If you haven’t read the NY Times story about Tennessee’s “recruiting hostesses” that editor Mike Persinger linked to on this blog this morning, you should. The NCAA is investigating—among other things—charges that these hostesses have been showing up at the games of Volunteers’ recruiting targets.
The story reads in part:
Marcus Lattimore, a running back who made an unofficial visit to Tennessee but said he would not enroll there, said multiple Tennessee hostesses attended a game at James F. Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., in September. He said they brought signs, including one that read, “Come to Tennessee.”
“I haven’t seen no other schools do that,” he said. “It’s crazy.”
The hostesses are considered representatives of the university, which would mean they could not recruit players off campus. Therefore, the visits may be considered violations of N.C.A.A. recruiting rules.
Two of Lattimore’s teammates, Brandon Willis and Corey Miller, have orally committed to Tennessee. Lattimore described the hostesses as “real pretty, real nice and just real cool.” He said he thought they had “a lot” of influence in Miller’s and Willis’s commitments to Tennessee.
I’ll bet.
People often wonder why the NCAA has all its rules and regulations. It’s because in trying to get an edge, many people will do whatever they think they can get away with—we’ve seen it in sports with everything from hitters on steroids, pitchers doctoring baseballs, NASCAR drivers “adjusting” their engines.
The bottom line on this hostess thing is that I can’t see college girls giving up their Friday nights and driving four hours from Knoxville to watch a high school football game without some encouragement from someone.
Ask yourselves just who that would be.
--Stan Olson
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
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12 comments:
Wow, is this a response to VOL fans for the comments or an email or two? The Observer staff is infatuated with Kiffin and the Vols. One story goes down another pops up, with Palm Beach Mike Persinger's name in bold none the less.
Breaking News: Girls from UT holding up a sign at high school football game.
Put it on the front page.
OK, I'll be the one to point out your ignorance:
1. The "girl" was born and raised in the area. She simply went home as many college aged kids do and took in a high school football game with friends.
2. If it takes you 4 hours to drive 177 miles, you should be ticketed for impeding traffic.
Try researching your ignorance before posting it for the rest of us to see.
The star-player really should have a lesson i how to communicate with media...he's only hurting himself by talking about how "crazy" it seems. And, hey, NCAA and journalists take note: Life's for Living! or are you a Bama fan?
How about the "hostesses" up in Chapel Hill. Apparently, they hold up more than signs to get recruits - as signees have said.
Every school does the same thing. Even if it is a violations it a minor one that won't result in a thing. Todays media as a TMZ quality. Real journalism ended a long time ago.
Let look at the REAL facts here.
#1 It was 2 girls, one of which is in a relationship with Willis, the other was her friend
#2 The sign did not mention Tennessee, it had Willis's name on it
#3 Pete Thamel has also witten so many gushing stories about the Florida Gators and Tim Tebow that it led one Gators blogger to refer to him as the “program’s most talented chronicler.”
#4 The author met with Meyer after the UT vs UF game and wrote this http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/the-morning-after-in-florida/#more-13625
Does this look a little funny to you?
My information came from the NY Times, which I consider a quality source.
The story said that one of the signs said "Come to Tennessee."
Sounds like recruiting to me, but that's just me.
Mr. Olson do you care to comment on the rest of the situation involving the "journalist" who wrote the piece? Do you think his ties and other articles may make this ltest article suspect? Please comment. Also how did you choose which parts of the article to source......
Sounds like you choose to believe this journalist over Mr. Willis.
Since the Observer is so interested in this, why not do some real investigative journalism and get to the bottom of this. That is if you think you can put your bias aside, as obviously Thamel could not do
NY York Time credable, now thats rich!
In college I once drove 3.5 hours with a buddy just to try a pizza place he had been bragging about for 2-3 months. Of course, I also did it, just to take a road trip. I thought that everyone did crazy stuff like that in college. Guess not everyone has the imagination and sense of adventure that I had. Too bad...
Mr Olson,
I can provide you with a picture of the sign and the two girls at the game. As I said and my sources at UT said, Tennessee, the Vols, nor UT is mentioned on the sign.Plus as my sources said it was 2 girls. It was not presented that way in the article. You "stand behind" I will email you the picture. My question now is do you still think Thamel wrote this with out an agenda, and do you stand by the article as your source.
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