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http://www.freep.com/story/sports/high-s.../79141858/

Fleck certainly doesn't come off well in this article. Although if you read the entire thing you can see why he told the kid he wouldn't play here.

"Madison would enroll in January, but attended fall practice. After coming off two season ending injuries and ACL surgery, Hart told Madison's HS coach that his injury had clearly effected his abilities Abe he would never see tge field at Western."

Kid says he went to Robert Morris, but he's not listed on their roster.

(01-22-2016 07:17 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  http://www.freep.com/story/sports/high-s.../79141858/

Fleck certainly doesn't come off well in this article. Although if you read the entire thing you can see why he told the kid he wouldn't play here.

"Madison would enroll in January, but attended fall practice. After coming off two season ending injuries and ACL surgery, Hart told Madison's HS coach that his injury had clearly effected his abilities and he would never see the field at Western."

Cubit had two recruits who got injured before getting to camp, but he honored their scholarships.

Kid says he went to Robert Morris, but he's not listed on their roster.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=340&f=2793&t=14486969

Slappies showing outrage.

Let's not ignore that he has honored every scholarship of kids that have gotten injured during the season after their verbal, or taken kids that have gotten injured that others have backed off of. It's a gamble.

Read the Michael Henry article of a while ago. Cubit's staff was encouraging him to transfer as well. Guys are encouraged to transfer all the time.

(01-22-2016 07:23 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  

(01-22-2016 07:17 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  http://www.freep.com/story/sports/high-s.../79141858/

Fleck certainly doesn't come off well in this article. Although if you read the entire thing you can see why he told the kid he wouldn't play here.

"Madison would enroll in January, but attended fall practice. After coming off two season ending injuries and ACL surgery, Hart told Madison's HS coach that his injury had clearly effected his abilities and he would nevyer see the field at Western."

Cubit had two recruits who got injured before getting to camp, but he honored their scholarships.

Kid says he went to Robert Morris, but he's not listed on their roster.

Negative press, and not from DD. Is Fleck a tool to take the spotlight off Harbaugh? Does McCabe have it out for Peej? Did Fleck just lose any chance at another Brother Rice recruit? Will every MAC school use this against Fleck? How will Fleck handle this.

According to the article, it sounds like Madison was still offered a medical redshirt and a greyshit.. wonder why didn't he accept either?

(01-22-2016 08:15 AM)Stampede your face!! Wrote:  Let's not ignore that he has honored every scholarship of kids that have gotten injured during the season after their verbal, or taken kids that have gotten injured that others have backed off of. It's a gamble.

Read the Michael Henry article of a while ago. Cubit's staff was encouraging him to transfer as well. Guys are encouraged to transfer all the time.

Well, the kid gives the impression they didn't tell him to transfer. They did tell him you won't play here, and they told his HS coach he wouldn't play here. Dad and son believed it was a done deal. But then there's discussion of grey shirt. Then Fleck says someone on the staff reached out to Robert Morris, but he doesn't know who? That sounds Clintonian.

(01-22-2016 08:21 AM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  According to the article, it sounds like Madison was still offered a medical redshirt and a greyshit.. wonder why didn't he accept either?

There seemed to be some confusion there.

(01-22-2016 08:25 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  

(01-22-2016 08:21 AM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  According to the article, it sounds like Madison was still offered a medical redshirt and a greyshit.. wonder why didn't he accept either?

There seemed to be some confusion there.

Because he was told he wouldn't play here, and he wants to play CFB.

A LOT of "he said, she said."

Bottom-line is Fleck should have honored the scholarship. However, I understand the reasoning not too.

Welcome to the cut-throat world of Division I athletics. And it is not just football and basketball where kids get treated like this....

Academically, Robert Morris is an outstanding school, better than most MAC schools. Beautiful campus and Pittsburgh is a high growth area ideal for young people. In the long run, it probably works-out better for the young man, although it is unfortunate WMU treated him like it did.

I wish him well.

(01-22-2016 07:27 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=340&f=2793&t=14486969

Slappies showing outrage.

Yup. After all the off-field sleeze Dan "Unethical" Enos brought to Mount Pleasant, they are gonna milk all they can outta this. Makes them feel better about the mess they let Bonamego inherit. Now they applaud as they watch him clean-it-up.

Real fans, those Chips...

(01-22-2016 09:01 AM)GullLake Wrote:  

(01-22-2016 07:27 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=340&f=2793&t=14486969

Slappies showing outrage.

Yup. After all the off-field sleeze Dan "Unethical" Enos brought to Mount Pleasant, they are gonna milk all they can outta this. Makes them feel better about the mess they let Bonamego inherit. Now they applaud as they watch him clean-it-up.

Real fans, those Chips...

The one chimp states that Fleck is a creep just like Harbaugh is, in contrast Bono is building on the high character and honor that is CMU athletics. Hello? What planet is that dude living on?

(01-22-2016 09:08 AM)Dirty Ernie Wrote:  

(01-22-2016 09:01 AM)GullLake Wrote:  

(01-22-2016 07:27 AM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=340&f=2793&t=14486969

Slappies showing outrage.

Yup. After all the off-field sleeze Dan "Unethical" Enos brought to Mount Pleasant, they are gonna milk all they can outta this. Makes them feel better about the mess they let Bonamego inherit. Now they applaud as they watch him clean-it-up.

Real fans, those Chips...

The one chimp states that Fleck is a creep just like Harbaugh is, in contrast Bono is building on the high character and honor that is CMU athletics. Hello? What planet is that dude living on?

High character is code for, "So far, no felonies."

