Home Baseball Hate Mail from a Vanderbilt Fan

Hate Mail from a Vanderbilt Fan

30

I should start posting more hate mail. It's always good for a laugh. Anyway, apparently this particular Vandy fan didn't take to my, "Give 'em hell, Seabass" and toothless wonder jokes. All grammar and syntax is original:

I read with some amusement critiques of Vanderbilt fans on your website.  Pretty disparaging remarks coming from people apparently associated with Oregon State.

According to US News and World Reports, kinda the bible for the ratings of universities, Oregon State ranked behind 10 of the SEC schools, managing to best (barely), Ole Miss and Mississippi State.  Gotta tell you, ranking behind Arkansas and LSU is pretty pathetic.

By the way, Vanderbilt was ranked 17th. Oregon State…139 (Oregon was 111!).

And Vanderbilt also manages to do it without burdening the taxpayers of Tennessee, unlike Oregon State.

So, I suspect the hayseeds and toothless wonders are more likely to be wearing black and orange than black and gold.

The bottom line is that Vanderbilt fans embarrassed themselves by making sexual/beaver jokes in Deliverance drawls. Vanderbilt has a better academic reputation, but a lot of that is just rich people propping one another up. It's hard to find any objective measure of academics. Beaver fans have their own issues so I won't get high and mighty. I'll just say Vanderbilt fans did not impress me in the least and be done with it.

30 COMMENTS

  1. Vanderbilt also has at least one fan who thinks that USN&WR is anything remotely resembling a valid ranking of universities. If I’m a Vandy prof, I would fail anyone who dares to use that rag as an objective source for this purpose.

    The actual standing of our school versus Vandy is true. OSU is better on the earth sciences. Pure sciences and engineering are about equal. And their liberal arts programs far outpace ours. A true ranking should put Vandy somewhere around 30th in the country and OSU’s about 60th. Most of that difference comes from their medical school. Revenues for med schools constitute a large chunk of ‘research dollars’ when calculated for several rankings.

    A lot of the revenue generated by Vandy’s med school (VUMC) is on the backs of tax payers. Not only do they receive our tax monies in the form of government programs and federal grants. They also received considerable monies in the form of tax-free bonds issued by Nashville and Davidson County in order to pay for capital improvements and new construction. But I would guess there’s not a medical center out there which could operate without such revenue sources. VUMC’s annual operating expenses are over $3b per year, and their debt for that college alone is about half of that.

    While other academic and athletic projects are mostly covered by gifts, they also incur government debt for some of those projects as well.

    This isn’t a rant against my taxes going to support their school. I think it’s a noble cause, and I think the medical personnel trained there are top notch. It’s just a counter argument to the whole ‘no tax’ caveat this poorly sourced writer thinks s/he so cleverly sneaked into his or her poorly constructed email.

    It’s also quite a bit easier to make the case for elitism when your university is half the size ours is with no mandate to serve the state at large.

    As for academic rankings, second in the SEC would be Florida, who is about on par with us. And third would be UGA at ~70-75 in the nation. From there, you have to go a long way down the list to find the rest of the SEC (and I’m talking way past Nikegon, who should be somewhere around 160+ and last in the Pac 12). I make fun of Duck High quite a bit, but they look like Harvard when compared to the nine other SEC schools not mentioned.

    I’ve sourced all the legitimate world university rankings and classifications out there more than once. Go find them if you want to know them.

  2. I wonder how many of the Vanderbilt fans were actual alums (versus random dudes who live in Nashville and latched onto the Vanderbilt identity). The ones I could hear definitely did not sound college educated.

    • Exactly, that was the point I made in the one of the game threads. From some of the stadium chatter I could hear it did not sound like a group of mensa’s at work. Kind of like the people who wear Harvard sweat shirts and have never been to community college.

      One idiot I could clearly hear on the broadcast kept screaming in a southern drawl “pick him off first, pick him off first” and many times the Beaver on base was taking a less than agressive lead.

    • Angry,
      The person who is a “Vanderbilt” fan that sent you that email is most likely the same person that goes by the name “duckwolverine” on oregonlive.com! He is the only person who ever criticizes OSU for wasting tax dollars, and for adding to tbe state deficit. They use the same language in their posts. Only he beefed up the vocabulary in his Vanderbilt email, to give the appearance of a Vanderbilt alum.

  3. Funny stuff! I used to work with a bunch of Vandy, Duck, UNC, and Harvard kids in consulting. They used to rip on me for going to OSU and getting an awful education. So I partially stole the life from Goodwill Hunting.

