bonwich
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Posts posted by bonwich
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If anyone else heard Sports Open Line on Friday, check me on this, but I got the distinct impression that Frank implied quite strongly that SLU had the inside track on Shaw.
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I have just completed a memo to my editors asking them to expunge the name "Joe Pollack" from the Post-Dispatch archives. How they could let such ethnic insensitivity go on for so long (especially given the newspaper's clear leftist leanings!), I'll never know.
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by Linda Tucci
'Sneak peek: The St. Louis University Web site now sports the first-ever pictures (check out the boxing ring) of its proposed $70 million arena. The Mackey Mitchell-designed building, featuring twin, cone-shaped illuminated towers, seems very much in character with the campus aesthetic: There to be noticed.
'The online pictures should not be interpreted as a decision on where to situate the arena, said Kathleen Brady, vice president of facilities. "It will be another two to three weeks before it's all definite."
'The images are meant to promote. "We have said all along that this project is contingent on fund-raising. It's very hard to sell the concept of an arena without having something to show."
'SLU has raised $10 million of the $40 million in donations it needs to finance the project.'
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Edible underwear.
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Been a long time, been a long time
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely time.
(God has an acute sense of irony if you're driving a Cadillac these days, Scriv.)
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A-B has already announced that it will *not* be purchasing the naming rights on the new baseball stadium downtown. Thus the odds of them wishing to purchase a much-less-visible college arena seem to be quite low.
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Not Rogers. That's still Jesuit Hall, northwest corner. SLU bulldozed the two-story set of storefronts that was on the north*east* corner. Most recently a couple of bad restaurants (on the corner -- there was a good restaurant called Vito's, and it moved further east on Lindell.)
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copyright 1991 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By John Sonderegger Of the Post-Dispatch Staff
SLU CUTS TIES WITH AGENT WHOSE FIRM LURED BONNER
When Anthony Bonner made it official Tuesday that he would be represented in negotiations with National Basketball Association clubs by Sports Management Group of Clayton, a red flag went up in the office of Jon McBride, acting athletic director of St. Louis University.
McBride asked an associate: ''Isn't that the agency Claiborne is with?''
The answer was affirmative. Mike Claiborne, one of the radio broadcasters covering the Billikens for SNI Sports Network, is an associate with Sports Management Group.
Because of that association and McBride's concern over NCAA regulations regarding sports agents, McBride informed SNI President Greg Marecek on Wednesday that Claiborne no longer will be associated with the Billikens' broadcasts.
In February, McBride heard of Claiborne's move to Sports Management from KMOX Radio's sales staff. McBride checked the National Collegiate Athletic Association's rules on agents, got in touch with a Midwestern Collegiate Conference official in Indianapolis and asked, ''What if a radio announcer covering the team becomes an agent?''
In conversations with Claiborne, McBride was told that Sports Management did not work in the college basketball area and that Claiborne's main area of expertise as an agent would be in evaluating football talent.
To make sure that everything was above board, McBride drafted a letter, and Claiborne signed it Feb. 2.
It read in part:
It is hereby understood that you can retain your radio position so long as a clear demarcation is maintained between those duties and any activities related to your work as a professional athletics (sic) agent representative. As spelled out in NCAA bylaw 12.3.1, you are not to have negotiations with student athletes, enter into written or verbal representation arrangements with student athletes, or provide extra benefits to student athletes.
The letter was signed by Joe Yates, then the athletic director, and Claiborne. At that point, McBride was confident that the situation was understood by all concerned.
''The ultimate step would have been to disassociate that person from the program,'' McBride said Wednesday. ''In light of some developments, that's what will have to happen.
''A letter doesn't suffice when a player has been signed and a person associated with the program is working as an agent for the agency that signed him.''
Claiborne said he understood McBride's decision, but added that he did not recruit Bonner for Sports Management.
''That's a decision [sLU has to make,'' he said. ''I don't want to do anything to jeopardize their program. I appreciate what they've done for me. I will still be a supporter.''
Bonner and Claiborne have been friends for years, but Bonner said that friendship was not involved in his decision to join Sports Management.
