Magnus

March 18th, 2010 at 8:54 AM ^

Sweet Jesus, you couldn't be more right about the Dantonio vs. Rodriguez thing.

Is there anything more transparent than the MSU coaches *suddenly* taking a liking to Zettel's family's restaurant? I'm sure it's just a coincidence, right?

Wolverine In Exile

March 18th, 2010 at 9:27 AM ^

13.01.04- Recruiting by Representatives of Athletics Interests.
Representatives of an institution's athletics interests (as defined in Bylaw 13.02.13) are prohibited from making in-person, on- or off-campus recruiting contacts, or written or telephonic communications with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians. Specific examples of exceptions to the application of this regulation are set forth in Bylaw 13.1.2.2 (see Bylaw 13.1.3.5.1.1).

13.1.2.2 General Exceptions.
(a) Admissions Program. Off-campus recruiting contacts made by an institution's regular admissions program representative and directed at all prospective students including nonathletes.

(b) Coach Who Is Prospective Student-Athlete's Parent or Legal Guardian. Recruiting contact and evaluation limitations do not apply to a coaching staff member who is the parent (or legal guardian) of a participant in any activity being observed (e.g., practices, contests or camps), provided the attendance by the coaching staff member at such activity does not involve any personal contact with any other participating prospective student-athlete. (Revised: 1/10/95, 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97)

(c) Spouse of Prospective Student-Athlete's Coach. Recruiting contact and evaluation limitations do not apply to a coaching staff member observing a contest that involves prospective student-athletes coached by his or her spouse, provided the attendance by the coaching staff member at such a contest does not involve any personal contact with any prospective student-athlete participating in the contest. (Adopted: 1/11/94)

(d) Established Family Friend/Neighbor. Contacts made with a prospective student-athlete by an established family friend or neighbor, it being understood that such contacts are not made for recruiting purposes and are not initiated by a member of an institution's coaching staff.

(e) Spouse of Staff Member

(1) On Campus. A spouse of an institutional staff member on campus.

(2) Off Campus during Official Visit. A spouse of an athletics department staff member during a prospective student-athlete's official visit and within a 30-mile radius of the institution's main campus during the prospective student-athlete's official visit.

(f) Interpreter. An interpreter present during an institution's in-person, off-campus contact with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's parents (or legal guardians), provided that if the institution is involved in making the arrangements for the use of the interpreter, the interpreter must be a faculty member or a professional interpreter. It is not permissible for the interpreter to be an enrolled student-athlete, a family member of an enrolled student-athlete or a representative of the institution's athletics interests. (Adopted: 1/11/97)

(g) Unavoidable Incidental Contact. An unavoidable incidental contact made with a prospective student-athlete by representatives of the institution's athletics interests, provided the contact is not prearranged by the representative or an athletics department staff member, does not take place on the grounds of the prospective student-athlete's educational institution or at the sites of organized competition and practice involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's team (high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team), is not made for the purpose of recruitment of the prospective student-athlete, and involves only normal civility.

(h) Permissible Pre-enrollment Activities. Contacts between a prospective student-athlete and an athletics representative regarding permissible pre-enrollment activities (e.g., a discussion of summer-employment arrangements that occurs after the prospective student-athlete's signing of the National Letter of Intent).

13.02.3 Contact.
A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's parents, relatives or legal guardians and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged (e.g., staff member positions himself or herself in a location where contact is possible) or that takes place on the grounds of the prospective student-athlete's educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team shall be considered a contact, regardless of whether any conversation occurs. However, an institutional staff member or athletics representative who is approached by a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's parents, relatives or legal guardians at any location shall not use a contact, provided the encounter was not prearranged and the staff member or athletics representative does not engage in any dialogue in excess of a greeting and takes appropriate steps to immediately terminate the encounter. (Revised: 1/11/94 effective 8/1/94)

13.1.1.1 Time Period for Off-Campus Contacts -- General Rule.
Off-campus recruiting contacts shall not be made with an individual (or his or her relatives or legal guardians) before July 1 following the completion of his or her junior year in high school.

