Loser reporter asks Jim Calhoun about his salary....

[OSUsushichic]

BB73, I'm pretty sure Tressel would expose the stupidity of the question (as he has done many times), but do so in a calm tone. Calhoun should not have said the 'shut up' line, but I can certainly understand why he did. The guy was there to make a mockery of the coach, the UConn program, and the press conference. In a backwards way, he got what he wanted.

The clown in the press should not be permitted to return for quite awhile.

He's from Massachusetts. People here tend to get a little testy.

 

[tsteele316]

the real question is why the reporter in question was too stupid to realize that UCONN's athletic department, like many at major universities, is a self-sustaining entity that doesn't use taxpayer money. therefore, his question regarding the state's budgetary issues and calhoun's salary is totally irrelevant.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

He's from Massachusetts. People here tend to get a little testy.

they dont call you folks massholes for nahthing...

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

It seems like the majority of posters are supporting Calhoun's behavior.

But suppose that Jim Tressel was asked about his salary at a post football game press conference. While the location and timing of the question may be inappropriate, would we expect JT to respond in an angry manner like Calhoun did, and would we be proud of him if he did?

I'd be shocked and disappointed if JT responded in that way. I could see him saying something like:

"Ohio State's football program generates significant revenue for the University. Beyond that, while I understand your concern, a post-game press conference probably isn't the place for such a discussion to occur."

But we all know that:

Tressel > *.head.coaches

 

[jlb1705]

the real question is why the reporter in question was too stupid to realize that UCONN's athletic department, like many at major universities, is a self-sustaining entity that doesn't use taxpayer money. therefore, his question regarding the state's budgetary issues and calhoun's salary is totally irrelevant.

That's just not true. Very few athletic departments (if any at this particular point) are financially self-sustaining. Most rely on student fees from the university for a significant chunk of their budget.

Like you said though, if the guy had done his research...

University of Connecticut

The Division of Athletics budget has grown from $8.3mm in 1990 to $50.2mm in 2006. During this time the support from the University has decreased from 43.4% to 12.7% of the total budget. The Football program is operating in the black, revenues exceeding expenditures as of 2005.

That period of time pretty much coincides with Calhoun's tenure at UConn and illustrates pretty vividly how he has earned his pay and had a tremendous impact on his employer. In 1990, the university's subsidy for athletics was $3.569mm, in 2006 it had only grown to $6.375mm (not accounting for inflation). It's plain to see that their growth is due in large part to Calhoun's success (along with that of the women's basketball program).

Those figures don't even begin to measure the impact he has had on the way alumni and the community relate to and donate to the university. I'd say that most universities with major athletics programs get more back in that kind of return than what they put in in the form of subsidy.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Calhoun's an asshole. In these economic times, and with UCONN facing the budget, hiring and salary cutbacks that are affecting public universities throughout the country, asking the highest paid public employee in the state of Connecticut a question about his salary is an absolutely VALID QUESTION.

Calhoun could have handled the question with a little bit of thoughtfulness, grace and dignity. Instead he chose to throw a bully's tantrum that would have made Bobby Knight proud. Fuck him. Reporters are not your players, Jim. You're just an arrogant prick who thinks he glides above the rest of society and shouldn't dare be questioned.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Here's a coach who does everything right, works his butt off, and bring in a ton of money for the state school, and still receives a psychological attack by a loser reporter who knows [censored]. What has the country come to.

Once again, sports do not bring in a TON OF MONEY for universities. In the, few and far between, best case scenarios they bring in enough to keep the athletic department in the black and give it the ability to make small, token donations to the university's main mission. The tail, however, does not wag the dog.

Even at Ohio State, the amount of money, after expenses, that the football team "brings in" for the university is a pittance relative to Ohio State's overall budget, external research funding and overall fundraising.,

 

[jwinslow]

Even at Ohio State, the amount of money, after expenses, that the football team "brings in" for the university is a pittance relative to Ohio State's overall budget

I'd be interested to see the enrollment numbers if OSU played football like Ohio does.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

The Division of Athletics budget has grown from $8.3mm in 1990 to $50.2mm in 2006. During this time the support from the University has decreased from 43.4% to 12.7% of the total budget. The Football program is operating in the black, revenues exceeding expenditures as of 2005.

