As the Nutts Roast, Texts, Lies, and FOI’s Part II
In an earlier piece written on this site, I discussed the drama and never-ending sopa opera surrounding the University of Arkansas Athletic program, especially the football program. The piece, entitledText, Lies, and FOI’s, dealt with the travails of the Boss Hog, Houston Nutt. As promised, is the latest episode in: As The Nutts Roast.
When we left you, the viewer, last month, word had come down of a lawsuit filed by a “concerned citizen” against the Chancellor of the University of Arkansas, John White. The suit sought to withhold White’s pay for failing to protect a student-athlete, freshman Quarterback Mitch Mustain, the most highly-decorated recruit in the state’s history, as NCAA rules dictate. Mustain had received an email that questioned his masculinity among other things, sent by a close friend of the Head Coach, Houston Nutt and his younger brother Danny, a member of the football staff. The email was forwarded by the head coach’s wife to other wives of the staff and other friends, with the note that: “the Springdale parts are quite funny”, referring to a part of the diatribe that described the 19 year old signal-caller and the offensive coordinantor, Gus Malzahn, Mustain’s high school coach, as “lovers.
Since last time, no less than the haughty New York Times has weighed in on the ensuing scandal with a column by a Selena Roberts. Ms Roberts implies that the whole thing is some sort of conspiracy by overzealous, fanatical fans who expect to win every game. We have some of those in our state, to be sure, as do most of the other states where collegiate athletics are big business. Athletics, especially football, are important “bidness” in the Southeastern Conference. However, if Ms Roberts had done her homework, she would have discovered that there is much more than that to this ongoing saga.
In the South, the SEC conference in particular, the head coach is bigger than most politicians. As public figures paid mostly by the fund-raising groups who operate separately, but in part by taxpayers, it doesn’t seem unreasonable for the University administration and athletic departments officials to tell the truth to the people who “pay the freight”. But, as in Washington D.C., the truth is often a very elusive thing.
Chancellor White has been caught on camera at some university function a few years ago telling some group, I don’t remember who, when dealing with the press “tell them what you think they want to hear“. From Chancellor White to Athletic Director Frank Broyles to Houston Nutt, that advice seems to be taken in most statements to the press. Whoever advises these people on public relations is about as competent as George W. Bush, who Nutt has been compared to by more than one columnist. One gets the impression that they would walk a mile to avoid telling the truth rather than actually telling the truth, even on small matters.
In the past few years, this group has bungled more than Bush’s FEMA. There was an NCAA investigation and subsequent probation due to a friend of Broyles overpaying athletes for jobs, the basketball program was on probation before that, a scandal involving coaches and athletes helping themselves to painkillers from the Trainer’s room, the incredibly incompetent way the firing of Nolan Richardson was handled, and the Richardson lawsuit that followed. It has been one Keystone Kops situation after another, and no one ever got fired except a couple of coaches.
Last fall a man was threatened with having his season tickets cut off for the egregious offense of wearing a T shirt with unflattering (and TRUE) comments about Nutt’s record as coach and selling a few to passersby and friends. The man didn’t even wear the shirt into the stadium, but on the parking lot. In an example of the heavy-handedness of the administration, the poor guy received a letter saying that the coaches likenesses and names are the sole property of the University and therefore they would sue him and yank his season tickets if he didn’t cease and desist wearing and selling the shirts.
It pains me as a resident of the state and fan of the flagship University’s teams for the administration, both in academics and athletics, to be so unaccountable and downright arrogant. A few months ago, the University was cited by a First Amendment Watchdog group as one of a number of colleges and Universities that flagrantly restrict First Amendment rights on campus. In an earlier piece, Suppression of First Amendment Rights On College Campuses, I addressed many of the same issues.
Ancient Athletic Director Frank Broyles was basically given an ultimatum after the email flap and announced his retirement effective at the end of this year. For all Broyles has done for the athletic teams and the University, it was a step in the right direction in the opinion of many people in the state, myself included. Broyles was clearly out of touch with the modern world, claiming last year that Houston Nutt had the support of 95% of the fans, which made the octogenarian a laughing stock in some circles.
A month or so ago, the spin doctors of the UA athletic department put out a press release about season ticket sales being up, maybe even at an all-time high, Two Words: Darren McFadden. DMac, as he is known, has much more to do with that situation than Houston Nutt or any of the coaches. #5 finished 2nd in the Heisman voting. The previous high for an Arkansas player was ninth and that was many years ago.
Anyway, the lawsuit against the chancellor was thrown out last week, but the attorney for the man suing has already stated that it will be reworded and refiled within the next couple of weeks. If that’s what it takes to either change the faces or at least the attitudes of the current administration, I’m all for it. The complaints are about much more than wins and losses. The crux of the matter is whether public officials can be expected to tell the truth and be held accountable when they don’t. This story figures to go on for some time. Stay tuned for the next installment of As The Nutts Roast.
