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Houston Nutt accuses Ole Miss of running ‘smear campaign’ threatens to sue

Started by jbcarol, May 25, 2017, 01:50:46 pm

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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/867814438790942720

QuoteHouston Nutt is accusing the Rebels of making him a scapegoat for their recent NCAA troubles.

Nutt wants the university to publicly apologize for passing blame for alleged NCAA violations onto him and his former staff at Ole Miss.

Nutt, 59, thinks Ole Miss' efforts to paint him as the one responsible for most of the violations has impacted his chances of landing a head coaching job.
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jbcarol

HD Nutt: 'It devastates you'

QuoteIn late January 2016, Houston Nutt suddenly started getting questions about NCAA violations at his last coaching job, at the University of Mississippi.

Questions from colleagues at CBS Sports, where Nutt was working as an analyst. Questions from coaching friends within the sport. Even questions from his mother. Emogene Nutt read the latest news back home in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and called her son asking, "What did you do?"

"It hurts you," Nutt said to Yahoo Sports this week. "It devastates you."

This was the residual effect of an Ole Miss damage-control strategy in the wake of revelations about NCAA violations – a strategy that seemed like an attempt to divert scrutiny from current coach Hugh Freeze and staff to Nutt, who was the Rebels' head coach from 2008-11. That has left Nutt feeling wronged and seeking recourse –

"I would hope this wouldn't become a legal situation," Nutt attorney Mars said. "But if the university doesn't recognize at some point the damage that's been done ... I would like to think the appropriate action will be taken.

"This was a smear campaign. If it weren't so deceitful and morally wrong, it would probably go down in college football history as one of the best trick plays ever."

On Jan. 29, 2016, the Rebels found themselves working on crisis containment.

Very quickly after the Yahoo Sports story broke on Jan. 29, other media outlets began publishing their own stories. Mars noted that virtually all of them had the same message: This isn't a major problem for Hugh Freeze or the current athletic administration.

These are some of the excerpts Mars collected from those stories:

From SB Nation: "One Ole Miss source tells StevenSBNation they believe only five of the 32 are alleged football violations, and that coaches are 'confident' allegations related to the current staff are secondary violations. In addition, an NCAA source tells Bud Elliott that the 'vast majority' of the football allegations are more than two years old."

From The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger: "Most of the violations revolve around women's basketball and track and field with a 'very minimal' number related to the current football staff as a result of former left tackle Laremy Tunsil, a source close to the situation said. The source added most of the football violations stem from six years ago."
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311Hog

smear campaign baby, never see it comin!  somebody take that man to sonic.

HognitiveDissonance

Ole Miss is just following the playbook that everybody in life uses.
As soon as someone leaves, it's easier to just blame them for everything. After all, they're not around to defend themselves. JUST BLAME THEM.

Not going to work here. Everyone knows the NCAA wasn't prowling around Oxford until recently. I don't know how much Hugh Freeze personally is involved, but this all started with his regime, and particularly that 2013 class that caught everyone's attention.(Treadwell, Tunsil, Nkemdiche class)

Sed76


Dwight_K_Shrute

He won't sue.  Neither party wants to go under oath.  At best he may get an apology or a bench named after him.
Little known fact, but prior to settling on Guantanamo, the Pentagon wanted to house terror suspects at War Memorial Stadium.  It was deemed to be cruel and unusual punishment and in violation of the Geneva Convention.

Pudgepork

Maybe they'll name the visitors bathroom after him.  The men's.  He'd probably feel honored if it was the womens

Sivad

Pretty funny.
I anxiously await the joy of seeing Ole Miss and the defunct Nutt Family Posse slinging arrows at each other.

tusksincolorado

Quote from: Sivad on May 25, 2017, 09:12:00 pm
Pretty funny.
I anxiously await the joy of seeing Ole Miss and the defunct Nutt Family Posse slinging arrows at each other.

And I felt really bad about the "Golden Handcuffs". Nuttless must be running out of Ole' Piss pimp money....
Screw it! I'm an old angry male, live with it!

rljjr


jbcarol

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LSUFan

I ain't saying you babysitting, but my kids are all over your couch.

