Of all the people you’d never expect the University of Louisville administration to piss off — first up would be Patrick Henry Hughes, the extraordinary musician and former U of L band member who brought the school plenty of fame and fortune through his family’s appearance on that Extreme Makeover show — and subsequent profiles on Oprah and in national magazines.
It turns out Patrick (who, you remember, is blind and gets around in a wheelchair) is not in the band any more, and it’s not his choice. And he’s upset at school officials who have “made it impossible” for him to participate in the school’s band, which this year became a part of the Athletic Department, not the Music Department.
The reason, of course, is money and the greed of Tom Jurich’s athletic department. Here’s a link to a lengthy blog post Hughes has written.
I got an e-mail from Patrick Henry’s ‘father this morning, which informed me that Patrick Henry is mulling offers from media outlets to tell his story, which includes the fact that athletic officials called music professors “idiots and yahoos.” We’re sure U of L is working the Hughes family to keep them quiet. Hughes characterizes the school’s athletics and marketing professionals as, well, greedy and unprofessional.
Read the Rest after the Jump…
Unnamed athletic officials (if someone out there can finger these people for us, we’ll be glad to I.D. them) verbally assaulted the Hughes’ over donor money (money that would be coming to U of L because of Hughes) and threatened to ban Patrick Hughes (the dad) from ball games.
Nice way to treat a guy that brought positive P.R. to the university through a dozen or more profiles in national media, whose photo graces a giant wall downtown at Baxter and Broadway.
You should read Hughes’ piece. Here’s an excerpt:
So my dad went to a meeting with two high level Athletic Administrators. One of these people yelled at my dad so much that three times my dad asked this person to please calm down and stop raising her voice. Dad describes it as the way Michael Vick would talk to a losing dog after a fight. The other individual spent his time with dad pounding his little finger on his desk and threatening my father that should this sort of thing ever occur again, dad would be banned from all UL Athletic events. That’s one of the reasons I’m writing this letter. I don’t want my dad banned from ball games - he likes them a lot. I don’t want to be banned either but realize this may be the result. If so, it’s been a pleasure being part of the marching band these past three years. I owe all the success I’m enjoying to Dr. Greg Byrne for seeing me as a trumpet player first!
It goes on describe how U of L marketers now put it in sponsorship contracts that the band will play their jingles during games — can you believe it?They’re attempting to turn the Band into a profit center, at the expense of students like Hughes. No longer do band members get Music credits for participating in the Pep Band - no, they get $20. That way the school can hire non-students to play in the band.
This from a school that is still reeling from the bad press it brought on itself with its handling of the Robert Felner scandal. And then the bad press it got for forcing a meal plan down the throats of students who don’t want it.
Anybody else outraged at this?
31 responses so far ↓
1 Chris Strothoff // Nov 6, 2008 at 11:25 am
This is absolutely a very sad and unexcusable situation. How can UofL even think of letting this happen. Patrick Henry is an inspiration for us all.
2 Jane // Nov 6, 2008 at 11:50 am
This is outrageous. I knew the Athletic Dept. was full of greedy jerks (see ticket prices), but this takes the cake. They’d better fix this right away or they’re gonna lose subscribers and fast. And if I have to hear the band play commercials that will be another reason to give up my tix. What money grabbers! This is highly embarrassing.
3 Raoul Duke // Nov 6, 2008 at 12:33 pm
To add insult to injury, the Extreme Makover team gave UL’s band practice field an extreme makeover.
It looks to me like Jurich and Co. have not only whizzed all over one of their greates goodwill ambassadors, they did so after accepting the largesse that he provided.
Ungrateful bastards. This reminds me of when Tom Meeker ran the blind pencil vendor out of Churchill Downs. It may be the beginning of the end for Jurich. Hubris, as the Greeks tell us, is inexorably followed by nemisis.
4 derbs // Nov 6, 2008 at 12:39 pm
If this doesn’t turn out to be completely incorrect –and of late, U of L’s braintrust has given me no reason to believe it will — this will spell doom for this program among thousands of people who have been its most loyal supporters for decades.
5 Thomas // Nov 6, 2008 at 12:47 pm
To clear up any misconceptions, Patrick Henry Hughes is still in the University of Louisville marching band, which plays at football games and is run by the School of Music. In his Blog he is saying the Athletic Pep Band, which plays at basketball, volleyball and other athletic sponsored events, won’t let him join.
