Daishon Neal to stay w/ NEB
DE Daishon Neal announced that he will remain committed to Nebraska. Had considered Michigan and was recently offered by Wolverines
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) January 27, 2015January 27th, 2015 at 10:06 AM ^
Yep. I said yesterday (or two days ago?) that I wasn't a huge fan of Neal's film, and there have been some red flags with his recruitment, too. This is another one. There are some schools not recruiting him that probably should if everything were kosher, and him being wishy-washy about a couple things makes him seem a little iffy. He could be a good player (good size, decent speed), but other things might get in the way.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:12 AM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
Thanks. I'm glad my comments are appreciated by some people.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:36 AM ^
Agreed.
January 27th, 2015 at 12:33 PM ^
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January 27th, 2015 at 9:59 AM ^
I don't know much about this situation, but the family is from the area so the dad may have been a Nebraska fan all his life and happy his son was going there close to home. He may have just been looking for a reason to take offense.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
Isn't this a major motivation behind kids getting involved with extracurriculars? You know, to get exceptional opportunities (especially paid ones!) that grades alone might not get you.
Cue the Frank Costanza.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
I'd be very interested to hear the context of the statement. There' s a big difference between arrogantly boasting "son, without us, you won't qualify" and informing him "due to admissions, we are concerned that you may not qualify without being apart of the football team."
January 27th, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
I'd absolutely HATE recruiting and I would suck at it too...dealing with a bunch of dumb shit and drama...kissing the ass of teenagers and their families...But it would definitely lead to some extra ass kicking for four years trying to get that experience out of both of our heads :)
January 27th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
I'd absolutely HATE recruiting and I would suck at it too...dealing with a bunch of dumb shit and drama...kissing the ass of teenagers and their families...But it would definitely lead to some extra ass kicking for four years trying to get that experience out of both of our heads :)
January 27th, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^
Didn't expect a "you're all winners!" mentality from a D1 recruit and his dad.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:05 AM ^
you never hear about this stuff as its behind closed doors. This comment by the dad could have come courtesy of a question that the kid or dad made something to the effect that so if my son was applying to go to Michigan how would his academics stack up? Who knows, there is certainly going to be bad blood against any coach or school that poaches kids that are already commited to another school, particularly a school in the same conference. Remeber all the discussion about Urban Meyer poaching kids when he was hired and Bielema getting all worked up about it and then he bails on wisky and goes to Arkansas. Remember the RR hire and all the WV vitriol? Trying to figure out why people do things or dont do things will drive you crazy, its the nature of the business, you misfire on some of these kids. They tried, kid said no in a strange way for whatever reasons. When you go speed dating do you connect with 100 out of 100? Of course not...move on to the next one and quit reading too much into it.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:08 AM ^
so I can downvote the imbeciles in this topic who are jumping all over a kid who (along with his father) felt he was treated disrespectfully by the coaching staff.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:17 AM ^
Have a downvote on the house!
January 27th, 2015 at 10:18 AM ^
Just because you feel like you're being disrespected doesn't mean you are.
There is literally zero reason that Greg Mattison would walk into an in-home visit and disrespect somebody he's trying to recruit.
The kid doesn't need to be trashed (although I haven't really seen that in this thread), but logic suggests that he's overreacting in some way.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 12:34 PM ^
Exactly. Mattison has a history of being an extremely tactful man and a home run recruiter who does an excellent job building relationships with his players. The only way I can possibly imagine that this would have come up is if the parents asked him point blank "would my son get into Michigan without football?" And if that was the case what was Mattison supposed to say?
January 27th, 2015 at 2:50 PM ^
the sad thing is they felt they had to go on the radio and trash someone that pretty much everyone else says is one of the good guys in the profession.
Steve Wiltfong contacted some people who had contact with him and they are shocked that he of all people is accused of this. Pretty sad.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:22 AM ^
Probably not the best way to pander for upvotes.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:43 AM ^
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January 27th, 2015 at 10:13 AM ^
The last thing Harbaugh needs in the next 10 days is the perception that he or his staff are telling kids they're not smart enough for UM without football. Opposing coaches will have a field day with this if it's not nipped in the bud now.
As Don Canham always said, don't ever allow a one-day story to become a two-day story.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:17 AM ^
that isn't aware that it's harder to get into Michigan than OSU? Or 99% of all the other schools in the country?
I'm not worried about this.
January 27th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 11:53 AM ^
Making fun of the country folk from Nebraska when you can't correctly type Nebraska thats a good look.
January 27th, 2015 at 1:41 PM ^
This is why I hate having recruiting battles with Nebraska and Michigan.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:23 AM ^
What can Jim do? He can't speak about anything specifically regarding Neal, so the best he can do is say something to the effect of "Nobody on my staff has ever told a young man he was too stupid to go to college." Whatever he says, he can't be specific enough to make it sound like anything other than CYA.
Besides, this isn't going to be a big story going forward. Michigan will get some more recruits, others will say no, and life will move on. This kind of stuff happens all the time. As soon as Baumgardner stops tweeting about it the story will end.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:36 AM ^
??? I doubt that, not during the heat of the recruiting season. It's out there now, there's no putting it back in the toothpaste tube.
Many a public relations disaster has occurred because those involved said, "Eh, this isn't going to be a big story going forward. This kind of stuff happens all the time."
And to that point: I've been closely following Michigan football recruiting for over 20 years, and this is the first time I've EVER heard this sort of allegation made about a Michigan recruiting visit.
You're right that Harbaugh can't come out and speak in specifics the way he wants, but what he needs to do is say something along the lines of what you suggested. To say nothing is to allow a PR vacuum to exist, and in these situations the only thing that fills the PR vacuum is more rumor and bullshit, which over time gets crazier and crazier.
