will be michigan's highest pick in a while
David Oku on Recruting
Recently, David Oku had this to say about recruiting:
"Everyone is trying to get me to pick already, but I'm not ready," Oku said. "All these coaches are making it worse by calling and trying to talk when I don't want to. This is a lot of pressure to put on one kid, and it doesn't help that I've got some family stuff going on, too."
"I'm not taking any calls," he said. "I just want the coaches to give me some space. Too much is going on for me right now."
"I'm not committed to anyone anymore," he said.
"I don't have any plans to sign on Wednesday. I don't know when a decision will be made. I just need some space and some time to think and sort things out. Hopefully the coaches will respect that and understand how difficult this has become for me."
These kids have people clawing at them - calling, texting, e-mailing, facebooking, "chatting" before they've done a thing - I've never seen someone talk seriously about the toll it can take on a young kid who has lots of other things to worry about.
Maybe, before we start becoming facebook friends with people 5-15 years younger than us, we could step back and realize that these are not mature adults we're dealing with - and they're making the biggest decision of their lives to that point - one not based on our own entertainment.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:19 PM | 
Excellent Point
Excellent Point
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:23 PM |
Thanks Chitown for this post.
Thanks Chitown for this post.
Thanks Chitown for this post. The amount of stalking is getting absurd; just let the damn kids be kids.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 PM |
he doesn't sound like a
he doesn't sound like a
he doesn't sound like a michigan man to me.
i only respect other superfans
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:38 PM |
+1.
+1.
+1.
not just "douchey" MGoBlog user, but now TRUSTED MGoBlog user
February 7th, 2009 at 1:19 AM |
Agreed
Agreed
He is also dumb as rocks and probably STILL can't qualify! I remember last summer his ACT was something like a 13 or 15 (not qualifying whatever it was).
I'm not worried about this at all! Now that Brown is talking about making some money, he is probably doing the same thing!
Michigan doesn't need another player to babysit!
Butler and Slocum come to mind!
He probably can't figure out how to work the internet; email, myspace, facebook.
He's mad at himself!!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:38 PM |
Actually...
Actually...
Who is this Oku you speak of? Can I find him on Facebook? Myspace? Are you in contact with him now? Any of these things would help.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:39 PM |
Thoughtful Post
Thoughtful Post
When I was a senior in high school, an army recruiter came to school. He cornered me and gave his spiel. When he was finished, he asked if I would think about joining the army. I told him I was going to college. He continued on and asked if I would just think about it. I had no intention of joining, but said yes, I would think about it. The guy had access to my home phone and began calling multiple times a week. I briefly considered joining the army just to get him to stop calling.
I know my experience does not come remotely close to what these recruits are experiencing. I can't imagine the pressure they are under. I see how a 17 or 18 year old could give in to pressure and later change his mind.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:00 PM |
The same thing happened to
The same thing happened to
The same thing happened to me, although I had an extra reason to join - my dad and granddad served in Vietnam and WWII, respectively, and I wanted to make them proud. Luckily, I grew a pair and told the recruiter that I wanted to go to college instead. He respected my decision and told me to give him a call if I changed my mind.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 PM |
Now, imagine that you had
Now, imagine that you had
thousands of fans pressuring that recruiter to get you and only you, and getting 3 guys 2" and 20lbs lighter would have been awful. This system puts too much pressure on coaches and kids.
"They're stuck with that quarterback (sophomore Braxton Miller) for the next two or three years, that's fine with me. He throws worse than (Tim) Tebow. - Steve Everitt
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:46 PM |
Ricardo Miller (or any other UM prospect) in a year?
Ricardo Miller (or any other UM prospect) in a year?
"Everyone is trying to get me to pick already, but I'm not ready," Miller said. "All these fans are making it worse by calling and trying to talk to me on facebook when I don't want to. This is a lot of pressure to put on one kid."
"I'm not taking any calls, friend requests or wall comments," he said. "I just want the fans to give me some space. Too much is going on for me right now."
"I'm not committed to anyone anymore," he said.