Bonner said Claiborne was ''a real good friend of mine, but Jim Steiner was the man from their organization who I talked to.'' Bonner said that Steiner had sent everything to SLU coach Rich Grawer and that Bonner got what he needed from him.
Grawer has a file folder of letters from agents interested in recruiting Bonner. Bonner said he did not make a decision about an agent until after the season ended. And, though Claiborne was often around the team, Bonner said that the subject of player agents did not come up and that Claiborne did not do anything against NCAA regulations.
''There was nothing illegal going on,'' Bonner said.
The rules that Claiborne was asked to read and oblige by read:
An individual shall be ineligible if he or she enters into a verbal or written agreement with an agent for representation in future professional sports negotiations that are to take place after the individual has completed his or her eligibility in that sport.
An individual shall be ineligible if he or she (or his or her relatives or friends) accepts transportation or other benefits from any person who wishes to represent the individual in the marketing of his or her athletics ability. The receipt of such expenses constitutes compensation based on athletics skill and is an extra benefit not available to the student body in general.
Claiborne said he had adhered to those rules to the letter. He said that he not only didn't spend any money on Bonner but that he didn't spend a lot of time with him.
Claiborne went to work for Sports Management in December. Did Bonner's name come up at that point?
''Yes, it did,'' Claiborne said, ''as far as the fact I didn't want to be involved in recruiting him.''
Steiner said: ''We cleared all that with St. Louis University and the NCAA. We were up front about it. And we followed the rules to a 'T.' ''
Still, McBride said he was told in the beginning that Sports Management was not involved in recruiting college basketball players.
''They weren't at the time,'' Claiborne said.
McBride said: ''They are in college basketball now, and this letter is no longer sufficient. I don't think it is in the best interest of the basketball program to continue [Claiborne's association.''
When Bonner went to Orlando, Fla., for a camp conducted by professional scouts for potential draft picks, agents were present in abundance. Grawer was there, and he said it was then he first noticed Claiborne's interest in Bonner.
Grawer said: ''During the season, I really didn't notice [Claiborne hanging around Anthony any more than he did any other player. And I don't think he did anything for him.''
Grawer said he had sat down with Bonner and had gone over the NCAA regulations on associations with potential agents.
''Bonner's smart,'' Grawer said. ''I don't think he would do anything that would jeopardize everything.''
Rumors have surfaced about a Claiborne-Bonner connection, and Grawer wondered if some of them were coming from other agents who felt Sports Management had an unfair advantage in recruiting Bonner.
''Claiborne did have access to him more than the other guys,'' Grawer acknowledged. ''I guess that business is as cut-throat as ours is in recruiting.''
Claiborne scoffed at the idea that Bonner could be swayed. McBride agreed, saying Bonner ''is a forthright and honest person who would report any impropriety'' to his coach.
''It's a touchy situation, but I feel good about it because of the people involved. We've not only had Mike's assurances, but also those of Greg Marecek.''
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...will be a Cubs-Red Sox World Series.
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A post at just after midnight and then one at 8 a.m.? I'm not a doctor (although I'm happy to play one on the 'Net), but I'd suggest Quaaludes, a fine Anheuser-Busch product and whatever the generic equivalent is these days for Billiken OCD.
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"The RFT story seemed to point out the benefits of crack use. Maybe you think that is laudable. I don't."
From the second-to-last section of the story (and a photo was included):
'The morning before Peter embarked upon his binge, the body of a woman was discovered on the bed in Room 16 of the Grand Motel. She and a male companion, who had identified himself on a rental receipt as J. Brown of 3113 Hickory Avenue -- a fake address -- had rented the room from 7 p.m. until 4 a.m. The woman's black shirt was hiked up and a towel lay across her chest. She wore underpants, but not her jeans, which were found elsewhere in the room. The St. Louis Medical Examiner's Office has not yet determined the cause of death, but police suspect drugs played a role. Baxter Leisure, executive assistant to the chief medical examiner, says the woman "probably wasn't dead for that long" before her body was discovered. She has not been identified. Police describe the victim as black, in her forties, standing five-six, weighing 172 pounds and missing all her upper teeth.'
Perhaps you feel that such a description points out "the benefits of crack use." I don't.
