Projo sports dept 401-277-7340 Complain about Dondaldson!!!

[Tom98]

The sports editors name is Mike Mcdermot. His email is MMCDERMO@PROVIDENCEJOURNAL.COM
Phone number for the sports department is 401-277-7340


It is time for us to take a stand on Jim Donaldson and the absolute garbage he has been putting out about our local sports teams, especially URI. He is clearly promoting Hurley to go to Rutgers. If you didn't read the article thoroughly you would have thought Hurley already left. He is clearly biased against URI and is his article today is an absolute embarassment to journalism. The projo is supposed to be a state paper and the fact that this guy continues to not support our state school is terrible. I feel if enough of us complain by calling or emailing that at some point the journal might get a clue and stop letting him write his slander. I have already called and emailed to express my opinion and I hope you all do as well. It will only take a couple minutes!

[3wisemen]

Starting this thread is evidence Donaldson is doing his job. Columnists are supposed to provoke opinion, positive or negative. Every call you make or email you send will actually be encouragement for the Projo to keep him on staff.

[Billyboy78]

I thought Dan signed a 5 year contract. When did it become a 6 year contract?

[ramfan85]

Complaining about the BloJo staff is like booing a dirty wrestler. it just makes their jobs more secure.
We need to put him in a guerilla suit and ship him to Africa, as in the movie "Trading Places."

[rodfromcranston]

Why bother complaining? They want you to read someone,
even if you hate him.
Do what I did. Email the creep directly and rip him a new one.

[Obadiah]

I understand the frustration with Donaldson, but the basic problem is the Providence Journal itself and its decades old thinking on public higher education in RI. I do not know how best to describe it, maybe it's elitism, or maybe an excessive focus on the City of Providence, or maybe, it's a lack of forward and innovative thinking in the paper's management, but the truth is the paper has been consistent in its lack of support for URI on all fronts.

Jim Donaldson's advantage is he has a forum to air his opinion. With this right, comes certain responsibilities, for example, an obligation of being fair minded. But Jim violates this by airing his opinion knowing full well that his targets have no ability or forum to respond. When he refers to "Our State U" he is mocking URI and the URI community. When he makes the "Nutty Professor" comment, he is mocking former President Carothers.

By all means, respond, but the truth is they don't care.

[rodfromcranston]

I've always gotten answers from Bunky, PK, and KMac. They don't mind defending
their POV. Never got one back from Donaldson.
Art Martone, who was the Projo Sports Editor, used to tell me Donaldson hated computers.
Maybe he can't open his email?

[theblueram]

The best thing about our 98 run was I bought USA Today every day. Having National recognition meant you got national press. No need to read the bs the projo spewed when we had an unbiased opinion on how good we were. Donaldson is a tool. The projo is a joke.

[Captainron@]

Calling to complain feeds the beast. They want eyeballs. Do what I do. Don't ever click. You'll be happier and he doesn't generate any revenue. That eventually will get him canned

[ATPTourFan]

Agreed, just don't read JD.

[rambone 78]

JD? Jerry Duh?

Seriously, haven't read his crap in a while, and don't plan to.

[ATPTourFan]

Heh... and Donaldson.

[ramfan85]

The only person who likes Donaldson is Scottso. Ask Bunky what he thinks of him.
He's the kind of guy we used to lock in a locker.

[TruePoint]

Honestly, if you want to hurt him, stop clicking on his inane bullshit and read something that doesn't rot your brain. Hell, read McSweeney's.

I can say with a great deal of comfort that I don't miss the journal at all. It was delivered to my house as a kid, and I'm a reader, so I used to make my roommates go in on it with me in college. This is when McAdam and Krasner were on the Sox beat. When the Sox were at their height, the Projo actually had the best Sox coverage in my opinion.

I moved out of state in 2006, and read the journal for a short time online. That was the end of the era in which you could get all you news if you didn't go online and you read your local paper, along with NYT and WSJ. But once news went online, I stopped reading the journal.

When I would visit RI and stay at my mother's, I couldn't believe what I was picking up out of her yard every morning. I asked her why she would pay what she was for that pamphlet stuffed with ads, and her answer was some sort of "that's just what you do."

At some point, the next generation will move into these houses and nobody will feel obligated to buy the journal, and it will die. It's sad, too, because it would be GREAT to have a local paper that had some values and gave a shit about its community, and gave reserved support for things that would benefit its readership, like a good state school. But the Projo doesn't, so I hope it dies a slow painful death.

[reef]

Cant stand to read 5 foot 1 jimbo

[15 Year Lurker]

I just don't subscribe ...100% because of Jim Donaldson. I never posted at the projo board or read the website and everytime they call me to buy a subscription I tell them I might when they get rid of him.

