Finebaum rips Edsall for pulling scholarship

[Jimdish255]

Well if someone has an honest problem with it, then fine. But to specifically call out the program as a whole, saying "UConn is going to pay for this" and "The average person will think much less of [UConn]" makes it seem like he is really going out of his way to defame UConn.

I keep listening to the audio of him responding to Harbaugh's Oversign Flip and Dump routine but just can't seem to find the outrage part or the part where he demands coaches like Saban or Harbaugh be "held accountable" for their behavior. Either he's found God or he's a cheap shot artist choosing targets that won't interfere with his career path. Guess which.

And for sure I've been on Twitter today.

 

[whaler11]

I keep listening to the audio of him responding to Harbaugh's Oversign Flip and Dump routine but just can't seem to find the outrage part or the part where he demands coaches like Saban or Harbaugh be "held accountable" for their behavior. Either he's found God or he's a cheap shot artist choosing targets that won't interfere with his career path. Guess which.

And for sure I've been on Twitter today.

Good job tweeting the audio back at him.

 

[2Infinity]

I found something: See if you can get this link to download:

http://c.espnradio.com/s:5L8r1/audio/2662216/finebaum_2016-01-21-175916.64k.mp3?ad_params=zones=Preroll,Preroll2,Midroll,Midroll2,Midroll3,Midroll4,Midroll5,Midroll6,Postroll,Postroll2|station_id=1685

After listening to some of the podcast, it's very clear that Finebaum has no problem with Harbaugh over-recruiting. He talks very matter-of-factly about it and says it's done all the time, nothing unusual. Then today arrives and he rips Edsall for doing it to.... one recruit?? ...and it wasn't even Edsall's recruit. By his remarks on espn today, you would have thought this was the first time a coach had ever done this. They all acted like the kid had no offers now...in spite of him landing the URI offer earlier. Of course, that wouldn't have fit in with their victim's advocate diatribe! Talk about a lack of integrity...Finebaum should be the poster child for it.

 

[jdb50]

Edsall did not recruit him.
We did not recruit over him.
He was not notified at the last minute before signing day.
Our coaching change occurred after New Years Day.
So as usual UCONN is singled out as the worst of the worst by hypocritical national media.
What will they do if we start to win?

 

[blue93]

Edsall did not recruit him.
We did not recruit over him.
He was not notified at the last minute before signing day.
Our coaching change occurred after New Years Day.
So as usual UCONN is singled out as the worst of the worst by hypocritical national media.
What will they do if we start to win?

Discredit us because of the conference they put us in, probably.

 

[Jimdish255]

At least one of the Michigan guys involved was not recruited by Harbaugh. BUT coach had already been there over a year with his commitment and carried guys until at least mid-January before dumping them off. As far as I'm concerned he owned every young man he then tossed aside. It was widely discussed as his strategy and does not compare in any way to what Edsall was faced with. Finebaum's self-righteous indignation on the subject was nothing more than a transparent attempt to project his own moral authority on the issue. Instead he failed miserably damaging his own credibility in the process.

 

[sub legacy]

Finebaum rips Edsall for pulling scholarship - ESPN Video

Because Saban or any other SEC coach has never done such a thing with less notice. F••• that pencilneck Finebaum. It's just an excuse to pile on Edsall because they assume everybody in Connecticut still hates him and because he fizzled out in Maryland. Edsall will be the whipping boy until he happens to win enough games worthy of a New Years Six bowl, then he and UConn will be back to being feel-good darlings again.

But these a••h•les need to stop acting like UConn is the first school to rescind an offer. I don't remember Harbaugh or Meyer getting buried like this. Such reactionary and sensationalist b•llsh••.

 

[MattMang23]

Edsall will be the whipping boy until he happens to win enough games worthy of a New Years Six bowl, then he and UConn will be back to being feel-good darlings again.

You're correct on the rest of your post except this point. Even at the Fiesta Bowl we were no darling. We were such an outsider to big boy football that the establishment lamented that there was something wrong with the system if this team was able to get into a BCS game.

 

[sub legacy]

You're correct on the rest of your post except this point. Even at the Fiesta Bowl we were no darling. We were such an outsider to big boy football that the establishment lamented that there was something wrong with the system if this team was able to get into a BCS game.

Fair enough. You're right — wishful thinking. Generally, any excuse to pile on UConn football in the media is a good one.

UConn is more like the mangy, stray underdog nobody wants.

