Wisconsin Board Causes Recruit To Decommit

[thetorch]

Gary Parrish @ CBS Sportsline

[kevinfootes]

Gary Parrish @ CBS Sportsline

I can see a couple of different points of view here. I've never been on that board, so it's hard to tell what was really going on. If the moderators of the Wisconsin board were doing their job, there really should be no unfounded negative speculation permitted. If there was, then shame on them. If it's a case of player with thin skin, then Wisconsin might be better of without him. You'd rather have a guy flake out before he enters the program.

This board is generally pretty good when it comes to comments about players IMO. You rarely see anything beyond the "I don't see this kid getting it done" variety.

[combes]

I can see a couple of different points of view here. I've never been on that board, so it's hard to tell what was really going on. If the moderators of the Wisconsin board were doing their job, there really should be no unfounded negative speculation permitted. If there was, then shame on them. If it's a case of player with thin skin, then Wisconsin might be better of without him. You'd rather have a guy flake out before he enters the program.

This board is generally pretty good when it comes to comments about players IMO. You rarely see anything beyond the "I don't see this kid getting it done" variety.

I read the board. Nothing unusual. imo.

Blue must be very thinskinned. Typical fan stuff that is everywhere. Like the stuff on Cotto I have seen here, for instance. It will be interesting to see where he ends up and how the fans react to a stretch of bad play on his part. If there is a negative reaction, and there will no matter where he goes, how will he react?

In my opinion, the message board was just an excuse for him to decommit.

[Quality Is Job 1]

In my opinion, the message board was just an excuse for him to decommit.

I agree. While I realize we're dealing with adolescents, it's mighty shortsighted to base a decision on the sentiments of the general public. You're going to choose where you go to school with based on the uninformed thoughts of people on a message board -- some of whom may be thousands of miles away and some of whom could even be masquerading as fans of that school in order to cause problems -- rather than the coaches and teammates you'll be "going to war" with?

If I'm a coach and I'm recruiting you but your motivation is the acclaim of folks who aren't involved (not talking about your family and friends), then I have to question if your heart is in the right place to make a commitment to my program.

[slufanskip]

This will undoubtedly cause fans of rivals to pose as fans on a message board and trash players.

[Hawk]

This will undoubtedly cause fans of rivals to pose as fans on a message board and trash players.

Because this doesn't happen already?

[slufanskip]

Because this doesn't happen already?

How about because it worked.

[TheA_Bomb]

People are idiots. Blue doesn't seem to be a future Rhodes Scholar either. He could go to a school that doesn't have an active message board like SIUE or something and they would be appreciative.

[Taj79]

Ignoring the individual for a moment (because I don't know Blue from Grey) but what I find interesting in all this is the veritable cocoon that this kid (and probably a whole bunch of others) seem to be surrounded by. Right or wrong (and let me say I think it both wrong for fans to glow poetically about kids as much as I do the same when fans turn that poetry into venom), most of these kids are those containing half- or three-quarter empy brains. All they've heard for the last two or three years is how great they are, little girls fawning all over them to get a hook into them for later life, and coaches talking about how great they are and sign on this or that dotted line. Add in all the entourage strap-hangers and this is what society produces. When they fail ---and 99% eventually do --- there is nothing to fall back on. No education. No strap hanger wanting to carry you then. Big deal.

For every offensive scheme, someone is devising a defense to take it out. Same with internet talk boards. Eventually, the anonymous talk gets down and dirty and the sheriffs will ride into town and shoot first asking questions later. I got a clean conscience and that's good enough for me.

Of course, I have low standards.

[ACE]

This will undoubtedly cause fans of rivals to pose as fans on a message board and trash players.

That's why I call out the posers on this board who pretend to be fans of our program, yet clearly have an anti-SLU agenda.

[courtside]

Gary Parrish @ CBS Sportsline

The title of your thread is misleading and not true.

What happened is a few local pro Badger publications wrote articles which upset the Blue family. Rita Blue mentioned it first thing at Vander Blue's press conference when he decommitted. (He is still considering Wisconsin but he is an open recruit) All of the internet message board stuff came after all of that. It's thought to some in the industry that when Bo Ryan doesn't land a recruit nor thinks he can land or keep one, that kid was never offered, or has a problem or problems, or a story like this somehow "leaks" out.

Blue committed early to Wisconsin. Wisconsin plays a slow Swing style half court offense. Blue is a very talented, athletic player. Blue's high school teammate is Wisconsin Player of the year Jeronne Maymon, a Marquette recruit, as was recent Marquette Senior Wesley Matthews Jr.

