Billikan Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 I agree 100% with Roy. I have spoken to dozens of Billiken fans and I have never once heard a fan say--gee, I wish we were going to the Missouri Valley. Some are more knowledgale than others re the A10 but none favor the Valley. the only people I have heard talk about the Valley are the sportscasters, like claiborne and ramsey who are not Billiken fans and continue to denigrate the Billikens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 Miklasz, 9/13/03: "St. Louisan Steve Schlanger has landed a job with the new College Sports Television Network. He will host a weekly college football show (airing each Saturday) and will be the network's play-by-play announcer for NCAA hockey." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 I like the idea of Steve Schlanger. I knew Steve some years back. Although, what is he doing these days? I don't know if people are knocking down his door either. Cheeseman, what is your solution? I know you said to bring in another announcer. I like bringing in another youthful announcer as well. That person could be the future voice of the Billikens and grow with the program. Here's where it gets difficult. Ramsey's bread might be buttered at SLU, but it's also buttered at about 10 other places. Unless you have a situation like Mike Kelly at Mizzou and make that person a full time university employee reporting into one of the assistant AD's, we'll have the same problem with Schlanger or anybody else. I bet Ramsey's salary from SLU is probably no more than 10% of his salary or so I've heard. So, he can be 100% Billiken Blue on every phase of his career and in all his work, but will that hurt his other work? I don't know the answer to that. I know KFNS pays him and you know darn well that they look at ratings all the time and make changes when necessary. Would his ratings go up if he was completely subjective about SLU? Maybe, maybe not. We don't know. If he was completely objective all the time, would the realness of him give him more credibility and the ratings go up? Who knows. Maybe yes, maybe no. I think Ramsey is doing what any other person would be doing and that is keeping the income coming in for his family. If Woolard sits him down and threatens that, I bet his tune would change. Unfortunately, it's tough getting work in the media. I think a lot of these guys are in survival mode. I know many of you will say, that Ramsey can be more neutral instead of SLU bashing, but I bet that will piss people off as well. I'm one for sure that can't stand people who are phoney and don't say what their opinion is. Lastly, if Ramsey is arrogant, more reason to send him an email. Although, arrogant people can be confrontational, so I'd probably be pretty diplomatic about it as it will probably be more effective. I would also urge people to send Doug emails not just bashing Ramsey, but about the need to have somebody full time doing this, so then we will get what we want. I guess there are tradeoff's in everything. Ramsey does a good play by play (IMO), has been around and connected to the Bills for a while, but with that we get his objective views and that makes us mad often. If we get somebody like Schalnger, I don't think his play by play will be any better (IMO), he has to learn more about SLU and there will be a learning curve until he is fully immersed, and we are speculating on how subjective he will be (since we don't know - we could be worse off!), and more than likely if he's not a full SLU time employee, he will have commitments to other things that also butter his bread. I do agree, as much as I like objectivity, I hate the SLU bashing. It's a tough situation all around though given the circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basketbill Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 than I would agree with you, but the big conferences seem to get the nenefit of the doubt come selection sunday. SO my point is that even if they are considered a lower RPI conference than CUSA, then logically one would think CUSA would get five spots and B12 one less than last year (i think they had 6) or 5 spots. However, I think it will be a conference like the MVC that may get hosed, or perhaps the A10 or MW etc.....simply because the Big conferences hold the power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 tonka said, "If we get somebody like Schalnger, I don't think his play by play will be any better (IMO), he has to learn more about SLU and there will be a learning curve until he is fully immersed, and we are speculating on how subjective he will be (since we don't know - we could be worse off!), and more than likely if he's not a full SLU time employee, he will have commitments to other things that also butter his bread." i would hope that the firing of ramsey would be sending a message to the future "voice of the billikens" that he better walk and talk the company line or else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 I'm glad we're all simplifying things about all of this. I think everybody's passion is getting in the way of their thought process. I learned from many of you to try and be more level headed about things. I've come to the conclusion though, that the way my personality is, that might not be in the cards as I'm a passionate guy and my emotions dictate a lot of my thoughts. It's laughable how easily everyone thinks this Ramsey thing can be solved. It just kind of contradicts the way most posts are though. Everyone is usually so analytical and solution oriented in their posts. Now it's walk the company line, fire his ass, impale him quickly, threaten his family, rip out his tongue. Maybe I am influencing you all as much as you are me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 Tonka, We all enjoy your passion and the most obvious solution to fix this problem that you offered was ripping out his tongue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 So be it then. Who's going to hold him down and who's going to rip it out? Should we sedate him, or should we do it with him wide awake? Should it be slow or fast? Maybe we can all put on Billiken masks and do it. Therefore we can haunt him for life. I like Bob, so I can't do the ripping, but I'll help hold him down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 Bob Ramsey is a nickel dimer, who will latch on to anything he can get. SLU needs someone who is just doing SLU sports...or primarily SLU sports. Ramsey isn't that guy. Like many many other STL radio folks, he doesn't do his homework. I am shocked at the lack of knowldege of a particular sport, rules, and most of all, other teams, of local Stl media folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 Tona, your are correct in one respect that the solution is not necessarily simple but one thing that can be done is to have Woolard have a talk with him and say look - you are the voice of the Billikens and with that you have to accept certain requirements. One of those requirements is to put the best foot forward for SLU if you can not in good conscience do that then tell me and we can part our ways as friends. If you can do that then just do it! Courtside, you are correct, Rammer is a dollar here dollar there kind of guy who is just trying to make it. My guess is that while SLU may only pay him 10% or so of his income - a good portion of it comes from doing commercials and if he is not the voice of the Billikens, he would loose his appeal for doing commercials - it is a bigger status job for him than most of what he does. A young announcer would not only do his homework but would be grateful for the chance and would want show that he is a team player. I am not advocating that Ramsey be fired just clean up his act - if he can not or will not do it for whatever the reason than fine. I can respect that but he does not have to be the voice of the Billikens. Funny how when it comes to money, people get much more cooperative attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 Bet Rammer applied and did not get that job either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 Good points. I think that is exactly right. If you can't do your homework, then who needs you. The best sports media people are the ones constantly doing research and being up on their team. If Bob has all these gigs, then he needs to work harder or quit spreading himself so thin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 What credible media person today does not use the internet to do research - that is silly that Ramsey says and seems proud that he does not. How much of the information that gets posted on this Board comes from the internet - a whole lot!. Ramsey either has to figure out how he fits into the equation or move on - he is not Jack Buck for goodness sakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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