13.1.2.6.2 Off-Campus Contact.
In bowl subdivision football, the head coach may make in-person, off-campus contact with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians only during one calendar day. It is permissible for this contact to occur both at the site of the prospective student-athlete's educational institution and away from the institutional grounds. During such contact, the head coach may be accompanied by assistant coaches, who otherwise are required to observe the restrictions contained in the bylaws. Violations of this bylaw shall be considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1; however, such violations shall not affect the prospective student-athlete's eligibility.

So by my reading, the restaurant was a "contact by athletics related individuals", can not be considered "unavoidable incidental contact" since Narduzzi told Dantonio to go to the restaurant, it can be assumed that there was more than "the exchange of a greeting" since both ate an entire meal and Zettel claimed they "talked about everything for more than an hour and half". But in 13.1.2.6.2, the head coach is allowed to make contacts off-campus provided it is not in a dead period or before July 1 of their junior year. So while it appears shady, Dantonio probably didn't break any rules. He just Saban-ed them.

PeterKlima

March 18th, 2010 at 12:26 PM ^

Isn't the issue that he paid the recruits parents for dinner. It reminds me of the movie "Johnny Be Good."

Anyway, couldn't a school just send a whole bunch of their staff over there to eat? Something beyond paying market price must limit this.

If giving away hats can get you in trouble, this probably does too. (Even two meals is not too small.)

Yay Tony Boles

March 18th, 2010 at 5:08 PM ^

As far I can tell it's a personal off campus contact with a player prior to July 1st of his junior year. He is still a junior right. It's a clear violation. Two actually, narduzzi and dantonio.

Although west branch is only two and a half hours from east Lansing. I'm sure it was a coincidence.

blueloosh

March 18th, 2010 at 9:45 AM ^

The Free Press would assign any inquiry, as it did before, to its MSU football beat writer. http://www.freep.com/article/99999999/BLOG05/90807032/About-Shannon-She…

I actually like Shannon Shelton and think she is a good, honest reporter. But she certainly would not be callous toward her school's image, and would not write a bold headline story about something she knows is commonplace.

She is not the exception, but the rule. The exception is the UM reporters, who feel they have an obligation to root out problems and create national stories. And that is the real problem. UM has national significance in the media generally, and MSU does not. Thus, the Free Press covers Michigan like a Presidential administration and MSU like a local high school team. The tone of the former is sneering and detached, the latter is warm and supportive.

aaamichfan

March 18th, 2010 at 9:52 AM ^

According to Sam this morning, ND seems to be the only legitimate threat for Zettel. I'd be interested to see how much the MSU coaches left as a tip, or if a wad of unmarked $100 bills "fell out" of anyone's pocket.

MGoShoe

March 18th, 2010 at 10:30 AM ^

...how to play this game:

Next on the recruiting agenda for Zettel is learning as much about as many of his suitors as possible in the coming months. His decision timeline calls for him to make a choice prior his senior season. That means it could be late summer before he selects a school. At one point it was thought that Michigan's limited scholarship numbers this year would hasten the process, but that won't necessarily be the case.

"As of right now I'm not really paying attention to that because I'm one of (Michigan's) top recruits," Zettel stated. "Before they run out they'll let me know."

He is being cagey and using the levers he has available to him to improve his stock and ensure he stays high on his top choices' lists.

Wolverine In Exile

March 18th, 2010 at 10:34 AM ^

he seems pretty savvy on keeping his profile high and getting as much benefits from the recruiting process as possible (how much you wanna bet Div I coaches are going to be banging down the door of his parents' diner in the next months?). Do you think we could use our alumni connections at Food Network to get Guy Fieri to do a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives shoot at Zettel's Diner?

Don

March 18th, 2010 at 12:17 PM ^

I don't think there's anything here that the NCAA will care about.

Maybe we should all descend on the Zettel family restaurant and have an innocent conversation with the owners ourselves. Just remember to tip generously and don't ask for substitutions.

Ezeh-E

March 18th, 2010 at 3:30 PM ^

when they do it so well without any help?

Seriously, though, us turning in MSU is, in some ways, like the Freep reporters trying to get us in trouble. I understand there are myriad differences, but I don't think this is that bad. It is just unfortunate that UM and RR are under such scrutiny that they have to avoid these types of visits for a year or two.