Different year, same story. So sorry, m2

[Van]

http://usc.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=905256

Coulda swore you had "inside info" about that guy and Randall Carroll both switching to Cal.

Then there's this...

http://www.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=904901

They're still very much in the running for Mante Te'o too and of late there's even been talk that they're now in the mix to de-commit Bryce Brown from Miami.

Ummm, how's Cal doing again?

[Blueblood]

We're good.

We've got Allen Bridgford .... who completely outplayed the #1 qb prospect in the country.

Oh yeah, he also SMASHED all of M. Sanchez's records at Mission Viejo.


Kennard wasn't willing to COMPETE... academically and choose south central.


Why should he.... when he can have his family live in a half a Million dollar home for FREE!!! (sup Reggie) or have a 3,000 dollar a month apartment OFF CAMPUS (sup Matt Lienart).

Why go to school.... when you don't have too ???? (sup private schools)

[M Club]

(sup private schools)

this gets filed under flight itineraries and holding calls.

[Van]

The guy has a 3.96 GPA but he wasn't willing to compete academically.

Yep, that was probably it. Exactly.

[SoCalTrjn]

Losing Gafney hurts a little bit but when Teo signs with USC, I'll be happy.

I understand that Shoemate has been working out at fullback a lot so he may be able to step in and play a bit

18 recruits and 8 of them are among the top 100 in the nation... and still a few announcements to be made

[Van]

If they get both Burfict and Te'o that would be the two best LB prospects in the country.

Maualuga & Cushing, The Sequel?

[Vito Corleone]

Mante Te'o will never play for USC. Even if he commits, he will attend school his freshmen year and then go on a Mormon mission. When he comes back it will take him at lease 2 or 3 years to get back into football shape. I highly doubt USC is going to hold a scholarship for him. I know what they are promising but the reality is you can hold the ship and hope he pans out after his mission or you can offer it to a stud 5-star.

My guess is even if he commits to USC after his mission he ends up at BYU or Utah.

[Laxplayer]

Teo is not impressed with the environment around $UC and that may play a part in where he goes. Burfict may not qualify. Now, how can he not qualify to get into $UC. If half the idiots they have got in and this guy can't he must be really academically deficient.

[Laxplayer]

The Tulsa World ran a story today saying that Carroll said some pretty unflattering things about the USC coaches.

There's a shock.

[Van]

Vito, well, according to Rivals Te'o just recently (a few days ago, on January 24th) "officially" narrowed his choices down to three schools: ND, UCLA and USC.

Surprised the hell out of me too, to see the supposed front runner, BYU, fall out of consideration. In previous weeks it was supposed to be coming down to BYU vs USC.

As for the whole going off on a mission thing, anybody who's been recruiting the kid knows his situation. With BYU now out of the equation and with his choices now being narrowed down to three decidedly non Mormon schools I think it's safe to say that he's not going on any two year missions any time soon.

Lax, I have no idea about Te'o's feelings about USC's campus and its surroundings. I do know however that quite a few Pacific Islanders managed to overcome whatever misgivings they might've had about playing in South Central.

Worked out pretty well for a couple of Tatupus, Palomalu, Lutui, Maeva and Maualuga. Probably Te'o will see this and it won't persist in being too much of an issue.

I don't know though. Where are you getting your info on that one?

As for Randall Carroll, well, who really knows? He's still a USC commitment but it remains to be seen how it'll pan out. Supposedly he was concerned with Sarkisian leaving and supposedly USC allayed his concerns and he's now okay with Johnny Morton.

USC had to overcome the same thing with Devon Kennard, when Nick Holt followed Sarkisian to Washington.

Another issue with Carroll and USC is Carroll wants to play offense and Pete is projecting him more as an NFL prospect at CB.

This is the latest I've found regarding Randall Caroll and USC...

http://wearesc.com/news/story.php?article=1757

Carroll's last official visit was on the 23rd, at USC. USC got the final crack at him. That usually bodes well.

Off topic, one thing I'm reading more and more is that things are changing a little bit at USC, with Pete. Pete is apparently genuinely pissed, for the first time during his tenure at USC. He's pissed that USC hasn't been in the crystal football game more often. He's dead nuts convinced that in a one game situation USC would've beaten Florida or any other team.

So, in some ways he's apparently changing his thinking. For one thing, he's supposedly come to the realization that in order for USC to go to the crystal football game USC has to flat out dominate, every time. They have to win with style points.

Pete supposedly believes special teams dominance is an area that is growing in importance in CF so for the first time he's gone ahead and hired a dedicated special teams coordinator.

