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

[Steve19]

That "journalist" is a complete tool, and should feel lucky he got off so easily. For one thing, Calhoun is a state employee in name only. You could find any number of state employees who's job it is to raise funds for public entities, and their salaries are nothing compared to how much money they bring in. My brother, until recently, was a grant writer for the state of Oregon's social work system. I guarantee you, what he was paid did not compare to the amount of money he was responsible for bringing in to the system. Calhoun's situation is even more extreme. This is exactly like when people complain that OSU's athletic department takes away money from the university. If those people took the time to research the numbers, they would see that not only does the athletic dept take no money from the university's general funds, but they are one of the biggest contributors to the expansion of everything from the library to the general scholarship fund. Tressel chipped in on a $1mil donation to YSU last year. Does anyone with a brain think that he would do that if OSU was hurting for money? Fact is that at most major universities (which UConn is one), the major sports programs not only pay for all the other sports, but contribute greatly to the uniersities' coffers. OSU blossomed when the football program took off. Calhoun took it easy on that clown, not to mention that his contract was in place well before the state's deficit came into question.

I think that Ohio State athletics are in deficit for the first time in a long time this year.

The bigger point that I try to make to academics is to remember that sports keep alumni in touch with the university and stimulate financial support. You can't measure that, but it helps explain why American universities have so much support when foreign universities, who don't offer athletics, don't have much support.

Ask a European whether they feel a special bond to their university and have donated to them. Academics who poo-poo sports "don't get it".

 

[Oh8ch]

If there was ever a thread that belonged in the political forum....

This is simple left versus right economic theory.

Clearly this underpaid reporter - by virtue of his humanity - is entitled to something of what is in Calhoun's pocket.

 

[Steve19]

maybe asu shouldnt have spent a gazillion dollars on their uneconomically sustainable solar farm...

They should have listened to the South Africans at Freeplay Energy...:)

link

 

[Jake]

What right does the highest-paid public employee in the State of Connecticut have to tell a reporter at a post-game press conference to get bent, in an angry manner?

I'm guessing that right is covered in the First Amendment. The fact that he's "the highest paid public employee in the State of Connecticut" is irrelevant, comrade.

I think the guy had a perfect right to ask the question, and Calhoun showed his lack of class and poor anger-management skills (not like we should be surprised at that). Calhoun should have handled this much better.

Calhoun handled it nicely, at first, but when the guy said he had "no clue" about the gate $$$ it showed he was an uninformed "activist" with an agenda. Not only was a post game press conference not the place for this type of question, he tried to play "gotcha" with Calhoun by presenting one side of the issue and pushing it live in front of the media. The clown got what was coming to him.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

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.

does everything right? UConn is SEC-football dirty. Calhoun is a piece of shit.

 

[BayBuck]

Krayeske sounds like a guy who's been beaten up by a few jocks in his day...

As for the ridiculous notion that Calhoun was out of line for telling him off, this is a guy who goes to a sports press conference and tries to make a political point, and rightly ends up getting his ass handed to him because he's a "reporter" without any of the facts.

 

[BB73]

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."

 

[jwinslow]

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.

 

[jlb1705]

The reporter has every right to ask his question. I don't see how it was an inappropriate venue. It was a press conference. If you don't want to be asked questions that may be inappropriate, off-topic or uncomfortable, don't hold a press conference.

Jim Calhoun earns every cent that he makes, and his salary is justified by the facts that he stated, his success, and the fact that he has demonstrated specialized skill that none of the other state employees who make less than him are able to perform.

The way he responded was disappointing though. He is a leader and teacher of young men and behaved in a way that is unbecoming of someone in such a position. There's no need to be a total asshole about it if you have the truth on your side. Just answer the question (or don't even acknowledge it) and move on.

 

[BayBuck]

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."

Tressel and Calhoun have different personalities, so yeah it would be shocking if JT responded the same way, but only because it would be so out of character. Like you said, he'd put the gotcha-hack in his place in his own way, and rightfully so.

 

[jwinslow]

I would have asked the reporter if he was being paid for his presence that night for something he finds so morally incomprehensible.

The reporter has every right to ask his question. I don't see how it was an inappropriate venue. It was a press conference. If you don't want to be asked questions that may be inappropriate, off-topic or uncomfortable, don't hold a press conference.

It's a postgame press conference. He used the cover of that scenario to surprise Calhoun with an attack on his character, greed & frankly the nature of UConn basketball.

Is a reporter allowed to ask whatever he wants without any recourse?

 

[mooktarr]

I think Calhoun handled it ok. The reporter wanted to push it so he deserved a blast.

It's better than saying " your mother didn't ask about how much of my salary" I was paying her last night.

 

[jlb1705]

Is a reporter allowed to ask whatever he wants without any recourse?

Yes, he should be allowed to ask whatever he wants - with recourse. And Jim Calhoun should be able to respond however he wants - also with recourse.

Both men in this case put on a pretty good display of using their First Amendment right to say something that makes you look like an asshole.

 

[Roger Goodell]

So the reporter can ask whether his wife is suffering from depression? Or whether Calhoun has been spending too much time on illicit websites on school computers?

Obviously he's able to ask anything, but I think that's different than whether it should be permissible.

 

[jlb1705]

Apparently the reporter does not have any kind of reputation to hold onto or level of access to preserve for himself or an employer, so in a respect, he had nothing to lose. Why not just recognize it for what it is (or don't recognize it at all) and just move on? Handle it in a way that only makes the other guy look like a jerk.