If They De-Commit, Then So Be It
I'm tired of reading about recruits committing and decommitting whether or not we get them back. If they don't want to be here, then fine - good luck with your career somewhere else. Yes, it sucks to lose on (potentially) great players, especially to conference rivals, but I'd rather have the kids that want to be here and respect the winged helmet than those prima donnas. Would I have liked to see McNeal here? Absolutely. Did I want Fera here? Of course. Same goes for Newsome and Campbell. But if they don't want to be here, then fine, don't be here.
This is why I actually respect Pryor and what he did, He dragged out his recruiting because he really didn't know where he wanted to go. He had to do some soul searching and figure out where the best place was for him to go and then go there. I wish to God that it had been Michigan, but he chose Ohio State. I hope he does well there, just not against us. Even listening in his press conference, he apologized to Rich Rodriguez because he felt bad since he had built some rapport with him and the coaches. So do I hate that he's wearing Scarlet and Grey? Yes. Do I hate him as a person? No, I don't.
This is even an opportunity to same something positive about Notre Dame. Weis doesn't take "soft verbals" - you're either all in or not. I can't remember if Omar Hunter last year ever verbally committed to ND, but he's the only one that I've seen waver and when he left Weis washed his hands of the situation and looked for other players that wanted to play for Notre Dame.
on this thread. The recruits owe us nothing and should do whatever they feel is best for themselves. I think it would be crazy to get upset with them for that. But I do want us to kick their butts everytime they play us and make them regret their choices. Sorry, I know its petty.
I don't think he was being unfair to recruits. I too am disgusted by the sort of opinions people online tend to form about a bunch of hard-working 17 year olds whom they have never met, but I think the authors only point was to say he wants recruits who want to be part of the experience in Ann Arbor. Prima donnas was an unfortunate word choice, but I think the notion of accepting recruits who want to play and respecting the decisions of others to explore opportunities eslewhere is a good one.
Remember when you were applying to colleges? Did you ever think you were leaning to one place before even visiting some place else?... I mean, I didn't since I really only applied to UofM and at the nagging of my mother one other dinky school that I had no intention of going to so I would have 'options'. But that's beside the point. These are 17 and 18 year-olds. Hell, I'm 22, and I don't know what I want to do with my life.
If they are a little wishywashy, cut them some slack. If they like some place better, then they should go there, not feel obligated to go to anything but the ideal school for them.
No Sleep 'til Ann Arbor
Tim: It's not neg rape if it's consensual.
Don't follow recruiting. Seriously. Decommitments, recommitments, "commitments", soft verbals, strong verbals, leans, locks, waivering kids, leaders, top 3s, top 10s, "made the list!", "waiting for a schollie offer!", good in-roads, family connections, academics first, chance to play early, won't be rushed to play early, depth chart, not afraid of competition, afraid of competition, blah blah fucking blah.
As chitown said, the only reason "we" get happy/mad at recruits is because of the cottage industry that feeds "our" addiction. Focusing on the ever-changing minds of 17 year olds is silly, and attributing "respect" or "scorn" to said 17 year olds for either not changing OR for changing their minds is equally silly.
I briefly subscribed to Rivals last recruiting season. The forums there made me kind of sick to my stomach, I was glad to let my subscription expire. The hate for recruits was incredible.
McGuffie is a good example. You may recall he didn't fax his letter in until the evening. By noon people were saying "fuck that guy, pull his scholarship, we don't need him, I never thought he was good anyway." And while that is sort of a combination of quotes, it isn't an exaggeration. There was widespread demand that his offer be pulled and he was called every dirty name in the book.
Early committments are just that, early. People change their minds sometimes, don't stress about it. And do NOT start attacking the character of recruits just because they choose a school they think will be the best fit for them and it isn't Blue.
And when Weis washed his hands with Omar Hunter who did he go after, Mike Martin a Michigan commit. Recruiting is a cut throat business and if Michigan does not make a bowl game, RR should be getting his dagger out and start working on players whether they are committed or not. He will have the extra time that no UM coach has had to do recruiting without preparing for a bowl game.
Weis will abandon that zero tolerance policy the second he has to work a little harder for recruits. He has the luxury of acting like he's above it all because he can practically pluck any recruit in the country at will. That wont last forever and Weis will suddenly become much more accommodating.
The fact that you quite prominently point to the fact that you do not "hate" Terrell Pryor simply for choosing to go to Ohio State as an example of your reasonableness and moral seriousness is hilarious. At least to me.
"Prima Donna" is a pretty strong term when you consider you're talking about very young kids who have to make a very difficult decision. There's no malicious intent on their parts to choose one school and then another, especially in the face of coaches who are selling their programs. The recruits can't find they're own asses with two hands and a search warrant, and not because of their maturity levels or any perceived ill will. The best analogy I can think of is to imagine choosing a car at the age of 17. You're going to buy it a year or two ahead of time, the salesman just wants you to buy, and everyone has an opinion on what you should drive.
You sounded pretty reasonable, but why did you have to say 'prima donnnas?' Seriously? Enough already with all the misplaced hate for recruits.
And I love the sudden Pryor Respect bandwagon. Very, very convenient. Considering this entire place was rampant with "omg pryor douchebag sucks he was bought with a corvette youre a tool not a michigan man hes indecisive with his college choice so he'll be indecisive on the field" drivel, I get a kick out of this newfound 'respect' for Terrell Pryor.
I support Pryor, I support our commits, and I support the decisions each and every one of these teenagers decide to make. Trying to pass judgement on any of them is ridiculous. The world does not revolve around Michigan, despite what you were brought up to believe.
I said - not good enough.
Having all of these players decommitting is not good. But when you look at it, recruiting is the great unknown. My point is that we don't know if our recruits will even pan out. Injuries, academics, and competition happen. Is it a tough pill to swallow watching these players go somewhere else? You bet it is, but it is too early to know how things will really turn out. There is a reason these kids decommit...they don't want to go to Michigan. If they don't want to be here that is fine by me. Good luck to them. I love how the commits for 2010 are passionate about Michigan. That is how it should be.
To be clear: them decommitting does not make them a "prima donna". Look - nothing is written in stone until February. The rest of this is drummed up hype by Scouts, Rivals, ESPN, and whoever else to create news stories out of nothing.
And what, technically, is the difference between a "soft-verbal" and a "verbal"?
I agree on the Pryor front. He took his time and made the best, most informed decision he could possibly make.
the best paid position w/ the better benefits package.