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Nicely done. For the record, by the way, Bryan wrote both about the "heroics of Marque Perry" and specifically about the whole scholar-athlete thing, as follows:
"It was Wednesday night at Savvis Center, and at halftime of St. Louis University's men's basketball game with Charlotte, the SLU athletics department restored my faith. At halftime, a steady stream of athletes wearing various shades of blue sweatsuits, came marching out of the stands and onto the court where they were honored for achieving a 3.0 grade-point average or higher during the fall semester.
"Mind you, at some places, this is the sort of ceremony that you might miss completely by bending down to pick up a quarter. But here, it took forever. Out of 284 student-athletes who were on varsity rosters during the fall semester, 215 of them -- an eye-popping 76 percent -- earned a 3.0 or better. There were soccer players, cross country runners, volleyball and tennis players, and the entire cheerleading squad. The only ones missing from the celebration were the six members of the men's basketball team -- starters Josh Fisher and Chris Sloan, reserves Chris Braun, Anthony Drejaj and Ross Varner, plus the guy who everyone is saying will be next year's star, guard Reggie Bryant, who sat out this season after transferring from Villanova -- who were in the locker room preparing for the second half of their 50-39 victory.
"We settled back in our chair and smiled. The liars and cheats have not hijacked the games. They just get most of the attention. What we saw at SLU -- and what we know happens at so many other schools -- is business as usual. What Harrick and all his corrupt henchmen are foisting on us is simply bad business."
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I don't think you've done much to "trash my credibility." Explicitness doesn't equate to inaccuracy. If you have any doubt about the existence of the Grand Hotel, take a drive by sometime during daylight hours. Our friend from Central Florida claimed that the RFT was supported primarily by gay porn ads and personals; I provided pretty indisputable proof that he was talking through his hat.
And as for my fellow excessively Jesuit-educated DeSmetBilliken, which article are you citing that "trashed SLU"? The one about Biondi being a control freak?
The funniest part about all of this is that the two items that started it all, about Brad and the two recruits, were almost entirely positive about SLU. We must hope that the current curriculum at our beloved alma mater is doing a better job of "integrat(ing thought and action, values and facts, compassion and fulfillment."
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We (I wrote restaurants there 2-3 years ago) always prided ourselves on being somewhere to the *left* of Stalin
. However, the days of pages and pages of personal ads have been gone since at least the early '90s, and the relative smut content vis-a-vis "respectable" advertising has been steadily reduced for a very long time. This is generally the case with all alternative newspapers, the vast majority of which are now part of nationwide chains. (Two of the RFT's sister papers are the alternatives south of you, in Miami and Broward, respectively.)
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. Especially about the P-D pro-Mizzou conspiracy theory. That would come as a major surprise to 99% of the Mizzou fans who react to P-D articles.
"In the space of two days, days the media should have been promoting the program for making strides toward the big time,"
This sort of misses what the "media" "should" do. "Promoting" is not part of it.
"they tell our two top recruits and our head coach: You'll be wooed by bigger better programs,"
Exact quote on Liddell/Lisch: "Problem is, both will likely visit their fair share of comparably attractive barns. Let the scholastic bidding begin."
Exact quote on Uncle Brad: "But beware: While Soderberg says he's perfectly content to stay at SLU, he's sure to be at the top of most major programs' lists, should a game of musical chairs...occur anytime in the future. Enjoy him while you can." You might recall the whole thread earlier in the year about what SLU has done to reinforce Brad's contract. As far as I know, they haven't. Thus this entire paragraph is pretty darned accurate.
"SLU is mid major at best." I wish I could find the ESPN article that appeared recently. This whole "mid-major" thing is pretty funny, because ESPN, or someone like it, explicitly defined a mid-major as a non-I-A football school. Given that -- we are, and who really cares? It's a semantic argument we'll never get around until we achieve the same court results as Marquette, Gonzaga and Creighton have recently.
The one valid media criticism I've seen is that the pundits (and even, in one case, a reporter) haven't reported SLU's side of the story -- not even as far as something like "SLU Athletic Director Doug Woolard declined comment on future conference plans." And there's a good argument, as B-Roy has made, that SLU bears some implicit responsibility for the inability to quash negative speculation.
