Massillon begs to be in FED league

[Fats]

Not sure on how to link story. http://www.indeonline.com/index.php?ID=18768&r=0&Category=2

Quote " I just want in. I don't care if they tell us that we have to play the game and then take the trash out afterwards, we'll do it.""

Tim Ridgley Massillon athletic director

[Fats]

It seems funny that everytime the administration brings this up, they never state any facts. He says that" it is so critical financially and scheduling wise that we are in a league." The statements he made in the article are a disgrace to our Tiger Program.

[massillon catholic]

It seems funny that everytime the administration brings this up, they never state any facts. He says that" it is so critical financially and scheduling wise that we are in a league." The statements he made in the article are a disgrace to our Tiger Program.


I don't understand his statement. I don't remember us ever having an open-date because we couldn't find an oppenent. I could be wrong, but I don't remember one occassion.

[Spize]

THE AD SHOULD BE FIRED for wanting in the FED, and for making disgusting statements like that.

I will say this here, and I hate that I actually mean it...

I would rather be back losing with Shepas than winning in the federal league. I would rather have Shepas making us look like arrogant aholes than Ridgley making us look like a desperate team that is begging to be a in league full of inferior teams (If they can't beat us, they are inferior).

You think the drop in season tickets, booster club membership, and donations was bad under Shepas... let this guy work on it for awhile. Not only do they want to make us like Perry, Hoover, Jackson in terms of being a meaningless and irrelevant team... they actually look like they want us to be worse!

We are begging now? Why are we begging to teams that can't beat us, don't like us, and want to do nothing but destroy our program. So we are begging for that. THAT IS NOT MASSILLON, HE IS NOT MASSILLON.

[Fats]

No matter what side you are on in this debate of the FED league or joining any league. To have our athletic director talk likes this is totally wrong. We are Massillon and if we join any league we should enter talks from a position of strength. We would bring alot of good things to any league.

IMPEACH RIDGLEY

[massillon catholic]

THE AD SHOULD BE FIRED for wanting in the FED, and for making disgusting statements like that.

I will say this here, and I hate that I actually mean it...

I would rather be back losing with Shepas than winning in the federal league. I would rather have Shepas making us look like arrogant aholes than Ridgley making us look like a desperate team that is begging to be a in league full of inferior teams (If they can't beat us, they are inferior).

You think the drop in season tickets, booster club membership, and donations was bad under Shepas... let this guy work on it for awhile. Not only do they want to make us like Perry, Hoover, Jackson in terms of being a meaningless and irrelevant team... they actually look like they want us to be worse!

We are begging now? Why are we begging to teams that can't beat us, don't like us, and want to do nothing but destroy our program. So we are begging for that. THAT IS NOT MASSILLON, HE IS NOT MASSILLON.


Believe me, Shep would have never made a statement this stupid!

[proud to be]

THE AD SHOULD BE FIRED for wanting in the FED, and for making disgusting statements like that.

I will say this here, and I hate that I actually mean it...

I would rather be back losing with Shepas than winning in the federal league. I would rather have Shepas making us look like arrogant aholes than Ridgley making us look like a desperate team that is begging to be a in league full of inferior teams (If they can't beat us, they are inferior).

You think the drop in season tickets, booster club membership, and donations was bad under Shepas... let this guy work on it for awhile. Not only do they want to make us like Perry, Hoover, Jackson in terms of being a meaningless and irrelevant team... they actually look like they want us to be worse!

We are begging now? Why are we begging to teams that can't beat us, don't like us, and want to do nothing but destroy our program. So we are begging for that. THAT IS NOT MASSILLON, HE IS NOT MASSILLON.


I agree with everything you say here but the Shepas part.......... according to the article last week,"He will always be a Tiger" PLEASE.... I'm not convinced that he ever really knew what it meant to ba a Tiger!!!!!

[massillon catholic]

I agree with everything you say here but the Shepas part.......... according to the article last week,"He will always be a Tiger" PLEASE.... I'm not convinced that he ever really knew what it meant to ba a Tiger!!!!!


To be honest, I think he realized once he was gone.

[sly4458]

to make a statement like that was a slap in the face to all massillon fans. we have been the ones to suport this program with money and our dedication. and for him to say we would take out the TRASH!!!! just was way out of line.
and this is what we get as an AD for 70+ a year!!!!

[Banks]

I agree with everything you say here but the Shepas part.......... according to the article last week,"He will always be a Tiger" PLEASE.... I'm not convinced that he ever really knew what it meant to ba a Tiger!!!!!

