N.D. radio announcer suspended

Well, from this point forward no Sioux fan has any reason to believe anything Paul Ralston says, since the message is obviously being controlled by his bosses and truthful reporting, no matter how painful, is a thing of the past.

And readers of the Grand Forks Herald, which once had a wonderful sports section with excellent columnists like Ryan Bakken, now know Tom Miller is nothing more than a glorified mouthpiece for the university.

 

A lot of what the columnist says is true, though, not only on the college level, but the pro as well. A broadcast is essentially an infomercial for Podunk Tech. Yes, you're informing the public, but also selling tickets and t-shirts and memberships in the Junior Dunkers Kids Club as well. There's only a few folks I can think of who could get away with what happened in N.D. on local radio. Jon Miller ripping Ruben Rivera comes to mind, but he's Jon Miller, not Paul Ralston.

 

I'd be interested in where the idea for the punishment came from, whether it was the coach complaining, the AD or other administrator hearing it and taking action or what.

 

Another excellent point that the "columnist" failed to investigage or clarify. The coach might have complained but then again, an administrator might have heard it and took it upon themselves to discipline the announcer.

Still, the columnist never even approached the subject. He was too busy spewing the school's mantra. What a mouthpiece tool.

 

Yeah. It was really bad. There was definitely a column there, but that was not the angle -- unless the school has a PR job open.

 

TOM MILLER: UND radio announcer's punishment
fits the crime despite the national outcry.

Dear Tom Miller: That national outcry might be your first clue ...

 

I think the first clue that the columnist may have a perception problem comes from the fact that he considers a 5-paragraph AP story on ESPN's site about a University of North Dakota radio announcer to be a "national outcry"

 

Well, adjusting for the North Dakota news cycle, it's equivalent to Hurricane Sandy.

 

Excellent. Any chance Tom might join us for some thoughtful insight and poignant dialogue?

 

Maybe when he's done washing the university president's car.

 

Yes, that is true. There is a line to walk.

I always told employers I wouldn't do it if I didn't have the editorial leeway to call things the way I saw it. I wasn't going to embarrass the school, but I wasn't going to sugar-coat things, either.

And I covered some really bad teams. One baseball team finished a school-record (worst) 11-39 season by allowing four runs in the ninth inning to lose to a conference rival and complete a series sweep and lose its 16th straight game. I started the postgame something like "Perhaps it's fitting that a season stained with disappointment and discomfort come to an end like it today. Just when it looked like the Podunk University baseball team might be able to salvage a silver lining and ride off into the sunset with something to feel good about, the harsh jolt of reality struck hard once again."

 

I disagree.