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- Thread starter osugrad21
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Irizarry was #4, but he didn't stick around long.
i would imagine this kid has become an even larger priority...
i would imagine this kid has become an even larger priority...
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OSUBucks22
No touching!
So are North Carolina and Maryland...
If he visits, we'll have just as good a shot as anyone...
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I agree with transfer rules, but a legitimate change of residence cannot be stopped. Any family willing to move to another state, for athletic reasons or not, has every right to choose the school for their kids. Hopefully this neagativity from the Pittsburgh press hurts their chances...
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Smizik: WPIAL needs new transfer rules
Woodland Hills case underscores the need for revised set of transfer rules in WPIAL
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
By Bob Smizik, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Based on recent history, any eligibility hearing for Rob Gronkowski, a tight end with a national reputation who has transferred from a Buffalo, N.Y., school to Woodland Hills High School, should be an open-and-shut case. Gronkowski should be ruled eligible. After all, he's moving with one of his parents, who will live with him at least part of the time.
That should put him several eligibility steps ahead of Tino Sunseri, a quarterback who transferred from a high school in North Carolina to Central Catholic without his parents.
Sunseri, who clearly transferred for athletic intent, was ruled eligible by the WPIAL.
<!--BEGIN SIDEBOX-->
It was a disheartening -- and stupefying -- decision for anyone who cares about high school sports. It was another step down the wrong path. It was another step away from the historic concept of one neighborhood against another to one all-star team against one neighborhood.
The losers are those who believe in the old-fashioned concept of high school sports and all the young athletes who must compete against these all-star teams.
By granting eligibility to Sunseri, the WPIAL made the best team in the region -- composed of players from all over the region -- significantly better with the addition of a blue-chip quarterback. Whiny followers of Central Catholic justified the move by insisting Sunseri only wanted to play at the high school of his father. Some went further to point out that any critics of the decision were "anti-Catholic."
It's amazing how blind people can be when their own self-interest is involved.
Sunseri shamelessly transferred for athletic intent. It wasn't about playing at his dad's school. It wasn't about the academic excellence of Central Catholic. It was about playing for an outstanding football team.
Shame on the WPIAL for granting him eligibility.
Now comes Gronkowski, whose case is remarkably similar to Sunseri with one major difference. Woodland Hills appears to be innocent. Based on available information, Woodland Hills and its coach George Novak did nothing wrong.
The Gronkowski family is either extraordinarily naive or outrageously brazen. It made no attempt to hide the fact the transfer was for athletic intent. Gordon Gronkowski, who already has had two sons win Division I-A football scholarships, certainly should know how the game is played, which makes you think he was more brazen than naive. Maybe he read about Sunseri's being granted eligibility and figured his son had a better case.
In comments made to the Post-Gazette, he made no attempt to suggest the transfer was but anything for athletic intent.
"... we caught a couple of Woodland Hills games on TV in Buffalo. There's just not the quality of football in the state of New York that there is here. We want him [Rob] to play with good talent around him instead of getting triple-teamed."
Based on that statement alone, Rob Gronkowski immediately should be sent back to Buffalo.
But that would be inconsistent with the Sunseri ruling, which was made in June.
Suggestions seeping out of the WPIAL hearing for Sunseri indicate there was a legitimate reason for the transfer. Until we hear that reason, though, we'll stick with the belief the transfer was for athletic intent alone and was a colossal mistake by the WPIAL, which disregarded its responsibility to all other teams and players it represents.
These eligibility cases keep piling up on the WPIAL, and a lot of them are far more nuanced than the ones involving Gronkowski and Sunseri. Compounding the problem is the threat of legal recourse by the transferring family against governing bodies such as the WPIAL.
There's no easy solution, but the best one already is being discussed. It involves a standing rule that all transfers are ineligible for their first semester. That takes the burden of proof away from the WPIAL and puts it on the transferring athlete. Instead of the WPIAL having to prove the player transferred for athletic intent, the player will have to prove he didn't.
It won't solve all the problems, but it would be a major step in the right direction and, hopefully, plans are afoot to implement it.
Link
Smizik: WPIAL needs new transfer rules
Woodland Hills case underscores the need for revised set of transfer rules in WPIAL
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
By Bob Smizik, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Based on recent history, any eligibility hearing for Rob Gronkowski, a tight end with a national reputation who has transferred from a Buffalo, N.Y., school to Woodland Hills High School, should be an open-and-shut case. Gronkowski should be ruled eligible. After all, he's moving with one of his parents, who will live with him at least part of the time.
That should put him several eligibility steps ahead of Tino Sunseri, a quarterback who transferred from a high school in North Carolina to Central Catholic without his parents.
Sunseri, who clearly transferred for athletic intent, was ruled eligible by the WPIAL.
<!--BEGIN SIDEBOX-->
It was a disheartening -- and stupefying -- decision for anyone who cares about high school sports. It was another step down the wrong path. It was another step away from the historic concept of one neighborhood against another to one all-star team against one neighborhood.
The losers are those who believe in the old-fashioned concept of high school sports and all the young athletes who must compete against these all-star teams.
By granting eligibility to Sunseri, the WPIAL made the best team in the region -- composed of players from all over the region -- significantly better with the addition of a blue-chip quarterback. Whiny followers of Central Catholic justified the move by insisting Sunseri only wanted to play at the high school of his father. Some went further to point out that any critics of the decision were "anti-Catholic."
It's amazing how blind people can be when their own self-interest is involved.