One thing is clear! Shepas had no clue how close his house was to the stadium if he thought it was 2 or 3 blocks.

[Banks]

to make a statement like that was a slap in the face to all massillon fans. we have been the ones to suport this program with money and our dedication. and for him to say we would take out the TRASH!!!! just was way out of line.
and this is what we get as an AD for 70+ a year!!!!


Maybe the Sup should sit the AD down and have a long talk with him!

[Obie Wan]

Maybe the Sup should sit the AD down and have a long talk with him!
Maybe the Sup agrees with him.

[obiefan]

I think we all need to calm down...

Come on, he played for the last Massillon Championship team...

This is a tough issue.

I don't intend on letting this thread run rampant. If we can be civil, so be it. If not... this thread closes.

[obiefan]

Believe me, Shep would have never made a statement this stupid!

LOL I seem to recall a particular statement he made that didn't sit too well with fed leaders or member schools. However true or not, it was not the most succint way to put it.

[massillon catholic]

LOL I seem to recall a particular statement he made that didn't sit too well with fed leaders or member schools. However true or not, it was not the most succint way to put it.

That statement still remains true, IMO. However, the "taking out the trash" statement, is false, a slap in the face, degrading, embarrassing, insulting, and he should make some type of statement to clear things up. Unless, this is actually what he believes.

[Obie Wan]

I think we all need to calm down...

Come on, he played for the last Massillon Championship team...
Todd Porter, Billy Relford, and Bobby Geiser also played for the Tigers. I don't see how playing football in high school is any excuse for your conduct or decisions as an adult.

This isn't about having an administrator come out in favor of joining the Fed -- it is about our AD publicly groveling and telling the world that Massillon is fit only to pick up the garbage of neighboring schools. No one who holds this district in such obvious low regard has any business in its employ. This is absolutely disgusting, and it is proof positive that Tim Ridgely is not up to the public demands of his position.

[Benchboss1]

I am totally dumbfounded as to why we HAVE TO/NEED TO be in the Federal League. I am also discusted by the way we lower ourselves to begging, groveling, sniveling and kissing as much A_S as we can find, just to make the job of our athletic director EASIER!!!! If he did not want to do the work, he should not have applied for the job!!

On a side note, it sounds like Mr. AD has ALOT of leftover lip balm from his interview!!!:jestera:

[Benchboss1]

Come on, he played for the last Massillon Championship team...



It certrainly appears that he lost his TIGER PRIDE between then and now doesn't it?:doh:

[proud to be]

I think we all need to calm down...

Come on, he played for the last Massillon Championship team...

This is a tough issue.

I don't intend on letting this thread run rampant. If we can be civil, so be it. If not... this thread closes.

All due respect... what has been said here that would make you react this way? Is it not an insult that one man, with his own agenda, feels he can speak on OUR behalf in this manner???

The FED has loathed us for years, and this guy comes in as AD and all of a sudden we are supposed to bow down to them, (take out their trash?), so he can have an easier time of scheduling? After all, those are the direct comments made as to why this is needed. I don't understand......

[massillon catholic]

I am totally dumbfounded as to why we HAVE TO/NEED TO be in the Federal League. I am also discusted by the way we lower ourselves to begging, groveling, sniveling and kissing as much A_S as we can find, just to make the job of our athletic director EASIER!!!! If he did not want to do the work, he should not have applied for the job!!

On a side note, it sounds like Mr. AD has ALOT of leftover lip balm from his interview!!!:jestera:


I can hear the chants already from the student sections at the fed basketball games.

[Kamd50]

I have to agree with everyone else on here so far. Except, for you Obiefan, sorry to say. I don't care what team he played on, his remarks are an embarrassment to this entire community.

[Benchboss1]

“(Massillon) has done everything possible to get into the league.



Obviously not, thank goodness!!

Maybe we can go around and spruce up all of the league stadiums, you know, things like cleaning their bathrooms, painting their bleachers, mowing the fields that have grass, change their light bulbs etc. etc. Sounds like fun to me. How about the rest of you? Who's in?

Just wait until it is closer to basketball season, then we can go around and resurface all of their gym floors!! Whoopeee!!

I as a Massillon fan am totally embarassed by the way our AD is acting!!

[massillon catholic]

I have to agree with everyone else on here so far. Except, for you Obiefan, sorry to say. I don't care what team he played on, his remarks are an embarrassment to this entire community.

Well said!

[Al.]

I can hear the chants already from the student sections at the fed basketball games.


It comes with the territory. However, the best way to shut them up is on the scoreboard.