January 27th, 2015 at 1:34 PM ^
I find that if I tilt the tube just so, and fill my hand with toothpaste...
I'll have an empty tube and a hand full of toothpaste.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^
The truth hurts. Apparently Mattison just told the family that Athletics will get you into a school thats out of your educational limits. Wouldn't you jump at that chance? I agree it probably should not have been mentioned but why do kids feel so entitled these days? On twitter they are saying Neal is recruiting like hell to keep TE Snyder away from Michigan. He said coaches were A-Holes. Kids these days I tell ya.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:31 AM ^
I know a kid who's a great athlete, freshman in high school. He's always been one of the best athletes in town. But when he got to high school, he became one of many great athletes. His parents had spent so much time blowing smoke up his ass, preparing his "highlight reel" for all all the Division 1 schools that were going to come knocking that they forgot to prepare him for the hard fact that he was going to have to listen to coaches, work his ass off, learn from his mistakes, and maybe not be the starting quarterback. He couldn't deal. He blew off basketball because he wasn't going to start, he hated football because another kid beat him out for the starting QB job, and now he's thinking about transferring schools because he didn't get the treatment he thought he deserved.
January 27th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
parents like this. They're not doing their kids any favors.
Now I'm a big softie when it comes to my kids, but I do my best to prepare them for the outside world. Life is not easy and this generation of kids in particular seems to be completely unprepared for any sort of adversity.
January 27th, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
I know the parents pretty well. Part of it is this kid struggles academically and the parents can't afford college, so athletics are the best way in. But I think it's more the parents use the kid as a reflection - Look how great my kid is, look what I've done. I've been watching the Snoop Dogg reality show about him and his kid. It's Snoop's dream to play football at USC - his dream. And he says as much. I hope the kid is happier than he looks on that program.
January 27th, 2015 at 11:37 AM ^
I think it is very common for parents to project their own hopes and dreams onto their kids. Especially if the parents haven't done all that well in life.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^
Listen...I'm usually the last to think anything negative about a recruit or disparage anyone, but my BS detector is off the charts now. There is literally ZERO chance that Mattison made the comments he is accused of, anyone who has watched him at any college/NFL stop in the past 2 decades would know that...sounds like some recruits just want attention. Other B1G coaches know they will have to get dirty to beat Harbaugh on the trail.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:27 AM ^
Agree, we've literally never heard anything negative regarding Gmatt and his interactions with recruits/players. Something feels off with this and probably a miscommunication so I hope this story gets squashed soon.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
You don't become the best recruiter in the nation (according to Urban Meyer) by telling the kids that they're stupid.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
I imagine something like that.
Either way, he wasn't being recruited as a rhodes scholar.. He was being recruited to hit other dudes.. Period.
Probably be better off in Neb if thats where his heart is.
January 28th, 2015 at 10:52 PM ^
Sounds like Mattison said something like that-- that the football scholarship would give the kid a unique opportunity to attend a school with a great academic reputation. The dad chose to take it as an insult. I feel sorry for the kid, with a dad like that.
Then the kid goes on the radio and trashes Mattison? I'm so glad he deselected himself from the Michigan team! I imagine the Nebraska coaches are feeling a little queasy about now.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:27 AM ^
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January 27th, 2015 at 10:34 AM ^
A kid has bad grades, what does he want to hear?
"You're Harvard material!".
January 27th, 2015 at 10:34 AM ^
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January 27th, 2015 at 3:26 PM ^
Personally, I don't think Mattison did or said anything offensive. I think the parents and the kid misunderstood or misinterpreted something he said. But if the kid wants to face reality, he should compare his grades and scores with the average or mean grades and scores of freshman admitted to U of M. If his grades compare favorably, great. If they are not even close, then he should look at himself and admit his deficiencies and learn to do better instead of shooting the messenger and going on a personal vendetta. My sense if he were a good student, all he would need to do is release his transcript and GPA and go "See, I'm a good student" instead of taking the Cardale Jones route.
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January 27th, 2015 at 10:36 AM ^
Something this out of character for our method of recruitment suggests someone is lying... And it likely isn't anyone on Michigan's payroll.
Onwards!
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January 27th, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
(puts on my teacher hat)
Coming from the perspective of an educator, I cannot tell you how sensitive parents are in general in dealings with matters such as this. Let's be honest: I am (and Mattison) is talking about their baby. It is natural to be very defensive. I cannot tell you how many times I have had this type of thing happen to me...
I once had a student who got suspended one day due to something that occured in my class and boiled over later into lunch. Upon being informed, the mom came right to my room and wanted to discuss the matter right then and there. She exclaimed "my son is a good kid!" and I agreed with her, however, I also said that he has gotten in trouble from time to time this year, as well (nothing major). From here, she interpreted that as "you're saying my son is a bad kid!"
This happens a lot. I imagine Papa Neal heard something that wasn't positive about his son and interpreted that in the most extreme measure.
(takes off teacher hat, puts on sombrero)
January 27th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
You're right. I find this to be one of the more difficult challenges of parenting.
January 27th, 2015 at 1:29 PM ^
When something goes wrong, I always blame your kids.
January 27th, 2015 at 1:54 PM ^
My kids usually are to blame. And I'm ok with that.
January 27th, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 11:52 AM ^
yes, but the fact that "This happens a lot" means that Mattison should know that it happens a lot. I am guessing he was misunderstood, but that he also opened the door to being misunderstood. To clear Mattison of all blame is to put on maize-colored glasses.