While I agree that the kid should be left alone, I believe the parents handled this very poorl and should shoulder a lot of the blame. This was a teachable moment in Ryan's life. Whether it's college athletics, the corporate world, or personal relationships, people are going to make promises. Unfortunately, sometimes those promises will be unfulfilled or rescinded. Dickens' parents should be teaching their son how to handle disappointment and misfortune with dignity and class. What they should have said was, "Son, we understand your upset. We are too. But, your going to experience disappointment in your life. There's no reason to blame Coach Edsall or UConn, you don't fit the new system. They owe you nothing. In fact, you should be thankful Coach Edsall was honest with you. That's commendable and I'm sure it was a difficult thing for him to do. You have to respect that. You were recruited by Coach Diaco, who's moved on to Nebraska. Let's be proactive, instead of reactive. We can reach out to Coach Diaco and see if Nebraska is an option. You also have other schools interested in you. No, they're not FBS schools, but you'll likely have an opportunity to compete for playing time as a freshman. We know we have a short window to work with here. We will do whatever we can for you to pursue your dream. Just know that life isn't always easy. This is just a bump in the road. There's no reason to be mad at anyone, college football is a business. Coach Edsall had to make a decision that was best for his business. That's reality. It's time to handle this like an adult. Ok, who do you want to call first, it's time to move on?" Instead, they started a media firestorm in an effort to vilify Randy Edsall and UConn. In the short term, it's damaging to all parties. Sadly, it's another example of parents adding to the pussification of our youth.
