[Bigsouthking]

FWIW -- Tulsa fired their AD after placing him on Administrative Leave just last week.

He was involved in a Gambling investigation.
Tulsa is a private school also.

[Purple Haize]

FWIW -- Tulsa fired their AD after placing him on Administrative Leave just last week.

He was involved in a Gambling investigation.
Tulsa is a private school also.

You mean they didn't just fire him first?
Yeah, gambling is not good if you are an AD.

[RVAparks]

I invest because I trust the people who are running the show. I have been a Flames Club member (or what ever the name was at the time) since the early 90's at least. I would say I am an above average giver, but LU wouldn't miss my money if I decided not to give. I just don't believe that because I give some money every year, that it gives me a right to be involved in any decisions that the university makes. The AD, Chancellor. etc. are much more in the know than I am and many times more capable of making better decisions. If they end up making enough decisions that I don't like, I have the freedom not to give any more. Besides, what are we to do, take a vote of all the boosters when a major decision needs to be made? What level of booster? How long have they been a booster? Who does the booster know? How big a margin of the vote does the booster community have? What if the Admin. doesn't go along with the vote? etc. Sorry, way too much trouble for me.

You're missing the whole point entirely. It's not about you giving your $200 a year to the Flames Club or whatever. No one here is talking about having an open vote for any type of situation. I'm also not solely pointing to those who are "boosters". If you're a student, alumni, booster, ticket holder, fan, or member of the community then you are a shareholder. It's not about a voting process, rather an open dialogue for ideas, concerns, etc. rather than a shroud of mystery, cover up, and an agenda.

Accountability is the core issues here, in my mind. Its great a leader may come on a message board, but deflecting blame and using statements like "my staff" just doesn't fly with me. I was a Flames Club member and football ticket holder (and an alumni) a year ago and when I asked Jeff Barber a question about parking at homecoming, I was banned from his twitter feed. I just think that's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever experienced.

[Chris Lang]

I invest because I trust the people who are running the show. I have been a Flames Club member (or what ever the name was at the time) since the early 90's at least. I would say I am an above average giver, but LU wouldn't miss my money if I decided not to give. I just don't believe that because I give some money every year, that it gives me a right to be involved in any decisions that the university makes. The AD, Chancellor. etc. are much more in the know than I am and many times more capable of making better decisions. If they end up making enough decisions that I don't like, I have the freedom not to give any more. Besides, what are we to do, take a vote of all the boosters when a major decision needs to be made? What level of booster? How long have they been a booster? Who does the booster know? How big a margin of the vote does the booster community have? What if the Admin. doesn't go along with the vote? etc. Sorry, way too much trouble for me.

You're missing the whole point entirely. It's not about you giving your $200 a year to the Flames Club or whatever. No one here is talking about having an open vote for any type of situation. I'm also not solely pointing to those who are "boosters". If you're a student, alumni, booster, ticket holder, fan, or member of the community then you are a shareholder. It's not about a voting process, rather an open dialogue for ideas, concerns, etc. rather than a shroud of mystery, cover up, and an agenda.

Accountability is the core issues here, in my mind. Its great a leader may come on a message board, but deflecting blame and using statements like "my staff" just doesn't fly with me. I was a Flames Club member and football ticket holder (and an alumni) a year ago and when I asked Jeff Barber a question about parking at homecoming, I was banned from his twitter feed. I just think that's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever experienced.

Barber still has me banned from his Twitter for (supposedly) harsh criticism of the football team in the first quarter of the West Virginia Wesleyan game a few years back. Said criticism was deserved. The team sucked against a bad DII team for a good 25 minutes that day. Anyway, he doesn't make his Twitter private, so I could still see anything I needed to see. But I thought it was silly for him to block me.

[Purple Haize]

Lang I'm sure you've been banned from other places! Ha

[Purple Haize]

At the time, you were (I believe) the only outside media source that actually covered Liberty athletics...and he banned you.

Have you seen a picture of Lang? Would you want someone like that hovering around? I would cite safety issues!

[Chris Lang]

Fear the beard, Haize. Ha.

[Purple Haize]

Fear the beard, Haize. Ha.

I am. Oh I am.
The Pen may be mightier then the sword but the whiskers trump all!

[BJWilliams]

Having met Lang in person, 1) I wish I had a beard that awesome and 2) He was not someone you wanted to catch in a bad mood or on a bad day (and again he helped me get my first writing gig with the N&A)

[JK37]

So, it seems to me the overarching question is, does shareholdership grant one the right to be heard? Breaking it down further, what activity is necessary to gain shareholdership?

I can tell you there is a strong belief among those in leadership that bending an ear toward "shareholders" is the very practice that diluted the standards of the Harvard's and Yale's. At Liberty, where the financial future looks as secure as ever, the answer may be to turn away as many sharehold-seeking individuals as possible - with the noted exception of students.

