daily rumor mill #10 - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jun 8, 2004

daily rumor mill #10

Date: Jun 8, 2004

I have a long friendship with one of the departing coaches. He told me three weeks ago that 9 of 13 head coaches are actively looking for another job. The situation in the athletic department is deplorable according to this person. The pressure from RG and SFT to actively promote SFT is very high. According to this former coach, when the G / S issue was hot, the players were sent e-mails that said if they made any anti-administration comments, they could lose their scholarship. The only coaches who are happy are the 'Big Four' (FB, M BB, W BB and BB). And JB is not that darn happy right now.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

For those of us not up to speed, please explain the
CC/MB/PP. Thanks.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

CC/MB/PP:

Crescent City Grill / Mahogany Bar / Purple Parrot Restaurant. Former 'watering hole' for faculty. Currently the 'watering hole' (anti-sobriety station?) for the administration.

Faculty now hang at the 206 Front Street. A more 'user friendly' atmosphere. And very nice people!

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Info
"CC/MB/PP: Crescent City Grill / Mahogany Bar / Purple Parrot Restaurant. Former 'watering hole' for faculty. Currently the 'watering hole' (anti-sobriety station?) for the administration. Faculty now hang at the 206 Front Street. A more 'user friendly' atmosphere. And very nice people!"

I know a USM person who was forced to eat at CC recently because of a pre-planned meeting who said the food was horrible. This person was really steamed because they didn't want to go there anyway (and hadn't since the infamous letter-to-the-editor) and then the food was bad. So, anecdotally, CC IS suffering at present.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: gurunuburg
"
4. Tales are gaining legs that the $300K in salary earned by MD and JH is being parceled out rapidly this summer among SFT's cronies in the round building and in the PS department (and a select few other areas of USM). That's alot of spare change to spread around. Thanks insider and gorod.

"

Lest we forget, TH has politely "requested", and is fully expecting to snare a significant chunk of this $300K windfall in the form of a fat raise, his fallback position should he not land the UTPA presidency.

AE

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Austin Eagle
" Lest we forget, TH has politely "requested", and is fully expecting to snare a significant chunk of this $300K windfall in the form of a fat raise, his fallback position should he not land the UTPA presidency. AE"

And WE were led to believe that pay raises were based on merit !!

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"I know a USM person who was forced to eat at CC recently because of a pre-planned meeting who said the food was horrible. This person was really steamed because they didn't want to go there anyway (and hadn't since the infamous letter-to-the-editor) and then the food was bad. So, anecdotally, CC IS suffering at present."

Here's another anecdote. My wife and I ate dinner at the CC in early May, as we've done for years when visiting in Hattiesburg. We've always liked the place, and thought the chow was consistently better than average. On that last occasion the entrees arrived after an interminable wait, at room temperature. And, the food was absolutely awful. We commented to the waiter about the temp and inferior quality, and he made no offer to replace the food, or even warm it. His only comment was, "Gee, I'm sorry." We won't be back.

AE

Date: Jun 8, 2004

The last several bowls of gumbo I ate there have been horrible, and much unlike the gumbo I got there in the past. Best gumbo it town now: Jody's at the Hour (S. 28th Avenue).

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: gurunuburg
" 4. Tales are gaining legs that the $300K in salary earned by MD and JH is being parceled out rapidly this summer among SFT's cronies in the round building and in the PS department (and a select few other areas of USM). That's alot of spare change to spread around. Thanks insider and gorod. "

Doesn't it make sense that at least PART of MD's salary would go to the new director of Human Resources? I know that you can't assume anything logical at USM these days, but.....?????

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Research Associate
"The pressure from RG and SFT to actively promote SFT is very high. According to this former coach, when the G / S issue was hot, the players were sent e-mails that said if they made any anti-administration comments, they could lose their scholarship."

If anyone has a copy of one of these e-mails, this is potentially another major PR mistake by SFT. It's one thing to threaten faculty, but another thing altogether to threaten students. I doubt that many readers of the Hattiesburg American or the Clarion Ledger would be sympathetic to SFT if they could be shown for a fact that such threats were issued. Is there any chance that any player would share such an e-mail with the press if it was saved?

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: gurunuburg
"
3. Stories are gaining legs that Jeff Bower, if he stays, is going to begin to have a hard time keeping assistants if SFT & Co remain in power.
"

If he stays? Could someone please give this expatriate a brief tutorial concerning the tenuous Thames-Bower relationship, and why ST would want him replaced. From here, it looks as though Bower runs a clean program, wins consistently, graduates a high percentage of his players, so what's the problem?

The USM football situation seems eerily reminiscent of the firing of Fred Akers at Texas in 1987. He ran a scandal-free program, suspended athletes who didn't attend class, and had (and still owns) the highest won-loss percentage in UT history, yet was fired after his sole losing season. Akers only sin was his refusal to schmooze with the Prez and rich alums. It took over 10 years for Texas football to recover from the Akers debacle.

