FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[merlecanlas]

Would love to read your tweets on the matter, Mr Rossi, but I believe you blocked me a while back during one of your grand displays of integrity.

Neither of you are exactly covering yourselves in glory with this pontificating.

Yes, because my tolerance for Twitter trolls is about as high as it is for teenagers throwing tantrums in their parents' basements.

Yes, myself and jamtoTommie live in our respective parent's basements

now will you please answer my question about when and how many times you interviewed Fulford for you to "learn" about him?

[Frank Rossi]

It's always interesting to hear people pontificate on a subject about which they frankly just lack information.  Honestly, we don't know why Fulford got the start over Poorman in Week 1 of 2017.  One potential reason is that Poorman was viewed by VK as LK's QB, and VK viewed Fulford as his guy.  As a coach becomes deeper in their tenure, they often want their own fingerprints on a program more and more.  I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that — and when you're Mount Union, you can view your options as 1A, 1B, and 1C because of the quality of guys you bring in by being Mount Union.  So, even if Poorman outplayed Fulford in 2017 camp by a small amount, VK might have felt starting Fulford was the better idea from a loyalty/control approach.  Hence why I say we just don't know.

If I'm a Mount Union fan, I stop worrying so much about the past and begin to think about the future.  I think Poorman's presence made Fulford a better quarterback.  He had someone always breathing down his neck if he "dropped the ball" at any point.  I think watching Fulford's behavior (and actions associated with it) over the past six months, I learn a lot about his drive and motivation when he thinks folks aren't looking or watching.  When everyone was watching Warrantpalooza '17, he finally showed up in the respective courts, paid his fines from old actions and recent actions, and took it a lot more seriously.  Without Poorman or Davis there now, he knows the top spot is his (assuming Florida ends up becoming a non-event eventually) — and we'll see if he can handle that fact with a better level of maturity that self-motivates him.  But as a Mount Union coach, I watch early on and make sure I light a fire under him if he misses court... I mean, practice, when things get going again in the summer.

Just bumping since someone is intent on moving this off the page.  Beware the flying hinges.

While Merle keeps seeking answers to the meaning of life and puberty, there indeed was discussion about Fulford's status on our last video podcast at the 2:05 mark: https://www.facebook.com/D3Huddle/videos/1645813918851080/

Perhaps Merle can have more success asking the attorney who made cameo appearances on this message board why the supposed legal slam dunk in Florida is still sitting atop the backboard almost five months later.  In the meantime, I'm curious as to the part I wrote concerning the future, much like my tweets concerning 2017 rings vs. 2018 outlooks.  Does this Poorman move change the situation in the way I suggested or some other way?  I'm curious to hear answers from folks who understand respect and maturity.

[merlecanlas]

It's always interesting to hear people pontificate on a subject about which they frankly just lack information.  Honestly, we don't know why Fulford got the start over Poorman in Week 1 of 2017.  One potential reason is that Poorman was viewed by VK as LK's QB, and VK viewed Fulford as his guy.  As a coach becomes deeper in their tenure, they often want their own fingerprints on a program more and more.  I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that — and when you're Mount Union, you can view your options as 1A, 1B, and 1C because of the quality of guys you bring in by being Mount Union.  So, even if Poorman outplayed Fulford in 2017 camp by a small amount, VK might have felt starting Fulford was the better idea from a loyalty/control approach.  Hence why I say we just don't know.

If I'm a Mount Union fan, I stop worrying so much about the past and begin to think about the future.  I think Poorman's presence made Fulford a better quarterback.  He had someone always breathing down his neck if he "dropped the ball" at any point.  I think watching Fulford's behavior (and actions associated with it) over the past six months, I learn a lot about his drive and motivation when he thinks folks aren't looking or watching.  When everyone was watching Warrantpalooza '17, he finally showed up in the respective courts, paid his fines from old actions and recent actions, and took it a lot more seriously.  Without Poorman or Davis there now, he knows the top spot is his (assuming Florida ends up becoming a non-event eventually) — and we'll see if he can handle that fact with a better level of maturity that self-motivates him.  But as a Mount Union coach, I watch early on and make sure I light a fire under him if he misses court... I mean, practice, when things get going again in the summer.

