Lynch at Large

ASU officials not satisfied with handling of shoe ordeal
By Matthew V. Roberson
Sun staff writer

Today's Jonesboro Sun carries a story (linked by the above headline) about the ASU Athletic department which demonstrates not only why they are such incredible losers, but, additionally, why ASU should not be allowed to have an athletic program at all. Remember, this is "cook the books" university. No dishonest accounting stunt is off-limits when it comes to rationalizing the expenses of this third-rate embarrassing program.

Today takes the ever-lovin' cake.

The Jonesboro Sun filed a report about Jerry Nichols, the basketball player who refused to wear the Adidas shoes, as required by the school's contract. One of the sports department's intellectual giants decided to mix it up with the folks who buy ink b the barrel. It was not a pretty picture.

ASU Senior Associate Director of Athletics Doug Abel said The Jonesboro Sun inaccurately reported last week the school previously had a contract with Nike apparel prior to ASU signing a deal with Adidas in February. In an e-mail titled “Misinformation” to The Sun, Abel wrote:

“I write to identify an item of misinformation in your column in The Jonesboro Sun this morning. It was published incorrectly that Arkansas State University is ‘… a school that had previously been under contract with the Nike brand.’ ASU signed no previous contract with NIKE.

“As purported in the second sentence of your column, it is about time somebody sets the record straight.”

Well, The Sun, to its; eternal credit DID set the record of a decade old agreement with NIKE in which the school received tens of thousands of dollars in benefits from a verbal agreement with the shoe manufacturer.

In case you ahve forgotten, the other Nutt brother, Dickey, is head basketball coach at ASU.

ASU needs much closer legislative oversight and somebody needs to beak up this little funhouse.