Harbaugh on Pipkins

Submitted by Everyone Murders on

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2015/06/30/harbaugh-stands-pipkins-decision/29544109

Jim Harbaugh spoke publically about Pipkins's medical per the above story in the Detroit News.  The coach clears the air on this, underscoring that it's natural for a player to not want to hear that their playing career is over, but Harbaugh's primary responsibility is the safety of his players.  It's good to hear him address this directly.

Three concussions (not two), the torn knee ligament, and a neck issue.  I have tremendous sympathy for Pipkins, but it does indeed sound like it's time for him to move on and take full advantage of his educational opportunity.

State Street

July 1st, 2015 at 8:36 AM ^

To jump the gun on the HIPAA apologists: when you sign up to be an NCAA athlete, you waive your HIPAA rights.  That is why Harbaugh is allowed to talk about injuries like this.

Also why those defending Hoke's handling of injuries in the media by trying to drop HIPAA bombs were full of shit.

DrMantisToboggan

July 1st, 2015 at 9:02 AM ^

You're both right.

When you join a college team you sign paperwork for the medical staff agreeing to the fact that your medical information may no longer be confidential depending on the steps the university needs to take to treat you or address public concerns.

However, some schools make it a point to keep this information confidential.

leftrare

July 1st, 2015 at 12:07 PM ^

Hoke was guilty of ignorance, not bad judgment. So, I tend to forgive him for that one snap Morris took. What I don't forgive is that his staff and sideline organization was so inept that Bellomy couldn't find his fucking helmet when he was next in. That and too many or too few men on the field for special teams play -- basically the same problem.

leftrare

July 1st, 2015 at 12:43 PM ^

No, concussions are bad and playing a kid who may have just had one is unacceptable. hoke is certainly responsible and to blame for the post-concussion snap, but it was not a conscious decision. Not having enough adults on the sideline was why every event in that series took place and that lack was a conscious decision of a head coach putting together a program badly.

acs236

July 1st, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^

I'm not sure it covers a coach talking to the media to protect his reputation.  I'm not expert on any of this, but perhaps someone who is could chime in.  I highly doubt every NCAA athlete has to authorize the school/NCAA to disclose all of his health information to anyone at their discretion.

NRK

July 1st, 2015 at 1:37 PM ^

UM is a hybrid entity, and the atheltic department is not a covered entity. Therefore any health information they have can be disclosed without violating the Privacy Rule.

I'm not sure how UM handles it, but likely they do what many other universities do - have student athletes sign HIPAA authorizations to disclose to coaches and other individuals in the AD. Because those individuals are not covered entities, they can then disclose it.

It's that simple.

 

 

Everyone Murders

July 1st, 2015 at 8:42 AM ^

I'm not sure they'll have to.  Harbaugh puts himself at risk by making a statement like this if it's false.  For instance, if Pipkins were to go to another team, have a great career, and go on to the pros, Harbaugh would look like a liar.  (Of course there's some risk Pipkins could go on to another team and luck out notwithstanding the health problems.)

Given the thinness at Pipkins's position, the fact of the concussions, etc., I feel pretty good about this.  I feel bad for Pipkins, but pretty good about this staff's priorities. 

(I also think that the prior staffs had these priorities.  In Hoke's debacle I think it was more a case of deer-in-the-headlights bumbling than a case of any disregard for Morris's health.)

BlueLava009

July 1st, 2015 at 8:50 AM ^

Michigan really gains absolutly nothing by releasing Pipkins at this point in time.  He is a senior, so that does not free up a scholarship for future classes, unless there is a mystery transfer player looming somewhere out there...

Logan

July 1st, 2015 at 10:01 AM ^

Notwithstanding other players who may be announced as medicals (which we all know, there probably are), if there's a mystery transfer out there, that still doesn't say anything about the Pipkins situation. We have three walkons currently counted towards the scholarship limit.

bluebyyou

July 1st, 2015 at 12:14 PM ^

If Pipkins were to take a medical redshirt, wouldn't that free up a scholarship for an early 2016 recruit-enrollee that could be backdated to 2015?

As for Pipkins' health issues, I wonder if Michigan's medical staff is particularly sensitive to concussions after the Morris incident.

BlueKoj

July 1st, 2015 at 9:26 AM ^

It's not so black and white as liar vs. career done. As you say, he could luck out and not experience more injuries despite playing eleswhere.

I do like Harbaugh's candor here, but do not expect it in every circumstance. I would guess his level of directness will be as varied as his moods, individual scenarios and media reaction.

the real hail_yes

July 1st, 2015 at 9:39 AM ^

I don't think it was a matter of Harbaugh's mood... Pipkins called him out directly and said that he thought Harbaugh wanted the scholarship (i.e. oversigning).

This is actually pretty damning when you think of the ongoing war of passive-aggresivism with the South. Delaney and others I presume have made statemnts about over-signing, and it was important for Jimmy to clear this up.

Hail-Storm

July 1st, 2015 at 9:45 AM ^

There was a lot of debate about why Pipkins wasn't playing last year after scoring well in the film breakdown when he was in. There was talk about bust or coaching not using talent, but it might have been Hoke protecting Pipkins as well.

I'd love to see Pipkins out there, but my wife worked for the UofM depression center and they have a focus on brain injuries and links to depression.  Stopping now is a much better road than even playing a short career in the NFL if another brain injury is possible. 

saveferris

July 1st, 2015 at 11:49 AM ^

I also think that the prior staffs had these priorities. In Hoke's debacle I think it was more a case of deer-in-the-headlights bumbling than a case of any disregard for Morris's health.

