Just Fields granted immediate eligibility

Submitted by The Baughz on February 8th, 2019 at 4:25 PM
https://twitter.com/brucefeldmancfb/status/1093983660145950720?s=21 Because of he course he is. Took about 2 weeks. Lol

ijohnb

February 8th, 2019 at 5:26 PM ^

If we are being completely honest, it is nearly impossible to believe that Shae Patterson was caught “unawares” by the happenings at Ole Miss.  He was the #1 ranked QB recruit in the nation.  We are being completely obtuse to believe that Ole Miss did not “pick up the tab” for him on occasion.  Right?

Jonesy

February 8th, 2019 at 7:37 PM ^

Ole Miss told him all the wrongdoings were under the previous coach and they wouldn't be punished. They colluded with people in the press to say the same in papers and then pointed to that as proof. They were told what they were being punished for and what the punishment was and they held on to it, hid it, and claimed they didn't have that information handy whenever it was asked about for months. That former coach even successfully sued them for defaming him.

 

The Ole Miss/Shea waiver situation was quite valid.

GoBlueSean

February 8th, 2019 at 4:39 PM ^

Took Shea months w/ an obvious scandal and this young man just has to wait 2 weeks after his 2nd transfer... This may become the future of NCAAF... @ least for the people that wear nuts around their necks...

stephenrjking

February 8th, 2019 at 4:42 PM ^

Wasn’t even as dramatic as Shea’s waiver. Dumb. 

But this should be held over Georgia by every recruiter. It should be talked about by rivals and people in the B1G. 

M-Dog

February 8th, 2019 at 5:27 PM ^

It won't do a damn thing. Kids are much more sophisticated than we give them credit for.  They know this is all bullshit.  They are laughing at all the adults.

What we should be doing is looking for players that we would like to have transfer to Michigan.  Then just have them make up some empty excuse about why it needs to be immediatly.

It's open season on transfers now.

 

Blue Ninja

February 8th, 2019 at 4:48 PM ^

So why not just start granting immediate eligibility for all transfers? Ridiculous that they are able to decide within 2 weeks that he is eligible while it took months and reams of paperwork for Shea. Not to mention Ole Miss was trying to kill the immediate eligibility. At this point everyone should just be able to take one transfer in their college career and be eligible immediately. 

jh6850

February 9th, 2019 at 10:54 AM ^

You do understand the reason it took Shea so long, correct?

UM was slow in getting the request in.  Ole Miss fought the request.

OSU turned the request in immediately and UGA did not fight the request.

No bag men needed.  

OSU and Fields attorney followed the game plan UM did the year before.  There was no guessing.  No stumbling around in the dark.  UM had provided the road map to get this done.  So they had the paperwork ready to go.  UGA not fighting it also made it faster.

HelloHeisman91

February 8th, 2019 at 4:50 PM ^

No way the NCAA was going to touch this with a ten foot poll.  The last thing they want to weigh in on is if an African American athlete feels safe on campus after his former school admitted he was put in a terrible situation by kicking the baseball player out of school.  Not worth passing judgement, let the kid play and move on. 

mackbru

February 8th, 2019 at 4:51 PM ^

This makes an absolutely mockery of the transfer rule (which, admittedly, was already kind of a joke). If he can transfer without sitting out, anyone should be able to do the same. 

BeatIt

February 9th, 2019 at 7:59 AM ^

I think some here don't realise the biggest factor in determining a eligibility request? UGA did not challenge the application for immediate eligibility, Ole Miss challenged the  legitimacy of Patterson's claim of hardship. That alone probably speeds up the process a couple months. I thought Patterson's case was 100% legit except for the fact that Patterson knew they were being investigated when he signed his LOI. 

Perkis-Size Me

February 8th, 2019 at 4:53 PM ^

At this point, just do away with the transfer sit out a year rule, because if you’re going to give Fields immediate eligibility over this, you might as will not even have the rule at all. 

I’m not condoning racist slurs, but that was (by all accounts) a one off situation from one idiot running his mouth. This incident was just an all-too-convenient excuse to be able to get out of Georgia and play immediately next year. If Fields and his family really felt like his safety and physical well-being were in danger, as they claimed, they would’ve yanked his younger sister out of UGa too, who just happens to be coming in to play softball there. Let’s cut the bullshit: this was only ever about playing time and not wanting to have to sit behind Fromm for another 1-2 years. 

I get it. Not questioning his decision to leave. The kid wants to play now and if he thinks he can do that somewhere else, he’s within his rights to pursue that. But that incident was the perfect card to throw at the NCAA to get his waiver. The NCAA didn’t want to have Fields’ family and his attorney pull the race card on them and be branded a racially insensitive institution, especially in this day and age where that mark is an irreparable kiss of death (rightfully so when the accusations are justified). 

Larry Appleton

February 8th, 2019 at 4:57 PM ^

It's crap.  Everyone knows it's crap.  Everyone knows that everyone knows it's crap.  But the NCAA is to chicken-sh** to call it out.

Perkis-Size Me

February 8th, 2019 at 5:12 PM ^

The NCAA knew that if they blocked the waiver, then Fields’ family and his attorney would almost certainly start a smear campaign against them and brand them a racist institution through every news outlet that would have them.  

In times like these, once you’re branded with that mark, there’s almost no coming back. The NCAA decided its better to just wash their hands of the situation, give them what they want, and move on. Is it cowardly? Not sure, but I can’t say I don’t get their decision. 

I don’t condone racism in any form, but but Fields transferring was NOT about racism. It always was, and will only ever be about playing time. 

njvictor

February 8th, 2019 at 5:01 PM ^

Lol what a joke. The NCAA has no backbone. Apparently UGA is too negative of an atmosphere for him, but it's fine for Fields' sister? Seems legit.

The only hardship Fields faced at UGA was Jake Fromm

MGoBun

February 8th, 2019 at 5:03 PM ^

I don't really like the free agency aspect for college sports, but it seems that's the way it's going to be.  Unless it's a transfer within the conference.  Then I think sitting out a year is justifiable if the other team is on the schedule.

blueday

February 8th, 2019 at 5:03 PM ^

You knew this would happen. Just shows you how fast you can speed the process up when payoffs are involved. Shea didn't have the perfect case ... and it took months. NCAA is a joke and it's well documented.

mackbru

February 8th, 2019 at 5:07 PM ^

Fields flat out admits he didn't have an issue with the school: “Now that this matter is concluded, I would like to clarify some facts,” Fields said. “I have no regrets about my time at UGA and have no hard feelings for the school or football program. My overall experience at UGA was fully consistent with UGA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.  My sister is a softball player at UGA.  I am still close friends with many of my UGA teammates.  A part of me will always be a Georgia Bulldogs fan.”

He transferred because he got beat out as starter. UGA did nothing wrong. Yet the NCAA still gives him the waiver. This is the definition of bullshit.

You Only Live Twice

February 8th, 2019 at 10:38 PM ^

it is such, absolute, flipping BS.

The facts are nowhere near similar to Shea's situation, and since that is being compared, look how much more difficult it was for Michigan to get a halfway decent QB via transfer.

It isn't just Bama that has ruined college football.  It's all that home cooking in the South and West.  This is why people better accept that Harbaugh is doing the best anyone can with what we have.

And OSU lags JUST behind Bama in fielding talent.  After this fall and seeing how the OSU Board of Trustees handled things... it was so clear they took a page out of the Tuscaloosa playbook.