This happened with the Indy Warren kid a year or so ago. While there is a pattern, and I'm sure coaches will try and use it against him, the guy seemed to have weathered it like Donald Trump. He's already brought in another Warren kid. We'll see if tge Brother Rice coach is as foregoing.

Unfortunately, THIS type of story is simply what college football is. I find it funny that Harbaugh is taking heat this week for dropping recruits or recruits decommitting. There are only so many slots in each years class. Harbaugh, Fleck, Bono, and on down the line are going to be recruiting 50-60 kids (maybe more) for 25 spots each year. And until signing day, nobody truly knows who is or isn't coming to play for them. So if you have a 3 star with history of injury that has verbally committed and a 4 star at the same position with no injury history commits, often times that 3 stars scholly might get pulled. In much the same way, has anyone noticed how as soon as the season was done, ALL of the high profile schools started putting the full court press on kids that may have verbally committed to other schools? This includes Harbaugh, Meyer, Fleck, you name it. If they think there is a chance to get a foot in the door, they are going to take it.

Does it suck for the kid? Absolutely. But it is what it is. And while I don't care for the man personally, I don't blame Fleck at all. If the kid was never going to see the field at WMU, why not tell him that and let him move on? Which is what it sounds like ultimately happened.

(01-22-2016 09:46 AM)WheresWaldo42 Wrote:  Unfortunately, THIS type of story is simply what college football is. I find it funny that Harbaugh is taking heat this week for dropping recruits or recruits decommitting. There are only so many slots in each years class. Harbaugh, Fleck, Bono, and on down the line are going to be recruiting 50-60 kids (maybe more) for 25 spots each year. And until signing day, nobody truly knows who is or isn't coming to play for them. So if you have a 3 star with history of injury that has verbally committed and a 4 star at the same position with no injury history commits, often times that 3 stars scholly might get pulled. In much the same way, has anyone noticed how as soon as the season was done, ALL of the high profile schools started putting the full court press on kids that may have verbally committed to other schools? This includes Harbaugh, Meyer, Fleck, you name it. If they think there is a chance to get a foot in the door, they are going to take it.

Does it suck for the kid? Absolutely. But it is what it is. And while I don't care for the man personally, I don't blame Fleck at all. If the kid was never going to see the field at WMU, why not tell him that and let him move on? Which is what it sounds like ultimately happened.

That is a good point. If it begins to look like the kid is not the right fit, in the light of transparency, he deserves to get that info so he can move on to a better situation. Better to know the truth than dwell in fantasy.

Seems like this type of story can be written for nearly every program, nearly every year. For a lot of the reasons WW42 said. You feel for an inexperienced 18-year-old caught in the web of what's essentially a real world cut-throat business, but that's exactly what it is.

Sometimes a newspaper writer strikes gold, gets some hard-luck quotes and can build a little novella around it, complete with dramatics like the pile of WMU gear that bookends the story.

Still, not the sort of press Fleck or WMU would want.

(01-22-2016 09:46 AM)WheresWaldo42 Wrote:  Unfortunately, THIS type of story is simply what college football is. I find it funny that Harbaugh is taking heat this week for dropping recruits or recruits decommitting. There are only so many slots in each years class. Harbaugh, Fleck, Bono, and on down the line are going to be recruiting 50-60 kids (maybe more) for 25 spots each year. And until signing day, nobody truly knows who is or isn't coming to play for them. So if you have a 3 star with history of injury that has verbally committed and a 4 star at the same position with no injury history commits, often times that 3 stars scholly might get pulled. In much the same way, has anyone noticed how as soon as the season was done, ALL of the high profile schools started putting the full court press on kids that may have verbally committed to other schools? This includes Harbaugh, Meyer, Fleck, you name it. If they think there is a chance to get a foot in the door, they are going to take it.

Does it suck for the kid? Absolutely. But it is what it is. And while I don't care for the man personally, I don't blame Fleck at all. If the kid was never going to see the field at WMU, why not tell him that and let him move on? Which is what it sounds like ultimately happened.

The money and pressure in D-I athletics is crazy. Read John L. Bacon's recent book on Dave Brandon's athletic department at Michigan. Those coaches had the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, and that was reflected in how they treated their players. Not much different at the MAC level, either.

If your kid does not have the ability to play pro, or make the Olympics, competing at the D-II or D-III level makes a lot more sense. In most cases, there is no sacrifice on education quality (usually better at a small school) and if your kid has grades and test scores, will likely get the necessary financial assistance.

Moral of the story = don't offer schollies to kids based on what they do in their underwear (non-contact Summer camp), especially those who missed Junior season due to injury.

Also, how could Madison participate in Fall Camp if he wasn't going to begin school until January - and not get a physical by our medical staff?

I agree that in a perfect world the kid gets a chance to come and compete, and it certainly sounds like this timeline could've been handled better.

I don't necessarily have an issue with the staff saying "hey, you're still welcome to come here with a medical redshirt but honestly your chances of playing are slim" but it is a problem if they're doing so intentionally late to keep him from rivals. Unfortunately this is the game that gets played in CFB these days.

I think this has everything to do with timing and there is nothing nefarious about it.
It sounds like Fleck tried to send the kid a message in fall workouts, kid didn't want to believe it and stuck it out knowing it was looking real thin. It doesn't sound like Fleck cut him loose right off, sounds like he was being dead honest about his prospects and said the only route is medical RS.....sounds like it was talked about in the fall????
Sounds to me like the kid was holding out hope that his one D-1 offer would still come through.....sounds to me like the Chippewas used this incident to bash WMU and had no intention of ever signing this kid.....
Sounds to me like if this kid had better options he would have flown the coup long ago.....he didn't and held out and now he is sore about it