Soap opera at Ball State

Earl Conn and Ron LeMasters taught me everything I know.

 

This guy is a chip off the old block.

John Thompson Sr. was a great coach and a despicable human being.

The exception in that family is the current John Thompson at Georgetown, he's by all accounts I've heard a very good guy unlike his old man and this scum bag at Ball State.

 

Ah yes, good old Shocka Conn ... LeMasters' name is familiar to me but didn't know him personally.

What about Kumbula? King of letting the class watch movies ...

 

Kumbula was kind of a dick, I was a Fred Woodress and Dave Knott (whose announcement of a stringer job set me on the path to riches and glory I'm on now) man, though I was always graded fairly by him.

Back in the day, when I didn't have the visage of a male deity I have now, I cut a zit while I was shaving.

Damn thing wouldn't stop bleeding and I was late (a frequent occurence in my slacker days) for his class. When I told him about it, he didn't believe me, so I showed him the cut.

He took note of my acne and said, "Oh. Well I guess I'm not surprised then."

He was interesting to talk to, though, and since I had a basic knowledge of Zimbabwe, we talked about Mugabe sometimes. He'd be interesting to talk to now about that.

 

Kumbula was a dick. Made us all write an essay (not article) essay on Africa (slavery). I wrote it on the diamond trade. Had to give me an A.

Woodress was classic. Never met a man who loved Marilyn Monroe more than he.

And Dave Knott is the best damn Cleveland Indians fan on the face of the Earth ... though I'm sure I gave him an ulcer or two.

 

And with that most esoteric of references, we're all headed for the apocalypse. See you all in hell!

 

OK, some rehashing from the old days at West Quad (which, BTW, no longer houses the J-school at Ball State, thanks to a shiny new building right in the center of campus):

Earl Conn: Always loved to tell the story of how he covered James Dean during Dean's high school basketball days. Good man.

Dave Knott: Wished I had spent more time hearing his stories. Alas, I only spent two years at the DN, and by the time I took the sportswriting class he was out with health problems (John "The G Man" Ginter taught in his place ... I still talk to him on occasion)

Ron LeMasters: Not a BSU prof, but he taught me most of what I needed to know about what really happens in the business. All old school. He's retired now, but I have to believe he's still in the press box come Sunday of Memorial Day weekend at the corner of 16th and Georgetown.....

Tendayi: Definitely a trip and a half. Never took him at face value. Kind of curious if he's ever dealt with RT.....

One other person not mentioned: Mark Popovich. J-law prof. BEST. CLASS. EVER. Especially the class dealing with obscenity. Passed around those flyers they stick in your face in Vegas. Classic.

As for Thompson, it almost sounds as if the start of a "lack of institutional control" case might be forthcoming. He and the new AD (Collins) have displaced a lot of long-time employees. I knew BSU's current day-to-day SID when he was a student assistant, and I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now. Heck, it wouldn't surprise me if Collins got stupid and tried to run off Morry.

And, speaking of Morry ..... "Good night. And good sports."

 

How have all you BSU (always loved that acronym) alums failed to mention that Snake from "The Simpsons" played lacrosse at your school?

 

As per AP, Ronny Thompson has resigned.

Good riddance!

 

On behalf of the rest of the MAC schools, let me say -- day-um

 

Muncie still sucks.
Go Bobcats!