This is a contractual document binding two parties to an agreement.  Dorsey's part was to sign it, Michigan's was to honor it.  If the admissions staff had such serious concerns, they should have never accepted it in the first place.  All they did was provide false hope to a young man with a dream of playing football at the University of Michigan.  What they did in fact was allow this same young man to be dragged through the mud by over zealous news orgainzations.  At the very least, he is owed an apology.  So is Rich Rod who now has to go out and recruit high level athletes, offer scholarships, and watch as their dreams are shattered by people who could have stopped this early in the process and saved everyone the embarassment.

1) I think the impact on recruiting will not be significant from the recruit's standpoint, but will affect how Rodriguez recruits borderline kids.  Remember, as much as this hurts Dorsey, it hurts Rodriguez worse.  RR loses the spot until next year, he loses a five star player, and he lost a battle with admissions.  RR will have to change how he interacts with admissions to make sure this does not happen again.

2) While the admissions actions, based upon what we know i.e. that someone signed off on it to RR, was shameful, what really galls me is that the coaches have not kept Dorsey updated on what is going on.  This reminds me of the Witherspoon situation a couple years ago when the kid was in Ann Arbor yet the coaches were not keeping him informed of what was going on.  My recollection is that eventually he found out from another source that he wasnt eligible and then left town.

Amid all of the tears about the disgraceful treatment of Dorsey by elements within the University of Michigan, my own tears very much included, there is this:

Demar Dorsey was willing to speak exclusively to Tom VH, and Dorsey's parents and coaches were willing to communicate with Sam Webb.

This is what the Free Press is reduced to.  It is on the outside, looking in.  A real, true, determined enemy of our football program.  With ever-diminishing access to our coaches, players and recruits.

Let's all make sure we help to continue that process.

[Edit. - I see that Freep.com has just posted a Mark Snyder story about this, in which he somehow got a statement from Demar's dad.  Pity that Snyder got that much.  I note also that Snyder made no mention of MGoBlog, and instead circled around all of the issues that had been reported here, without attribution.  What a weasel Snyder is.  What a pathetic failing institution his paper is.]

I've loved anything and everything Michigan related since I was old enough to recognize maize and blue.  Like many of you, I've defended Michigan zealously for the past 2 years against seemingly endless unfair, biased, and often hypocritical attacks.  But this is defenseless.

How much more did Demar go through because his commitment was to Michigan?  He'll land on his feet, and I'll be rooting for him just as if he were wearing a winged helmet, but the school has taken a black eye with all of this.

Perception is reality and right now we're telling a young man that we recruited insanely hard with 7 coaches at once, a young man that commited to us, a young man that did what he was supposed to do and qualified academically...we're telling that young man. "You're not a good enough person to come here."  It makes us look like arrogant, elitist, country club, pricks.

I can handle disappointing seasons, the attacks...but I can't handle this.  I have a knot in my stomach that makes me feel embarrassed to be a Wolverine today.

Maybe we should email the school in support of dorsey

I'll admit I don't know much about journalism but I can't help but think this is a feather in the MGoBlog hat that there is a report from a source close to the matter and that we have the balls to go the distance to be able to name the source.

I have to believe that Sam Webb did interview both Demar and his coach, and did know that the release letter was sent, but rather than bring that fact to light a general "I don't think he'll be at Michigan in the fall" is published.

And since from what I can tell Sam Webb has a decent reputation for his journalism, all the traditional outlets expanded too a greater or lessor amount their own speculation on the matter (I'm talking about you Angelique).

Now, how hard is it to get the Univeristy of Michigan Admissions office on the record as saying, "no comment" or "he's out", or "the letter being sent was a mistake, and the coaches are communicating the process to the recruit as the process unfolds"

I'm betting it's "no comment" but is it really that hard to call and get that on the record and print that in the original article?

I mean phones are pretty fast too, I think they use the same electrons as the internet don't they?

Am I the crazy one here?

... to be a Michigan fan. 

I'm so tired of negative news and the general appearance of incompetence inside the organization.

They can't comment Dorsey's application for admission anymore than they can comment on your's.

The only light that is going to be shed on this unfortunately is from the Dorsey side of things.  I doubt that either Brandon or Rodriguez are going to be able to comment in too much detail other than to state that the application for admission was rejected by the admissions office and that Dorsey has been granted his release.

Argh argh argh

Also, good job Tom.

Argh.

After months of hearing about how Demar Dorsey had trouble with law and so on, maybe you all knew this before I finally learn that he entered into this program.  Demar genuinely wants to be on the right path.

I found it heartbreaking to hear him talk about the auditorium where he announced he was going to Michigan as if it were a shrine.  I had no idea how much it meant to him.  God I hope he gets in.