wayne State even exists. So, he's a step above that.

[bobbyake]

First, George Thomas didn't know if Wayne State was Div. II or III.

Most sports fans probably don't even know that Wayne State even exists. So, he's a step above that.

come on now, with the internet, it takes less than a minute to research something. I research stocks for a living and if you gave me a company to trade, I'd be in the 10Q's & K's and all over searching for news. It should be no different for a sports writer.

It's a disgrace to have George Thomas as the Zips beat writer. I will never in my life subscribe to the Beacon Journal under its current management!! How hard is it to search in google, Wayne State Athletics?

[ZipRoo]

Frankly, no one knows about Wayne State...because there's absolutely no reason to KNOW or CARE about it. No one knows where it is, whether it's a branch of Akron U, the home of Wayne's World, Kevin's brother on The Wonder Years, or the place John Wayne was born.

Honestly, it seems incredulous that so many were wringing their hands over a coach who preferred to remain in that anonymous little hamlet. How pissed would every one of you be if we had hired P. Withers....and later heard that Terry Bowden wanted the job?

So Georgie boy, I'll cut ya some slack for not knowing up from down, concerning Wayne State. Just do a good job with the Zips coverage and don't embarrass us, okay?

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

Maybe I'm the only one to admit it now that Bowden has been hired, but I wanted Winters, and I think it's crappy how many are now piling on the guy. Winters is a UA alum, a very good running back for the team and a former coach who spent most of his career trying to get back to the Zips. Why are people on this board taking shots at the guy now? He's an honorable man, a good coach and many of us would have been very happy to have him coaching the Zips in 2012 and beyond. I will readily admit that I am excited about Bowden and that he is a splashy hire, but does that mean that Winters is worthy of the abuse he's taking here? And speaking of Wayne State, I would not have bet money that last year's Zips would have beaten Winters' team.

Now, concerning Thomas, he's a lazy douche bag of the first order. You watch. He'l do a crappy, sloppy job, at best, covering the Zips.

[ZipRoo]

STZ, I don't think we have anything against Winters. He's entitled to stay "in the hood" if that's where he wants to coach. It's a rough job, and somebody's gotta do it. And to clarify your point, I WOULD HAVE BET MONEY that Winters' Wayne St. team would've defeated Akron last year.

You're probably thinking Winters is being snubbed now, but in reality, we're just happy we dodged that bullet when a much, MUCH, M-U-C-HHHHH better candidate was available. Would anyone here seriously trade Bowden for Winters? Thought not.

[LZIp]

STZ, I don't think we have anything against Winters. He's entitled to stay "in the hood" if that's where he wants to coach. It's a rough job, and somebody's gotta do it. And to clarify your point, I WOULD HAVE BET MONEY that Winters' Wayne St. team would've defeated Akron last year.

You're probably thinking Winters is being snubbed now, but in reality, we're just happy we dodged that bullet when a much, MUCH, M-U-C-HHHHH better candidate was available. Would anyone here seriously trade Bowden for Winters? Thought not.

Tells us all we need to know about you.

[skip-zip]

Maybe I'm the only one to admit it now that Bowden has been hired, but I wanted Winters, and I think it's crappy how many are now piling on the guy. Winters is a UA alum, a very good running back for the team and a former coach who spent most of his career trying to get back to the Zips. Why are people on this board taking shots at the guy now? He's an honorable man, a good coach and many of us would have been very happy to have him coaching the Zips in 2012 and beyond. I will readily admit that I am excited about Bowden and that he is a splashy hire, but does that mean that Winters is worthy of the abuse he's taking here? And speaking of Wayne State, I would not have bet money that last year's Zips would have beaten Winters' team.

Now, concerning Thomas, he's a lazy douche bag of the first order. You watch. He'l do a crappy, sloppy job, at best, covering the Zips.

