Finebaum rips Edsall for pulling scholarship

[TheDrifter75]

So when this all blows over and someone lists all the schools that have ever pulled a scholly, UCONN will be one of them. Big deal. No awards either way.

 

[kris1]

The old regime has been quietly plotting their revenge in the shadows. Wish they'd worked this hard on a game plan.

 

[huskymedic]

I think this is his son @pgammo, not @ pgammons.

I didn't think he had any children? One's verified/one's not - both his I thought.

About - GammonsDaily.com

 

[huskymedic]

I"m going out on a limb and suggesting Peter Gammons doesn't have much pull with football recruits, their parents or their coaches.

Just spins it into another sphere of influence. This too shall pass.

 

[Devland]

Because of NCAA rules nobody here knows UConn's side of the story. For all we know he and Edsall could have had a major falling out when they met over something that was promised him during his recruiting ( I.E. playing time, red shirting). What is not fair here is that the Dicken's family is free to say what ever they want and UConn, by rule, has no chance to rebut anything.

 

[uconnbill]

I just hope the difference in ability between this kid and the kid we end up getting with our last scholly ends up being worth all the trouble.

This ain't were you give trophy's for participating it is big time football. You don't give scholarships to players who don't fit your needs. If FHCBD thought he was so good he would have offered him at Nebraska

Again I wish the the player well, but I care about UConn much more

 

[uconnbill]

... and now here comes the Verducci family faction?

Peter Gammons (@pgammo)
1/18/17, 10:07 PM
UConn reneges on scholarship offer, ditches N.J. football recruit in 11th hour http:// Message:don't entrust you son to Randy Edsall

He should stick to blowing Red Sox front office and team as he has done for years.

 

[whaler11]

Uconnbill is fired up. I love it.

Someone find Dee Snyder. We're not gonna take it.

 

[sub legacy]

These people are just mind blowing in their ignorance. Stunning.

It's just more moral grandstanding, selective faux outrage and piggy-backing on a topical bandwagon — a convenient excuse to dog pile on an already fledgling football program that they normally wouldn't give the time of day otherwise.

This too shall pass.

 

[uconnfan68]

So when this all blows over and someone lists all the schools that have ever pulled a scholly, UCONN will be one of them. Big deal. No awards either way.

I hope someone publishes every school that pulled a ship, and every recruit that decommitted. I want every single one of the put on display for their heinous actions.

 

[uconnbill]

Uconnbill is fired up. I love it.

Someone find Dee Snyder. We're not gonna take it.

This is why I hate and I mean HATE ESPN and hate that my tax dollars go to them continuing trashing of UConn.

 

[Waquoit]

Yeah Edsall's not a high character guy because he has to tell players who can't play at the AAC level they can't play at the AAC level.

That was one of the things that drove me crazy when they brought him back, all of the folks here calling him "high character" when he clearly wasn't. I'm glad the that isn't the consensus anymore. Just win, baby.

 

[Dizzy21]

That was one of the things that drove me crazy when they brought him back, all of the folks here calling him "high character" when he clearly wasn't. I'm glad the that isn't the consensus anymore. Just win, baby.

I do not think you get the point that the quote you are using is basically inferring that you are stupid for thinking that telling this kid he can't play here makes Edsall not a high quality guy, right? The quote that you put there is the exact opposite of going along with your point. Whaler is using sarcasm there.

 

[noeynox]

That was one of the things that drove me crazy when they brought him back, all of the folks here calling him "high character" when he clearly wasn't. I'm glad the that isn't the consensus anymore. Just win, baby.

Sally Jenkins went scorched earth on Edsall yesterday. I think the previous version of Edsall rubbed people the wrong way cause he acted like Bellichik while winning like Edsall.

I'm sensing a more flexible and humbled Randy this time around. This issue over the rescinded offer says nothing about character. Kid just isn't a fit for the new regime.

 

[2Infinity]

That was one of the things that drove me crazy when they brought him back, all of the folks here calling him "high character" when he clearly wasn't. I'm glad the that isn't the consensus anymore. Just win, baby.

Assuming the events played out as Dickens says, which isn't a certainty at all, then I would say that this was indeed a "high character" move by HCRE! The media is so caught up in their faux outrage hype, that they can't see how favorable this is for the kid. To give him as much time as they could to find a program that fits his style, is much better than either telling him last minute (a la Michigan, etc) or worse, bringing him on board anyway and having him never play in this uptempo, high speed defense.

 

[TheDrifter75]

Talk about love. Edsall showed tough love and people get indignant over it. It sucks for the kid on the surface only. Every point thats been made how this would have been a waste of the kids time is dead in.

 

[uconndogs]

That was one of the things that drove me crazy when they brought him back, all of the folks here calling him "high character" when he clearly wasn't. I'm glad the that isn't the consensus anymore. Just win, baby.

I only know of the guy what I see in the media. He's tough and direct. His handling of the Howard incident screamed character. Yeah, he duckked up and took the plane to Maryland.

 

[businesslawyer]

There is one other factor that goes into this. I think it is likely that Edsall was hired by Benedict with the understanding that Edsall has to win games as quickly as possible, and that the Administration may be giving him more flexibility to do so than they did the first go round.

Yes, that is speculation, but if that is the case, how is the high character move to tell your AD you will do whatever it takes to win within the rules, and then take kids whom Diaco offered that he believes will interfere with winning because they aren't good enough? How is taking a job with an agreement on direction and then not going in that direction "high character."

Most likely, he was simply left in a damned if you do and damned if you don't scenario, and made a reasonable decision.

I know it's not as fun, but if the media wants to blame someone for this blame Benedict. He absolutely could have done with Hathaway did to P and tell him "the good name of the University comes first." I would bet my life that, within the rules, Benedict chose winning first.