"I don't have any plans to sign on Wednesday. I don't know when a decision will be made. I just need some space and some time to think and sort things out. Hopefully the fans will respect that and understand how difficult this has become for me."
Recruiting is enough of a circus as it is, without getting the fans involved 24/7 for the next 365 days.
Recent recipient of the First Annual Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:49 PM |
No adult should be facebooking or emailing 18 year olds
No adult should be facebooking or emailing 18 year olds
unless it's their own kid. The internet is a wonderful thing, but it does have some big ugly warts on its backside.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:19 PM |
While you've brought up this
While you've brought up this
While you've brought up this point many times recently, I don't think it will stop the hysteria that spreads with the commitment of a player like Tate Forcier or Ricardo.
Tate hasn't really responded to anything via facebook (which is smarter, I feel), while Ricardo has been open (which is admirable, but he's a kid, as you said, not a king or whatever). Ultimately, people need to chill out about this stuff. I love Ricardo's personality, but we need to leave him alone. Yeah, it's ok to maybe write on his wall, but enough doubts and "Are you staying blue OMG?!?"
Good stuff Chitown.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:47 PM |
Best post of the day.
Best post of the day.
In Coach Rod I trust!
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:49 PM |
errr...
errr...
These are 17 and 18 year olds. Not exactly kids, y'know. I agree on the stalking point obviously, but casting these young men who are old enough to elect a president (or will soon be) as poor innocent babies is slightly ludicrous. Hell, I was starting my junior year of college when I was 18 and would have definitely have found it patronizing if someone had decided I was a kid that needed to be protected from the big bad world. I am 23 now, so this isn't exactly an aeon ago..
In any case, recruiting is creepy, and the coverage excessive, and I pay as little attention to it as I can. But ultimately, these athletes know to an extent what they are signing up for. They work hard to be good at this sport in the eventual hope that it will, initially, give them a free ride to college, and then subsequently get them a share of the NFL spoils (or even a plum job for that matter). For every Oku, there are ten Will Campbells around - guys who go on free trips, milk the process, and enjoy the limelight.
February 4th, 2009 at 12:11 PM |
Wrong
Wrong
"I was starting my junior year of college when I was 18 and would have definitely have found it patronizing if someone had decided I was a kid that needed to be protected from the big bad world"
You are an exception. These are not kids who are in their jr year of college and have known nothing in life but football and the people around them. Don't think that because you are more mature than them that they should be like you. Plus, there is so much seedy backdoor dealings going on that are way above these kids' level of comprehension that it is overwhelming. Yeah, they can vote, but I think most 18 yr olds are too immature to know who to vote for. I work with a lot of kids this age and they don't know jack from their ass. That's not a slight on them, it's just the way the vast majority (obviously you are an exception) develop and grow.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:58 PM |
Harm reduction
Harm reduction
I would bet my life that no recruit has ever been positively swayed by creepy strangers on facebook (*THIS MEANS YOU!*). So thank you, chitown, for hopefully making a few of them self-conscious enough to not be complete idiots and refrain from rubbing their dirty interweb-paws all over robust, swaggerly, athletic teenage boy-types
February 4th, 2009 at 1:31 AM |
I hate to say this but I
I hate to say this but I
I hate to say this but I think negative recruiting on these types of sites works well. Just IMO.
And going on there and talking to them about how we want them probably could scare them off (unless your a babe)... just saying...
February 4th, 2009 at 9:51 AM |
Brian's recruiting ideas look
Brian's recruiting ideas look
Brian's recruiting ideas look better and better.
It's time to back all this crap down a few floors. It has just plain gotten out of control. Coaches will be recruting fetuses pretty soon.
It's football. Just football. I can haz some.
Time wounds all heels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwGXMryTbwE
February 4th, 2009 at 12:09 PM |
Facebook/MySpace and NCAA Guidelines
Facebook/MySpace and NCAA Guidelines
This is a 10/08 article from the Washington Post regarding social networking sites and NCAA recruiting (don't think it was posted here previously). Gray area is best illustrated in how Penn State tried to self-police...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/15/AR200810...
I'm in flavor country.
that is all.