Is this the standard in recruiting?
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Dec 25, 2008 9:32 PM CST
37 comments
Hello Longhorns,
I've decided to write in the "Burnt Orange Nation" forum because I've written here before, I've made numerous visits to Austin, Tx and everytime that I've been there, I've been treated with courtesy, kindness and respect. It truly is one remarkable place.
Forgive my ignorance when it comes to the world of big time recruiting, especially in the world of college football. After reading today's article in the New York Times about potential Defensive Tackle recruit, Jamarkus McFarland...I'm speechless. I wonder, when these facts come out about how each school (Texas, Oklahoma, L.S.U., USC) handled this recruit and what he experienced as part of the recruiting "process" will anything come of it?
I no longer wonder why today's professional athletes behave the way they do. If it's true that McFarland's mother said that she was told that if he attended LSU, a maid would clean her son's room...Well, that's just "F'n" ridiculous!
After reading this article, the whole aspect of recruiting seems absolutely disgusting. It appears to be one of the lowest forms of professions available. (If you want to even call it a profession). I guess that since I've never paid attention to this part of the prospective college athlete my comments sound pretty naïve. Be that as it may, I just think that the behavior by the schools, coaches, boosters et. al, are completely despicable.
Regardless of his choice, this guys seems to have his head screwed on tight and screwed on right. Thank God for his mom as well. Maybe his maturity and her upbringing will prevent him from doing something stupid while in school and when / if he makes it to the NFL. See link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/sports/ncaafootball/26recruit.html?_r=1
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LSU is quite dirty…they should be busted, but the SEC standard of cheating prevents other teams from busting them. If Bama busts LSU then LSU has dirt on Bama, etc.
One of their receivers (in the NFL now) was offered a car.
by gahnki on Dec 25, 2008 9:43 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
who was offered? by who was he offered? did he accept? what a generic and vague statement to make..
by Displaced Longhorn on Dec 26, 2008 2:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
this makes me sick..
I can’t believe that Buck’s comments were even an issue in this process. Does his mother think that he is the only black player to ever play for UT? Mac McWhorter was recruiting her son, due to geographical issues, IIRC. Since SHE made race an issue, Oscar Giles had to talk to her. This seems like a reverse-discrimination. Bob Stoops watches freaking Beauty Shop w/ them? Now, she feels at ease? I think Mom may have tried to protect her son, but in reality, she’s just preventing him from growing up. JaMarcus needs to be able to decide on his own b/c it’s his 4/5 years, not hers. Have fun in Norman.
by vy til i die on Dec 25, 2008 10:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Man fuck McFarland, hopefully he turns into a piece of shit like darrell twot i mean scott from Colorado. Now that it’s all said and done lets just move on and try to get Kennard, or Loston hopefully this shit doesn’t avalanche on us and we get none of the 5 star recruits!
by kcmorse on Dec 25, 2008 11:30 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
goddamn you take this shit personal.
by Displaced Longhorn on Dec 26, 2008 2:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't know if anything is true...
but if this article is true(which I really doubt it is) then there might be some damage from it…
by thebrat on Dec 26, 2008 12:01 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Some of this troubles me...
Sounds to me like some well-intentioned alumni might need to leave the recruiting to the professionals. And who invited this high school kid to these parties? I realize that, because the kid chose ou, the sooners are going to come out sounding better in this report. But it seems like mom wasn’t exactly sure WHAT she wanted, the family complains of Texas “fans” being too aggressive, Texas decides to officially respond and back off…then mom finds a way to take offense? I feel for any family going through this process but, in fairness, I would also like to hear Mack Brown’s side of this.
by utexas87 on Dec 26, 2008 12:04 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I smell a book deal...
…or the rights to a movie.
I think the most glaring and egregious portion of the story is the behind the scenes shenanigans that play out in front of 17/18/19 year old kids. Are there no chaperones that attend functions w/the respective recruits? I don’t want to hear any crap about a kid making a recruiting decision without consulting his parent / guardian at a minimum.
Just because some 18 year old kid who has man sized dimensions and can bench a dump truck and run 40 yards in 4.3 seconds doesn’t mean he’s mature enough to handle the decision making process on his own. Being 18 doesn’t make you a man.
Some idiot involved in the recruiting / “bribing” process is gonna do something illegal, the kid won’t have the sense to say no and the next thing you know, the football program is being bombarded with sanctions or worse, being barred from competing in bowl games and/or having the number of scholarships reduced. Once that happens, the program is on the demise and the next thing you know the team looks like Texas State, not Texas.
