New Oak Ridge Head Football Coach

[bladerunner]

Saunders is a good guy. We agree on that. But the way you get a guy hired is on his own merits, not by tearing down someone else. If a guy can't get hired on his own merits, then he doesn't need to be hired at all. If people must resort to tearing down someone else, then he doesn't have enough merits himself. Another thing, an applicant shouldn't be going around bashing others to teenage football players at OR. It happened four years ago, and I am sure it's happening again. Like I said, get the job on your own positive merits, which should not include negative attacks on others. I have a question. Why would a guy ask teenage football players to write letters for him, in order to get a job? Am I the only person who finds that strange?

it sounds like you are doing some bashing there yourself, did you witness what you just implied. Or was it second hand?

[rallykat]

I'm not saying hire the guy just because Barry Saunders says say, I was speaking more to his character. I get the impression people here think he's something he's not. He's a high character guy, he's blunt and opinionated but he's a high character guy. And I don't know how someone could say otherwise if they don't actually know him....I'm not talking about meeting him once or twice or talking for 10 min. or having a friend that knows him. I dare someone to sit down and talk with him for even 30 min. about his philosophy, his beliefs, his background, etc. If you do that, there is absolutely NO WAY you would come away still saying he isn't the right guy for Oak Ridge. He's a good person who would give you the shirt of his back if you needed it. If you're basing your opinions on what you heard a friend of a friend say or what's been said here in the this thread, then you're not informed because like David Clary said a couple pages ago, there are a lot of half truths. I've said this several times, if you want to know him, he will gladly talk to you and tell you what you want to know. If you don't want to actually take the time to do that and would rather just base your opinions on rumors, then go ahead, but don't continue to spread rumors.

 

If you are truly an Oak Ridge fan then you should do your best to support the new coach until he proves whether he belongs or doesn't belong. Just like Stevens, if the team gets worse after 2 seasons then there's nothing wrong with saying you have doubts or whatever. But until he proves something either way, I think it's important for the program that people show their support for the coach and the players but not dragging them through the mud.

 

Having said that, this is the internet and there's absolutely nothing I can do about people saying bad things. Some of you obviously have your minds made up to hate him and I respect your opinions.

 

 

I will support the new coach, whomever it is. I will continue to say, however, that any candidate needs to get this job on his own merits, and not by tearing down someone else. And I repeat, what kind of guy gets teenage football players to write letters in support of him? What kind of guy tears down other candidates to teenage football players on the team?

[bladerunner]

I will support the new coach, whomever it is. I will continue to say, however, that any candidate needs to get this job on his own merits, and not by tearing down someone else. And I repeat, what kind of guy gets teenage football players to write letters in support of him? What kind of guy tears down other candidates to teenage football players on the team?

& I will say again, when did he ask you to write a letter for him? Or is this just another second hand comment?

[rallykat]

it sounds like you are doing some bashing there yourself, did you witness what you just implied. Or was it second hand?

 

 

I am bashing no one, because I mentioned no one by name. Anyone who truly knows the individual to which I refer, knows who it is, because that's what he is all about. That's the way that he operates. If you don't know who I am talking about, that's fine. If you do, then just think about it. I will not take the easy and gutless path, by bashing an individual on here, like so many people do.

[VilleRam]

I am bashing no one, because I mentioned no one by name. Anyone who truly knows the individual to which I refer, knows who it is, because that's what he is all about. That's the way that he operates. If you don't know who I am talking about, that's fine. If you do, then just think about it. I will not take the easy and gutless path, by bashing an individual on here, like so many people do.

 

 

Really? That's how he operates? Where did you hear he had kids writing letters for him? Did you hear him ask a kid to do that? And how specifically does he "tear down" other candidates? Have you heard him do that with your own ears? I'm guessing the answers to all of these are no. I'm guessing you heard these things from someone else, maybe even some kid, that this happened.....someone with an agenda. What's happened is that he's made an off hand comment, that someone heard and repeated, and then it got repeated over and over and over until it morphed into something completely different. I will put it to you this way, we used to play this game in junior high when the cops would come and do the DARE program...they would line us up in a straight line and then tell the person at the head of the line something and we had to whisper it to the next person and when the message got to the end, the last person would say it and it was always completely different than the original message. That's what's happened. Unless you heard him say disparaging things about other candidates or heard him ask a kid to do this, it's hearsay and not fact.

