Sousa insubordinate and misrepresented facts

[HerbTarlekVol]

So says Jimmy Cheek.  Sousa put out to pasture temporarily, and most likely to be made permanent. 

http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/2013/10/14/ut-places-gary-sousa-leave-names-interim-band-director/

[PirateVOL]

So says Jimmy Cheek.  Sousa put out to pasture temporarily, and most likely to be made permanent. 

http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/2013/10/14/ut-places-gary-sousa-leave-names-interim-band-director/

Best thing to happen to the Pride in a LONG, LONG time!

[Clockwork Orange]

Best thing to happen to the Pride in a LONG, LONG time!

A-freaking-men. Kudos to Cheek for taking a hard line. When you're in a leadership position you can't just be allowed to tarnish the institution's image and divide its alumni by publicly lying about it.

(You shouldn't be allowed to suck, either.)

[VinnieVOL]

Dave "The Hitman" Hart.

[Creek Walker]

Given the way things transpired, I don't think there was any other option.

Although I'm sure Cheek will find some way to screw everything up.

[EmerilVOL]

So says Jimmy Cheek.  Sousa put out to pasture temporarily, and most likely to be made permanent. 

http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/2013/10/14/ut-places-gary-sousa-leave-names-interim-band-director/

Na na na na na na na na na goood byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Na na na na na na na na na goood byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Na na na na na na na na na goood byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Na na na na na na na na na goood byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

So Long.....

[73Volgrad]

So who believes Cheek has never told a fib running this university?  I for one believe every administrator on campus tells fibs weekly.  Not outright lies, but the truth as the UT leaders say it is.

Cheek just could not stand being showed up and called out as a pansy. But one thing I learned over the years, do not publicly call your boss a liar.  Even if he is one.  He can still fire you.

OK I get you people do not like the band director.  But UT has overreacted to this and has circled their wagons.  My experience with UT says Sousa spoke the truth and UT did not like it.  This would interrupt a money stream and money is more important than tradition. Cheek just does not want anyone to realize what an ineffectual leader he really is.

[droner]

I dont know what Sousa was thinking. He screwed up. Right or wrong, you can't take on your boss in public. That gets you fired for insubordination and that's a firing with cause. I think that even trumps tenure.

[PirateVOL]

So who believes Cheek has never told a fib running this university?  I for one believe every administrator on campus tells fibs weekly.  Not outright lies, but the truth as the UT leaders say it is.

Cheek just could not stand being showed up and called out as a pansy. But one thing I learned over the years, do not publicly call your boss a liar.  Even if he is one.  He can still fire you.

OK I get you people do not like the band director.  But UT has overreacted to this and has circled their wagons.  My experience with UT says Sousa spoke the truth and UT did not like it.  This would interrupt a money stream and money is more important than tradition. Cheek just does not want anyone to realize what an ineffectual leader he really is.

disagree, Sousa overacted big time, after overreaching in the first place.

As to your last point, I can't disagree

[Creek Walker]

So who believes Cheek has never told a fib running this university?  I for one believe every administrator on campus tells fibs weekly.  Not outright lies, but the truth as the UT leaders say it is.

Cheek just could not stand being showed up and called out as a pansy. But one thing I learned over the years, do not publicly call your boss a liar.  Even if he is one.  He can still fire you.

OK I get you people do not like the band director.  But UT has overreacted to this and has circled their wagons.  My experience with UT says Sousa spoke the truth and UT did not like it.  This would interrupt a money stream and money is more important than tradition. Cheek just does not want anyone to realize what an ineffectual leader he really is.

I think Cheek is a lying, conniving, cheating SOB, and the day he and the university depart company will be a day I'll celebrate. And, frankly, you're probably right that Cheek couldn't stand being showed up.

But I sincerely doubt that everything Sousa said was the truth. Based on what WE know, Sousa seemed to be grossly exaggerating the details and appeared to have some sort of agenda. You just don't do what he did and expect there to be no repercussions. The university cannot allow that sort of thing to happen.

I harbor no ill feelings towards Sousa. I've always liked the guy...not the least because he has a name that has band director written all over it.  But I know nothing about bands like some of these fellas who actually spent time in the band. My experience in band was limited to about 2 months on the trombone in 6th grade. So he may very well have been a hindrance to the POTS.

[LouisVOL]

I am calling it now-----Gruden!

[VinnieVOL]

I am calling it now-----Gruden!

 

[PirateVOL]

http://www.tnsportsradio.com/2013/10/15/reasons-sousa-director-bands-tennessee/

A Quote:
For comparison’s sake, I looked up band budgets for Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin in 2012. Their budgets were roughly $1,270,000.

Combined.

[GreggO]

Don't laugh, Vinnie. I heard Hyams report Gruden was seen playing a tuba in Cherokee Hills park last week!


G   

[PirateVOL]

Don't laugh, Vinnie. I heard Hyams report Gruden was seen playing a tuba in Cherokee Hills park last week!


G   

playing Love is Blue?

[Black Diamond Vol]

http://www.tnsportsradio.com/2013/10/15/reasons-sousa-director-bands-tennessee/

A Quote:
For comparison’s sake, I looked up band budgets for Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin in 2012. Their budgets were roughly $1,270,000.

