LHU Relieves Kelling of HC Duties.

[jrshooter]

I've no objection to regional sports but to sports whose popularity is so small it in serves only as a funnel for scholarships and undeserved bragging rights for schools that win. CAL U has won 2 NC in SOFTBALL out of 295 teams and 2 NC in WBB out of 313 teams. Ironically LHU has also won 2 in SOFTBALL. The 13 NC in D2 FH won by BLOOM are, IMO, in no way equivalent and somewhat insulting. Just to spread my contempt for these pseudo champions a bit wider , I feel exactly the same about the 32 D1 WATER POLO programs that also declare a national champion. Given that D1 HOCKEY is largely a regional sport (although ARIZ ST has a team) they meet what I think should be a NC minimum (50 teams) with 59 programs. Excuse my rant, but declaring a NC because a few dozen schools get together and decided to isn't, or shouldn't be what a NC is about.

And yet, I feel my school won't be moving its nationall championship trophy to the back of the trophy case any time soon.

I think you're taking central and eastern Pennsylvania's absolute dominance of field hockey to mean that it's a niche sport. I would point out that wrestling and lacrosse aren't seen on most western.campuses, either. Ice hockey too.

It can't all be about football and basketball, even if that's all that will get some of you off your butts.
???

[Matt Burglund]

Remember...she left one of the worst artificial fields intact because it was advantageous for the field hockey team but very detrimental to her foosball team. How equitable is that?

I disagree with some of what you say about Sharon Taylor, but I agree with you on this. That old turf at Hubert Jack was a career-ender just waiting to happen. It was basically carpeted asphalt. I realize that's advantageous for field hockey, but in a contact-heavy sport like football, no amount of padding protected the players enough. I can only imagine what the Lock Haven players went through, considering they played on it 5-6 times a year (plus practice?).

What kid wants to spend four years on a team losing 80-90 percent of the time?

None of them do. They all want to be part of the team that turns things around. It just takes a lot more than that to get it done.

[CALUPA69]

Field hockey is as regional as ice hockey.

I've no objection to regional sports but to sports whose popularity is so small it in serves only as a funnel for scholarships and undeserved bragging rights for schools that win. CAL U has won 2 NC in SOFTBALL out of 295 teams and 2 NC in WBB out of 313 teams. Ironically LHU has also won 2 in SOFTBALL. The 13 NC in D2 FH won by BLOOM are, IMO, in no way equivalent and somewhat insulting. Just to spread my contempt for these pseudo champions a bit wider , I feel exactly the same about the 32 D1 WATER POLO programs that also declare a national champion. Given that D1 HOCKEY is largely a regional sport (although ARIZ ST has a team) they meet what I think should be a NC minimum (50 teams) with 59 programs. Excuse my rant, but declaring a NC because a few dozen schools get together and decided to isn't, or shouldn't be what a NC is about.

[Fightingscot82]

Then Lock Haven Should just drop foosball or join Mansfield in the Powder Puff league. What kid wants to spend four years on a team losing 80-90 percent of the time?

From what I was told (by one person) that's what Kelling was working on - selling kids on using football to pay for a college education. The value is in the reduced cost, not the win/loss record. If he was making progress in that area, that's a real shame he was let go barring any unforgiveable action.

[IUPNation]

I agree with you on Sharon Taylor. But the bitterness of her tenure still exists but now its jealousy directed at wrestling. This is what I alluded to last week - the D1 wrestling at PSAC schools really screws up funding because they don't have the revenue and budget to add womens sports to balance resources and properly fund three high profile men's revenue programs (football, basketball, wrestling). Its also a matter of what donors want. The Lock Haven alumni & community loves its Mat Town USA identity and they fund & support accordingly. For whatever reason they don't support LHU football. That's not Lock Haven valuing football less, which is what people assume.

Then Lock Haven Should just drop foosball or join Mansfield in the Powder Puff league. What kid wants to spend four years on a team losing 80-90 percent of the time?

