Fred Oien article

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Fred Oien article

Just an inquiry: If the article had stayed the exact same as it was, but it said "Written by Stu Whitney" how many of you guys would be all over him?

Anyways, I'm going to have to break out a certain red shirt from my closet tomorrow I think.

[TeaJackrabbit]

Re: Fred Oien article

Just an inquiry: If the article had stayed the exact same as it was, but it said "Written by Stu Whitney" how many of you guys would be all over him?.

I wondered the same thing. No question people would be much, much more critical of Stu......and for good reason. Stu is the Jay Mariotti of the Argus. He's a pot stirrer and his (bad) reputation is earned.

I have heard positive things about Mick and TV and, to a much lesser degree, Zim, but never a positive word about Stu. And I suppose he likes it that way. I bet he drives a junker

[NorCalJack]

Re: Fred Oien article

Anyways, I'm going to have to break out a certain red shirt from my closet tomorrow I think.

RO, one of these?

[Evolution Prime]

Re: Fred Oien article

Just an inquiry: If the article had stayed the exact same as it was, but it said "Written by Stu Whitney" how many of you guys would be all over him?

I think people would look at it like this:

Terry V. is the beat writer for SDSU. He covers all things Jackrabbit related. Some of them can be good (i.e. Womens NCAA Basketball Tournament) or bad (i.e. the article in discussion). It was his job to cover the story since it was most likely assigned to him from someone higher up than himself (I'm not claiming to know anything about the journalism business. I'm an electrical engineer.). We can't fault him for doing his job. We have to take the bad with the good, and TV has given us nothing but good so far.

Stu W. is the sports editor of the states largest newspaper. Its his goal to help sell papers. Artlicles like this tend to do that. Its his job to come with stories like this. There was lots of speculation on why Fred up and retired at one of the highest times in SDSU's sports history instead of riding out the year. It was his job to come up with the story behind it. The difference between him and TV is that Stu has always seemed to have a bone to pick with SDSU and people would see it as such. His distain for SDSU, in particular the MBB struggles, are evident in most of the articles or blogs he writes where SDSU is mentions.

To be, I see it as Stu was one of the driving forces behind. I believe he tried to hide it by having TV write it instead of himself. If it was Stu that wrote it, a large part of the SDSU community would see it as Stu trying to get under their skin and showing more of his distain for the school. Since TV wrote it, it can be seen as "hard hitting" SDSU article penned by their own beat writer and maybe the SDSU community can se it as that instead of the vindictiveness that can be seen as an SDSU story by Stu.

Just remember, Terry is not an SDSU PR representitive. Its his job to the stories assigned to him, good or bad.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Fred Oien article

If there was a smoking gun to this story I did not see it or TV has not found it yet. So Fred ruffled some feathers with his tough management style. BIG DEAL! Was he perfect in his personal or professional life? No and neither is anyone else on this board. The only difference is this job is a little more in the public eye. I doubt many could have put up with the pressure of dealing with the DI naysayers and steering SDSU through the complicated process of the transition. My hats off to Fred and enjoy your well deserved retirement. I think his send off could have been handled much better when you weigh all the things he has done for SDSU!

[TeaJackrabbit]

Re: Fred Oien article

I think people would look at it like this:

Terry V. is the beat writer for SDSU. He covers all things Jackrabbit related. Some of them can be good (i.e. Womens NCAA Basketball Tournament) or bad (i.e. the article in discussion). It was his job to cover the story since it was most likely assigned to him from someone higher up than himself (I'm not claiming to know anything about the journalism business. I'm an electrical engineer.). We can't fault him for doing his job. We have to take the bad with the good, and TV has given us nothing but good so far.

Stu W. is the sports editor of the states largest newspaper. Its his goal to help sell papers. Artlicles like this tend to do that. Its his job to come with stories like this. There was lots of speculation on why Fred up and retired at one of the highest times in SDSU's sports history instead of riding out the year. It was his job to come up with the story behind it. The difference between him and TV is that Stu has always seemed to have a bone to pick with SDSU and people would see it as such. His distain for SDSU, in particular the MBB struggles, are evident in most of the articles or blogs he writes where SDSU is mentions.

To be, I see it as Stu was one of the driving forces behind. I believe he tried to hide it by having TV write it instead of himself. If it was Stu that wrote it, a large part of the SDSU community would see it as Stu trying to get under their skin and showing more of his distain for the school. Since TV wrote it, it can be seen as "hard hitting" SDSU article penned by their own beat writer and maybe the SDSU community can se it as that instead of the vindictiveness that can be seen as an SDSU story by Stu.