Combined.

While I agree with the gist of that article, I'm not buying that number.  That's an average of 300k and change.  You can't maintain a decent high school band for that.  I don't know where he came up with that- maybe it's just their budget for travel, but no way that's their entire annual budget.

[BanditVol]

While I agree with the gist of that article, I'm not buying that number.  That's an average of 300k and change.  You can't maintain a decent high school band for that.  I don't know where he came up with that- maybe it's just their budget for travel, but no way that's their entire annual budget.

He means for EACH SCHOOL...it doesn't sound unreasonable to me. It may or may not include travel expenses, which is probably the biggest part of it.

[Black Diamond Vol]

He means for EACH SCHOOL...it doesn't sound unreasonable to me. It may or may not include travel expenses, which is probably the biggest part of it.

No, it said "combined".  I would guess that staff salaries alone would exceed that.

[BanditVol]

No, it said "combined".  I would guess that staff salaries alone would exceed that.

Oh okay...maybe it means only the grant in aid to the students, which is usually pretty paltry.  Something like 2K maybe, for 200 band members at each school?  If so, that would be around 2$K x ~ 600 and would roughly match the number.  Staff salaries would be considered part of the regular school budget, perhaps, since it's possible that Sousa and other band directors also teach classes? (I don't know if they do or not).

[Black Diamond Vol]

Oh okay...maybe it means only the grant in aid to the students, which is usually pretty paltry.  Something like 2K maybe, for 200 band members at each school?  If so, that would be around 2$K x ~ 600 and would roughly match the number.  Staff salaries would be considered part of the regular school budget, perhaps, since it's possible that Sousa and other band directors also teach classes? (I don't know if they do or not).

Like I said, I don't know.  But when he throws out numbers like 1.2M for UT vs. 300K for those schools, I'm almost positive that's not an apples to apples comparison.  I think he's probably looking at the entire budget for the Pride vs. a portion of the budget for those schools.  Especially OSU and Michigan- I know that those schools spare no expense on their bands, and take them to nearly every conference road game. 

[Creek Walker]

Like I said, I don't know.  But when he throws out numbers like 1.2M for UT vs. 300K for those schools, I'm almost positive that's not an apples to apples comparison.  I think he's probably looking at the entire budget for the Pride vs. a portion of the budget for those schools.  Especially OSU and Michigan- I know that those schools spare no expense on their bands, and take them to nearly every conference road game. 

I also found it interesting that he picked the schools he picked. Why not other SEC schools? I don't think that was a very honest comparison under any circumstance although, like you, I agreed with the general premise of the article.

[VinnieVOL]

I find most of the TSR "reporting" to be largely of the amateur variety anyway.  IMO, they're more entertainment than news.  I know the only reason I really listen is when I have nothing better to do on my commute to and from work.

I find it particularly funny when these TSR guys try to guilt trip the students into attending the home games.   

[Black Diamond Vol]

I also found it interesting that he picked the schools he picked. Why not other SEC schools? I don't think that was a very honest comparison under any circumstance although, like you, I agreed with the general premise of the article.

In the case of Wisconsin and Nebraska, I don't know.  But historically, OSU's and Michigan's bands are regarded as peers with ours.  As far as "big schools" go, there is a handful of bands that are historically considered to be the top tier.  Namely: Tennessee, OSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and USC.  Now Sousa has done so much damage that I'm not sure we deserve to be grouped with those guys anymore, but historically speaking, we certainly do.

[BanditVol]

I don't like this comment in the article:

His entitled attitude is a cancer that Dave Hart has already had to deal with and will continue to have to deal with as he tries to catch our athletic department up with the rest of the competing universities in our conference and across the country.

Sousa is not likely to be around anymore, so he's not a "cancer" that has to be dealt with...or I guess, his entitled attitude.  This may come close to implying that the band has "an entitled attitude", which I would hopefully think is not true.  The budget for the band, if it all comes from the AD, is pretty large, over 1% of the total AD budget.  As such, they should be happy with what they have, but I think most UT fans, probably the overwhelming majority, want the POSL band to be around and a big part of Tennessee football.  So hopefully the changes will not impact the band that much.  And if their budget has to take some reasonable cuts, so be it, but I hope there are no drastic changes.

[PirateVOL]

I don't like this comment in the article:

His entitled attitude is a cancer that Dave Hart has already had to deal with and will continue to have to deal with as he tries to catch our athletic department up with the rest of the competing universities in our conference and across the country.

Sousa is not likely to be around anymore, so he's not a "cancer" that has to be dealt with...or I guess, his entitled attitude.  This may come close to implying that the band has "an entitled attitude", which I would hopefully think is not true.  The budget for the band, if it all comes from the AD, is pretty large, over 1% of the total AD budget.  As such, they should be happy with what they have, but I think most UT fans, probably the overwhelming majority, want the POSL band to be around and a big part of Tennessee football.  So hopefully the changes will not impact the band that much.  And if their budget has to take some reasonable cuts, so be it, but I hope there are no drastic changes.

The residual effect of his rotting cancer are still present - see red head with tall hat as but one example.