2013 Staking a Claim for Louisiana

[Just1More]

Benson has only been commissioner for 18 months. This branding tension has never been this high, certainly not while Benson has been in place. I'm sorry you can't see that Benson is doing what he feels is right. I would like for him to endorse calling us Louisiana, but I will respect his decision not to do so. I recognize the fact that his endorsement would sway things in our favor with ESPN, but without a guarantee that ESPN would start doing it with his endorsement, I'll wait until it's their own idea, that way they won't stop.

If ULM had said nothing about our preferred athletic name to the SBC commissioner, there would be no issue with our branding name or theirs, with the SBC. Other school presidents wouldn't have cared. You act as if ULM has a right to tell people what we must change to satisfy them for "our branding". They mixed the facts of the official name requirements with a "bad feeling" about our branding name.

I'm now concerned that ULM is on a mission to say they are the UL Most relevant school... and we are the UL Least relevant school. I've got a bad feeling that's a flagship mission on their part. "Hey Karl, I've got some butthurt over ULM calling "University of Louisiana at Monroe", the official school name by an unofficial branding name that implies they are the Most and that means we are the Least. "Karl, we think this is their flagship agenda plan and we're worried."

He has sided with ULM because he has no nuts and even less brains. He should have said, "That's their branding name. This is yours. If you have issues, work it out amongst yourselves.".

[Turbine]

the Wright Brothers and Benson Bailey Circus

ooh that is good.

[lcitsh]

I understand what you are saying, but the conference's policy should simply be to call each university what it asks to be called. Can you imagine if UCLA decided that Cal Berkeley shouldn't be called Cal any longer and demands that the PAC 12 commissioner call them Cal Berkeley or UCB. Absurd, isn't it.

I can agree with you on that, and do, and Benson probably does as well, but it is extremely doubtful he will put that theory into practice as long as he thinks it will cause him more problems than he has now. Remember, as helpful as his capitulation would be, Benson is not the main target, ESPN is, and, right now, the only viable option we have to get them on our side is to keep winning, and get more schools to accept our name.

[VObserver]

I can agree with you on that, and do, and Benson probably does as well, but it is extremely doubtful he will put that theory into practice as long as he thinks it will cause him more problems than he has now. Remember, as helpful as his capitulation would be, Benson is not the main target, ESPN is, and, right now, the only viable option we have to get them on our side is to keep winning, and get more schools to accept our name.

Wrong.... sort of... Yes, ESPN is the main target; but they have made it clear that they will not go against the wishes of the conference. Therefore our IMMEDIATE target is Benson. Until he grows a pair and treats us as well as he treats Texas State [TxSt] all our shots at ESPN will be deflected.

[lcitsh]

Karl Benson should lose this job anyway. A name issue won't push him down that path. It's ridiculous that EVERY other conference has zero issues with their names, yet the Wright Brothers and Benson Bailey Circus that is this conference couldn't/can't figure this out

I have never been a Benson fan. When I found out he had been made commissioner and later found out who he had beaten out, I was furious with these university presidents. Even after seeing his multi-point plan to advance the Sun Belt, I still wasn't convinced, but I said, "OK, if the presidents go along with this, we'll see what happens." Then these presidents, not four months into his tenure, started jumping ship for what they thought was a larger, faster payout. "Cowardly and fraudulent" are too gentle to describe the actions of these "Doctors of Higher Education," but that reflects more on them than it does on Benson. While I still don't think he's the right answer for this conference as commissioner, I don't see anything that could have been done differently to keep the conference viable once these schools left. Wright Waters made himself a laughingstock and a villain by catering to Western Kentucky for the majority of his career as commissioner, I'm sure Benson is trying to avoid even the hint of partiality by skirting this name issue.

[VObserver]

I have never been a Benson fan. When I found out he had been made commissioner and later found out who he had beaten out, I was furious with these university presidents. Even after seeing his multi-point plan to advance the Sun Belt, I still wasn't convinced, but I said, "OK, if the presidents go along with this, we'll see what happens." Then these presidents, not four months into his tenure, started jumping ship for what they thought was a larger, faster payout. "Cowardly and fraudulent" are too gentle to describe the actions of these "Doctors of Higher Education," but that reflects more on them than it does on Benson. While I still don't think he's the right answer for this conference as commissioner, I don't see anything that could have been done differently to keep the conference viable once these schools left. Wright Waters made himself a laughingstock and a villain by catering to Western Kentucky for the majority of his career as commissioner, I'm sure Benson is trying to avoid even the hint of partiality by skirting this name issue.

So he is trying to avoid a hint of partiality by allowing one school to dictate what another school is called by the conference? No. He is quite clearly catering to the schools who have no hope of ever leaving the conference by catering to their whims. If he were "trying to avoid even the hint of partiality" in the name issue, he would call every school the name that the school chose for its athletic branding.

[Just1More]

I'm sure Benson is trying to avoid even the hint of partiality by skirting this name issue.

Wouldn't want to dirty that tattered skirt of his.

[CrazyCajun]

So he is trying to avoid a hint of partiality by allowing one school to dictate what another school is called by the conference? No. He is quite clearly catering to the schools who have no hope of ever leaving the conference by catering to their whims. If he were "trying to avoid even the hint of partiality" in the name issue, he would call every school the name that the school chose for its athletic branding.

Which is why I think it's even dumber, he should be catering to the schools who could leave. I would tell ulm to luck my scrotum... What are they gonna do? Leave the sunbelt?

[Just1More]

So he is trying to avoid a hint of partiality by allowing one school to dictate what another school is called by the conference? No. He is quite clearly catering to the schools who have no hope of ever leaving the conference by catering to their whims. If he were "trying to avoid even the hint of partiality" in the name issue, he would call every school the name that the school chose for its athletic branding.

VO, he doesn't get it. He refuses to acknowledge the fact that Benson "did" choose a side. That fact cancels his original post. He can't have that. Benson did choose sides. The more intelligent neutral position would have been, "These are the athletic names given to me by the respective schools. If the universities have differences amongst themselves, they need to seek the solution elsewhere."

[Just1More]

Which is why I think it's even dumber, he should be catering to the schools who could leave. I would tell ulm to luck my scrotum... What are they gonna do? Leave the sunbelt?

Leaving the SBC... at almost any expense... is becoming a growing priority.

[lcitsh]

So he is trying to avoid a hint of partiality by allowing one school to dictate what another school is called by the conference? No. He is quite clearly catering to the schools who have no hope of ever leaving the conference by catering to their whims. If he were "trying to avoid even the hint of partiality" in the name issue, he would call every school the name that the school chose for its athletic branding.

Ok, believe what you will. I agree, he should be calling us Louisiana and them ULM, but he has made up his mind on how he will handle this, at least for now, and I doubt any of us will be able to convince him he is wrong.

[VObserver]

Ok, believe what you will. I agree, he should be calling us Louisiana and them ULM, but he has made up his mind on how he will handle this, at least for now, and I doubt any of us will be able to convince him he is wrong.

I agree that we are unlikely to change his mind, but to say that he is innocent and that he is an inappropriate target is just not correct.