SEC looking to block Michigan from holding spring practice in Florida
Greg Sankey is the biggest hypocrite in college football. I can't believe the shit he's spewing in this article What a joke.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:41 PM ^
That's my reaction exactly. As long as they find another week for off-time, it sounds great.
February 9th, 2016 at 8:33 PM ^
They pretty much have to. You're only allowed "x" number of practices (15 I think).
February 9th, 2016 at 2:46 PM ^
These are college students. I don't know of anyone who wanted to spend time with their families during spring break. That's what winter break is for.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:00 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 3:26 PM ^
I would personally agree with you. However, remember that some of the players have girlfriends and babies back home. And some of them want to spend time with their girlfriends and their children. (some don't, which is a different issue). The other thing is, how far did you live from school? I was in suburban Detroit, so it was nothing to go home for the weekend. If I was from another part of the country, maybe I'd want to go home for a week, especially if travel home over break is covered by your scholarship. Utah? New York? Etc.? That's a different thing from being able to jump in the car and be home in an hour.
February 9th, 2016 at 4:10 PM ^
February 10th, 2016 at 11:54 AM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 2:49 PM ^
I think care is being taken to ensure these guys get a bit of a break, but it's not that uncommon for college athlete's to not get the same breaks as the rest of the student body. My cousins who swam in college didn't get Christmas break and I am sure there are countless other examples. It's part of the scholarship obligation. Plus, fairly quickly they'll be staring at two weeks of vacation a year and not always even being able to take that.
I think they're fine and frankly might even be pretty thrilled at the thought of A) a free trip to Florida and B) less time during the Spring Semester when they have to balance class and practice.
If your concern is on the four weeks off time the athlete's get away from being monitored by the program, I have a feeling that is being taken care of, but I share your concern that they are given that week.
February 9th, 2016 at 4:37 PM ^
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Harbaugh say by having this practice week during Spring Break, it allows them to take more time off closer to finals week? Gives the kids more study time to make sure they pass their classes, which should be priority of any school and the NCAA.
February 9th, 2016 at 6:46 PM ^
Why? Preseason camp starts during "summer break." Bowl grame practices are during "winter break". What the hell makes spring break so special? Do you not realize baseball and softball teams across the country are playing games during "spring break"?
I'm sick of the politcal correct bullshit. This is about the SEC being pissed off Harbaugh's coming into their territory, nothing more.
February 10th, 2016 at 4:06 PM ^
Actually, you're making my point for me. Because players have bowl practice during Christmas break, and preseason camp during Summer break, and classes most of the rest of the time, I think they should have some time when they can actually go home for a week. As I said above, it doesn't matter as much if you're from Michigan. But if you're from California, New York, Utah, Arizona, Washington state (or DC, for that matter), there should be a couple times a year when you can go home and just kick back.
My daughter's in the Navy. She'll be deployed later this year and spend more than 6 months in Ireland, Spain, the Mediterreanean, the Persian gulf, and north Africa. Of course we're fine not seeing her at the holidays, let alone for more than a half year. But we know that she wants to have a couple weeks at home before she heads out, and will want to come home for a while once she's back in the States. Everyone needs some vacation and time away from school or work. Even Harbaugh is taking time to golf at Pebble Beach, and took time to go to the Super Bowl. That was my only point: make sure kids have time to be kids and get some home cooking and time at home every now and again.
As long as that happens, ignore the SEC. They're not taking the high road, and they're not concerned about the kids.
February 9th, 2016 at 11:49 PM ^
Spoken like a dad, Stephen. But when I was in college, I wanted nothing more than a week in Florida. I certainly did not want to see my family in the same weather A2 was having. They could wait till May.
February 10th, 2016 at 9:50 AM ^
I hear you, and I enjoyed Lauderdale over Spring Break. Parents nowhere in sight. But again, that's partly because I lived less than an hour from Ann Arbor. I might have felt differently if I was from LA, or Houston, or Phoenix, or Miami. If that was the case, I might have wanted to head home.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:50 PM ^
The Ukraine needs to tweak their Maize but, otherwise, an outstanding effort.
February 9th, 2016 at 8:35 PM ^
And while they're at it, darken up the blue a bit.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:39 PM ^
February 10th, 2016 at 12:53 AM ^
modify the tank to make it look like a Maize Submarine.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:36 PM ^
"If you can't beat Harbaugh, ban him from entering the state." Not wise Florida, not wise...
February 9th, 2016 at 2:37 PM ^
Gee whiz, it's like the SEC is worried about the dawn of Michigan dominance in college football or something.
February 9th, 2016 at 4:10 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 2:38 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 2:38 PM ^
They are more than welcome to come do practices during winter break up here. I don't see anyone stopping them.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:41 PM ^
I think Northern Michigan University has very good facilities and could host any SEC team in this endeavor. Just go North until the world literally ends - it will be on your left.
February 9th, 2016 at 8:36 PM ^
We haven't seen or heard of any Others for centuries. You'll be fine.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:39 PM ^
"Harbaugh's announcement comes at a time when schools are increasingly concerned about demands on athletes' time."
February 9th, 2016 at 2:39 PM ^
How about someone blocking the SEC from oversigning or paying their players?
