Indiana / Illinois

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

I saw the renege on his committment before the season - that was a cheap shot. Technical? No way.

Fanboy alert, fanboy alert......

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Fanboy alert, fanboy alert......

Yeah, they always seem to start popping up this time of year.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Fanboy alert, fanboy alert......

At least this fanboy will probably be fading back into the woodwork after the first round of the Big Ten tournament this year.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

At least this fanboy will probably be fading back into the woodwork after the first round of the Big Ten tournament this year.

Geeze, how can you get mad at the kid, Gordon, anyway? He was a free agent. That means he gets to accept the best offer.

Indiana just has a higher salary cap. Shrug.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Geeze, how can you get mad at the kid, Gordon, anyway? He was a free agent. That means he gets to accept the best offer.

Indiana just has a higher salary cap. Shrug.

See that's the thing, Illinois didn't think he was a free agent. Apparently the kid's word doesn't mean much.

But, it would've been nice to have him here, if only to teach some of the other IL players how to shoot FT's. Pruitt had a chance to put IL ahead in both regulation and the first OT if he would've made just one...just one lousy FT...one is all I'm asking...

[fullor30]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

See that's the thing, Illinois didn't think he was a free agent. Apparently the kid's word doesn't mean much.

But, it would've been nice to have him here, if only to teach some of the other IL players how to shoot FT's. Pruitt had a chance to put IL ahead in both regulation and the first OT if he would've made just one...just one lousy FT...one is all I'm asking...

Kind of like a coach who sits down to apple pie at a recruit's house with mom and says he will take care of her boy and make sure he's tucked in at night and graduates. He then bolts for Upper U and a fatter offer the first chance he gets.

Please, any 17-18 year old kid has far better ethics than anyone associated with any big time program.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by fullor30

Please, any 17-18 year old kid has far better ethics than anyone associated with any big time program.

Naw, I think that most of both sides share the same lack of ethics when it comes to the recruiting merry-go-round.

The rah-rah, sis boom bah boolsh!t went out of style a long time ago.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

See that's the thing, Illinois didn't think he was a free agent. Apparently the kid's word doesn't mean much.

You're actually trying to apply the concept of ethics to D1 recruiting?

Silly monkey!

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

You're actually trying to apply the concept of ethics to D1 recruiting?

Silly monkey!

Picture of M&M Guy reading about ethics:

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

See that's the thing, Illinois didn't think he was a free agent. Apparently the kid's word doesn't mean much.

Wait a minute. The Illini fan is coming out. Your word only applies when everything stays the same. Gordon changed his mind because the circumstances changed. He verbally committed to Illinois because Davis was the coach at Indiana. And based on Davis' unstable behavior I would not have wanted to play for him either. Davis retired and the kid changed his mind because the circumstances at Indiana changed. Any adult has a right to change their mind from time to time and definitely when circumstances change.

Just take the loss like a true Illini fan and stop blaming your failure on a kid that wanted to stay home.

Peace

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Wait a minute. The Illini fan is coming out. Your word only applies when everything stays the same. Gordon changed his mind because the circumstances changed. He verbally committed to Illinois because Davis was the coach at Indiana. And based on Davis' unstable behavior I would not have wanted to play for him either. Davis retired and the kid changed his mind because the circumstances at Indiana changed. Any adult has a right to change their mind from time to time and definitely when circumstances change.

Just take the loss like a true Illini fan and stop blaming your failure on a kid that wanted to stay home.

Peace

Hey, first of all, I'm blaming the loss on terrible FT shooting. Well, ok, I'm blaming it on Gordon for not being here to teach better FT shooting...

But I would certainly feel better if IL could play MI a few more times.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Hey, first of all, I'm blaming the loss on terrible FT shooting. Well, ok, I'm blaming it on Gordon for not being here to teach better FT shooting...

But I would certainly feel better if IL could play MI a few more times.

We have national championship banners hanging up in our gym. Maybe that success could rub off.

Peace

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Your word only applies when everything stays the same. Gordon changed his mind because the circumstances changed.

Well, I just re-read this, and have a question for you - what about the IL program changed? Did the coaching staff change? Did the scholarship offer change? Did the program get placed on probation since his commitment? Did the school burn down or lose it's accreditation? There's nothing about the program he committed to that changed.

I think it's wrong the NCAA locks in a kid who signs a letter of intent, even though the coach might leave. And in this case, Gordon didn't sign anything, so he is free to make another decision.

Let me ask you this - an AD calls you to do a game next season on a Friday night, and you agree to take the game. A little while later, an AD from another school calls you to do a game for them on that same night. The school's a little closer, and the pay is a little more. Do you honor your first commitment, even though you haven't signed the contract yet? Or do you take the closer game, call the first AD back and tell them , "Never mind"? Have you done anything "wrong" by taking the second game? No. Is it it right? No.

Gordon didn't do anything "wrong" either. But that still doesn't keep us IL fans from being grumpy about it.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Gordon didn't do anything "wrong" either. But that still doesn't keep us IL fans from being grumpy about it.

Hey, you came up a Hummer short. Deal with it.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Well, I just re-read this, and have a question for you - what about the IL program changed? Did the coaching staff change? Did the scholarship offer change? Did the program get placed on probation since his commitment? Did the school burn down or lose it's accreditation? There's nothing about the program he committed to that changed.

Come on now, you know his decision was not just about the Illini.

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

I think it's wrong the NCAA locks in a kid who signs a letter of intent, even though the coach might leave. And in this case, Gordon didn't sign anything, so he is free to make another decision.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Let me ask you this - an AD calls you to do a game next season on a Friday night, and you agree to take the game. A little while later, an AD from another school calls you to do a game for them on that same night. The school's a little closer, and the pay is a little more. Do you honor your first commitment, even though you haven't signed the contract yet? Or do you take the closer game, call the first AD back and tell them , "Never mind"? Have you done anything "wrong" by taking the second game? No. Is it it right? No.

It all depends on the circumstances and the situations surrounding my decision. If what I was told was not true or changed after my decision, I might change my mind and I have in those situations. I have backed out of many of those situations because I was lied to about everything from the level I was to work to what I was supposed to be paid, to the time the game was suppose to start. If the situation changes, I have a right to not work any game if what I was told was not true. And that would be the very same if I had a contract. That is why I do not make a habit to work without contracts.

Also keep in mind that a kid going to a college is a life changing decision and the most important decision a kid will make at that point in their life. And just like any student that graduates from any good school, their life is affected by that decision much more than whether I accept a game that only will affect me for one evening. I do not look at the two situations the same on any level.

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Gordon didn't do anything "wrong" either. But that still doesn't keep us IL fans from being grumpy about it.

That is fine, but do not make it sound like the kid violated some code of ethics to stay closer to home (Which is going to affect his family more than you will ever know. I say that because I had two family members that played major college football). There is more at stake in his life than whether he plays basketball at the Illini.

Peace