So, I’m leaving.
There’s going to be a farewell post later in the week, but before then, I want to have some fun.
Got questions? I’ve got answers, and I won’t hold back.
And before you ask, no, I don’t know what I’m going to be doing next.
No, I didn’t get laid off.
Yes, the Eagle plans to hire someone to fill the position.
Write your questions below and I’ll answer there, too.
73 Comments
Sorry to hear you are leaving!!! you did a great job for KSU and I wish you the best. I have 2 questions: 1. Do you think Paterson had agreed to a deal and then backed out? 2. Do you think Bryce Brown was going to go to KSU before he visited Tenne$$e?
Sorry to see you go. How difficult was it for you to deal with Ron Prince? How difficult was it for his assistants to get along with him?
Sorry to hear that J-Mart. I appreciated getting to talk to you a bit at the NCAA’s last year, and what you did with the blog. Best of luck to you, and thanks for your hard work during this stop of your life.
Can I have your blog when you’re gone?
who will the cats sign in 2010? 2011?
does hill still have “it”? does malone still like ksu? does he (malone) still have any pull with the younger dca’ers? why does cook hate the midwest?
which bball asst coach would you fire if you could? who would you replace him with?
will your father still care to comment on next year’s khatz? where can we go to read/hear his thoughts?
Bummer. Can’t be a good time to be a out-of-work newspaper reporter. Try to keep a good attitude – changes can end up very positive in the general scheme of things. We’ll miss you. You did a great job covering the Cats – though you did miss on the Harper homecoming
. I hope you’ll leave with fond memories of the midwest in general and K-State in particular. Wouldn’t it be a kicker if you end up somewhere that covers Virginia sports. I would love to see Prince’s face when you showed up! You saw through Prince when I didn’t. If you can, stick around this area – some very good things are happening in Manhattan – new blood, new energy, new ideas. It should be a fun ride. Good luck J-Mart!!!!!
Are you still going to post on ksufans.com? You can post more without retribution now that you don’t have a job.
We need answers to the two greatest K-State mysteries ever…
1) What is the real story behind Venebles and why is he still banished from K-State.
2) What really happened with Pattergate. Did Patterson really say he was going to do it and then got cold feet when it leaked early?
Best of luck in the future. I enjoyed reading your blog.
Thank you for all the good information you shared about K-State sports during your tenure. I just have a couple of questions:
1. Is the talent being assembled in Manhattan for Men’s basketball really as good as it sounds? I know everyone is really fired up about the influx of talent coming in, but how will we stack up against the “big boys” in the conference and nation?
2. Can K-State fooball return to the glory days of 10 or more wins per year with Bill back at the helm?
Thanks again for everything you did for K-State sports.
I am going to miss your writings and thoughts about the cats……….What are your views of the new bb players coming in(including Kelly)? Will they be the best team since Coach Martin been at KSU? And your thoughts on the football team next year? Did Coach Prince leave enough talent to make a bowl game next year?
Good luck jmart!
Do you actually like Bob Lutz?
What is the best Ron Prince story that you couldn’t tell until now?
In your opinion, what are the chances that we land Aspirilla?
Sad to see you go Jeffrey
oh, and how close was bryce brown looking at KSU?
J-Mart Just wanted to thank you for your great job of covering our Wildcats! You have been the best beat writer we have ever had. The good news with the bad news, all done very well. On a personal note, I was the Marshall chairman at the U.S. Sr. Open. You rode around with me and printed a great article, Thanks and Good Luck!
What was the most embarrassing thing/rumor that happened to KSU that you Couldn’t cover because you couldn’t get anyone to confirm… Coaches’ drunk at a catbacker; cleaning out players lockers calling them FP/TC’s; coaches sleeping with other coaches wifes? Anything? PM FBWillie at ksufans.com if they’re too bad.
Thank you, J-Mart, for being responsible for breaking every major, relevant K-State news story over the course of the past three years.
