I understand every word you wrote. It is some of the ideas that I have a problem with.
Why did Hackett receive many letters of complaint, if sleeping at a recruits house is fine and not a big deal? Who complains about something that is fine?
I said nothing about flipping recruits. Do you know who began that practice in the Big Ten. Prior to Urban Meyer being the coach at OSU, there had been a "gentleman's agreement" that no Big Ten school would go after a kid that was committed to another Big Ten school. Since Meyer started the practice it has become common in the conference. When did Franklin refuse to speak with a verbal commit. The answer is never.
You are the one who said "If this is Harbaugh's process then so be it". People still call Franklin a used car salesman. That doesn't bother me at all. I have bought used cars before and the process was fine. However, I have never heard him called "creepy".
In fact, it was Rich Rodriguez who was first Big Ten coach to be (publicly) accused of breaking the so-called Gentlemen's Agreement when Roy Roundtree decommitted from Purdue, to pledge to Michigan.
I doubt though, that Rodriguez was truly the first. I'm not that naive.
I'm fine with our current recruiting. I love the concept of a meritocracy, because pledging to a school several months in advance and then kicking back and not working to keep the spot is bad for the kid and bad for the school that would be saddled with him.
Sleepovers. Yeah, it's new twist on an old theme. Coaches camping out on the front lawn - Ty Willingham.
Coaches stalking recruits: Urban Meyer. Coaches writing a recruit 50 letters a day: Bradley.
Old theme: we want you to attend our school.
I totally understand fans here and of other programs loving Brady Hoke, or more specifically, Michigan losing.
I didn't see the love and respect while he was there, mind you, but it's amazing how much I am seeing now.
I really didn't like Brady's way of handling things, like not being fully aware his QB has been severely drilled, likely concussed, and should not go back in the game. I can't respect a kid being processed like that.
I can't respect the way he processed a kid like Thomas Rawls, who not see the field under the big affable fellow but is magically good enough to excel in the NFL. That is processing at its absolute worst.
Bungling might be a better word, but Rawls WAS caught up in a process only Hoke can understand so it's quite applicable.
I see the over-arching theme here though is the same as always: Penn State does it better.
Well, maybe they do. Franklin recruiting for PSU while still employed at Vandy demonstrates...initiative...but some other things as well.
Go Blue. Always.