MySpace and Recruiting

[Padraig]

I'm sure that there's a fine line to walk between getting your name out there and getting noticed by schools, coaching staffs, and even to a lesser extent fans to generate a "buzz" about you and self promoting vs. jumping into a big ole can of worms that the recruiting process can become when the fan(atic)s of college sports get involved and start to report whether you're wearing scarlet & grey underwear or maize & blue on a particular day.

I don't think many of the student athletes truly know how overwhelming the hype & pressure & expectations put on them can become.

Kindof makes me think of Eric Haw's (paraphrasing) "You all know what I did...it's Ohio State" quote discussed a few days ago in his thread. Well it's Ohio State and Big Ten and SEC football, etc., etc. And sites like MySpace obviously 'feeds the monster' so to speak, to get inside these kid's heads and learn who they are and what they potentially bring to the table for our football programs.

I'm as 'guilty' as anyone searching for the latest info...any little piece of info suggesting that we have a shot with a future hopeful next Buckeye Great. I guess as Fans we have to find our own line to walk and be careful not to slip too far over to the fanatic side of that line.

 

[barlow1802]

How can it be a violation if an unaffiliated OSU fan leaves messages for a kid telling him what school to go to? Unless the person is offering money or is affiliated with OSU, there is no violation, or is there?

What do these kids expect when they put out their info in a public forum as widespread as myspace. I don't have any sympathy for people who do that and then whine about the unintended bad effects.

money shot

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Prospects invite world to their lives

By TRAE THOMPSON

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Tray Allen has heard from the Texas Longhorns, but it hasn't been around town or at games.
It's been on his MySpace page.
"There's not been any coaches, but a lot of fans," said the South Grand Prairie senior offensive lineman, who has committed to Texas. "People contact me asking stuff like, 'How do you weigh this much? How did you get your footwork?'"
The popular site that allows people to have their own Web pages could be the newest tool in college football recruiting. Recruits and coaches have pages, but problems arise with truthfulness and the inability to monitor content.
Starting a MySpace page is free and simply requires registration. People then can design their own pages, leave comments on other pages and send e-mails to others.
Some prominent recruits in Texas often hear from fans. Hempstead receiver Terrence Toliver, a member of the Star-Telegram Elite 11, has two comments on his MySpace page urging him to attend Nebraska. Texarkana, Texas, quarterback Ryan Mallett, another Elite 11 member who has committed to Michigan, has numerous comments displayed from Wolverines fans with good wishes, images of T-shirts with his name and requests to have him lure running back Noel Devine of North Fort Myers, Fla., considered one of the nation's best at the position.
"That's amazing," said University of Houston senior quarterback Kevin Kolb, a former player at Stephenville. "Every angle is getting worked, and it's going to continue to escalate."
The NCAA has no specific rules regarding MySpace, but has rules about improper contact between recruits and "representatives of an institution's athletic interests." That led the Kentucky men's basketball team to report secondary rules violations in July after fans contacted a potential recruit on his MySpace page.
"That's the one thing that's the scary part," said Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor for Rivals.com. "No one knows if there's some illegal contact going on. Even though people on MySpace are supposed to be who they are, I guarantee there are 500 pages claiming to be Vince Young. You don't know who anybody is in these things, and it's scary that there could be communication between recruits and guys who are college students, donors or boosters."
Besides recruits, there are MySpace pages for coaches, including Texas Tech's Mike Leach, Ohio State's Jim Tressel and Florida State's Bobby Bowden. The pages have details, such as pirates being among Leach's interests (an actual hobby), and Bowden starting "each day by reading the Bible before breakfast."
Leach, however, said he has nothing to do with his page, nor does Bowden, according to a Nov. 23 article in The Florida Times-Union.
Leach, who first saw his MySpace page six months ago, said he isn't concerned as long as whoever runs the site doesn't do anything abusive or say something he disagrees with. Getting to know a recruit personally is paramount, but Leach didn't rule out MySpace as a recruiting tool.
"The guy down the road might have the ability to BlackBerry, and you have to be able to do that, too," Leach said. "You have to do both hand in hand. You've got to get to know the guy, but that will help."
Many coaches say they know little about MySpace and barely know how to use a computer, but also say they're not surprised that it is used in recruiting. Crabtree said there have been more instances of recruits posting comments on pages of college players whom they met on official visits, which allows them to continue building a relationship.
"We see that after a school wins a big game, a recruit will post a message on a [college player's]'s Web site," Crabtree said. "These kids' MySpace pages are up to date, and it's without having to keep track of calls, or worry about losing cellphone numbers. It's just like a social networking vehicle. It would be silly for a coach not to utilize this."
IN THE KNOW
Fanatic following?
Comments posted on
MySpace pages connected to football recruits:
"im obsessed. ur gonna be so awesome! thanks for making the right choice! notre dame over usc. : )"
-- on one page claiming to belong to Westlake Village (Calif.) quarterback Jimmy Clausen, the nation's No. 1 recruit who has committed to Notre Dame
"'sup JB?... Look forward to seeing you in Austin in '07... We make NFL QBs here!!!"
-- on the page of Ocala (Fla.) quarterback John Brantley, who has committed to Texas
"you picked a hell of a time to come to Michigan, haha no pressure"
-- on the page belonging to Texarkana quarterback Ryan Mallett, who has committed to Michigan

