Poll

After a careful review of the available evidence, I have concluded that the Nats organization is

just plain cheap
merely incompetent
cheap AND incompetent
a superbly run business
dealing with a guy who holds a grudge for reasons beyond slow pay

Author Topic: "Stinger" Steve Ray calls out the Nats for being slow pay  (Read 9312 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline tomterp

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 33783
  • Hell yes!
http://thestingersteveray.blogspot.com/2010/11/number-of-people-asked-why-i-had.html

Quote
Monday, November 1, 2010{ SPEECHLESS }
UPDATE TO THIS POST: Thanks to a number of Twiiter friends this article was circulated around the blogosphere...and it's amazing what a little bad PR will do to get things moving. Within 48 hours I had the check from the Nationals in hand, in the bank & cleared. Thank you again to the guys in the white hats.

A number of people asked why I had stopped posting here on the "Stinger" blog. The reason is fairly simple and unfortunate at the same time. I refuse to continue to promote a company, entity or organization that refuses to deal with it's employees/contractors in a timely fashion.

By the very nature of my relationship with the Washington Nationals over the past 6 years I have been called upon to be the "last checkpoint" when it comes to commercial copy, run dates, and the intricate detail work that goes into the TV & Radio spots that promote the team ticket sales & promotional dates. Being the promo "voice" of the team is a role I am blessed and honored to have. As a Washingtonian who watched many Senators games at RFK Stadium, it was a joyful day in November 2004 to hear we were getting a baseball team back in my hometown. It was an even bigger day in late February 2005 when my employer at the time, Bonneville International ( the owners of WTOP, WFED, WGMS and Z104 at that date ) won the broadcast radio rights to the Nationals network as their flagship.

When Mathew Blades, the morning show host at Z104, voiced the opening billboards and commercials for the team, it was felt by some that he did not have the particular tonal quality to represent baseball. Let me say now that Blades is a very very talented radio personality, but his voice is best suited for Alternative music and a particular audience. Play-by-Play voice Charlie Slowes lobbied on my behalf to have me take over the voice & production duties for the team...and I owe him more than I can ever repay for that effort. It saved me financially & reinvigorated a voiceover career. More importantly, something that can never be taken away, regardless of who continues to produce the radio broadcasts, I have been a part of baseball history with the return of a team to Washington.

Not to be too specific about how I am paid by the team for these services, but a "buyout" happens at the beginning of every season, to cover the estimated amount of TV & Radio spots that will be produced each year. Also included are the telephone "on-hold" services and some other things for the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation Gala, concourse messages, in-park video, and so on, and so on... It calls for me to be available at any time for last minute copy changes, additions of a sponsor to billboards, updating a highlight used in a spot, essentially to turn things around quickly in a highly time sensitive manner.

The first two years I was not surprised to get a check drawn on a Canadian bank, since MLB still owned the team technically and Montreal Expos LLC was the "corporate entity". This new team did with maybe 60~75 employees what most MLB teams do with 150~175+ employees. It was an amazing effort, started in the portable trailers, in deep snow outside RFK, as the team got the stadium ready for the home opener. As the Nationals transitioned to the new ownership of the Lerner Family, they slowly got new corporate structure in the legal department, accounting, business affairs and so on...BUT...in spite of the best efforts of those departments...

...of the six checks for six seasons...all six checks were late.

One check was so late I had to unbook my honeymoon and rebook it, with significant financial penalties. I've gotten used to that "buyout" check being late. It's almost fodder for jokes with some of the support staff. Contractually, I had every right to demand the team remove all the phone on-hold VOs, stop airing spring training spots, the radio billboards removed, etc... but I did not. That's not the way I do business. But it established a pattern of how I've interacted with the team concerning the proper payments and the due dates...going so far as to backing up the contract date to come before spring training.

In February 2006, on a -MINUS 13 degree day at RFK, I was asked with two others to audition for the Nationals P.A. Announcer slot after they released Jim Clarke in the off season. As history records, Jerome Hruska got the gig and I was guaranteed the "back-up" P.A. gig. The public address announcer days are paid separately.

In September 2009, on the day Ian Desmond made his MLB debut, and again during the last early businessman's special in September 2010, I was called upon to perform those P.A. duties. As of today's posting date, it is now over 420 days late on one payment and over 40 days late on the second date for a check to be cut. It's embarrassing for me to have to resort to "outing" an organization that for the most part has been like family. I protected them in many many cases from having stories and internal issues exposed in the media. I defended them in more ways than they will ever know. But now I have to resort to finding legal representation in order to force the team to pay me in a timely manner for those P.A. dates. The Washington Nationals are no longer a "credit worthy" client and no services will be offered at any discount or in advance until payments are made and cleared.

I'm sorry it has to come to this, but as I have said many times, you can call me almost any name in the book but the minute you screw with my ability to earn a living ...well, you get what you deserve.

Offline mitlen

  • Posts: 66171
  • We had 'em all the way.
I would have been more impressed with, "I resign."

Offline PANatsFan

  • Posts: 37398
  • dogs in uncensored, nudes in gameday
This guy has been complaining since he missed the PA gig, though, hasn't he? Doesn't mean his statements are false, that would be irresponsible of him at best, but he doesn have a grudge.

Offline tomterp

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 33783
  • Hell yes!
This guy has been complaining since he missed the PA gig, though, hasn't he? Doesn't mean his statements are false, that would be irresponsible of him at best, but he doesn have a grudge.

"doesn"?