Just remember, Terry is not an SDSU PR representitive. Its his job to the stories assigned to him, good or bad.

Good post. A couple things I would disagree with;

I don't think Stu has a problem w/ SDSU. It's just Stu, he has a problem w/ everything. He's the annoying kid in the class who knows he'll get attention by being a jerk and once he finds out what annoys you he'll continue to pick away at it and drive you crazy, if you let it. Once you realize he's just trying to get attention you just smirk at him and don't pay him any attention.

I don't think Stu would have any issue w/ writing a story like this and getting hell for it. In fact, like I mentioned above, I think he lives for just that.

[Nidaros]

Re: Fred Oien article

Just an inquiry: If the article had stayed the exact same as it was, but it said "Written by Stu Whitney" how many of you guys would be all over him?

Anyways, I'm going to have to break out a certain red shirt from my closet tomorrow I think.

I know I am being redunant and posting something that appeared in the prior post, I feel it needs repeating.

Since Stu Whitney is the sport director at the Argus Leader, the story was written as an assignment given to Terry Vandevec, beat writer for SDSU Sports. A logic assignment I suppose, but given another person other than Stu Whitney as being the sports editor, there would not likely to be a story written about the retirement of Dr Fred Oien.

What makes me so mad is the mention or suggestion of an ongoing investigation. What investigation? I think that investigation died the day Dr. Oien chose retirement on his own terms. Even if it was investigation, it was a personnel matter and one that the state laws protect with privacy laws.

So Stu is very much a part of this article, and I for one am very upset with the garbage that appeared in print.

BTW you are always wearing a red shirt at least in your small mind.

[jackmd]

Re: Fred Oien article

If there was a smoking gun to this story I did not see it or TV has not found it yet. So Fred ruffled some feathers with his tough management style. BIG DEAL! Was he perfect in his personal or professional life? No and neither is anyone else on this board. The only difference is this job is a little more in the public eye. I doubt many could have put up with the pressure of dealing with the DI naysayers and steering SDSU through the complicated process of the transition. My hats off to Fred and enjoy your well deserved retirement. I think his send off could have been handled much better when you weigh all the things he has done for SDSU!

I fall closer to JGII and #1 on this subject. The article was unnecessary and does a disservice to Dr. Oien and what he meant to SDSU, his staff, and his student athletes during his early years in the NCC and through the transition ti DI. I don't recall him asking for any glory and I know that he has had to acknowledge his shortcomings in a much more public light than most of us. I'll shake his hand and say thank you every time I get the chance. I'm not going to crucify TV for writing the article because Dr. Oien is SDSU and TV is the SDSU beat writer for the Argus.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Fred Oien article

I know this wasn't an assignment from his editor. Terry, as beat writer, is responsible for generating what we call "enterprise" stories, or topical, newsworthy stories from his beat. TV generated this one. How do I know that? Two ways: First, I have talked to him about it. Second, I know from having worked in newsrooms how things are done. No doubt TV bounced this idea off of his editor, but it wasn't "assigned" to him by his editor. TV is responsible for this one, and I know from talking to him, that he did the best he could do with it.

Want a news story that you disagree with to go away? It's easy, do what JackJD (or is it MD?) always recommends: Don't let them rent space in your head. Add my advice to that: When it comes to the media, you have to take the bad with the good. And finally, there's the old saying: There's no point arguing with somebody who buys paper by the truckload and ink by the barrel.

Reporters and editors will do what they do. Ultimately, have we gotten good coverage (both in quantity and quality) by and large from the Argus? I'll say. There will always be bad stories. But nobody's going to remember the details of this one in a few months. What they will note is the overall direction of SDSU coverage. We're doing pretty well overall.

[Evolution Prime]

Re: Fred Oien article

Thanks for some inside information, JJ. Like I claimed earlier, I know nothing about the journalism business and how it works. I assumed an article like this would come down from the editor of the respective department.

Still, no ill will towards TV from me. He is, in fact, just doing his job.

[Nidaros]

Re: Fred Oien article

I know this wasn't an assignment from his editor. Terry, as beat writer, is responsible for generating what we call "enterprise" stories, or topical, newsworthy stories from his beat. TV generated this one. How do I know that? Two ways: First, I have talked to him about it. Second, I know from having worked in newsrooms how things are done. No doubt TV bounced this idea off of his editor, but it wasn't "assigned" to him by his editor. TV is responsible for this one, and I know from talking to him, that he did the best he could do with it.

