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McElhiney's Hometown Tells Rhythm Owners: Don't Mess with Gleason

By DAVID BRANDT
dbrandt@jacksonsun.com
Feb 6 2005

GLEASON - Tucked in a corner of the downtown square, those old boys at the J&P Exxon have been known to get a little bit ornery over the years.

Many of them are pushing 70 years old and have big beards, big stomachs and even bigger whoppers to tell.

''This is where you go to find the news,'' crowed Jerry Akins from the corner. ''And some gossip, too.''

Those binoculars hanging over on the wall? They're for checking out the girls walking up the post office steps across the street.

Talk to them long enough and they'll tell the story of persuading home-grown banjo player Mike Snider to film a music video at the J&P. Definitely one of their finer moments.

And some more shenanigans just might have occurred on Saturday if that Nashville Rhythm bus hadn't shown up with hometown star Ashley McElhiney in tow.

''Boy, we should pepper that bus with some sweet taters when it rolls in,'' Gilbert Perry said. ''Uncooked, too. They better have Ashley on that bus.''

''They might ride in on that bus, but they'd be riding back to Nashville on mules,'' Akins said laughing.

Such is the mood across ''Tater Town,'' where the folks are feeling a little bit salty after Rhythm owner Sally Anthony tried to fire their local darling on Jan. 29.

The little girl that neighbors remember shooting baskets in her driveway, even in freezing temperatures, eventually led the Lady Bulldogs to a 1999 state championship. She may be a 23-year-old grown-up now, but Gleason is still protective of Ashley.

On a gloomy, cool Thursday, residents weren't yet sure if Ashley would get to keep her job as the Nashville Rhythm's basketball coach and come to town on Saturday. Word didn't come until later that day that she was indeed making the trip.

But no matter what ended up happening, it seems almost all of Gleason was in agreement on one thing.

''They messed with the wrong girl,'' Nancy Williams said as her eyes squinted tight. ''She's much too smart and too good under pressure for (the owners). We're so proud of her.''

Williams now owns Claude & Willie's Ice Cream and Soda Shoppe in downtown, but for years she was an English teacher at the high school and had Ashley in her class.

''She's handled herself so well on the court since she got hired (for the Rhythm),'' Williams said. ''If she's not here, nobody's going to show up for the game. We don't care about the Nashville Rhythm; we care about Ashley.''

Make the short walk to the high school, and Randy Frazier seems to be in the middle of a whirlwind.

The principal and girls basketball coach is trying to sort out the logistics of hosting a professional basketball game while fielding numerous media calls, all while deeply concerned about his former player.

About 25 feet from his office hangs Ashley's No. 24 jersey and 1999 state championship trophy.

Frazier's proud of Ashley because of the wins, the trophies and the notoriety. He's proud of her accomplishments as a player at Vanderbilt, too.

But he's even more proud of her now. He knows the town is.

''She's very intelligent - very mature,'' Frazier said. ''This town is very close knit, she's a favorite here and the people support her no matter what. I think she's been great in a tough situation.''

Just down the road at the Gleason Deli, some more locals are debating the merits of Ashley even taking the job back if offered.

''I wouldn't do it, no way,'' 80-year-old Thomas Allmon said, while sipping on some coffee.

''I bet you would if they offered you a big, fat raise,'' countered Gilbert Wright. ''You've got to check the fine print of that contract, too.''

''Wouldn't matter to me,'' Allmon said. ''I'd go to some big university. She can get a job wherever she wants now.''

The friendly debate rages on, but even if they disagree on what McElhiney should do, most of them are planning on going to the game - as long as Ashley's there.

''Sally Anthony better not bother showing up; she'll get booed out of town,'' a voice pipes up from the corner.

One thing that continually amazes the residents is Ashley's cool demeanor under crazy circumstances. Even Gene Price, the pastor at Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, is doubtful he could have done as well.

''I just don't know if I would have kept my cool that well,'' Price said, smiling. ''From what I've heard and read, she did great.''

Gleason Superette owner Thomas Morris feels the same way.

''I think I'd blown my top in that situation,'' Morris said as he bagged some groceries.

''No - you wouldn't have,'' wife Joyce said as she shot her husband a mean look.

Thomas just laughed.

By about 4 p.m., the news has spread across the town quickly - Ashley is still the coach of the Nashville Rhythm and the game is on as scheduled.

So Frazier went on with his game preparations, the town began to close up for the day and residents began to look forward to seeing Ashley back in her hometown.