6 Rick's wife // Nov 6, 2008 at 1:05 pm
As an alum and former student athlete of UofL, I am just sick and embarrassed by this injustice! Patrick, you and your father are great inspirations and have many more great moments in your lives. There is NO EXCUSE for this type of treatment and I can only say I am sorry about this behavior. This is unfair to you and other band members. Louisville is too great of a city and our citizens will not let this go on! Anyone with suggestions on how to make this wrong a right! Letters, emails, phone calls…
7 Ed Springston // Nov 6, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I say we get together and in honor of Patrick do a amrch ourselves. A protest march on campus with Patrick leading the way.
How insulting can tis University be. Patrick has brought fame to U of L as a humanitarian place, money to the university through extreme makeover redoing their band practice field, and a positive role model for the school that has been less than stellar in that department.
Anyone interested? Let me know.
myviewmatters@aol.com
(502)742-8519
8 Karen // Nov 6, 2008 at 3:13 pm
It seems like all college athletics is just about money. I understand it takes money to operate things, are not the purposes of college to teach students and make them better citizens for the future? If all we teach them is to look for money, I mean really, ($20 per game to play in the Pep Band) then we will get what we deserve in the future.
Patrick Henry and his dad are a perfect example of what people can achieve thru hard work. Many people could learn alot by this example.
It seems that UL has alot of problems going on right now, and to me they seem to go all the way to the Presidents office. The President dismissed the Robert Felner story when it first came out, calling it a bunch of crap, and decided it was important when it was obvious it was a major embarrassment.
I expect nothing different from Mr Ramsey this time. What an embarrassment.
9 Wes // Nov 6, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I love UofL. I attended there in the early 80’s. I have supported their athletics programs whenever I could. I have stood up for them in the bad times. But, I can’t defend them in this matter. This is digusting and embarrassing. I am ashamed of the school and those responsible for this. I know they won’t lose any sleep over me or any other UofL fan griping a bit but, they might when this goes national. From what I hear… it has already been picked up. Extreme MakeOver is going to be involved only in a follow up 2 minute segment.
10 WLKY News // Nov 6, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Watch WLKY tonight for U of L’s response to all of this.
11 Reader // Nov 6, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Keep marching Patrick!!!!!!!! Fight the fight!!!
12 Wes // Nov 6, 2008 at 3:57 pm
What can UofL possibly say about this?
13 flubby // Nov 6, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Here’s another side to this not-so-new story:
www.cardchronicle.com/story/2008/2/16/105021/215
Seems like there ought to be a solution that the students, athletic department and school of music can all live with and doesn’t make the university look so bad.
14 WHAS11 News // Nov 6, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Watch WHAS11 News tonight and hear from both Patrick and U of L.
15 WDRB News // Nov 6, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Fox 41 News has already aired responses from both Patrick and U of L
16 Jinx // Nov 6, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Being a former band geek, and being forced to march in the marching band due to being on music scholarship; quite frankly no one realizes how much band students have to endure not only in practice but on game days.
I unfortunately had a college band director willing to sell off our time to the atheletic department to curry favor with the university administration. One Saturday we had practice from 7 to 9 in the morning. Had to go get our uniforms and be ready to march in a parade at 11:00. Didn’t get done with that till 1:00. By that time we had to go play for the booster club for 45 minutes. Then go do pregame, the ball game. Oh, and then take off immediately after the game to go to a high school and do an exhibition at a marching contest.
From 7 inthe morning to 7 that night our band director prostituted us off for favor from the administration.
Hughes has legitimate complaints and unless you have been there, done that, marched in the rain, sleet, snow and heat; these atheletic types don’t even have a clue what being tough is about.
17 Dave Creek, Web Producer // Nov 6, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Here’s the link to Fox 41’s story:
http://www.fox41.com/Global/story.asp?S=9306397
18 btucker // Nov 6, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Hey, Ed, we could stage a march or protest, but we would have to pony up the Mayor’s new fees to do it. Any donors?
19 Ken Hardin // Nov 6, 2008 at 6:41 pm
According to the Fox 41’s story, Hughes’ big complaint with the “rules” that are keeping him off the Pep Band are that he would have to route Media Requests through the AD’s office — not any access issues related to his disability.