[austinsm11]

“(Massillon) has done everything possible to get into the league.



Obviously not, thank goodness!!

Maybe we can go around and spruce up all of the league stadiums, you know, things like cleaning their bathrooms, painting their bleachers, mowing the fields that have grass, change their light bulbs etc. etc. Sounds like fun to me. How about the rest of you? Who's in?

Just wait until it is closer to basketball season, then we can go around and resurface all of their gym floors!! Whoopeee!!

I as a Massillon fan am totally embarassed by the way our AD is acting!!

Hey, we could build more seating while sprucing the FED stadiums up. At least all of our fans coud watch the away games.

[Benchboss1]

It comes with the territory. However, the best way to shut them up is on the scoreboard.



Nice theory AL, but it has not worked with Hoover yet now has it?

[longtimefirsttime]

It does sound like he's groveling.
“I just want in,” he said. “I don’t care if they tell us that we have to play the game and then take the trash out afterwards, we’ll do that. It is so critical financially and scheduling wise that we are in a league."

The Tiger football program will always be fine, with or without a league. As others have mentioned, they've never had an open date. I think the football crowds at first would be huge. Proponents would say, "see I told you so." But what happens if Massillon and McKinley dominate the Fed football landscape for a few years? I would expect the average football attendance to be less than it is now. What do Fed fans bring when they don't have high hopes of winning? Use the 2005 Hoover playoff game as an example.

The comments by the AD were not that surprising. The Head Coach supports joining the FED. The Superintendent supports joining the Fed. The ducks have been placed in a row for that likely decision.

[massillon catholic]

If Shepas made this statement, there would be demands that he be fired! We should remain consistent.

[massillon catholic]

Let me see........ If my memory serves me correct, Currence did it, Maronto did it, Owens did it, Rose did it, Shepas did it and they all had to coach as well. Why can't Ridgley do it?

[Benchboss1]

The comments by the AD were not that surprising. The Head Coach supports joining the FED. The Superintendent supports joining the Fed. The ducks have been placed in a row for that likely decision.


EXACTLY!!! I am in no way trying to start another sh-t storm here, but this one of the main reasons I was against Stacy getting our job, he is a complete and total "yes" man, just as Ridgley is as the AD.

We could have had Paul Brown, Bill Belichick, Vince Lombardi and Bill Walsh all apply for our job, and if all of those guys would have been against joining the Fed, we would have bypassed each and every one of them for a "yes" man

Again, I am ashamed at these comments!!:notlistening:

[Benchboss1]

If Shepas made this statement, there would be demands that he be fired! We should remain consistent.


This statement could not be more true!

[massillon catholic]

Again, I am ashamed at these comments!!:notlistening:


ASHAMED? I am offended by these comments!

[obiefan]

Agree with me or not, but like I said... If this thread gets to the point of not speaking objectively, and if it turns into nothing more than a bashfest, it will be shut down, and banned as a topic.

Take that to the bank!

[Benchboss1]

Jim, I do not want to be a pain in the backside, but if an employee of the school, not the head coach, makes a statement that makes the whole town and program look like second class citizens, can't you see fit to allow those same folks a little more latitude and room to express their unhappiness?

If Ridgley did not want to draw this much negative attention, he should have kept his behind kissing out of the media.

[crackerman]

this is in no way showing disrespect to any current or former head coach at Massillon, but this is why I really feel and have stated numerous times that eventually Massillon HAS to hire an ex-Tiger to be the Head Coach. It hasnt been done since Augie Morningstar I believe. Whenever time comes, it HAS to be done.

[TigerVic]

We don't NEED to be in a league, especially if the reason is to make the AD's scheduling job easier.

Even if we did need to be in a league, the Fed is not the answer, as they represent a different brand and priority of football and community than we do. If we joined, which I and many other Tiger fans have argued before, we would eventually assimilate into that style and "tradition" of football and be just another Stark County team and Massillon-McKinley will dilute to the level of Jackson-Hoover within 10-15 years.

We might have a full schedule, but we would not have our full identity anymore.

This groveling statement makes us sound like we were Tuslaw wanting to enter the Fed.

I'm afraid we lost some of our identity today.

[massillon catholic]

Agree with me or not, but like I said... If this thread gets to the point of not speaking objectively, and if it turns into nothing more than a bashfest, it will be shut down, and banned as a topic.

Take that to the bank!

