(I hope I can still address this, Lou.)
If I understand Lou's reason for deleting that thread, it underscores how I ABSOLUTELY HATE how poorly NU and specifically Cubbage are handling this from the aspect of the program. Instead of controlling the message, now we have stupid speculation all over the place similar to the thread that was deleted. The USA Today sure did try to stick to the Lathon facts yet threw it out there that "it’s entirely possible that the school’s admissions department decided he simply didn’t meet it’s stringent academic requirements."
The USA Today is doing much of what we are doing here. And if you think this board produces a lot of speculation, imagine what a recruiting rival can do with this over the next couple years in the last days of a decision that is down to NU and two other schools.
"Player X, you understand we don't pull scholarships at Purdue. If you run into academic problems, you won't be wondering about your scholarship in May. And when you get on campus, we have an academic team that can help you ..."
And, that's the soft sell without using the name Northwestern, but invoking the obvious.
I understand when Cubbage appears from behind the curtain, much of his goal is nothing more than limiting any/further litigation. However, does he work for NU or for Lathon? It sure would have been nice if his two sentences actually looked out for the program also and limited some of this BS. There are 101 ways to do this.
How hard is it to turn your two-sentence announcement into three sentences that doesn't completely throw the kid under the bus, but more strongly clarifies NU's reason in a positive light?
Let's give it the five-minute try ...
Northwestern University has revoked its offers of admission and an athletic scholarship for Jordan Lathon, a recruit for the Northwestern men’s basketball team.
At Northwestern, we're proud of our competitive history in the classroom and on the court. All Northwestern athletes are also expected to maintain this level of excellence off the court.
Out of respect for the privacy of the student, the University will have no further public comment.
Now, was that so hard? I said nothing and yet I said something. All with the usual NU CYA PR BS.
Hopefully this gets cleaned up a tad more in the next few weeks or else the program will have this following them for awhile like the original poster in the deleted thread.
If I understand Lou's reason for deleting that thread, it underscores how I ABSOLUTELY HATE how poorly NU and specifically Cubbage are handling this from the aspect of the program. Instead of controlling the message, now we have stupid speculation all over the place similar to the thread that was deleted. The USA Today sure did try to stick to the Lathon facts yet threw it out there that "it’s entirely possible that the school’s admissions department decided he simply didn’t meet it’s stringent academic requirements."
The USA Today is doing much of what we are doing here. And if you think this board produces a lot of speculation, imagine what a recruiting rival can do with this over the next couple years in the last days of a decision that is down to NU and two other schools.
"Player X, you understand we don't pull scholarships at Purdue. If you run into academic problems, you won't be wondering about your scholarship in May. And when you get on campus, we have an academic team that can help you ..."
And, that's the soft sell without using the name Northwestern, but invoking the obvious.
I understand when Cubbage appears from behind the curtain, much of his goal is nothing more than limiting any/further litigation. However, does he work for NU or for Lathon? It sure would have been nice if his two sentences actually looked out for the program also and limited some of this BS. There are 101 ways to do this.
How hard is it to turn your two-sentence announcement into three sentences that doesn't completely throw the kid under the bus, but more strongly clarifies NU's reason in a positive light?
Let's give it the five-minute try ...
Northwestern University has revoked its offers of admission and an athletic scholarship for Jordan Lathon, a recruit for the Northwestern men’s basketball team.
At Northwestern, we're proud of our competitive history in the classroom and on the court. All Northwestern athletes are also expected to maintain this level of excellence off the court.
Out of respect for the privacy of the student, the University will have no further public comment.
Now, was that so hard? I said nothing and yet I said something. All with the usual NU CYA PR BS.
Hopefully this gets cleaned up a tad more in the next few weeks or else the program will have this following them for awhile like the original poster in the deleted thread.