Quote from: JIMMY BOARFFETT on August 17, 2015, 02:46:52 pm
Sometimes, I think you're a wine-o who found a laptop in a dumpster.

jbcarol

https://twitter.com/SpiritBen/status/869908831060377601

SpiritBen: Houston Nutt absolutely deserves blame.

David Saunders was deep into "academic imperprieties". Nutt knew that.

Nutt is not a sympathetic figure.  He is a vindictive, petty, pathetic person.  He always has been since he began coaching at Ole Miss.


Kentrell Lockett talks about how Nutt used the "Circle of Trust" as a scapegoat.
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elkhog

GO HOGS!!!

jbcarol

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cosmodrum

Go away, batin'

jbcarol

https://twitter.com/YahooForde/status/885199770872107008

QuoteIn May, Nutt and Mars sought an apology from Ole Miss for its handling of the NCAA issue as it pertained to the former coach. "It devastates you," Nutt said to Yahoo Sports at the time.

No apology was forthcoming, setting the lawsuit in motion.


Houston Nutt's lawsuit against Ole Miss
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HognitiveDissonance

Nutt could use his own record as 'proof' that the cheating wasn't going on in his time. They went from nine wins in 2008 to 0-8 in the SEC in 2011. Isn't that proof?

There wasn't the NCAA sniffing around the football program in that timeframe, either.

The Tunsil/Treadwell, Nkemdiche class was in 2013. All of this happened under Freeze. The top recruits, the improved wins, the allegations.

I think Nutt has a great case. I hope he buries Ole Miss. They are our competitor (even though we've still been beating them every year, regardless)

jbcarol

 Brett McMurphy‏Verified account @Brett_McMurphy Jul 13

If Hugh Freeze sets SEC Media Days record for longest opening statement, will it later be vacated by NCAA?
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jbcarol

 Tim Brando‏Verified account @TimBrando 12h12 hours ago

I wrote after news of Nutt's lawsuit this looked bad for everyone involved. It did then, and it does now. @RossBjorkAD has a difficult road.

Brett McMurphy‏Verified account @Brett_McMurphy 12h12 hours ago

Houston Nutt won 135 games as a college coach. None bigger than his victory today
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joeyself

Hmmmm, Ole Miss could settle the lawsuit by bringing back Nutt as its coach for this year.

Nah.  Never happen.

Maybe John L. Smith is available for a year?

JcS
"Real failure always starts with someone doing something stupid."  Anna Conroy in SLINGS AND ARROWS

jbcarol

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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/888905360354025472

QuoteWhen it comes to Nutt, the ex-Ole Miss coach whose quest for vengeance became the catalyst for his successor's demise, Patterson Sr. was not so forgiving.

In fact, he said the only thing to really upset him in the last 18 months was Nutt's Media Days sabotage. The suit became public knowledge one day before Ole Miss took the stage at SEC Media Days, and as a result shifted most media focus away from the school's three player representatives: Shea Patterson, Javon Patterson and Breeland Speaks.

"Just because he has a grudge or he has a problem with a coach, he couldn't wait another few days to go after that guy? He had to get his moment in the sun because he doesn't have it any more," Patterson Sr. said. "Whether the suit was good or not, that's not the issue. It's always the kids who are forgotten. Not one thought was given to them. I've coached for 25 years. No way would I ever want to spoil a kid's moment in the sun.

"It was gutless. It ruined three kids' days."
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jbcarol

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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/890356085386878977

QuoteScarblog: Let me see if I have this straight.

A Mississippi State fan with a tattoo of the school's logo on his hand helped an Arkansas lawyer - who's working for a former Arkansas and Ole Miss coach in a lawsuit against Ole Miss - take down the current Ole Miss coach. That Mississippi State fan - who's writing a book on the NCAA case against Ole Miss called Flim Flam - discovered a phone call from Hugh Freeze's university-issued cell phone to an escort service.

Two Mississippi State players have received limited immunity from the NCAA in exchange for their testimony against Ole Miss concerning alleged recruiting shenanigans. One of those State players has developed a wicked habit of subtweeting his glee when Ole Miss suffers some sort of major indignity, like self-imposing a postseason ban or having its head coach resign in disgrace.