[Rammgr]

I refuse to read ANY article written by Donaldson. Haven't done so in close to 20 yrs. My dad was friendly with Donaldson's dad. Always told me what a gentleman the dad was. Jim is a creep. Too bad he didn't take after his dad. Just ignore him.

[ramster]

1st of all I like Bill Reynold's columns, always have, first place I go to every morning is to the Sport Section, read the headlines and then go to Bill's article(s). I also like Kevin Mac, always have despite some here who feel he favors PC, I don't feel the same. Paul Kenyon is good and fair imho. Jim D tends to put articles oout there that rankle the crown - especially it seems URI. State U tag thathe often uses bugs us for sure. Both Reynold's and Jim D have stated in the past that URI fans tend to expect too much and should be satisfied.
That said I read Jim D's article yesterday, then today I went back and reread it after seeing the immense displease here over it.

I did not think it was a bad article. I, in fact, wonder how many posters get the Journal Delivered to their house since there are a lot of Out of State posters here. I understand that Jim D has polarized many posters here over the years and understand the responses but back to teh specific article:

He said pretty much what many writers are saying. Many of us don't want to hear it but some of us have been saying the attractiveness of the Rutgets jog is a chance to go home, to be a hero, Rutgers going to the B10 is a big draw, etc. I did not read anything derogatory about URI in that.
He talked the second half about the future if Hurley goes. Coen at Northeastern and O'Shea formerly were assistants at URI and could return as head Coaches. I had forgotten that O'Shea originally recruited Preston to URI and that would make a sensable reunion of sorts to team back up together at Rhody.
I think it was reasonable to bring up both of these guys - might as well think ahead since it is just a matter of time before Hurley is gone - probably will be sooner than most of us originally thought or hoped.
I personally did not like the idea of Al Skinner returning to be an assistant for Coen or for Oshea, but that is not Jim D's fault, I just don't care for it. I'd prefer All go get a Head Coaching job somewhere, and not at URI.

Not sure what specifically was so bad about the article.

Unfortunately I think Hurley is going to Rutgers, I said that several days ago and still believe it. Unfortunately the more people that resign at Rutgers, the higher the probability he goes - looked more and more upon as a Savior for New Jersey's State U.
When rumors were out there Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens both made statements that they were staying where they were. That has not happened at URI. Thorr could right now IMHO offer Hurley an extension, Hurley has done better than I thought he would so why not throw him a bone even after only 1 year. I'd take Hurley in a heartbeat over Coen or O'Shea or Skinner or any other names I have heard.
Thorr and Hurley could end this, extend the contract, make a statement, go on the offensive.
What scares many here, me included, is the rampant speculation just continues right into the biggest NCAA Basketball Convention of the Year - the Final 4 in Atlanta - can you imagine the number of people asking Dan Hurley what the deal is in Atlanta today, tonight, tomorrow, Monday? Is he enjoying this? If I were him I would, it's just human nature to be wanted and recruited. But it is very frustrating for us fans and posters.

[Ramulous]

I'm the contrarian here.....I read Donaldson all the time......when he chastises PC and others I have seen the merit in his arguments....when he chastises us people here get all riled up.....we shouldn't....we need a jaundiced eye looking at us....not just cheerleaders....

.....empirically the projo writers are right about Hurley going home...and the strong lure it provides.....not to mention at least doubling his income and going to a conference which gives him a legitimate chance to play for the national title on a year-in year-out basis....

....had he known Rice would bomb out so quickly at Rutgers he probably would have stayed at Wagner and bided this short time.....he came here because, imho, he felt the Rutgers job would not have opened for 3 or 4 more years....

....enough time to honor his commitment to us and make us a better program and then go to his dream job....

...it is our bad luck the job opened so soon.....

[ramster]

Pretty wierd that I was thinking this yesterday morning, wrote it in the Donaldson thread, and then extension news comes out Saturday night.
It could have been absolutely devasting to the URI program if Dan went to Rutgers. 1 year at Kingston and prospective Coaches would sonder what is wrong with that place. EC Mathews and Hassan Martin could easily have gone to Rutgers with Dan since he recruited them and they would have played immediately. Gil Biruta could also have followed Dan back to Rutgers and played immediately - of course with NCAA approval but likely would have gotten. URI could have been decimated and devastated. Hurley has done enough for me to warrant an extension. It was not a minute too soon and much needed.

When rumors were out there Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens both made statements that they were staying where they were. That has not happened at URI. Thorr could right now IMHO offer Hurley an extension, Hurley has done better than I thought he would so why not throw him a bone even after only 1 year. I'd take Hurley in a heartbeat over Coen or O'Shea or Skinner or any other names I have heard.
Thorr and Hurley could end this, extend the contract, make a statement, go on the offensive.