 

[MattMang23]

Fair enough. You're right — wishful thinking. Generally, any excuse to pile on UConn football in the media is a good one.

UConn is more like the mangy, stray underdog nobody wants.

Yup. Right on par with the media's and the NCAA's treatment of our men's basketball team.

 

[UConnWingman]

I could give a rat's @ss about who says what and to what coach it gets said.

There is a systemic failure present in collegiate sports when an institution of higher learning can pull the plug on the foreseeable future of a kid who trusted said institution's commitment to him enough to forego any other college visits.

Edsall is a punk for doing what he did, but he's just another punk in a long line of punks who do the same thing every single year.

 

[Bonehead]

There is a systemic failure present in collegiate sports when an institution of higher learning can pull the plug on the foreseeable future of a kid who trusted said institution's commitment to him enough to forego any other college visits.

Are you sure you are using the work punk correctly?

Just to confirm - you agree it is ok for the kid to back out of the commitment, even on signing day?

 

[History Geek]

Yup. Right on par with the media's and the NCAA's treatment of our men's basketball team.

I used to think the vast conspiracy against UConn was overblown. After getting called out by ESPN/other media outlets on 1) a common practice and 2) one that was handled the best it could have been given we had just hired our DC is starting to lead me to believe that the conspiracy theorists may be on to something. I've added that chip to my shoulder now.

 

[UConnWingman]

Are you sure you are using the work punk correctly?

Absolutely. Edsall called the kid a couple of weeks ago to assure him that essentially his offer was safe (in light of coaching change, or specifically, to ensure commitments didn't start bailing). He then reneg'd on his word. Again, long line of coaches who've done it.

Just to confirm - you agree it is ok for the kid to back out of the commitment, even on signing day?

No, I didn't say that. I said there's a systemic failure in collegiate sports, particulary where an environment gets created where a head coach (in this instance, Randy Edsall) is encouraged to go the unethical route and dash a kid's foreseeable future.

I mean, don't sweat it. UConn comes off looking really crappy here. But somebody else will claim the toilet seat soon enough. It's how the game gets played.

 

[Confident Carl]

Finebaum is an SEC shill, and nothing he says should ever be taken seriously. Embarrassing that ESPN gives him a national forum to air his nonsense. Oh yeah, and he looks like Gollum from Lord of the Rings.

Nick Saban wasn't too happy with Finebaum over the Cam Robinson incident this summer. Check out both videos and Saban's body language on the set. Bet Finebaum had a couple extra scotches to help him sleep that night!

Nick Saban Rips Paul Finebaum After Criticism of Cam Robinson Situation

 

[CTMike]

Absolutely. Edsall called the kid a couple of weeks ago to assure him that essentially his offer was safe (in light of coaching change, or specifically, to ensure commitments didn't start bailing). He then reneg'd on his word. Again, long line of coaches who've done it.



No, I didn't say that. I said there's a systemic failure in collegiate sports, particulary where an environment gets created where a head coach (in this instance, Randy Edsall) is encouraged to go the unethical route and dash a kid's foreseeable future.

I mean, don't sweat it. UConn comes off looking really crappy here. But somebody else will claim the toilet seat soon enough. It's how the game gets played.

The problem with this version is that you, or I, or anyone don't really know what Edsall said to the kid and there is no way to know.

Maybe Randy made promises he couldn't keep but I doubt it - whatever conversations were had with the kid were before he had hired a DC.

Situation changed when the new DC was hired which wasn't even a week ago. New DC should be able to make his own player evals, should he not? Of course it sucks for the kid. But calling Edsall unethical is a leap too far. The timing was simply unfortunate.

 

[noeynox]

Nick Saban wasn't too happy with Finebaum over the Cam Robinson incident this summer. Check out both videos and Saban's body language on the set. Bet Finebaum had a couple extra scotches to help him sleep that night!

Nick Saban Rips Paul Finebaum After Criticism of Cam Robinson Situation

Bwahaha. Finebaum is a little bitch, Saban sonned his ass on his own show. "That's the end of the conversation" is how I talk to my kids. Such a suckass.

 

[polycom]

I could give a rat's @ss about who says what and to what coach it gets said.

There is a systemic failure present in collegiate sports when an institution of higher learning can pull the plug on the foreseeable future of a kid who trusted said institution's commitment to him enough to forego any other college visits.

Edsall is a punk for doing what he did, but he's just another punk in a long line of punks who do the same thing every single year.