February 9th, 2016 at 2:39 PM ^
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February 9th, 2016 at 3:17 PM ^
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February 9th, 2016 at 2:41 PM ^
you are free to cross state borders.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:41 PM ^
/s
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February 9th, 2016 at 2:41 PM ^
A bigger issue is BYU getting their players two extra years of growth by sending them on "missions". Let's talk about that.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:47 PM ^
But beside the point that these guys aren't just spending time working out (they aren't in contact with their S&C programs), any team can take Morman players that go on missions (I believe MSU had one join the team this spring, for instance). Any team can take guys that are older than 18. I think most prefer the way they are currently operating though.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:02 PM ^
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February 9th, 2016 at 3:30 PM ^
At least I quantified it by "not sure if serious"? No, no, that doesn't make it any better.
I'll hang my head in shame and go to the corner now.
February 10th, 2016 at 12:26 PM ^
I'm definitely serious.
That makes a huge difference. A 20-year-old freshman is more developed physically and emotionally and mentally than an 18-year-old freshman. You end up with 24- and 25-year-olds on the team who are married and have families, and are adults in every sense of the word, going up against 20- and 21-year old juniors and seniors a lot of the time. It hasn't let to national championships for BYU, because most recruits don't want to deal with the religious clamps at that place, but it's still unfair to the teams on their level that they play.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:53 PM ^
I don't think they're really allowed to work out that much while they're gone and are really only allowed "religious" materials for entertainment, etc. They may be older and therefore have grown into their bodies more, but it's not like they're all off at secret weightlifiting facilties during their missions.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:42 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 2:43 PM ^
I'm not against them, though I do think there should be a rule to limit them in some capacity so that kids don't just get bombarded millions of them (say, 3-5 per team).
But complaining about this is stupid. Pretty much every spring sport spends time down south during the winter/early spring because it's warmer. Every other sport is allowed to travel to some extent for practice. Football shouldn't be any different. Spending a week in Florida practicing hurts absolutely no body in any way what so ever.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:48 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 3:02 PM ^
But when you have Alabama, Texas, Michigan, USC, OSU, PSU, Maryland, Florida, etc rolling into town, it becomes a bit of an obligation to the kids. Yes, it is an opportunity to show your stuff, no doubt, but it begins to take up all their time. It is a slippery slope once all schools start to do it, which they will. Currently, there is no issue, because so few teams are doing it. But I think it'd make sense to draw the line somewhere.
I think, in general, satellite camps are good. They do give kids free exposure to top notch coaching. The issue is lessened if coaching staffs are working together at the same camps (such as Sound Mind, Sound Body). So I'm all for the idea of satellite camps in a vacuum. But if each team is holding their own camps, and each is doing their own tour, etc, etc, it becomes a bit of an obligation to kids.
That's my only issue and why maybe there should be some limiting number. By no means should that number be zero.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:06 PM ^
think for Harbaugh, the mission has already been accomplished. Many people now associate Michigan was satelite camps, and associate the SEC as bitching about them. It makes it look, correctly or incorrectly, as though the SEC is afraid of Michigan specifically and bolsters the reputation of the football program to future recruits. They could shut down the satelite camps tomorrow and I think that Harbaugh will have already gotten 90% of what he was seeking.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:13 PM ^
I absolutely believe Harbaugh wants the opportunity to teach more kids the game of football. Exposure to high level coaches, both college and high school coaches, to teach football I think is a significant goal of him doing satellite camps. In my opinion, Harbaugh would like to do that every year if he could.
And I believe that that's an appropriate way to look at it. It's just when you have to attend multiple team's camps if you want to be evaluated for an offer that it becomes an obligation for kids as well as the coaches. But if teams still aren't performing satellite camps next year, I absolutely expect and agree that Harbaugh should do another tour, because that goal is still an achievable objective that these kids wouldn't otherwise get.
For the record, I think Harbaugh should continue to do a tour until he isn't allowed to anymore. I have absolutely zero issue with Harbaugh doing as many satellite camps as he wants until he's no longer allowed to do so.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:46 PM ^
Which do you think is better for the kids? A bunch of 7-on-7 camps run by recruiting services or satelite camps run by college coaches? If Satelite camps helped bring an end to most of the recruiting camps, I think that would be a net win for the high school student athletes.
February 9th, 2016 at 8:40 PM ^
Are the host coaches even allowed to coach at the camps? I didn't think they were, which seems insane.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:10 PM ^
the number of the camps will effectively be self regulating. If there are too many camps, kids won't show up.
As I recall, the best recruits didn't attend many of the Michigan camps last year. I don't recall too many offers going out to players -- I know a few did, but I thought it was limited number.
The players that have dozens of offers have no obligation to attend any camp. they have all of the leverage in these situations. They are the precious resource. The coaching staffs are the ones that ask for the elite players to attend their summer camps, not the other way around.
Let this work itself out. Having dozens of camps, with margin schools and coaching staffs hosting the camps, won't survive. The weak camps that can't draw in kids or don't provide adequate coaching during the camp will die off. It is Capitalism at work.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^
the best recruits didn't attend many of the Michigan camps last year
They were a new idea, and Harbaugh was a new coach at 5-7 Michigan.
You'll see a shitload of top recruits at them this year.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:16 PM ^
Kids are not obligated to go. Since the number of scholarships isn't going to change, the only effect of these camps is that some kids that try harder and go to these camps are going to take away scholarships from kids who don't want to. I don't see a problem rewarding kids for trying harder.
February 9th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^
Didn't Harbaugh ask to have other coaches participate?! So these are supposed to involve multiple schools ANYWAY, at once, and lessen the amount needed.