Post by exterminator on Nov 29, 2005 12:09:08 GMT -5
Fans' Forum: Columnist unfair to A&T chancellor
I am writing to respond to Ed Hardin's column ("This latest episode makes us all look bad", Nov. 22).
Hardin claimed that at A&T, firing coaches has become an art form. A&T, by his own account, has only discharged two football coaches in 18 years. Hardin went on to claim that the firing of coach Small was the latest in a troubling series of transactions since Chancellor Renick's arrival. By troubling transactions, Hardin must have been referring to the funding and completion of the Bryan Fitness and Wellness Center, installation of the Ford Motor sports digital display, installation of lights at Aggie Stadium, installation of the turf-drainage system, installation of the state of the art Mondo track, installation of the Jumbotron and the auxiliary scoreboard. Troubling indeed.
Moreover, A&T's enrollment, research, scholarship and physical plant have all flourished under Chancellor Renick's leadership.
Hardin never mentioned A&T's perceived lack of resources during coach Small's championship run. Now that coach Small has been discharged after consecutive 3-8 seasons, Hardin seeks to blame coach Small's failures on a lack of resources. In fact, coach Small has enjoyed vastly more resources than any other A&T football coach. The regrettable truth is that coach Small's teams were not well-coached. The perceived lack of resources had little if any bearing on the myriad penalties, questionable play calls and lack of fundamentals displayed by his players.
Coach Small is an Aggie, so I will not belabor the point. Coach Small's discharge was justified. Tyrone Willingham's was not. Where was Hardin's outrage for the Fighting Irish and its president?
My beloved school may have flirted with moving its football program to I-A, but nothing about the process was "idiotic." The school conducted a thorough feasibility study on the potential move. As a result, it was decided to not pursue I-A at that time. What could be "idiotic" about that process? Clearly, Hardin felt that a university of A&T's caliber should not even contemplate competing in I-A. That is idiotic.
Hardin suggested that Aggies everywhere were embarrassed by the turn of events. As a member of both the Aggie and Victory clubs, I have yet to encounter an Aggie embarrassed by these events. Hence our famous slogan "Aggie Pride!"
Next, Hardin suggested that A&T's administrators have misplaced priorities. In supporting that contention he asserts that the capital campaign has been holding steady at $73 million for months. In fact, this is quite an accomplishment considering it is A&T's first capital campaign. Moreover, there are extenuating circumstances surrounding this campaign. For instance, consumer confidence is low and there are increasing and varied demands on one's earnings (i.e., energy costs and disaster relief efforts).
In summary, Aggies by and large support coach Small's discharge. Most importantly, we support our chancellor and his vision for our athletics program and university.
After reading Hardin's column two things were abundantly clear. Hardin is not an Aggie. Neither is he much of a journalist.
Jamiah K. Waterman
I am writing to respond to Ed Hardin's column ("This latest episode makes us all look bad", Nov. 22).
Hardin claimed that at A&T, firing coaches has become an art form. A&T, by his own account, has only discharged two football coaches in 18 years. Hardin went on to claim that the firing of coach Small was the latest in a troubling series of transactions since Chancellor Renick's arrival. By troubling transactions, Hardin must have been referring to the funding and completion of the Bryan Fitness and Wellness Center, installation of the Ford Motor sports digital display, installation of lights at Aggie Stadium, installation of the turf-drainage system, installation of the state of the art Mondo track, installation of the Jumbotron and the auxiliary scoreboard. Troubling indeed.
Moreover, A&T's enrollment, research, scholarship and physical plant have all flourished under Chancellor Renick's leadership.
Hardin never mentioned A&T's perceived lack of resources during coach Small's championship run. Now that coach Small has been discharged after consecutive 3-8 seasons, Hardin seeks to blame coach Small's failures on a lack of resources. In fact, coach Small has enjoyed vastly more resources than any other A&T football coach. The regrettable truth is that coach Small's teams were not well-coached. The perceived lack of resources had little if any bearing on the myriad penalties, questionable play calls and lack of fundamentals displayed by his players.
Coach Small is an Aggie, so I will not belabor the point. Coach Small's discharge was justified. Tyrone Willingham's was not. Where was Hardin's outrage for the Fighting Irish and its president?
My beloved school may have flirted with moving its football program to I-A, but nothing about the process was "idiotic." The school conducted a thorough feasibility study on the potential move. As a result, it was decided to not pursue I-A at that time. What could be "idiotic" about that process? Clearly, Hardin felt that a university of A&T's caliber should not even contemplate competing in I-A. That is idiotic.
Hardin suggested that Aggies everywhere were embarrassed by the turn of events. As a member of both the Aggie and Victory clubs, I have yet to encounter an Aggie embarrassed by these events. Hence our famous slogan "Aggie Pride!"
Next, Hardin suggested that A&T's administrators have misplaced priorities. In supporting that contention he asserts that the capital campaign has been holding steady at $73 million for months. In fact, this is quite an accomplishment considering it is A&T's first capital campaign. Moreover, there are extenuating circumstances surrounding this campaign. For instance, consumer confidence is low and there are increasing and varied demands on one's earnings (i.e., energy costs and disaster relief efforts).
In summary, Aggies by and large support coach Small's discharge. Most importantly, we support our chancellor and his vision for our athletics program and university.
After reading Hardin's column two things were abundantly clear. Hardin is not an Aggie. Neither is he much of a journalist.
Jamiah K. Waterman
No good deed goes unpunished.
