Well, enjoy this. I've never posted this here, but since our Athletic Department no longer consists of anything but a Women's Volleyball Program (Go Kats!), and since these appear to be the dying days of GYERO, then who gives a F. Note the date.
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2012 1:53 AM
To: '
[email protected]'
Subject: Please resign
Mr. Barnhart,
Even after 10 years as A.D., you do not have the slightest clue about (1) UK's culture; (2) UK's traditions; (3) UK's history; (4) UK's fan base, in any sport, or (5) what UK's fans and alumni consider important. You are a bean-counter without the slightest degree of people skills or emotional intelligence, and you have survived in your position because of fortuitous timing and the favor of a very few well-placed people; not the least of which was the unilateral, back-door raise and extension that Dr. Todd handed you on his way out the door, which the two of you timed well during summer 2011, when the BoT was not even consulted, and did not have the chance to ratify it. Yet, you welcomed and exploited that loophole, which, most likely, would not withstand legal scrutiny, if challenged. Even UK's General Counsel at the time, Barbara Jones, gave a watered-down, defensive and transparent response that didn't seem to even fool the reporters from the Herald-Leader. As you may be aware, Ms. Jones retired several months ago, leaving yet another UK bureaucrat who did not have to answer for their ridiculous ratification of your suspicious raise and extension.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of your entire tenure is your pledge to abolish the “good-ole-boy” network of UK Athletics that existed when you took the job. This was a vision that I wholeheartedly supported (if you were to search e-mail archives, you would even find several e-mails from 2002-2004 that I sent to you, in which I supported your ideas and your mission). Yet, you have proven, true to Machiavelli, that absolute power corrupts, absolutely. It’s easy to tear down someone else’s fiefdom, but when you have the chance to establish your own, that’s a different story, isn’t it?
Provided that it doesn't negatively impact the sports that UK fans care the most about, i.e., basketball and football, all UK fans would choose success over failure in M/W soccer; M/W tennis; M baseball; W softball; W volleyball; M/W (?I guess?) archery; M/W (?I guess?) rifle; and so on and so forth.
But when you (1) not only rely on the Big Boys, i.e., Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, all the way down to the MS schools (which, as far as we are concerned, might as well be Big Boys) to drive real revenue in the form of SEC TV contracts, then redistribute that wealth to the non-revenue sports
without re-investing money in the very program, football, that drives the revenue that is the lifeblood of those non-revenue programs - then you are living on SEC Welfare. Moreover, and even worse, when you (2)
systematically raised ticket prices over the years for perceived, but *falsely portrayed* "success" -
and still do not re-invest money in the very program that you are shilling, then bleeding - then you are complete and total fraud, and are unfit for the position of Athletic Director.
Furthermore, when you lack the moral fortitude to hold a press conference to address a coaching change in the University's largest revenue sport, you demonstrate that you lack the courage, integrity and strength to be the chief Athletic Executive of a major university. And the pious, Rodin's-The-Thinker self-photograph that accompanied your cowardly letter only insulted the fan base further.
I strongly supported you at the beginning of your tenure, but in recent years, you have proven that you do not have the slightest clue of what it takes to belong here. Please consider an immediate resignation. I do not think you are cut out for this job, and you are stealing money from the University. Thank you.
. When LSU fans are posting things like “There isn’t enough bourbon made in Kentucky for those poor fans”.
Scientist . Anything Mitch touches turns to 
