DeMeo sues St. John's / Mike Anderson

Whoa...

https://www.si.com/college/2021/09/23/st-johns-basketball-mike-anderson-steve-demeo-lawsuit

Bombshell! 

Did Isaih Moore write this article? Cant speak to Demeo's medical issues but the lawsuit seems frivolous (the guy is already gainfully employed at another D1 program) and the SI story is mostly a hit piece on Anderson. Pretty unprofessional and misleading, particularly about the Covid compliance stuff. We all watched the program handle Covid as well as any in the nation, and Moore had obvious issues both on and off the court. Maybe Dino Gaudio is Demeo's legal counsel.

I predict that this is a complete non-event.

There's always something. We'll see if this is a non-event or if this is the beginning of the wheels falling off. Obviously other coaches will use this in recruiting against us, must keep the committed guys committed and start the season strong and this could get pushed way into the background.

Conflating his lawsuit - a wrongful termination claim due to medical hardship - with airing out dirty laundry about Coach's relationship with players who have already left the program (universally to lower quality leagues), was a brilliant way to control the online narrative. I expect it will pass quickly because at least some of the claims are specious and easily refuted, but you never know. I'm sure there is some level of truth to the tale but it seems like a pretty transparent smear campaign to bilk the university for a couple bucks. Very professional stuff

Conflating his lawsuit - a wrongful termination claim due to medical hardship - with airing out dirty laundry about Coach's relationship with players who have already left the program [...] seems like a pretty transparent smear campaign to bilk the university for a couple bucks

Thanks Clarence Darrow. Did you go to both years of law school or did they let you skip a grade.

Thanks Clarence Darrow. Did you go to both years of law school or did they let you skip a grade.

glad to have you back, buddy.

Drama! There you are old friend.

glad to have you back, buddy.

Yes well, I'm not back, I'm slumming, and also I'm not your buddy, but having laid in recently and cracked a case of Belvedere I'll indulge myself by explaining to you the intricacies of one of the many things about which you know fvck all.

DeMeo filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging violations of various labor and civil rights laws, seeking monetary damages. SJU will respond to that suit with either a motion to dismiss under FRCP 12 or for summary judgment under FRCP 23. For the purposes of either of those motions the allegations in DeMeo's complaint are assumed to be true; that's how it works. Meaning the court will assume as fact that DeMeo's firing was occasioned by Anderson's refusal to accommodate DeMeo's disability, which is described in the complaint as mitral valve prolapse. Whether MVP comprises a disability under NY and federal law is a question of fact; as a question of fact that it's a disability will be assumed true under rules 12 or 23. Meaning SJU is fornicated pretrial. Meaning the case goes to discovery, meaning the case either goes to trial or that SJU settles ASAP for seven figures. What you call the airing of "dirty laundry" is to the contrary evidence of pretense, that is, that DeMeo's firing was not for cause, that rather it was for DeMeo complaining about the culture that Coach Third Choice created, which complaining contributed to the shit-canning at issue.

SJU cannot settle this case fast enough. The longer it languishes, the more they stand to lose. Not only in terms of money, but in terms of reputation. And that despite your considerabe legal acumen.

Whoa...not!

Whomever wrote that article definitely had an axe to grind with the program and/or Mike Anderson.

I love how the article mentions all of these players leaving yet conveniently leaves out that the roster was completely revamped and is much deeper and more talented going into this season. Someone reading that article who doesn't follow the program closely and the roster personnel would think that they don't have enough guys to play this season the way that reads. Steve DeMeo was such a hot commodity that he's at East Carolina now lol Have fun languishing in anonymity. What a hack job. Context, or lack thereof, is a beautiful thing.

St. John's doesn't need the bad publicity for sure and should get this settled. That said,  this is a major non-story and should have little to no impact on recruiting and the upcoming season.

Time to tip off.

Whoa...not!

Whomever wrote that article definitely had an axe to grind with the program and/or Mike Anderson.

I love how the article mentions all of these players leaving yet conveniently leaves out that the roster was completely revamped and is much deeper and more talented going into this season. Someone reading that article who doesn't follow the program closely and the roster personnel would think that they don't have enough guys to play this season the way that reads. Steve DeMeo was such a hot commodity that he's at East Carolina now lol Have fun languishing in anonymity. What a hack job. Context, or lack thereof, is a beautiful thing.