Who knows, it may all be smoke and mirrors. The impression given though is that Pete's usual party line about USC's main goal every year being to win the Rose Bowl is beginning to go by the wayside. Supposedly Pete is genuinely pissed to the point that he's specifically targeting the crystal football now, including the domination needed by USC to get the opportunity to play for it.

Could be interesting. Let's see if USC comes out killing people next year, including staying on the gas and running up scores.

Sanchez staying sure would've helped towards this goal. Dammit.

[King Crimson]

Te'o and BYU: alcohol at recruiting party...

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705280576,00.html

By Jeff Call and Amy Donaldson

Deseret News
Published: January 27, 2009

Allegations of honor code violations during a recruiting visit at BYU a few weeks ago has caused an uproar on the local sports radio airwaves and Internet chatrooms.

Sources say an incident that took place while more than 20 recruits visited campus on Jan. 9-11 allegedly involved the drinking of alcohol — which is a violation of the school's honor code.

Monday afternoon, responding to an attempt by the Deseret News (as well as other media outlets) to ascertain more about the situation, BYU released a statement by coach Bronco Mendenhall, who is on the road recruiting.

In the brief statement, Mendenhall acknowledged that some in-house action has been taken.

"The matter has been handled internally by the football program in keeping with team rules and university standards," he said. "The appropriate lessons are being learned, and the people involved and the program are moving forward."

A sports radio report by Hans Olsen, a former BYU player who is a talk show host on 1280 AM The Zone, implicated five-star recruit Manti Te'o. Last weekend, Te'o, widely regarded as the top prep linebacker in the country, said he had narrowed his college choices to three — USC, UCLA and Notre Dame — and eliminated BYU from consideration.

According to Olsen's report, Te'o did not reject BYU, but rather, BYU rescinded its scholarship offer because of a violation of the honor code.

However, Te'o's father, Brian, contacted Monday night by the Deseret News, and Te'o himself, adamantly denied any involvement in the incident referenced by Mendenhall in his statement.

"(Manti) heard some of the rumors going around, but he wasn't involved," said Brian. "He loves Bronco. He loved the campus. Manti decided not to go to BYU based on criteria he'd set for himself."

Manti Te'o did tell his father that coaches called recruits and players into their offices the morning after the alleged incident and questioned them about some of the reports.

"He was pulled into Bronco's office," said his father. "He said, 'I didn't see anything. I don't know anything.'"

Manti told his father that while the questions were upsetting, the conversation was not confrontational.

Brian Te'o said he was surprised when his son eliminated the Cougars from his short list.

"When he did that, we were surprised," Brian said. "But we knew how difficult this decision has been. He spoke to Bronco, expressed his thanks, and from what I heard of the conversation, it seemed like a very positive conversation."

Meanwhile, the Deseret News made an inquiry Monday of the student status of two freshmen football players in the program who have been linked by sources to the alleged incident. Like at other schools, current players host recruits during recruiting visits.

BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said the two players specified by the Deseret News are under review by the school's honor code office. However, those two players are not necessarily tied to the alleged recruiting trip incident, which is why the Deseret News has chosen to not publish their names.

Contributing: Dick Harmon. E-mail: jcall@desnews.com; adonaldson@desnews.com

[PSUFAN]

The Tulsa World ran a story today saying that Carroll said some pretty unflattering things about the USC coaches.

There's a shock.

RACK Radio Fan. The finger of T1B is penetrating many pies.

[Dinsdale]

I think both Bryce will wind up at KSU.

Certainly KSU has a geographical advantage.

Rumor mill around here has him decoming Miami for Oregon.

Then again, the next time the rumor mill nails an Oregon signing early will be the first time. The "done deal" designation of a recruit in reality is never a done deal, it's universally been the kiss-of-death...

See Tahj Boyd for an example... that was a done deal, too. Apparently in Eugene, they have a different definition of "done deal" from the rest of us.

Although Oregon seems to put RBs in the NFL at quite a clip (but maybe not like Miami, but rumor has it something has disillusioned him towards Miami), so that's a big help.


Hehehe... look at us CFB honks... once again reduced to rumormongering for a few weeks. Bring on September already, so we can get back to what's really important in the sports wprld... making fun of SECFan.

[Dinsdale]

I do know however that quite a few Pacific Islanders managed to overcome whatever misgivings they might've had about playing in South Central.

Worked out pretty well for... Palomalu

Uhm... you realize Troy Palomalu was born in SoCal, and grew up in Oregon, right?

Does that make Joe McKnight "African"?

