Reflector weighs in on Flick
- Thread starter futaba.79
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No matter how many times people post this and claim it as <span id="query_top_v3" class="query_top_v3">incontrovertible fact</span>, it remains nothing more than opinion.patdog said:
and nobody knows either side really.
Flick's been the PA guy forever. The decent thing to do would have been for Byrne to call him in, tell him what's up and allow Hank to announce he's hanging it up. And then give him some sort of send off. Of course, Byrne may have done just that. However, word is that Flick is absolutely humiliated by how it was handled, so it makes me wonder.
Flick's been the PA guy forever. The decent thing to do would have been for Byrne to call him in, tell him what's up and allow Hank to announce he's hanging it up. And then give him some sort of send off. Of course, Byrne may have done just that. However, word is that Flick is absolutely humiliated by how it was handled, so it makes me wonder.
And a lot of the people that belittle Flick are the ones that want to canonize Cristil.
Hank Flick never bothered me one way or another. My wife absolutely hated to hear him say first down Bulldogs. But, it never bothered me.
Was it time to move on? Maybe. But, I think it could have been handled in a much different way. After 32 years, I think it was wrong to brush him aside in the offseason.
We gave Jack a car. The least we could do is let Hank call a "final game".
Hank Flick never bothered me one way or another. My wife absolutely hated to hear him say first down Bulldogs. But, it never bothered me.
Was it time to move on? Maybe. But, I think it could have been handled in a much different way. After 32 years, I think it was wrong to brush him aside in the offseason.
We gave Jack a car. The least we could do is let Hank call a "final game".
...you feel it was ok to announce his firing through a text message? Over 20 years on the mic and Flick didn't deserve a little more professionalism than that? Very ironic.... a guy that has been a champion of professional standards and ethics through the years is shown the door with very little of the two.
What about when we fire Jack Cristil? Should we announce it via twitter? Oh, wait.. but we all like Jack's smart assed attitude these last few years so he'll need to go out with fanfare to suit Hugh Heffner.
What about when we fire Jack Cristil? Should we announce it via twitter? Oh, wait.. but we all like Jack's smart assed attitude these last few years so he'll need to go out with fanfare to suit Hugh Heffner.
This is my problem. I would've liked to known that when I was at the bball game against Florida that I was getting to hear Hank's famous intro for the last time. Unless something changed between then and now, obvioulsy Byrne had already decided to make a change.jmbeck said:
We really do not know how it was handled. It happened behind closed doors and we do not know how it happened. Byrne may have given Flick an option and in turn, Flick took and it ran. When its all said and done though, it comes down to the new image and youth movement in Missisippi State athletics. Its an odd situation cause so many people loved Flick and others believe he was a "famously bad PA announcer". However, its just the new direction and we will see more change and we will have to deal with it.
I get it. I understand we're moving in a new direction.
But you don't kick a man out on his ***, by a text to a beat writer, that was the PA guy for 32 years.
You can change a culture and move forward while still maintaining gratitude and thanks for past service.
For all practical purposes, Doc shitcanned LT a full year before he left. But, he allowed him his "swan song". For that last year, he was simply taking up space in the athletic office. And that's the way it should have been handled.
Regardless of what went on behind closed doors, public opinion is that he was let go, and Mississippi State Athletics announced it to the world by text message. That's a ****** way to operate.
But you don't kick a man out on his ***, by a text to a beat writer, that was the PA guy for 32 years.
You can change a culture and move forward while still maintaining gratitude and thanks for past service.
For all practical purposes, Doc shitcanned LT a full year before he left. But, he allowed him his "swan song". For that last year, he was simply taking up space in the athletic office. And that's the way it should have been handled.
Regardless of what went on behind closed doors, public opinion is that he was let go, and Mississippi State Athletics announced it to the world by text message. That's a ****** way to operate.
I don't understand why you guys are making such a big deal about the whole text message thing. Unless I read the Reflector article wrong, the text message was sent to Veazey from Nemeth to let him know that Flick had been dismissed. Veazey in turn reported the news. I doubt Byrne sent a text to Flick saying "HEY HANK WUT R U DOIN LOL BTW UR FIRED KTHXBY" and left it at that - I'm sure Byrne and Flick had a closed doors meeting about the decision. It's not like Flick is suddenly jobless/homeless/suicidal over the whole deal. He still works for MSU and the Athletic Department has publicly thanked him for his service.