Your shining moment was still when you were first to deliver Bob Huggins to K-State, and for that we will forever hold a special place in our EMAW hearts. Your accuracy and professional judgment is rarity these days in this crazy drive by media world we live. You know, it’s been refreshing to see a young journalist always keep his chin up and take the high road when there are those around you in the field that put a quick buck and being first ahead of the facts……
Who could forget “It’s Patterson”, right!
Thanks for always leading the way.
Sorry to see you go. My only question is… Did you become a fan of KSU? I think your folks did!
Thanks for all your hard work, JMart. Reading your stories is one of the many great things that makes me glad to be a K-Stater.
I’d like to know what were some of your favorite and least favorite moments/events were when covering K-State.
I wish you all the best for the future. You will be missed.
Thank you so much for covering the cats with the utmost professionalism. I just wish we could have had you during the DoD. That would have been even more fun. I wish you well on your future endeavors and basketball games won’t be the same without yelling your name, so come back and see us some time.
I’m really sorry to see my #1 man-crush leave. Great job the last few years.
1) Was it ever Patterson?
2) Was “the deal” really secret?
3) Was he ever really “scary smart?”
4) What did Brent Venables ever do to anybody?
5) Is Joe Gordon the HCIW?
6) Did Lance dope?
7) Will KSU ever play a season opener at Cessna Stadium?
Take care,
icecoldchickenwing
When will this pain in my heart go away?
Why do the best ones always leave too soon?
miss you already… sometimes words aren’t enough.
So there’s a knife fight between Ray Lewis and O.J. Simpson…. who wins?
Both of them are in their ‘prime’.
Jeffrey I am really, really disappointed to see you go. We all wished this had happened to Whitlock…not you!!! Your integrity and sleuthing was unparalleled to any other beat writer. Most impressive was your knack to break the story before anyone else, and it was accurate!
1)What was your favorite KSU moment you have covered where it was difficult for you to keep your composure and not get caught up in the moment?
2)Will you announce your future plans later?
3)Predictions for the Cats with Bill being back?
4)Would be great if you made several KSU predictions before leaving and touch base with all of us down the road as they play out.
Lifelongcat, I’m going to get into Patterson stuff in my farewell post. As for Bryce, I think if the Chris Harper scenario had been cleared up by the time Bryce made his decision, he might have chosen K-State. That’s my theory, anyway.
Otis, that’s difficult to answer. I thought it was important for fans to understand that RP was, for a lack of a better word, complex. Not an experienced head coach, not quite sure of how to go about implementing all of these grand plans he’d borrowed from the various coaches he’d worked for over the years (and constantly name-dropped). That said, from a personal standpoint, I wanted him to succeed because of the lack of black head coaches and the implications of his failing. As for his assistants, let me just say this – it’s easy for assistants to follow someone who a) has a proven track record, and b) has more experience than they do. In these two areas, RP came up short.
Tuffy54, it was nice meeting you, too. Thanks for the support.
SD, yes, you can have the blog, but really, that’s not my decision. E-mail my sports editor, Kirk Seminoff (kseminoff@wichitaeagle.com). Use me as a reference…
Sys, I have no idea about recruiting. I’ll get with Dalonte this week; I haven’t told either staff (basketball or football) that I’m leaving, and I have to do that. Yes, Dalonte still has “it.” Things got a little strained between Curtis and Mike Beasley, and, of course, Mike and Dalonte are tight. So, sure, things are a little strained. Which b-ball assistant? Assaley. Just kidding – I love Andy. I like all of the assistants. All top-notch guys, and I think they’re all carrying their weight. I wouldn’t change a thing. My father is excited about the team, and don’t worry – he’ll be around.
Chuck, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be OK, but I appreciate the concern. How did I miss on the Harper homecoming? Didn’t I go out to Eugene and write that story? Didn’t I have the story when he announced he was coming back? And no, I have no interest in dealing with Ron Prince ever again.
