Harbaugh Back To His Old Slimy Behavior

[corbi296]

Committed recruit gets hurt and Harbaugh pulls his football scholarship. At least it's not as bad as what he did at Stanford since he is letting this kid attend school for free if he wants. I guess that is easier to pull off at a state school for an in state kid than it would have been at Stanford. Nonetheless tremendously hypocritical for a guy who professed to run his programs "better' than other schools. Why any parent would let their kid play for this guy is beyond me.

By the way, notice which schools are still expressing interest. Good old NU.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/c...10/19/michigan-football-matt-falcon/74222366/

 

[DocCatsFan]

Committed recruit gets hurt and Harbaugh pulls his football scholarship. At least it's not as bad as what he did at Stanford since he is letting this kid attend school for free if he wants. I guess that is easier to pull off at a state school for an in state kid than it would have been at Stanford. Nonetheless tremendously hypocritical for a guy who professed to run his programs "better' than other schools. Why any parent would let their kid play for this guy is beyond me.

By the way, notice which schools are still expressing interest. Good old NU.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/c...10/19/michigan-football-matt-falcon/74222366/

Wait a minute. Why is it slimy if he is still honoring the scholarship for a full ride?

 

[corbi296]

Because he went back on his word. Harbaugh offered him a football scholarship to the University of Michigan, not just a scholarship to the University of Michigan. Like I said, it's better than the crap he pulled at Stanford but still not ethical in my book. The kid wants to play football and Harbaugh told him he could come play at Michigan. Now, that is no longer the case. If that was my kid, I would be furious at Harbaugh.

 

[shakes3858]

Is this the same kid we talked about early? I'm ok with it. Harbaugh promised him a scholarship. He didn't promise him playing time. Now the kid can go to school for free or decide to play elsewhere. It's honesty in a tough situation and now the player and family can decide what's best. Play football elsewhere and go to school for free or get a top education at Michigan and not risk injury.

 

[DocCatsFan]

Because he went back on his word. Harbaugh offered him a football scholarship to the University of Michigan, not just a scholarship to the University of Michigan. Like I said, it's better than the crap he pulled at Stanford but still not ethical in my book. The kid wants to play football and Harbaugh told him he could come play at Michigan. Now, that is no longer the case. If that was my kid, I would be furious at Harbaugh.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Is this the same kid we talked about early? I'm ok with it. Harbaugh promised him a scholarship. He didn't promise him playing time. Now the kid can go to school for free or decide to play elsewhere. It's honesty in a tough situation and now the player and family can decide what's best. Play football elsewhere and go to school for free or get a top education at Michigan and not risk injury.

Playing time, no. Being a member of the team, absolutely. Harbaugh is well aware that the kid views himself as a football player and is most likely going to look for an opportunity to continue his athletic career elsewhere. This is no different from the "soft rejections" he did at Stanford, he just doesn't have the academic/admissions crutch at Michigan.

 

[NUCat320]

Playing time, no. Being a member of the team, absolutely. Harbaugh is well aware that the kid views himself as a football player and is most likely going to look for an opportunity to continue his athletic career elsewhere. This is no different from the "soft rejections" he did at Stanford, he just doesn't have the academic/admissions crutch at Michigan.

The kid has missed his second straight season due to injury. (I think knees both times.)

If I'm him, I call it a 'career' and ask Harbaugh if he can help with an internship in the athletic department.

I'm sure he'll have other interest and offers - NU's in the consideration set - I just don't know if it's worth it.

(I realize this is loser talk.)

 

[Hungry Jack]

Is this the same kid we talked about early? I'm ok with it. Harbaugh promised him a scholarship. He didn't promise him playing time. Now the kid can go to school for free or decide to play elsewhere. It's honesty in a tough situation and now the player and family can decide what's best. Play football elsewhere and go to school for free or get a top education at Michigan and not risk injury.

Same kid I posted about last week.

Good of UM to offer a scholarship. My hunch is that it was not Harbaugh's decision on the schollie.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

The kid has missed his second straight season due to injury. (I think knees both times.)

