Majerus is now the lead story on stltoday.com

[MusicCityBilliken]

or it could be that slu pays the $650k and booster(s) pay the difference directly? i was thinking i read somewhere that ben howland is paid such as the state of california wouldnt allow him to be paid directly through the school past a certain amount. maybe it is something similar to that setup?

When my son attended golf camp at Clemson this past summer, I was waiting for him at the Student Union. In the Student Union they had newspaper that listed every employee of Clemson that made over $40,000. I looked what Purnell (sp. the basketball coach) made and it stated $165,000. I am sure that with boosters (IPTAY Club), shoes, camps, TV/Radio Show, commercial endorsements, etc... he is close to seven figures.

[Billikan]

At the very least, the Catholic Church and those associated with it deserve whatever vitriolic comments fly their way.

This comment is an absolute outrage. I am involved in a number of endeavors that are associated with the Catholic Church and I take this as a personal insult. I do not know who you are and I do not care to ever know you but for someone as ignorant as you obviously are about the good that is done by Catholics even here in St. Louis to spread that ignorance on a board that is dedicated to talk about the basketball team of a CATHOLIC school is absolutely ridiculous.

[Billikan]

I'm not going to digress too much further as i'm sure that steve and the mods wouldn't appreciate it. But I do serve (for free) a native non-profit that assists native communities with energy and economic development. Also, I do support reparations for slavery (not in terms of paychecks to individuals, but something entirely different), however, i have no faith in the government's ability to implement any type of reparation system.

All that is fine but what are you doing yourself personally to help people. All this do gooder advocacy is nothing compared to people who are actually working hard to make a difference in the community. Many Catholics, including myself, spend hundreds of hours as volunteers to help young African American kids get a college prep education so they can really advance in our and other communities. If you believe all Catholics are evil then why would you even be interested in a terrible place like SLU--a CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY!

[Westy03]

Any of you tax experts out there know when 990s have to be filed and whether they're yet viewable online?

The 990 is due on the 15th day of the 5th month following the end of the organization's taxable year. Its should be available online the day that it is filed.

[Majerus Magic]

On a much better note, Majerus is not the lead story anymore.

MATT blunt isn't running for re-election. OTB

[davidnark]

You really do need to add the whole sentence. The Pope is infallible in matters of faith and morals. Even Holy Mother Church recognizes that he's perfectly capable of using the wrong fork at dinner -- or leaving the seat up if nature calls and he happens to be visiting a convent.

But you really miss the whole crux, so to speak, of the biscuit. Disagreeing with Burke -- in specific matters such as Majerus on abortion or my fine Polish brethren on St. Stan's -- is disagreeing with the Church -- Period. If you're a Catholic, that's all there is. If you disagree, you're not a Catholic, by explicit Catholic teaching and law. Ironically, those people out here who have been saying that, for these reasons, they're no longer Catholic, are probably truer to Catholic doctrine than those arguing the other way.

C'mon Bonwich. Your literal argument defies reality. I recently read that well over 90% of catholics disagree or fail to follow the church's offical position on birth control. Does that mean they are no longer catholic? Literally millions of catholics are pro choice and probably tens of millions of catholics favor all kinds of stem cell reserach. Are they no longer catholic?

It's kind of like saying most Americans are criminals because they violate traffic laws every day.

[moytoy12]

This comment is an absolute outrage. I am involved in a number of endeavors that are associated with the Catholic Church and I take this as a personal insult. I do not know who you are and I do not care to ever know you but for someone as ignorant as you obviously are about the good that is done by Catholics even here in St. Louis to spread that ignorance on a board that is dedicated to talk about the basketball team of a CATHOLIC school is absolutely ridiculous.

Tough Billikan. If you're insulted, so be it. Perhaps, you should consult the groups you are associated with, I didn't contribute to the bad bad things that Catholics have done. Further, I didn't say that Catholics didn't do any good; I posited that their prior (and continuing) evil deeds earned any vitriolic talk that was flung their way. In other words, Catholics have earned their reputation (good and bad).

[Majerus Magic]

Tough Billikan. If you're insulted, so be it. Perhaps, you should consult the groups you are associated with, I didn't contribute to the bad bad things that Catholics have done. Further, I didn't say that Catholics didn't do any good; I posited that their prior (and continuing) evil deeds earned any vitriolic talk that was flung their way. In other words, Catholics have earned their reputation (good and bad).

Why such the hard edge Moy?

[Billikan]

Tough Billikan. If you're insulted, so be it. Perhaps, you should consult the groups you are associated with, I didn't contribute to the bad bad things that Catholics have done. Further, I didn't say that Catholics didn't do any good; I posited that their prior (and continuing) evil deeds earned any vitriolic talk that was flung their way. In other words, Catholics have earned their reputation (good and bad).

I am sure you are a so called "liberal" who would be horrified if someone spoke of an entire group with such a blind hate stereotypical view about any group. I always feel sorry for people who cannot make independent decisions about people or groups because their ignorance ruins things for all of us. You are perpetuating the kind of ignorance that appalls me in other circumstances. To condemn an entire group --all Catholics-- including those on this board when you don't even know what they do for the good of this community is about as ignorant a thing as I could imagine.

