[16thregioner]

Here are the items I find most troubling about this situation:

1) The ego of Jason Mays. The guy sounds like he thinks he's coaching big time D-1 basketball. His statements in the call regarding "turning down the Ballard job", "getting the player on a big time AAU team", "should have gone after players harder", and particularly his derogatory remarks about his own "liability" players who don't make "meaningful" shots make it nearly impossible to be a fan of him.

2) The Ashland administration. By standing behind Mays and not punishing him in any public way, it appears they're OK with him making derogatory remarks about their own student-athletes. This seems unacceptable.

3) The lunacy of the Boyd County parent who recorded and released the call. An adult recording a call where he disparages another player by calling him a "cancer" and questioning his upbringing is low. Publicly releasing that call in an effort to try to help his son's team win is beyond the pale.

4) The Boyd County administration. Out of the sports currently in season...Boyd's best football player is from Coal Grove. Boyd's best volleyball player is from New Jersey. Boyd's best boys soccer player is from Missouri. Boyd's best girls soccer player is in "her first year at Boyd" according to her coach in the paper. Boyd boys basketball won their only region title since Y2K thanks to a player from Fairland, Ohio. Boyd girls basketball won several regions a few years ago thanks to 3 of the 5 starters being transfers, 2 twins from West Virginia alongside East Carter's best player. This is hypocrisy of the highest order.

There are so many wrongs here, it's hard to make it right. Perhaps the athletic programs at both schools should be put out to pasture for a year so they all can rethink their priorities.