If I'm him, I call it a 'career' and ask Harbaugh if he can help with an internship in the athletic department.

I'm sure he'll have other interest and offers - NU's in the consideration set - I just don't know if it's worth it.

(I realize this is loser talk.)

That should be his decision, not Harbaugh's.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

That should be his decision, not Harbaugh's.

Exactly right...Harbaugh pulled the same ploy with one of his inherited seniors. Told him he would honor his scholarship but he would be unable to play due to injury...Harbaugh knew the kid would to transfer as his desire to play was still there.

 

[NUCat320]

That should be his decision, not Harbaugh's.

You're probably right. But how many of his peer institutions (that is, top 20ish programs) would have just cut him loose? The entire sec would force him to a JuCo, right?

Fact is, the kid has a ton of options, including one that doesn't tie his academic career to the health of his legs. With three months ahead, he'll find a good landing spot.

This is different than slow-playing on academics. This is transparency.

 

[corbi296]

Is this the same kid we talked about early? I'm ok with it. Harbaugh promised him a scholarship. He didn't promise



I know one peer program that wouldn't do that and has not done that. NORTHWESTERN!

 

[NUCat320]

Northwestern and Michigan are not peer institutions in the sense with which I was using the term. Northwestern made no staff changes after their head coach failed to reach a bowl game in years eight and nine.

At universities where a winning football program is a major, major priority – like Michigan, not like Northwestern – this qualifies as a very high integrity move.

 

[corbi296]

Northwestern and Michigan are not peer institutions in the sense with which I was using the term. Northwestern made no staff changes after their head coach failed to reach a bowl game in years eight and nine.

At universities where a winning football program is a major, major priority – like Michigan, not like Northwestern – this qualifies as a very high integrity move.

They are peer institutions. Institutions of higher learning that have football teams that compete at the highest level of amateur athletics. One choses not to compromise its values in an attempt to win at all costs, the other not so much.

 

[Gladeskat]

Is this the same kid we talked about early? I'm ok with it. Harbaugh promised him a scholarship. He didn't promise him playing time. Now the kid can go to school for free or decide to play elsewhere. It's honesty in a tough situation and now the player and family can decide what's best. Play football elsewhere and go to school for free or get a top education at Michigan and not risk injury.

Get a top education for free or play football at a lesser school? Easy choice - play football!

 

[Gladeskat]

Northwestern and Michigan are not peer institutions in the sense with which I was using the term. Northwestern made no staff changes after their head coach failed to reach a bowl game in years eight and nine.

At universities where a winning football program is a major, major priority – like Michigan, not like Northwestern – this qualifies as a very high integrity move.

There is nothing wrong with the offer Harbaugh made to the kid. Absolutely nothing at all! Now if he had waited until the last month before LOI signing day to tell him, then I would have a problem with it.

 

[shakes3858]

Get a top education for free or play football at a lesser school? Easy choice - play football!

Is it? How bad is the injury and what are his prospects moving forward? Nobody here questions Mulroe for taking a job and not playing football professionally. Isn't that the same choice?

Also, couldn't I spin the Dwight White scenario like Fitz was trying to get him off the team to free up a scholarship, but at least allowed him to stay in school? I would never do it, because it's BS, but I could easily write a blog post that made Fitz look slimy.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Is it? How bad is the injury and what are his prospects moving forward? Nobody here questions Mulroe for taking a job and not playing football professionally. Isn't that the same choice?

Also, couldn't I spin the Dwight White scenario like Fitz was trying to get him off the team to free up a scholarship, but at least allowed him to stay in school? I would never do it, because it's BS, but I could easily write a blog post that made Fitz look slimy.

Mulroe made his own choice. So did White. This kid doesn't get to do that, at least at his dream school to which he committed.

 

[Gladeskat]

Is it? How bad is the injury and what are his prospects moving forward? Nobody here questions Mulroe for taking a job and not playing football professionally. Isn't that the same choice?