AE

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: gurunuburg
"3. Stories are gaining legs that Jeff Bower, if he stays, is going to begin to have a hard time keeping assistants if SFT & Co remain in power. This rationale could have implications for the future of JB's top Lt., Tyrone Nix. Thanks mclubber. "

This is consistent with what I & others have posted here about the real underlying reasons that Klumb & his crew of fellow orcs on the IHL board have for keeping SFT in office. It all boils down to chopping USM from Div. I to Div. I-AA.

Their argument, I'm sure, is that Mississippi cannot afford three Div. I football programs. Fine. Why not take the program away from the university (MSU) that consistently has had the worst W-L record over, say, the past 20 years. But they can't do that, can they?

Of course, SFT & his used car lot advisers believe that quality coaches can be found at almost any 12-step group meeting. <SIGH> I bet there was plenty of laughter among IHL members when Eustachy's hiring was announced.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: gurunuburg
"3. Stories are gaining legs that Jeff Bower, if he stays, is going to begin to have a hard time keeping assistants if SFT & Co remain in power. "

Keep in mind that the demotion to Div. I-AA will be based, not on W-L records, but on DOLLARS. True, MSU has its problems on the field, but they are part of the SEC and they put butts in the buckets. From what I have heard, that is the whole reason for the proposed stadium expansion. Not that Hattiesburg will send more folks to the average game, but that USM will be able to schedule the occasional home and home with Auburn, etc., who will bring their own fans.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

Jeff Bower is an awesome coach and a fabulous person. He's completely devoted to his wife and his daughter. He has faced tragedy and continued to stay loyal to his principles. SFT and crew will never understand a person like Jeff -- he's beyond their lowlife tactics. Getting rid of Bower has to be one of the stupidest things this man has done yet besides depleting the Capital Campaign and giving his daughter the highest merit raise.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: ram
"Keep in mind that the demotion to Div. I-AA will be based, not on W-L records, but on DOLLARS. True, MSU has its problems on the field, but they are part of the SEC and they put butts in the buckets. From what I have heard, that is the whole reason for the proposed stadium expansion. Not that Hattiesburg will send more folks to the average game, but that USM will be able to schedule the occasional home and home with Auburn, etc., who will bring their own fans."

Which SEC school did you attend, ram. You have bought the spiel hook, line & sinker.

You can bet the farm that if USM were to triple the capacity of its stadium, it would still be unable to schedule home-and-home with Alabama or Auburn. Why? Because the SEC has unwritten rules regarding how their crews officiate out-of-conference games played in "their" stadiums. (Not rumor, not speculation, this was told me by a retired SEC football ref.)

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Invictus
" Which SEC school did you attend, ram. You have bought the spiel hook, line & sinker. "

Nope. Didn't say I bought it. Didn't mean to, anyway.

I said it is what was given to me (by folks associated with USM) as the rationale for the expansion. My source was trying to dispel the notion that expansion should wait until the fans fill the existing facility.

In fairness to him, although he did say Auburn, that may have been the only SEC school mentioned by name. But the basic idea was that we needed more room, not for the average C-USA home game, but for the chance to get "big name" opponents to come to HBRG once or twice a year. If I understood him, it will take the kind of money we make on those big games to keep us in Division I. I'm just repeating what he said. I make no endorsement. In point of fact I have no idea whether he was right or not.

It doesn't much matter to me anymore. I didn't even pick up my season tickets for this year. I may have a change of heart when I wake up in a few months and smell fall in the air, but even so, I am no candidate for a $20,000 skybox.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: gurunuburg
"1. Stories are taking hold that the CC/MB/PP is hurting big time since the Glamser-Stringer episode.

Could someone tell me what "cc/mb/pp" stands for? Clearly I'm not in the know. Thanks.

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Bay Rat
""

From Info posted above:

CC/MB/PP:

Crescent City Grill / Mahogany Bar / Purple Parrot Restaurant. Former 'watering hole' for faculty. Currently the 'watering hole' (anti-sobriety station?) for the administration.

Faculty now hang at the 206 Front Street. A more 'user friendly' atmosphere. And very nice people!

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Info
"CC/MB/PP:
Crescent City Grill / Mahogany Bar / Purple Parrot Restaurant. Former 'watering hole' for faculty. Currently the 'watering hole' (anti-sobriety station?) for the administration.
Faculty now hang at the 206 Front Street. A more 'user friendly' atmosphere. And very nice people!"

Date: Jun 8, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"Doesn't it make sense that at least PART of MD's salary would go to the new director of Human Resources? I know that you can't assume anything logical at USM these days, but.....?????"

This is EXACTLY what should happen, especially if they were to give Russ Willis his rightful position back, and he deserves every single penny, if not more. Talk about a person devoted to USM who has integrity to spare!