Bay99
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 510
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Post by Bay99 on May 23, 2009 12:00:50 GMT -5
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Buckets
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,656
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Post by Buckets on May 23, 2009 13:35:58 GMT -5
That thread must be like Latavious Williams times ten.
I think if a Georgetown recruit did that Hoyatalk might just have to be locked down for the next month.
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DanMcQ
Moderator 
Posts: 32,072
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Post by DanMcQ on May 23, 2009 14:12:45 GMT -5
The story speaks for itself.
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vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,875
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Post by vcjack on May 23, 2009 14:43:17 GMT -5
The funny thing is that BadgerNation.com (the scout board that Parrish is talking about) isn't that hysterical of a message board and the mods keep a very tight leash over there.
Its an important lesson that it can happen anywhere
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on May 24, 2009 8:40:14 GMT -5
I think either the kid was looking for an excuse to get out or is just pusillanimous.
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jgalt
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 4,380
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Post by jgalt on May 28, 2009 9:07:30 GMT -5
The story speaks for itself. So do the comments on that story which are rather ironic |
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hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,387
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Post by hifigator on May 28, 2009 10:30:56 GMT -5
Two keys to this story for sure:
1. Yes, there is some validity to the argument that what we say on boards like this are actually read by players sometimes and it certainly can affect their mental state. In other words, they might not be able to let it be water off the duck's back.
but
2. Kids that are looking for a situation where there won't be any negativity are naive at best. Kids who are looking for an institution where they won't be held accountable and where people won't second guess their decisions are heading for nothing but disappointment.
So I think that we should be aware of the need to be cautious with what we say and write, but I also think that today's prospective student-athletes need to be realistic in their expectations.
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theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506 
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Post by theexorcist on May 28, 2009 10:33:18 GMT -5
Every single board has threads on players. Recruiting-based boards analyze prospective recruits, including their abilities and any potential roadblocks, including academics.
"Do people really want me here?" Blue told Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "Because I know if I was a fan and I heard about a recruit [who might be struggling academically], I'd be more like: 'What can we do to help him?' And not, 'Let's make him feel like the worst person in Madison right now.'""
Never gonna happen - fans can't do anything to help recruits who can't get eligible. And they don't want "him" there - they want his basketball skills.
This is a depressing instruction to Mr. Blue that college sports is a zero-sum business. People don't like you because you're a good person - they like you because you solve their point guard needs and can rebound. The message boards simply make it easier to realize that people don't care about you if you can't qualify.
This is not an indictment of miscreants (there are skeevy message boards that pass on personal information for harassment). It's not even an indictment of message boards in general - player topics on the HoyaTalk recruiting board treat each player like chattel who may solve problems but who get passed over when there's little interest or after a few bad games. ESPN and other services don't get into a center's ability to speak Mongolian or that he helps out old ladies, but that he led his team to the state title and is a seven-footer.
And yes, he's a high schooler, but that's kind of what sports does - gymnasts and tennis players and soccer players are all, by 16, doing their stuff (and most are getting paid, but it's barely subsistence). If you go to a Big Ten school and do well in sports, you will become the king of the campus - and if you don't like that, you can go to a smaller school or not pursue basketball.
Short version - this isn't new.
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hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,387
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Post by hifigator on May 28, 2009 14:44:42 GMT -5
exorcist, I don't think it's "new," and I wouldn't argue with many of your points. But there's no denying that improvements in technology allow a greater flow of information. The literal wealth of information available at your fingertips on the internet simply can't be denied. This is one consequence of such information. In other words, these exact same conversations have been going on since day one. But if they happen at the barber shop or over a pint of Guiness, they aren't too likely to cause many secondary problems.
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