[rallykat]

Really? That's how he operates? Where did you hear he had kids writing letters for him? Did you hear him ask a kid to do that? And how specifically does he "tear down" other candidates? Have you heard him do that with your own ears? I'm guessing the answers to all of these are no. I'm guessing you heard these things from someone else, maybe even some kid, that this happened.....someone with an agenda. What's happened is that he's made an off hand comment, that someone heard and repeated, and then it got repeated over and over and over until it morphed into something completely different. I will put it to you this way, we used to play this game in junior high when the cops would come and do the DARE program...they would line us up in a straight line and then tell the person at the head of the line something and we had to whisper it to the next person and when the message got to the end, the last person would say it and it was always completely different than the original message. That's what's happened. Unless you heard him say disparaging things about other candidates or heard him ask a kid to do this, it's hearsay and not fact.

 

 

I have not mentioned a single name. It seems that you think you know to whom I refer, by defending an individual who has not been named. Hence, you must know him well. You have agreed with me without knowing it.

[rallykat]

& I will say again, when did he ask you to write a letter for him? Or is this just another second hand comment?

 

 

Several students/players told their parents that they had written letters for a certain candidate, at his request. Since I didn't hear it myself, I guess you and VilleRam maintain that the kids, the parents, or both, are lying. I continue to find the practice of asking teenagers to write letters in order to secure a job, strange, to say the least.

[bladerunner]

Several students/players told their parents that they had written letters for a certain candidate, at his request. Since I didn't hear it myself, I guess you and VilleRam maintain that the kids, the parents, or both, are lying. I continue to find the practice of asking teenagers to write letters in order to secure a job, strange, to say the least.

You are hearing this second hand, just stick to the facts.

[VilleRam]

Well considering we've been talking about the same person for several pages I just assumed that you were on the same topic and hadn't started talking about a different candidate.

 

So once again, you didn't hear him ask these people to write letters on his behalf, so it's not fact. You actually heard it from the parents who heard it from the kids, even better. Not saying you or they are lying but you can't convict someone based on hearsay. And that goes for every candidate, I don't question a guys character based on something that a kid said to his parent who then repeated it to you. People talk about Joe Gaddis having questionable this or that, but do they actually know Joe Gaddis or are they basing their opinion based on something someone else said which may or may not be what actually happened. I want the best FOOTBALL COACH...I want a guy who's a strong leader, a role model, a guy who just knows football, and won't cave under any kind of pressure. That's Ron Gray and I know this for a fact because I've played for him and I know what he brings to the table.

[rallykat]

You are hearing this second hand, just stick to the facts.

 

 

Like I said, if you and VilleRam hear something you don't want to believe, then just chalk it up to all of the kids, and all of the players lying. That's very convenient. As for what I will do, I will not follow your advice, or the advice of your friend. The advice and information that the two of you provide is tainted, because of your blind loyalty to a single candidate. i do not care who the next coach is, as long as he is the best we can find. I do not want to "settle" for a candidate who runs down other candidates, and "uses" teenagers to achieve his own goals.

[rallykat]

Well considering we've been talking about the same person for several pages I just assumed that you were on the same topic and hadn't started talking about a different candidate.

 

So once again, you didn't hear him ask these people to write letters on his behalf, so it's not fact. You actually heard it from the parents who heard it from the kids, even better. Not saying you or they are lying but you can't convict someone based on hearsay. And that goes for every candidate, I don't question a guys character based on something that a kid said to his parent who then repeated it to you. People talk about Joe Gaddis having questionable this or that, but do they actually know Joe Gaddis or are they basing their opinion based on something someone else said which may or may not be what actually happened. I want the best FOOTBALL COACH...I want a guy who's a strong leader, a role model, a guy who just knows football, and won't cave under any kind of pressure. That's Ron Gray and I know this for a fact because I've played for him and I know what he brings to the table.

 

 

Why would several kids "make up" the fact that a candidate asked them to write a letter? Maybe the kids are just chronic liars, and all happened to make up the same lies. Your loyalty to your coach is commendable, however, that doesn't make him the best choice. One would think that the BEST FOOTBALL COACH for us, is one who has been a successful head coach, and hopefully has won championships. How can you say without any hesitation that a coach who has always been an assistant, is better than anyone else, for the OR job? As far as the part about asking kids to write letters, and bashing other candidates to teenagers, why don't you just ask him? Better yet, that might not be wise, because if he tells the truth, you will not like the answer.

[Tnbreakers]

Pretty accurate! Not second hand!