" Washington focuses its bailouts on people who take showers before going to work rather than on those people who need a shower after they work. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Dec 26, 2008 12:31 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Disagree
If he’s offered anything illegal, he is still responsible. He’s 18, not 5. If he can’t make sound decisions at that age, then his mother is an even worse parent than what she’s looking like right now.
by TheElusiveShadow on Dec 26, 2008 1:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Perhaps
I’d like to see you turn down similar temptations at that age. It would be tough…no?
" Washington focuses its bailouts on people who take showers before going to work rather than on those people who need a shower after they work. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Dec 26, 2008 7:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Hell, He could be 40 and a man...
and still be tempted. Hell, AIG and others could not resist temptation for the easy buck, not to mention Enron and Worldcom. I don’t think they are eightteen and I doubt mom said it was ok.
We're Texas...and you're NOT
by Bevoboy94 on Dec 27, 2008 2:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
touche'
" Washington focuses its bailouts on people who take showers before going to work rather than on those people who need a shower after they work. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Dec 27, 2008 10:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
This woman is a fool, and yes recruiting is alot like this.
Being someone who went to high school in Oklahoma and being a Texas fan I tend to think I have a unique sense of what OU is like and all about. Most of my friends went to OU and I spent many a weekend in hell. Yes I would feel sorry for me too! I have been to recruitning parties like these before at soroities and frat house’s in Norman before. Let me tell you it is alot like the described party they talked about in Dallas. I have seen the dirty things go on in the OU Athletic Department. I personally know kids that ran track at OU in the late 90’s that would recieve gift cards instead of cash to go buy clothes, go to dinner this that and the other. I know a guy the used to buy anabolic steroids from OU football players. This same guy is currently on the staff of the athletic department at OU helping “tutor” these players. I have seen women have sex with these athletes at these parties as well. I doubt they were paid prostitutes but hey it happens. This goes on at every school. I know I am not the only one to see this and know that this happens all across the country. I am not even saying that she got benefits. What I am saying is that she should just come out and say I like the coach better. Come on if she fell for Bob Stoops watching that stupid ass movie with her as something special. She is a DAMN FOOL! I dont blame her for liking OU over Texas. Everybody has an opinion. I blame her for saying she chose this because of this and not because of that. Trust me a maid will be cleaning his dorm in Norman as well.
by LEMILES on Dec 26, 2008 12:35 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
This woman is a moron, and just did her son a huge disservice
"He was acting like he was doing me a favor," Adams said. "You’re recruiting my son. I feel sorry for them if they’re saying they haven’t had that much interaction with any other recruit’s family. I feel sorry for those families. I really do."
. . . who the hell does she think her son is? I hope this pansy shit sinks into oblivion
by boommotherfcker on Dec 26, 2008 12:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Not sure how reliable the info is.
But the facts in this story are already being disputed by the folks in Lufkin (see comment #4)
http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/a-new-shirt-for-a-new-sooner/
by utexas87 on Dec 26, 2008 12:40 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I'll just do the work. Copied and pasted
Updated 8:25 p.m.: As you all know, I’ve been fortunate to gain a couple sources in Lufkin that are extremely close to this recruitment, and I just talked to them about the NY Times story.
A couple very key notes:
1. This is pretty much common knowledge, but it’s important to note the party in Dallas that was alluded to in the story was obviously not a party in which the Texas program was affiliated in any way. The game was in Dallas and OU was the home team, so McFarland was a guest of OU’s (neither team could actually talk to him). My sources weren’t 100 percent positive but it was their understanding that it was McFarland’s mother that took him to the game. As for the Texas team, the entire team left the stadium shortly after the game was over on chartered buses to make their way to the airport and back to Austin.
2. In talking to my sources, they said the talk of Mack comparing houses to those of other coaches was absurd. Anyone that has ever been around Mack knows that’s not something that he would say, and my source said that topic had never been mentioned by anybody before it showed up in the story. It’s just not plausible, and that comes from a person that’s known Mack directly for years and I believe has talked to him about the NY Times story.
3. There’s a part in the story where McFarland’s mom alleges that she called Mac McWhorter and he refused to put her in touch with Mack Brown. According to my sources, McFarland’s mother had Mack’s cell phone number and called him regularly throughout the course of last summer. And my source said to his knowledge, she very rarely even called McWhorter.
