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Post by bobstephen on Jul 27, 2007 11:26:38 GMT -5
Kilkenny was only considering the wrestlers during the period while he was considering the changes. Bull. He did not want to give the wrestling community time to counter the baseball move. This has been a done deal for months, and Kilkenny was just cementing his position. What a liar. He definitely did not consider the wrestlers, as he might have given them time to find a school with a little scholarship money left for the upcoming year. He also underestimated the loyalty that the Duck wrestlers have for the U of O. All the wrestlers immediately commented that they were coming back for the final year. The clip from the Longview newspaper: EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- University of Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny defended his decision to keep quiet about the plan to add baseball and drop wrestling, saying he didn't want to put the wrestling squad through unnecessary distress. Kilkenny said the issue was up in the air almost until the announcement was made, and he didn't want the wrestlers and their coaches to endure weeks of speculation over something that might not happen. "I had a lot of sensitivity to our coaches, staff and wrestlers," Kilkenny told the Register-Guard newspaper this week. "If it got out that we were considering this, it would have been incredibly disruptive for them." www.tdn.com/articles/2007/07/27/sports/news07.txt |
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Post by wrestlingpublicist on Jul 27, 2007 12:45:58 GMT -5
We can focus our anger on the athletic director, but I don't know what good that will accomplish in the long run. Sometimes that approach only serves to make opponents more intransigent.
Oregon wrestling will only be saved if we can demonstrate that we have enough financial clout to do so. Ron Finley is working on a plan to endow the program. For most of us, donating at that level is beyond our financial ability. However, we can do our part by supporting the team at the gate this wrestling season, and by having a sellout at McArthur Court for the East-West All-Star match in November.
Keep the pressure up on the administration, but questioning the character of the athletic director may work against our ultimate goal. He's the one who can do the most to undo the damage, and will be the hardest opponent to defeat if he is unwilling to reconsider.
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Post by bobstephen on Jul 27, 2007 14:14:43 GMT -5
You are making one huge assumption: Kilkenny will listen when Finley reaches the endowment goal.
If Kilkenny was an honorable man, he would have at least discussed the elimination plan with Kearney and his staff prior to the press conference. Kilkenny never gave the wrestling community the opportunity to express themselves prior to that press conference.
If Coach Finley or Kevin Roberts don't like the tone of my posts, they can prohibit my posts. I will totally accept that move if they think my posts are counterproductive. Until that time, I will continue to point out the lies and inconsistencies in Kilkenny's statements. If Coach Finley indicates that they have had productive contact with Kilkenny, I will again stop my posts. Until that time, I have no intention of accepting the crap that Kilkenny is putting out to the press.
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Post by wrestlingpublicist on Jul 27, 2007 17:41:14 GMT -5
If Finley raises the millions of dollars necessary to endow the program, and Kilkenny still refuses to change, then Oregon wrestling has a great case to take before the court of public opinion. Right now, the general public--outside of the wrestling community--has not rushed to embrace us. To many, baseball is now the new sexy darling and wrestling the same old sweaty, armpit-smelling, money losing sport is has been since Fin was trying to save his sport 32 years ago.
Bob, you can say whatever you want. It's a free country. I'm merely suggesting we tone down the personal rhetoric and get to work on the revenue side of the equation.
As much a Kilkenny may disturb us, he has a positive image with most Oregon sports fans. He was our second-leading donor for may years and he dared bring back a sport which many have agitated for reinstatement for the past two decades. To many Ducks who never embraced wrestling, he's a breath of fresh air. He's new in the job and the administration is unlikely to step in and reverse his decision at this time.
Meanwhile, if the public perceives we're all vindictiveness and little substance, our side doesn't come off looking very good.
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