[moytoy12]

All that is fine but what are you doing yourself personally to help people. All this do gooder advocacy is nothing compared to people who are actually working hard to make a difference in the community. Many Catholics, including myself, spend hundreds of hours as volunteers to help young African American kids get a college prep education so they can really advance in our and other communities. If you believe all Catholics are evil then why would you even be interested in a terrible place like SLU--a CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY!

Billikan, I deal in a world captivated by poverty you couldn't imagine. Go to Pine Ridge, the poorest county in the nation. Go to Navajo where over 40,000 tribal members don't have electricity. Go to Rosebud Sioux or any of the Northern Plains reservations this month and next and watch 2, 3, 4 and sometimes 5 families living together in squalor to stay warm.

Do you want my daily agenda? What is my do gooder advocacy? I assist a non-profit by structuring business deals that are advantageous for Indian tribes by using the Tribes' sovereign status to their advantage. These deals, when done right (i'd be a fool to suggest or think that every deal has and/or will go well), provide benefits to Tribal members. For example, I have assisted tribes in generating electricity for their tribal members which has a 2-fold benefit: 1. Provides electricity to people who didn't previously have it and 2. Provides an economic boon to an otherwise struggling tribe. I have assisted on numerous other projects that have had a direct impact on the reservation.

Get over your 3rd grade mentality (the excessive screaming and exclamation points) and put on your big boy pants. But don't worry, you still get a gold star for helping those kids get a college education.

Finally, where did i say all Catholics are evil?

[moytoy12]

I am sure you are a so called "liberal" who would be horrified if someone spoke of an entire group with such a blind hate stereotypical view about any group. I always feel sorry for people who cannot make independent decisions about people or groups because their ignorance ruins things for all of us. You are perpetuating the kind of ignorance that appalls me in other circumstances. To condemn an entire group --all Catholics-- including those on this board when you don't even know what they do for the good of this community is about as ignorant a thing as I could imagine.

So, you are sure that i'm a so called liberal based off of what i said and then go on to assert various things based on such stereotype while condemning the ignorance of stereotypes. That's kind of funny. So, are you appalled by yourself? Must be tough to live with yourself.

I didn't condemn all catholics, i just said they deserve whatever vitriolic language was flung their way (or something to that effect). Did I say that all Catholics can go to hell? Did i say they don't do any good? Nope, I just said, that in my opinion they have earned the nasty things that are said. Was it a little much? probably.

[moytoy12]

Why such the hard edge Moy?

My first comment was probably a little much, but i don't think it's a hard edge to say that Catholics have behaved in a way to earn negative (and sometimes nasty) comments. If others are insulted by the fact that I insulted Catholicism, that's kind of tough. They (in most instances) chose to be Catholic.

Sure, there are free-thinking Catholics and they are probably great people. However, I wasn't speaking about them and thought that was pretty obvious, especially since i was consistent in using the "catholic church". I was speaking about Catholicism and those who practice pursuant to its official dogma. I could have been more clear.

[Billikan]

So, you are sure that i'm a so called liberal based off of what i said and then go on to assert various things based on such stereotype while condemning the ignorance of stereotypes. That's kind of funny. So, are you appalled by yourself? Must be tough to live with yourself.

I didn't condemn all catholics, i just said they deserve whatever vitriolic language was flung their way (or something to that effect). Did I say that all Catholics can go to hell? Did i say they don't do any good? Nope, I just said, that in my opinion they have earned the nasty things that are said. Was it a little much? probably.

As a Catholic I feel we are the only group that is now considered fair game for ignorant prejudice and constant media negative coverage that would be considered over the top and actionable in terms of sanctions or firing if anyone said those things about other groups.

I do not agree with Burke's handling of many sensitive issues and that does not mean that I think it is fair to lump all Catholics as a group like the Klu Klux Klan--which deserves to be ripped to pieces at every opportunity. In this situation, I think Burke should have kept his mouth shut and I also think that our coach has a filter problem between his brain and his mouth. He just says whatever comes into his brain without any filter at all. I have had to clean up after a lot of people like that over the years and I don't think that is the best way to go through life but as I have said before--he is our coach and we have to live with his foibles.

[TheA_Bomb]

On the Salary issue. I heard that the differnce in salary between Soderberg and Majerus was picked up by Tony Novelly. I don't know how reliable my source was on that but he was a high level booster.

Moytoy seems so passionate about his views on the Catholic church but is a fan of a Catholic Institution. I find that strange. Is he also and alumnus? Even stranger if so. I guess to some people it is just basketball but I am a fan because it is my school. I chose that school because it is Catholic.

I've witnessed first hand Dan Grey trying to stir up this kind of thing at SLU before. Prior to a Perot rally at SLU he was asking students about their views on abortion etc. It is dumb. That being said.......

The only thing Majerus should be using his mouth for is talking about basketball or inhaling whole pies. He needs to be smarter about these things. He can hold whatever opinion he wants but he needs to recognize who he works for.

