I don't know about you, but hearing the latest testimony of Scott Johnson, Fresno State's former athletic director, makes me cringe. Do you think he understands what is actually coming out of his mouth?
In the Lindy Vivas discrimination trial being played out in the Fresno County Courthouse, Johnson wants to persuade us that he fired Vivas as volleyball coach because he wanted to improve the volleyball program. Now we find out that Johnson doesn't even know how many volleyball players are actually on the court when the Bulldogs are competing.
From today's Bee story:
Then, Fresno State attorney Dawn Theodora asked Johnson: "How many players play on a volleyball team one match at a time?"To which Johnson replied, "Seven or eight."
Some in the gallery broke out in laughter, aware that Johnson had answered incorrectly.
"You mean six?" Theodora said.
"Excuse me, six," Johnson replied. "You're right."
So much for knowing details about the athletic program at Fresno State. Maybe that's why the athletic department budget is in such terrible shape. "Why are all those numbers in the budget in red, Scott?" "Oh, that's because they are part of the Red Wave."
Now Johnson is the city of Fresno's economic development dirctor making $115,500 annually. Here's a hint for Johnson when he's talking to his bosses at City Hall. There is one mayor and seven City Council members.
Your are so right. Scott should have known that answer. Furthermore, male coaches could not remember many significant events. i. e. the men who met with Ray Appleton-10 to 12 and a coach could only remember only rememver him and Ray.
My godness this was a significant event, and you cannot even remember 6 or 7 names. Really all of them. Stating I don't remember instead of telling the truth keeps you from perjurying yourself. They are so manly hiding behind the skirts of justice.
I'll bet Scott Johnson got his city job by virtue of a right wing church connection - indeed, if Scott was a member of a liberal congregation - or worse yet a Buddhist, Muslim or God forbid, an Atheist, no doubt he would not have his high-paying City job. Make no mistake about it Fresno and epecially Clovis is a quasi-theocracy where right wing "Christians" dominate the power structure and discriminate against those who don't share their world view. They love having Bush as President as exemplified by Alan Autry's ridiculous resignation from the Mayor's Organization. What a backwater of swirling ignorance Fresno is!
Only in the uber-conservative and religious 'burb of Fresno, where Allen "Jesus of Riverdale" Autry presides, could Scott Johnson go from being run out of Fresno State, to running the economic development of the city. Here's a tip for Bubba...stop hiring from your church's congregation. Being a "man of God," shouldn't trump intelligence and ability.
I'm no fan of Johnson but I must point out that the mistake in this exchange really came from Ms. Theodora. If she really asked the question as quoted in the Bee, Johnson's answer was correct. She didn't say, "How many players are on the COURT at one time." She asked how many play in a MATCH. That could be any number of players as they regularly rotate in and out. She should have asked him to clarify his answer instead of correcting him. She really could have used this to highlight his knowledge (if any) of volleyball. Johnson's screwed up lots of stuff at FSU, but in this case it was Ms. Theodora's blunder not his.
A review of the court record is more likely to show it was Ms. Vivas' attorney that simply asked Mr. Johnson, "how many players are on a volleyball team (on the court at one time)?" After a notable pause, he answered 7 or 8.
This shows how much he knew about the sport highlighted within the department he directed. Thus he knew little about a Tier 1 sport under his supervision, leaving one to wonder how much he knew about some other non male sports.
This also suggests that the individual who promoted him to Athletic Director, did a sloppy job of checking out Mr. Johnson's resume'. Failure to do your homework usually yields a bad outcome.
Leaves one wondering if the mayor and the City Council were just as sloppy.
Mr. Merrill, I know you were in the courtroom. You know it wasn't the plaintiff's attorney who asked the question, and you know Ms. Theodora asked the question just as The Bee said. She screwed up, not Mr. Johnson. You should at least make a half-assed attempt at intellectual honesty.