4. There were comments in the story from McFarland’s mother about Texas’ effort, and them going by the school instead of the home, no calls, etc. Again, my sources in Lufkin all indicated that the Texas coaches tried everything they could to do a visit at the family’s residence, but McFarland’s mother wouldn’t let them in.
Just a few notes that are worth putting out there.
******
6:55 p.m. update – Congratulations to Jamarkus for ending what has obviously been a stressful recruitment and congratulations to OU for gaining a big commitment.
I’m not going to get into specifics, but as for the NY Times article, I can tell you that people at Texas would dispute an awful lot of that information, and from various sources that I’ve talked to both in Lufkin and elsewhere, there is quite a bit of erroneous information in that report.
As always, I can promise you that there are two sides to the story.
— Ken Kemp
by boommotherfcker on Dec 26, 2008 12:57 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I can appreciate the "two sides to the story" argument...
…but damn!
Is this going to be a case of she said / he said / they said? If this reporter went to his editor with this @ the New York Times and the editor signed off on it AND THEN these facts turn out to be erroneous? All hell should be breaking loose.
" Washington focuses its bailouts on people who take showers before going to work rather than on those people who need a shower after they work. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Dec 26, 2008 1:09 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
everybody at lsu smells like a corn dog
Hotty Toddy and Hook'em Horns.
by Olemissreb451 on Dec 26, 2008 1:01 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
+1
" Washington focuses its bailouts on people who take showers before going to work rather than on those people who need a shower after they work. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Dec 26, 2008 1:01 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
The thing that makes me mad is
not that McFarland is going to OU. Thats fine, it’s his choice. But whats with the “fuck you” he’s giving us by smearing our program?
Maybe he got exposed to somethings a little unsavory…“oh my god mommy there were slutty women, and ALCOHOL!! Oh my gosh get me away from the bad people. My virgin eyes are now taited by the atrocities I’ve seen!”
Give me a break you’re 18-19 y.o. sorry to burst your bubble but these things, yes, DO in fact exist. This aint freakin candy land Jamarcus.
by owenh on Dec 26, 2008 1:01 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
same author from the Darrell Scott article last year
Similar slant to that one as well.
by the other Andrew on Dec 26, 2008 9:13 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Do you happen to have the link? I'd like to read it.
" Washington focuses its bailouts on people who take showers before going to work rather than on those people who need a shower after they work. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Dec 26, 2008 10:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
there's another one that I'm thinking of
but it’s basically the same theme. Seemingly good kid; over-involved mother; the same reporter was granted one-sided insight and publishes phone conversations between the recruit and the coaches as if he was there; USC, LSU and Texas again are “the other players”
by the other Andrew on Dec 26, 2008 12:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
2 straight years this author form Oklahoma has bombed Texas....
so go ahead and pencil in another article just like this next year revolving around a 5 star recruit who’s mom spurns Texas.
by silky51 on Dec 26, 2008 2:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
"Yet he worried what an Oklahoma degree would mean for landing a job in Texas."
I hear they have some great jobs selling used cars in Norman.
Cut the horsesh*t, son. I’ve got their disciplinary files right here. Who dropped a whole truckload of fizzies into the swim meet? Who delivered the medical school cadavers to the alumni dinner? Every Halloween, the trees are filled with underwear. Every spring, the toilets explode.
by James Brown - the G.O.A.T. on Dec 26, 2008 8:54 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
to me seems obvious...
that the Mom manipulated this situation, playing like she was mad at OU early and then UT thru out which is a classic sign of someone ‘fishing’ for what’s in it for them…that Mack’s email explaining UT was going to backoff to let them all get on the same page was ‘offensive’ is just crazy…by this time she had her mind made up and obviously UT’s coaches knew it and felt their only chance would be if the son Man’ed Up and went against a mother and grandmother that wanted OU most of the way anyhow.
the Dallas party was unfortunate but NOT an official UT event and when you compare it in the media to the official staged event he went to on his official visit to OU it is like apples and oranges.
final comment, ain’t it a bit peculiar we have this allegedly anit-UT guy writing for a NY paper, and even more funny how no mention was made at ANY time to the blatant violations involving OU in the very recent past. a casual observer would be left thinking “wow they really play loose with the rules in TX while OU is a paragon of virtue and straight fwd’ness”
whatever, OU and Stoops must have made a deal with the devil this year, first stealing the title by virtue of a weird three way tie, then getting their QB the Heisman by virtue of running up scores and having an extra game over Colt, now they score the big Defensive recruit…in the end we all know OU has lost on the biggest stage more than they have won, and Big Game Bob will probably be at the end of his miraculous run in the next year or two while UT’s future seems secure for many to come.
