jackgold said:
Guys & Gals;
If you think we should accept marginal kids, consider this: *What courses (at Michigan) will they pass? *Keep in mind that many can barely pass a HS class, have seriously impaired reading skills, no math skills whatever ... *We do not have a scholastic analog of "right field" ( a metaphor from little league baseball) where we can hide these young men for more than a semester. *The big question, I suppose, is this: *will they grow up fast enough to learn that they have to take academics as seriously as work outs in the sport they play? *I believe that they can show this willingness by their actions in the classroom during their senior year. *By then tho' it may be too late for Michigan to come into the recruiting picture. *If we were not so far behind (last in the big 10???) in graduation rates for athletes, perhaps we could indulge in some risky recruiting. *I like RR but this is part of the not so attractive legacy he left us with *Seriously. ...
your argument is sound from the academic perspective
but, from the football (or basketball) perspective
U-M has done this for 20 years, not 3 ... and kids got through because of the academic support program presumably.
I think I can easily point out an average of 3 (or so) kids a year who've been admitted going back 20+ years (incl. Woodley, Manningham, Branch, Crable, Burgess, Watson , and on and on and on and on) who are our U-M heros and who all made it.
If under RR it went to 5 kids a year instead of 3 (if), then that is the admissions folks, not RR ... RR worked under the guidelines given him ... in fact he had little-or-no clout with them, I know that as a fact ... whereas LC had a lotta clout with them
Now, I know it's true that there's no phys ed anymore for these kids to go into, and that kinesiology no longer wants them either (even tho that was STARTED for these kids) ... however that's been true for 5 years now at U-M. The change I'm talking about is this year.
So ... bottom like:
U-M is tighter now than in 20 years (not 3) ... and we'll just see how it turns out -- hopefully, GREAT! Hopefully there'll be enough talent. If so -- then it's GREAT.
In the end, it's Wins and Losses Hoke'll be judged on, not GPA.