''Ashley's dad called, and the game is on,'' Frazier said. ''Now we can go back to selling the tickets.''

And probably much to their disappointment, it appears the ''sweet tater'' barrage won't be necessary from the boys at the J&P.

But you can bet they'll be ready if needed.

Visit talkback.jacksonsun.com and share your thoughts.

- David Brandt, (731) 425-9636

About Gleason

Population: 1,463 (Census 2000)

Elevation: 409 feet

County: Weakley

Nearest cities: Dresden (7.6 miles); McKenzie (8.7 miles); Henry (13.4 miles); Greenfield (13.6 miles)

Median resident age: 34.9 years

''(Ashley's) a well-groomed kid. If Sally Anthony had done that to me, I'd have probably tried to wring her neck.'' Kris Morse, City Drug store pharmacist

''We're proud of Ashley, but I couldn't go back to work for that Sally Anthony. I'd get out the quickest way I could.'' Roy Hodges, Gleason resident

''If she's not here, nobody's going to show up for the game. We don't care about the Nashville Rhythm; we care about Ashley.'' Nancy Williams, Gleason resident and business owner

''It's a relief that she's back with the team. I just wanted her to do what's best for her.'' Randy Frazier, Gleason principal and girls basketball coach. Source: Jackson Sun.

 

Tennessee Town Shows up for Reinstated ABA Coach By Tom Weir, USA TODAY GLEASON, Tenn. — Imagine the scene if 80% of the population in a city showed up for a sports event. That was the welcome home Ashley McElhiney got Saturday night after a turbulent week that made for Gleason's biggest news event in two decades. The week also brought notoriety to the American Basketball Association, a reincarnation of the red-white-and-blue ball league of 1967-76 before its merge with the NBA. McElhiney, the first woman to coach a pro men's basketball team, was declared fired from the Nashville Rhythm on Jan. 29 after an angry on-court tirade by co-owner and rock singer Sally Anthony in a game against the Kansas City Knights. The dismissal put in doubt the Rhythm's game in Gleason (population, 1,500) but provided the biggest publicity hit so far for the struggling ABA, which has had 31 teams play this season, some with limited schedules. Under pressure from the public and the league office, Anthony issued an apology to McElhiney and stepped down as team CEO. Anthony was replaced by her husband, co-owner Tony Bucher, and McElhiney agreed to return. "It was an unfortunate situation. No hard feelings," McElhiney said after the Rhythm's 130-114 loss to the St. Louis Flight in front of a crowd estimated at 1,200. "I'm very comfortable with the decision I made to come back, and that's pretty much what I'll say," said McElhiney, 23, who signed a confidentiality agreement not to discuss the incident after negotiations between her agent and Rhythm representatives. Anthony, who wasn't at Saturday's game, raged at McElhiney during the game against Kansas City and was removed by security at Lipscomb University in Nashville. The dispute centered on McElhiney's decision to play Matt Freije, Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer, over Anthony's objections. The co-owner told reporters that Rhythm players were upset by Freije signing a two-game contract for $10,000 on a team that has a $120,000 salary cap. Top Rhythm scorer Dontaé Jones recently left the 18-8 team to play in South Korea. "It was just kind of surreal to see somebody come right at you," said Rhythm forward Adam Sonn, who was sitting next to the unflinching McElhiney during the confrontation. "I obviously have never seen anything like that before, and I don't imagine I ever will again." Sonn, sidelined with a broken foot, said there was no resentment about Freije's deal. The team's short-handed situation was overlooked by a hometown crowd that came to see the "Ashley Mac" who was named Tennessee Class A Miss Basketball player of the year for leading the Gleason High Lady Bulldogs to the 1999 state title before becoming the career assists leader at Vanderbilt. The town's five full-time and two part-time police officers were on duty at the game, confident they weren't needed elsewhere. "It's the biggest thing I've ever seen," said Chief of Police Edmund Steward. He said the only other time the town had such a unanimous show of support was when about 1,500 people from Gleason caravanned 150 miles to Nashville for the 1984 Grand Ole Opry debut of native son Mike Snider. Snider, a banjo-playing fixture on Hee Haw, was at the game. "Ashley's just a good little gal, and everybody here is supporting her," Snider said. "Even if she was in the wrong, we'd all be on her side." McElhiney was greeted with a standing ovation before the game, which likely would have been moved back to Nashville if she hadn't been reinstated. Said Gleason resident Angie Lassiter, "If Ashley wasn't coming, we weren't coming." Source: USA Today

'Ashley Mac' is Back in Gleason, Back With Her Team

By DAVID BRANDT
dbrandt@jacksonsun.com
Feb 6 2005

GLEASON - The cheers cascaded down from every corner of the Lady Bulldogs' gym - Ashley McElhiney was home again, and the Gleason faithful made sure she knew it.