Just bumping since someone is intent on moving this off the page.  Beware the flying hinges.

While Merle keeps seeking answers to the meaning of life and puberty, there indeed was discussion about Fulford's status on our last video podcast at the 2:05 mark: https://www.facebook.com/D3Huddle/videos/1645813918851080/

Perhaps Merle can have more success asking the attorney who made cameo appearances on this message board why the supposed legal slam dunk in Florida is still sitting atop the backboard almost five months later.  In the meantime, I'm curious as to the part I wrote concerning the future, much like my tweets concerning 2017 rings vs. 2018 outlooks.  Does this Poorman move change the situation in the way I suggested or some other way?  I'm curious to hear answers from folks who understand respect and maturity.

I'm not asking for answers of life.  I'm asking for you to expand on your pontificating about a D3 football player's drive and motivation.  Instead of bring other people into your posts, why not just answer the question?  You can just say that you never have talked to Fulford and that you made a mistake.  Then we can go back to you being the well respected poster and I go back to my mom's basement.  It's that simple.  Nobody cares about your tweets.

[Pat Coleman]

Boy, this board really needs to send me some kind of alert when there are 20 posts in two hours or so. Where's my facepalm gif?

[Kelly Boggs]

Twenty paces boys and then draw... my money's on Wyatt Earp Rossi. He's toting the big iron! 

Marty Robbins crooning "Big Iron." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=999RqGZatPs

[HScoach]

^  I'm guessing one of us shoots Merle from a saloon window before Rossi gets to.

[jknezek]

^  I'm guessing one of us shoots Merle from a saloon window before Rossi gets to.

Shot in the back by your own team. The moment when you know you are loved and appreciated.

[skunks_sidekick]

Frank,


I know you have followed the case much more closely than Merle, Earl, or his other brother Darrel.  However, I believe you stated you haven't really gotten a response from Fulford's attorney as to the latest status of the case, or a quote or factoid as to such from anyone else.  As someone who "thought" he knew what was happening in FL earlier in the process based upon who was telling me what, I can honestly say that the well has dried up in regards to information about the case.

To be fair, your comments/conjecture were just that.  It's your personal take in regards to what is happening, might be happening, could be happening, etc.  I can do that as well.  Is the prosecutor posturing for some reason to drag this thing out to prove he is "tough on crime".  Has their been many changes/ebbs/flows to the details of the case that because it was from 2 1/2 years ago no one in FL is sure of what they have & don't have?  All of that is conjecture, and unless you have direct quotes from someone directly involved, you just don't know. 

I felt very confident about the information I had at the time, and where it came from.  But to play devil's advocate, that may have been the information THEY knew at that particular moment. 

In closing, I think you developed a reputation as being somewhat of a Mount ball buster "back in the day".  Now I know you are a kinder, wiser, gentler Frank that doesn't have an east coast bias, doesn't act like one of those east coast elitist, and just wants everyone to get along, right?   

[Frank Rossi]

Skunks -

I honestly don't have a dog in the fight.  I'm basically an outlaw from my own college because I was so forthcoming about shortcomings by the AD there in some decisions made and by the President for lacking the backbone to take more of a position in some of those decisions.  It is what it is.  I frankly don't care about Mount Union vs. the East.  Over the past year, we've ended up with good relationships with plenty of schools and players in and outside the East.  That's not an accident.  People value the extra mile we have been going to like they value D3football.com's dedication and drive.

