REFUTED: Travis Hines: A look into the ISU BBall program and the Athletic Dept

[randomfan44]

If Travis had put some names behind the information he was trying to present as factual it would be a lot easier to believe but when you start your story off about a hotel situation in Hawaii and the AD says that he's never dealt with travel accommodations and that was Micah Byers area right there the story loses all credibility.

Why does the story lose all credibility right there? The story simply states "It was one example of what multiple sources described as a pattern of “nickel and dimingâ€￾ of the men’s basketball program by the ISU athletic department and athletic director Jamie Pollard in the final years before Fred Hoiberg left to coach the Chicago Bulls in June." Isn't Micah Byers an employee of the Athletic Department? It doesn't say anything about the hotel decision being made by Pollard directly. IF in fact the Director of basketball Operations is being given the ultimate voting decision on whether or not the University will be on the hook for "an extra" night of hotel costs, I would assume that he knows and has been given some general input from Pollard and his directs about their opinion on such decisions.

 

[keepngoal]

Why does the story lose all credibility right there? The story simply states "It was one example of what multiple sources described as a pattern of “nickel and diming” of the men’s basketball program by the ISU athletic department and athletic director Jamie Pollard in the final years before Fred Hoiberg left to coach the Chicago Bulls in June." Isn't Micah Byers an employee of the Athletic Department? It doesn't say anything about the hotel decision being made by Pollard directly. IF in fact the Director of basketball Operations is being given the ultimate voting decision on whether or not the University will be on the hook for "an extra" night of hotel costs, I would assume that he knows and has been given some general input from Pollard and his directs about their opinion on such decisions.

If you have to ask, you haven't read up.

basically checking out at noon for a 6pm flight, versus paying another night at the hotel and stay 3 more hours. That isn't nickle and diming..... it simply isn't, which they calls into question all other examples of nickel and diming.

 

[jsb]

How as he suppose to make him stay at ISU. Fred has said no amount of money would have kept him in Ames. People need to stop mixing the facts up with their opinions. They need to stop trying to read people's minds as to what they are thinking.

of course he wouldn't have stayed. But he should have thrown out a 5 million contract with huge nba buyout and made Fred say no. Fred's friends and possibly Fred have screwed over Iowa state with this article, so I'm not sure why Iowa state made it easier for him to leave.

 

[randomfan44]

And the funny part about how Pollard supposedly wants to move away from transfers is hilarious too because what has Prohm been doing since he got here? That's right, he's been targeting and signing some transfers too! It's not like the transfers Fred brought in caused us problems or hurt our program, in fact it probably helped make our program a lot more attractive

Prohm still going after transfers doesn't mean that Pollard doesn't still want to get away from utilizing that model so much. I see the two as mutually exclusive. I would expect even a bad AD (which I am not saying Pollard is) to understand the situation Prohm found himself in joining the staff so late in the game. He's got a LOT of spots to fill coming up soon and a small pool of recruits to fill them from. He really has no choice but to fish in the transfer waters right now. I am sure Pollard would like ISU to have a full roster first and foremost.

 

[kcclones]

Everyone who thinks he should or will name sources doesn't understand journalism. You can't call out your sources or you will be done in that career.

JP keep worrying about bigger problems like blocking everyone on Twitter

 

[CyTwins]

SIAP but I just came across this from yesterday

[video=youtube;g0TwWs93K5w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=47&v=g0TwWs93K5w[/video]

 

[randomfan44]

If you have to ask, you haven't read up. basically checking out at noon for a 6pm flight, versus paying another night at the hotel and stay 3 more hours. That isn't nickle and diming..... it simply isn't, which they calls into question all other examples of nickel and diming.

But if people affected by the decision FELT that it was done for nickel and dime reason then that's all that matters. Tell a player who is sore from a long weekend of basketball who has to lay down on a ballroom floor that he's doing it because it saves the university $25,000 and he probably won't be very happy with the decision, knowing that the school is going to get a fat check for millions of dollars thanks to his play for the University. Do you think that Duke or Kentucky is saving that $25,000 or do you think they are making sure their players are comfortable at all times regardless of cost?

 

[CYdTracked]

Why does the story lose all credibility right there? The story simply states "It was one example of what multiple sources described as a pattern of “nickel and diming” of the men’s basketball program by the ISU athletic department and athletic director Jamie Pollard in the final years before Fred Hoiberg left to coach the Chicago Bulls in June." Isn't Micah Byers an employee of the Athletic Department? It doesn't say anything about the hotel decision being made by Pollard directly. IF in fact the Director of basketball Operations is being given the ultimate voting decision on whether or not the University will be on the hook for "an extra" night of hotel costs, I would assume that he knows and has been given some general input from Pollard and his directs about their opinion on such decisions.

It lost credibility as soon as Pollard and Fred spoke and said the content of the article was not true. He should have done some better fact checking because I believe on one of the interviews Murphy did with them someone said they checked out at noon and had 5 hours to burn before their flight. It's not like they asked the players to spend a night sleeping in the lobby and like I said in a previous post Fred even said he remembers his twins playing in the pool with the players which is a far cry from sleeping on their luggage. Hines probably was not even in Hawaii covering the team so he's taking the word of someone obviously no longer on the staff over doing some better research and finding out what time their flight out was, when they checked out, etc. which seems to have been overlooked here with the information Pollard and Fred both revealed. Pollard even threw out the number on the expenses the athletic department spent on the BB program the other year too I believe asking how that could possibly be nickel and diming the program. I would think some of the financials involved would be subject to the freedom of information act too so why weren't some of those included in this article? Lot of people here shooting holes in this story from a lot of different angles...