A near-capacity crowd of more than 1,000 watched McElhiney coach the Nashville Rhythm Saturday night. And despite a sour outcome in the game, there were a lot of good feelings in Tater Town.

The St. Louis Flight pounded Nashville, 130-114, but the score was barely on people's minds. And what McElhiney said she would take from the game is the feeling she had when she walked on the court.

''You know, I didn't know if I'd ever have a feeling like that again,'' McElhiney said. ''When I heard my name announced and the home crowd started cheering - it's pretty awesome.''

The crowd was equally as sentimental.

''It brings back an awful lot of great memories to see Ashley,'' Gleason resident Richard Horn said. ''I remember when the ball was bigger than she was. This is great that she can come back and do this.''

The crowd began to file into the gym more than an hour before game time, waiting to get a glimpse of their hometown darling. A display with McElhiney's pictures from her playing days at Gleason and Vanderbilt lay on a table and two banners hung from a wall that read, ''Welcome back, Ashley Mac.''

The game itself wasn't anything to get too excited about. St. Louis jumped out to a 39-21 lead in the first quarter, and the Rhythm never really made things close. With the loss, McElhiney's coaching record with Nashville fell to 18-8.

''I'm not going to make an excuse and say that this week's incident made us lose,'' McElhiney said. ''We just didn't play very well.''

It was McElhiney's first game back with the Rhythm after nearly being fired when part-owner Sally Anthony charged onto the court during Nashville's 110-109 victory over Kansas City.

McElhiney was reinstated as coach on Thursday after Anthony stepped down from her position as chief executive officer.

''I'm very comfortable with the direction that this franchise has taken,'' McElhiney said. ''If I've learned anything this year it's to put things in the past. There's no hard feelings between me and the franchise.''

Gleason principal Randy Frazier said he was extremely pleased with the crowd and the atmosphere. There were a few glitches - a suitable shot-clock couldn't be found, and the teams played with the college 3-point line instead of the ABA line, which is about a foot longer than the one on Gleason's floor.

''It's not perfect, but I think it's gone pretty well,'' Frazier said.

Another Gleason celebrity was in the crowd, Grand Ole Opry banjo player Mike Snider. The 44-year-old was with his family and grinned ear-to-ear when talking about McElhiney.

''We've been having a big time all night watching Ashley,'' Snider said. ''It's like a big town meeting in here. I saw her play some when she was in high school, and now it's pretty neat to see her back as a coach.''

Ashley's father, Danny McElhiney, was in the crowd to watch along with much of the rest of the family. While the huge show of support overwhelmed Danny, he couldn't say that he was surprised.

''It really does amaze me to see everybody out here, but nothing the people in Gleason do really surprises me,'' Danny said. ''These are great people here.''

So now it's time for a little bit of rest and relaxation for Ashley, who's had quite a week to remember. What will Ashley do in Gleason on a Saturday night?

''Absolutely nothing,'' McElhiney said, laughing. ''When I was a kid, the only thing there was to do was play basketball or go to the movies in Martin. Tonight, I think I'll just hang out a little bit with Mom and Dad.

''I think I might have stressed them out a little bit this week.''

Share your thoughts online at talkback.jacksonsun.com.

- David Brandt, (731) 425-9636 -  Source: Jackson Sun.

Rhythm Regains Footing

By DAVID BRANDT
dbrandt@jacksonsun.com
Feb 6 2005

GLEASON - The Nashville Rhythm looked like they had some fun in their coach's hometown Saturday afternoon, which is a very nice thing, considering the week they've had.

The team rolled into Gleason about 12:30 p.m. for their pre-game shootaround, and the first stop was to take a glance at the Lady Bulldogs' trophy wall.

All of the players gathered around to take a look at the 1999 state championship trophy, and then one caught eye of a familiar face. He pointed to the No. 24 jersey that was leaning against the wall.

''Uh, oh! There's Ashley Mac,'' one of the players said laughing. ''She's a superstar.''

After entering Gleason's new gym, the players went through about an hour workout with the recently reinstated head coach Ashley McElhiney. Then it was off to go get some lunch in McKenzie, and after that back to the high school, where the players were hoping to relax a little bit by watching some college basketball in the high school library.