Also, couldn't I spin the Dwight White scenario like Fitz was trying to get him off the team to free up a scholarship, but at least allowed him to stay in school? I would never do it, because it's BS, but I could easily write a blog post that made Fitz look slimy.

It's a great choice. Mulroe made the choice for himself. The UM recruit also has a choice and either way, his education is paid for.

 

[NUCat320]

Mulroe made his own choice. So did White. This kid doesn't get to do that, at least at his dream school to which he committed.

The kid's got three months to make his choice.

It's a good life lesson. Dreams don't always come true.

 

[docrugby1]

The kid's got three months to make his choice.

It's a good life lesson. Dreams don't always come true.

Harbaugh offered him a schoarship but without football . I asume this schoarship still counts toward Michigan's quota of 85 -at least in the first year, afterwards he could be gven a medical waiver

 

[gocatsgo2003]

The kid's got three months to make his choice.

It's a good life lesson. Dreams don't always come true.

My point is that the choice is no longer his. He made his choice: he wanted to play football at Michigan. Now Harbaugh decided that's no longer a choice.

Why is this hard?

 

[NUCat320]

My point is that the choice is no longer his. He made his choice: he wanted to play football at Michigan. Now Harbaugh decided that's no longer a choice.

Why is this hard?

The kid has great alternatives in front of him. He can get a great education at Michigan which, after all, is his dream "school". Or he can go and find any number of spectacular dream school/athletic programs.

He's not been hung out to dry. He's been treated honestly. It's above-board.

The kid isn't screwed and isn't scrambling. Harbaugh decided Michigan football wasn't an option for him. Harbaugh's the boss, in this case.

Why is *this* hard?

Alabama would have shuttled him to Ypsilanti CC to see how the leg was, then would have ignored him when it fails him. Now, he's got the opportunity to choose from a world's worth of opportunity.

Was NU your first choice? Was anything else in life your first choice? Not usually.

 

[TypeO]

I see nothing slimy about it. They are honoring the scholarship. There is absolutely no reason for them to do this unless they feel the kid is done. And notice the other schools are mentioned having "passing interest" in a four-star. Must be bad

 

[Mr. Stupor]

Committed recruit gets hurt and Harbaugh pulls his football scholarship. At least it's not as bad as what he did at Stanford since he is letting this kid attend school for free if he wants. I guess that is easier to pull off at a state school for an in state kid than it would have been at Stanford. Nonetheless tremendously hypocritical for a guy who professed to run his programs "better' than other schools. Why any parent would let their kid play for this guy is beyond me.

By the way, notice which schools are still expressing interest. Good old NU.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/c...10/19/michigan-football-matt-falcon/74222366/

It's easy to offer the non-football free ride when you know damn well that nobody is going to take you up on it! These kids want to play football. They're gonna go play somewhere else, so Hairball is basically offering nothing.

 

[FeliSilvestris]

Fact is, the kid has a ton of options, including one that doesn't tie his academic career to the health of his legs. With three months ahead, he'll find a good landing spot.

Right.
Fact is that an ATHLETIC scholarship has obligations, too. One of them is of course the ability to actually participate in the sport.

What if a student athlete while in HS is just plain medically unable to play, ever, because of a career-ending injury? Would the school be still obliged to give him, not only a scholarship, but also a spot in the team for four years, a spot he cannot possibly occupy? That'd be ridiculous.

The situation is similar, because given his injury history there is substantial probability that he won't be able to play at all in college (or very little). Fact is career-ending injuries do happen at all levels. It is terrible, but they do. Serious accidents also happen (unrelated to sports) and may have the same effect. Those are risks that one takes, and they may have consequences. Fortunately for the student-athlete involved, he may still get a top education for free. The school has done nothing wrong, whatsoever. It is in fact being extremely generous to him.

Some should look for something else to attack Harbaugh. Something that makes the attacks justified. They may find it.

 

[and_go_cats]

This is absolutely slimy.

