Topic: MU Football Program is lacking transparency

[Big City]

Remember when Marshall's football program belonged to the community?

All the practices were open to the public.

Fans were allowed to attend scrimmages without being members of the Big Green.

Loyal Marshall fans who had the same seats for 20 or 30 years weren't unceremoniously booted out of them.

And, then, there's the transparency.

Remember that?

If a player decided to transfer or was dismissed from the program, Marshall announced it and revealed the circumstances. If a player was injured, the Herd coaches admitted it and were open about the details, including a timetable of when he would return. If a player was arrested, the Herd coaches telephoned the media and disclosed it.

Those were the days.

By comparison, those days serve as graphic reminders of how different Marshall's football program is nowadays.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/marshall_sports/chuck-landon-mu-football-program-is-lacking-transparency/article_d84e0192-b6ac-5761-8a9f-923b73337474.html

[BHFIOHIO]

maybe it would still be that way if not for all the cheap shots from one writer...don't think he will ever get out of that penalty box Hamrick put him in because that's the way done deal likes it.

[herd1986]

That article is a poor excuse for the things he got wrong.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MarshallSteve]

I'm now convinced that Landon has totally lost it. This guy has some issues. Officially dropping the Herald Dispatch today. Enough is enough. And by the way, who in the world is his so called "source" he keeps referring to?

[shilolg]

My Lord, this is an opinion...not a news article.  Nice support of the program.
Weekly Q & A on radio, or go watch in person...most all colleges have a reseating program every so many years.  Keeping some injuries close to the vest keeps opponents prepping for different situation.
Bashing Doc and the program serves no purpose.

[mu79grad]

Any journalist who graduated with a journalism degree from Marshall, as Chuck did, would know that you have to do some work to properly cover a story.  Unless I'm mistaken, players like Jean-Louis, et. al., would not sign a "no compete" clause as it is with some businesses.  In other words, when Jean-Louis went to Shepherd he would not be placed under a "gag rule" that would forbid him from stating the reason he was no longer at MU (as would apply in some business terminations).  In the cases of the dismissed players, it would seem to me that all Chuck would have to do would be to pick up the phone and then let the player tell him why he is no longer playing football at MU. 

Ernie Salvatore "stirred the pot" just as much as Landon.  However, Salvatore would do his work and cover a story worth covering.  His "Pardon Me I Was Just Asking" columns were always popular because he was usually questioning some action of the MU Athletic Department that he felt needed to be addressed.  However, as I recall, Ernie always did his homework.  IMO,there are multiple ways for Chuck to cover an important story with a little effort and the blame should not be cast at the Athletic Department's feet.

[herd1986]

That article is a poor excuse for the things he got wrong.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cubsrams1]

Morph - any insight on the portion of the column regarding props?

[FlyHawk98]

I'm done with the HD until they get rid of Chuck Landon. Say he is a columnist or whatever all you want, at the end of the day, he does all he can to drag our football program through the mud.

I will not support anyone or anything that continuously does this to the school/program I love.

[Buffalo Bop]

[djszincgt]

It's very simple...you need to stop reading his stories, and so do I. I have been very open over the last few years as to how I feel about his writing.  Honestly, that's what they have him their for.  Obviously people continue to read his articles and then write about them which is what they want.  It's selling papers.  Most publicity is good publicity...even when it's bad.  For those who have a subscription to the paper who plan on dropping it, you need to call the paper and express to the editor why you are dropping them and what it will take for you to pick them back up.  Better yet, write the editor.  Don't be rude or crude in your letter, just state your reasons.  That's the ONLY way we'll get him removed.  I do not have a subscription, but I do read articles on facebook from Herdfans and Herdnation and I'm as guilty as the next guy for making comments.  I'm going to do my part and stop reading anything from Chuckie.  And people on here need to stop posting them.  YOU'RE JUST HELPING THEM SELL MORE PAPERS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE UNIVERSITY!

[whf]

Sometimes a solid message is hidden in a terrible attempt to send it; that is how i see this column today.  In many aspects, I do agree with Chuck.  We all must admit we know less about our program than we ever have.  We must see that the methods and methodologies of Doc and Hamrick are different that we'd become accustomed to.  

Times have certainly changed. I told my wife I was pissed because I didn't know whether or not DJ was going to play, what was wrong with him, etc.  SO I get his dissapointment.

Now creating provocity has become his objective, rather than pointing out respectful considerations, etc.  Drop the HD if you will, but I'm going to stick around for the ride; its just getting interesting.

[Thunders77]

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/marshall_sports/chuck-landon-mu-football-program-is-lacking-transparency/article_d84e0192-b6ac-5761-8a9f-923b73337474.html

Landon is a dinosaur that needs to retire. He is also jaded and just a negative person now.

Times have changed and he never was able to adjust. He is incapable of developing relationships with new people and feels like he is entitled to something he is not. It is sad. He does not do the work and he grasps at straws and takes shots with no basis in fact. Any newspaper with any shred of credibility would have let him go years ago.

Their sports editor and editorial staff are equally at fault for allowing him to continue for years like this and use unnamed "sources" to further soil the reputation of the paper that was already poor.

[herdman]

MU may not be giving such information about injuries because of privacy laws regarding student athletes/students and HIPPA(is that right?) regulations.

Plus with the threat of lawsuits, I don't blame them.

 

 

[Thunders77]

MU may not be giving such information about injuries because of privacy laws regarding student athletes/students and HIPPA(is that right?) regulations.