[Van]

Hans Olsen, a former BYU player

Hans Olsen. Does that not just sound like a BYU player??



What, former BYU standout LaQuinta Kayeesha Washington wasn't available for comment?

Man, it's gotta be tough sledding, being a recruiter for BYU. If the kid isn't Mormon, and most stud football players aren't, then that's gotta be one tough sell...

"Listen kid, I know you're used to being BMOC. You're used to your entire existence playing out like a BET rap video. Bitches by the score hanging on your jock, getting into any night club you want...never ending partying. Loads of black people everywhere. Familiar foods, familiar music, even barbers who are familiar with the techniques necessary to create those crazy ass dreads or zig zag patterns all up and down the side of your shaved melon.

You're eighteen years old and you're about to hit the pussy lotto. College co-eds, anyway you want 'em, as much as you can handle.

Oh, and future NFL stardom too, with an NFL paycheck, which will make your college partying days seem like Romper Room stuff.

I get that. You got it all kid, right there on a silver platter. I envy you. Hell, I'd suck your dick myself were it not for our blasted rules.

Rules are rules, you know.

But look, here's what I can offer you. Check this shit out...

For starters, we have an Honor Code. You'll be required to never lie, cheat, drink alcohol, smoke pot or have sex.

No fuggen sex, you got that? Yeah, I know, you'll be surrounded by wealthy, sexually repressed and absolutely stunning girls-next-door white chicks.

No sex. Period. No beer parties, and no sex.

You're eighteen. You weren't planning on having sex and drinking beer any time soon anyway, right?

Check that. You can have sex, but you gotta get married first, and then you can only have sex with your wife. You were planning on getting married and settling down to a life of monogamy during your college football party days, right?

Oh, and that polygamy thing maybe you heard about? Nah, not so much anymore. It'll just be you and your one wife, or it's no sex for you.

You cool with that? Great.

Moving on...

You'll be one of only five black people in the whole state. The other four coloreds also attend BYU and Utah on athletic schollies and for some reason they're all homesick and miserable and they say they can't stand 'crazy Samoans' and 'boring ass Howdy Doody white folk.'

Dunno why. They've got issues, I guess. You'll be different though, I just know it.

On the plus side though, yeah, we've got Samoans coming out our ass. You'll dig you some Samoans. They'll probably wanna teach you that Haka dance shit, or whatever they call it. You're black, I'm sure you can dance. You'll pick it up in no time flat.

Loads of white people, and Samoans.

Also, it's upper Utah. Bring a warm coat. It gets a bit nippy 'round these parts. I know you're from Florida but you know what, anybody can live in bitchin' weather, with bikini chicks all over the place. You're different. You're gonna love ice and snow and hiking and reading our whacked out bible.

No sex though, and no alcohol, not even at frat parties. Remember that. We're still good, right?

Here's another cool thing about coming to play for BYU. You'll be playing in the prestigious Mountain West Conference, against football powerhouses like Wyoming, San Diego St and UNLV. You'll love winter roadies in Laramie. The air is so crisp. Fresh air. Very fresh air.

You like cowboys, right? Everyone likes cowboys.

Here's the kicker though. If you come play for us you'll never have an opportunity to play for the national title. All your buddies who went to Florida, LSU, Ohio St, Oklahoma and USC? Yeah, sure, they'll be on tv a lot and they'll probably get picked ahead of you in the NFL draft because they got to play against much better competition and they got to play a whole bunch more nationally televised big games.

You don't play for championships though, right? You play for the love of the sport. You just wanna line up with all your white and Samoan teammates and whoop up on some Aztec ass.

Anyway, that tv exposure and national title stuff is overrated. Big deal. We have snow. And no alcohol or sex, and a crazy ass whacked out religion. It'll be good for you. Builds character.

We here at BYU are all about building character. Oh, and tithing. Tithing? Don't worry about it, I'll explain that later. You'll love it, if you ever get that NFL paycheck. Warms the soul.

Anyway, here at BYU it's about building character. You're all about building character, aren't you, Ju'whirl?

Btw, keep your calender open. Don't make any big plans. You might be going on a little trip.

By the way, how's your Cantonese? Did you do well in your Spanish class? It's just like riding a bicycle, you know. It'll all come back to you.

Oh, and speaking of bicycles..."

[Dinsdale]

RACKing Van over here... and I'm guessing that somewhere, Haloti Ngata is RACKing him too.

[Vito Corleone]

Holy crap Van pretty much summed up the BYU experience. BTW not sure what provo is like but up here in the Clearfield Ogden area there are black people everywhere. Mexicans also. I'm sure it has to do with being next to one of the biggest air force bases in the country but it feels a lot more like Texas than it does in SLC.