SD, unsure of my immediate future plans. Thanks for asking though.
Nickthernerd, if I knew the Venables story, trust me, I would have written it. As for Patterson, yeah, I’ll delve into that later this week. But it’s not as if I have anything concrete there, either.
Swede, trust what you’re seeing. The basketball program is on a different level right now, and it’s talent that is going to stick around, not of the “one-and-done” variety, and that’s even better. Expect big things from the Cats this winter. As for football, I think it’s impossible to expect K-State to win 10 games again. Don’t know where the talent is consistently going to come from. But, in my estimation, eight or nine wins might be enough to regularly win the North in the next few years, and that’s possible.
Eman4c, yes, I think this will be the best team he’s had. Certainly from a talent standpoint, and also in terms of chemistry. I think Russell and McGruder are going to play a lot of minutes. Judge? I hope people don’t expect to see the second coming of Mike Beasley. Mike was a once-in-a-lifetime player. As for football, I keep saying this, but the schedule sets up awfully nice for the Cats, and if the offense comes together at some point in October, I think a bowl game is possible. I think the defense is going to be dramatically better. What it is that RP used to say? “It’s nothing a good pass rush can’t fix.” This year’s team, with Brandon Harold, Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Eric Childs, should be able to put the quarterback on the ground, which means the secondary doesn’t have to cover as long. In theory, anyway.
Cireksu, thanks.
PettMB, believe it or not, but yes, I like Bob. He’s an acquired taste. RP story? When the Star decided to relieve Howard Richman of his duties and share content with the Eagle, K-State caught wind of the plan and RP was way, way too interested. My suspicion is that he thought I was also part of the purge. It was last summer, when my wife’s sister was getting married in Vermont. I didn’t bring my phone to the pre-wedding festivities, but during a break in the action, I ran up to check my messages. There was a voice mail from Prince – I saved the message, but I switched carriers and got a new phone. It said something to the effect of, “Jeff, this is Ron Prince. Now, I’m not calling as Ron Prince, the coach at K-State, I’m calling as Ron Prince, your friend. I heard there have been some changes on the beat, and I wanted to make sure you came out of things all right…” It was comical, given some of the things that transpired between us over the years. Anyway, I didn’t call him back until a couple of weeks later, and we had a 20-minute conversation where he insisted that, if push came to shove, and if the Star had to choose between Joe Posnanski and Jason Whitlock, the Star would choose Whitlock because he “creates controversy.” I disagreed, and shortly afterwards, the phone call was over. Typical, I guess. As for Asprilla, I’d be shocked if he goes anywhere else.
Piercech, it’s been a while. That was a great day. Thanks for letting me tag along. I thought about you while watching Tom Watson this past weekend – we probably whizzed by him one day at the Sr. Open. I appreciate the kind words, and thanks for always reading.
Jah7546, the thing about covering a beat is that there are always things you’ll never confirm. I mean, you know what you know, but in this business, you must have proof. To be honest, everything runs together at this point. There is nothing shocking any more. But if I think of something, I’ll post it on ksufans.com.
Plums, let me first say thanks for all of that. As for Patterson stuff, I still think there was too much smoke for there never to have been a fire. It’s one of those great unsolved mysteries…
Kevkan, I didn’t become a fan of K-State, but I became a fan of people. Big difference. I root for Frank to succeed, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Now, did that stop me from covering him in an unbiased manner? Not at all. I’m certain my parents will continue to follow K-State athletics, and I have a feeling I’ll also keep an eye on what’s happening in Manhattan.
HulaGirl, thanks for checking in. Favorite moments? The KU victory at Bramlage was cool, and I love everything about that rivalry. The football wins against Texas were unforgettable. Least favorite? I didn’t like how things went down at the end with Bob Krause, Jon Wefald, etc. K-Staters deserve better.