    The line in the movie reads, “See, the sad thing about a guy like you is, in 50 years you’re gonna start doin’ some thinkin’ on your own and you’re going to come up with the fact that there are two certainties in life: one, don’t do that, and two, you dropped 150 grand on a f***in’ education you could have got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library!”

    I used this quote and changed it when I simply replied back, “Yes, I went to OSU and dropped 20% of the amount of money that you did on an education and we are both at the same place in life, making the same money so tell me – who’s the idiot?”

    • Yeah, I really liked Carter as a person, and I enjoyed him finally finding a home at 3B and doing it justice this year. It’s a little bit of a surprise to me that he moved so quickly to sign. I think another year of improvement like he had from his soph to junior year would have put him solidly in the top 10 rounds for next year’s draft if not higher. But good luck to him just the same.

      I think that opens up 2B for next year. Jake can play the corner, and Smith can own 2B by himself. I was worried that we would either see a logjam at 2B or force Jake to play C. But I think his glove skills in the IF are much more valuable, and having him and Smith (not one or the other) playing together should make for a more potent line-up.

      There are rumors out there that Susac and the Giants are across an ocean of money in terms of signing numbers. He might not be the lock to sign that I thought he was a week ago. Since they’re rumors, I won’t downgrade my probability below 90% that he signs. But a week ago I was at 100%.

      And BB20 already mentioned that the Rays selected a more signable SS prospect before they took (what is sounding like a flier now from their boards) Martin. I don’t know how a 1A draftee passes on guaranteed slot money for his draft position, let alone what might be a higher slot offer. But if Martin turns it down and comes here, we’re looking at a pretty amazing IF for next year

      I guess I won’t get my hopes up for now, but…

      … who knows?

      • Yeah, who knows. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Keyes playing a lot of infield and less time at DH; not sure that’s a good thing for Beavs fielding % but he is a smart (and still learning) player and could prove me wrong.

  4. I don’t think anyone would disparage Vandy as the institution either. I make similar remarks but it’s regarding their fan base, who, along with the rest of the slave trading south will me inundating Omaha next week. Save Cal, it’s going to be quite a banjo twangin’, moonshine guzzlin’ Tea Party crowd out here. I think I’ll stay away.

    I think plenty of Private Schools have bought their way into Athletic Prowess, are paid for by rich parents of the general student body, and whose fan base isn’t necessarily depicting of the school itself (USC, Duke, Stanford…how many of their fans actually attended the school? I went to a USC/Beavs game, and where the Beavs fan sit it was like being at a Raider game..many of the same fans I presume). Seems it might even be easier to do so than would a tax payer ‘under’funded institution, who likley only can do so with it’s enormous size (ASU, UT, tOSU).

    I think a good Cartoonist could do well with an Image of Cal pulling up to TD Ameritrade and looking around at the crowd and wondering what the hell they got themselves into? Deliverance? Is it too late to kill the Baseball Program? We’re not in Berkeley anymore…etc…

  5. We have to add one more sport to get worked over by the Ducks in? Hopefully it will help the football team though…seems the big programs with elite speed on their rosters have track teams to help lure the talent.

    • Football fans probably don’t realize how much track and field is beloved by the players themselves. Most are at least dual sport athletes in high school, if not more. And T&F is almost always one of the extra sports involved. Some like to think they can compete at both at the next level, and some can. But to have that option to possibly compete (and to see more of their high school friends and acquaintances from that sport) is a huge draw for athletes in many sports.

      It’s a little like growing up only liking one genre in music and turning your nose up at all others only to discover that your idols absolutely revere artists within many genres for their artistry and abilities. You had chosen to sneer at other genres until now, not realizing that your favorite had always listened to them and credit them with much of their development…. At least that’s what the liner notes in their new tribute album to (insert snubbed genre here) says.

    • And this is one sport in which I don’t mind losing to the Ducks for probably a decade or a little more. Their fans are really cool, and they appreciate the sport more than they do their team. They still like winning at the end of the day, which is why they invest all their efforts into bringing the best in the sport to their school. But it’s more of a wont to see the best compete on a daily basis than it is one of simply winning. If you are the best, then the best come to compete. If the best come to compete, you get to see the best performances available.

      It’s not really a sport where bandwagon fans can feel welcome. They don’t understand the sport’s dignity, simplicity, camaraderie and spirit. And they’re not willing to take the time to do so. Since they can’t hide their drunk asses in some large, raucous crowd, it’s boring to them.

      That’s why Duck T&F fans are excited to see OSU get a track team again. Our fans are as dedicated to the sport as they are without anyone to watch. We will find our way back to the top (slowly but eventually), and stories of “I was there when” will rule the day.