Half way between "does" and "doesn't"?

Offline wpa2629

  • Posts: 17048
  • No Trade Clause
Uh Oh, Spelling Nazi is not pleased

:nono:

Offline mitlen

  • Posts: 66171
  • We had 'em all the way.
"doesn"?

Half way between "does" and "doesn't"?

Good eye TT.   I was goin' to call him on it but I'm not authorized :)

Offline The Chief

  • Posts: 31799
    • http://www.wnff.net
Pretty damning, IMO.  But I guess the usual suspects will say it's all BS because there are no names attached to it.

Oh wait...

Offline spidernat

  • Posts: 76956
  • The Lerners are Cheap AND Crooked
Wow but not at all shocking.

This guy has been complaining since he missed the PA gig, though, hasn't he? Doesn't mean his statements are false, that would be irresponsible of him at best, but he doesn have a grudge.

Again, wow but not shocking. Where is the other Lerner testicle ornament to rip this guy and defend the Lerners?

Offline The Chief

  • Posts: 31799
    • http://www.wnff.net
Again, wow but not shocking. Where is the other Lerner testicle ornament to rip this guy and defend the Lerners?

I'm actually not sure if he was defending the team there or not.  His typos make it ambiguous, at least to me.

Offline spidernat

  • Posts: 76956
  • The Lerners are Cheap AND Crooked
I'm actually not sure if he was defending the team there or not.  His typos make it ambiguous, at least to me.

The "N" was clearly a typo and he is claiming that the dude has a grudge and therefore this cannot be trusted. PCan should be here shortly (after he finishes milking Mark Lerner) to also say this is unsubstantiated and should not be believed.

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
LOL LERNERS ARE CHEAP!!!




Offline wpa2629

  • Posts: 17048
  • No Trade Clause
Uh, pretty sure this particular incident has to do with being disorganized, not being cheap. But keeping banging the LAC drum, it's not boring at all, really.

Offline The Chief

  • Posts: 31799
    • http://www.wnff.net
Uh, pretty sure this particular incident has to do with being disorganized, not being cheap. But keeping banging the LAC drum, it's not boring at all, really.

Who said it had to do with being cheap?  Besides hammonds.  It's disgraceful regardless.  And it's not the first time we've heard things like this.  But it might be the first time someone has actually gone on record, which immediately lends some weight to all the prior accounts.

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
Uh, pretty sure this particular incident has to do with being disorganized, not being cheap. But keeping banging the LAC drum, it's not boring at all, really.


8)

Offline PANatsFan

  • Posts: 37398
  • dogs in uncensored, nudes in gameday
I'm actually not sure if he was defending the team there or not.  His typos make it ambiguous, at least to me.


The guy has a grudge, but this rings true. Sounds like incompetence, something I've often accused them of many times. Mitlen is right, he didn't quit, he just wants payment up front. Both sides want something, and "for the most part they are family." That should have read "does" not "doesn".

Offline Evolution33

  • Posts: 5093
    • Blown Save, Win
Nothing can account for the first few years of the checks being late, but part of me wonders if they just forgot about him in the turnover from Kasten to the other guy this year. Still not good, but man if I wasn't being paid on time I might call my boss before 420 days and before blogging about it. I would probably call ont he 1 day late mark. I might also go to a job that pays me on time too.

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
Who said it had to do with being cheap?  Besides hammonds.  It's disgraceful regardless.  And it's not the first time we've heard things like this.  But it might be the first time someone has actually gone on record, which immediately lends some weight to all the prior accounts.

well the rosenthal report a few years ago is still talked about these days as having much substance and truth.

but of course the lerner lovers feel that any writer who negatively portrays the owners frugal spending ways, never have any sources or credibility.  how fitting.

Offline The Chief

  • Posts: 31799
    • http://www.wnff.net
Nothing can account for the first few years of the checks being late, but part of me wonders if they just forgot about him in the turnover from Kasten to the other guy this year. Still not good, but man if I wasn't being paid on time I might call my boss before 420 days and before blogging about it. I would probably call ont he 1 day late mark. I might also go to a job that pays me on time too.

You're assuming that he didn't speak to anyone about it.  That seems like a stretch to me.

Offline wpa2629

  • Posts: 17048
  • No Trade Clause
Who said it had to do with being cheap?  Besides hammonds.  It's disgraceful regardless.  And it's not the first time we've heard things like this.  But it might be the first time someone has actually gone on record, which immediately lends some weight to all the prior accounts.

Um does it need to be anyone else besides Hammonds? He bangs the drum enough for everyone.

For the record, I was not excusing the behavior, just clarifying the adjective.

Offline Sharp

  • Posts: 3582
When it comes down to it, it shouldn't matter whether "they just forgot," since all pending payments should be in an electronic database.  If the organization is not following through on its commitments it is a big problem.

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
Um does it need to be anyone else besides Hammonds? He bangs the drum enough for everyone.

For the record, I was not excusing the behavior, just clarifying the adjective.

oh there are plenty of other LAC members on here, not all of them are as vocal or fed up as me. 


Offline wpa2629

  • Posts: 17048
  • No Trade Clause
oh there are plenty of other LAC members on here, not all of them are as vocal or fed up as me. 


You're the most annoying by far. But I did enjoy your "drum" post :)

Offline UMDNats

  • Posts: 18063
This says more about this organization's incompetence than its frugality.

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
:clap:

Getting better!

haha minty i can't believe once upon a time we didn't see eye to eye.  you're the man.