Within the rules, good for him.

I've said enough on this. I am going to try to resist continuing to keep this story alive.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Our program is sorely lacking in team speed. Diaco recruited elephants. Edsall recruited team speed in the past, in lieu and above almost aeverything else. If you were fast and could move your feet, you could play, and we competed. We need it again. Did I mention speed?

You can coach or weight train and develop anything except natural speed and height. Given the choice of height or speed. Speed wins.

If whoever this kid is, and I haven't read the thread and won't, just getting close to signing day so I took a peak at the football board - first time in months, becuase I was disgusted with the program last fall, but whatever - glad people are still talking.

If whoever this kid is, is really fast, then it's loss, if he isn't, then it's not.

Next batter up.

 

[huskymedic]

Our program is sorely lacking in team speed. Diaco recruited elephants. Edsall recruited team speed in the past, in lieu and above almost aeverything else. If you were fast and could move your feet, you could play, and we competed. We need it again. Did I mention speed?

You can coach or weight train and develop anything except natural speed and height. Given the choice of height or speed. Speed wins.

If whoever this kid is, and I haven't read the thread and won't, just getting close to signing day so I took a peak at the football board - first time in months, becuase I was disgusted with the program last fall, but whatever - glad people are still talking.

If whoever this kid is, is really fast, then it's loss, if he isn't, then it's not.

Next batter up.

Carl, Carl - you're alive!!!

 

[Carl Spackler]

Carl, Carl - you're alive!!!

take a lot to kill me medic.

 

[BlueMAB]

If whoever this kid is, is really fast, then it's loss, if he isn't, then it's not.

Next batter up.

6'2" +/-
210 lbs +/-
4.9 40 +/-

"high character" kid, who is tall, skinny, and slow.

Donald Thomas ran a 5.0 at the combine. Like you said, we need more team speed.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

They know he doesn't fit Crocker's defense.

I asked my son today how he would handle this situation. Let me preface this by saying my son is 13 (so take this for what it's worth, but I was curious to see his perspective) and has aspirations of playing college baseball. I played collegiately, and he's far better at his age then I was and has more opportunities to develop his talents then I did. So, it's a possibility. Anyway, he knew nothing about this story, so I posed the question to him from a baseball standpoint. He was offered by the previous coach and verbally committed 7-months ago. A verbal commitment holds no guarantee until you sign your letter of intent, which is in two-weeks. The coach that offered the scholly was fired and a new coach was named. The new coach said he would evaluate those offered. An assistant coach visited and said they were still interested in you attending the school. A new hitting coach was hired a week ago. He evaluated you and didn't think you fit his approach. The head coach called you and said after speaking with his hitting coach they've decided to pull your scholly less then two weeks from signing day. You have other schools interested but they're not high level programs. How would you feel and how would you handle it? His words...."Well, I'd be upset but there's nothing I could really do. The new coach didn't recruit me. He, at least, was honest. Besides, I have other options even if they're not as big. My next question....Would you be so upset that you would blast the new coach on social media or in the newspaper? Him...."No, I'll just find somewhere else to go. I'll probably have a better chance to play right away at a smaller school anyway. I'll go to one of those schools and prove they missed out on a great player."

He made me proud. I love that kid.

Tonight, I filled my wife (who doesn't follow football) in to see how she would react. I told her the whole (one-sided) story. She said she'd be upset for the kid but thought it was ridiculous that parents would take it to the media. The kid wasn't recruited by the new coach, they owe him nothing, even if he was told they would honor the scholly a few days earlier. If the new DC didn't think he was a good fit, why would you still want to go there. If signing day is in two-weeks, they at least gave him a chance to explore other options and he would probably play sooner at a smaller school. It's not like he was already on campus and they took it away (which actually happened to a friend of hers son). She said it's disappointing but you move on.

Maybe we were raised different, but I just don't get how you could be so upset that you'd do everything in your power to smear the new coach and the university. Has the kid received a Nebraska offer??? That tells you all you need to know. Life's full of disappointment, man up and move on. Use it as motivation.

Good job on raising young man.

If it wasn'the two weeks before signing day. And worse, apparently he kid was told his offer would be honored when the coaching change happen.

This is a mental collapsed of Rutgers-esk proportions.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

If we're taking on kids that don't fit the system or don't belong in D1 it won't be a question of not being Michigan or Bama. It will be about not belonging in FBS because we are more concerned about appearances and hurt feelings than being competitive. But you're onboard with the double-standard for dumping recruits intentionally if we get to the elite level. That's reassuring.

You aren't very swift. I think it is a terrible move for anyone. I mentioned Bama and Michigan because I think we are so far away from them on the program spectrum that bringing them up is absurb. Like saying, "If I was Bill Gates...." well you aren't so don't even mention him (Bama and Michigan in this scenario).

It is one scholarship if the kid is that bad, you eat it. Coach him up for a year or two then see. Could have easily brought him in for a year then helped him find a landing spot at the end of the season. That also happens all the time. One schilly i's not worth the press we are getting at this point in the program.

 

[ZooCougar]

You aren't very swift. I think it is a terrible move for anyone. I mentioned Bama and Michigan because I think we are so far away from them on the program spectrum that bringing them up is absurb. Like saying, "If I was Bill Gates...." well you aren't so don't even mention him (Bama and Michigan in this scenario).

It is one scholarship if the kid is that bad, you eat it. Coach him up for a year or two then see. Could have easily brought him in for a year then helped him find a landing spot at the end of the season. That also happens all the time. One schilly i's not worth the press we are getting at this point in the program.

These are good points. But they are all based on assumptions and we only have one side of the story.