The Book CC Track & Field 2007-08

[GetTheFacts1st]

No matter the issues involved, this or any other disgruntled employee who wants to pick up his/her marbles and go home should be shown the door as soon as their resignation is received. A concern here should be the damage one can inflict between now and June 30.

[BirdofParadise]

_ VOCABULARY 101 (and accompanying DEFINITIONS

PSYCHOPATH
psy•cho•path \"sï-k€-'path\ noun [ISV] (1885)
: a mentally ill or unstable person; esp : a person having a psychopathic personality

PSYCHOPATHY
psy•chop•a•thy \sï-"kä-p€-thÈ\ noun [ISV] (1847)
: mental disorder; esp : extreme mental disorder marked usu. by egocentric and antisocial activity

EGOCENTRIC
ego•cen•tric \'È-gÖ-"sen-trik also 'e-\ adjective (1894)
1 : concerned with the individual rather than society
2 : taking the ego as the starting point in philosophy
3 a : limited in outlook or concern to one's own activities or needs
b : SELF-CENTERED, SELFISH
c : unconcerned with normal standards within a society _

[CajunT]

_ Hold on folks. Has anyone read between the lines here? I've wondered since last summer about one lingering question: If this is such a GREAT coach, why did MAJOR TRACK SCHOOLS have him penciled in as an assistant coach for the past 20 years? And why was someone this GREAT attracted to the rauncy place everyone here says UL is -- over MAJOR track schools with a ton more money than we will ever have? His first and last head coaching job was at a junior college 20 years ago that had funding for athletes who could not get into major schools in the SEC, SWC, Big 10 and Pac 10. A street bum with that kind of funding could build a great resume too, especially with the biggies hand-feeding their acadadmic non-qualifiers to him on silver platters each year. The 2007-2008 track budget is reported to be three times greater than ever before and the 2nd largest in the state behind the purple and puke. (It's bigger than UL baseball effective this year). All of the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning gripers here need to drop a dime to former employers at Oregon, Arkansas and Texas Tech to get info on why he left those programs. The administration here doled out a ton of track money since last July and its gone with the wind. The 1st collegiate meet of the year had NO ONE here. UL literally ran a inter-squad meet. The next one was cancelled because NO ONE was coming. If a coach is that great, where are the mountains of admirers from within his/her own ranks who should be flocking to support this fantastic coach on his maiden voyage? BTW, there's a third meet on the schedule, but when looking at schedules of 60 some odd southern schools, we ain't on any of them, and we weren't on any for the first two meets either. This sounds more like someone marching into town and saying I have 30 acres of the moon sitting out there with your name on them if you hire me today. I'm the hottest thing since sliced bread and you better hire me because I'm the greatest bread slicer in history. If you don't believe I'm great, JUST ASK ME. Always remember, there are TWO sides to every story and don't be too quick to say the admin dropped the ball on this one. They MIGHT have surprised folks and nipped a potentially lethal problem in the bud. Hide and watch, and in time we'll all get the REST OF THE STORY. (al la Paul Harvey)

PS - Does anyone know that he WASN'T given what he was promised? 5 will get ya 10 that they delivered! _

houndoggy1, I usually agree with your post but this sounds alot like damage control from the administration. If what you and others are alleging is true, then once again our athletic department has failed in pre-screening applicants for a coaching position. Didn’t we learn anything from the debacle of hiring of Cyprien? And if we have cause to terminate Silvey, then why would the Administration allow him to stay on and coach the program for two more meets? This whole PR nightmare does not pass the smell test and I’m going to withhold any judgment beyond this point. From what I’m hearing from some of the parents of Silvey’s recruits, our administration doesn’t come out smelling like roses either.

[Cajunrunner]

_ _

What are you getting at with that post, Jay?

Do you know something the rest of us don't?