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Myspace.com a place for coaches

Social networks violate rules as posts share too much info

By: Trae Thompson

FORT WORTH, Texas - Tray Allen has heard from the Texas Longhorns, but it hasn't been around town or at games.

It's been on his MySpace page.

"There's not been any coaches, but a lot of fans," said the senior offensive lineman from South Grand Prairie, who has committed to Texas. "People contact me asking stuff like, `How do you weigh this much? How did you get your footwork?' "

The popular site that allows people to have their own Web pages could be the newest tool in college football recruiting. Recruits and coaches have pages, but problems arise with truthfulness and the inability to monitor contact.

Starting a MySpace page is free and simply requires registration. People then can design their own pages, leave comments on other pages and send e-mails to others.

Some prominent recruits in Texas often hear from fans. Hempstead receiver Terrence Toliver, a member of the Star-Telegram Elite 11, has two comments on his MySpace page urging him to attend Nebraska. Texarkana, Texas, quarterback Ryan Mallett, another Elite 11 member who has committed to Michigan, has numerous comments displayed from Wolverines fans with good wishes, images of T-shirts with his name and requests to have him lure running back Noel Devine of North Fort Myers, Fla., considered one of the nation's best at the position.

"That's amazing," said University of Houston senior quarterback Kevin Kolb, a former player at Stephenville. "Every angle is getting worked, and it's going to continue to escalate."

The NCAA has no specific rules regarding MySpace, but has rules about improper contact between recruits and "representatives of an institution's athletic interests." That led the Kentucky men's basketball team to report secondary rules violations in July after fans contacted a potential recruit on his MySpace page.

"That's the one thing that's the scary part," said Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor for Rivals.com. "No one knows if there's some illegal contact going on. Even though people on MySpace are supposed to be who they are, I guarantee there are 500 pages claiming to be Vince Young. You don't know who anybody is in these things, and it's scary that there could be communication between recruits and guys who are college students, donors or boosters."

Besides recruits, there are MySpace pages for coaches, including Texas Tech's Mike Leach, Ohio State's Jim Tressel and Florida State's Bobby Bowden. The pages have details, such as pirates being among Leach's interests (an actual hobby), and Bowden starting "each day by reading the Bible before breakfast."

Leach, however, said he has nothing to do with his page, nor does Bowden, according to a Nov. 23 article in The Florida Times-Union.

Leach, who first saw his MySpace page six months ago, said he isn't concerned as long as whoever runs the site doesn't do anything abusive or say something he disagrees with. Getting to know a recruit personally is paramount, but Leach didn't rule out MySpace as a recruiting tool.

"The guy down the road might have the ability to BlackBerry, and you have to be able to do that, too," Leach said. "You have to do both hand in hand. You've got to get to know the guy, but that will help."

 

[X Buckeyes07 X]

Apparently college admissions workers are now doing the same with Facebook, often browsing applicants personal pages before making a decision. My high school actually made an announcement regarding this and recommmended we remove any questionable material.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Giving Athletes Their Personal Space: Popular MySpace Has Advantages -- and Pitfalls

By Quwan Spears, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.
Jan. 28--Donna Burris is proud that many college football programs consider her son Miles a good player.
But if coaches really want to know about the All-Metro first-team linebacker from Granite Bay High School, Mom suggests they go on the Internet.
"I told them to check his My-Space page," she said. "There you'll find my son is a good kid. He's a Christian and a great person to be around. You won't find any filth about my son."
Welcome to the new age of college recruiting, in which www.myspace.com is used as a viable promotional tool.
The NCAA has no specific mandates regarding MySpace. However, the governing organization has stipulations about improper contact between representatives of colleges and recruits.
Anyone can start a MySpace page. It's free and requires only registration.
Not only do blue-chip recruits like Burris and Union Mine tight end Dallin Rogers have personal pages on the Web site, so do big-name college coaches such as Jim Tressel of Ohio State and Bobby Bowden of Florida State.

Continued..