 

[keepngoal]

of course he wouldn't have stayed. But he should have thrown out a 5 million contract with huge nba buyout and made Fred say no. Fred's friends and possibly Fred have screwed over Iowa state with this article, so I'm not sure why Iowa state made it easier for him to leave.

If Fred said the money wasn't the issue... then JP proceeds to make a public offering of $5Mil plus a huge buyout, knowing what Fred will say and Fred does decline .... It makes Fred look bad, all for nothing but proving a point. Is that what you wanted, to embarrass Fred?

JP has more class than playing that scenario out.

 

[Clonefan94]

Travis Hines credibility probably took a huge hit by publishing this story more than anything he supposedly "uncovered" writing this hurting ISU. First off no names to your sources and now the 2 guys that the story are about in Pollard and Hoiberg who declined to particpate in the story when Hines reached out to them have both gone on record with another member of the local media to say the story is inaccurate. Hard to claim what you wrote to be facts when the people who gave you the information won't put their names behind it and the people directly involved now have spoke about it. Really sad to see Travis publish this garbage and it's probably going to cost him dearly trying to get access to write some good future pieces now that he's burned a few bridges and hurt his reputation with this story that really did no one any good in the end.

I don't get why some people are so hung up on the bolded part. Ever heard of "Watergate?" That was one of the biggest scandals in U.S. Politics and it's source was unnamed. Well, he was nicknamed "Deep Throat." You don't have to name your source to publish a report. That's how they remain your source a lot of times.

 

[abcguyks]

But if people affected by the decision FELT that it was done for nickel and dime reason then that's all that matters. Tell a player who is sore from a long weekend of basketball who has to lay down on a ballroom floor that he's doing it because it saves the university $25,000 and he probably won't be very happy with the decision, knowing that the school is going to get a fat check for millions of dollars thanks to his play for the University. Do you think that Duke or Kentucky is saving that $25,000 or do you think they are making sure their players are comfortable at all times regardless of cost?

Just because KU, Duke & K-Y can literally throw $$ at their BB players doesn't mean other scholls can do it as well. The vast majority of P5 BB schools have a budget that is tight enough that it requires the teams to work to stay within it.

 

[Gunnerclone]

But if people affected by the decision FELT that it was done for nickel and dime reason then that's all that matters. Tell a player who is sore from a long weekend of basketball who has to lay down on a ballroom floor that he's doing it because it saves the university $25,000 and he probably won't be very happy with the decision, knowing that the school is going to get a fat check for millions of dollars thanks to his play for the University. Do you think that Duke or Kentucky is saving that $25,000 or do you think they are making sure their players are comfortable at all times regardless of cost?

This is how I felt. Like I said previously these players know other players from other schools and how they get treated. What I took from the article was that in comparison to other schools, this wouldn't have been SOP.

 

[Cydkar]

For those who have followed this closer than me, why is Matt A. bitter/jaded toward Pollard? I am having trouble piecing that together. Seems clear that he has an issue with him...but why?

Is Matt bitter or is that people are just saying Matt is bitter because they don't know jack. Honest question.

 

[Spam]

If Fred said the money wasn't the issue... then JP proceeds to make a public offering of $5Mil plus a huge buyout, knowing what Fred will say and Fred does decline .... It makes Fred look bad, all for nothing but proving a point. Is that what you wanted, to embarrass Fred?

JP has more class than playing that scenario out.

JP has done very well during his years here. But class is one thing he does not have.

 

[BACyclone]

For anyone, anywhere to make a deal about checking out of a hotel by noon to make a 6PM flight, when you probably have to be to the airport by ~4PM anyway, is just not thinking.

That this happens in Hawaii makes it doubly so.

What person has 4-5 hours to blow in Hawaii and wishes they could spend it in a hotel room?

 

[Cydkar]

But if people affected by the decision FELT that it was done for nickel and dime reason then that's all that matters. Tell a player who is sore from a long weekend of basketball who has to lay down on a ballroom floor that he's doing it because it saves the university $25,000 and he probably won't be very happy with the decision, knowing that the school is going to get a fat check for millions of dollars thanks to his play for the University. Do you think that Duke or Kentucky is saving that $25,000 or do you think they are making sure their players are comfortable at all times regardless of cost?

Nobody here knows what Duke or Kentucky would do in that exact situation. Nobody.

 

[isutrevman]

I don't get why some people are so hung up on the bolded part. Ever heard of "Watergate?" That was one of the biggest scandals in U.S. Politics and it's source was unnamed. Well, he was nicknamed "Deep Throat." You don't have to name your source to publish a report. That's how they remain your source a lot of times.

But when the two people your entire article was written about immediately state that everything in the article is wrong, it makes the "unnamed" sources pretty worthless.

 

[isutrevman]

JP has done very well during his years here. But class is one thing he does not have.

Care to share any examples?

 

[CYdTracked]

I also forgot about the issue with the staff having to pay for season tickets. Again I bet that info could have been obtained using the freedom of information act and Pollard explained that the only thing they had to pay for was the taxes on them because the IRS required it because they were sold out so if some former assistant really is going to complain about having to pay taxes that is pretty petty because that really isn't much to pay plus I'm guessing whoever gave Hines that info probably never was on a staff where they had sell outs like we do now so they never had to pay the taxes previously which is why they maybe thought this was only an ISU thing?

 

[IlliniCy]

I'm surprised I haven't seen this posted. Leath made comments on WHO TV last night. One short clip at the end of the story.

http://whotv.com/2015/09/30/268725/