1. Harbaugh offered a football scholarship, and kid verbally accepted...to the best of his ability since he cannot sign yet.

2. Kid got injured. Harbaugh saw additional risk of one of his limited roster spots being wasted on an inured player and had recently accepted commitments from other highly-rated RBs.

3. To save face, Harbaugh changed his offer to non-football knowing that the kid would have less interest in this. Now he will either go to another school or not count against the scholarship limit....a perfect outcome for Harbaugh, ditching a liability.

According to the scout interview and the kid's twitter, he has an interest in continuing to play, and doctors have said that he can still return to a high level.

Just because this is better than SEC-type treatment does not make it right.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Right.
Fact is that an ATHLETIC scholarship has obligations, too. One of them is of course the ability to actually participate in the sport.

What if a student athlete while in HS is just plain medically unable to play, ever, because of a career-ending injury? Would the school be still obliged to give him, not only a scholarship, but also a spot in the team for four years, a spot he cannot possibly occupy? That'd be ridiculous.

The situation is similar, because given his injury history there is substantial probability that he won't be able to play at all in college (or very little). Fact is career-ending injuries do happen at all levels. It is terrible, but they do. Serious accidents also happen (unrelated to sports) and may have the same effect. Those are risks that one takes, and they may have consequences. Fortunately for the student-athlete involved, he may still get a top education for free. The school has done nothing wrong, whatsoever. It is in fact being extremely generous to him.

Some should look for something else to attack Harbaugh. Something that makes the attacks justified. They may find it.

ACL injuries are far from career-ending. Falcon might not have the same explosiveness he might have had with two healthy knees, but there's no reason whatsoever he couldn't rehab and get back on the field for Michigan... besides Harbaugh deciding that is not an option for him.

 

[Hungry Jack]

My point is that the choice is no longer his. He made his choice: he wanted to play football at Michigan. Now Harbaugh decided that's no longer a choice.

Why is this hard?

This strikes me as arguing that someone "owes" someone a job. Athletic schollies and and walk on slots are finite commodities, so the coach has the right yo allocate them. The kid is not owed the opportunity to play football at UM.

That said, I still think this is a bit underhanded ad I think the free ride was probably not Harbaugh's decision. I doubt he gives a rats behind about what happens to Falcon. When I originally posted about this, I was "tempted" to blame Harbaugh but had mixed feelings. At this point, the best thing we can say about Harbaugh is that he has been brutally honest and did not wait until the last minute to spring this on Falcon.

I assume his second ACL repair was done over the summer, so perhaps other teams will have confidence in his recovery. Two surgeries is not at all a career ender.

 

[FeliSilvestris]

This is absolutely slimy.
1. Harbaugh offered a football scholarship, and kid verbally accepted...to the best of his ability since he cannot sign yet.

2. Kid got injured. Harbaugh saw additional risk of one of his limited roster spots being wasted on an inured player and had recently accepted commitments from other highly-rated RBs.

3. To save face, Harbaugh changed his offer to non-football knowing that the kid would have less interest in this. Now he will either go to another school or not count against the scholarship limit....a perfect outcome for Harbaugh, ditching a liability.

And who told you that a school is not entitled to pull a scholarship offer for WHATEVER REASONS it deems fit? An athletic scholarship offer is not a contract, and a verbal commitment is not commitment at all. Players back out of 'verbal commitments' all the time, and often at the last minute, which puts the schools at a serious disadvantage. It cuts both ways.

Even after the student has enrolled, the school is entitled to cancel the scholarship offer, under certain conditions. Until recently, no school was even allowed to offer an athletic scholarship for longer than one year. Now they can. But many don't, and even those who do have the right to withdraw the scholarship for good reasons (grades, drugs, etc).

The vast majority of HS graduates, even those who compete at a high level, NEVER receive any athletic scholarship offer, much less from a school like Michigan. It is an enormous privilege to receive one. A privilege that can be withdrawn for various reasons. In this case the school thinks that with a high probability the player will be physically unable to compete at the level required of other players, and have withdrawn the offer.

