Athletics spending is irresponsible

[Jacobs4Heisman]

So if you disagree with his opinions counter his arguement and send it to him. Unlike a few people on here to like to remain totally anonomis (sp?) he provides his name and e-mail address. I know Matt, and he is a good kid with a level head on his shoulders. Give him a good arguement and he will not dismiss it immediatly because it conflicts with his own. He and I have talk about this topic in depth over the past 4 years or so. I am sure he would love to read another view.

I could tell he's open to my potential letter when he described it as silly and unsupported, and then called me wrong and selfish. What a great way to encourage discussion.

Journey - Seriously. He obviously doesn't want to encourage dialogue here.

Because you know him and have sat down and talked to him, thats how you know right????? Not even trying makes you all just as hard headed as you precieve him to be.

Soooo we're supposed to personally get to know writers before we can understand where they're coming from with their articles?

[It's the Journey...]

So if you disagree with his opinions counter his arguement and send it to him. Unlike a few people on here to like to remain totally anonomis (sp?) he provides his name and e-mail address. I know Matt, and he is a good kid with a level head on his shoulders. Give him a good arguement and he will not dismiss it immediatly because it conflicts with his own. He and I have talk about this topic in depth over the past 4 years or so. I am sure he would love to read another view.

I could tell he's open to my potential letter when he described it as silly and unsupported, and then called me wrong and selfish. What a great way to encourage discussion.

Journey - Seriously. He obviously doesn't want to encourage dialogue here.

Because you know him and have sat down and talked to him, thats how you know right????? Not even trying makes you all just as hard headed as you precieve him to be.

Soooo we're supposed to personally get to know writers before we can understand where they're coming from with their articles?

Not at all. 1987Alum said "He obviously doesn't want to encourage dialogue here." He doesn't know Matt, but won't even try to open a dialogue. Someone who is SO closed minded usually doesn't provide his contact information for other to refute what was written. To presume a person you don't know is not open to outside ideas without even trying is a large stretch. If he knew Matt and felt that way then that is different, but that is not the case here.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Well, if the purpose of his article was to start a meaningful discussion on the issue, I guess I'll just say he's a terrible writer.

Maybe he does encourage opposing viewpoints, but that sentiment certainly does not come across in his writing.

[1987alum]

Journey:

If I'm mistaken, I apologize, but I'm working under the assumption that all or most writers have their contact information at the end of stories or columns. That's the practice at more newspapers in our group.

That aside - and I hate to sound like an old curmudgeon - I've been in this business long enough to have seen this approach more times than I care to recount. I don't need to know the author to know the attitude.

[RobbyFalcon]

With regards to his writing style, my gosh if you've read what passes for "thought" on editorial pages anymore, his style is right in line. Newspaper editorials have become harsher and more strident in the past few years. Well paid and widely read columnists routinely dismiss those who disagree with them as ignorant, dishonest or un-American.

His dismissive, blow-off style just reflects this coarse age.

Furthermore as I was watching the Miami-NW game last night and they played the promotional spots for each university I thought, "Wow, Miami's campus looks great." Those spots do put the university in a good light and are a nice promotional tool.

Go Falcons!!

[It's the Journey...]

Well lets just go and burn him at the steak. That is what we do with those who's ideas differ from the mainstream? It'll be like the Spanish Inquisition all over again.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Well lets just go and burn him at the steak. That is what we do with those who's ideas differ from the mainstream? It'll be like the Spanish Inquisition all over again.

mmmmmm, steak. Damn, now I'm hungry. Good thing I'm trekking back to BG tonight for some El Zarape nachos.


And who's burning him at the stake? I think he's a mediocre writer and I think his viewpoint is terribly mistaken. If he can't handle those opinions, he shouldn't be offering his in a public forum.

[1987alum]

Well lets just go and burn him at the steak. That is what we do with those who's ideas differ from the mainstream? It'll be like the Spanish Inquisition all over again.