St. John's doesn't need the bad publicity for sure and should get this settled. That said,  this is a major non-story and should have little to no impact on recruiting and the upcoming season.

Time to tip off.

Whenever there is a negative article about our program, we usually get mad, and question the writer’s accuracy.

Then, later on, we learn that there was some truth to the story.

In this case, I don’t think it will hurt the program in terms of recruiting. Kids don’t care, but we are horrendous as an employer.

We have been since we fired Fran before the 98-99 season.

Meaning the case goes to discovery, meaning the case either goes to trial or that SJU settles ASAP for seven figures.

FRCP 56?   But point taken, it won't be disposed of before discovery, which is likely what SJU endeavors to avoid. 

conveniently leaves out that the roster was completely revamped and is much deeper and more talented going into this season.

That's debatable.  You make it sound like it was all part of the plan for 7 guys to transfer.   Maybe Soriano, Coburn, Wheeler are fantastic, but there was chemistry building with Awusu, Roberts, Earlington, even Moore.

If the team is better, its because Champagnie and Alexander are back and and a year older.   The "mutiny" part of the story seems painfully true. 

That's debatable.  You make it sound like it was all part of the plan for 7 guys to transfer.   Maybe Soriano, Coburn, Wheeler are fantastic, but there was chemistry building with Awusu, Roberts, Earlington, even Moore.

If the team is better, its because Champagnie and Alexander are back and and a year older.   The "mutiny" part of the story seems painfully true.

You sound like you're getting caught up in the minutia instead of the end result. What is the end result? We have a roster that's vastly bigger, deeper and more balanced than last year.

I disagree on your second paragraph. If all it took was Champ and Alexander then we would've been a tourney team last year and we were not.

If we're a better team this year it's because of all the complementary additions and supporting cast around the two stars on this team.

This program hasn't had a roster this deep, big or properly constructed in forever. The lack of a true backup PG is about my only knock with the current roster.

Whenever there is a negative article about our program, we usually get mad, and question the writer’s accuracy.

Then, later on, we learn that there was some truth to the story.

In this case, I don’t think it will hurt the program in terms of recruiting. Kids don’t care, but we are horrendous as an employer.

We have been since we fired Fran before the 98-99 season.

That's why I said we should get this settled as soon as possible. Oh I never said there wasn't any truth to this story nor did I get mad.

I merely stated that as an author if you're going to state one side of a story talking about a mass exodus of players of sort then you should be sure to include the other side of the story which is that it was replaced by deep, comprehensive, new roster additions.

That's why I said we should get this settled as soon as possible. Oh I never said there wasn't any truth to this story nor did I get mad.

I merely stated that as an author if you're going to state one side of a story talking about a mass exodus of players of sort then you should be sure to include the other side of the story which is that it was replaced by deep, comprehensive, new roster additions.

I agree. I was saying in general, usually, we’re to blame, too.

FRCP 56?   But point taken, it won't be disposed of before discovery, which is likely what SJU endeavors to avoid. 

FRCP 12 and FRCP 56.  As Fun wrote, this will go to discovery -- which is something no school wants. If SJU can't settle, they need to limit the scope of discovery. It can't be a free-for-all. The information relevant to this case is very narrow in scope.

It really shows DeMeo's character that he goes into all that irrelevant garbage.  He wasn't bringing in good players.  Look what we've done since he has left.

FRCP 56?   But point taken, it won't be disposed of before discovery, which is likely what SJU endeavors to avoid. 

Rule 56 yes, I stand corrected. Or I passed out on the sofa corrected. In my defense I've been preparing a class action against the university on behalf of its season ticket holders for fraudulently pretending to field a basketball team, so 23's been on my mind.

Steve DeMeo was such a hot commodity that he's at East Carolina now lol Have fun languishing in anonymity. What a hack job.

Who said this when DeMeo was hired: "Glad to see the staff rounded out with DeMeo." If you guessed that you did, you win a cigar. Hashtag addition by subtraction.

Who said this when DeMeo was hired: "Glad to see the staff rounded out with DeMeo." If you guessed that you did, you win a cigar. Hashtag addition by subtraction.

And your point is, Nostradamus?

Just because I said I was glad that DeMeo was added to the staff a few years ago has no bearing on my opinion of the situation surrounding him and Anderson today. It's called life, stuff happens.

Nice detective work though.