Pat Forde: Beilein refusing Spike transfer release to B1G school is "height of hypocrisy"

Submitted by Sopwith on

Pretty much the bad PR you might expect, and I agree. Coaches shouldn't have veto power over transfer destination.

LINK to article titled "Height of Hypocrisy: Michigan Limiting Spike Albrecht's Transfer Options"

Money quotes from Beilein:

"There are 334 other schools he can go to,” Beilein told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday, almost getting the math right on 351 minus the other 13 Big Ten members. “He has a lot of choices."

And...

"Having a kid sit out a year is not like going to jail,” he said. “It’s a slippery slope. I want what’s best for Spike but also what’s best for our program. You train a guy and develop him for four years and suddenly he’s the starting point guard at Michigan State?"

As for Spike's dad Chuck, he seems to be taking it better than I would:

"To be honest, this is kind of what we expected,” he said. “It’s not totally a surprise. I don’t think it’s real fair, but it seems like the norm.

"There’s certain schools in the Big Ten he’d never consider and others he might, I don’t know. If they’re worried about Spike – I think they’ve got bigger problems. But we do respect Michigan and the program, so Spike doesn’t want to cause problems.”

Forde closes with this, which I totally agree with:

Yet here in the real world, a player who will have a degree – and who has already been told he’s not going to have a scholarship in 2016-17 – is still having his future controlled and curtailed by the college. It’s wrong. And at Michigan, where the 2015 starting quarterback was a Hawkeye in 2014, it’s also hypocritical.

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Beilein
Spike Albrecht
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harmon98

March 30th, 2016 at 9:56 PM ^

Max:

"I did tell the coaches that I did want to come back to Michigan," Bielfeldt said. "But at the end of the day things didn't work out and we both decided to move on."

Bielfedlt added, "I told (coaches) that I wanted to stay (and) Michigan was my first choice but as time went on I had to explore other options."

Spike:

“We were both just kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place,” Albrecht told the Michigan Daily. “Because I didn’t want to leave Michigan, obviously, but at the same time I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play a fifth year and get my master’s paid for. So it was a difficult conversation, but I think he understood, and it was kind of tough for both of us, but he just wished me the best.”

 

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Bigasshammm

March 30th, 2016 at 9:30 PM ^

It should be blocked unless the conference team the player wants to transfer to is not on the schedule for the old team. So in Rudock's case it would be fine since we didn't play Iowa this season. In basketball we play everyone don't we? I wasn't a fan of the Beilfeldt transfer and I wouldn't be a fan of Spike going to another BiG school. As is said there's 300+ other schools he could go to.

Another side caveat being if the school in question is one of only a few schools with the masters/graduate program the player would want.

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Gentleman Squirrels

March 30th, 2016 at 9:32 PM ^

I don't really see a problem here. It should simply be the player can't transfer to a school that is on next year's schedule. Considering that you could play any team in the big ten during the conference tournament, it just limits them from transferring to another big ten school plus a couple more non conference games. Not a big deal.

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kalamazoo

March 30th, 2016 at 9:49 PM ^

I like this idea.

Also the board should keep in mind that Beilein, the person, probably wants Spike to be happy due to his time and dedication to the program, and therefore wouldn't have minded where Spike transfers.

It's just that Beilein, the men's basketball coach, has to remember he gets paid to win and to keep intel a little closer to the program.

He was not the only one making this decision in the Michigan program anyway...Beilein had his opinion in internal meetings and is now representing the program decision.

Competitive decisions have to be made...even if the chance of winning an extra game only goes up by 0.1%...make enough of those throughout the program and that can make a lot of difference long-term.

I think the program could have provided better sound bites for Beilein though...like "We hope he will always return to Michigan as he is well loved here," and "No one will ever forget the spark and sheer athleticism he brings whenever he is in the game...including the amazing Louisville national championship game." Perhaps he has said these things, but c'mon PR people, keep it going.

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ESNY

March 30th, 2016 at 11:56 PM ^

I don't know. MIchigan lived up to their responsibilities by giving Spike four years and Spike lived up to his responsibilities by graduating, playing hard and being s good student athlete. He has one more year of eligibility left and Michigan doesn't have room for him. He should be able to go free and clear. This isn't some sophomore transferring and thus leaving us lean. This is a four year letterman who was told sorry we can't squeeze you in next year.

To basically reject bringing him back for his last year of eligibility yet refusing to allow him to freely transfer is pretty damn hypocritical.



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Erik_in_Dayton

March 30th, 2016 at 9:32 PM ^

You aren't a hypocrite because someone else acts in a way that is inconsistent with your professed beliefs. That said, Spike should be allowed to go wherever he wants, as much as the idea of him playing for, say, Purdue makes me want to throw up.

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Mabel Pines

March 30th, 2016 at 9:32 PM ^

I don't want him at another Big school either. That being said, if you were worried about a kid going to another school, maybe you should keep him???