But it has also given him an option to get a free education, although not as a FB player (meaning without the obligations that comes with it).

The school is being extremely generous, especially considering that the student had no obligation to the school whatsoever, and could have walked way from his 'verbal commitment' at any time, without even giving an excuse or reason.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Because he went back on his word. Harbaugh offered him a football scholarship to the University of Michigan, not just a scholarship to the University of Michigan. Like I said, it's better than the crap he pulled at Stanford but still not ethical in my book. The kid wants to play football and Harbaugh told him he could come play at Michigan. Now, that is no longer the case. If that was my kid, I would be furious at Harbaugh.

Please, this was already discussed.

things changed. Harbaugh promised to pay for his education. He is keeping his word there. If two ACL tears means he doesn't want him to join the football team, then the kid has a decision to make - either go to Michigan on a full ride or try to play football somewhere else. What would you rather have Harbaugh take him in and never play him instead? That's real fair to the kid. Sheesh - people on this board go out of their way to trash Jim Harbaugh and Stanford. It's ridiculous.

Absolutely NOTHING slimy about it at all.

 

[EvanstonCat]

When's the last time we brought in a kid that hadn't played for two seasons and had two ACL tears?

 

[EvanstonCat]

My point is that the choice is no longer his. He made his choice: he wanted to play football at Michigan. Now Harbaugh decided that's no longer a choice.

Why is this hard?

Why should it be just the kid's choice?

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Only a complete moron would by fooled by this Harbaugh ploy...re-read Mr. Stupor's post - his analysis is 100% correct.

 

[d'son d]

This argument is unwinnable because it cuts to the heart of the "student athlete" discussion. This high schooler is being offered an opportunity to have an education at a prestigious university which will stand him in good stead for the rest of his life, assuming he maximizes that opportunity. The playing a game for 4 years with a limited long term benefit (i.e. NFL or part of being a professional coach) is just that. Does he and his family value an education or the "glory" of being on "the team"? That he wants to play football is admirable but he is losing sight of the goal of this opportunity...an education!! hatrbaugh is not being slimy. rather he is offering a win- win situation...he doesn't "take a chance" on an injured player and the player still has his education for free.
Find something else about H to be slimy, but not this.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

If the injury prohibited Falcon from ever playing football again it would be admirable. The fact Falcon can play again but will be "forced" to play elsewhere is what makes it slimy.

 

[klemman]

A head football coach, just like the leader of any organization, has a responsibility towards the organization and the members as a whole, that supersedes the needs or benefits of any single individual.

So two factors:

One, very often the choice of whether a players is deemed physically able to play is made by the program's medical team, not the coaches. This happens both in college and the NFL.

Secondly, if a coach feels the team would be better off without a player who is physically diminished compared to the time when that player was offered, it is the responsibility of finding an alternative that better serves the team, as long as there are options given to the player that are still beneficial.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

When's the last time we brought in a kid that hadn't played for two seasons and had two ACL tears?

Christian Jones is the most similar situation.

 

[FeliSilvestris]

If the injury prohibited Falcon from ever playing football again it would be admirable. The fact Falcon can play again but will be "forced" to play elsewhere is what makes it slimy.

It is not just "playing"....he must be able to play at a level comparable to others at his position at Michigan, which was the reason why he got the offer to begin with.

For instance, after an injury, a RB may be much slower than before, say instead of a 4.5 40 he may do 5.5, which may be far too slow for his position; or a QB may be unable to make accurate passes beyond 10 yards, or a dual-threat QB may be far too immobile to be effective, etc., etc.

Even if he was to recover full form, the probability of serious re-injury would need to be considered also. How many carries would he be able to endure before being sidelined again, possibly permanently?

Ultimately, it is the school that should make such determinations, to the best of its abilities. It may err, of course, but still it is its prerogative. As others have pointed out, it is not just the interests of the injured athlete that need to be considered. Those of the program (including those of the other student athletes) should also be weighted.