SEC Commissioner Doubles Down, Officially Asks NCAA to Ban Spring Training Practices
A few days ago, I had never heard of Greg Sankey. Now he's my favorite guy in the world. This morning, he officially asked the NCAA to make Jim Harbaugh stop.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/201…
February 12th, 2016 at 5:17 PM ^
Jim Harbaugh doesn't allow the wind to twist anything.
February 12th, 2016 at 6:03 PM ^
Harbaugh twists the wind, the wind doesnt twist Harbaugh.
February 12th, 2016 at 5:06 PM ^
I'd bet dollars to donuts that a decently sized sub-set non-Michigan B1G schools do not look favorably upon this.
Now, there IS a compromise --- you can take your team off-campus to practice during spring break, but you cannot conduct your practices at a high school. It can only be at a 4-year University.
The University of West Florida is in Pensacola. They play D-2 football, so they must have some facilities. That is a warm place, it's by the beach. Ditto for Jacksonville University or Stetson (a little further from the beach), they both are in Florida and play FCS-level football.
It is what it is: U-M wants to practice at IMG, as opposed to a place like West Florida or Jacksonville, because the former provides opportunities to connect with IMG coaches, while the latter does not.
Fair enough. I get why U-M wants this. But there's a reason for the opposition, as well.
February 12th, 2016 at 5:14 PM ^
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February 12th, 2016 at 5:26 PM ^
I'm sure Darrell Hazell and Kevin Wilson and Pat Fitzgerald and the like work HARD. I don't think they are "well, 5 PM, time for me to go home and completely shut down for the 3-day weekend!"
Nobody gets to be a B1G Head Coach by being inherently lazy.
It is what it is: their programs have inherent structural factors that are limitations vs. some of their conference-mates. It's tough to win there. Those structural factors can be changed --- but that does take years and even decades. One does need to have the ability to see things from their shoes, too.
February 12th, 2016 at 9:26 PM ^
their recruiting area. They are better off letting Harbaugh run around SEC territory.
February 12th, 2016 at 6:09 PM ^
2. I don't give a rats ass what the majority of other football coaches think about this. There are TONS of stakeholders in this issue other than football. Almost every other sport has practices, trips, games, etc during this break. And 100% infringe at some point on a students free time. You can't attack one sport over one break and not address the other stakeholders. And an easy way for Delany to make an intelligent point while not taking a stance is pointing this out.
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February 12th, 2016 at 6:28 PM ^
Delaney either needs to back up Harbaugh or tell him behind closed doors to drop it.
He should not let a commissioner from another conference be taking public shots at one of his member's coaches.
Time to Man up.
February 12th, 2016 at 6:10 PM ^
But this doesn't address their issue.
February 12th, 2016 at 6:47 PM ^
The SEC is being mealy-mouthed and weasly about it, but their chief motivation is not "protecting the players' spring break."
It's IMG.
U-M alum Stephen Ross owns 95% of a South Florida NFL facility. If U-M decided to have spring practice there, and have fun in the free time in the warmth on the nearby beaches, I can't imagine anyone would care.
February 12th, 2016 at 6:27 PM ^
Not one party opposed to the Harbaugh Spring Break has brought up recruiting as the reason they are opposed. They keep feeding us this faux outrage about the well-being of the student athlete. So at the same time two teams in his conference are going through some serious stuff (Tennessee and Ole Miss), Sankey has taken it upon himself to campain on behalf of the student athletes in the Big Ten.
February 12th, 2016 at 4:35 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 4:35 PM ^
There is a perfect opportunity for the B1G commissioner, Jim Delaney, to swing back and swing back hard. He should 'agree' with this proposal, but take it 2 steps further and request that all collegiate activities be performed only on class days as to not interfere with the true purpose of being a collegiate athlete. This would include playing football games on Saturdays because the weekends are there for the kids and that freedom shouldn't be taken away. This also includes New Years day games, any games played after the school semesters have completed, practices, etc. And the final part of the proposal would be to name it 'The Sankey Rule' so if for some odd reason it does pass, everyone will remember who it was that screwed it all up. Or if it doesn't pass, it will at least still have Sankey's name on it for the rest of history.