A clothing store in Oxford that specializes in Ole Miss gear - named Rebel Rags - is suing those two Mississippi State players as well as the ex-stepfather of a former Ole Miss player for allegations they made to the NCAA.

Those are just the highlights, and no one knows if this ride will end once the NCAA Infractions Committee takes its own shots at Ole Miss come the fall.
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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/AntonioCMorales/status/891100591534952448

"Unless you can provide persuasive authority for your position ... you can count on me taking you to court," Mars wrote to Ole Miss.
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Inhogswetrust

Those lawyers come at you so fast it just messes you up.................................
If I'm going to cheer players and coaches in victory, I damn sure ought to be man enough to stand with them in defeat.

"Why some people are so drawn to the irrational is something that has always puzzled me" - James Randi

Inhogswetrust

The funny thing is that IF old misses and Freeze did what nutty asked and apologized then Freeze might still be the coach there and yet nutty still couldn't get hired as a coach..........................................
If I'm going to cheer players and coaches in victory, I damn sure ought to be man enough to stand with them in defeat.

"Why some people are so drawn to the irrational is something that has always puzzled me" - James Randi

jbcarol

https://twitter.com/AntonioCMorales/status/892543537660678148

QuoteOXFORD - This all started with a request for an apology, but it has since become much more than that.

Attorney Thomas Mars, representing former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, sought one from Ole Miss multiple times, Mars said, on behalf of his client back in March. But he has yet to receive one for what they allege was a misinformation campaign the school led against Nutt in January 2016.

Now the two sides are locked in bitter legal dispute, which includes one lawsuit and potentially another.

Despite all of that, Mars told Yahoo's Pat Forde Monday that Nutt would still accept an apology from Ole Miss, but not without reasonable compensation.

So the question is what would Nutt's representation deem as suitable compensation? Well, it depends, Mars told The Clarion-Ledger.

"It's difficult to answer that question without knowing when that might happen, if ever, and what other significant evidence we'll develop in the meantime," Mars said. "Just in the past few weeks, for instance, we unexpectedly uncovered some very relevant and helpful evidence that we weren't even looking for at the time.

"That information, and any other new evidence we find, would factor into our calculations of what we'd consider reasonable compensation for Coach Nutt."
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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/YahooForde/status/892113113583169537

Mars: Phone arrangement through Foundation was a departure from Nutt's tenure. Why would school would create/allow that arrangement?

Mars requested phone records from entire Freeze OM tenure. School says it will cost 25 grand to produce records, citing time for redactions.

More Mars: "If you're asking whether coach Nutt would dismiss his lawsuit if OleMiss would apologize w/o offering reasonable compensation...

Mars cont: "... for what coach Freeze did to him ... the answer would be NO."

Mars on problems stemming from lack of OM apology: "Inherent in the freedom we have to make wise decisions is the freedom to make bad ones."
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riccoar

I don't think Ole Miss relents and kiss' his arse.  But Hooty might want to be careful, Ole Miss might just get pissed and start digging in his yard too.

jbcarol

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jbcarol

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jbcarol

Quote from: jbcarol on August 02, 2017, 06:30:06 am
https://twitter.com/AntonioCMorales/status/892543537660678148


Neal McCready‏ @NealMcCready Aug 1

Neal McCready Retweeted Antonio Morales

This is great work by Antonio. That said, Houston Nutt was NEVER going to settle for an apology. He needs/wants $$$$.
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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/AntonioCMorales/status/893232204733599744

QuoteOXFORD — In regard to offering an apology to Houston Nutt, Ole Miss' stance is pretty clear: It doesn't believe there's reason to.

Nutt filed a lawsuit on July 12 — against the university, its athletic foundation and the IHL Board of Trustees — which alleged a breach of his severance agreement.

The university released an exclusive statement to The Clarion-Ledger on Wednesday questioning the merit of the case.

"In characterizing the severance agreement in the Complaint, Mr. Nutt's lawyer has selectively omitted key language from the relevant sentence," said David Kaufman, the attorney for the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation. "In the 2011 negotiations of the severance agreement, Mr. Nutt's lawyer at the time asked for a non-disparagement provision, but the request was refused. Instead, we simply agreed to give a directive to certain people, and we did exactly what we promised."