You do realize that not all scholarships are 4 year scholarships............most have to be renewed year to year....

 

[sub legacy]

Nick Saban wasn't too happy with Finebaum over the Cam Robinson incident this summer. Check out both videos and Saban's body language on the set. Bet Finebaum had a couple extra scotches to help him sleep that night!

Nick Saban Rips Paul Finebaum After Criticism of Cam Robinson Situation

Finebaum got absolutely spanked by his sugar daddy in public. Lovely find.

 

[UConnWingman]

The problem with this version is that you, or I, or anyone don't really know what Edsall said to the kid and there is no way to know.

Maybe Randy made promises he couldn't keep but I doubt it - whatever conversations were had with the kid were before he had hired a DC.

Situation changed when the new DC was hired which wasn't even a week ago. New DC should be able to make his own player evals, should he not? Of course it sucks for the kid. But calling Edsall unethical is a leap too far. The timing was simply unfortunate.

Look, as a fan of the program, you're free to dissect or parse this particular episode anyway you like. The fact is, from a bird's eye view the system is geared in such a way to maximize profit over regard to the "student" athlete.

 

[businesslawyer]

I could give a rat's @ss about who says what and to what coach it gets said.

There is a systemic failure present in collegiate sports when an institution of higher learning can pull the plug on the foreseeable future of a kid who trusted said institution's commitment to him enough to forego any other college visits.

Edsall is a punk for doing what he did, but he's just another punk in a long line of punks who do the same thing every single year.

Why do you hate the NCAA rules? The rules say neither school nor player can give their word and be committed until the first Wednesday in February. You seem to think that it is 100% fair to ignore the rules under which recruiting happens, and conclude that they can bind themselves prior to that date by giving a verbal agreement.

There is an argument to be made that Benedict should have made Edsall accept the verbals who had already committed. I have said that I would have done that in his shoes. But your holier than thou you know best attitude about this is absurd where everyone within the system recognizes what the rules are and live by them.

 

[Dean Wormer]

The problem with this version is that you, or I, or anyone don't really know what Edsall said to the kid and there is no way to know.

Maybe Randy made promises he couldn't keep but I doubt it - whatever conversations were had with the kid were before he had hired a DC.

Situation changed when the new DC was hired which wasn't even a week ago. New DC should be able to make his own player evals, should he not? Of course it sucks for the kid. But calling Edsall unethical is a leap too far. The timing was simply unfortunate.

Then simply tell the kid the new D.C. will have the final word, and evals will come from him. Certainly don't call and discuss his upcoming visit, and less than a week later pull the scholly.
If it went down as the kid's side is reporting, then it was a dick move & bad PR, there's no doubt about that.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The problem with this version is that you, or I, or anyone don't really know what Edsall said to the kid and there is no way to know.

Maybe Randy made promises he couldn't keep but I doubt it - whatever conversations were had with the kid were before he had hired a DC.

Situation changed when the new DC was hired which wasn't even a week ago. New DC should be able to make his own player evals, should he not? Of course it sucks for the kid. But calling Edsall unethical is a leap too far. The timing was simply unfortunate.

The double standard on this is incredible. I have seen several people on Twitter also say that UConn can't do this because we aren't a big time program. The only conclusion I can really draw is that UConn is in the northeast, and is presumably a bastion of liberal social justice warriors who don't actually value football. They won't hold SEC schools to that standard because they don't expect it from them given how they value football. But they expect UConn to put football below "doing the right thing" for this kid from NJ. It's therefore not surprising that our hometown network and its idiot talking heads are among the loudest complainers.

UConn doing this is like Bernie Sanders crossing a picket line to get lunch at Chick Fil A.

 

[businesslawyer]

Then simply tell the kid the new D.C. will have the final word, and evals will come from him. Certainly don't call and discuss his upcoming visit, and less than a week later pull the scholly.
If it went down as the kid's side is reporting, then it was a dick move & bad PR, there's no doubt about that.

Is there anyone here who really believes that a UConn fan with no record of posting here happens to pick this non-story to decide he wants to speak on the Boneyard? I certainly don't.

 

[Bonehead]

Absolutely. Edsall called the kid a couple of weeks ago to assure him that essentially his offer was safe (in light of coaching change, or specifically, to ensure commitments didn't start bailing). He then reneg'd on his word. Again, long line of coaches who've done it.

Doesnt that leave doubt, the exact way you stated it?

Are you using essentially correctly here like punk earlier?