Only A Matter of Time … Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti Resigns in Wake of Mike Rice Abusive Behavior Scandal Firing

The Buck does not stop at the desk of the Rutgers University President …

In the wake of the firing of Rutgers University Basketball coach Mike Rice firing and the scandal that surrounded his abusive behavior toward his players, it was only a matter of time before the next shoe dropped. Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti has now resigned  in an effort to calm down the public furor over their handling of abusive behavior by the Scarlet Knights’ men’s basketball coach. We had asked the very question, why once the video came out of the inappropriate and abusive behavior of coach Rice was he fired as opposed to when he was first punished with a suspension? Those that made the decision to only suspend Rice saw the very same videos. Obviously, those at Rutgers who made the decision to only suspended Rice had made a grave error in judgment and were going to pay a price once the video became viral. However, how many scapegoats will be required to take the fall to make up for the initial non-firing of Rice?

They also revealed that the circle of people who viewed video of abusive treatment of players by the coach, Mike Rice, as early as December was wider than previously understood, and that it included members of the university’s board of governors. That group was informed of the decision to suspend Mr. Rice for three games and send him to anger-management counseling, but not to fire him, according to Ralph Izzo, chairman of the Rutgers board.

On Friday morning, two days after Mr. Rice was fired, Athletic Director Tim Pernetti resigned, and implied that he was being made a scapegoat. He said his initial inclination when he saw the videos last fall was to fire Mr. Rice, but “Rutgers decided to follow a process involving university lawyers, human resources professionals, and outside counsel.”

Robert L. Barchi, the president of Rutgers, placed the blame on Mr. Pernetti and other senior officials who he said recommended that Mr. Rice be suspended rather than fired.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, Rutgers University President Robert L. Barchi announced the resignations of Mr. Pernetti and John B. Wolf, the university’s general counsel. It would appear at Rutgers, the buck does not stop at the president, it stops at those beneath him who he wishes to throw under the bus. Question, how with such a scandal like this does the president of a university not watch a tape unless they wish to claim plausible deniability?

Dr. Barchi placed the blame for the decision to suspend rather than fire Mr. Rice in December squarely on Mr. Pernetti and the university’s lawyers, saying he had not watched the video of Mr. Rice’s actions last fall and instead had relied on their descriptions of it.

“I know had I seen the tape that my assessment would have differed from theirs, and I would have acted on my assessment,” Dr. Barchi said.

When asked why he had not watched the video, he said: “I can’t answer exactly why I didn’t. You can only say in retrospect I sure wish I had.”

Rutgers University Fires Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Rice After Video Aired of Him Shoving, Grabbing & Throwing Balls at Players and Using Gay Slurs

Rutgers University fires Men’s basketball coach Mike Rice after video surfaces …

The University of Rutgers Scarlet Knights have fired Mike Rice, the men’s basketball coach after a video went viral of him shoving, grabbing, throwing balls at players and making gay slurs during practice. However, here lies the rub, the incidents in the videos are not new, they took place last year. Rutgers athletic director Pernetti had previously seen the video and last Fall suspended Rice for three games, fined him $50,000 and ordered him to attend anger management classes. So why is there a difference now? Of course the actions of the coach were way over the top, but the question remains, why after watching the same video that is now so outrageous, was it found to be a ok to suspend him previously, but not now?

Rutgers fired basketball coach Mike Rice on Wednesday after a videotape aired showing him shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players and using gay slurs during practice.

The videotape, broadcast Tuesday on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” prompted sharp criticism from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and the head of the New Jersey Assembly called for Rice to be fired.

With mounting criticism on a state and national level, the school relieved Rice of his duties after three largely unsuccessful seasons at the Big East school. There will be a national search to replace him.

Rutgers fired basketball coach Mike Rice on Wednesday after a videotape aired showing him shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players and using gay slurs during practice.

The videotape, broadcast Tuesday on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” prompted sharp criticism from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and the head of the New Jersey Assembly called for Rice to be fired.

With mounting criticism on a state and national level, the school relieved Rice of his duties after three largely unsuccessful seasons at the Big East school. There will be a national search to replace him.

Some are calling for the heads of President Robert Barchi and Athletic Director Tim Pernetti.

This may be a bit syndical, but it is the truth and some one needs to say it. Mike Rice was fired because he had been at the school three years and had yet to have a .500 season. In the Big East he went just 44-51 in three seasons. Rice posted a 16-38 mark in the conference after going 73-31 in three seasons at Robert Morris. If Rice had been a successful coach, had the team headed in the right direction and was bringing $’s to the university, the outcome might have been a bit difference.

On a personal note I will say the following after playing sports my entire life from Pee-wee’s to Elementary School. High School and College … has a coach ever put their hands on me, grabbed me by the face mask, yelled (screamed) in my face or thrown a ball at me … yes. A ball at my head, no. I will also note that this coach did get a tab bit too physical with the player and cross a line. But there seem to be other issues in this incident that would not have ever been a consideration in the past. Have I ever experienced a coach ever used what today’s PC media calls a gay slur, gee ya think? I guess being told that men were playing like girls would be a no-no today as well? But of course we live in a different world today where you cannot hurt another’s feelings or make them feel uncomfortable. I do think that this coach stepped over the line, but keep in mind there is a line. Grabbing a player is hardly a fireable offense. Sometimes shoving is not either. Anyone who has ever played a sport knows exactly what I am talking about and knows that most of lives greatest lessons are taught to them in the realm of athletics.

The only conclusion I can draw from this was it was not his actions that got him fired, but the VIDEO. Let this be a lesson to every coach in a world where ever 10 year old has a video phone.

