Blake Thompson daht NetI'm just saying….

Here’s what I think happened and why things blew up:

Years ago Polk retired. He’d had an associate coach on his staff who he named as head coach: Pat McMahon. Polk went to a different office on campus and became an Asst. AD
A couple of years later Polk takes a head coaching job at the University of Georgia.
A couple of years after that McMahon get an offer from the University of Florida and takes it. He wants to bring long time MSU assistant Tommy Raffo with him
Raffo decides to go to Florida with McMahon.
Larry Templeton (the AD at MSU) hires Ron Polk to come back to Starkville as the head coach of MSU.
Ron Polk has a meeting with Tommy Raffo (who is planning to go to Florida with McMahon) and convinces him to stay in Starkville.
[And here is where I think the turning point is] I THINK that Polk promised Raffo if he would stay at MSU, then Polk would set him up to be the head coach of the MSU Bulldogs when Polk retired. Raffo said “okay.”
But then there’s a new AD. And then there’s a very sub par season. And then it doesn’t look like Polk is able to name his successor like he did before.
Someone else gets hired. And that made Ron Polk become very pissed.

Now who knows if that is really how it happened. But it makes perfect sense.

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The search ended a little earlier than some expected, but John Cohen is going to be the new head baseball coach at Mississippi State. He was a favorite candidate of lots of fans. But one who did not want to see him get the job was newly retired Ron Polk. He had made it clear months ago that he wanted current assistant coach Tommy Raffo to get the job. And when that didn’t happen he got pissed.

Polk threw a fit like that guy telling people to leave Britney Spears alone. Here are some of his words taken from Gregg Ellis’ blog:

Unfortunately, our new athletic director slapped me in face and punched me in the stomach. He also slapped Tommy Raffo in the face and punched him in the stomach after 15 years of loyalty to Mississippi State.

I want my name taken off the stadium and in the concourse until Greg Byrne is fired. And if they don’t do it, I will. And as soon as I get back to Starkville, I’m going to make sure the MSU Foundation is taken out of my will. And that’s a lot of money. I’m going to ask former players who give to quit.

Greg Byrne [new athletics director] doesn’t know anything. Well, he’s about to find out what my name means.

I love John, he’s a former player, but he knew how I felt. And when he walks into his new office, there will only be a desk and chair. No papers on the players or anything.

With this hire, Greg Byrne has thrown 15 years away of Tommy’s coaching life and the four years he has played here. Is he the best candidate, I don’t know. I say give him four years. If he doesn’t get the job done, then fire him.

Wow, does that not sound like someone with some major anger issues? Ron Polk has done tons for MSU Baseball and College Baseball in general. But I’m afraid of what this is going to do to his legacy.

But on the other hand, I’m excited about Cohan. Are you? Is it a good hire?

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It’s after lunch and here’s what’s happening at my house:

• My two girls are watching Beauty and the Beast
• My two month old son is sitting in his bouncy seat and talking to the mobile above his head.
• My wife is outside reading while sitting in the sun.
• My dog is stretched out on the kitchen tile floor trying to get or stay cool.
• And in the girls’ room is a half way assembled bunk bed that is calling my name.

Time to go finish.

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Seven years ago yesterday we became the proud parents of a little girl. She’s shaped our lives in so many ways. And tonight we celebrated SEVEN YEARS!

After supper last night we went out for some dessert at Holli’s Sweet Tooth and then a walk around The Square. It was a great evening for a walk, and the girls had a good time [except when sitting with WF.] Watch the video below.

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Emily started a few different Meme’s or challenges. Then she challenged me specifically with one. So I’m falling in line with it. It’s a Professional Development Meme. One where you get better at something professional I guess. Let’s read the rules:

Directions

Summer can be a great time for professional development. It is an opportunity to learn more about a topic, read a particular work or the works of a particular author, beef up an existing unit of instruction, advance one’s technical skills, work on that advanced degree or certification, pick up a new hobby, and finish many of the other items on our ever-growing To Do Lists. Let’s make Summer 2008 a time when we actually get to accomplish a few of those things and enjoy the thrill of marking them off our lists.

The Rules

1. Pick 3 professional development goals and commit to achieving them this summer.
2. For the purposes of this activity the end of summer will be Labor Day (09/01/08).
3. Post the above directions along with your 3 goals on your blog.
4. Title your post Professional Development Meme and link back/trackback to http://emilywithaheart.com/2008/05/29/pdmeme.
5. Use the following tag/ keyword/ category on your post: pdmeme.
6. Tag 5 others to participate in the meme.
7. Achieve your goals and “develop professionally.”
8. Commit to sharing your results on your blog during early or mid-September.

Then I’m supposed to give my “professional goals”. Here goes.

1. Read one book a month related to church leadership or spiritual development.
2. Learn the basics and move to the intermediate level of Photoshop.
3. Pray and read my Bible 6 of 7 days a week.

We’ll see how it goes. And I tag:

1. Jeremy
2. Rick
3. Jason
4. Pete
5. Kem

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• Living in a house of your own is quite nice.
• I want a lawnmower that you stand up behind, but it’s still a riding mower.
• I can get most places around Oxford in ten minutes from my house.
• There are no street lights in my neighborhood so you can see stars fairly well at night.
• I have a clear shower door in my new bathroom. It’s across from a mirror. Taking a shower now makes me want to eat more healthy.
• I’m going to start running w/in the week. Bank on it.
• I’m going to learn Photoshop.
• I’m going to get a camera (and maybe a computer) soon.
• I like meeting new people.
• But I’m not that great at remembering names.
• Oxford has a lot of good restaurants to eat in…lots. But a lot of good gas stations too.
• Google Analytics is cool.
• I wish I could get it to work w/ a .mac site.
• My dog hasn’t tried to dig out of our back yard here. He better not. I’ll not chase him down.
• June is HOT.
• I miss BigStuf.
• That’s it for tonight.

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The last four days have been sorta crazy. But now I’m sitting in a dark room under a ceiling fan at peace.

Thursday: Talk to utility companies. Get things switched over. Get a big cashiers’ check from the bank. Do a final walk through. Buy a gift certificate for our realtor to a local restaurant. Buy a house. Unload a few things at my new house. Walk around it and realize that I finally have a house in Oxford. Go back to New Albany to watch the season finale of LOST.

Friday: The Wife leaves New Albany to go buy paint and start painting the new house. My stepmom and I load a horse trailer and flatbed trailer to the gills. My mother in law comes to help by talking on the cell phone for hours. Drive to Oxford and unload everything. The Wife has painted the great room already. Drive the trailers back for more the next day. Sleep well.

Saturday: Load up two big flatbed trailers again. Most everything fits. I have lots of help on Saturday. Drive to Oxford. Stuff everything in the garage. Meet neighbors. Put the mattresses on the floor and go to sleep.

Sunday: Drive 10 minutes to church instead of 40. Go eat lunch with friends (since I now don’t have to drive 40 minutes back home). Then come home to paint and arrange furniture. Rain comes. I like my street. More painting. Family supper at the table for the first time in this house (leftover “moving food”.) Tired. I lay in my backyard looking up at the stars for a few minutes. That was nice. Time for bed. Will only have to drive 10 min to work tomorrow.

Here’s a quick video of the house for you (RSS readers might need to go to my site to watch):

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