[Cajunrunner]

_ Hold on folks. Has anyone read between the lines here? I've wondered since last summer about one lingering question: If this is such a GREAT coach, why did MAJOR TRACK SCHOOLS have him penciled in as an assistant coach for the past 20 years? And why was someone this GREAT attracted to the rauncy place everyone here says UL is -- over MAJOR track schools with a ton more money than we will ever have? His first and last head coaching job was at a junior college 20 years ago that had funding for athletes who could not get into major schools in the SEC, SWC, Big 10 and Pac 10. A street bum with that kind of funding could build a great resume too, especially with the biggies hand-feeding their acadadmic non-qualifiers to him on silver platters each year. The 2007-2008 track budget is reported to be three times greater than ever before and the 2nd largest in the state behind the purple and puke. (It's bigger than UL baseball effective this year). All of the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning gripers here need to drop a dime to former employers at Oregon, Arkansas and Texas Tech to get info on why he left those programs. The administration here doled out a ton of track money since last July and its gone with the wind. The 1st collegiate meet of the year had NO ONE here. UL literally ran a inter-squad meet. The next one was cancelled because NO ONE was coming. If a coach is that great, where are the mountains of admirers from within his/her own ranks who should be flocking to support this fantastic coach on his maiden voyage? BTW, there's a third meet on the schedule, but when looking at schedules of 60 some odd southern schools, we ain't on any of them, and we weren't on any for the first two meets either. This sounds more like someone marching into town and saying I have 30 acres of the moon sitting out there with your name on them if you hire me today. I'm the hottest thing since sliced bread and you better hire me because I'm the greatest bread slicer in history. If you don't believe I'm great, JUST ASK ME. Always remember, there are TWO sides to every story and don't be too quick to say the admin dropped the ball on this one. They MIGHT have surprised folks and nipped a potentially lethal problem in the bud. Hide and watch, and in time we'll all get the REST OF THE STORY. (al la Paul Harvey)

PS - Does anyone know that he WASN'T given what he was promised? 5 will get ya 10 that they delivered! _

If the reasons I were told are correct, the administration fighting against Silvey when he wanted to pull scholarships from free-loaders, then it sounds like this unfortunate situation was not his doing.

Someone who had to walk on to the team then earn a scholarship 8 years ago, scholarship guys not producing a damn thing has been a problem since 1999 on that team, and probably started before then. At some point, the coach has to take a stand. But, when Silvey took that stand, the administration told him NO.

[Just1More]

_ _

Jay, I wish you would explain this post as well. If you are implying Silvey is both egocentric and psycho, this too is a bigger implication on Martin Hall than on Silvey. If he has a track record (no pun intended) that in retrospect is questionable, why did we hire him in the first place? Did his personality traits and/or diminished mental function just show up on our watch?

[CajunAmos]

For spring sports, I thought scholarship determinations are done at the end of the school year. I seem to remember Robe saying there were evaluations at the end of fall to make final roster determinations, and at the end of the spring semester to cover what the athlete needs to work on during off season. I would think it odd to discuss pulling a scholarship in the middle of a season/school semester.

[Cajunrunner]

_ For spring sports, I thought scholarship determinations are done at the end of the school year. I seem to remember Robe saying there were evaluations at the end of fall to make final roster determinations, and at the end of the spring semester to cover what the athlete needs to work on during off season. I would think it odd to discuss pulling a scholarship in the middle of a season/school semester. _

He might not have necessarily been trying to pull a scholarship last week. Maybe he's been trying to get rid of particular athletes since coming here.and this crap kept carrying on.

The way I see it, if you are a scholarship athlete, you have two jobs:

1. Stay eligible to get a degree
2. Produce in your sport

If you don't want to do everything possible (short of drugs, breaking NCAA rules) to take care of those two responsibilities, you have no business tying up scholarship money that could be used for someone else.

[uslsp]

For spring sports, I thought scholarship determinations are done at the end of the school year. I seem to remember Robe saying there were evaluations at the end of fall to make final roster determinations, and at the end of the spring semester to cover what the athlete needs to work on during off season. I would think it odd to discuss pulling a scholarship in the middle of a season/school semester.

That is only for Robe's team not track.

