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Post by windigo on Feb 8, 2010 23:13:48 GMT -6
I've meet some freaks of nature that never got recruited despite living on football island and being fantastic football players. I get what you're saying, but colleges aren't looking for the best player - they are looking for the best 4 year investment. Again, refer to that 5-point litmus. I've had guys who were the BEST athletes I've ever seen fail on 3 of those and not get a whiff of even DII consideration This isn't 'American Idol'. No one 'deserves' a scholly. They pass that athletic test and Hawaii isn't exactly the premier academic institution in the world. I got a friend who went computer science there and the first thing he did in his first CS class was learn how to click and drag. |
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CoachJ
Junior Member
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Post by CoachJ on Feb 10, 2010 14:30:23 GMT -6
I've meet some freaks of nature that never got recruited despite living on football island and being fantastic football players. I get what you're saying, but colleges aren't looking for the best player - they are looking for the best 4 year investment. Again, refer to that 5-point litmus. I've had guys who were the BEST athletes I've ever seen fail on 3 of those and not get a whiff of even DII consideration This isn't 'American Idol'. No one 'deserves' a scholly. I think it is pretty simple. To be D1, in my opinion, you have to be freakishly something. Freakishly big, fast, strong, or productive. Even if you are freakishly productive, you have to hit a set of minumum requirements to even be considered. Brophy is right though. Your athleticism gets your foot in the door, but it isn't the deal closer. It is just the shinny packaging. More and more coaches are looking for players they can count on. Guys who are at least sufficient in the classroom (if not good) and guys who won't blow their scholarship in some scandal. I know high school coaches and average fans like to look at things from the kids point of view. It's noble, but not real world. Scholarships are all about the college coach's point of view. What do college coaches want? Well the competitor in them and their motivation (not getting fired) means they want to win and win right now. That means each scholarship is an investment in a player. With the competitive atmosphere, they cannot afford to waste any. They have to focus their time, effort, money on kids that are: 1) Realistic for them to get. (Some budgets may be unlimited, but not all, so some coaches are constrained. Other limitations include the schools location, etc). 2) Kids that have the tools to play at the D1 (FBS)level. 3) Kids that fit the attitude, scheme, direction of the program. 4) Kids that will give them the highest return on investment. So being a "freak" only get's you part of the way. |
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Post by illiniwek on Feb 11, 2010 22:30:43 GMT -6
Very interesting article and very timely for me. I recently moved to Florida after spending my entire life in Illinois. Spring ball is non-existent in Illinois, so obviously that plays a major role in giving southern teams an advantage. However, the biggest difference that I have seen between Florida and Illinois is culture. Don't get me wrong, people in Illinois love their football, but it's nothing like this. Football is king down here and there is no other sport that comes close. I can't speak for other northern states, but I would say that states like Iowa, Wisconsin, and others are pretty similar to Illinois in the sense that they see football as important, but not more important than basketball, baseball etc... The article mentions culture as a factor, and I would strongly agree.
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Post by windigo on Feb 12, 2010 14:59:06 GMT -6
Very interesting article and very timely for me. I recently moved to Florida after spending my entire life in Illinois. Spring ball is non-existent in Illinois, so obviously that plays a major role in giving southern teams an advantage. However, the biggest difference that I have seen between Florida and Illinois is culture. Don't get me wrong, people in Illinois love their football, but it's nothing like this. Football is king down here and there is no other sport that comes close. I can't speak for other northern states, but I would say that states like Iowa, Wisconsin, and others are pretty similar to Illinois in the sense that they see football as important, but not more important than basketball, baseball etc... The article mentions culture as a factor, and I would strongly agree. Where in Illinois? Chicago catholic league is huge same with DuPage County. Don’t really know how big it is outside of the Chicagoland area though. But when I lived in Dupage it was just as big as Florida was when I lived there. |
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Post by illiniwek on Feb 13, 2010 7:55:26 GMT -6
I'm from central IL by Champaign-Urbana. Don't get me wrong, football was big up there, but so was basketball. Down here, college stadiums get filled to watch a state championship game or to watch a spring game. That just doesen't happen up there.
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Post by hartman on Feb 15, 2010 14:59:29 GMT -6
You breed the best and the brightest, and then throw them in the fire and put them at the limits of their ability. High levels of competition + Big Money + Higher Exposure+ a "culture" of football that takes over a whole town...
...and you get highly dedicated kids who are talented, and will bust their *** in the weightroom. To me, that explains the greater number of recruited kids from certain southern states better than anything. I think this statement does a great of summarizing my opinion as well. The preparation factor in the off-season also has to be considered. In TX we have spring ball, summer passing leagues, team camps, and just about anyone can get to a NCAA D-I or D-II camp in a few hour drive. Over the course of 4 years, how many more reps are the TX kids getting compared to other states. More reps, combined with the above, breeds to D-I talent. |
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Post by 19delta on Feb 15, 2010 15:16:59 GMT -6
Very interesting article and very timely for me. I recently moved to Florida after spending my entire life in Illinois. Spring ball is non-existent in Illinois, so obviously that plays a major role in giving southern teams an advantage. However, the biggest difference that I have seen between Florida and Illinois is culture. Don't get me wrong, people in Illinois love their football, but it's nothing like this. Football is king down here and there is no other sport that comes close. I can't speak for other northern states, but I would say that states like Iowa, Wisconsin, and others are pretty similar to Illinois in the sense that they see football as important, but not more important than basketball, baseball etc... The article mentions culture as a factor, and I would strongly agree. Where in Illinois? Chicago catholic league is huge same with DuPage County. Don’t really know how big it is outside of the Chicagoland area though. But when I lived in Dupage it was just as big as Florida was when I lived there. I'm from the Chicago suburbs. Also lived in Texas for 3 years. No comparison between "big-time" football in Illinois and "big-time" football in the South, at least in Texas. The top teams from Texas would have hammered the top suburban-area teams, even the Mt. Carmels, Providences, JCs, and Addison Driscolls. |
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Post by phantom on Feb 15, 2010 16:53:34 GMT -6
I'm from central IL by Champaign-Urbana. Don't get me wrong, football was big up there, but so was basketball. Down here, college stadiums get filled to watch a state championship game or to watch a spring game. That just doesen't happen up there. Didn't we discuss the Illinois playoffs back in November? Wasn't that the state that had two games in one week so that they could finish by Thanksgiving? If so, without saying anything negative at all against the players and coaches of the state, I can't believe that they take football seriously with a playoff system like that. If I have the wrong state................ never mind. |
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Post by coachd5085 on Feb 15, 2010 17:17:34 GMT -6
Guys...don't confuse the "bigtimeness" of an area's football programs with the ability to produce DI football players. They are related, but they aren't directly tied together. I wouldn't say that louisiana's or mississippi's overall level of football surpasses many other states. However, we do seem to have some stellar individuals.
Something else to consider is that in recruiting, the high schools that are "recruiting friendly" produce more scholarship offers than those that don't know how to do it. Coaches recruiting a Sr might see a Soph POP on film...and then they are "recruiting" that Soph in the spring...and he is on their Jr. Board in the fall... and then while seeing HIM they might find another player...etc. etc.
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Post by 19delta on Feb 15, 2010 18:23:04 GMT -6
Didn't we discuss the Illinois playoffs back in November? Wasn't that the state that had two games in one week so that they could finish by Thanksgiving? If so, without saying anything negative at all against the players and coaches of the state, I can't believe that they take football seriously with a playoff system like that. If I have the wrong state................ never mind. They don't do it that way any more (haven't for about 15 years) but the state finals are still Thanksgiving weekend. |
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