Then see how Sankey responds to the true 'intent' of his reasonings.
February 12th, 2016 at 6:13 PM ^
That is just bluster. I do agree he should swing hard and beat the no over signing and bagman drum continuously and obnoxiously.
February 12th, 2016 at 4:37 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 5:16 PM ^
That would require Delany do something active. He's not going to do anything unless it adversely effects either Ohio State or his plans to add Cleveland State and DeVry University to the B1G.
February 12th, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^
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February 12th, 2016 at 4:39 PM ^
to not allow practice during Summer and Winter vacation too?
February 12th, 2016 at 4:42 PM ^
They can practice underground where no one can see them.
February 12th, 2016 at 4:41 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 4:45 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 4:46 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 4:47 PM ^
Why doesn't the NCAA just encourage Sankey and the SEC to hold practices up North or out West. It's within the rules and gives every program the same freedom.
I would love to hear the SEC whine about that decision!
February 12th, 2016 at 4:48 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 5:04 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 4:52 PM ^
This dude is like a George Wallace redux. Probably won't end well for him and his asinine crusade.
February 12th, 2016 at 6:50 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 4:55 PM ^
What a filthy, lying, hypocritical jackass.
February 12th, 2016 at 7:01 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 8:36 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 5:00 PM ^
was put up to this by some much more well known coach in that conference. I think we know who that might be.
February 12th, 2016 at 5:01 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 6:09 PM ^
Yea the chair of the infractions committee. Nothing like putting the inmates in charge of the prison. Maybe he should be worring about Tennessee and Ole Miss. You know something thats actually unethical and hurts students.
February 12th, 2016 at 5:02 PM ^
If they just ban them during spring break, couldn't he take them out of school for a week during class and just bring the tutors? Like baseball, softball, and golf? And thanks for mentioning Coach everyday the one week he isn't working, this Sankey is so helpful.
February 12th, 2016 at 5:22 PM ^
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February 12th, 2016 at 5:03 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 5:03 PM ^
But the fact that they are trying to restrict programs like Michigan from holding practices in their territory, based on the claim that doing so is a detriment to student-athletes, is such a blatant farce that the NCAA would look as inept as ever if they were to side with those southern schools throwing a fit.
And even on the basis of recruiting and the best interests of prospective players, it would favor those kids to have more interaction with schools aside from just the local ones. Then at least they'd be less confined by the SEC and able to open themselves up more to the possibility of receiving a legitimate education.
February 12th, 2016 at 5:04 PM ^
“Over and over I have sat in AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) meetings and heard football coaches say we don’t want football recruiting to go the way men’s basketball has gone, meaning, let’s try to anchor to the best we can our football recruiting in the scholastic environment. It’s around education, it’s around people who are supervised by administrators and school boards. That seems a healthy approach for recruiting, not going out to create other opportunities.”
Greg Sankey really seems to believe this line, that the SEC really practices these principles, which is what makes it all the more hilarious. Somehow, this scene from Airplane! came to mind...
February 12th, 2016 at 5:05 PM ^
February 12th, 2016 at 5:07 PM ^
Out on a sailboat with Bill Martin
February 12th, 2016 at 5:05 PM ^
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February 12th, 2016 at 5:14 PM ^
When I was reading the quotes in the article, I was picturing Sankey having big ass-cheeks for lips, farting out sounds that resemble words. Yeah, it was a horrible mental image, which your comment just degraded to an even more vulger level.
Ugh, time to start a friday drinking thread.
February 12th, 2016 at 5:14 PM ^
Well, I suck at posting and am not sure how to post a tweet. But, check out Jim Abbott's tweet this morning. Fantastic.
https://twitter.com/jabbottum31/status/698183138476843008
February 12th, 2016 at 5:15 PM ^
There's a reason he's been my favorite athlete of all time for more than 25 years.