Want a news story that you disagree with to go away? It's easy, do what JackJD (or is it MD?) always recommends: Don't let them rent space in your head. Add my advice to that: When it comes to the media, you have to take the bad with the good. And finally, there's the old saying: There's no point arguing with somebody who buys paper by the truckload and ink by the barrel.

Reporters and editors will do what they do. Ultimately, have we gotten good coverage (both in quantity and quality) by and large from the Argus? I'll say. There will always be bad stories. But nobody's going to remember the details of this one in a few months. What they will note is the overall direction of SDSU coverage. We're doing pretty well overall.

I suspect all said here is very accurate and the bottom line. I am having a difficult time forgiving TV for doing this article. I think this article about Dr Oien's preceived anger is one that could have gone in the circular file since he did not have good sources. Even if there were a dozen confirmations of anger, what does it tell us now? I posted this before, but look at Dr Oien's counterparts at USD during his tenure. Doyle and Higgins were so imcompentent that they made Fred look like a genius. So would you rather have some one as your AD who had passion and anger, or a docile incompentant?

Mike Daly and Scott Underwood are really part of the past. Their departures from SDSU occurred in the first half of Dr Oien's tenure. So much of what I have heard through rumor contridicts their somewhat noble image that Terry created for them in the article. How many times have I read TV article? I think about seven times.

I bought a book of essays on Willa Cather's novel "My Antonia" several years ago, and I have not cracked page one. Its time to read something else that does not concern HPER at SDSU. Willa Cather a Nebraska native won a Pulitizer Prize for several of her novels. I believe "My Antonia" was one of them.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Fred Oien article

I suspect all said here is very accurate and the bottom line. I am having a difficult time forgiving TV for doing this article.

I don't blame anybody for being mad about the article. It's a tough story. Anybody who knows Fred (and I have known him since he was a student teacher at Hillcrest School when I was in second or third grade) hates to see this kind of thing after all he has done for SDSU.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Fred Oien article

This is my first comment on the article and all things that have followed.

TV has done a great job covering SDSU Athletics and has given us both the good and the bad and done so objectively. I don't necessarily have a problem with the way the article was written. It is fairly thin on substance. The timing of the article is really the issue for me. Why now? How long has TV been investigating this? It just doesn't serve any great purpose to do it now.

To me it is water-cooler talk that is turned into a high-profile article. Yes, there are quotes attached to it but just a few and from a couple of people (Daly and Underwood) that were quite well known for their fued with Dr. Oien. Those two have been gone for more then a decade and TV dug them up for a quote. Guess what, they didn't have much nice to say. I don't care how nice or good of a boss you are, you won't get along with everyone and there will be disgruntled people.

I'm not trying to give Fred a free-pass here. He has his faults which the article touches and he has to live with their consequences. He was a tough boss and may have gone too far at times. His toughness may be one of the reasons transition to D1 went so well.

At the end of the day, under his leadership the Athletic Department has flourished. When you add up the positives and negatives he left the place better then he found it. I wish Fred nothing but the best in retirement and have thanked him for all he has done for SDSU.

It was very disappointing to see the article come out in the Argus Leader now but it did. As far as I'm concerned its time to turn the page!

Good luck to Mr. Sell as our next AD.

GB, GB, GJ!

SUPERBUNNY

[TeaJackrabbit]

Re: Fred Oien article

When would be a good time?

During football season when we're fighting for a MVC title?

During the basketball season this year, the year the men finally turn the corner and have their first winning season in D1 history?

Or during the womens season when they make another run at the top 25?

The future is bright at SDSU and Fred Oien is a huge part of that. If it had to be done, it might as well be now so it doesn't serve as a distraction or take away from what is being done between the lines.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Fred Oien article

When would be a good time?

During football season when we're fighting for a MVC title?

During the basketball season this year, the year the men finally turn the corner and have their first winning season in D1 history?

Or during the womens season when they make another run at the top 25?

The future is bright at SDSU and Fred Oien is a huge part of that. If it had to be done, it might as well be now so it doesn't serve as a distraction or take away from what is being done between the lines.

I agree there isn't a good time. Like JummyJack said, it is a tough article. To do it now just doesn't make sense to me. I could have better stated it that it just shouldn't have come out at all.

The article just wasn't filled with a lot of substance. It is definitely a splashy headline and I'm sure sold some papers but it wasn't a quality piece. And I would have labeled it a quality piece had there been more quotes from others that give it more credence. Daly and Underwood? Come on. Outside of that Micah is the only quote and I respect him a lot.

That thing should have gone in the round file as Nidaros suggested.

SUPERBUNNY