Too bad the kid eliminated BYU I try to catch a CFB game up here once or twice a year and I really was hoping I could snag one of him. But from the sounds of his experience that Mormon mission probably ain't going to happen. If that is the case then USC is more than likely his final destination.

[Dinsdale]

Sidenote -- the first MWC game ever played was dominated by a U&L guy who went on to win a Doak Walker... so it's not out of the question to field a decent team of Mormons.

[Van]

I do know however that quite a few Pacific Islanders managed to overcome whatever misgivings they might've had about playing in South Central.

Worked out pretty well for... Palomalu

Uhm... you realize Troy Palomalu was born in SoCal, and grew up in Oregon, right?

Does that make Joe McKnight "African"?

"African American," yes, according to Change You Can Believe In.

Not that it'll ever happen, what with his rather large NFL salary and benefits package, but should good ol' Troy Palomalu ever find himself faced with the task of filling out government aid forms or even many a job application he'll most certainly check off "Pacific Islander" or "Choose not to answer" when he's asked to fill out that wonderful little ethnicity question.

He won't check off "White," "Caucasian," "African American," "Latino" or "Asian."

Probably won't check off "Eskimo" either.

Nope, even if Troy grew up in Des Moines he'd still be considered a Pacific Islander by ethnicity; or, if you prefer, a Pacific Islander American.

Gotta always keep the Change You Can Believe in PC obsessed crowd mollified.

Speaking of which, I'm rather irked about something. In fact I feel a new thread topic coming on, which will likely end up on the main board...

[PSUFAN]

Van smacked it out of the yard, and the adjoining yard. Zounds!

[SoCalTrjn]

I do know however that quite a few Pacific Islanders managed to overcome whatever misgivings they might've had about playing in South Central.

Worked out pretty well for... Palomalu

Uhm... you realize Troy Palomalu was born in SoCal, and grew up in Oregon, right?

Does that make Joe McKnight "African"?

what do you consider growing up? he was sent to live with an uncle in Oregon in 10th grade when his mom worried he would join a gang, is the 3 years he spent in Oregon more "growing up" than the 15-16 he had spent in So Cal?
Either way he didnt grow up in Hawaii but USC has a huge tradition of Pacific Islanders who grew up in and away from California and a huge population and support program for them in Southern California
Come on Manti, come to USC, either play for USC for the next 4 years, or lose to them, choice is yours son.

[Van]

Come on Manti, come to USC, either play for USC for the next 4 years, or lose to them, choice is yours son.

This is actually quite accurate, what with UCLA and ND being his only other choices now.

[M Club]

what do you consider growing up? he was sent to live with an uncle in Oregon in 10th grade when his mom worried he would join a gang, is the 3 years he spent in Oregon more "growing up" than the 15-16 he had spent in So Cal?

i read this as "palomalu wouldn't be where he is today if it weren't for oregon."

[Van]

Oregon is where he learned all about hair styling.

[Laxplayer]

Lax, I have no idea about Te'o's feelings about USC's campus and its surroundings. I do know however that quite a few Pacific Islanders managed to overcome whatever misgivings they might've had about playing in South Central.
Worked out pretty well for a couple of Tatupus, Palomalu, Lutui, Maeva and Maualuga. Probably Te'o will see this and it won't persist in being too much of an issue.
I don't know though. Where are you getting your info on that one?

I can't tell you where I get my info. A good reporter never reveals his sources.

[Van]

Neither does m2...

[King Crimson]

(sup private schools)

this gets filed under flight itineraries and holding calls.

i'll rack this. the m2 public vs. private school "take" was an all-time mouth laxative....and very much level with the time zone excuse for losing to Maryland (who lost to Middle Tennessee) and the one holding call that cost Cal the W in a 2 score game against SC.

[PSUFAN]

Neither does m2...

He lets others reveal them for him.

[the_ouskull]

(sup private schools)

this gets filed under flight itineraries and holding calls.

i'll rack this. the m2 public vs. private school "take" was an all-time mouth laxative....and very much level with the time zone excuse for losing to Maryland (who lost to Middle Tennessee) and the one holding call that cost Cal the W in a 2 score game against SC.

This burns my pee to do it, but I have to, in the interest of fairness...

Are you telling me that Duke Robinson's holding call didn't (potentially) cost OU a National Championship this year?

the_ouskull

[the_ouskull]

He'd have gotten another one off. I'm pretty sure we had 105 yards worth of penalties on that f'in' drive...

the_ouskull