Ray Clay

I don't believe a specific reason was ever given... just the typical vague "we're going to go in a different direction".

It has been intimated it was because of comments Clay made that were critical of the organization and their treatment of Michael Jordan when he made his return to Chicago this past season.

If you want to believe that it is because they are looking to go in a "new direction" then feel free.

Originally posted by BCH
It has been intimated it was because of comments Clay made that were critical of the organization and their treatment of Michael Jordan when he made his return to Chicago this past season.

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Unsubstantiated rumors. I might as well speculate it was because Clay missed a number of games last season. Maybe the Bulls simply expected their PA announcer to, I don't know, show up for all the games?

Even if Clay's comments about the Jordan introduction were the reason, I'd say it's a pretty legitimate one. I would think the last thing an organization needs is their PA announcer publically criticizing the handling of what was a delicate situation to begin with. I would expect Clay to be more of a team player in such a situation.

My understanding was that he had missed a whole lot of games last season and that management was just tired of it.

I am not sure how unsubstantiated it is when Clay mentions the organizations displeasure at him for voicing his opinion of MJ to someone not in the organization. The guy gave his opinion and was fired for it.

If you think it is a legitimate reason to fire someone because they gave a personal opinion on something they have every right to give an opinion on, then nothing I can say will change it.

Dickie will be around shortly to give you the details on how his good friend the Marketing guy did the firing.

Ray Clay was fired for not showing up consistently for his job. After he got fired, he concocted some BS about how he wanted to do more for MJ upon his return.

Ray Clay was not fired for voicing his opinion. The Bulls actually let him finish out the season and then made a decision. Had there been dismay over the MJ situation, he would have been dismissed right then and there.

Also, Ray Clay, like most of us who work for a company, is an "at will" employee. He can be fired for whatever reason as long as discrimination is not involved. Firing someone for differences over opinion is completely legitimate.

Does this board come with an ignore feature?

Originally posted by RealFan
Ray Clay was fired for not showing up consistently for his job. After he got fired, he concocted some BS about how he wanted to do more for MJ upon his return.

Ray Clay was not fired for voicing his opinion. The Bulls actually let him finish out the season and then made a decision. Had there been dismay over the MJ situation, he would have been dismissed right then and there.

Also, Ray Clay, like most of us who work for a company, is an "at will" employee. He can be fired for whatever reason as long as discrimination is not involved. Firing someone for differences over opinion is completely legitimate.

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Ray Clay is the only one speaking out about it. Was he not showing up consistently or was he pushed to the side to try out new talent?

He probably has a year to year contract and was not resigned. Being an at-will employee does not mean it is a legitimate reason to be fired for his opinion. It just means that Krause does not need a legitimate reason to fire him.

As a side note to Truebluefan or KC, do you feel like dealing with gettinbranded sooner rather than later?

Originally posted by gettinbranded
Does this board come with an ignore feature?

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Yes we have ignore here.

Originally posted by BCH


Ray Clay is the only one speaking out about it. Was he not showing up consistently or was he pushed to the side to try out new talent?

He probably has a year to year contract and was not resigned. Being an at-will employee does not mean it is a legitimate reason to be fired for his opinion. It just means that Krause does not need a legitimate reason to fire him.

As a side note to Truebluefan or KC, do you feel like dealing with gettinbranded sooner rather than later?

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BCH if you have a problem with someone here take it to me PM.

That goes for everyone in here. No need to keep it public. I do have PM.

Let me add one more thing to this post. It is true i am moderator of this bulls board but this is how this board works here. All the moderators get together with Ron and discuss particular problems that each are having with their respective boards and we vote with Ron on what should be done in most major cases. So its like a team effort. All moderators plus Ron. I think thats a nice thing to have. It keeps a moderator from abusing his power so to speak. So when someone PMs me and it takes me a day or so to reply its either because i am away or because the matter is being discussed with the reast of the moderators and Ron.

Ok maybe we can settle this issue once and for all. Does anyone have the link to when he was fired and the follow up articles? Maybe we can settle it finally. I know that it wasn't settled over at realgm.

BCH. Your opinion is welcomed and we invite you to back up your comments about JK firing Ray for difference of opinion. In fact please show us where it was JKs job to fire Ray. If you can do that with conrete proof then we can start to believe you. Otherwise it is just hearsay when you say JK fired Ray for difference of opinion and you state it as fact. And whose to say JK even knew about it? All i am saying is show us the proof to back up your statement thats all.

From what i remember, Ray did mention that. But was JKs name even brought up? Someone help me out here. Also the fact that Ray said such a thing, does that mean thats what really happened?

Originally posted by BCH
Being an at-will employee does not mean it is a legitimate reason to be fired for his opinion. It just means that Krause does not need a legitimate reason to fire him.

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Continuing on the assumption that Clay's comments were the reason he was fired... you make it sound as if Clay was opining that he prefers Burger King over McDonalds. His comments were directly critical of the organization for which he worked. I don't know of any company where that sort of thing would be tolerated.

Do you really think that employees of all the other sports teams in the world agree with every decision those organizations make? If the Rockets PA announcer thinks Yao Ming is going to be a bigger stiff than Manute Bol, that makes it OK to publically voice that opinion?

Uh, I remember reading that Krause didn't even KNOW Clay was fired. Evidently the firing was handled entirely by their marketing guy.

well crap i cant attach the WAV file i have with why Ray Clay was fired... if u want it I can e mail it to you, i put it in a zip file its not big at all... but it wont let me attach it... HE SAYS it was because he wanted to give MJ a special intro

i dont know why either its only 153KBs its in a zip file?

hey ok i found the link on ESPN with his interview on why he was fired, all of you go here and select your connection speed and it will play:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/broadband/players/audiochoose?id=1382963#

This will probably be cleared up once and for all after the first home game. The intro will probably be completely different. Complete w/ some hip-hop track and shots of the Bulls players dunking. In other words, a different direction.

If it's still the Alan Parsons Project and the same type of video footage of a Bull running down the street then I guess he was fired for other reasons.

What do you guys think the new intro will be like? My dream of keeping the same music but instead having footage of Jerry Krause running throughout Chicago in a suit probably won't be realized. (The beauty of this sick fantasy would be when it gets to the footage of krause running up to the UNited Center the real Krause runs onto the gym floor. People in the UC would be utterly speechless at this horror.)

I have a fear that it is going to be shots of the guys dunking and typical crap like everyone else.

Thanks for the clip, Hawk, but nowhere in it does it indicate what the reason was the Clay was fired.

he said he thinks it was because he wanted to give MJ his USUAL intro

Originally posted by HAWK23
hey ok i found the link on ESPN with his interview on why he was fired, all of you go here and select your connection speed and it will play:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/broadband/players/audiochoose?id=1382963#

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It won't play for me.