[uslsp]

Hold on folks. Has anyone read between the lines here? I've wondered since last summer about one lingering question: If this is such a GREAT coach, why did MAJOR TRACK SCHOOLS have him penciled in as an assistant coach for the past 20 years? And why was someone this GREAT attracted to the rauncy place everyone here says UL is -- over MAJOR track schools with a ton more money than we will ever have? His first and last head coaching job was at a junior college 20 years ago that had funding for athletes who could not get into major schools in the SEC, SWC, Big 10 and Pac 10. A street bum with that kind of funding could build a great resume too, especially with the biggies hand-feeding their acadadmic non-qualifiers to him on silver platters each year. The 2007-2008 track budget is reported to be three times greater than ever before and the 2nd largest in the state behind the purple and puke. (It's bigger than UL baseball effective this year). All of the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning gripers here need to drop a dime to former employers at Oregon, Arkansas and Texas Tech to get info on why he left those programs. The administration here doled out a ton of track money since last July and its gone with the wind. The 1st collegiate meet of the year had NO ONE here. UL literally ran a inter-squad meet. The next one was cancelled because NO ONE was coming. If a coach is that great, where are the mountains of admirers from within his/her own ranks who should be flocking to support this fantastic coach on his maiden voyage? BTW, there's a third meet on the schedule, but when looking at schedules of 60 some odd southern schools, we ain't on any of them, and we weren't on any for the first two meets either. This sounds more like someone marching into town and saying I have 30 acres of the moon sitting out there with your name on them if you hire me today. I'm the hottest thing since sliced bread and you better hire me because I'm the greatest bread slicer in history. If you don't believe I'm great, JUST ASK ME. Always remember, there are TWO sides to every story and don't be too quick to say the admin dropped the ball on this one. They MIGHT have surprised folks and nipped a potentially lethal problem in the bud. Hide and watch, and in time we'll all get the REST OF THE STORY. (al la Paul Harvey)

PS - Does anyone know that he WASN'T given what he was promised? 5 will get ya 10 that they delivered!

Coach Silvey is a good coach. He could have coached anywhere but he chose here. The athletic department is the same. Track and field at UL will never return to past glory. I saw the writing on the wall my senior year. The university only maintains track for div 1 classification. They don't care whether they win or lose, track and field does not make any money.

[GetTheFacts1st]

"He could have coached anywhere but he chose here"

You don't think he tried to land a head coaching job in the last 20 years??? You can bet he did, and those people knew something we did not. The athletic department is not the same.,BTW. There's a new AD and associate AD who have taken note on the pitfalls needing to be addressed and they're taking no prisoners.

[GetTheFacts1st]

_ Unless you are going to play one of the BIG THREE Football, Baseball, Basketball then I advise you to go elsewhere. You will be treated as a second rate athlete from the admin. Just like the Best Track Coach in the history of this program was treated. _

The best track coaches in the history of this program are both deceased, unless you believe everything the most recent coach fed you. Where are all of those 561 all-americans? Certainly not burning up the phone lines calling him.

One reasonable question for anyone who thinks he got screwed: WHY?

[snote]

hey, houndoggy1


what did jay's post mean to you?

[uslsp]

"He could have coached anywhere but he chose here"

You don't think he tried to land a head coaching job in the last 20 years??? You can bet he did, and those people knew something we did not.

Houndoggy,

He wanted to coach at UL. He has proven that he can produce champions. Most top tier track athletes attend colleges where the coach has a proven track record of producing champions in their event. A coach must be given the freedom to set standards that the athletes are expected to meet. If they don't perform, pull that scholarship and go out and get somebody that will perform. Simple ain't it. Track has just to a numbers game to div 1 standards and title 9, it happened while I was there. The athletic department stopped caring long ago. You must be willing to help yourself before I will. I give up, I used to donate my time (50+ hrs / wk) and money, no more.

[GetTheFacts1st]

_ Houndoggy,

He wanted to coach at UL. He has proven that he can produce champions. Most top tier track athletes attend colleges where the coach has a proven track record of producing champions in their event. A coach must be given the freedom to set standards that the athletes are expected to meet. If they don't perform, pull that scholarship and go out and get somebody that will perform. Simple ain't it. Track has just to a numbers game to div 1 standards and title 9, it happened while I was there. The athletic department stopped caring long ago. You must be willing to help yourself before I will. I give up, I used to donate my time (50+ hrs / wk) and money, no more. _

This had nothing to do with anyone keeping him from pulling scholarships and nothing to do with an administration that was not supporting him. For a change in track, they were, and so were a number of local businessmen and groups. Go back and carefully read into my long post. That sums up a lot.