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MGoblu8

March 30th, 2016 at 9:35 PM ^

I don't like it. I think it's bullshit. If a guy puts in 4 years with your program, just to go to a competitor when his time comes, then so be it. Once a guy graduates, then that should be it. Other coaches have gotten killed over this. I guess Beilein can too.

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whoknew

March 30th, 2016 at 9:49 PM ^

Come on. We aren't persecuted by national media. We get TONS of great press - look at the love fest for Harbaugh. 

Beilein is getting called out on this because its a bullshit thing to do to Spike.

Lets drop the persecution complex.

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MGoblu8

March 30th, 2016 at 10:18 PM ^

Didn't Bo Ryan get hammered for this a few years ago? Mike Greenberg ripped his tits on air, and rightfully so. It just comes off as so petty.

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Eastside Maize

March 30th, 2016 at 9:38 PM ^

what could Spike tell a team, that everyone doesn't know already? We like to shoot 3s, we are allergic to points in the paint or we break out the 1-3-1 when the shit hits the fan?

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carolina blue

March 30th, 2016 at 9:41 PM ^

Why does it feel like Michigan is the only one that gets crapped on for stuff like this?

Secondly, what the hell does a transfer that harbaugh took have to do with beilein? They run two different programs.



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George Pickett

March 30th, 2016 at 10:27 PM ^

The fans. Sports writers know that the self-righteous Michigan base will express outrage at the most minor of transgressions.  It's easy clicks every time.

Personally, I do not care one bit that a former UM player is limited to 330 instead of 350 schools to play for.  That doesn't strike me as something remotely worthy of indignation.

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JOHNNAVARREISMYHERO

March 31st, 2016 at 12:45 AM ^

No one cares about out of state coaches, its the coverage in our own state that people are fed up with 

Ex:  Harbaugh criticized over Swenson, constant opinions/criticism of any off the field incidents while the other school in the state is free to recruit criminals and have guys with mutlple arrests face little to no scruntiny from the media.

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Franz Schubert

March 30th, 2016 at 9:41 PM ^

Is how predictable it is that the media will try to call out Michigan any chance they get, while other schools do the same or worse and rarely if ever get called out. I'm often times critical of Beilein, to be honest I wish he would retire, but I think it's reasonable to not release a player to conference school.

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Wee-Bey Brice

March 30th, 2016 at 9:53 PM ^

Fans need to understand we cant have it both ways. We cant keep the Max Biefieldt's to prevent them from blossoming elsewhere and also get rid of them for bigger, more athletic options. Make a decision about how you want the program to operate and stick with it. We can't keep asking JB to upgrade the roster and then also be the morality police when there's no room to do so. 

It's easy for us to play the hindsight game because we have nothing to lose, JB can't afford to play that game. He has to try to predict the future like every other coach in America. It is absolutely amazing that just a couple of years ago people were talking about how he passed up Izzo, and MSU fans were belly aching about Izzo being lost in the sauce at this point. Now it's flipped back. Did Izzo forget how to coach then and Beilein now? Nope. But you'd think that if you read the board. What it shows is that a lot of ppl simply don't fully understand the game. Basketball isn't like football, literally anything can happen. There's a lot more about basketball that's up to chance when it comes to winning or losing games. Same with a guy like Roy WIlliams, few years ago UNC fans calling for his head. Now they're in the Final 4. But fans haven't adjusted to the reality that some seasons just dont go well for a variety of reasons so they swing back and forth with the results of each viewing. It's getting old.

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Trump

March 31st, 2016 at 9:12 AM ^

Did I say I didn't care about it? No, I stated I was sick of it right now. As in things are looking down, and bad things continue to happen. Stop trying to be a keyboard warrior.



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gwkrlghl

March 30th, 2016 at 10:01 PM ^

We have no right to put restrictions on Spike's next stop. He put in his 4 years, graduated, and was given the firm handshake and we have the audacity to restrict where he goes?

I sort of hope he walks on at IU or Purdue to spite us

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Truthbtold

March 30th, 2016 at 10:08 PM ^

Had several kids decide to transfer and Thad released them without restrictions, so I guess it boils down to the character of each program. Some care about the kids and understand the the kids are the ONLY thing that truly matters. On the other hand there are programs that think that the program and the million dollar coaches being able to have control over 18yr. kids, that are not their own, are what's most important. Obvious UM is the ladder, and this is clear proof. It explains why the best kids go to OSU and MSU and not Michigan, seem pretty obvious the " M " really stands for ME.

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carolina blue

March 30th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^

a grad transfer wouldn't be 18.

Aside from that...get off your high horse. "M stands for ME" is drew sharp level bullshit.

Also, I don't imagine too many using Michigan as the ladder to anything.



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Padog

March 30th, 2016 at 10:10 PM ^

I really hope the people saying "let him go wherever he wants" aren't the same people complaining about Max killing us or doing well at Indiana.



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