Sunseri shamelessly transferred for athletic intent. It wasn't about playing at his dad's school. It wasn't about the academic excellence of Central Catholic. It was about playing for an outstanding football team.
Shame on the WPIAL for granting him eligibility.
Now comes Gronkowski, whose case is remarkably similar to Sunseri with one major difference. Woodland Hills appears to be innocent. Based on available information, Woodland Hills and its coach George Novak did nothing wrong.
The Gronkowski family is either extraordinarily naive or outrageously brazen. It made no attempt to hide the fact the transfer was for athletic intent. Gordon Gronkowski, who already has had two sons win Division I-A football scholarships, certainly should know how the game is played, which makes you think he was more brazen than naive. Maybe he read about Sunseri's being granted eligibility and figured his son had a better case.
In comments made to the Post-Gazette, he made no attempt to suggest the transfer was but anything for athletic intent.
"... we caught a couple of Woodland Hills games on TV in Buffalo. There's just not the quality of football in the state of New York that there is here. We want him [Rob] to play with good talent around him instead of getting triple-teamed."
Based on that statement alone, Rob Gronkowski immediately should be sent back to Buffalo.
But that would be inconsistent with the Sunseri ruling, which was made in June.
Suggestions seeping out of the WPIAL hearing for Sunseri indicate there was a legitimate reason for the transfer. Until we hear that reason, though, we'll stick with the belief the transfer was for athletic intent alone and was a colossal mistake by the WPIAL, which disregarded its responsibility to all other teams and players it represents.
These eligibility cases keep piling up on the WPIAL, and a lot of them are far more nuanced than the ones involving Gronkowski and Sunseri. Compounding the problem is the threat of legal recourse by the transferring family against governing bodies such as the WPIAL.
There's no easy solution, but the best one already is being discussed. It involves a standing rule that all transfers are ineligible for their first semester. That takes the burden of proof away from the WPIAL and puts it on the transferring athlete. Instead of the WPIAL having to prove the player transferred for athletic intent, the player will have to prove he didn't.
It won't solve all the problems, but it would be a major step in the right direction and, hopefully, plans are afoot to implement it.
Upvote
0
Link
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="1">
</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top" width="499">Rob Gronkowski's plans to play his senior year of football at Woodland Hills High School outside of Pittsburgh may be derailed.
The eligibility of Gronkowski, who would otherwise be a senior at Williamsville North, is under investigation following candid comments by his father, Gordie, in a Pittsburgh newspaper.
Rob, one of the top-ranked tight ends in the country, already has 10 scholarship offers from NCAA Division I-A schools.
Rob would have been eligible immediately at Woodland Hills as he met the criteria of having moved into the school district with at least one parent. But in Sunday's editions of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gordie Gronkowski said: "There's just not the quality of football in the state of New York that there is here. We want [Rob] to play with good talent around him instead of getting triple-teamed. Here, he blends right in."
Those words could come back to haunt the Gronkowskis as an eligibility hearing will be held next week in front of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League. The board will decide if Gronkowski's move is based on athletic intent, which is not allowed.
"The matter is under investigation, based on the most recent publicity associated with his transfer," interscholastic league Executive Director Tim O'Malley told the Post-Gazette in Wednesday's editions.
The Gronkowskis rented an apartment for a year within the school district. While Rob was to attend school and play football, his father was going to look after his G & G Fitness stores in the Pittsburgh area.
If the board rules in favor of Gronkowski, he will be eligible to play in the team's season opener Sept. 1. If the ruling goes against him, he can appeal to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.
He could also return to North but would not be eligible to play under New York State rules until he's participated in 15 team practices. The Western Pennsylvania league doesn't have a practice requirement.
Attempts to reach the Gronkowskis on Wednesday night were unsuccessful.
</td></tr></tbody> </table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="1">
</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top" width="499">Rob Gronkowski's plans to play his senior year of football at Woodland Hills High School outside of Pittsburgh may be derailed.
The eligibility of Gronkowski, who would otherwise be a senior at Williamsville North, is under investigation following candid comments by his father, Gordie, in a Pittsburgh newspaper.
Rob, one of the top-ranked tight ends in the country, already has 10 scholarship offers from NCAA Division I-A schools.
Rob would have been eligible immediately at Woodland Hills as he met the criteria of having moved into the school district with at least one parent. But in Sunday's editions of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gordie Gronkowski said: "There's just not the quality of football in the state of New York that there is here. We want [Rob] to play with good talent around him instead of getting triple-teamed. Here, he blends right in."
Those words could come back to haunt the Gronkowskis as an eligibility hearing will be held next week in front of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League. The board will decide if Gronkowski's move is based on athletic intent, which is not allowed.
"The matter is under investigation, based on the most recent publicity associated with his transfer," interscholastic league Executive Director Tim O'Malley told the Post-Gazette in Wednesday's editions.
The Gronkowskis rented an apartment for a year within the school district. While Rob was to attend school and play football, his father was going to look after his G & G Fitness stores in the Pittsburgh area.
If the board rules in favor of Gronkowski, he will be eligible to play in the team's season opener Sept. 1. If the ruling goes against him, he can appeal to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.
He could also return to North but would not be eligible to play under New York State rules until he's participated in 15 team practices. The Western Pennsylvania league doesn't have a practice requirement.
Attempts to reach the Gronkowskis on Wednesday night were unsuccessful.
</td></tr></tbody> </table>
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I understand the spirit of the rule, but you gotta let the kid play. He's trying to make himself a better athlete, which will get him into a better college. Unless there's something going on behind the scenes where he got recruited to go, I don't see a problem.
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