He is in a weird position as a student musician in that somebody wants to talk to him. I don’t doubt that Jurich sees this as a way to lock up his celebrity as an Athletics fund-raising op, as opposed to money to the School of Music.
HOWEVER, HE’S NOT SAYING THAT THEY WON’T LET HIM PARTICIPATE BECAUSE OF DISABILITIES.
The main thing the music students are pissed about is the fact that Jurich took the pep band away from the School of Music, and so now the kids can’t get credit for playing in it. Hughes is in a rare position to have folks listen to his beef here.
BTW, Jurich is soooo outta control.
20 Republican gadfly // Nov 6, 2008 at 7:01 pm
This is a bit of old news, isn’t it? I’d heard about that athletic department taking over the pep band months, if not a year or two, ago.
21 Buckethead // Nov 6, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Sounds like a possible case of the dad overstepping his bounds just a little bit.
He wouldn’t be happy with anything that might keep the media away from his son.
22 Bruce Maples // Nov 6, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Jurich took over control of the pep band about a year ago. He took the pep band away from the music department and made it part of the athletic department. Lots of hurt feelings, lots of accusations. I wrote him a letter at the time, to which I received no response, not even a form reply. Classy.
23 Jeff // Nov 6, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I don’t understand why people are so surprised by these revelations. Didn’t the Felner debacle clearly expose that the University of Louisville is simply another profit-oriented corporation, same as GE, Ford, UPS, Humana et al? Hasn’t everyone always known that the NCAA is nothing but a money machine? Do people really not know these things?
24 J. R. // Nov 6, 2008 at 8:58 pm
As someone that was involved with both the marching band and pep band when this happened, it was a horribly handled situation. There is nothing quite like finding out from a message board and a fan at basketball game that the athletic dept. was going to create a new pep band. None of us in pep band was happy about it, and in a Q&A with Kyle Moates and some woman whose name escapes, none of our questions were directly answered. It became more frustrating when President Ramsey sided with Athletics. The SGA had a resolution demanding an apology from all involved, but that was ignored by all.
25 exclusive // Nov 6, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I heard WAVE is on the story now. Look for them to call it an “Exclusive” even after the other three stations all ran the same story.
26 louisvilleobserver // Nov 6, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Moats admits he was one of the administrators in the meeting with Hughes’ father and that voices were raised over his accusation the department wasn’t giving money to the band. He denies he threatened to ban him, though Patrick John Hughes says an professor was told to pull him aside and ask him to “calm down” or be banned from events.
27 Chuck // Nov 6, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Seems to me that Ramsey, Jurich and the whole house of liars need to be thrown out on their ears. They’ve pretty much sullied this state ran institution which gets its tax dollars from we the taxpayers. Not only to mention that you the people who attend the school also have to pay out of your wallets. I think its well above time to start to look at alternative ways of providing your education.
Its not as if this region does not have other options than U of L and their constant raising of fees for college classes. Meanwhile, the average pay here stinks, the jobs are lacking, yet this hometown university wants to charge you more.
To add insult to injury, you will have to pay more for meals being on the Soviet commissars meal plan. Does anyone see something wrong with that picture that you have to eat their garbage so you can attend their school, nice isn’t it. Makes one wonder if they don’t put a side order of stupid in there for good measure that way you can act like a certain group of people running things in this town.
28 Crutnacker // Nov 7, 2008 at 7:06 am
From what I’ve heard, Jurich has been pretty lucky that the Petrino program didn’t get investigated by the NCAA.
It seems incredibly idiotic, no matter what the attitude of the Hughes family, to piss off a family that has made the university itself as much a part of their story as Patrick himself.
As U of L’s name grows, the quality of the leadership seems to be dropping.
29 Tirnstile // Nov 7, 2008 at 9:07 am
I think Jurich should be more concerned with how the football team can beat Syracuse, arguably one of the 10 worst teams in the country. Let the music department do it’s job.
30 marie // Nov 9, 2008 at 2:12 am
Blinded by greed, U of L administrators can’t see the value in anyone or anything.
Their true colors are coming through!
31 newsasylum // Dec 19, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I’m think Ill gov. Blagojavech and Jurich are the same person. The black turtle neck, the same smug look, the dark hair.
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