    • I’m pretty sure that would be illegal in the states we’re talking about. I mean they probably have specific and explicit laws which forbid tea-bagging… heh… funny name they gave themselves before they realized what it meant… heh.

      Tennessee just passed a law which makes it illegal to “transmit or display an image” online that is likely to “frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress” to someone who sees it.

      I went to TN.gov to see if it was true, and it is. I was so frightened and emotionally distressed that I reported them to their own state police.

      I hear they’re going to retry Tennessee v. Scopes next.

      Morons!

      I’m gonna guess that most Vandy instructors, students and alumni don’t come from this population of highly sentient beings.

  6. I wrote the guy back and told him OSU has some highly rated programs, and US News, while an important cursory ranking (due to recruiting/national opinion), doesn’t have much merit since universities can pay for their pole position. His response:

    Shall we try Forbes?
    I don’t doubt the OSU has some departments which are highly rated.
    The rating listings are based on a variety of factors. Paying to get listed may well be one of those factors, but I doubt that is the determinant one in the separation between these two.

    Did he just call us THE OSU??

    • Payola and a methodology which relies heavily on self-surveys.

      And Forbes?!?!?!?

      We’re talking about a methodology which includes 25% from these same stupid surveys, only it’s based on an obscure online site survey where nobody with a sound mind and who has the time to waste would think of going.

      Another 25% comes from a ratio of the amount of alumni listed in Who’s Who in America versus total graduates. I’ll stop there since that in and of itself has to be the biggest joke in college ratings methodology history. I’m not going to bother looking it up, but I’m going to guess that Forbes owns Marquis. And Marquis has its own problems with the state of Oregon, the only state I know of which calls it’s Who’s Who book a scam.

      Does this moron even remotely understand what s/he’s talking about? Next up will be, “Well then, how about my own personal and objective rankings of US universities?”

      It wouldn’t be much better, but I suspect the methodology would be more sound than the two listed.

      I thought college was where I learned how to efficiently understand sourcing, methodology and research. Am I alone in having found this benefit? Maybe I should just return my library card, turn off this interweb thingy and start watching Faux News… and reading USN&WR and Forbes.

      Where’s my latest Publisher’s Clearinghouse junk mail? I need to do me some ordering! I’ll get those two magazines, and I’ll buy a Who’s Who so I can be in Who’s Who and feel all important like. Then I’ll win the sweeptakes on top of that. That’ll all be cool.

    • I think a continuation of correspondence with this individual would be unfair and somewhat pathetic. We’ve already picked on his brainless retorts enough. Maybe we should just stop before this turns into Dragline beating Luke to a senseless pulp.

  7. Off topic:

    DeCarolis acts like a toolshed too often. I hated his quote in the Portland Tribune. “I don’t subscribe to the theory that if you beat Oregon and lose the rest of your games it is a great season.” Give me a break dude! As if anyone believe that. How about winning a clear majority of your conference games and beating your rival as the beginnings of a good season. That is more like it. It was a major excuse for the poor showings we have lately against Oregon. Then to defend it he makes it sound like “Well we could focus on beating Oregon but we don’t want to lose all the rest of our conference games, as if there would be hardly any of a correlation there. I am just tired of him and some of our head coaches acting like it is too difficult to win consistently at Oregon State. We have the same platform as the vast majority of teams in the Pac-12. All our basketball and football games will soon be broadcasted just like everyone else. We will get the same 21 million a year from the 3 billion deal which should climb to 33.33 million or more when the Pac-12 and digital networks are added. It is about the coaches and AD being leaders and raising the expectations for themselves and their players and how we are going to represent Oregon St. to the nation and world. Not every thing as to be done with teh exact same level energy every year. You always have the option to get excited and go for more and do truly special things. I just wish our leaders acted like they fully intend to take advantage of the opportunty to reach further instead of more like it is just a routine. Oregon St is capable of being a much more prominent national contender and I will always subscribe to the theory that your leadership better expect they can both beat the rival frequently and have many successful seasons in conference. Its time to energize our programs and brand and quit being perceived as sleepy so much. If 33.33 million a year doesn’t get you charged up then it will someone else.

    • He knows we’re not beating Oregon with Chip Kelly there and Mike Riley here, so he’s deflecting focus from that expectation. Even if fans want to beat the Ducks, subconsciously they’ll remember Bod D’s message that we’re not supposed to, and they won’t be as angry. It’s smart considering the Ducks are in another league than the Beavers; it’s frustrating because we’ve admitted we have run out of ideas on how to beat them.