''I heard they've got a cable hook-up in there,'' assistant coach Scott Flatt said, grinning.

McElhiney declined to be interviewed before the afternoon shootaround, saying her agents had put her on a strict schedule of when she could speak to the media.

But Flatt, who also doubles as the assistant general manager, said the week has been nearly as crazy as it sounded in the media.

''I've tried to be a liaison between the players, Ashley and the owners,'' Flatt said. ''My biggest goal was to make sure the players didn't freak out too much. I knew Anthony was only one of three owners, so anything could happen.''

Flatt was on the bench with McElhiney when co-owner Sally Anthony stormed the court and tried to fire McElhiney in the middle of the third quarter of the Rhythm's game on Jan. 29.

And just like it looked in the pictures, Flatt said it was a strange experience.

''I tried to calm (Anthony) down at halftime,'' Flatt said. ''But then the stuff happened in the third quarter that everyone saw. I was just proud of the way Ashley and the players handled themselves. We were down 18 points when that happened, then we came back to win the game.''

The Rhythm were 18-7 going into Saturday's game and are generally one of the more stable ABA franchises. The league is not known for its continuity, with several teams folding or playing limited schedules this season.

So when it was the Rhythm that made all the big headlines for all the wrong reasons, count Flatt as being shocked.

''Honestly, I was a little bit surprised that it was such a big deal at first,'' Flatt said. ''But then I realized her hiring was huge, so her 'firing' was huge, too.''

But Flatt said he expects the franchise to stay on solid ground, even if it might have a big black eye at the moment.

''Minus this incident, the Buchers have been terrific owners,'' Flatt said. ''We're just trying to regroup now.''

Point your browser to talkback.jacksonsun.com and share your thoughts.

- David Brandt, (731) 425-9636 - Source: Jackson Sun.

Notes from Gleason - Rule Differences: This isn't Your Daddy's Basketball League.

David Brandt
The Jackson Sun
Feb 6 2005

Several different rules are used in the ABA, where an up-tempo game is encouraged.

JUSTIN VENEMAN/The Jackson Sun - When the Nashville Rhythm fired coach Ashley McElhiney, her hometown had a message for the team's owners: Don't mess with Gleason

Here are a few of the highlights:

• Eight seconds to get the ball past the half-court line.
• If the other team steals the ball before their opponent reaches the half-court line, a two-point basket is worth three points and a 3-point basket is worth four points on the ensuing possession. It's the same with free throws - one free throw is worth two points, and two free throws are worth three points.
• Players do not foul out of the game after their sixth foul. Instead, if a player commits his seventh foul or more, the other team gets two free throws and possession of the ball.

Gleason Principal Randy Frazier has worn many hats over the last couple days, including his real duty as the girls basketball coach. Besides that, he's had to double with impromptu duties such as event planner and public relations director with the media frenzy over the past few days regarding the Nashville Rhythm game.

And after Saturday morning, there's one more duty Frazier can add to the ever-growing list - referee.

He was at the school at 9 a.m. Saturday to help with the Gleason youth basketball league. He wouldn't leave the school until way after Saturday night's pro game.

''I haven't really been able to get out of here too often over the last couple of days,'' Frazier said, grinning.

Gleason baseball coach and math teacher Mike Bennett received the unenviable task of being in charge of the concession stand. So Bennett recruited some helpers who couldn't say no.

''I've got just about my entire baseball team coming in to help me tonight (Saturday), especially during halftime,'' Bennett said. ''At least they better be here.''

So about an hour and a half before the game started, Bennett had the jumbo-size George Foreman grill cooking at full blast, trying to stockpile enough hot dogs for the crowd.

''We've had some big crowds for some high school games, so I think we can handle this,'' Bennett said. ''I just hope we have enough food.''

To remember this day, Ashley's dad, Danny McElhiney, enlisted the help of an old friend on Saturday night.

A part-time photographer, Gary Owens, drove down from St. Louis partly so he could take pictures of the game for the Rhythm.

But the real reason he was in Gleason? It was to get some good pictures of Ashley for the McElhiney family.

''Shoot, Danny and I went to school together at Gleason,'' Owens said. ''I've known him for more than 30 years. Of course I was going to do this.''

Owens said the pull of Gleason is bringing him back; he plans on moving back to Tater Town after he retires from the Postal Service later this year.

