When in 2008 the Star Ledger posted articles supposedly exposing Rutgers wrong doing and acting like RU was hiding something that they just found out about.
I contacted the editor and let him know that what they claimed to find out, one of their reporters put out an article about it and in a positive light , not the way the Ledger was reporting it 2 years later
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Sent: 7/31/2008 5:59 PM
To: WHITMER, KEVIN
Subject: Old article
Mr. KevinWhitmer,
Did Matthew Fetterman on December 2006 or in 2007 write an article aboutthe issue raised recently about Greg Schiano’s contract?
If not I apologize for asking. But I’m under the impression it was talkedabout in 07 or 07 and now being raised again, like the Star Ledger never knew about it before.
Please advise if the rumor I’m hearing is true.
You know it will eventually come out if it is true.
This is what I’m talking about and don’t know if this is a true article or a lie posted in a forum.
But I have received not one reply from the Ledger editors about this. So I will ask you if true.
I will not stop until I find the truth and will ask media outside of the Newark Star Ledger if necessary.
I will contact every news media if necessary. Knowing most if not all will disregard my message.
But if only one looks into what I’m asking, then the truth will be known.
Please understand, I will contact all I can to find out and ask other Rutgers fans to do the same.
If the Star Ledger didn’t know about the issues they are claiming to just have discovered , fine.
But if Matthew Fetterman wrote about it in 06 or 07 , the Ledger is notreporting new news , but making their own.
Sincerely,
xxxxx
From: WHITMER, KEVIN [
mailto:KWHITMER@STARLEDGER.COM]
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2008 5:10PM
Mr.xxxxx:
Here’s the story that appeared in Dec. 06.
Best regards,
Kevin Whitmer
By MATTHEW FUTTERMAN
STAR-LEDGER STAFF
Here come the boosters.
The minute state Senate President Richard Codey got off the phone with Rutgers'head football coach last Friday, he knew what was going to happen.
Greg Schiano was going to stay at Rutgers instead of jumping to the Universityof Miami. and Rutgers was going to give him more money.
State and university officials were going to have to start hitting up privatesources to cover the raise.
"I don't know numbers, but I'm thrilled he's staying," Codey saidyesterday after Schiano announced he would remain. "The university has tomake the decision for what is best and how much success they can accomplish.They came within an inch of the Orange Bowl and maybe another $10 million whenyou consider the intangibles. Are those intangibles worth it? I think they are."
Perhaps, but as Rutgers continues its struggle through a budget crisis thatincludes cutting six varsity sports after this year, the university will haveto enter new territory by seeking private funding to give Schiano his due asone of the country's top young football coaches. Rutgers has used public moneyto pay Schiano $250,000 and $625,000 from "Nelligan Corporate Sponsorshipmoneys" according to his contract. That provision refers to NelliganSports Marketing, the Little Falls company that sells advertising for theuniversity's athletic program.
The guaranteed money rises to $675,000 from 2007 through 2010 and to $750,000in 2011 and 2012. Now Rutgers will follow the formula of several other majorpublic universities, which often turn to local alumni and businesses to pay asubstantial chunk of their football coach's salary.
Seton Hall did it in the 1980s when it wanted to keep basketball coach P.J.Carlesimo and asked its well-known supporters, including Robert Brennan, FrankWalsh and Dennis Kozlowski, to donate money for the specific purpose of givingthe coach more. In exchange, boosters get prime seats and entertainment atgames, and access to the coaches, who come speak to their companies or localteams for free.
It's a step that has burned football programs in the past, when boosters havegotten too close to the team and handed no-show jobs to players, but collegesports experts say if the proper controls are put in place, everyone can win.
"To compete at the highest level, you have to have involvement fromprivate dollars and alumni," said T.J. Nelligan, principal at NelliganSports Marketing, which serves as Rutgers' link to the corporate community."Greg Schiano did the best job of any college coach in any sport in thecountry. He put the school on the map. He deserves to be paid with the toppeople in his industry."
Coaches including the University of Southern California's Pete Carroll, NotreDame's Charlie Weis, and Ohio State's Jim Tressel, receive about $2 million to$3 million each year.
Schiano likely would receive about half that, which would make him one of thehighest-paid coaches in the Big East Conference.
George Zoffinger, chief executive of the New Jersey Sports and ExpositionAuthority and the chairman of the Rutgers board of governors audit committee,said raising a half-million dollars from local alumni and business interestsfor Schiano was the right move if it means saving the six sports the universitywants to cut.
"You have a lot of people in these (Olympic) sports that have been cutresentful of the football program," Zoffinger said. "If we could doboth things — save the other sports and keep Schiano for the long term— it could work because the success of the program is generating excessfunds to do that."
With Schiano staying, Rutgers also is likely to want to expand the stadium andadd luxury suites and club seating, which could cost tens of millions ofdollars, Zoffinger said. Ron Giaconia, chairman of the intercollegiateathletics committee for the university's board of governors said turning toprivate sources to enhance athletics spending would be nothing new for Rutgers.
"The Scarlet R already raises $6 million a year," Giaconia said ofthe athletic department's fundraising arm. "The president and the athleticdirector have a good idea of what they have to do, and they have alreadyreceived enough instruction."
From: WHITMER, KEVIN [
mailto:KWHITMER@STARLEDGER.COM]
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2008 5:10PM
To: xxxxx
Subject: RE: Old article
Mr.XXXXX:
In Dec. 2006, Matt Futterman wrote a story after Schiano turned down Miami. Themain theme was that boosters would help fund some of his contract.
We knew about that story. We knew what it said -- and, more importantly,what it didn't say.
Specifically, what it did not say was that private funding would be keptsecret from the public and the school's own administration or that the moneywould be deducted from payments owed the university.
Thanks for writing.
Best regards,
Kevin Whitmer
www.shorenewsnetwork.com
