"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: and we should give weight to your opinion...

by: Michael Bersin

Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 20:55:13 PM CST

This is the forty-seventh post in an ongoing series as we file Missouri Sunshine Law (RSMo 610) requests and investigate the non-renewal of the contract of University of Central Missouri President Aaron Podolefsky. Links to previous coverage are below the fold. BG and MB

Today Greg Hassler, part owner of KOKO radio and erstwhile tree decorating critic, opined on presidential searches at state universities:

...Greg Hassler: ...Good morning Woody.

Marion Woods: How-dee.

Greg Hassler: You know, there's two things.

Marion Woods: Uh, huh.

Greg Hassler: That I've always kind of hung my hat on. [crosstalk]

Marion Woods: What's that? [crosstalk]

Greg Hassler: I've always had two theories in life that were always pretty good, Number one, you're never gonna see a shut out in basketball. [laughter] And number two, if you apply for enough jobs eventually you're gonna get one.

Marion Woods: Think so?

Greg Hassler: I've never seen a shut out in basketball, but Aaron's rolling, pretty getting close. He's getting close. Didn't get the Youngstown State deal.

Marion Woods: Yeah.

Greg Hassler: Buffalo State's still out there.

Marion Woods: Yup.

Greg Hassler: He applied for Florida Atlantic. Just got that information, uh, late last night.

Marion Woods: Oh, really?

Greg Hassler: With forty-one other people, so, I don't know. Throwin' those darts, eventually one sticks on the board.

Marion Woods: Yeah.

Greg Hassler: But then again, maybe not. I also like your story on, uh, the Board of Governors coming out saying that it's not gonna be a, uh, public search. Smart.

Marion Woods: That's a great idea.

Greg Hassler: Very smart. You don't want to, you know, you want to bring a quality guy in. You actually need leadership at this University, it's been a while. And, uh, you gotta bring a good guy in, a sitting president, not someone, you know, looking for their first gig. And you don't want to jeopardize their job 'cause, uh, the guy's gonna, or gal, whoever it is gonna be good. And whoever, wherever they leave is gonna really miss 'em. And you don't want to get the, the cat out of the bag so to speak.

Marion Woods: Well, they jeopardize the current job.

Greg Hassler: That's exactly right.

Marion Woods: Yeah.

Greg Hassler: And you don't want to do that.

Marion Woods: No.

Greg Hassler: How about those games last night?...

Let's see, expertise and accuracy in dendrochronology. Check.

...The Podolefskys say that after Hassler's comments became a cause celebre, they checked and found that there had been a cedar tree in the front yard that was decorated with lights in years past at Christmas time, but that it was removed five years before they arrived...

Demonstrates superior grasp of the intricacies of international geography. Check.

...you know, this Wesly guy who lives in Denmark, this, you know, he's Dutch, lives in Denmark....

Pays attention to detail and has a memory like a steel trap. Check.

...It, it was a great show...

(23:24) Darla Jaye: ...the guy, the Dutch entrepreneur is, uh, from Holland. Holland is Dutch, sorry about that... (23:28)

With a record like that the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors is bound to offer the presidency to Greg Hassler.

...Greg Hassler: And you don't want to do that.

Marion Woods: No....

Yeah, they're right about one thing.

Three steps behind, and to the right (January 25, 2008)

Three steps behind, and to the right, part 2 - a microcosm of our universe (September 21, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"? (October 15, 2009) (transcript of a portion of the live radio broadcast)

It wasn't just about a tree (October 21, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement?": I heard it on the radio (October 21, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement?": let's not get cut out of the will (October 22, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement?": $87.75 will get you one sheet of paper (October 23, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement?": They're not playing hardball, they're playing cat and mouse  (October 23, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement?": a cola and some scoreboards (October 24, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement?": a few more pieces of the puzzle? (October 28, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: your silence means consent (October 29, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: let's not get cut out of the will, part 2 (October 30, 2009)

Old media irony impairment (October 30, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement?": I heard it on the radio, part 2 (October 31, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: where everybody knows your name (October 31, 2009)

Methinks that someone is paying attention! (November 2, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: Bond, Stadium Bond (November 4, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: where everybody knows your name, part 2 (November 4, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: I heard it on the radio, part 3 (November 5, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: nothing succeeds like success (November 6, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: your Friday news dump (November 6, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: nothing exceeds like excess (November 7, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: a grade for Accounting 101 (November 7, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: there ought to be a law (November 8, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: there's gotta be a contract around here somewhere (November 9, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: there ought to be a law, part 2 (November 10, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: Garbo speaks! (November 12, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle (November 13, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"? Follow the money and it reveals the timeline (November 14, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: the new president search consulting contract (November 18, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: a march on a cold and rainy day (November 18, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: raise their voices (November 19, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: great moments in radio reporting (November 21, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: Oh, my! (December 3, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: It's simple, really... (December 5, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: I do truly care about the success of our students (December 6, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: "...a wonderful relationship there we're really proud of..." (December 7, 2009)

Oh brother, it's time to convene another panel on blogger ethics... (December 8, 2009)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: a lesson on how not to attempt damage control (January 26, 2010)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: a lesson on how not to attempt damage control, part 2 (January 28, 2010)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: welcome to the party... (February 1, 2010)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: welcome to the party, four months late, part 2 (February 2, 2010)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: those people from Denmark, you know, the Dutch (February 3, 2010)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: a conversation with the Muleskinner (February 6, 2010)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: a simple question (February 8, 2010)

Find the Non-Employee Game! (February 8, 2010)(NYCMule)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: a different choice of phrase would have made it all better (February 11, 2010)

"A Gentleman's Agreement"?: never mind the facts, here's right wingnut talk radio (February 13, 2010)