At the very least, let it be known, one can no longer simply buy a seat at the table at LU. In that sense, is it a monarchy?

[TH Spangler]

Rode up on the elevator to club level with the bearded one once .... he looks much taller in pictures.

[R i]

Eaker may be on administrative leave, but his twitter account is still pro LU basketball. Its strange.

[BJWilliams]

I dont know if youre being sarcastic or not but sometimes it pays to look on the bright side of things and not become clouded by bitterness when a move is made (unlike some people who I will not name...not anyone active on this board mind you)

[flameshaw]

So, it seems to me the overarching question is, does shareholdership grant one the right to be heard? Breaking it down further, what activity is necessary to gain shareholdership?

I can tell you there is a strong belief among those in leadership that bending an ear toward "shareholders" is the very practice that diluted the standards of the Harvard's and Yale's. At Liberty, where the financial future looks as secure as ever, the answer may be to turn away as many sharehold-seeking individuals as possible - with the noted exception of students.

At the very least, let it be known, one can no longer simply buy a seat at the table at LU. In that sense, is it a monarchy?

You said it better than I did. There was a time when one could buy a seat at the table of influence. I am not being critical at all, it happens in a lot of circumstances. But I cannot fathom that being the case today. In addition, I prefer that the leadership does not listen too intently to the non-student "shareholders", just think it is much better that way. Thanks for the help.

[RVAparks]

I prefer that the leadership does not listen too intently to the non-student "shareholders", just think it is much better that way. Thanks for the help.

So when you graduate your voice no longer becomes valid?

[BJWilliams]

I think you are missing the point that people are trying to make here...

Its one thing to have an opinion. We all have a right to an opinion (I think I heard it said that opinions are like a**holes...everybody has one), we all can express how we feel about a decision, whether we like it or dont like it, which is normal. You can express your displeasure about a decision or a policy or what have you (although you generally are taken a lot more seriously if you arent yelling and screaming like you have some sense of entitlement).


I'll leave it to some of the much wiser members of the board than myself to explain the flip side.

[RVAparks]

No one is saying to scream with a sense of entitlement. I merely think the heads of a university should take into account the opinion, thoughts, and voice of their students, alumni, contributors, etc. rather than functioning under a cloak of secrecy. I'm sorry if that's such a radical thought.

The abuse in trying to control the message is over the top and there are several advocates of it. How many times have you seen a post on here basically saying, "I know something you don't know, but I'm not going to tell you"? It happens all the time, it even happened on this thread. If you have a situation come across that on a message board like this then either A) tell your story or B) keep your mouth shut. Everyone shouldn't exercise blind faith in the administration b/c of a last name and the line of succession. You have a voice, people shouldn't be afraid to use or feel as if their thoughts continually fall on deaf ears of a machine.

[BJWilliams]

I dont think that the posters from the Liberty community (which make up the vast majority of posters here whether alumni, faculty, staff or current students) are exercising "blind faith" as you call it.

I'll leave it to some of the others to further articulate that point but it would be somewhat disingenuous I would think to act like we are a bunch of mindless robots marching in lockstep with a machine or a dictatorship

[PAmedic]

Eaker may be on administrative leave, but his twitter account is still pro LU basketball. Its strange.

glad I'm not the only one that noticed that. Very odd.

like he never left...

[olldflame]

Eaker may be on administrative leave, but his twitter account is still pro LU basketball. Its strange.

glad I'm not the only one that noticed that. Very odd.

like he never left...

Doesnt sound strange to me at all. How would he benefit from going all negative at this point? He has been treated fairly as far as I can see, and there is no reason to burn bridges.

[BJWilliams]

Eaker may be on administrative leave, but his twitter account is still pro LU basketball. Its strange.

glad I'm not the only one that noticed that. Very odd.

like he never left...

Doesnt sound strange to me at all. How would he benefit from going all negative at this point? He has been treated fairly as far as I can see, and there is no reason to burn bridges.

This...Its not like the school did anything out of the ordinary here.

[flamesfan30]

i think in a lot of respects, the administration does a fantastic job when it comes to listening to the people. i always felt valued and like my opinion mattered when i was a student. what other school's chancellor posts on a stinkin' message board? what more can we ask for?

its not blind trust either. liberty is doing great, busting at the seems with money, construction, and students, all without wavering one bit on our commitments, either. the track record for these past 6 years speaks for itself. Aside from being slightly too political for my liking, the administration, as far as I can tell, is excellent.

[olldflame]

Jason and his wife are headed to Mercer. He will be with the basketball program. Doesn´t say asst. coach, so possibly basketball ops? She has a job in the AD.

[thepostman]

Good for him, I hope nothing but good things for him and his wife.

[libertyfan4life]

My family tree started the school (Mercer) a long time ago. Best of luck on turning a page and moving forward.