Every coach has insider information what they choose do it with it is another story. Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione elected to whore out information about his team that is not available to the general public, in order to pay for a crappy website. What a douche bag.
“Dealing with the Miami fallout was bad enough. Now, Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione is facing a new wave of criticism after it was revealed he was selling the Aggies’ secrets. Franchione said he recently stopped sending a weekly e-mail newsletter about the A&M football team to a small group of boosters willing to pay $1,200 per year in subscriber fees over the last three seasons.
The newsletter, titled “VIP Connection,” was supposed to be confidential because it contained detailed injury information and other tidbits that Franchione does not tell the media or public. However, the San Antonio Express-News obtained a copy of the newsletter and confronted A&M officials.
The newsletter does not appear to violate any NCAA rules. A public affairs specialist for the Office of Civil Rights in Washington D.C., said Franchione probably did not violate any laws related to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.”
If I was a former A&M player I would obtain any and every copy of that newsletter in order to see if any HIPPA laws were violated. After all if you played under coach Fran, there’s a good chance you aren’t in the NFL, but instead working at Dottie’s Tire Emporium quoting white walls to Buck the town drunk. So a million dollar lawsuit would be useful to you right now.
“In a statement issued Friday, Franchione said, “There was no intent to deceive anyone.” He said “12 to 15” people subscribed to the newsletter, and all money went directly to the Bryan, Texas, company that oversees Franchione’s personal Web site, CoachFran.com. Franchione, who makes $2 million annually according to his A&M contract, said he has offered to refund all money obtained for this season.
“I thought this was another avenue of trying to keep some of our top donors informed about our football program,” Franchione said. But he also told the Express-News that he “knew this was going to be controversial.”
A&M athletic director Bill Byrne said he did not know about the weekly e-mail until it was presented to him by the newspaper.
“When I saw a copy of an e-mail, I called Coach Fran and recommended this program be discontinued,” Byrne said. “I understand he stopped at that time.”
First of all Coach Fran.com is a crappy website, second of all you make $2 million dollars per year in salary and I’m sure you have other income coming in, so you mean to tell me you couldn’t afford to spring for the website on your own? I also notice that you sell advertisements on your website, shouldn’t that help pay for it?
Everyone knows Coach Fran is in the hot seat this year, and I’m sure this latest controversy might have sealed his fate unless he wins out. Selling secrets about the very team you coach is wrong on so many levels. I don’t care if the customers were boosters or not, and who’s to say opposing teams weren’t given copies of this newsletter.
“Mike McKenzie, Franchione’s personal assistant and a part-time A&M employee, told The Dallas Morning News on Friday he actually wrote the newsletter.
McKenzie sent out a final e-mail at 10:14 a.m. on Sept. 13 letting subscribers know the media had discovered the newsletter.
According to those who saw it, “VIP Connection” was simply a typed e-mail message with no graphics. It was usually no longer than two pages.
The intent was to make boosters feel like “they’re inside a coaches’ meeting,” according to one A&M source.
Franchione said the selected boosters originally attended a fan fantasy camp, where each paid $1,000 to attend meetings and football practice.
“All these people who received the newsletter signed a legal non-disclosure agreement,” McKenzie said. “Everyone had the understanding that if this is ever compromised, it’s over.”
Look if the boosters want to feel like they’re in a coaches meeting then they should coach Pop Warner football.
“According to the Express-News, one newsletter had candid criticism of the A&M receivers.
“Privately, Coach told me last night that Earvin [Taylor] and Pierre [Brown] are very steady but with average speed,” McKenzie wrote. “Kerry [Franks] has great speed, but [is] inconsistent in receiving.”
The injury information alone would benefit gamblers, although Franchione told the San Antonio paper he asked subscribers “not to do that.” Franchione normally doesn’t tell the media about a player’s injury unless it’s season-ending.
For example, Franchione has acknowledged receiver Howard Morrow’s wrist injury only once, and that was on his weekly radio show. But Franchione said Friday that Morrow, a junior from Keller Fossil Ridge, is out for the year after wrist surgery.”
Yes, I’m sure a gambler will just not bet on a game that he has inside information on because Coach Fran said so. I wonder if he also sent out penis size and nude photos as well.
Two members of the A&M board of regents were stunned when told about the newsletter.
“I’ll say this. I’ve never heard of somebody paying for information,” said Gene Stallings, an A&M regent and former head coach. “I’ve had friends of mine call me and ask what’s happening, and I would share it with them. But as for me providing information to a certain group of people while I was coaching, I never did that.”
Regent Erle Nye of Dallas said: “I’d just be surprised as I could be. I don’t suppose there’s anything wrong with it, but first of all, I’m surprised he’s got time.”
Oh former Alabama coach Stallings has never heard of anyone paying for information. (cough bullshit cough) Nice jab by Erle Nye that was gold. What makes this situation even worse is this was transmitted in e-mail, which is not the safest form to be sending out confidential information. Boosters are a major problem in college athletics, I despise them. Boosters also seem to be causing the most problems for Big 12 schools. Every school has this problem but when you placate to them you’re only giving them more power while losing control of your program.
So I profess on this day 10/01/07.
TtT
Have any questions, hate mail, private comments, cease and desist letters, story ideas, death threats (that will be published) or tips? Then drop us a line at
ymswwc@gmail.com
Your Mother Slept With Wilt Chamberlain 