[moytoy12]

Moytoy seems so passionate about his views on the Catholic church but is a fan of a Catholic Institution. I find that strange. Is he also and alumnus? Even stranger if so. I guess to some people it is just basketball but I am a fan because it is my school. I chose that school because it is Catholic.

Yes, I went to and graduated from SLU. The fact that it was Catholic didn't mean much to me at the time I decided to attend. As i mentioned in a pm to another poster on this board, SLU actually helped solidify some of my beliefs on religion. The fact that those beliefs don't fall in lock-step with Catholicism shouldn't be a surprise. Sometimes when we find out more about something, the stronger our questions of it become. Sorry for sounding like Yoda on that last sentence.

[Band Legend]

As a Catholic I feel we are the only group that is now considered fair game for ignorant prejudice and constant media negative coverage that would be considered over the top and actionable in terms of sanctions or firing if anyone said those things about other groups.

I do not agree with Burke's handling of many sensitive issues and that does not mean that I think it is fair to lump all Catholics as a group like the Klu Klux Klan--which deserves to be ripped to pieces at every opportunity. In this situation, I think Burke should have kept his mouth shut and I also think that our coach has a filter problem between his brain and his mouth. He just says whatever comes into his brain without any filter at all. I have had to clean up after a lot of people like that over the years and I don't think that is the best way to go through life but as I have said before--he is our coach and we have to live with his foibles.

Jesus Christ, Billikan, cut it out. Spare me the "so called liberal" crap! Righteous indignation, of the sort that you are so prone to apply to any issue, is the bane of this country. I am a practicing Catholic, but I can understand the vitriole that many feel towards the Church. Both you and Moytoy are a little bit over the top. As far as Burke is concerned, I find him to be one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever witnessed in public. Can you actually imagine him ministering to a parish, or giving a sermon about real life issues that wouldn't incense people or put them to sleep? He is the antithesis of the parish priest who makes a difference in people's lives. In a war movie he would be the pencil pushing general who sabotages the efforts of front line military men who are actually fighting.

[bonwich]

C'mon Bonwich. Your literal argument defies reality. I recently read that well over 90% of catholics disagree or fail to follow the church's offical position on birth control. Does that mean they are no longer catholic? Literally millions of catholics are pro choice and probably tens of millions of catholics favor all kinds of stem cell reserach. Are they no longer catholic?

It's kind of like saying most Americans are criminals because they violate traffic laws every day.

Geez, David, I thought you were a lawyer.

Publicly stating that you're in favor of abortion is de facto grounds for excommunication. Period.

[JMM28]

Standing in a church or sitting at the altar does not make you a good person, much like standing in a garage does not make you a car. Just because a person has the title of archbishop does not make that person a good person(See Boston).

You don't have to agree with every archaic thing the catholic church does to be a good person or a good catholic in my book. Especially from an organization that doesn't allow women to rise through the hierarchy.

[huzzah]

Geez, David, I thought you were a lawyer.

Publicly stating that you're in favor of abortion is de facto grounds for excommunication. Period.

I refer people to the Wall Street Journal, Jan 18, the Week-end Journal Section and an article "Banned From Church" by Alexandra Alter. First what is written as cannon law and what is practiced are not always the same. However, religion at this point in time is reviving an ancient practice, churches are exposing sinners and shunning those who won't change. There is a growing movement among conservative Protestants to bring back church disciplines, but I think Burke is also in concert with this movement. This is part of a broader movement to restore churches to their traditional role as moral enforcers per the article. The violator of morals is named, the illicit deed is spelled out and the offending person is shunned. This is what Burke is doing, so he is not alone in his stance on moral enforcement, but rather part of a movement in that direction. These actions can result in clashes in the community, causing splits in congregations, and splits even occurring on the Billiken Board. There may even be a clash present. According to the article, today excommunication raely occurs in the U.S. Catholic Church and shunning is largely unheard of in mainline Protestant Churches. Therefore, since RM was speaking as a private citizen and not as a school spokesman, I suspect this issue will blow away. Yahoo Sports is carrying the story and Burke appears in unfavorable light, especially the Crowe incident. Remember he also was trying to get people to boycott a play in south St. Louis, until the play was explained to him. His stance here on stem cell research seems similar in that science has come up with a new way to create stem cells which should now be acceptable to Catholics and Bush conservatives according to a prior WSJ article. My point here is that Burke is capable of making a-priory judgments. As we recall from Philosophy 101 such judgments can be prone to error.

[Sheltiedave]

Huzzah, the stem cell debate is a little more nuanced than just whether it is embryonic, manmade, or non-differentiated stem cells. The real debate is whether human life, be it diseased, crippled, or terminally ill, is to be welcomed as God blessed. It touches on whether life and infirmities are predestined, and whether we are meant to have free will in pursuing cures via stem cell and DNA research.

It is interesting to read the histories of Galen, Newton, Copernicus, Galileo, and others who conducted much of their research in secret to not be excommunicated or shunned by organized religion in their times. We are seeing the same today with cell research.