By now most of the college football world has heard of Chip Kelly's check-writing ways. I had only heard about the story in passing until your email came through and I was able to delve deeper into the story. For anybody who doesn't know, Tony Seminary, an Oregon alum and season ticket holder who attended Oregon's disastrous opener in Boise, apparently felt so disappointed and let down by his Ducks that he sent Coach Kelly an email with an invoice for his trip. The invoice, which was sent in jest according to its source, included the cost of the game tickets, airplane tickets and his meals. Coach Kelly responded with a $439 check to cover the cost of Seminary's trip, which Seminary returned to Kelly with a thank you note attached.
For some reason, and I don't know why, the first thing that popped into my head after reading the story was an episode of Seinfeld…
Specifically the episode titled 'The Opera' from the fourth season. There's a scene in the episode where Jerry and another man argue over whose quarter is lying on the ground. The argument progresses to the point that both men ask each other, "you think I care about money?" and proceed to rip up dollar bills, throwing the remnants on the ground.
Of course, I highly doubt that Chip Kelly was trying to prove a point about money, but wouldn't it be funny if he were doing it for spite (another Seinfeld reference)? Coach Kelly had to have been in a sour mood following the game in Boise, and reading an email from a fan demanding his money back couldn't have done much to help turn his frown upside down. What if he was so bothered by the email that he let himself get heated to the point that he busted out the old checkbook and scribbled a reimbursement check for the unhappy alum? Take that!
No way that's what happened, though. A more accurate description of what actually went down may be that Coach Kelly agreed with Seminary. The Ducks had played poorly in the opener, managing to put up only eight points, as the post-game actions of one frustrated player sent the Ducks spiraling even further. Kelly had to have been embarrassed by his team.
Seminary said that he only sent the email to a few friends. But his friends forwarded it to hundreds of others. From there, it made its way into the hands of the media, who reported the story. Coach Kelly had to have known that sending a refund check to a disgruntled fan would make the news. Perhaps that was his intent. It sure shows Oregon fans that he agrees with their assessment of his team's performance in the opener against Boise State. It might even reassure some fans that Kelly has the team's best interests at heart.
Whatever his intentions, Coach Kelly's actions sent a message to Oregon fans: He understands their frustration. And that's a good thing. He knows that the Ducks' performance was unacceptable, and that the actions of LeGarrette Blount, who did apologize, were intolerable. Not many other coaches, if any at all, would even look at the email. It shows that Coach Kelly has his heart in the right place.
But hey, that's just what I took from it.- Danny Hobrock
Danny Hobrock is a sports journalist who primarily covers college football and professional baseball. He is a contributor for several sports related blogs and is the former editor of a political and current events website.----------
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship!
No comments:
Post a Comment