Beth Sullivan making headlines at UT

The story does appear to be going viral, at least as viral as one could expect for track & field.

The Volunteer forum was an interesting read because those are football fans and there clearly was some sentiment that BAS must be a kook for pulling this off in the way that she did.

Karma is a bee-otch Beth!

Lion Hunter wrote:

The story does appear to be going viral, at least as viral as one could expect for track & field.

The Volunteer forum was an interesting read because those are football fans and there clearly was some sentiment that BAS must be a kook for pulling this off in the way that she did.

Karma is a bee-otch Beth!

The football crazies in win at all cost SEC country criticizing BAS for this should be all one needs to hear.

"Remember The September Six!"

This is going to be heard for years to come!

Interesting story from last August:http://www.knoxnews.com/govolsxtra/other-sports/ut-track-and-field-class-survives-transition-intact_07207425

Morgan Harvey is one of the dismissed athletes. It's pretty obvious how BAS rewards loyalty.

Here are the three girls and their high school PR's

Morgan Harvey

New Jersey 13.9 100h 59.4 400h

Ariel Terrell

Georgia 43.5 300h 55.7 400

Shelbi White

Alabama 24.3 200m 55.5 400m

Pretty solid recruits if you ask me. If I could keep them from showing up at my conference rival schools that would be great...

Zeus Olympios wrote:

Interesting story from last August:

http://www.knoxnews.com/govolsxtra/other-sports/ut-track-and-field-class-survives-transition-intact_07207425

Alford-Sullivan cites Coleman as one of the freshmen who will make an impact. Another is women's hurdler Morgan Harvey of Annandale, N.J., who chose UT over Penn State.

***

"We kind of took a look around," she said, "and said we'd hold steadfast and keep the money for next year."

A person is only as good as their word. Alford Sullivan is on record her word is no good and lacks integrity.

The situation is stinky and handled poorly. But these marks will NOT score in the SEC. It is the toughest track conference in the country. You need points to win....

Those marks are VERY comparable to the HIGH SCHOOL marks put up by athletes who go on to score in the SEC.

SEC wrote:

The situation is stinky and handled poorly. But these marks will NOT score in the SEC. It is the toughest track conference in the country. You need points to win....

You also need athletes to win. After this, no parent with a brain in their head will even consider trusting Beth Sullivan to have any influence whatsoever on their kid's life.

Disgusting behavior on the part of Sullivan, the AD and the university. You do NOT cut a freshman before they've even had a chance to compete, particularly freshmen that you recruited yourself at another school before jumping ship to get a bigger paycheck at UT, and particularly when you've gone out of your way to publicly acknowledge them.

No amount of PR can make a cluste^#$% this big go away. Enjoy your current athletes, BAS. Probably the last ones you'll work with before getting the same treatment you just decided was OK. Cosmic payback.

Sammy Seems.... wrote:

Here are the three girls and their high school PR's

Morgan Harvey New Jersey 13.9 100h 59.4 400h

Ariel Terrell Georgia 43.5 300h 55.7 400

Shelbi White Alabama 24.3 200m 55.5 400m

Pretty solid recruits if you ask me. If I could keep them from showing up at my conference rival schools that would be great...

SEC wrote:

The situation is stinky and handled poorly. But these marks will NOT score in the SEC. It is the toughest track conference in the country. You need points to win....

Are you sure?

In August ... "Alford-Sullivan cites Coleman as one of the freshmen who will make an impact. Another is women's hurdler Morgan Harvey of Annandale, N.J., who chose UT over Penn State."

Either by bashing the current administration, or showing up fat and out of shape, smoking weed, missing class or workouts etc... We've all had freshmen who came in the door with an entitled attitude who thought rules didn't apply to them because they were big stuff in hs. It sounds like she was originally excited about having the girls on the squad, if after 2 weeks they were a discipline problem she did the right thing.

tse wrote:

Again, cheers on the good job of READING before posting. "3 signed freshman were cut just after arriving to school" How can 3 kids that have been on campus for 2 weeks underachieve?[/quote]

Loyalty wrote:

Either by bashing the current administration, or showing up fat and out of shape, smoking weed, missing class or workouts etc... We've all had freshmen who came in the door with an entitled attitude who thought rules didn't apply to them because they were big stuff in hs. It sounds like she was originally excited about having the girls on the squad, if after 2 weeks they were a discipline problem she did the right thing.

And again, cheers on the good job of READING before posting. Most of the posters here are outsides. We only have the articles to go by.

READ it again, her dismissal words were: "the coach bluntly informed the women she would not have recruited them, and told them they would not be a part of the team’s vision moving forward."

How can you BLAME the victims!!!!!!! Nothing indicating any reason that had anything to do with the kids at all.

Positive Contribution wrote:

Fred Gwynne wrote:

Since Sullivan has been coaching for a long time why is there no former athletes that ran for her saying anything positive or negative about what it is like to be coached by her.

I know she is generally not liked but is that by former runners of hers or just observers?

Former athlete of hers. No one is surprised by this. All my former teammates I've talked to have said "sounds about right for her". It's about her being the greatest (she thinks shes a gift to the world). Athletes are an means to an end to her.

Thanks. Pretty much what I thought. I heard her speak at a junior day that Penn States was having. One of the parents asked her what happens if a scholarship athlete doesn't perform. Her replied was if we made a mistake we live with it. I know she didn't pick these kids at Tennesee but I didn't believe it then and I certainly would not believe it now

Loyalty...you're an idiot!!!

Again, Loyalty, you're an idiot...or just stupid.

Loyalty wrote:

Either by bashing the current administration, or showing up fat and out of shape, smoking weed, missing class or workouts etc... We've all had freshmen who came in the door with an entitled attitude who thought rules didn't apply to them because they were big stuff in hs. It sounds like she was originally excited about having the girls on the squad, if after 2 weeks they were a discipline problem she did the right thing.

tse wrote:

Again, cheers on the good job of READING before posting. "3 signed freshman were cut just after arriving to school" How can 3 kids that have been on campus for 2 weeks underachieve?

[/quote]

How is what BAS doing any different than what Charlie Strong has done at U. Texas?

Dismissed 9 players before 1st football game of his tenure.

Think Joe Bergeron retained his scholarship.

Loyalty wrote:

Either by bashing the current administration, or showing up fat and out of shape, smoking weed, missing class or workouts etc... We've all had freshmen who came in the door with an entitled attitude who thought rules didn't apply to them because they were big stuff in hs. It sounds like she was originally excited about having the girls on the squad, if after 2 weeks they were a discipline problem she did the right thing.

They also could have strangled puppies on the quad, boning (scissoring?) Sullivan's lover, or whipping shittys on the front lawn of the Univ president.

Just as valid as your examples.

By all accounts, Ms. Alford-Sullivan is not a well-liked person; by fellow coaches, by fans, by many of her former athletes. How does she keep getting jobs? I would understand maybe a little if she were an excellent coach, but her coaching skills are not that good and certainly don't offset her personality. Honestly, I don't get it.