With all due respect, Ridgley had a public forum to insult all of us by suggesting that we (all of us) would take out the trash, just to join the fed. So, HIS job would be easier. Ridgley, as a school employee is a "public servant". Whether, you want in the fed or oppose it, each and every Massillon Tiger fan has been insulted by these comments. Ridgley, who reads this forum, has not posted any apology for his statements. I agree that personal bashing should not be permitted, but please don't take away our ability to oppose his insulting public statement.

[Mass6]

What's bad is that no other AD in our history came out and stated that we NEED to get into a league, just that it would be nice for scheduling purporses for other sports. So what he is saying is that he will do what no respectable Massillon alumni would do, beg for the Fed to let us in so HIS job is easier. Teams already act as if it is no big deal to play Massillon, and if we BEG to get in we are only lowering ourselves more. Unbelievable! :doh:

[proud to be]

What's bad is that no other AD in our history came out and stated that we NEED to get into a league, just that it would be nice for scheduling purporses for other sports. :

The funny thing about this comment, and I'm not saying you agree with it, is that WE ALREADY PLAY ALL OF THE FED TEAMS IN OTHER SPORTS.
It is a totally false arguement. The Basketball, baseball, softball, wrestling etc etc etc teams... already play a FED rich schedule. Why do we need the FED for this purpose? The only legitimate arguement that I have heard is in reference to the middle school, where scheduling becomes difficult due to travel in some sports.... BUT.......... I have yet to hear a convincing opinion for the FED in HS sportsl.

Maybe we could offer to let them have all home games for the first 3 years too, so they wouldn't have to come to PBTS...... maybe then they'd let us in.:doh:

[TigerVic]

Our '07 schedule isn't too trashy, and it took WORK to make it that way! So has every schedule we've had over the years! And we're STILL, until today perhaps, MASSILLON!

Which is trashier- playing Lake or Ignatius? Jackson or Warren? GlenOak or Mentor? McKinley or McKinley?

After we join the Fed, look for Ignatius, Warren, etc. to go into the trash bin forever!

[TigerVic]

The funny thing about this comment, and I'm not saying you agree with it, is that WE ALREADY PLAY ALL OF THE FED TEAMS IN OTHER SPORTS.
doh:

Agreed, although being in the Fed would cement those games into the schedule. I don't mind the other sports (Except maybe basketball and all of football), although I do mind if it's for the AD's comfort only.

But joining and including football would basically redefine our football program (and thus Massillon) forever.

[DragonTigerNemesis]

I agree that personal bashing should not be permitted, but please don't take away our ability to oppose his insulting public statement.

Mr. Obiefan, this man has a point, and I can see why maybe you should allow some latitude.
Of course, the Inde people will follow all this closely on MP, and we can expect to see an editorial on it in the next few days---

:jestera:

[Mass6]

The funny thing about this comment, and I'm not saying you agree with it, is that WE ALREADY PLAY ALL OF THE FED TEAMS IN OTHER SPORTS.
It is a totally false arguement. The Basketball, baseball, softball, wrestling etc etc etc teams... already play a FED rich schedule. Why do we need the FED for this purpose? The only legitimate arguement that I have heard is in reference to the middle school, where scheduling becomes difficult due to travel in some sports.... BUT.......... I have yet to hear a convincing opinion for the FED in HS sportsl.

Maybe we could offer to let them have all home games for the first 3 years too, so they wouldn't have to come to PBTS...... maybe then they'd let us in.:doh:

I am 100% with you on this. We already play them, yet the only excuse they use is that it will help our other sports. BS, it's gonna help make HIS job easier and Massillon look like just another Fed team.

Or we could let them come to PBTS and be the home team, and dress in our locker room, just so they are ok with everything. :thumbsdown:

[sly4458]

bottom line is that he is way out of line for making this comment. he has done the massillon faithfull wrong. its like he has spit in our face. and called us low class people. thanks alot. guess when they start asking boosters and sideliners and all for more $$$$$ we should say sorry im busy picking up FED TRASH!!!! i cant believe it. i have lost respect for our administration today. makes me sick that we have to hear this kind of crap from people that we give our tax dollars too.

very sad day in tiger town

[Seeker]

bottom line is that he is way out of line for making this comment.

Thank you.
We will make this the bottom line, and close the subject.

In the two threads regarding this subject, it would seem that most caring fans have been heard from, and every posssible negative opinion has been aired.

Perhaps the Inde will give him a chance to clarify his statement, and until then:

This subject of our AD's comments about joining the Fed is closed on the forums - period.

(Also, we usually close down all Fed League discussion at the beginning of the football season, and don't allow it to resume until after the last game, so stay tuned.)