    • It’s a valid statement on the face of it. Since he also set the expectation that the hoops team would have a winning record next year, I’m inclined to take it for what it’s worth.

      Nikegon had a failure of a baseball season, and it was much worse given their expectations before the season. Beating us while we were slumping hardly mitigates that fact. We, on the other hand, had a successful one by all standards, and it’s maybe 50/50 that we did a smidge better than expected or wildly better.

      Those who are thinking it was wildly better were relying on someone other than themselves for some kind of evaluation. Reading into a statement like this more than what it is follows the same parameters. You can’t rail on people with low expectations by simply telling them they are fools for having low expectations. You need to provide thoughtful analysis of your own and show them why they’re fools.

      By any measure, last year’s football season was a disaster. I don’t care if you expected 5-7 or 6-6. Beating Nikegon in the CW would have simply been salve on a gaping wound, and it would have prolonged the misery. Had we beaten UW, UCLA and Wazzu then lost the CW, I would have been happy with the season. It was what I expected, and it didn’t happen. I could make excuses for the team because James would have been a difference maker in each of those games. But that excuse doesn’t hold water since contingencies need to be in place for a continuation of success rather than a continuation of excuses. I think Riley recognizes this as well given the WR signings and commitments over the past year–and given the coaching changes.

      Because I won’t make excuses, I also won’t buy into the “beat their best” train of thought. Injuries happen, and suspensions are of your own making. If your team suffers from either of these conditions, then who you put on the field is your best team possible. If your contingencies fail to uphold your expectations, I guess making excuses is the way to go?

      It doesn’t work that way in the real world.

      Hoops was the same, but you could see the real problems on that team before league play began. My one gripe was that Coach Rob didn’t just cull the problems with some solid bench plantings and move on with an eye for the future. But I can see the same gripes coming from those who would be majorly upset with canning the season and buying losses with the “rebuilding” monicker. Look how happy Furd fans are with Johnny Dawkins. I think that team is pretty well set for a couple great seasons upcoming, but Furd fans are on the brink of mutiny for what they think is a lost season.

      So real expectations on a per season basis are valid. Conflated or low expectations are always unrealistic. It’s fine to want a certain level of success to be the standard for every season from here forward. I think Riley’s lifetime contract makes that level too low for fans who want to conflate or lower expectations for that standard in football. I think the standard should have been eight wins per season for such a contract. But I also know the level set was done out of fear and under leverage, so I can’t expect someone as conservative as OSU to always make a rational decision

      Knowing that someone always wins and loses, my expectations for a football team at OSU are always eight wins per season. For hoops, it’s 20 wins. I was there last year until I saw the chemistry issues created by some short-timers. For baseball, it was to always be in a regional as a two seed or better. I think after this season I need to up that to hosting a regional.

      • I agree with most of your assessment. I just don’t like it when he says “We could beat the rival, but..” and make it seem like if we did it would be at the expense of losing all our other conference games. That is garbage. If we beat Oregon in certain sports we would still be just as likely to beat other teams where we typically have success. I agree with you that the contrcat was fine but any extensions beyond the 10 years should have required 8 wins and not 6. 6 is just sacrilege and people always expect winning teams here now as the standard so going out to potentially 2028 or longer based on 6-6 seasons is not good or smart.

        BDC says the basketball players seem like good recruits but almost implies that maybe Robinson doesn’t know how to get the most from them and make them a strong cohesive unit that can win consistently. I think he needs to improve a pretty good amount or the seat will get hot.

        My expectation is to host a regional almost every year in baseball.

        For recruiting, I think Brennan is showing good right now and I expect that to continue.

        • “I just don’t like it when he says “We could beat the rival, but..” and make it seem like if we did it would be at the expense of losing all our other conference games.”

          Ummm… you get that from:

          “We got crushed. I take my hat off to the Ducks. Beating Oregon is important, but we have to be careful about putting too much importance on it. It’s really about the conference. If you’re competitive in the conference, you’re going to be competitive nationally. While the Ducks are there in some sports, they’re not there in others. Everybody wants to beat the rival, but I don’t subscribe to the theory that if we beat the Ducks and lose every other game, it’s a great season. That doesn’t cut it for me.”

          Ummm… okay?

  8. If there’s anything you guys want to discuss, and I’ll draft a post about it. Really slow period right now without much to discuss.

    The one interesting bit I’m hearing is that Isaac Seumalo might wind up a Beaver. He was high on Stanford for a while, but the Beavers are apparently in the lead.

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