Blue Durham

January 20th, 2016 at 8:36 AM ^

that academics aren't an issue because Northwestern is "recruiting him." He may have an offer from Northwestern, but from how long ago? A couple of years, or last month? Things can change between the time of the original offer and now. Also, I don't think Northwestern would not know anything about his grades unless Swenson releases his grades (and board scores) to them, Why would Swenson bother to do that if he has been solid to Michigan the past 2 years, and thinks that Michigan is solid with him? In short, I suspect that Northwestern has no idea what Swenson's academic standing is at this point.

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Artie

January 19th, 2016 at 10:26 PM ^

That's what I'm thinking. Losing SPS was fine because everyone knew academics were a ? Now the same exact thing is happening (at least in appearance) with Swenson and everyone is jumping all over Harbaugh's shit about it. Who knows what happened but to presume the coaches are involved in shady activities in this case when they weren't in the other is ridiculous.



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GoBlueNorth

January 19th, 2016 at 10:11 PM ^

Shows he did camps here, Notre Dame, Northwestern and Illinois. 2 unofficials with Michigan, 1 at Northwestern and 1 at Alabama. Recieved 3 coaches visits from Michigan (2 from Harbaugh's staff)

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Stu Daco

January 19th, 2016 at 10:40 PM ^

The Swenson outrage is starting to get annoying. Fine, you don't like it. There's not a single person on the Michigan staff who gives a shit.

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Stu Daco

January 19th, 2016 at 11:17 PM ^

That's fine.  There's nothing wrong with unwillingness to sacrifice ethics for wins.   What's obnoxious are the people who blow up after a 30-point loss to OSU and then claim outrage when we don't stay loyal to recruits.  

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westwardwolverine

January 20th, 2016 at 11:27 AM ^

The "high road" is not taking a kid you don't think can compete and don't want and letting him go somewhere where he is wanted despite it not looking good on you. Swenson has options. He will be fine. 

The Brady Hoke approved "nice" thing to do is take the kid you don't want and then have him likely transfer in a couple years thus wasting a scholarship for the program and the player's time. But hey, at least when you're getting curb-stomped by Mark Dantonio, you can always look at the bench and smile with reassurance knowing you did things the right way. 

Give me Jim Harbaugh being straightforward over Brady Hoke's faux niceness every single time. 

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blueblue

January 20th, 2016 at 2:52 AM ^

You're making it sound like its a choice between having integrity and getting the talent it takes to win championships. But isn't it obvious that the best recruits--the ones who can go wherever they want--would rather be part of a program and a university that everyone respects as having integrity? Having integrity is our competitive advantage.

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westwardwolverine

January 20th, 2016 at 9:04 AM ^

The classy move is obviously to take a player you don't think will compete and let him sit the bench so that he never plays/transfers. 

That's the Brady Hoke move: Feel good in the short term about "doing the right thing" while actively hurting the program and the player. When you think of it that way, its not surprising who the most vocal people are about this on this board. 

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TheCool

January 20th, 2016 at 1:35 PM ^

Ex-fucking-actly! Some people are so soft. If Harbaugh went the route you mentioned or dismissed the kid after he signed or moved into the dorms that would be an issue. People want a tough, hard-nosed tan that competes and wins, but think feelings ball is what gets you there. This isn't close to a dirty, sell your soul to win type of action.

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1817

January 19th, 2016 at 10:44 PM ^

If he doesn't come here, by his visits, he'll do just fine. I trust JH and he's never given me an indication that he is not an honest and trustworthy individual who would screw a kid.  I'm sorry, not buying it, there's much more to this story.

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WorldwideTJRob

January 19th, 2016 at 11:13 PM ^

But even Brian mentioned him doing things like this before at Stanford, seems to have a track record of this at Stanford. I'm more than happy with him as our coach but it doesn't mean that he isn't at fault sometimes on the recruiting trail. This is what we bargained for to win at the top level though.



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SalvatoreQuattro

January 19th, 2016 at 10:50 PM ^

I have  no idea what to feel about this. On one hand I don't like the appearance of telling a kid he is no longer wanted. But on the other I can understand that the staff may not think he can play at the level they want. What do you do with a kid who isn't developing like you expect?

 

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Erik_in_Dayton

January 19th, 2016 at 11:14 PM ^

Offer a kid who's a sophomore and pull the offer after his junior year because he's not performing? That's one thing, though I don't like it. But pull the offer less than a month before signing day - especially when this kid turned away OSU and Alabama to stick with Michigan? That's low if that's what happened. He's going to have to scramble to figure out what options he has left when he's making the biggest decision of his young life. It also sends a bad message about what loyalty to Michigan gets you.

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Erik_in_Dayton

January 19th, 2016 at 11:45 PM ^

It would be one thing if he started coasting after he got his offer. But this seems unlikely given that he's still 247's 322nd-ranked player (more than 300 spots better than recent commit Nate Johnson), given Harbaugh's re-offer to him, and given what there is to read about the young man. It would also be one thing if he was told the offer was gone right after his senior season, which I assume ended in November. I still wouldn't like that, but it would be better than what seems to have happened. It seems to be the case that his offer was pulled or put in doubt several months after he was done playing and when many slots at many other schools were already filled. What could he have done as a player to show himself unworthy in the middle of December? And what opportunities has he missed? I hated the Tyus Battle situation. I still hate it. But I also think a school/coach has to be bigger than the most capricious of teenagers. You'll get burned at times, but so be it. You don't have too much to offer a teenager if you're going to behave like he does.

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