''There's just something about this town that I love,'' Owens said. ''I'd like to come back and open a little photography business.''

Rhythm player Adam Sonn made the drive to Gleason from Nashville with his dad even though he wouldn't play because of a broken foot. Sonn was one of the players on the bench when Ashley McElhiney was ''fired'' on Jan. 29.

''It was so ridiculous that it didn't even seem real,'' Sonn said. ''Honestly, it still doesn't seem real.''

But Sonn had nothing but praise for his coach.

''I don't care how old you are, when somebody comes and gets in your face like (Anthony) did it takes a lot of self-control to not get mad,'' Sonn said. ''She was very professional.''

The entire Gleason police force was on hand to witness Saturday's game. All five full-time officers and two part-time guys.

Officer Paul Eddleman said he was pretty confident nothing would happen while they were watching part of the game. After all, probably at least half of Gleason was in the gym.

''Aw, we just wanted to catch the first half,'' Eddleman said. ''I don't even like basketball that much; we're going to go back on patrol here in a few minutes.''

Go online to talkback.jacksonsun.com and share your thoughts.

- David Brandt, (731) 425-9636 - Source: Jackson Sun.

Tennessee Town Shows up for Reinstated ABA Coach

By Tom Weir, USA TODAY



GLEASON, Tenn. — Imagine the scene if 80% of the population in a city showed up for a sports event. That was the welcome home Ashley McElhiney got Saturday night after a turbulent week that made for Gleason's biggest news event in two decades.

The week also brought notoriety to the American Basketball Association, a reincarnation of the red-white-and-blue ball league of 1967-76 before its merge with the NBA.

McElhiney, the first woman to coach a pro men's basketball team, was declared fired from the Nashville Rhythm on Jan. 29 after an angry on-court tirade by co-owner and rock singer Sally Anthony in a game against the Kansas City Knights.

The dismissal put in doubt the Rhythm's game in Gleason (population, 1,500) but provided the biggest publicity hit so far for the struggling ABA, which has had 31 teams play this season, some with limited schedules.

Under pressure from the public and the league office, Anthony issued an apology to McElhiney and stepped down as team CEO. Anthony was replaced by her husband, co-owner Tony Bucher, and McElhiney agreed to return.

"It was an unfortunate situation. No hard feelings," McElhiney said after the Rhythm's 130-114 loss to the St. Louis Flight in front of a crowd estimated at 1,200.

"I'm very comfortable with the decision I made to come back, and that's pretty much what I'll say," said McElhiney, 23, who signed a confidentiality agreement not to discuss the incident after negotiations between her agent and Rhythm representatives.

Anthony, who wasn't at Saturday's game, raged at McElhiney during the game against Kansas City and was removed by security at Lipscomb University in Nashville.

The dispute centered on McElhiney's decision to play Matt Freije, Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer, over Anthony's objections. The co-owner told reporters that Rhythm players were upset by Freije signing a two-game contract for $10,000 on a team that has a $120,000 salary cap. Top Rhythm scorer Dontaé Jones recently left the 18-8 team to play in South Korea.

"It was just kind of surreal to see somebody come right at you," said Rhythm forward Adam Sonn, who was sitting next to the unflinching McElhiney during the confrontation. "I obviously have never seen anything like that before, and I don't imagine I ever will again."

Sonn, sidelined with a broken foot, said there was no resentment about Freije's deal.

The team's short-handed situation was overlooked by a hometown crowd that came to see the "Ashley Mac" who was named Tennessee Class A Miss Basketball player of the year for leading the Gleason High Lady Bulldogs to the 1999 state title before becoming the career assists leader at Vanderbilt.

The town's five full-time and two part-time police officers were on duty at the game, confident they weren't needed elsewhere.

"It's the biggest thing I've ever seen," said Chief of Police Edmund Steward. He said the only other time the town had such a unanimous show of support was when about 1,500 people from Gleason caravanned 150 miles to Nashville for the 1984 Grand Ole Opry debut of native son Mike Snider.

Snider, a banjo-playing fixture on Hee Haw, was at the game.

"Ashley's just a good little gal, and everybody here is supporting her," Snider said. "Even if she was in the wrong, we'd all be on her side."

McElhiney was greeted with a standing ovation before the game, which likely would have been moved back to Nashville if she hadn't been reinstated.

Said Gleason resident Angie Lassiter, "If Ashley wasn't coming, we weren't coming." Source: USA Today; Photo: Shelley Mays, The Tennessean.



 



 

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