I think this whole deal is just part of Byrne's complete housecleaning of the Athletic Department. This won't be the last person to get replaced. Jack is probably next, and nobody is going to like that either, including me. I was neutral about Flick. He was unique, but his nasal voice was annoying. I'm sure first time visitors to Davis Wade Stadium, having never heard Flick before, probably wondered why the hell we had him at the PA.
I think this whole deal is just part of Byrne's complete housecleaning of the Athletic Department. This won't be the last person to get replaced. Jack is probably next, and nobody is going to like that either, including me. I was neutral about Flick. He was unique, but his nasal voice was annoying. I'm sure first time visitors to Davis Wade Stadium, having never heard Flick before, probably wondered why the hell we had him at the PA.
I just think an official announcement should have come from the AD before a text to Veazey. This wasn't a "Hey, where is the guy that normally takes the cushion off the goalpost?" This was a "hey, in 32 years of watching football at Scott Field, something sounds different."
You don't fire a man who the public readily recognizes with the AD such as Flick without some type of fanfare. Unless he gets arrested and acquitted for drinking and driving.
Most first time visitors to Davis Wade are more concerned about the area under the stands smelling like the cattle barn at the fair.
You don't fire a man who the public readily recognizes with the AD such as Flick without some type of fanfare. Unless he gets arrested and acquitted for drinking and driving.
Most first time visitors to Davis Wade are more concerned about the area under the stands smelling like the cattle barn at the fair.
...that being said, I don't know of many other universities that have made announcements of PA announcer changes-- long-term or short-term, so who's to say that the way that it was handled by the athletics department is wrong?
in addition to his PA duties, he also was paid to consult with the players on how to deal with the media and handle various interviews, a job he had held for a while. sometime during last season, he somehow managed to piss off the walrus, who went crying to the bryan building, saying "keep that idiot away from my football team". flick lost that job and its extra pay (he did the PA job for free). burned bridges from the incident last year are what led to this move. it had nothing to do with his announcing.
at least that's what i heard from someone that would know.</p>
at least that's what i heard from someone that would know.</p>
I don't think a person Flick's age, when faced with "Look Hank, we appreciate all you've done, but it's time to move on. We'd like for you to announce your retirement" would respond with "You know what, ********, you'll have to fire my ***".
It was poorly handled. If we were moving away from Flick, I doubt it was decided the week before SBW. There should have been plenty of time for an official announcement from the AD. As it is, there were whispers and rumblings and a text from Nemeth to Veazey. It's Bush league, and shouldn't have been done. At the very least, an annoucement should have come from the AD before the spring game.
It was poorly handled. If we were moving away from Flick, I doubt it was decided the week before SBW. There should have been plenty of time for an official announcement from the AD. As it is, there were whispers and rumblings and a text from Nemeth to Veazey. It's Bush league, and shouldn't have been done. At the very least, an annoucement should have come from the AD before the spring game.
Our football program needed re-branding from top to bottom. With all due respect to Dr Flick, I can understand the change there.
I am baffled as to why he'd be replaced for basketball unless perhaps that was fallout from an unpleasant dismissal from football duties.
I would like for him to have had a planned last game on the mic where he could be recognized and saluted by the fans. Maybe he'll get 50 yard line recognition in the JSU game.
I am baffled as to why he'd be replaced for basketball unless perhaps that was fallout from an unpleasant dismissal from football duties.
I would like for him to have had a planned last game on the mic where he could be recognized and saluted by the fans. Maybe he'll get 50 yard line recognition in the JSU game.
I agree with this part...PA announcer?, you talking about the PA announcer? PA announcer...Come on guys, why all this worry? It's not like his income is based on being the PA announcer. Cristil and Ellis have full-time jobs pertaining to the communication of MState sports. PA announcers show up shortly before gametime, act like they matter and get behind the mic for a couple to a few hours and go home. It's not like they have anything vested here. It's more like a hobby or a privilege. I just don't get all the backlash. Flick has a job with the university and I don't think he has been removed from that capacity.
The guy who does the pregame show is Dr. Kent Payne. He used to teach trumpet in the music department. When he retired he agreed to keep doing the pregame show for the band, and he is still somewhat involved with the band I believe or he was when I was in the band.