Ummm, if I'm reading that correctly, the university's athletic department is not self-sustaining. It's relying on the university to cover 12.7% of its budget.

In fact, UCONN is pumping in almost twice as much money to subsidize its athletic department today than it did in 1990.

$8.3MM x 43.4% = $3.602M

$50.2M x 12.7% = $6.375M

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

I'd be interested to see the enrollment numbers if OSU played football like Ohio does.

Probably about the same as Minnesota or Illinois or Michigan State or Purdue or Indiana

 

[Steve19]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the future. Like it or not, the press hang together and they can be very motivated to go after you if you shout down one of there own. You can be squeaky clean, but did you know your [name relation, employee, whatever] did [you name embarrassing thing] when you were 16 years old?

A few years back, one of the professors at a South African university turned out to be a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army that kidnapped Patty Hearst in the 1970s. He had changed his name and appearance and nobody knew. Calhoun better hope no one like that is working for him.

 

[buckeyesin07]

Calhoun's an asshole. In these economic times, and with UCONN facing the budget, hiring and salary cutbacks that are affecting public universities throughout the country, asking the highest paid public employee in the state of Connecticut a question about his salary is an absolutely VALID QUESTION.

Valid question? Not if the "reporter" took his time to do a little research first. And certainly not in that forum.

Calhoun could have handled the question with a little bit of thoughtfulness, grace and dignity.

Why should he have? The question was a loaded, politically motivated, poorly researched, thinly-veiled attack on Calhoun's character and the UConn administration. By asking such a question (which lacked any semblance of thoughtfulness, grace, and dignity), the guy got what he deserved.

 

[sepia5]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the future. Like it or not, the press hang together and they can be very motivated to go after you if you shout down one of there own. You can be squeaky clean, but did you know your [name relation, employee, whatever] did [you name embarrassing thing] when you were 16 years old?

A few years back, one of the professors at a South African university turned out to be a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army that kidnapped Patty Hearst in the 1970s. He had changed his name and appearance and nobody knew. Calhoun better hope no one like that is working for him.

This reporter is actually a free-lancer and political activist, so it's not like he has ties to the media establishment. In fact, during that press conference, the free-lancer actually said he wouldn't have to ask questions like that if "the rest of these guys," meaning the journalists in the room, asked the questions like they presumably should. To which the free-lancer was jeered by the other reporters. So I don't think Calhoun, despite his tirade (are these outbursts just the status quo with UCONN b-ball, by the way?), will have to worry about the press being too hard on him.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Why should he have? The question was a loaded, politically motivated, poorly researched, thinly-veiled attack on Calhoun's character and the UConn administration. By asking such a question (which lacked any semblance of thoughtfulness, grace, and dignity), the guy got what he deserved.

Timing and forum are certainly open to question.

Research, however, not so much. If my numbers above are correct, UCONN is pumping nearly twice the money to subsidize its athletic department as they did in 1990. That combined with the overall budget difficulties and cutbacks that the university is facing certainly calls Calhoun's salary into question.

Calhoun seems to be the one who needs to do his research as he evidently is confusing revenue with profitability. Someone needs to teach him to read a p&l sheet and balance sheet.

 

[jlb1705]

Ummm, if I'm reading that correctly, the university's athletic department is not self-sustaining. It's relying on the university to cover 12.7% of its budget.

In fact, UCONN is pumping in almost twice as much money to subsidize its athletic department today than it did in 1990.

$8.3MM x 43.4% = $3.602M

$50.2M x 12.7% = $6.375M

I know. Didn't I say that? I imagine a significant part of that increase can be attributed to a decade and a half of inflation. Anyway, I wasn't arguing that it was self-sustaining, I was arguing that UConn Athletics (and Calhoun's salary) are worth being sustained by the university.

I'd also argue that UConn sees a return on that "investment" across many aspects of their operation that cannot be measured as easily as the subsidy.