No, but it would be great if someone in the J-school would critique this type of thing afterward. At the end of the day, The BG News is really just a live laboratory, where these kids develop their skills. But that will only happen if they are instructed on how to improve. Judging from what I see in terms of portfolios, not much of that is happening these days.

And, FWIW, I wrote a lot of stuff during my time at BG that was a lot worse than that. A lot worse.

[It's the Journey...]

Journey:

If I'm mistaken, I apologize, but I'm working under the assumption that all or most writers have their contact information at the end of stories or columns. That's the practice at more newspapers in our group.

That aside - and I hate to sound like an old curmudgeon - I've been in this business long enough to have seen this approach more times than I care to recount. I don't need to know the author to know the attitude.

That may be, I am not sure what the policy is now. I am working off of other things he has written for non-paper topics and he always included his contact information no matter how inflamatory his position. No offence taken, it just seems like the tone is getting more and more one of "outside oppinions on anything are not welcome here." Get with the majority or stay quiet. It's getting very frustrating.

[Jham]

Ironic how I have always heard that the most wasteful spending the university does goes to the BGNews.

Go Falcons!

I agree with everyone on the sports brings exposure. But jesus, for the last time, the BG News is an independent newspaper. It receives zero money from the university. It operates wholly on ad revenue.

What's so hard to understand about that?

Also, Karl, you mentioned portfilios you've seen. ... I hope mine isn't included in that blanket statement?

[It's the Journey...]

Well lets just go and burn him at the steak. That is what we do with those who's ideas differ from the mainstream? It'll be like the Spanish Inquisition all over again.

mmmmmm, steak. Damn, now I'm hungry. Good thing I'm trekking back to BG tonight for some El Zarape nachos.


And who's burning him at the stake? I think he's a mediocre writer and I think his viewpoint is terribly mistaken. If he can't handle those opinions, he shouldn't be offering his in a public forum.

I wrote that, and now I'm hungry too, damn subconscience mind...

[1987alum]

I know where you're coming from. My perspective is more from an industry insider. The topic, frankly, doesn't really matter. Rather, it's the style and approach. I've become increasingly disheartened at the recent grads I'm seeing who are looking for jobs writing, editing and/or reporting.

[JoeFalcon]

It's hard to tell if he's just an angry individual with a severely misguided perspective of college sports or a purposefully provocative bloviating windbag who just wants to get a rise out of people. Of course, if we're not willing to play email tag to bring rationality to the irrational, it's the equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition in the minds of some.

He might try volunteering his time for a sports program or serving a practicum or internship with the athletic department. These fine folks are the least wasteful people you can possibly imagine by necessity. They operate on shoestring budgets and manage as best they can against opponents with 50 times the resources, i.e. 2003 and 2006 football opponent Ohio State.

He might also want to actually attend a football or basketball game, where he'd see the athletes he despises so much are not exactly wallowing in luxurious, opulent facilities.

Waste can be found in many other areas of the University besides scholarship money that gives kids the opportunity to participate in college sports. If he wants to play populist and rile up "the people" for his cause, he could have picked a much easier target than the BGSU athletic program.

I had many a debate in SMD classes with students and professors who wanted to eliminate the football program. Logic could not penetrate their wild-eyed crusading wrath, as I suspect the case might be here.

[bgsufn]

I agree with everyone on the sports brings exposure. But jesus, for the last time, the BG News is an independent newspaper. It receives zero money from the university. It operates wholly on ad revenue.

What's so hard to understand about that?

Has that changed in the last ten years? Because I believe that when I went there, the BG News recevied money from the Student Fund just like a lot of other clubs and organziations, such as WBGU, WFAL, BG Radio News and BG Radio Sports. Each organization has to make a budget proposal and defend it to get money from the U.

I served on the Student Publications Board when I was there and I thought this was the case. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me...

[hammb]

The paper says it's an independent student press. Unless it lies, I'm assuming it is independently funded.