Thanks to Obamacare … Businesses Are Hiring Less And Laying Off Workers

Former Speaker of the House Democrat Nancy Pelosi may have told only one truth in her political life when she said, We have to pass Obamacare to find out what’s in it. However, it was like playing Russian roulette in doing so. Guess what America, there was a bullet in the chamber.

As reported at The Hill, the Federal Reserve released an edition of its so-called “beige book,” that said the 2010 healthcare law is being cited as a reason for layoffs and a slowdown in hiring.  The complex and all encompassing law is not just about healthcare, its about control of ones life and the government take over of healthcare. Why would one think that there are over a thousand pages? As reported at the Weekly Standard, that Obamacare baffles even its ardent supporters as was the case with Donna Brazile who famously tweeted her confusion a week or so ago. The bill is awesomely complex and the claims made for it by its authors and supporters are impossibly optimistic many of whom may not really expect it to perform as sold.  Obama, Pelosi, Reed, Democrats and the liberal MSM all knowingly misrepresented Obamacare and inflicted this Hell on America.

America, Pelosi, Obama and Reed at laughing at you!

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released an edition of its so-called “beige book,” that said the 2010 healthcare law is being cited as a reason for layoffs and a slowdown in hiring.

“Employers in several Districts cited the unknown effects of the Affordable Care Act as reasons for planned layoffs and reluctance to hire more staff,” said the March 6 beige book, which examines economic conditions across various Federal Reserve districts across the country.

That line was found in a section of the Fed’s report on employment, wages and prices. That same section also said the Atlanta district noted that healthcare regulations are so burdensome there is a shortage of compliance specialists.

“Atlanta noted a lack of compliance specialists due to heavier regulations in the healthcare industry,” it said.

Remember when Nancy Pelosi told us that Obamacare would create 400,000 jobs, almost immediately? She stated that this job was not only about health care, it was about jobs too. As it turns out, it was about neither and you bought it hook, line and sinker America.

Obamacare is a nightmare for America and now it appears that the cowardly establishment Republicans  do not have the spine to defund this beast.

Thanks to Obamacare Smith & Nephew Orthopedics Laying Off 100 Workers Because of 2.3% Excise Tax on Medical Devices

Obamacare costs Americans more jobs …

The 100 employees who are being laid off at  Smith & Nephew Orthopedics in Memphis, TN and Andover, MA can than President Barack Obama and Obamacare for their new found unemployment. The lay offs are being attributed to Obamacare and the excise tax was built into the Affordable Healthcare Act and took effect on January 1, 2013 that puts a 2.3% tax on medical devices. Just yet more brilliance from Barack Obama and the government take over of healthcare. With a poor economy and a jobs market that continues to struggle with job growth, Obama has done his part to make sure even more Americans lose their jobs. All in the name of taxes and increasing g revenue to pay fro his boondoggle called Obamacare.

I guess its kind of hard for you to keep your insurance and doctors like I promised if you lose your job, eh?

Smith & Nephew Orthopedics is laying off an estimated 100 employees in Memphis and Andover, Mass., citing the 2.3 percent excise tax on orthopedic device companies as the reason.

Joe Metzger, senior vice president of corporate communications for Smith & Nephew, said the tax is impacting “a number of companies across the U.S.”

“Smith & Nephew is not immune from this added expense burden,” Metzger said in a statement. “Unfortunately, and in order to absorb this cost burden into our business, this has meant less than 100 positions have been made redundant across various departmental functions in our Tennessee and Massachusetts sites. The company is providing the affected employees with a comprehensive severance package and outplacement support.”

Smith & Nephew employs an estimated 1,815 people in Memphis, according to Memphis Business Journal research. Metzger declined to reveal how many of the roughly 100 layoffs occurred in Memphis. A report in the Memphis Daily News, quoting anonymous sources, said there were 60 local jobs lost.

Just curious, if Obamacare is so affordable, why are people losing their jobs to pay for it?

The Obama Un-Midas Touch … 11 Months after Obama Praises US Lincolnton Furniture Company at White House – Company Goes Belly Up

President Barack Obama “UNMIDAS” touch continues. Talk about your irony, another company heralded as an example of Obama job growth goes bye-bye.

When will these companies ever learn not to have a photo-op with the anti-business, anti-capitalist president, Barack Obama? Just 11 months ago Obama praise the US furniture story, the Lincolnton Furniture Company and it’s owner Bruce Cochrane, as an example of job growth and the economy making a come back. Cochrane even sat with the first lady during Obama’s 2012 State of the Union Address.

However, that was then and this is now … the failed job recovery and the Lincolnton Furniture Company has gone the way of the Do-Do and belly up. How ironic, less than one year after it was hailed by President Barack Obama as an example of the recovering U.S. economy. Get used to it America, you reelected him.

Lincolnton Furniture Company closed abruptly Thursday just one year after it was hailed by President Barack Obama as an example of the recovering U.S. economy.

Furniture-making operations stopped indefinitely and only a few people will remain employed moving forward, company financial officer Ben Causey said.

“I don’t know where it’s going to go exactly; we’re still evaluating our situation,” Causey said. “We just didn’t have any choice at this point.”

The company was not receiving the orders it needed to sustain its operations, Causey said.

“We needed more orders is really what it boiled down to,” he said. “We thought they would materialize.”

Owner Bruce Cochrane, a fifth generation furniture-manufacturer, formed the company in 2011 with a $5 million investment and the hope he could make a profit off people who wanted to buy furniture made in America.

Had the Lincolnton Furniture Company been a green energy company maybe they would have been given tax payer subsidies to survive. Then again, they would have failed as well like the Solyndra.