The great thing about college football now, is you can follow
it twelve months a year...the bad thing about college football?
You can follow it twelve months a year!
You can follow it twelve months a year!
Season ends..then it's about signing day!
Signing day ends..it's about the NFL draft!
NFL draft ends...it's about the spring game!
Spring game ends..well you get the point!
Others than wins and losses the biggest drama in the sport
is recruiting, and with the recent slap in the face of the
"official letter of intent"..now add to that, the drama of:
"Is this kid leaving, or is that kid happy!"
*Note to the reader!
If you're reading this cause you think I'm gonna put a
name out there, or drop a dime on a kid...you're gonna be very
disappointed!
In fact I was as upset as you when people read my tweet and
ran with it...heck the same time I tweeted my "Vanilla tidbit"
there was rumors already flying through cyberspace with
people actually using names!
There are Facebook groups that blow my
mind with their content!
But back to the topic at hand...We have to first realize
the mindset of kids now a days...but we also have
to take our "bit" of responsibility for letting
this sport real out of control when it comes
to these situations!
This is when it starts!
Being a "stud" athlete is kinda like being a VERY attractive
female..You ever watch the talent shows like American Idol
or X-Factor...when an absolute TEN walks on stage and you
say to yourself..."If she's a so-so singer...she's making it to the
next round!"
That's why The Voice is so entertaining...cause you get to
see honesty for the first time being displayed to someones face!
For the first time the judges can't see you're beautiful...your
graded on talent alone...and when no chairs turn your almost
as offended as you are shocked!
"But everyone my entire life has told me how great a singer
I am...I don't understand!"
No sh#t sweetheart...ever wonder why no one has ever
told your you're NOT good at something?
That's the problem with "some" of the recruits in this
sport...they've been good so long, in a sport where
not only do their parents want them to excel, but when
they get to high school...they have THOUSANDS
of fans of programs now telling them how wonderful
they are!
So then this happens...
BAM!
You're on the front of 30 recruiting magazines and you've
got everyone from Urban Meyer to Nick Saban to Lane Kiffen
calling you and ALSO telling you how wonderful you are!
Order this book it will blow your mind!
I've seen this first hand...I had a family member play D1 football
he was a 3 star recruit had many offers to many schools..and
by the end of it, he didn't know who to trust!
But at this point..the damage has been done!
The "image" is so ingrained into this kids head that
anything short of a Heisman freshman year
is not good enough!
Chris & Greg Little?
Ring a bell?
Signing day 2008
The sky was falling!
One got caught up in a cash scandal at UNC!
The other failed out of Georgia!
Aaron Lynch & Tee Sheppard?
One has like 4 tackles this season!
The other still trying to get academically
eligible for ANYWHERE!
Committed...de-committed...
committed...transfered!
Committed...de-committed!
Here's another quick one!
Chris Martin?
Ring a bell?
We all cringe when we see the other hats!
We cheer when they put ours on and a complain when
they don't!
We celebrate when they hit campus...then curse them
on the internet if they leave!
But I hate to tell you, Notre Dame is not for everyone!
Just like Georgia isn't...just like Clemson or Ohio State
or Michigan or USC...
Kids leave programs all the time...but just like the old saying..
"When I do good you never remember..when I do bad
you never forget!"
It's exactly opposite with our recruits!
For every Giovani Benard there are ten Munir Princes!
What is a Notre Dame man?
That's really what we need to focus on...cause the hat trick kid
will never be the core of the program EVER at ND!
Education-
This is ND, your going to class, your
writing papers and your taking tests...You can't
study ballroom dancing or basket weaving
and you can't take "aids awareness" as
your ONE class as a senior!
Your held to a higher ethical standard and there
is no bending of the rules!
Golson would still be playing if we were Auburn!
This is a hard wake up call for the "elite" kid that hasn't
yet broken the depth chart!
"Wait...I'm not playing AND I gotta go to class and
study?...This is different than I saw this playing out!"
Most likely not visiting ND!
This is a fine line, and at the same time shows the EXCELLENT
job Notre Dame is doing!
This program is excelling and it's doing it with ND men!
Some are ND men...and some are not, some can become
ND men when surrounded with the right influence, some
will never understand.
That doesn't mean you don't take chances!
Not every 5 star kid is the head case!
Look at Jaylon Smith!
Watch this interview
Everett Golson
Nick Martin
Max Redfield
Amir Carisle
TJ Jones
You go crazy when someone leaves ND for another
school...why not start embracing the kids that left the
commitment they had, to embrace becoming ND men!
At the end of the day we all love NOTRE DAME!
We will fight the good fight within our living rooms
or arguing at BBQs with friends...but realize
there is a lot more going on behind the scenes
than we will ever know...
Sometimes there are rumblings...sometimes there is smoke!
Sometimes smoke turns into fire...and sometimes fires
can be put out....but let's hope they are OUT FOR GOOD!
And sometimes the words "don't FREAK OUT"
Actually mean...DON'T FREAK OUT!
Nothing would make me happier than all our
current RB's rushing for 1000 yards next year..
But we don't live in a puppy dog and rainbow
world now do we?...
In the immortal words of Alice Lynch in the
South Bend Tribune when asked if
Aaron was staying at Notre Dame?
"Yes he's staying at ND...
STOP THE RUMORS!!!!!"
How'd that work out for us...?
GOD BLESS & GO IRISH!
Love you Lamping!
At least we aren't Georgia?
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