Plus with the threat of lawsuits, I don't blame them.

The bottom line is, yes, college athletics has changed and their is more secrecy and HIPPA and perceived competitive edges are part of that.

No other place in FBS football, that I am aware of or at least not many at all, would allow the media to attend practices all week now and freely divulge information that helps the opposing team prepare.

It is just common sense.

[herdfan429]

Sometimes a solid message is hidden in a terrible attempt to send it; that is how i see this column today.  In many aspects, I do agree with Chuck.  We all must admit we know less about our program than we ever have.  We must see that the methods and methodologies of Doc and Hamrick are different that we'd become accustomed to.  

Times have certainly changed. I told my wife I was pissed because I didn't know whether or not DJ was going to play, what was wrong with him, etc.  SO I get his dissapointment.

Now creating provocity has become his objective, rather than pointing out respectful considerations, etc.  Drop the HD if you will, but I'm going to stick around for the ride; its just getting interesting.

I see what you are saying but I disagree with the no transparency thing. Sure access has been more restrictive but so what. It's practice not much happens at practice on the injury front who says we have to know every bump and bruise. Birdsong might not have told medical staff he was hurt. Trust me that happens more often than not. The athletic dept isn't required to release injury lists like the nfl is so I don't see the big deal.  Chucks style just comes out bitter and vindictive and that's his problem. He's not a good writer. That and he's wrong A LOT

[FlyHawk98]

Back in the day, it didn't matter as much if the stuff was printed. Only way for opposing team to get the info, would be to have someone locally pickup a hard copy of the paper.

In today's world, all they have to do is get online and read newspapers from wherever ya want. So, if I was a coach, I would not be sharing information with the media either.

[dshoe]

I'm now convinced that Landon has totally lost it. This guy has some issues. Officially dropping the Herald Dispatch today. Enough is enough. And by the way, who in the world is his so called "source" he keeps referring to?

wouldn't be a source if he disclosed that.

Let's be clear though, at least one person on this board is also saying that he has a "source" that is saying the same thing.

Like Chuck or not, transparency in the use of our public resources is a desirable thing........ whether this rises to that level is for another disussion

[herdfan429]

Dshoe they aren't saying the same thing they are saying back injury which could be any number of issues

[parshall2marshall]

Me, I'm just happy that the coaches looked over the film of the first 2 games and sat down and decided to pull CL's shirt.

Now, it is true they can say that Birdsong is too hurt to play - and that very well may be true - but they are showing me that they want want to win ( at least everyone but Legg ) and win now.

Any defense is going to get burned by the screen pass if their offense never runs it in practice, for example. Now, they may be trying to be super vanilla outside of conference play, but history under Doc does not show that we introduce a lot of new wrinkles for key games. At least not IMHO.

I still doubt Doc as a Game Day coach, but I am more in his corner than ever before. Litton puts a catchable ball near his receiver more than 80% of the time only 2 games into his collegiate career. Think about the ramifications of that, it is mind-blowing to me.

p2m

[s1uggo]

Morph - any insight on the portion of the column regarding props?

what Chuck said made no sense.  He made it sound like MU didn't give the kids their Pell grants.  As far as I know Pell grants are issued by the Federal government and are income based, so basically MU has no control. 

[FlyHawk98]

Me, I'm just happy that the coaches looked over the film of the first 2 games and sat down and decided to pull CL's shirt.

Now, it is true they can say that Birdsong is too hurt to play - and that very well may be true - but they are showing me that they want want to win ( at least everyone but Legg ) and win now.

Any defense is going to get burned by the screen pass if their offense never runs it in practice, for example. Now, they may be trying to be super vanilla outside of conference play, but history under Doc does not show that we introduce a lot of new wrinkles for key games. At least not IMHO.

I still doubt Doc as a Game Day coach, but I am more in his corner than ever before. Litton puts a catchable ball near his receiver more than 80% of the time only 2 games into his collegiate career. Think about the ramifications of that, it is mind-blowing to me.

p2m

I agree with everything but the bolded part.

We have a scout team that runs all the formations/plays we have seen on film. Doesn't matter what offense we run, scout team will be running the other teams offense that week in practice.

Teams will run screens on us because we are a very aggressive defense. Nothing wrong with that.

[Ovaltine Jenkins]

wouldn't be a source if he disclosed that.

Let's be clear though, at least one person on this board is also saying that he has a "source" that is saying the same thing.

Like Chuck or not, transparency in the use of our public resources is a desirable thing........ whether this rises to that level is for another disussion

I agree with Dshoe's assessment that transparency is desirable.  However, I would take it a step further and see it as mandatory in maintaining a level of trust among all segments of the fanbase while trying to generate and cultivate new fans and donors. 

I see nothing wrong with any of the questions that Chuck posed.  I too, would like to know the circumstances under which several players, particularly ones of note left.  Is Chuck over the top on more than one occasion?  Without a doubt.  But it's my opinion that this is not one of them.

[cubsrams1]

what Chuck said made no sense.  He made it sound like MU didn't give the kids their Pell grants.  As far as I know Pell grants are issued by the Federal government and are income based, so basically MU has no control. 

I'm not real concerned about his gripe regarding props (who Marshall cannot officially comment on anywhere).  I'm more concerned about whether some left and if so, who?

[clovenhoof]

Bottom line is Landon showed his ass... AGAIN. Now, he's banned, as he should be.