All right, Tom Collins - enough is enough. As the director of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, you simply aren't living up to your responsibilities, which include supporting your staff. The most recent offense? Removing women's basketball coach Tracy Roller from her billboard.
Roller came up with a savvy publicity effort to sell 1,000 season tickets. No one wanted to see the head coach of a potential championship team sitting on a scissor lift all season, and she wouldn't have, the way tickets were selling. During the two days Roller sat under her billboard 450 tickets were sold, bringing the total number to 750.
Alumni flooded Ball State University this weekend for Homecoming, which should be about supporting all the school's activities and sports and not just football. Roller wasn't going to make everyone forget there was football game, but there was a good chance the remaining 250 tickets would have sold quickly.
Collins ruined Roller's campaign. Instead of supporting one of his best and highest paid coaches, he held Roller back and demeaned her decision to spend her own money on a billboard and scissor lift because she felt the team deserved more support. He didn't even visit during her vigil - he only drove by.
Roller's efforts weren't adversely affecting the basketball team, since she left the lift for practices. As a matter of fact, she actually recruited players and worked on her laptop computer during the 24 hours outside. Collins' concern about illness wasn't a problem either, because Roller didn't become sick during the two days of cold and probably wouldn't have during the weekend of warmer temperatures.
The department really needed this positive attention, considering the amount of negative news it has had this year. Congratulations, Collins. You've sunk to a new low of turning a positive situation into yet another controversy wrought with negative attention.
But Roller is down now and her effort is finished. Collins can't go back and undo his mistake without looking like a fool (not like he hasn't looked like one before). However, this should be a lesson to him to support his staff, athletes and department overall. Otherwise, he'll remain a disappointment.
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