I just hope UT’s coaching staff can somehow can take all this and funnel it into a focused burnt orange rage that spills out in the Fiesta Bowl and stampedes us into 2009 and an undisputed shot at MNC.
by longhornJ on Dec 26, 2008 1:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Despite the bias, still looks bad
Lou, I’m sure you would agree the Times slants stories in preferred directions. Actually pointing out details revealed later would be part of good journalistic ethics and standards.
Nonetheless, if any of the allegations are true about loans/etc., we need to ensure this doesn’t continue.
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but some of the allegations and outrage expressed by McFarland, et al seem contrived and serve to further justify McFarland’s decision to others. We’ll see in 4 years how committed and important his education truly is. Texas went to sleep while OU woke up? Give me a break, there are contradictions in the story here. They were offended by Mack Brown’s note? Grandma being an OU fan kind of extrapolates to Mom being an OU fan, Lufkin sensibilities/proclivities be damned.
Similar to the kid that went to Colorado last year, the drama and story built over a long time and Texas was preserved as a suitor. Additionally, the story did not portray Texas in the most positive light. Let’s pull out of these recruitments early in the future, let the McFarlands and Scotts of the world take their dramas and glories somewhere else. If you aren’t proud to come to Texas, we don’t want you. That should be our standard.
by HalfmileHorn on Dec 26, 2008 5:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
What’s funny is that she said UT went to sleep, but then they turn around and said UT called too much. The mother sounds like the ex-girlfriend who keeps switching her story from “he smothered me” to “he didn’t pay enough attention to me.”
by burntorangehorn on Dec 26, 2008 5:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Perhaps this will clarify a little.
The son wanted Texas, had for most of his life.
The mother wanted OU (or soon came to that conclusion).
The mother was of a very strict religious persuasion, one that is prone to black/white distinctions.
For the mother to get her way, the son would have make the agreement she wanted…and his idea of the Horns and what they represent would have to be systematically diminished (demonized) and the new image (OU) would have to be substituted.
Kicker: It was his feelings and internal judgment that would get bulldozed in the process.
Philosophical question: Should young men rebel against their parents? Actually, the answer is yes; the maturity pattern for young men is to assert independence and individuality, a process where they challenge all they have been taught and then validate those things they find of value.
At some point they re-evaluate their parents (if all goes well) and put the relationship on a mature adult-to-mature adult basis, not child-to-parent. That is, they see the parent for who they are, not though the lens of the blind acceptance of the child.
(Women mature along a more cooperative model and may not assert so much independence, although obvious some do.)
by whills on Dec 26, 2008 7:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
HalfMile...
Oh believe me, every news outlet, in whatever form; print, t.v. or radio definitely has an angle. I don’t disagree whatsoever. What I’m wondering though is, due to the incident the NYT had a while back in which a reporter took severe artistic license with specific details (i.e. lied)…
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9403E1DB123FF932A25756C0A9659C8B63
…I find it tough to believe that the NYT would let something like this happen again. Then again, maybe I’m just naive, heh? :-)
After the smoke clears, we’ll see what the real story is.
" Washington focuses its bailouts on people who take showers before going to work rather than on those people who need a shower after they work. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Dec 27, 2008 2:29 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Faith
Friend, you have far more faith in the NYT than is warranted.
The damning facts I can see were omitted from the story I read. At the least, the Dallas party story should have been placed in proper context – guest of OU, attendance (or non-attendance) of Longhorn football players, id of the people offering loans, etc.
The reporter you alluded to created stories to make his job much easier a few years back. Dishonest and fraudulent, yes – and he’s no longer a reporter for NYT. This journalistic coincidence of following Longhorn recruiting and stacking the moral compass of the readers in 1 direction is wrong and far more insidious. In my experience, and avidly reading the NYT over the past 5 years, they offer supporting facts in stories where they perhaps have an ax to grind, and simultaneously omit facts that would give a fair and balanced view. That has obviously occurred here, based on the follow-up information relayed here and the common-sense omissions noted.
by HalfmileHorn on Dec 27, 2008 10:50 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
"All the rumors that are fit to print"
;-)
" Washington focuses its bailouts on people who take showers before going to work rather than on those people who need a shower after they work. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Dec 27, 2008 12:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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