Chuckleberry, I have a great friend, Matt Hall. He used to work at gopowercat.com and Powercat Illustrated, and he used to tell me stories about the DoD. I was always jealous that I never lived something like that and yes, truth be told, that I never got a chance to cover something like that. Oh, I’ll definitely come back, no matter where I am.
Icecold, let’s do this in rapid fire, shall we? 1. Maybe. 2. Maybe. 3. No. 4. Depends on who you ask. 5. No. 6. All signs point to… 7. Forget about it.
Dkmathews, oh, you’re making me blush. The Eagle is going to hire someone who is going to do fine work, maintaining what we’ve built here over the past few years. Just keep reading…
SimpsonSampson, OK, I’ll bite. Juice, because he’s a better cutter and slasher. Man, I’m awful.
Crusaderlover, guess I don’t understand the hatred for JW, and this didn’t happen to anyone. I am voluntarily leaving. I’m always a fan of the underdog, the emotion that goes along with that, so naturally, my favorite K-State moment was, again, the Wildcats upsetting KU at Bramlage. Nothing even close, really. Yes, I’ll announce my future plans later – you can follow me on Twitter (@JayMart). Football prediction hasn’t changed – seven wins.
JMart–Thanks for all the great coverage, you will definitely be missed. May your life be filled with many moments that are “bold and daring.”
Great job on covering KSU athletics – never a dull moment. Also you have a great blog – especially when you included “Mama Sayz”. You will be missed, just hope the Eagle finds a suitable replacement, which in my view will be very difficult. One question – what did you know and when did you know it? Just kidding. I hope your buyout was as good as some we have read about and best of luck to you!
Jmart,
1) Why don’t you like us any more?
Who will replace Snyder when he’s done?
2) Where else will you get such marvelous vacation time?
3) Do you think Asprilla will get a release and if not what might he do?
4) Will dpete ever qualify and what would his impact be?
5) Is Mitchell through with us? Is this another Stephon Hannah situation?
6) How has the relationship with Brian Butler changed now that Bill is back and who might that help us with?
7) Do dogs go to heaven when they die?
It’s been great. I’ve been reading your stuff for so long I’m not sure how I’ll live. If you’re ever in Omaha let SD and I know and we’ll let you buy us beers.
Jmart-
You sticking around the area? You want to keep writing in the sports world, or are you interested in potentially branching out and continuing your writing career and talents?
Thanks J-Mart,
I think you have been the best K-State beat writer at the eagle ever. Sorry to see you go. Best of luck where ever you end up. Some one will get a great journalist. I hope you were able to negociate a good buy out with Krause before he was canned.
What was Ron Prince really like?
J-Mart,
I really looked forward to reading your K-stated blog. First thing I looked at every morning, when I got to work. I would probably say I even got mad at you the last few months when things dried up. I wish you luck in the future and if you work as hard at your new gig as you did for K state you will do fine. Ron was not a great coach but I never understood the animosity towards him by the fans. Did the upsets of Texas raise our expectations too high? Frank seems like the real deal. How long do we get to keep him?
thardman, correction, JMart was the best K-State beat writer EVER. End of discussion. There is nowhere to go now, but down.
JMart good luck and you will be severely missed. Don’t be a stranger to ksufans.com either, come back and see us from time to time. We love you… even if you did post your goodbye on gpc instead of us.
Thanks for the great coverage of K-State athletics. As others have said, this was one of my most visited sites because of all the wonderful insite. I hope everything goes well with all of your future endeavours. Thanks again.
Thanks for the response. Now, one more. Truthfully, how close were we to actually landing O.J. Mayo?
Oh, and I’m looking forward to the “farewell post” coming up in the next week or so. Hopefully there’s a lot of dirt to dish!
JMart –
Echoing the sentiments of many here, I loved your coverage of KSU, looked forward to every morsel and was a little peeved when you were ‘away’ for too long. We got a little spoiled, I guess.