[Fightingscot82]

I know. On this we have to "agree to disagree." Frankly, I stand by what I wrote above and a lot of people would disagree with me but a lot would agree. The thing with LHU football is that the program was in the pits for 7 years before she became AD and she's been gone for 10 years and it's still in the pits. So, I think that record says that it might not have been her fault. Not going to delve into all the funding formulae but I would say I do know a wrong when I see it and I think she was wronged.

I agree with you on Sharon Taylor. But the bitterness of her tenure still exists but now its jealousy directed at wrestling. This is what I alluded to last week - the D1 wrestling at PSAC schools really screws up funding because they don't have the revenue and budget to add womens sports to balance resources and properly fund three high profile men's revenue programs (football, basketball, wrestling). Its also a matter of what donors want. The Lock Haven alumni & community loves its Mat Town USA identity and they fund & support accordingly. For whatever reason they don't support LHU football. That's not Lock Haven valuing football less, which is what people assume.

[Fightingscot82]

I don't disagree with much you say except FIELD HOCKEY. D3 has 158 teams, a solid championship field. D1 has 79 teams, a bit small but OK. DIV 2 has 36 team of which 11 are PSAC and 11 are NE10 plus 14 unaffiliated. How in heaven's name is that a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP sport ??

Field hockey is as regional as ice hockey.

[Fightingscot82]

Consolidation is hovering over the 3 schools in each division that are facing the possibility of combining 3 programs into 1. There's still no guarantee that the PSAC will be the same conference in 2 years.

I'm just going to repeat this for the 90th time, the total sum of football players tuition far surpasses the expenses for the program. So cutting football is a net loss of millions of dollars. Nobody is cutting football or consolidating programs. The NCAA will rule in favor of the merger after yawning. This has already been done before just not high profile enough for anyone to know.

[Cavalier 1]

I truly believe that what Sharon Taylor oversaw was an athletics department that came close to true equitability. The problem was that her department was competing against schools that were less equitable. The men did gain some leverage since she was forced out and some men's programs (not football) have improved their competitiveness. For instance, men's basketball has rebounded (NPI). Overlooked, though, is that within a college athletics department competition between sports programs is often a zero-sum game. Gains by one sport take away from something else. In my opinion, men's basketball had as much of a beef against the wrestling program as anything and that was not Taylor's fault. Football started its decline several years before Taylor became AD. Again, you can argue that there are other factors involved that have kept LH football down. The bottom line is that since Taylor's ouster men's programs (sans football) have gotten more competitive and women's programs have gotten less competitive. Even today, numerous PSAC schools do not meet equity requirements. In many cases, it is something they "are moving towards" and that is good enough for the NCAA.

Sharon Taylor is someone who changed the world. How many of us can say that? She was a leading national and international voice for women's athletics over the course of her career. Perhaps most notably, Sharon Taylor almost single-handedly brought Women's Field Hockey into the NCAA and established it as a sport with a national championship. As a result of her influence, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHAA) honored her with its first lifetime achievement award, See article.

https://www.golhu.com/news/2019/1/17...ent-award.aspx

In my opinion, the ouster of Taylor from her AD position was ugly and riddled with pervasive sexism. For instance, the Williamsport ESPN sports radio affiliate teamed with the anti-Taylor elements at LHU to wage a true propaganda campaign against her over the airwaves. Most of what they claimed was wrong. Taylor sued the station for defamation but the station won, not because their propaganda was true or legitimate, but instead, they brought out a "public figure" defense which says that they can say whatever they want about her simply because she is a public figure. Totally lame. But the damage was done and Taylor resigned. I think that whole thing is a stain on a lot of people, not necessarily on Sharon Taylor.

Names???