First, I think you might have missed some coverage of Fulford that we assisted in providing.  I attended the last calendar call in Broward and ended up speaking with Fulford's attorney down there.  I tweeted a summary of his statement in February after we spoke.  We have read through the public court documents.  We know that the two traffic tickets he was slapped with went to a collection process by agreement that he didn't uphold until after the warrant surfaced.  We know that the prosecutor isn't waving a flag yet in the felony case based on filings, and at the 2:05 mark I tagged earlier, James and I discussed what the likely resolution of that case is based on how the Wheaton felony case is playing out. The attorney I was referring to earlier on this board is Jakmides -- one of the attorneys that appeared to be assisting with the Fulford Ohio issues that decided it would be a good idea to post on this board about how open and shut the Florida case was going to be.  He's been pretty silent since.  Not that I'm complaining...

But the documents filed in the case are telling to a certain degree, especially based on the number of witnesses named and the initial complaint.  His attorney stated depositions are due to happen and that Fulford's  involvement level in whatever happened was a material question to be determined.  Stated more simply, I know how to report a news story -- I've been doing it for 23 years.  I'll state when conjecture is occurring by me (like the possibility VK chose Fulford to start for his reasons, to show none of us really know what happened).

We were only too happy to help get Poorman's story out to the public in his own words, as we described before the interview.  And we researched a lot of information before even setting up that interview.  Taking digs at our integrity is nice and all, but after ten years of working to promote student-athletes while being honest about states of affairs on our own dime, I think the juvenile attempts to undercut us are pretty laughable.  If Fulford wants to get his story out there in the same way, then Pat or I are very easy to get ahold of.  But as you saw, we asked some tough questions of Poorman about his time at UMU and his decision.  The same would go for Fulford and his recent history. It's unlikely an attorney would allow that to happen at this time.  But understand, when your dual role is supporting student-athletes and reporting news accurately, sometimes those interests become competing in a way that tough decisions have to get made.  Anyone that wants to penalize us for that issue probably needs to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.  But that's up to them.

Anyway, we're not going to change our approach at "In the Huddle."  We've formed great relationships with many schools and had a blast in the process last year while doing some great things along the way.  We always enjoy a good interview, so if you think you have an angle we should cover, we're all ears.

[pradierguy]

It's always interesting to hear people pontificate on a subject about which they frankly just lack information.  Honestly, we don't know why Fulford got the start over Poorman in Week 1 of 2017.  One potential reason is that Poorman was viewed by VK as LK's QB, and VK viewed Fulford as his guy.  As a coach becomes deeper in their tenure, they often want their own fingerprints on a program more and more.  I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that — and when you're Mount Union, you can view your options as 1A, 1B, and 1C because of the quality of guys you bring in by being Mount Union.  So, even if Poorman outplayed Fulford in 2017 camp by a small amount, VK might have felt starting Fulford was the better idea from a loyalty/control approach.  Hence why I say we just don't know.

If I'm a Mount Union fan, I stop worrying so much about the past and begin to think about the future.  I think Poorman's presence made Fulford a better quarterback.  He had someone always breathing down his neck if he "dropped the ball" at any point.  I think watching Fulford's behavior (and actions associated with it) over the past six months, I learn a lot about his drive and motivation when he thinks folks aren't looking or watching.  When everyone was watching Warrantpalooza '17, he finally showed up in the respective courts, paid his fines from old actions and recent actions, and took it a lot more seriously.  Without Poorman or Davis there now, he knows the top spot is his (assuming Florida ends up becoming a non-event eventually) — and we'll see if he can handle that fact with a better level of maturity that self-motivates him.  But as a Mount Union coach, I watch early on and make sure I light a fire under him if he misses court... I mean, practice, when things get going again in the summer.

"Poorman is so good that he made Fulford have one of the best seasons in Mount Union and D3 history just by being his backup." - The guy who just got an exclusive, newsworthy interview with Poorman


If by not having such a good backup derails Fulford so much where he is not a championship caliber QB, I would bet my house that Poorman would've beat him out for the starting job to begin with.

[Frank Rossi]

Not for nothing, but he actually did in 2016. 