University's outside counsel contends the directive was aimed at a control group, which didn't include Hugh Freeze, Ross Bjork, or Kyle Campbell, Ole Miss' associate athletic director for communications. They also argued the directive wasn't an ongoing stipulation. Most of the members of the control group have since departed the university, including former chancellor Dan Jones and athletic director Pete Boone.

Thomas Mars, Nutt's attorney, contends there's a provision in the severance agreement which prohibits Nutt from disclosing the agreement. So instead of using the specific language, he paraphrased it in the initial complaint in order to avoid a breach.

As far as the directive and its interpretation, Mars, who said he's going up against some of the finest lawyers in Mississippi, said Thursday: "The law in Mississippi and elsewhere thoroughly rejects interpretations of contracts that are absurd and nonsensical."

Freeze, Bjork and Campbell were the targets of Nutt's original complaint, which alleged a breach of contract and breach of good faith and fair dealing. The complaint stated the trio allegedly led a misinformation campaign about Nutt to multiple journalists when the university received its initial Notice of Allegations from the NCAA in January 2016.

Nutt's complaint cited phone records as evidence of calls made to journalists.

Mars contends Nutt merely sought an apology from Ole Miss about its alleged misinformation campaign. He claims he asked the university for this on multiple occasions in March.

But the sentiment of the university and IHL board's representation is that the suit was never about an apology, but money.

"Mr. Nutt's lawyer mentioned an apology in passing in a couple of conversations and in one email earlier this spring. The University asked Mr. Nutt's lawyer to identify statements for which Mr. Nutt wanted an apology," said Paul Stephenson, attorney for the university and the IHL board. "Mr. Nutt's lawyer never provided anything. To be clear, this lawsuit was never about an apology. It is about money. But Ole Miss has paid Mr. Nutt everything that it ever owed him."

On May 30, Mars sent an email to Ole Miss asking how to request a formal apology after a spokesman told Yahoo's Pat Forde the university hasn't received a formal request for an apology. He claims all of his conversations with the university were about an apology.

But Mars intends to send them something else on Friday.

"I have discussed with Houston and Bubba (Walter) Morrison (Nutt's Ridgeland-based attorney) a possible resolution of this case, which I'm going to communicate to appropriate people at Ole Miss," Mars said. "That will just reinforce once and for all and without question, Houston is not looking for money. This was never about money and it's not about money now."

Mars said he's already written the proposal and Nutt has approved it.

Keep in mind, Mars said earlier this week Nutt wouldn't accept an apology without reasonable compensation.

When asked to address that he said, "I think people understand the context of that statement. If the university sees our proposal as I hope they will, there's a very reasonable way to resolve this matter."
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jbcarol

 Dan Wolken‏Verified account @DanWolken Aug 4

Meanwhile Bjork categorically denies the allegations in the Nutt lawsuit, says Ole Miss was honest in what it released to media. Interesting
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jbcarol

Here's Thomas Mars' statement regarding his settlement proposal in the Houston Nutt lawsuit vs. Ole Miss.




QuoteMars: "This kind of offer doesn't require a lot of thinking. In Arkansas, we'd call this a 'no brainer.'" Also wants a quick response.
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jbcarol

Lawyer: 'Silence is deafening' from Ole Miss after Houston Nutt settlement offer



QuoteOle Miss received a settlement offer from former coach Houston Nutt's legal team on Friday. The terms of the offer — that Nutt wants no money for himself — were reported on Monday. But nothing had come from the school as of Tuesday morning.

USA Today's Dan Wolken reported on Tuesday that Thomas Mars, Nutt's attorney, said Ole Miss' "silence has been deafening" since the settlement offer was sent to the university prior to the weekend.
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Inhogswetrust

Quote from: jbcarol on August 08, 2017, 10:11:16 pm
Lawyer: 'Silence is deafening' from Ole Miss after Houston Nutt settlement offer




I'm more inclined to think the silence from them speaks volumes loud and clear on their position. Ironic since IF they and Freeze had been silent all along they wouldn't be in this lawsuit mess.
If I'm going to cheer players and coaches in victory, I damn sure ought to be man enough to stand with them in defeat.

