Rich Rodriguez (official thread of last laughs)

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

 

[LightningRod]

With friends like Ken Kendrick, RR doesn't need enemies.

Charleston Gazette

After Rodriguez left WVU, one key university donor, Ken Kendrick, reneged on a joint $12 million pledge earmarked to be used as a salary increase for Rodriguez.

"Kendrick specifically withdrew his pledge because of changes," King said. "There may be others that hold off on making a donation or pledge until things die down. Ideally I would like to see [this] settled as soon as possible."

Ken Kendrick is the alum/booster who was very vocal of the manner in which the administration at WVU handled the RR fiasco. I think that a loss of $12 million that was directly related to RR's leaving WVU is more than sufficient to prove that the liquidated damages amount is rationally related to actual damages realized by WVU as a result of RR's early termination of his contract.

 

[sandgk]

Well LightingRod, if they intend to use fund-raising troubles as a pretext to support liquidated damages - about which distinction from penalty / buy-out clauses I remain moderately confused, thanks methomps - perhaps they ought to refrain from shouting news of new found bounty post Rodriguez from the rooftops. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Donations flowing in for Mountaineers - Jan 18th
By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Amid the stormiest month in West Virginia football history, donations to the Mountaineer Athletic Club have risen to record levels.
Despite December's troubled surface, with coach Rich Rodriguez seemingly jilting his alma mater and home state for Michigan, a group of prominent boosters withdrawing pledges over how university administrators handled the former coach's final days, a fits-and-spurts search for his replacement, and then the surprising anointment of Bill Stewart the day after a stirring Fiesta Bowl triumph, its detrimental affect on pledges was greatly exaggerated, said West Virginia's point man for fund-raising.
In fact, it was a record December for giving and the first-half jump-start to what looks to be a record 2007-08 fiscal year, said MAC executive director and West Virginia assistant athletic director Larry Aschebrook.
"We're definitely doing better than we ever had been," Aschebrook said, declining to cite specifics.
"We had the best December ever, and anticipate it to go that way [in the fiscal year ending June 30]. You know what, we're having a great year in contributions and support. We're very optimistic and excited about this year and years to come.

Notably, Finder's article does not provide actual cash accounting of the before and after picture - $12 Million remains a lot to make up.

 

[MaxBuck]

Wow. If the contract terms are indeed interpreted as liquidated damages, any crowing that WVU does as to fundraising success is truly stupid. How can you argue out of one side of your mouth that DickRod cost you $4 million, and out of the other side brag that your fundraising has improved since he left?

I noticed today in the Dipsatch that WV is 50th out of 50 states in percent of residents holding college degrees (bachelor's and above). This story seems to confirm the statistics.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Wow. If the contract terms are indeed interpreted as liquidated damages, any crowing that WVU does as to fundraising success is truly stupid. How can you argue out of one side of your mouth that DickRod cost you $4 million, and out of the other side brag that your fundraising has improved since he left?

I noticed today in the Dipsatch that WV is 50th out of 50 states in percent of residents holding college degrees (bachelor's and above). This story seems to confirm the statistics.

They make Puerto Rico a state and WV is 51st that day.

 

[DA-Bucks]

Just felt this needed to be here:

 

[ShakerBuck]

Wow. If the contract terms are indeed interpreted as liquidated damages, any crowing that WVU does as to fundraising success is truly stupid. How can you argue out of one side of your mouth that DickRod cost you $4 million, and out of the other side brag that your fundraising has improved since he left?

I noticed today in the Dipsatch that WV is 50th out of 50 states in percent of residents holding college degrees (bachelor's and above). This story seems to confirm the statistics.

regardless of how well they have done, recently, wouldn't they still be $12mm better? I think as long as they can pinpoint $$ lost (i.e. damages) it supports their case. their success in spite of the circumstances for which RR left them shouldn't be held against them should it?

 

[methomps]

regardless of how well they have done, recently, wouldn't they still be $12mm better? I think as long as they can pinpoint $$ lost (i.e. damages) it supports their case. their success in spite of the circumstances for which RR left them shouldn't be held against them should it?

The $4M is supposed to represent damages, so success that they've had is highly relevant.

And this article suggests to me that there could be quite a fight as to whether the withdrawn donations were because of the breach or because of how West Virginia handled the situation.

