DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Pilot Flying J Pulls ESPN Deal After Story On Browns' Culture

I hate our owner. Everyone had already forgotten the story, then this comes out and it just makes him look petty. What a buffoon.

Not Well said.

Good for Jimmy. I'm sick of the jerks on ESPN running down Cleveland and Cleveland sports.

+1 I would have done it sooner

This is hilarious.

Why because you don't agree with it??? You have your opinion we have ours why make fun ???

This is why News companies rarely criticize their advertisers.

I think the issues and problems were w/Jimmy rather than w/ESPN's reporting. But, that's just me.

Weird how the well run Indians don’t have bad press on ESPN. If the owner wasn’t incompetent, there is no story.

Seriously, the Indians are one of the best run organizations in all of sports.

I thought he sold it ... wrong again i guess ...

It's "buffoon" ... just sayin'.

Autocorrect fails me every time.

These things happen.

I thought Wickersham's piece was a well written, well researched, well thought out piece. While it may have painted JH in a negative light, I thought it also left room for the idea that JH might have grown from the experience. Now it appears as if he's just a petty control freak who can't stand any form of criticism. Of course the flying J can do whatever it wants with its advert dollars, but this is small and ego driven. If I'm a shareholder, I'd want to know why JH feels it's alright to interject his personal (hurt) feelings into a rather large marketing/business decision.

And everyone will forget about this inside one week, what's the difference? I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that MOST companies would sever ties and quit spending money with a company that openly criticizes them, and literally drags the owner through the mud, for nothing more than clicks. Pilot J was spending millions annually with ESPN, ESPN made $39 (exaggerating) on the story... seems like bad economics to me.

Were all entitled to our opinion ... and i’m Clearly not shy about expressing mine ... but i gotta tell U Pastor ... i’ve Never ever ever heard or seen the types of things u post on here from someone that represents the lord ...

What church do u represent? ... i’m Just curious ... u have an approach unlike none i’ve Ever seen from a Pastor ...

U must have been channeling me ... *L* ...

There are 2 major investors in Pilot J .... the Haslems (50.1%) and Warren Buffett's company. (38.6%) I have read that Buffett will eventually own 80% of the company, with the Haslems owning the remaining 20%.

I doubt that the very minority shareholders have much of a voice in these things at all.

Nor would they care. Pilot J's success has nothing to do with advertising through ESPN.

Agreed. The NFL Live guys are damn near gushing when they talk about the Browns now.

Then why spend the money to begin with? The larger question is, why is he unilaterally making decisions of this magnitude based on hurt feelings? If his skin is that thin, he shouldn't be making those types of decisions at all.

JMHO

I don't believe I specified minority shareholders. If I'm Buffet, I'm asking the same question. Or Jimmy's dad, or whoever else in the family has a stake. Even if it's only at dinner with a "Damn, Jimmy. WTF? Grow a set."

Some may argue that telling BSPN to take a hike is the very definition of "having a set".

I think that depends on your motivation.

I get that. I just think people tend to hang tags on others because they think they know what "makes them tick". It may not be JH is an arrogant spoiled brat. Maybe as simple as "well, they're not getting any more of my money".

I do a lot of advertising, I can't see any scenario in the world where some rag would get another dime from me if they also ran some inflammatory story about my business. I would guess I'm in the majority on that.

I'm me and I serve God I don't put on a false face and I guess thats why the Church the Lord has given me is growing fast ...

Some may, but I would argue telling a vendor you're taking your ball and going home doesn't take much of a set.

Yep, what's the point of having screw you money, if you can't tell people to screw themselves when they call you incompetent?

I don’t mind cutting ties with ESPN, I mind our owner acting like a child.

If I give 7 figures to a company and they turn around and make me look like an arse, deservedly or not, I'm pulling back my funds.

Hard enough to find good business partners, don't need to support my enemies.

Well, we all have our opinion and yours is as valid as any. To me, acting like a child would be holding a press conference to tell the world why you're cutting ties. He can't really help what the media reports, can he? So you don't mind cutting ties if it's kept on the "down low"? I don't see how he has any control over that.

Is it acting like a child, though?

Sponsors do this all the time. Advertisers. Donors.


On a small scale, I just did it. I offer a service. I donate financially to our township. The fire department, the parks and rec program.

The trustees just had a job done, that I do, and have done for 15 years. They hired someone from outside the township to do it this time.

I was curious as to why, so I asked them. "Uh....well, we just thought maybe it was time to use someone else."

Me: So, it wasn't my quality of work? "No." Was it my price? "well, they were $15 cheaper." How much do they donate to the township each year? "Well, nothing, but what does that matter?" How much have I given? "Well, we don't have the numbers" I'll tell you how much I've given each year. X. I guess that other company will take over my contributions, because I'll be done donating. You had no problem with my work, and you didn't even give me an opportunity to shoot you a price, and from last years numbers, you went with someone $15 less. On a $300 job. A company that has never given the township a penny? Got it. Save your stamp the next time you want a donation from me.




Small scale, I know. But throughout any given year, my donation BACK to the township has been nice. They can try to get that money from the other company now.




They dumped on me, as it was public knowledge - who they chose to do the work. That's fine.

Apples and oranges.

Haslam is doing this because he is petty. He didn't like an (accurate) article that was written about him, so he is punishing the employer of the author. There is nothing wrong with it morally or legally, but it doesn't help Haslam's public image of being a dunce.

I wouldnt support a company that talks [censored] about me.

I dont blame him at all.

Is it talking [poop] if it is true?

I disagree. Haslem has every right to spend money where he wants. He's not 'punishing' anyone or any company. He's choosing to spend HIS money elsewhere, which is his right to do with HIS money.

ESPN is not entitled to his money.

Doesnt matter if its true or not. If a company publically bashed me, I would not financially support them. Suck it, ESPN.

Who said it wasn't his right? I literally said this: