You read stuff like this and realize a thousand bucks ain’t what it used to be.
Seems our favorite Hoosier son, fresh off a 24-9 freshman campaign at UNM, is scheduled to be the main attraction at a fundraiser for Darren White, a Republican running for New Mexico’s first congressional seat. All fine and good - he’s allowed to have his own mind … except now the University is getting cold feet, apparently after getting pressure from the state Democrats.
Ooops.
“We’re trying to clear up the perception that Coach is somehow involved in the campaign,” UNM Athletic Director Paul Krebs said. “He’s not. He was asked by me to attend a reception, which he agreed to do. He is not endorsing any candidate,”
Problem with that statement? The invite for the event clearly says you have to donate $1000 to the campaign just to have your picture taken with Alford, and Darren White’s campaign said the University ok’d that part of the deal, as well as Alford being the headliner.
Yup, Hawkeye fans, the man you’d have paid $10 million to leave the state now gets a $1000 for a Cannon SD 750 image. Ain’t it … grand? But the story gets better after the jump. Read on.
Alford’s saying he didn’t understand the whole story.
“I wouldn’t know Darren White if he walked in front of me,” Alford told The Albuquerque Journal. “I got falsely advertised. I was just stopping by”.
Which might be true. But this hasn’t exactly been a secret: Darren White’s website has been advertising “An evening with Coach Steve Alford” for days. White provided emails to The Journal showing a UNM lobbyist Joe Thompson (the White event host) confirming that Alford knew the way the invites would be worded.
White thinks the state Democrats are behind this push, pointing to Governor Bill Richardson, saying Alford attended fundraisers for both Richardson and another Democrat running for Congress just last year. A Richardson spokesperson says that’s not true, but Paul Krebs now says Alford might not attend the event.
Which begs the question: Are we talking about the same Steve Alford? Not a bad coach, but nothing to go this nuts over. Heck, the Lobos lost in the first round of the NIT last season. Anyone? Anyone? Buehler?
In the garage at my parents house, I have a picture that I took with Alford in ‘96. You can have it for $19.95 and it will finance my run for Comptroller.
As long as the money doesn’t go to the Mike Davis for Governor campaign.
So we’ve learned:
1) New Mexico politics are crooked, and
2) Steve Alford is deceptive
In other words, we’ve learned nothing new today.
If I was Darren White, I would deliberately walk in front of Steve Alford all day until he was forced to know me.
Great, now I have an image of Darren White screaming “WHAT’S MY NAME, BITCH???” to Alford on the sidelines during a game.