This also leads to an angle on this whole Pipkins-thing that I don't know if anyone has considered up until now, which is, has the mishandling of the Morris incident pushed the Michigan Athletic Department into a stance of being hyper-vigilant and conservative with regards to how they're going to address player injuries in the future? If Michigan didn't already have a black eye over how Hoke and Brandon mishandled the Morris situation, would Pipkins be considered as much of a injury risk?

4EverBlueGirl

July 1st, 2015 at 10:05 AM ^

People are going to see what they want in this situation and spin it the way it works for them.

In actuality, Harbaugh handed him a golden ticket and Pipkins pushed it away.  Walking away from a paid year of college and an opportunity for a Michigan degree isn't looking like a wise move when the likelihood of him being cleared to play elsewhere is minimal.

It is Harbaugh's job to not put the kid's health at futher risk.  It is Pipkin's role to be a student. (yes, a student!)  Young, dream filled, Pipkins may not understand this now, but I am guessing he could  look back at this time in his life with huge regret.

charblue.

July 1st, 2015 at 12:16 PM ^

issue since the story broke last week. But it seems to me the argument over whether the coaching staff and Harbaugh are trying to push Pipkins out for anything other than his longterm welfare cannot be denied because the school has apparently agreed and Harbaugh has publicly offered to keep Pipkins under scholarship regardless of his team status during his senior year, 

What we don't know about his health condition --but which both the prior and current staff are well aware -- is the kid's total medical history while at Michigan. And it has been apparent since his time on the roster that he has suffered multiple injuries that have sidelined him and kept him from becoming the kind of dynamic player he was touted during his recruitment. 

Because we can't know certain details about his health status, we can't judge the motives being suggested for his current status and advisement that he leave the game permanently. How can you argue that this is a case of over-signing when there isn't even a hint or a prospect of someone taking Pipkins scholarship without expanding the roster? 

Obviously this hurts both the team and the kid. And it makes total sense that as a high-level competitor he would want to resume playing somewhere else if he receives medical clearance to do so by licensed professionals going forward. Notwithstanding his desire to continue playing and risk longterm injury which every player risks, Harbaugh's first priority needs to be his player's and team's welfare. There are, of course, insurance and legal consequences inherent with this move and Pipkins decision to leave and seek playing time elsewhere opens the door to some and closes it for others. 

But in this case, if you really wanted to investigate what Pipkins has experienced and whether he is now being treated fairly, there are a myriad of ways to find out. I suspsect, however, that Pipikns getting medical clearance from another school to play again will be the ultimate litmus test of this roster move. 

CalifExile

July 1st, 2015 at 2:29 PM ^

You can give a player a scholarship that doesn't count against the NCAA's 85 limit. That's what the Bear Bryant scholarships at Alabama are used for.

 

Not exactly right on the Bryant scholarships: https://alabama.rivals.com/barrier_noentry.asp?sid=885&script=%2Fconten…

But the point stands: if a student isn't part of the team it doesn't matter that he receives a non-football scholarship.

dragonchild

July 1st, 2015 at 9:37 AM ^

It's not like Pipkins is some marginal player here.  He's a hyped recruit, a Hoke*/Mattison-coached lineman who's done things but spent a lot of time injured.

People keep talking about making room for a transfer but FFS I take issue with the leap past the assumption that Pipkins -- if not for health reasons -- is dead weight.  If Harbaugh wanted FOOTBAW players he could redshirt Pipkins to give him time to recover.  Setting aside speculation about Harbaugh's ethics, I highly doubt Durkin and Mattison would sign on to effectively cutting a healthy Pipkins.

Anyone accusing Harbaugh of playing the Saban Games has to make the case that a healthy Pipkins is a lost cause.  Where's that evidence?  Don't just skip past that step to fit a narrative.  As I understand them, all the arguments that he can't contribute are tied to (DUN DUN DUUUNNN) his health.

*Hey, he may not be able to run a high-profile program, but he is unquestionably a good D-line coach

UMChick77

July 1st, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^

Until it's shown that Harbaugh has been untruthful, there is no reason NOT to believe what he's saying. If there was something to gain by getting rid of Pipkin's scholarship, I would be incline to have doubts but this has been gone over to death. There is nothing to gain for Michigan by releasing Pipkins.

6tyrone6

July 1st, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^

it so. Its already been said that moving a former 5 star player off of the team does not open a scholarship for thisi year, if the guy was healthy he propbably would be in the rotation, it just maybe that the truth is his health is at risk, I am sure there are a lot of other players on the team who will not see the field that JH could have tried to force out for "'tmedical reasons" far less obvious than this and that hasn't happened.

Dawkins

July 1st, 2015 at 8:32 AM ^

Wasn't Pipkins carted away by ambulance due to a neck/spinal injury sustained during practice his freshman year? I seem to remember something like that happening.

Everyone Murders

July 1st, 2015 at 8:41 AM ^

My sense is that Pipkins is watching his dream disappear before his eyes, and is in denial.  That's entirely understandable - especially if you've ever worked your way back from injury, with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, only to ultimately be unable to play. It's natural from that position to only hear what you want to hear.

People don't need to be lying to be mistaken.  But as to 2 or 3?  I suppose I'd rely on the doctors to give the final word on that.

NJWolverine

July 1st, 2015 at 8:45 AM ^

I think there's a lot of truth to this.  Just like to add that the perception of being an elite player (a 5 star recruit) may make this harder for Pipkins. 

You do wonder if the recruiting rankings get to a player's head.  For example, here's a quote from Derrick Moncrief (potential transfer from Auburn) "I came in as the No. 1 safety in the country and things are just not going well there."  There's entitlement in that statement.  If I were Harbaugh I would pass.