Nelson Fired at ESPN?

[Mike Flynn]

I got an email earlier this evening about a post over at GirlsHoops.Scout.com by Kenny Kallina about the tenious position and status of the Hoopgirls director and self-appointed expert, Glenn Nelson. I too was disgusted with the brutal and now infamous attacking article on ESPN about the McDonald's All-America game and its committe by a former member who could not have it his lone way. The quick removal of his article was a direct statement that this kind of attitude and short-fuse writing is unacceptable in girl's basketball. What will happen next to him after his misuse of his short-term position at ESPN? Lots of questions awaiting answers.

[StanfordCardinalFan]

I enjoy their rankings but I don't like the way he treats his members

[ladycusefan]

glen's issue is that he doesn't see big picture at all. he thinks about himself and his place in the scheme of things.

he got mad at me last year sent me an email that was about as rude as a person can be to another person he doens't know and second was about as poorly written as a person that says that are a journalist could possibly write.

he then banned me from the site and 2 syracuse recruits dropped off the hoopgurlz database altogether two days later.

I got an email in january saying that all is forgiven and that I am not banned anymore.....earth to glenn I have not forgiven anyone for the email I rec'd. I should've sent the email to ESPN.

[StanfordCardinalFan]

My thing is he won't let you share your opinion.

[Mike Flynn]

Seems that Mr. Nelson threatened to bring a lawsuit agasint the Scout.com people because he was furious and distraught over the awesome story posted by Kenny Kallina. Again, the bully pulpit comes to life and attempts to squash any voice that doesn't agree with him and to discount the playing career of any player that doesn't fall within his favor. We don't expect to see him cover the McDonald's All-America game on April 1st in Miami or at the NHSI at Georgtown Prep, MD that April 3-5 weekend as both events failed to make their coverage list. If Nelson is boycotting events that ESPN will have on air, them maybe ESPN will send down some responsible and well-liked people such as Mark Lewis or Chris Hanson At least we'll be spared the uncomfortable atmosphere of someone who thinks we all smoke cigars.

[nmolly]

OMG Mike have you read - Glenns latest - now it's everyone else who rips on kids - SCF you are correct in what you say too many times I have seen HGs guys sitting with the same parents whose kids they hype up the Kazoo - the one I respect is Mark Lewis he does not operate like that. What it should come down to is who has integrity - not all club coaches hype their kids some actually evaluate them very well - college coaches know who they are as after a while they don't take waht they say as reality - thats why these club coaches keep changing, changing their teams names etc.

[StanfordCardinalFan]

He says he doesn't care for opinions but then aren't rankings technically opinions?

[ladycusefan]

I like how he posted the entire mcdonalds committee on hoopgurlz and still put himself on it with "(resigned)" next to his name......earth to glenn.......everyone has read all your posts/article about it people who care know.

its funny how a guy who says he offers a "service" posts constantly about himself and his place in women's basketball.

there is actually a very good post by chris saying him and Lewis talked about it and while there are issues with the committee and how kids are picked there isn't a perfect solution. Notice how Glen is unable to take a mature stance he has to call people names, drop threats etc...

I love it that glen's investigative team(lol) is looking into recruiting violations. Does he mean other then the time he sent a current women's basketball player to a tournament that was in direct violation of the rules?

[Mike Flynn]

To the last three posters, thank you for you keen insights. You all have followed the game and I appreciate your opinions. As I've noted before, there is a lot of information that's not reported and a lot of misrepresentation. A very important and most prominent person in our sport told me a while back that the interent "media" relies on two things: content and controversy. If you can't write about the first, you create and fan flames for the second. You all see right through this stuff and it is appreciated. I was going to post a large blog last night but held back and decided to wait. It was the right choice as more "controversy" was thrown up again. Just think when this all started and how and you know the answers. Today Kenny Kallina did anoterh masterful job of getting the story right by making the calls and doing the work. I appreicate that kind of effort, the same kind that Mark Lewis never fails to do and the reason why the posters here and myself respect the man. As for others, well, I am just keeping track of how its going. More later, right now I have to write about the UConn team and the women's college game for my blog.

[KennyKallina]

My opinion is that the people on the McDonald's committee that were being called out were long standing members of that committee and have been involved with gbb for a long time, Mr. Nelson has been involved on a national level for now about 3 years. How can someone call out someone like Boo Williams or Mike Flynn who essentially have created the game he covers for his livelyhood?

I think one issue we are seeing in grassroots basketball on a national level is one voice, there was one voice in Nazi-Germany as well as communist russia and you can see how that turned out. I do not agree with Mr. Nelson its not the end of the world. I do not lie in bed at night thinking about Glenn Nelson. The bottom line is I felt it was bad for the game for him to attack the McDonald's committee the way he did and who else is going to write it? I think bullying people around and having them censored is a pretty crappy way to go about business but according to some I am just a writer of little consequence so who listens to me anyway. Obviously we have at least one fan that reads my stuff

[Mike Flynn]

I removed the last few post from this thread and moved them to their own topic. As for this one, well, I guess you can say that with the email that was broadcast around the circuit with its unsavory verbage and unflinching craving for some level of expert-community recognition went wrong again. The unquenched desire to create ccontroversy, hence clicks and hits to their site instead of just covering the sport and writing stories about the players in the game instead of themselves is pathetic. I know Chris Hansen has had numerous talks and lengthy conversations with Kenny Kallina over these topics as I have had with Mark Lewis. Both gentlemen are what's right about the game and I hope the muzzle will at some point be removed from their creative voices and the disrespect they receive at the hands of their abusive bossman will one day go away.

[nmolly]

Hey Mike - one day you'll be able to write a great book and I will be first in line - Luv Mark Lewis but I find Hansen to be little like Nelson in his responses and gushy writings, maybe if he got out from under his wing I'd think differently.

[Mike Flynn]

Thank you for the suggestion. I was responding to the post and ended up writing so much that I moved it to my blog. As for Mark Lewis, we go way back long before he became the credible media star he is today. Prior to his move East he was one of the few dependable West Coast college coaches. It doesn't take long to know who the nice, kind-hearted people are in women's basketball like Mark compared to the mean=spirited critters who pawn themselves off as friends of the game while hiding their mean-spirited, chameleon personality.

[Mike Flynn]

I got a few calls today about Mr. Nelson's antics and postings over at the Slam-Jam site, especially taking more cheap shots at Fullcourt's Kenny Kallina again. I am truly amazed that his own web site is not enough space for his ramblings and he has to bring his abusive and crude attitude to the site. I guess being the talk of the McDonald's game with his very public display of abusive and disgusting behaviour during the game in the Media section witnessed by other big-time media names (who confirmed it to me) wasn't enough. It's a crime that Chris Hansen and Mark Lewis have to be associated with this nasty boss man but they probably didn't hear about it yet.

[Twister]

Mike, lots of talk going around that you enlisted Kalina, Mullen, Lawlor and others in your vendetta against Nelson and Hoopgurlz. What do you have against them? Don't erase my post, please answer the question.