The only mention of Internet message boards is as a topic lumped in with articles written in publications, as a group effect, not internet message boards alone. There's a difference.

Mark Miller has posted here several times in regards to SLU recruits, and his take is a little different as are others. Even pro Wisconsin Badger media outlets have had to correct reports.

http://www.wissports.net/sports/hoopsb/blo...&id=1030718

http://community.sportsbubbler.com/blogs/i...kids-right.aspx

[Clock_Tower]

Ignoring the individual for a moment (because I don't know Blue from Grey) but what I find interesting in all this is the veritable cocoon that this kid (and probably a whole bunch of others) seem to be surrounded by. Right or wrong (and let me say I think it both wrong for fans to glow poetically about kids as much as I do the same when fans turn that poetry into venom), most of these kids are those containing half- or three-quarter empy brains. All they've heard for the last two or three years is how great they are, little girls fawning all over them to get a hook into them for later life, and coaches talking about how great they are and sign on this or that dotted line. Add in all the entourage strap-hangers and this is what society produces. When they fail ---and 99% eventually do --- there is nothing to fall back on. No education. No strap hanger wanting to carry you then. Big deal.

For every offensive scheme, someone is devising a defense to take it out. Same with internet talk boards. Eventually, the anonymous talk gets down and dirty and the sheriffs will ride into town and shoot first asking questions later. I got a clean conscience and that's good enough for me.

Of course, I have low standards.

Taj. I wish you were correct about "All they've heard for the last two or three years is how great they are..." More realistically, it is since the age of 9 or 10 - certainly by Junior High. For instance, one of my contacts/friends who knows the Soderberg family quite well told me the other day that Brad's youngest boy (6th grade) "is the best basketball player in the family." Who knows, but certainly, Kramer had alot of press and publicity when he was in 7th and 8th grade. Same with all these AAU kids who then are first "recruited" by the high school coaches. Oh wait, that's right, there is no recruiting in high school since it is illegal.

[Postcard]

So are we recruiting this kid or what? With RM's connections in Wisconsin, it seems like it would be a good fit. Plus, we all know how nice everyone is on here.

[billiken_roy]

So are we recruiting this kid or what? With RM's connections in Wisconsin, it seems like it would be a good fit. Plus, we all know how nice everyone is on here.

in all the columns and message board posts about this kid, i havent read anywhere that anderson is recruiting him for mi$$ouri.

[Postcard]

in all the columns and message board posts about this kid, i havent read anywhere that anderson is recruiting him for mi$$ouri.

I was talking about SLU. Anderson wouldn't need him. I thought anytime a player decommitted or left a program we immediately assumed he was going to SLU. Why wouldn't he?

[billiken_roy]

I was talking about SLU. Anderson wouldn't need him. I thought anytime a player decommitted or left a program we immediately assumed he was going to SLU. Why wouldn't he?

oh sorry i misunderstood. when you wrote "we" i just figured you would be talking about mi$$ouri, not slu.

[Postcard]

oh sorry i misunderstood. when you wrote "we" i just figured you would be talking about mi$$ouri, not slu.

Of course I was referring to SLU silly. Although our Athletic Department would be wise to follow Mizzou's overall path to success. Mizzou became the first team in Big 12 conference history to play in the football, men's basketball and baseball championship games in the same academic year. And their Softball team made the College World Series by beating UCLA. They're certainly on a roll there. I hope we can get things going like they have there.

[ACE]

in all the columns and message board posts about this kid, i havent read anywhere that anderson is recruiting him for mi$$ouri.

[brianstl]

Of course I was referring to SLU silly. Although our Athletic Department would be wise to follow Mizzou's overall path to success. Mizzou became the first team in Big 12 conference history to play in the football, men's basketball and baseball championship games in the same academic year. And their Softball team made the College World Series by beating UCLA. They're certainly on a roll there. I hope we can get things going like they have there.

I would rather be like Oklahoma. They actually win champinship games. They actually get to Final Fours.

[billikenfan05]

I would rather be like Oklahoma. They actually win champinship games. They actually get to Final Fours.

Ouch

[Postcard]

I would rather be like Oklahoma. They actually win champinship games. They actually get to Final Fours.

LOL! One step at a time. Let's first take that long path to equal Mizzou's success, then we can worry about matching Oklahoma!

Ouch

Total burn, I know, right!

[Clock_Tower]

LOL! One step at a time. Let's first take that long path to equal Mizzou's success, then we can worry about matching Oklahoma!

Total burn, I know, right!

Can't "we" have higher standards than to "take that long path to equal Mizzou's success?"