"Why some people are so drawn to the irrational is something that has always puzzled me" - James Randi

jbcarol

Judge dismisses Houston Nutt's lawsuit against Ole Miss



QuoteOXFORD - Ole Miss has been granted a motion to dismiss in its lawsuit against Houston Nutt.

The motion was granted Wednesday afternoon by United States District Judge Neal B. Biggers Jr. The athletic foundation and IHL Board of Trustees were also named in the suit....

Read the Order here
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vandybuff

Quote from: Inhogswetrust on July 29, 2017, 09:41:19 am
The funny thing is that IF old misses and Freeze did what nutty asked and apologized then Freeze might still be the coach there and yet nutty still couldn't get hired as a coach..........................................

The marketability and ability of Nutt and Freeze aside, I think you are correct. 
What a wonderful time to rediscover the hobby for a lifetime - a great book!!!

A happy life is doing something "that matters".  So start today!!!!!

vandybuff

What a wonderful time to rediscover the hobby for a lifetime - a great book!!!

A happy life is doing something "that matters".  So start today!!!!!

jbcarol

Quote from: vandybuff on August 09, 2017, 05:34:36 pm
Do you think Nutt will re-file?

Hugh Kellenberger‏Verified account @HKellenbergerCL 3h3 hours ago

The motion to dismiss happened because it was filed in federal court, which is not appropriate jurisdiction. Which only lends credence to argument this was never, ever going in front of a judge. Thomas Mars knew what he was doing. Also means case can be re-filed in state.
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vandybuff

What a wonderful time to rediscover the hobby for a lifetime - a great book!!!

A happy life is doing something "that matters".  So start today!!!!!

jbcarol

Houston Nutt's lawsuit vs. Ole Miss dismissed in federal court



QuoteU.S. district court judge Neal B. Biggers Jr. of Oxford granted the school's motion to dismiss, because "jurisdiction is lacking." Biggers wrote that Nutt's claims of defamation of character did not violate any federal laws, but instead state laws, meaning Nutt would have to re-file his suit in state court.

Nutt's lawsuit alleged that former coach Hugh Freeze, athletics director Ross Bjork and other athletics department officials violated a separation agreement with Nutt by making disparaging comments about him to media members regarding Ole Miss' ongoing NCAA investigation. Freeze resigned July 21 after phone records turned over to Nutt's lawyers showed that he had placed at least one call to an escort service.

Nutt was fired by Ole Miss following the 2011 season. He has not coached since, working primarily as a college football television and radio analyst.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Nutt would drop his lawsuit if Ole Miss issued an apology and donated $500,000 to establish a commission on sports ethics in the state of Mississippi.

Judge Biggers had about 10-12 reasons to see this play out at the state level.
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jbcarol

Quote from: jbcarol on August 09, 2017, 06:29:06 pm
Hugh Kellenberger‏Verified account @HKellenbergerCL 3h3 hours ago

The motion to dismiss happened because it was filed in federal court, which is not appropriate jurisdiction. Which only lends credence to argument this was never, ever going in front of a judge. Thomas Mars knew what he was doing. Also means case can be re-filed in state.


Billy Quin‏ @billyquin 14h14 hours ago
Replying to @HKellenbergerCL

It's more likely he was trying to avoid the the forum selection clause in the severance agreement by trumping it with federal law.
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jbcarol

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Sivad


jbcarol

 Dan Wolken‏Verified account @DanWolken 3h3 hours ago

EXCLUSIVE: Ole Miss officials were told not to harm Houston Nutt's reputation as football coach https://usat.ly/2vXrzCD  via @usatoday



Will Denton‏ @will_denton
Replying to @DanWolken @USATODAY

Come on dude you got freeze. Nutt did himself in with poor records last 2 years and telling players he did not care if they went to class.

Dan Wolken‏Verified account @DanWolken 2h2 hours ago

Dan Wolken Retweeted Will Denton

A) I didn't "get" anyone
B) This isn't my case to litigate
C) Former big-name SEC coach suing former school is a major story
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