I don't think anyone is "piling on" Winters by expressing our relief that this "search" ended up leading us to a coach with a fantastic history. And in my case at least, I didn't change my mind about Winters once Bowden was hired. I feel the same way about him as I did last week, and 10 years ago. I also feel that it's appropriate that he has extended his contract to stay in D-II for many years to come. Maybe someday down the road we'll still see that he'll become a highly sought-after D-1A HC commodity, and a few people here can have fun telling me that I was wrong about him. I wish him luck.

[Buckzip]

I remember back when I would listen to Drennan that Thomas would call in to discuss movies because he was the movie critic guy for the ABJ. He was a joke at that job too...

[akzipper]

First, George Thomas didn't know if Wayne State was Div. II or III.

Second, he couldn't tell the difference between Eastern, Western and Central Michigan.

And this guy is supposed to be a reporter? In AKRON...Covering AKRON and the MAC???

You know I actually like this. Honesty for Akron, do we care if Wayne is D2 or 3? It really doesn't affect us much. Also the three Michigan's shouldn't matter either. We're better than them as a school, we should have the attitude of "Who cares the difference, we'll beat them all." Similar to how we view the rest of the MAC in soccer, Memphis's attitude towards the rest of CUSA in basketball, Boise in the MW, and Butler in the Horizon. Do you think Porter cares about winning a MAC championship? I doubt it...

Building our new stadiums (and hopefully arena) have already surpassed all other MAC schools to the point where we are on a whole other level. Only problem is the talent is not there yet...

[ZipRoo]

STZ, I don't think we have anything against Winters. He's entitled to stay "in the hood" if that's where he wants to coach. It's a rough job, and somebody's gotta do it. And to clarify your point, I WOULD HAVE BET MONEY that Winters' Wayne St. team would've defeated Akron last year.

You're probably thinking Winters is being snubbed now, but in reality, we're just happy we dodged that bullet when a much, MUCH, M-U-C-HHHHH better candidate was available. Would anyone here seriously trade Bowden for Winters? Thought not.

Tells us all we need to know about you.

Akron lost to freakin' Gardner-Webb. And you think the national runners-up couldn't have knocked off a 1-11 team that had stopped playing for its coach? That tells us all we need to know about YOU, my deluded friend.

[zestycoyote]

STZ, I don't think we have anything against Winters. He's entitled to stay "in the hood" if that's where he wants to coach. It's a rough job, and somebody's gotta do it. And to clarify your point, I WOULD HAVE BET MONEY that Winters' Wayne St. team would've defeated Akron last year.

You're probably thinking Winters is being snubbed now, but in reality, we're just happy we dodged that bullet when a much, MUCH, M-U-C-HHHHH better candidate was available. Would anyone here seriously trade Bowden for Winters? Thought not.

Tells us all we need to know about you.

Akron lost to freakin' Gardner-Webb. And you think the national runners-up couldn't have knocked off a 1-11 team that had stopped playing for its coach? That tells us all we need to know about YOU, my deluded friend.

The difference between Div. II (WSU) and I-AA (GW) is pretty huge.

[ZipRoo]

Perhaps. But the difference between Akron and competence was wider.

[skip-zip]

STZ, I don't think we have anything against Winters. He's entitled to stay "in the hood" if that's where he wants to coach. It's a rough job, and somebody's gotta do it. And to clarify your point, I WOULD HAVE BET MONEY that Winters' Wayne St. team would've defeated Akron last year.

You're probably thinking Winters is being snubbed now, but in reality, we're just happy we dodged that bullet when a much, MUCH, M-U-C-HHHHH better candidate was available. Would anyone here seriously trade Bowden for Winters? Thought not.

Tells us all we need to know about you.

Akron lost to freakin' Gardner-Webb. And you think the national runners-up couldn't have knocked off a 1-11 team that had stopped playing for its coach? That tells us all we need to know about YOU, my deluded friend.

The difference between Div. II (WSU) and I-AA (GW) is pretty huge.

And just think. Earlier in this thread, some people on here were bashing on Thomas for what he didn't know.

Do any of us really believe that there would have ever been any posts here touting the greatness of D-II football in the last month if one of the candidates who they were supporting was not a D-II coach?

[ZipRoo]

Ah, youth and arrogance. Never a good look.