Nittany White Out Round Table: Part I
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Nittany White Out Round Table: Part I
March 16, 2010 – | View Comments

With spring practices a little more than a week away form starting for the Nittany Lions and the Blue White game about a month away we here at Nittany White Out decided we should getting back in gear with some good old-fashioned round table debating …

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Rich Rod is a traitor and a snake

Submitted by Charlie on February 7, 2008 – View Comments

Whatever happened to respect and just common courtesy?

SEC

Recruit Original Verbal Signed LOI with Head Coach
Enrique Davis Auburn Ole Miss Houston Nutt
Joe Adams USC (Pac 10) Arkansas Bobby Petrino
Brian Christopher Texas Tech (Big 12) Arkansas Bobby Petrino

Big Ten

Recruit Original Verbal Signed LOI with Head Coach
Keith Wells Florida State (ACC) Ohio State Jim Tressel
Michael Shaw Penn State Michigan Rich Rodriguez
Roy Roundtree Purdue Michigan Rich Rodriguez
Ricky Barnum Florida (SEC) Michigan Rich Rodriguez
Patrick Omameh Michigan Rich Rodriguez

Big East

Recruit Original Verbal Signed LOI with Head Coach
Antonio Wilson Vanderbilt (SEC) Georgia Tech Paul Johnson

ACC

Recruit Original Verbal Signed LOI with Head Coach
Ramon Buchanan Florida (SEC) Miami Randy Shannon
Dwyane Allen Georgia (SEC) Clemson Tommy Bowden
Lee Butler Georgia Tech Duke David Cutcliffe
Christian Wilson Michigan (Big Ten) North Carolina Butch Davis

Big 12

Recruit Original Verbal Signed LOI with Head Coach
Brandon Garrett Oklahoma State Baylor Art Briles
Sedric Johnson Texas A&M Iowa State Gene Chizik

Pac 10

Recruit Original Verbal Signed LOI with Head Coach
Jamaar Jarett Oregon Arizona State Dennis Erickson
Uona Kaveinga BYU USC Pete Carroll

From the stats compiled from Letter of Intent day, we can officially state that Rich Rod is a snake and has as much genuine respect for his state, his fellow coaches, and his former employers as a rusty doorknob. First of all, lets define ’stealing’. When a recruit verbals with a school and its made public through all the recruiting websites as well as common general knowledge, a coach can call them up, ask them if they’re sure and leave it be.

“There has been an unspoken rule that if a guy commits and you’ve been recruiting him hard, you always call them up and say, ‘Are you sure about this?’ If he says, ‘Yes,’ you back off,” Tiller told the Indianapolis Star – Joe Tiller

But what you get when you implant in-bred trash from the backwards state of West Virginia into what used to be a honor thy opponent but beat their asses when you play them conference, you get an astounding 4 de-commits running to Michigan. Stealing recruits from your own conference members was something of the Big 12 or SEC, apparently Rich Rod sees no problem in going after recruits that had an understanding with their originally schools. Wolverine fans might laugh and say “Whats the big deal, coaches chase recruits all the time before LOI day.” Yeah, but when a kid verbals to a school, the school may keep in contact, but begins to move on with a gentleman’s assurance that the recruit will not be pressured as heavily after the verbal. To go heavily after a recruit who has verbaled especially to a fellow conference member is like sleeping with your neighbor’s wife.

Rich Rod’s staff stole more de-commits by themselves than the entire conferences of the SEC, Big East, Big 12 and Pac 10. He can rest assured that the entire conference of the ACC with its 2 divisions have the same de-commits stolen as the great institution of Michigan. The Big 10 used to be ‘the’ conference that didn’t dwell in petty jabs in press conferences, or back room dealings or even stealing recruits from one another. It seems like the ship has now been infested with rats and its only time before everyone else in the conference might have to purge themselves of the problem once and for all. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rich Rod DID shred documents on his way out of directional Virginia just out of spite. He is a sleazy, tell-you-whatever-you-want-to-hear type of guy and I’m glad Pryor was never considering them. By pushing back the announcement, Wolverine fans can rest assured that Pryor has officially pushed them back into third.

I look forward to Ohio State, Purdue, Penn State, Wisconsin and Minnesota giving them lots of hell in their transition years to that gimmicky works-in-the-no-defense Big East offense. I hope he loses that lawsuit of his against West Virginia and decades of futility against their bigger brother down south, Ohio State. I am more angry that this is the start of things to come in the following years than actually losing a recruit to the Wolverines. This behavior is unacceptable in the Big Ten and Rich Rod’s word is as good as the paper I wipe my ass with.

