Texas A & M University must have a lot of money. Or they’re
just really bad at negotiating contracts. Kevin Sumlin was fired by the
University as their football coach. As in most contracts there was a buy-out clause
for the remainder of his contract. What they didn’t include was language that would
lower the buyout amount if he got another coaching job. Sumlin was hired by
Arizona who will pay him 11 million dollars for the next four years. Sumlin is
scheduled to receive a buyout from Texas A & M in the next 8 days for the
entire amount of 10.5 million dollars. It’s also being reported that the Aggies
just paid 600k for a strength and conditioning coach and 400k for a defensive line coach. And, of
course, this is the same college that guaranteed Jimbo Fisher 75 million
dollars over the next ten years to leave Florida State. And yet paying the
players (the people who actually provide the labor) is not feasible or
desirable. What’s wrong with big time college football in a nutshell
Joey Hauser is graduating from SPASH early and will enroll
at Marquette. He’s joining his brother Sam in the Golden Eagles basketball
program. Hauser, who is recovering from ankle surgery is missing his senior
hoops season and will red-shirt this year at Marquette and will have four years
of eligibility left beginning next season.
The Pointer mens basketball team continues an impressive
start to the WIAC season beating 2
nd
ranked Whitewater last night on the road. The Pointers are undefeated in
conference play and will host Platteville Saturday night.
Some music news…U2 is scheduled to perform at the Grammys
Jan 28
th
. The show is live on CBS…..Stephen Stills and Neil Young
will perform together for an Austism Benefit in LA on April 21
st
.
They will be joined by Sheryl Crow, Judy Collins and three members of the
Heartbreakers, playing together for the first time since Tom Petty’s death.
With the fractured relationships between David Crosby, Graham Nash and Neil
Young, CSN or CSNY will probably never play together again. Seeing Stills and
Young trade guitar licks is a pretty good experience……The first in depth biography
of the Moody Blues is out. It’s called Long Distance Voyagers Vol 1 which
covers the era from 1965-1979. The band will be inducted into the Rock &
Roll Hall Of Fame this year on April 14
th
…..If you’re a Prince fan
you will want to be in Minneapolis the weekend of April 21
st
. 4 days
of events will be highlighted by a tribute concert at the Target Center. It
will feature Prince’s all-star band and special guests. It will also include never
before released big-screen footage of Prince live.
Kirsten Gillibrand tweeted yesterday that only one more
Senate vote is needed to reverse the Trump administrations Net Neutrality
repeal. I know our Senator Ron Johnson will probably not change his vote but if
enough people in Wisconsin let him know he’s on the wrong side of this issue maybe
he’ll get the message.
Elections have consequences….The Trump administration
continues to have problems finding quality people to fill numerous open
positions in the government. I know, I know, it’s hard to believe that ethical
folks would want to avoid government service under “the greatest President
since Lincoln” but the evidence is clear. The latest folks to say enough is
enough are the members of the National Park Service advisory board. A majority
of the board resigned on Monday saying they could not continue under Interior
Secretary Ryan Zinke you they say has ignored and marginalized their
contributions to keeping our National Park System strong and vibrant. The Board
is required by law to meet twice a year but Zinke hasn’t met with the board at
all since Trump was elected and many of the board’s initiatives have been
ignored or rescinded. Zinke has been under fire for his misuse of department
funds and his seeming disregard for the duties of his office…….Another
important job that’s being filled by a neophyte is the assistant head of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy. It’s
held by a 24 year old recent college graduate whose professional experience
includes little more than working on the Trump campaign. Taylor Weyeneth is the
guy who a year ago was an undergraduate at St. Johns There are glaring questions on his resume as
well including claiming a Masters Degree when it fact he doesn’t have one. Since
the current director of the office is a temporary fill-in after most of the top
members of the agency quit rather than work for Trump, the idea that the
administration views the opioid crisis as important as they would claim seems
to be a farce…..the exodus of long-time veterans of the foreign service and the
State Department is another problem. It may be viewed as good by some Trump
loyalists and members of the right-wing squawk machine but once again it puts
our foreign policy negotiations in the hands of unqualified, partisan hacks. With
a disengaged President and many top jobs unfilled it certainly leaves a void
for dangerous demagogues and ambitious political operatives to direct policy.
Do you think that’s a good thing?
Quotes of the Day
“Throughout history tyrants have labeled the press as ‘enemies
of the people” to consolidate their power. Trump has adopted the same
intimidation tactics. For the sake of our democracy, we all must stand up for
those who seek the truth”- Robert Reich
“A free press is the despots enemy, which makes the free
press a guardian of democracy”-Senator Jeff Flake
“Journalists play a major role in the promotion and
protection of democracy and our unalienable rights, and they must be able to do
their jobs freely. Only truth and transparency can guarantee freedom”-Senator
John McCain
”Sometimes I wonder if people who aggressively seek
political power are precisely those who should not be entrusted to wield it”-
Neil De Grasse Tyson
“We are so dumbed down as a society no one knows what actual
quality is anymore. Average is the new good”- Dan Lukes
Songs Of The Day-40 years ago Warren Zevon released “Excitable Boy”