Progress of sorts, but Rob Mullens is still laughing all the way to Jamie Moffitt’s bank, using the academic side’s money to pay the athletic department’s bills.
From: Rob Mullens
@uoregon.edu>
Subject: iac2011-12: Apology
Date: December 23, 2011 10:49:50 AM PST
Glen,
Good morning.
The Athletic Department understands the critical role that teaching and research play in the academic mission of the University. And we applaud the success of your research as well as the many successes of your colleagues. The collective accomplishments of students, faculty and staff enhance the University of Oregon and elevate the campus profile. In fact, Athletics often relies on the expertise of our faculty and students to conduct research to assist our department in data analysis and problem solving. We are grateful and fortunate to have such high-quality leaders at the University.
To your specific questions, I was not aware of any call from the NYT regarding your research. Thus, I did not instruct anyone to take a call or on how to “play it”. As his title indicates, Dave Williford directs Athletics Media Relations and thus journalists contact him given his role. In his role, Dave is often a spokesperson for Athletics although as he indicated in his quote that he was providing his personal opinion in this instance for which he has appropriately apologized.
Congratulations on the national recognition for your research.
Rob
First, that doesn’t sound much like an apology. Second, did the other professor and the grad student on the paper not get apologies?
“In fact, Athletics often relies on the expertise of our faculty and students to conduct research to assist our department in data analysis and problem solving.”
And really, what higher praise could the AD make for the academic side, than to say he sometimes finds them useful? You damn ingrates.
What, he apologized for not bowing down and kissing those professors’ asses? What a bunch of weenies if that’s what merits an apology! Those guys must really be full of themselves. Why don’t they go out and have a few beers with the guys in their study!
And where do you think the idea for the paper came from, Anonymous? Those economists may be pompous, but sober? That’s defamation per se.
I wouldn’t call this progress. Ill-conceived pandering is more fitting.
Last time Mullens pandered to the academic side was with this $500,000 video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_csyVJEzMFw&feature=player_embedded so I think getting him to pander at a discount counts as progress
I didn’t said the economists were sober. The economists drink with each other, they don’t drink with the guys in their study!