[skunks_sidekick]

Frank,

I have absolutely no issue with your interview with Poorman, and thought it was done fairly well.  Most (if not almost all) Mount fans, alums, & students wish him nothing but the best if/until UMHB plays Mount in the playoffs. 

I did go to your twitter feed, and followed what you reported, what was said by whom, and what was not said.  From my perspective I heard a lot of legalese talk, say but don't say, "trust the process" type speak.  Can you say that you really think the FL incident has some correlation to what happened at Wheaton?  I mean I get the obvious but not anything else.

I haven't spoken to Jeff Jakmidis since before the new year, so I have no insight or knowledge as to what his position is regarding Fulford other than he is a Mount fan, and a big supporter of the kid.

Fulford clearly beat out Poorman in 2017.  Again, if it is your opinion that VK picked Fulford to just show dad who was boss, that is a position based on nothing but wild conjecture and pot stirring.  I can speak very confidently that at no time did that happen. 

Question, are you heading down for the next court date?  Maybe do a CNN/FOX news "live outside the courthouse".  Seriously, I would tune in and follow you to find out the latest.  Your public needs information!

[Frank Rossi]

Frank,

I have absolutely no issue with your interview with Poorman, and thought it was done fairly well.  Most (if not almost all) Mount fans, alums, & students wish him nothing but the best if/until UMHB plays Mount in the playoffs. 

I did go to your twitter feed, and followed what you reported, what was said by whom, and what was not said.  From my perspective I heard a lot of legalese talk, say but don't say, "trust the process" type speak.  Can you say that you really think the FL incident has some correlation to what happened at Wheaton?  I mean I get the obvious but not anything else.

I haven't spoken to Jeff Jakmidis since before the new year, so I have no insight or knowledge as to what his position is regarding Fulford other than he is a Mount fan, and a big supporter of the kid.

Fulford clearly beat out Poorman in 2017.  Again, if it is your opinion that VK picked Fulford to just show dad who was boss, that is a position based on nothing but wild conjecture and pot stirring.  I can speak very confidently that at no time did that happen. 

Question, are you heading down for the next court date?  Maybe do a CNN/FOX news "live outside the courthouse".  Seriously, I would tune in and follow you to find out the latest.  Your public needs information!

I was already down there on another assignment (actually two when you count JB's wedding that I ministered).  The value of those calendar calls is about nil, but I wanted to meet his attorney and speak with him.  His attorney actually couldn't stay and had another attorney cover for him to just get it pushed to an April 20 calendar call.  I had called his office once I realized it, and he called me back and understood as a fellow attorney, I had a decent take on what was happening and told me some things about status and Fulford's character in his words that I shared.  But honestly, those calendar calls would make for some boring "TV" reporting.

I'm not saying Fulford didn't beat Poorman out for the starting job because obviously, he started in 2017.  What that "beating" means in terms of how it was determined is the question.  However, what JB and I heard through our own research and connections does not tell me it was based on some of the things being spouted by people on this board.  And that's the thing -- with the level of privacy demanded by UMU, anyone claiming they know why a certain decision was made better be a coach or player.  Else, I don't buy it based on the history of dealings.  We're talking about a program that somehow has convinced its local newspaper that will report on a new scoreboard as a major story that the transfer of two quarterbacks in the same offseason, one to a 2016/2017 Finalist, isn't newsworthy enough to report on.  That was my point -- conjecture on decisions made at UMU is really not anything I base on reality lately.  It's a lot different when I have a library of documents to review and an interview with a player and other contacts that give me some better perspective on how some stuff has played or may play out.

I do appreciate your compliment on the interview, as does JB.  Feel free to private message me if you'd like to expound on your source of information you refer to in your post.

[Dr. Acula]

At the risk of adding another transfer QB to the discussion in here...I saw that Donovan Taitt threw a TD in Kennesaw State's spring game.  Sounds like he is battling to be the #2 QB in the fall.  KSU is FCS (I had to look it up) and was 12-2 last year so good for Taitt.

[JCUStreaks70]

Sorry I'm late everyone... What did I miss???