Predictably, Adams is trying to deflect any blame for the pitifully low graduation rates of UGA athletes during Adams' tenure as President while trying to throw Dooley under the bus.
How do you know Michael Adams cannot be trusted? Check his neck. How do you know he is lying? His lips are moving.The low graduation rates for the 1996-2000 athletes recently reported are largely coterminous with the coaching tenures of Jim Donnan, Ron Jirsa, and Jim Harrick. Michael Adams is responsible for the hiring of Jim Harrick over Dooley's objections, and Harrick's tenure put basketball graduation rates in the toilet for the foreseeable future. Michael Adams made under-the-table retention payments to Jim Donnan unbeknownst to Coach Dooley and the Athletic Board. But he doesn't want you to remember that.
It is simply laughable that Adams expects to be absolved of blame for the low graduation rates. Then he takes the petty, ankle-biting low road by publicly blaming Dooley in his op-ed piece--and tells lies to do it. You can lay the blame directly at the feet of Michael Adams.
Dooley writes a rebuttal in today's AJC exposing Adams' lies and setting the record straight. The highlights:
Drawing on the training acquired in pursuit of his doctorate in political communications, Adams put an excellent spin in response to the AJCs' editorial that placed the overall responsibility of the poor graduation rates squarely on his shoulders as the president of UGA.
Using his skills as a spin doctor is commendable. But Adams crossed the line when he said, "For some time, the philosophy at UGA was academic eligibility, not graduation." I, along with many academic counselors, administrators and coaches who have diligently worked for decades with student-athletes in the pursuit of a degree, resent the finger-pointing in this crisis. [snip]
Adams' guest column also stated that "the academic counseling function was moved from the athletic department and placed under the university's chief academic officer." That never was the case, nor is it the case today.
Adams admits he is a big fat liar in a follow up article in today's AJC. Adams apologized to Dooley in the article and promises he meant no offense and is sorry "any offense was taken". Adams admitted that his statement about moving the academic counseling functions under the provost was a lie. "I don't know why Dr. Adams would say that," said Dooley. "Perhaps he was misinformed." Yeah. Perhaps. Or perhaps he was twisting the facts to fit his tortured characterizations in order to paint himself in a more favorable light. Either way he lied and got caught.
"I am not a crook." Deloitte & Touche disagree.
Terence Moore even calls Adams on the carpet for his hypocrisy. Admittedly, I'm a day late on this, but I never read Terence Moore because...well...no one does. Moore basically accuses Adams of talking out of both sides of his mouth for saying he'd still accept marginally qualified athletes because "we still have to compete in the [SEC]", while sidestepping the blame for low graduation rates. Moore thinks Adams is saying he won't let academics get in the way of winning championships. Why? "Adams said so twice. In different ways. Within three days, and to the same newspaper."
Not all criticisms of Adams are on target. Grumpy old man Bill Shipp blames Adams for Saturday's loss to Tennessee. Shipp writes, "Mike Adams admits, in effect, that the University of Georgia has enrolled some of the stupidest jocks in the nation so Georgia can compete in the SEC." Fair enough [see above]. But the scholar athletes represented in the reporting period were not on the on the field Saturday. I am confident Coach Richt and Coach Felton will affirmatively work to see that our current athletes raise our graduation rates to respectable levels. At any rate, the intelligence of our athletes is not why we lost to Tennessee. This guy is.
So let's get this straight: graduation rates are lower than whale turds, tailgating is on the verge of extinction, family friendly zones are an utter failure, and our endowment continues to be source of embarrassment. Michael Adams is a President even Jimmy Carter can observe with indulgence. Sonny Perdue can blame the AJC all he wants for kicking UGA, but if he really wanted to do something for the state's flagship institution, he could put getting rid of Michael Adams on his Sonny Do List.
Dawgnoxious
Chairman,
Coalition to Impeach President Adams