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The current issue of the RFT has 232 pages. Eight of them have ads for "porn sites" (most of them apparently heterosexual, although only their surgeons know for sure) and there is precisely one-half page of personal ads. (This proportion is probably lower, by the way, then that of the "respectable" sports page that routinely includes stuff like Larry Flynt's Gentleman's Club real close to the high-school sports roundup.) Conversely, there are about ten pages for $250,000 loft condos and a full-page ad for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.
And given the demographics, there's a good argument that our fine marketing department should be running a series of ads promoting Billiken season-ticket sales and continuing to promote the team throughout the year.
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"btw all, john isnt the problem. talk about conscientious and hardworking."
Do you attribute the "problem," then, to someone higher than John?
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I just did an archive search on what Bryan had written thus far about SLU. The most recent was the speculative piece about us ending up in a superconference; he also mused about what a great time it was to be a St. Louis-area "hoops junkie" when SLU was (totally unexpectedly) on the bubble last year, and about how great Marque was. He also wrote about our game with Charlotte in the context of "There are still some teams out there who haven't fallen into the filth that is college athletics" (right after the St. Bonnie's controversy). So although, like all of you, I wasn't real pleased with today's piece, I'm willing to cut him some slack.
On the bigger issue, though, on the one hand, I tend to side with B-Roy about very poor external communications by the athletic department. Where's Doug? Where's the SID? (Or, for that matter, where's St. Larry the Lucky, making a definitive statement about the school's demonstrated commitment to athletics while at the same time calling for more rather than less stringent standards for things like Juco transfers?)
On the other hand, Counselor Nark might be able to enlighten us about any aspects of tortuous interference we might be facing by talking publicly about our conference affiliation aspirations. I could see the possibility that, until we are released from C-USA, we might be on shaky legal grounds talking about moving anywhere else. (I did a quick glance at the Marquette web site and didn't find any conference info there; I haven't wandered through the Milwaukee Journal site to see if our Jesuit brethren have been shooting off their mouths to the local media up in brat-land.)
Still, my feelings on our competence at marketing (which includes "deep background" public relations activities) are pretty well known, and it looks like we continue to lack certain proficiencies. (Funny aside: We sat at dinner last weekend with a couple we were meeting for the first time, who told us their son-in-law was the asst. athletic director "in charge of marketing." [No, it wasn't the new guy they just hired. I don't think he's an AAD.] You can imagine how many times I bit my tongue during the course of the meal.)
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Beer? Nark, surely you know that Unca is a connoisseur of fine wines. (And I'm privy to the fact that a certain downtown law firm is at the center of a direct-import arrangement with a negociant in France. Perhaps you could ask around and bring some of the good stuff.)
Me, I'll offer to toss in my '97 Beaux Freres, or something equivalent, in repayment of Unca's generous offer to host a TV game last year. (BTW, did you know that the very first producer of Brunello di Montalcino was Biondi-Santi?)
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I heard second-hand yesterday that there had been a news report that the U. had purchased an old public school building on Compton. (I'd guess that would be down near Market. I can't yet pull up the Business Journal on-line; did anyone else hear this?
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Her father was George Vecsey, sports columnist for the New York Times.
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Ahh, but given his typing order, wouldn't that make him about to turn 16?
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From the Post article about his leaving:
"Soderberg said Morris still might be able to catch on with a Division I program because there are some majors such as physical education that SLU doesn't offer that he may qualify for at another school."
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The "expert" was Mike Right of AAA Missouri. His statement, at face value, is probably correct. But as Nark also correctly pointed out, it's an absurd comparison, because the technical definition of downtown has less than a two-mile "radius" (whatever that would define anyway), so a five-mile radius would define an area more than six times larger. (The "expert" obviously got his degree from some school that believes you can earn 18 hours of credit in a single summer, or something like that.)
Why we can't call him "Zorba"
in Billikens.com Main Board
Posted
I'd completely forgotten who played Alexis Zorbas. For God's sake, we can't have that kind of potential cross-reference to a Billiken (unless he earns 20 hours in a single summer).