Given the less-than-impressive results from NSD, and Tennessee's general decline of the last several years, it's all too easy to wonder exactly what affords some programs with the ability to seemingly always sign the very best recruits, while we struggle to do so. And further, and to at least consider if such may, or is even likely to be, the result of actions contrary to 'AA rules. However, even with the convenience of a Tennessee fan contemplating such a conspiratorial idea aside, it's an entirely valid question, IMO. Are select programs enjoying such recruiting success while operating within the 'AA guidelines (however gray the area may be), or beyond and outside of them? I know that there are people on here who have had some involvement in these things - being a recruit, themselves, a coach, a booster, etc. - and its often hinted at, but I don't know that we've ever fully discussed it. And, I don't mean to limit this to football, alone, but would like to include big-time basketball as well. So, is it all about winning games and a charismatic coach....important things, without question....but is it also something else? And if so, what?
You don't have to necessarily pay the player. Their parents may suddenly get a job near the school, their best friend may get accepted, their teammate may get an offer or they may get a hell of a summer job.
I can't speak too much on basketball recruiting, but all these things happen at schools around the country for football prospects
Not directed at the OP or tenny or justin.... just an opinion .... The sooner we stop calling it 'cheating', and recognize that it's just how the game is played, the sooner we'll compete again.
This. Look at Auburn. They have yet to be hammered and look at all the evidence out there on them from Newton to Robinson's grades being fixed (the one who did it even admitted to it). The sooner people realize nothing is going to happen to them as far as the NCAA goes the quicker they'll realize Tennessee will never win a big-time recruiting battle head to head with them until they start playing the game as well.
I think the outrageous cheating done by SMU and UCLA is exceptional now. Certainly there are little things that when added up can amount to getting certain players to campus. But this issue is overblown in my opinion. There's no way to "get around" or "cheat" your way out of being a poor coach. At the end of the day you have to win ball games to continue to arrive at good classes, and it's not clear to me that well known crooks are very good at both. Recruiting is still a skill set; some possess it, some don't, cheating or no. JMHO.
And this is exactly my point in starting this thread. I can think of several ways that money could be exchanged - albeit not directly, mind you - from Booster X and be handed to Recruit Y, in the 'AA lobby.....and they couldn't do a damn thing about it. So, is this what is going on? How else do you explain Alabama's football recruiting (they are inarguably the best team / program right now....but THAT much better?), or better yet, Kentucky's in basketball? At what point, if any, does someone say - we don't care if we can reverse engineer the process by which it is happening, or not, the end results are indicting enough, and impossible to ignore. For example, Kentucky getting the top recruiting class each season, every season? That's hard enough to believe (are they that appreciably better than Kansas, 'Cuse, Duke, UNC, etc.?), but possible. But 5 of the top 10, every single year? Second question: Out of 100 5* athletes - regardless as to where they are from, their sport, position, color, socio-economic situation, or geographical placement - how many of them will largely decide their destination on what additional benefits (admittedly, which may not be "illegal" in the purest sense of the word) are given, or promised? 5? 50? 95? None?
golden handshakes certainly still go on all the time. outright paying for recruits IMO only happens when the parents make it clear that is what they are looking for. that isn't to say that parents aren't offered "benefits" from boosters unsolicted, but to get to outright payoffs you need a cecil newton type.
The Atlanta Celtics AAU program is dirty. A guy on staff at UCLA came from the Celtics. You have to be willing to get dirty to get their kids. Kentucky pays high level players. Only issue I have is outright paying a kid. Most of the NCAA rules are garbage and so is the NCAA.
Cheating Cheating, in one form or another, has been going on for decades. Whether it's recruits getting paid by boosters, family members getting jobs, coaches being hired, friends getting scholarships, etc etc - recruiting (and college football as a whole) is a BIG business. When so much is riding on the line, you can bet that all schools are involved. I guess the real question is...why are the UT boosters not as good at it? Do our boosters not slip as much cash to a player? Are they not as good at lining up additional benefits?
Every time I see a parent who goes ape crap thier kid signed somewhere they didn't want to i i assume the parent was promised or given $$$. http://espn.go.com/college-sports/r...s-signs-arkansas-razorbacks-commitment-letter
This was a topic on the Gary Parrish show in Memphis the other day (also the CBS National Bball columnist). I think he had on Easterwood (Memphis AAU Coach/Handler). Parrish first said he knew and then back tracked to say his theory as to leave himself out of any muddy water..... That the general rule in college basketball was that you can take an Asst. Coaches Salary and subtract 50K from it and that would be their true salary. The 50K would typically be what they would need to try and land recruits. The premise was that the money typically did not necessarily go to the recruit per say, but often to mom/dad/guardian. Interestingly, he said his "theory" was that often many people take far less than coaches are willing to pay....Example: Coach may say he needs said recruit and dad may say that he needs a new transmission, to pay a bill, or to keep car from getting repossessed. Coach leaves happy because he walked in willing to pay say 20K and was able to walk out only dropping 5-10K because parent was more worried about what they needed then what they could get. Said that many underestimate what they can actually get. I have an old college roommate that once coached a former 5* basketball recruit in college. His staff got canned and recruit transferred to Memphis. To this day they have stayed in touch due to their relationship at the prior school. The kid once told him that during the offseason, Calipari had someone set him and some other players jobs at some local establishments. His in particular was at McDonalds. He would drive to McDonalds, clock in, talk with the manager for a minute and then grab some food and roll out. He would return a few hours later and clock out. Everything seemed legit on the surface, but when pay day came, he would have a legit check in the envelope along with a stack of cash behind it. Speaking of Memphis....I was talking with a kid that has done some work with some of their athletics and currently has some friends working in the basketball program. We were talking on this similar subject today and he was talking about how "well taken care of" some of the star players were (i.e. housing, cars, etc.).
On the Memphis subject - I remember very clearly hearing that an apartment shared by a few tiger bball players was broken into and many valuable things were taken. Very expensive clothes, jewelry, etc. Reading the police report, the total value of items stolen was just ridiculous, far beyond the price range of a college student. Sorry I can't provide a link right now, since I'm mobile. Edit: here it is - http://www.wmctv.com/story/2538148/u-of-m-basketball-players-report-burglary