I think all the KSU questions I might have were already touched on (or were among those you promised to discuss later). I’m wondering how you liked the Wichita area. Any favorite spots you’ll miss (assuming you’re leaving the area)?
Best of luck to you in your future endeavors and thanks for all your effort and excellence!
Nwoodward, I will never forget “bold and daring,” and trust me, I’ve tried.
Rbloomer53, I’m pretty sure Bob Krause would laugh at my buyout.
Doom, you know better… Rapid-fire responses… 1. Already answered that. 2. You got jokes. 3. If he doesn’t, he’ll go JUCO and not play there, keeping his three years of eligibility. 4. I know NOTHING about DPete. 5. No, but it’s dicey. 6. Oh, it’s better than it was. 7. I like cats – isn’t that what KU fans have accused me of? 8. Me… I made a “secret” arrangement with Krause to be Bill’s successor.
Cgfoster34, that seems to be the question everyone wants to know. And the answer, at this moment, remains the same – I have no idea what’s next. And, to be honest, I like it that way.
thardman, I’m humbled by your words. Thanks.
SunTzu, how would I know? I doubt I ever had the pleasure of interacting with the “real” Ron Prince.
GP76, it was never personal.
I did what I could, which wasn’t much near the end. I apologize. Fans want a winner – that’s all. And that kind of explains the love for Frank. Better get that practice facility built ASAP. Paging John Currie…
dkmathews, your check is in the mail. You didn’t have to sell it that hard…
ksu90, appreciate the sentiment. Thanks for reading.
PettMB, it wasn’t a joke. OJ wanted to come here, but there was too much baggage – think of the Lance Stephenson drama. Nah, the farewell post is just going to highlight some folks I enjoyed dealing with, etc. Nothing major.
Sslevy, I never got to do much in the ICT because of the demands of the job. But I did get to sample an adult beverage or two in the downtime, and I guess I’d be considered a regular at The Anchor. Other favorite bars? Alibi Room and Oeno. I don’t really venture out of Old Town.
I must say I will miss some of the local recruiting coverage (although I know there are other places around “here” to get that), but it was nice to see that Kansas was not forgotten on a larger stage. Keep up the good work wherever you go, and I wish you the best of luck.
So…how many more players in the greater Wichita area would it be very possible to see on the Cats major sports rosters in the next few years, and could maybe slip some names? Thanks!!!!
J-Mart,
You have done a great job covering K-State and will be missed!!! No other reporter (in Manhattan, Topeka, Kansas City, or Wichita) even comes close.
QUESTIONS:
1) If you got the chance, which K-Stater would you choose to have a completely open discussion with and what would your first question be? (Huggins, Snyder, Wefald, Prince, Patterson, etc.)
2) Where is the craziest place you’ve made whoopee? And DON’T hold back!!!!
With lots of love,
Bob E.
Anchor, Alibi and Oeno ahead of Scotch? WTF? -Trim
J-Mart,
Sad to see you go, you have been one of the best at covering K-State sports for the past several years. I especially liked the Mama Sayz columns, the Chris Harper column this past winter, and all of the basketball recruiting updates. Most of my questions have been covered already, but I have three more:
1. Who was your least favorite opposing coach that you had to deal with in the media?
2. Have you learned to hate KU at all?
3. Is College Gameday going to be at the KU/KSU game in Bramlage on January 30th?
Thanks again for all of your work, and best of luck in the future!
EMAW
Just wanted to say I enjoyed your blog, columns, and posts on ksufans. I can’t think of many sports columns that stand out in my mind, but your farewell story about Jordy Nelson where you’re sitting in the airport lounge, that was a great one. If only the eagle didn’t make me pay for it these days. Best of luck in the future, hope you check in on the board on occasion.
Oh, CRAP. I feel like someone I really like died. I rather like Posnanski but his leaving the Star doesn’t bother me NEAR as much as you leaving. I gather this is a bold decision on your part that it is just time. Any chance you might let us know where you emerge? I am really going to miss your stuff.
JGug