[IUPNation]

I know. On this we have to "agree to disagree." Frankly, I stand by what I wrote above and a lot of people would disagree with me but a lot would agree. The thing with LHU football is that the program was in the pits for 7 years before she became AD and she's been gone for 10 years and it's still in the pits. So, I think that record says that it might not have been her fault. Not going to delve into all the funding formulae but I would say I do know a wrong when I see it and I think she was wronged.

IUP foosball was mediocre for most of the 70's when Frank rolled into town from West Virginiastan. Just because The Haven's team was in a 5-6 year funk when she took over, didn't mean it was too far gone. It's still the pits after she left because she left it beyond repair. Can you name anything she did to at least make foosball somewhat competitive?

Remember...she left one of the worst artificial fields intact because it was advantageous for the field hockey team but very detrimental to her foosball team. How equitable is that?

[CALUPA69]

Yeah, I totally agree. What Taylor did, though, is to create the scenario for FH to have a NC in all divisions, not just for D2. Plus, she gave the keys to Pat Rudy at LH to take it to D1. I've had online conversations with current FH HC Rudy regarding funding,, etc. where I disagreed with her. Let me tell you, these women are not to be denied.

Conversely, at CAL U, Dr Karen Hjerpe has been AD, acting and permanent, since 2011 and aside from cleaning up the remnants of ARMENTI sports, has been doing a generally outstanding job of hiring, retaining and fund raising for all sports even those who took a big step back after the previous regime. I think it has more to do with personality and broad management skills than gender.

[iupgroundhog]

I know. On this we have to "agree to disagree." Frankly, I stand by what I wrote above and a lot of people would disagree with me but a lot would agree. The thing with LHU football is that the program was in the pits for 7 years before she became AD and she's been gone for 10 years and it's still in the pits. So, I think that record says that it might not have been her fault. Not going to delve into all the funding formulae but I would say I do know a wrong when I see it and I think she was wronged.

[jrshooter]

I also question just how much influence an ESPN radio affiliate from Williamsport would have over the populace. Maybe 40 years ago.

[IUPNation]

I truly believe that what Sharon Taylor oversaw was an athletics department that came close to true equitability. The problem was that her department was competing against schools that were less equitable. The men did gain some leverage since she was forced out and some men's programs (not football) have improved their competitiveness. For instance, men's basketball has rebounded (NPI). Overlooked, though, is that within a college athletics department competition between sports programs is often a zero-sum game. Gains by one sport take away from something else. In my opinion, men's basketball had as much of a beef against the wrestling program as anything and that was not Taylor's fault. Football started its decline several years before Taylor became AD. Again, you can argue that there are other factors involved that have kept LH football down. The bottom line is that since Taylor's ouster men's programs (sans football) have gotten more competitive and women's programs have gotten less competitive. Even today, numerous PSAC schools do not meet equity requirements. In many cases, it is something they "are moving towards" and that is good enough for the NCAA.

Sharon Taylor is someone who changed the world. How many of us can say that? She was a leading national and international voice for women's athletics over the course of her career. Perhaps most notably, Sharon Taylor almost single-handedly brought Women's Field Hockey into the NCAA and established it as a sport with a national championship. As a result of her influence, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHAA) honored her with its first lifetime achievement award, See article.

https://www.golhu.com/news/2019/1/17...ent-award.aspx

In my opinion, the ouster of Taylor from her AD position was ugly and riddled with pervasive sexism. For instance, the Williamsport ESPN sports radio affiliate teamed with the anti-Taylor elements at LHU to wage a true propaganda campaign against her over the airwaves. Most of what they claimed was wrong. Taylor sued the station for defamation but the station won, not because their propaganda was true or legitimate, but instead, they brought out a "public figure" defense which says that they can say whatever they want about her simply because she is a public figure. Totally lame. But the damage was done and Taylor resigned. I think that whole thing is a stain on a lot of people, not necessarily on Sharon Taylor.

[IUPNation]

Consolidation is hovering over the 3 schools in each division that are facing the possibility of combining 3 programs into 1. There's still no guarantee that the PSAC will be the same conference in 2 years.