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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Dan Cosimi added to this discussion on March 13, 2008
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Quote from Gary Sommers's post:
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"Maybe I am showing my age, but there used to be a time when a man's word meant something."
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Gary:
He's a kid. He's a 17 or 18 year-old making a huge decision about where to send thousands of dollars to and where to spend the next several years of his life.
It's not even close to the same thing as "a man's word" on some random thing.
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on March 13, 2008
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Relax, Dan. Remember...UofM grad!
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Dan Cosimi added to this discussion on March 13, 2008
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Quote from Mark Niemann's post:
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"Relax, Dan. Remember...UofM grad!"
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<clap> <sign_oh>
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on March 13, 2008
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<sign_io>, boyeeeeee!!!
St. Louis bound!
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on March 14, 2008
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Quote from Dan Cosimi's post:
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"
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Quote from Gary Sommers's post:
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"Maybe I am showing my age, but there used to be a time when a man's word meant something."
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Gary:
He's a kid. He's a 17 or 18 year-old making a huge decision about where to send thousands of dollars to and where to spend the next several years of his life.
It's not even close to the same thing as "a man's word" on some random thing."
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Sorry, but it absolutely is the same thing. He had the opportunity to think this through BEFORE he commited, verbal or otherwise. Why commit if you aren't sure? And how would he and his family have felt if it was the school that pulled the plug, and not them?
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on March 14, 2008
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Quote from Mark Niemann's post:
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"Relax, Dan. Remember...UofM grad!"
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And proud of it. <smile>
I have had OSU grads work for me, but never the other way around. <thumbsup>
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Don Bork added to this discussion on March 14, 2008
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Guess they're not qualified.
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Roe Fox added to this discussion on March 14, 2008
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Gary: You make some good points for a Michigan grad (was that from the technical college or was it the standard associates degree?) but there is a reason there is a verbal vs. a LOI. Perhaps some of the problem is with some people wanting the commit earlier than it should be given, whether it be coaches or fans.
Also, what is a verbal? Since it isn't legally binding, can it be anything from someone misconstruing a very positive comment by a kid about a school which catches fire on a forum to an actual "I'm going to OSU" comment?
I read that The Mat (I think) only lists verbals if they are confirmed by coach and athlete. Regardless, they are not binding. This isn't like Mike Grey, who I think signed with Lehigh then weaseled out later to go to Cornell. That seemed bogus.
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on March 15, 2008
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Roe, in my day your word did mean something.
Legally binding? Probably not.
But just as meaningful between gentlemen? Absolutely.
I know people change their minds. I know kids do even more so. But to write it off as acceptable, and to even defend it, I honestly believe is yet another sign of a decay in society and in integrity. I am certainly not trying to pick on this one individual, but am speaking to a bigger, unfortunate issue we have today.
And yes my Michigan degree was a two-year degree. A Master's degree. <thumbsup>
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Roe Fox added to this discussion on March 15, 2008
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Gary: I used to do work at Juvenile Court and I agree with what you say in general. I just don't think that a 17 or 18 year old who may have made a hasty decision shouldn't be allowed to change his mind if he realizes it was maybe not the right one. Especially if it determines something as important as where he goes to college.
I think what Terrelle Pryor is doing is worse... and he hasn't committed anywhere. Just seems to be jerking everyone around.
I'm sure us Meeeeechigan and Buckeye fans can agree on that.
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on March 15, 2008
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The bigger sin is that grown men who coach at those four schools allegedly still in the running for him haven't withdrawn their offers. Why anyone would want to work with him and his "support" system for however long he would stay is waaaaay beyond me.
Is he supposed to be the second coming? I guess. But so were Todd Marinovich and Ron Paulus.
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on March 16, 2008
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Roe: The issue with Mike Grey was complicated by the fact that a few of the assistants expected to be on Lehigh's staff had left prior to his arrival. At that point, he evidently felt the program was no longer a good fit for him. Complicating all of it were rumors that Cornell's coaches had wooed him in spite of his oral committment to Lehigh. That's not illegal, however.
I know of a wrestler that verballed to one school prior to Tom Ryan's hiring at Ohio State. Then he visited Ohio State anyway. I suspect he would have been a buckeye had Ryan been the head coach prior to his verbal. But at that point the Bucks really didn't have money left. As some may recall, the Buckeyes had a lot of money tied up when Ryan came on board. It made his first recruiting class--Pucillo, Livingston, Palmer (via Hellickson), Patrovich and Vondruska--all the more impressive.
There are a number of reasons why wrestlers that verbal change their minds and I think Mr Sommers is giving them short shrift. I've just offered up two--key staff members leave or a coaching change occurs at the program you would have liked in the first place. I would add that family circumstances might cause a wrestler to suddenly want to stay closer to home.
Incidentally, Alex Meade verballed to Ohio State several times. He said: "I'm coming". Then he changed his mind--or perhaps he just used his verbal to leverage a better offer from Oklahoma State. Either way, I'd agree that in this instance, Gary is right. Here was someone who's word meant nothing.
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Roe Fox added to this discussion on March 16, 2008
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Gary: I agree totally. I'm a big fan of Tressel and his integrity but this one seems to be getting away from him (unless there is something we don't know). Having said that, being from Akron I heard some interesting things about Chris Wells but he has turned out to be a good citizen and hard worker, in addition to a great football player.
Maybe Tressel thinks he can do the same with Pryor. Still, wouldn't it be interesting to see them yank the offers?
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Sheila Paesler added to this discussion on March 16, 2008
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In response to original question... To speak of Zac Thomusseit's integrity maybe more conducive for a Miss Manners forum. Zac's decision not to pursue Bucknell as a college is between Zac & his parents it does not have to be acknowledged or defended on a website.
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Discussion Topic: Senior Commitments?
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on March 16, 2008
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Quote from Roe Fox's post:
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"Gary: I agree totally. I'm a big fan of Tressel and his integrity but this one seems to be getting away from him (unless there is something we don't know). Having said that, being from Akron I heard some interesting things about Chris Wells but he has turned out to be a good citizen and hard worker, in addition to a great football player.
Maybe Tressel thinks he can do the same with Pryor. Still, wouldn't it be interesting to see them yank the offers?"
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To me Tressel lost all integrity when he sold his soul for Clarret, who he knew had numerous issues and attended THREE high schools, and when he did not properly deal with the linebacker who choked the Wisconsin QB.
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