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  • None of Your Business
    OK. First of all. quit crying. The only reason you are mad at RichRod is because Penn State has never beat Michigan. Michigan has whipped you guys year after year. Don't be such a sore loser. Micheal Shaw wasn't necessarily recruited heavily by RichRod. You see, it may have dawned on Mr. Shaw that Michigan has a better football program and a good coach in Rich Rodriguez. Roy Roundtree probably went to Michigan because he knows he will have a better chance to get into the NFL with UM than Purdue.

    There are more factors that go into this stuff than just recruiting a guy after he is committed. Michigan has a better football program than Penn State, it is a known fact.
  • Nittany White Out
    Its definitely true that there are far more decommits prior to LOI day, but I purposely did not leave them in simply due to the fact that they have already made their second or in some cases third choices days before they can even officially sign a binding document. Their word is as useful as Rich Rod's in that sense. I specifically picked the top 250 recruits that have verbaled, not swayed during the recruiting process (as in given other verbals, BUT may have taken other official visits) and made their change on LOI day during their announcements. Like I said, doing that simply gives the original verbaled school no chance to rebut their challengers and are put at a disadvantage.


    I am a little sore about losing Michael Shaw this year, but lets face it, deep down most people are a little shocked at the way Rich Rod managed to take away 4 top recruits. In years past this might amount to possibly 1 or 2 occurances within the Big Ten, but 4? Tell me you're not worried that coaches will soon pick this up and the Big Ten will diminish to nothing but in-bickering in future recruiting classes.
  • Jblo
    After your bitter post, you said that you aren't that mad about losing one recruit to Michigan, but more mad about the recruit-stealing trend that RichRod is setting. That may be true, but I have trouble believing that you would write this angry post had Michigan stolen a Shaw-type recruit from Wisconsin or Michigan St instead of Penn St.


    Also, as of Feb 4 (3 days before signing day) 156 players had decommitted from a verbal to commit to another team. In the 3 days leading up to signing day I think that number grew to over 200. Why did you only list 17 decommits? Seems like selective information. I agree it is a disturbing trend and we need an early signing period, but I think it is unfair to single out RichRod. Maybe the whims of 17 and 18 year old kids has something to do with it as well?



    Link:

    http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id;=3229684&sportCat;=ncf
  • tom
    OK, so I get a new coach with 3 weeks left to recruit. He is supposed to a) not recruit kids in an atmosphere where de-commits happen; b)recruit verbals, but, just not in his conference; 3)curl up and wait for next year. What exactly happens if UM's verbals de-committed on the final day? Do we move forward with 12 LOIs, none of which were recruited to play in our system? We're all adults here - put an early signing period in, allow players to de-commit w/in the period, don't allow coaches contact during the period. That's the rule Rodriguez wants in place. Now, how do you handle a coaching change?
    Frankly, de-commits happen.
  • Big10sBigHouse
    Honestly, guys, you have to look at it this way: Rodriguez moving into a new school has to get new recruits. He had a shorter time than JPa or Tressel to sort out his recruiting priorities. Adjusting to a new team is an important part of a job, but when you're not allowed to assume your position until exactly one month before signing day, you don't have too many options but to go for people you know you want, no matter where they say they're going to go.


    Also, while you may think CoachRod is a snake, I don't see how he could be considered a traitor. His allegiance is to his team, not his conference. Yeah, the Big 10 is prestigious, but still -- you can't tell me that you wouldn't be thrilled if Nick Perry (DE, going to USC but from Detroit) had committed to USC or Michigan, but instead decided to go to PSU.



    Also, the talent pool in high school football has gotten more and more concentrated toward the top, with more significant drop-offs after that. This means there's going to be more heated competition to get the really talented recruits. You guys were in high school once. Did you ever say something and then get some new information that changed your mind?



    This isn't angry, mean or bitter. Just trying to shed a little light.
  • Anonymous
    Thanks for this post. It is very informative. I had no idea that Rodriguez was so far and away the king of decommits.


    He had 4 and Arkansas had 2. Otherwise, no one had more than 1.



    What a ______________!!* No class.
  • bp
    Great write up! I agree that if this is a sign of things to come, then it's all flowing downhill.


    Let's hope the Big Ten gives them hell on the field, but let's also hope the NCAA says it's time for an early signing period. For the sake of these coaches. I mean, no one can be trusted anymore on these verbals.
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