While we're at it, Mizzou's "success" is not as great as you suggest. Mizzou has not been that good of a team under Anderson until his team (led by 3 Seniors) put together a nice run at the end of last season. During the season, though, Mizzou padded their schedule with "buy games" at home, got trounced on a "neutral" court by the Illini and then went 4-4 during conference play (during an average year for the Big 12) on the road while losing to arch-rival Kansas by 35. Not ready to place Mizzou and Anderson on the same level as the 1976 IU program and Bobby Knight as you (and presumably Mayor Slay) are.

Also, Mizzou played and won the games given them and do deserve credit. At the same time, they also did benefit from more favorable match-ups in the Tournament (IMO, the most important thing in college ball is match-ups) as well as the Big 12 Tournament. In the conf tourney, the top seeds usually don't all lose and lower seeded Baylor doesn't usually make it to the Conf Finals. Still Mizzou won their tournament. Marq fans sure would like to replay the last few seconds of the Tournament game as well -- stepping over the line is a tough way to lose a close game. Still, Mizzou won the game and deserve credit. I just am not drinking the Mike Anderson kool-aid.

[Postcard]

Can't "we" have higher standards than to "take that long path to equal Mizzou's success?"

While we're at it, Mizzou's "success" is not as great as you suggest. Mizzou has not been that good of a team under Anderson until his team (led by 3 Seniors) put together a nice run at the end of last season. During the season, though, Mizzou padded their schedule with "buy games" at home, got trounced on a "neutral" court by the Illini and then went 4-4 during conference play (during an average year for the Big 12) on the road while losing to arch-rival Kansas by 35. Not ready to place Mizzou and Anderson on the same level as the 1976 IU program and Bobby Knight as you (and presumably Mayor Slay) are.

Also, Mizzou played and won the games given them and do deserve credit. At the same time, they also did benefit from more favorable match-ups in the Tournament (IMO, the most important thing in college ball is match-ups) as well as the Big 12 Tournament. In the conf tourney, the top seeds usually don't all lose and lower seeded Baylor doesn't usually make it to the Conf Finals. Still Mizzou won their tournament. Marq fans sure would like to replay the last few seconds of the Tournament game as well -- stepping over the line is a tough way to lose a close game. Still, Mizzou won the game and deserve credit. I just am not drinking the Mike Anderson kool-aid.

Clock,

I was talking about all the Athletic programs at Mizzou as a whole, not spefically basketball. They've come a long way in the last 10 years.

Mizzou became the first team in Big 12 conference history to play in the football, men's basketball and baseball championship games in the same academic year. And their Softball team made the College World Series by beating UCLA.

[MadBird]

The title of your thread is misleading and not true.

What happened is a few local pro Badger publications wrote articles which upset the Blue family. Rita Blue mentioned it first thing at Vander Blue's press conference when he decommitted. (He is still considering Wisconsin but he is an open recruit) All of the internet message board stuff came after all of that. It's thought to some in the industry that when Bo Ryan doesn't land a recruit nor thinks he can land or keep one, that kid was never offered, or has a problem or problems, or a story like this somehow "leaks" out.

Blue committed early to Wisconsin. Wisconsin plays a slow Swing style half court offense. Blue is a very talented, athletic player. Blue's high school teammate is Wisconsin Player of the year Jeronne Maymon, a Marquette recruit, as was recent Marquette Senior Wesley Matthews Jr.

The only mention of Internet message boards is as a topic lumped in with articles written in publications, as a group effect, not internet message boards alone. There's a difference.

Mark Miller has posted here several times in regards to SLU recruits, and his take is a little different as are others. Even pro Wisconsin Badger media outlets have had to correct reports.

http://www.wissports.net/sports/hoopsb/blo...&id=1030718

http://community.sportsbubbler.com/blogs/i...kids-right.aspx

I pretty much agree with this post. I'm a UW season ticket holder, read and post on that board, and also on this board. This young man mentions the Board and some negative stuff, and there was some, but much of it was surrounding and generated by the Marquette aspect - say some kid committed to SLU and then his pal, who had signed with Mizzou, started talking in his ear to come to Columbia. There'd be some negative posts on the billiken board. Here you have the rivalry thing going on, a kid who doesn't seem like a bad guy but who maybe now seems like he doesn't want to play in Saint Bo's style of play (which includes freshman sitting on the pines most of the time) and you can see how some negative stuff gets on the board.

Any kid this day and age better get some thick skin if he wants to play major college ball and if he reads the boards. It's life. He's gonna get it at the stadium too. That's the way people are. I'm not saying I agree with it or like it, but that's the way it is.