 

[sandgk]

A scathing apology from the Charleston Gazette: How Could West Virginia be so cruel to Rich Rodriguez? - satire

SO AS IT turns out, Rich Rodriguez didn't leave West Virginia for greener pastures. It just happened that the Michigan job was available at the time and provided him with a nice landing pad when he was viciously and inexplicably forced by WVU's administration to give up the job he loved.
Now that I understand the facts, I feel it incumbent upon me to retreat and withdraw every petty thought, written or otherwise, I've entertained regarding West Virginia's former football coach over the past month.
An apology is probably in order, too. After all, until Rodriguez's legal team filed its response to West Virginia's vitriolic and totally unnecessary original action demanding $4 million on the spot, it was difficult to see things from both sides and form a logical and reasoned conclusion.
Now that I've been able to do that, I'm sorry.
I mean, what were these WVU guys thinking, spending almost nine months haggling over lousy little details and finally forcing Rodriguez into signing a contract that committed him, either directly or indirectly, to collecting:

More than $13 million over seven years, in addition to two luxury cars and 20 season tickets.

An additional $450,000 for the pool for assistant coaches' salaries over the same period.

Another $2.2 million to build an academic center and $4 million to remodel his locker rooms.
And then these same people have the unmitigated gall, before committing to anything, to want to research and further consider Rodriguez's demand that his players be allowed to keep and resell their text books.
They likewise demand further study on the issue before allowing him to become Dennis Franchione and begin communicating directly to fans and boosters, in this case through his own Web site.
Without so much as considering his request for more, they draw a line in the sand and decree that the only thing that will be added to the assistant coaches' salary pool is a one-time $100,000 bump and the yearly $50,000 increases written into the contract.
And then with a wink and a nod they insist he sign the deal with that ridiculous $4 million buyout still in there, even though he specifically asked that it be reduced or eliminated all together.
I mean, what in the world was the point of WVU even bringing up a buyout in the first place? If Mike Garrison and Ed Pastilong had just shown the tiniest spirit of cooperation and flexibility, this whole situation could have been avoided and Rodriguez would have stayed at West Virginia so long he would have made Joe Paterno look like Bobby Petrino. He'd have had it written it into his will that when he was finally gone he wanted to be stuffed and placed on rails on the home sideline at Mountaineer Field at Rich Rodriguez Stadium, headsets and all.
Buyout, schmyout. Rodriguez wasn't going anywhere.
That is until you guys left him with no choice.

This is the story of the off-season that keeps on giving. :)

 

[three7]

Wow

At some point, the Post-Gazette will have to write articles about something other than RR right? I mean, seriously?

I won't say RR is innocent here, but doesn't anyone else find it funny that the Gazette writes two articles a week on RR... and no one else really makes a big deal about it. Heck, the articles/coverage that do come from ESPN, SI, etc. all have the same message, "Get over it, WVU".




Next.

 

[Bleed S & G]

At some point, the Post-Gazette will have to write articles about something other than RR right? I mean, seriously?

I won't say RR is innocent here, but doesn't anyone else find it funny that the Gazette writes two articles a week on RR... and no one else really makes a big deal about it. Heck, the articles/coverage that do come from ESPN, SI, etc. all have the same message, "Get over it, WVU".




Next.

Oh shit, I didn't relize ESPN had already dismissed this crap.. all hail Mark May!

On a serious note, fuck espn.

 

[sandgk]

At some point, the Post-Gazette will have to write articles about something other than RR right? I mean, seriously?

The article came from the Charleston Gazette, meanwhile the Post-Gazette is the Pittsburgh paper that has been the regular and original source for articles outside of Detroit that hump Dick Wadriguez's hind leg, while dumping on WVU.
Now, I'm surprised to hear a TSUN fan demand that such scurrilous propaganda be stopped at it's source - but there are new leaves turned every day, somewhere.

 

[MaxBuck]

The more details emerge, the more it looks to me like Rodriguez's obligation to WVU will be less than $4 mil -- and maybe a lot less. WVU has apparently really screwed the pooch in the athletic department. Pastilong looks less and less competent (though I grant looks can be deceiving).

 

[three7]

Oh shit, I didn't relize ESPN had already dismissed this crap.. all hail Mark May!

On a serious note, fuck espn.

Substitute Herbie for May and we agree, buck.



Ca-chow!

 

[three7]

The article came from the Charleston Gazette, meanwhile the Post-Gazette is the Pittsburgh paper that has been the regular and original source for articles outside of Detroit that hump Dick Wadriguez's hind leg, while dumping on WVU.
Now, I'm surprised to hear a TSUN fan demand that such scurrilous propaganda be stopped at it's source - but there are new leaves turned every day, somewhere.

My bad... got my "gazettes" mixed up. And, to clear the airspace, lots of MI newspapers have been critical of RR. Look no further than the AA News' writer Carty (first name escapes me).


Also, I'm not saying RR is innocent. Truth is always somewhere in between. He must pay WVU something and either a judge will set it or it will get worked out behind closed doors... where it should have been done in the first place.


At a minimum though, lets have all the "facts" on the table before we pass judgment.