AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > October > 12 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USOutrageous comments from Georgia’s Adams
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
You had that silly revolt by Georgia boosters over the ouster of Vince Dooley as athletics director. Folks continue to turn the deepest shades of red and black over tailgating changes at home football games. And who is this guy to take the “cocktail” out of whatever he now wishes to call the Georgia-Florida game?
During the hugely controversial decade that Michael Adams has served as president at the University of Georgia, he has been less popular around the Bulldog Nation than fleas in Uga VI’s doghouse. Maybe that’s why he appeased his barking (as in those against him and those for the Bulldogs) critics with two of the most outrageous comments of the year.
No, ever.
Let’s start with this: According to the latest NCAA statistics for a six-year period that began during the late 1990s, when Adams came to Georgia, the graduation rate for Bulldogs football players was 41 percent. That was the worst in the SEC, which isn’t the Cradle of Rhodes Scholars among athletes. The graduation rate for Georgia basketball players was nine percent, the second-worst among the 319 Division I schools. Even so, Adams told the AJC last week that Georgia would continue to accept some student-athletes who didn’t meet the university’s admission requirements because, “We still have to compete in the [Southeastern Conference].”
Was Adams speaking freely, or was he being dangled over the edge of Sanford Stadium by a dog collar? I mean, surely he didn’t mean to say what he was quoted as saying. Not with Georgia barely free of that Harrick mess. Adams hired the older Harrick, Jim, who hired his son, Jim Jr., who taught that infamous course at Georgia called “Coaching Principles and Strategies of Basketball.” You know, with multiple-choice questions such as, “How many points does a 3-point basket account for in a basketball game?”
This also is the same Georgia athletics department that was exposed during the 1980s as a plantation system in the Jan Kemp scandal. Back then, the objective was to use a slew of remedial courses to keep as many studs playing for the Bulldogs as possible, just as long as they could identify an “X” from an “O.” Back then, the feeling among the Bulldog Nation was that, “We still have to compete in the [Southeastern Conference].”
Guess Adams was speaking freely, because three days after he was quoted as making that statement, he wrote a lengthy op-ed piece in the AJC. He stressed his displeasure with those graduation rates of Georgia athletes, and he mentioned his commitment to getting it right with a $7 million center on campus dedicated to helping the student-athlete. The thing is, while boasting that “at-risk student-athletes” are given mentors by the university, he delivered his other outrageous comment: “… yes, we have made an institutional decision to be competitive in the Southeastern Conference, and therefore recruit some students who require academic assistance.”
It is what it is, and it is about gobbledygook when you have Georgia saying this week that the graduation success rate (GSR) for its athletics department isn’t as important as the academic progress rate (APR). What Georgia’s APR shows is that, over the past three years, no player is in danger of losing his or her eligibility. Which means they likely will be around to help what Adams is saying with those two outrageous comments: To appease the barkers, Georgia doesn’t want too much of this academic stuff to get in the way of winning SEC football games.
University of Hartford President Walt Harrison paused over the phone from Connecticut. Not only is he the chairman of the NCAA committee on academic performance, he is the chairman of the NCAA executive board that also features Adams. “First, a disclaimer: I don’t think there is a president in the country that I admire more than Mike. I just think that he’s a tremendous academic leader, and I consider him a friend,” Harrison said. “If he was somebody I didn’t know, I might have a different feeling about it. But I don’t think that [not letting academics get in the way of winning SEC football games] is exactly what he was saying.”
I didn’t think so, either. But Adams said so twice. In different ways. Within three days, and to the same newspaper.
Permalink | Comments (43) | Post your comment | Categories: Terence Moore, UGA / SEC
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By tyyosh
October 12, 2006 09:28 PM | Link to this
Terence, have you ever talked to any of those students? If not, then why don’t you get into the real world and do so, and see what they think?
By GW
October 12, 2006 09:40 PM | Link to this
The AJC and UGA; what’s going on? Is this comment by Adams really big news? Aren’t all SEC schools except 1 trying to compete? Aren’t all ACC schools except 1 trying to compete? Adams knows how much cash football brings to UGA, and him.
By beachside bulldawg
October 12, 2006 09:45 PM | Link to this
Did you call it a newspaper, Terrence? I grew up in Syracuse, New York when Jimmy Brown was an All American football and lacrosse player. My older brother and cousin both attended SU and were in three classes with the man. They saw him once, between the two of them in three years.
I enjoy alot of your columns, but you have not “uncovered” a story. This has been going on at every school, major and minor since athletic revenues have impacted school budgets.
The days of Army vs. Harvard for the national football championship ended are NEVER coming back.
By Bill luv's Monica
October 12, 2006 09:45 PM | Link to this
Yo Broseph: Slow sporting news season? Not enough to keep you occupied? At least Carter gets his material from the Dawgvent (makes him somewhat interesting). You go after a comment made by President Adams made, a (rather boring) figure known throughout the state as improving the education requirements to attend the state institution. He’s right though, he does still need to compete in the SEC. Did you read how much $$$ his SEC football team generated for the school last year. If I’m not mistaken, more than any football team in the nation. What’s more staggering is that most of that money is going towards the school, not towards a new jet for the coaches, or an indoor practice facility, or a new weight room. I feel confident, as Adams stated later in his interview, the grad stats for the athletes are improving, and I’m sure he will fund ways for more improvements. This guy has been good for the University, positive in so many ways. He’s turned the school into more of an upper echelon institution, and has raised social standards of the undergrads. Not bad. I’ll stick with Adams.
Still can’t figure out why you would take the time to call ‘Walt Harrison’. A little sophmoric, don’t you think? Like I said, news must be slow. Go find a (better) story.
By Bear Fan
October 12, 2006 09:59 PM | Link to this
Terrence are you stupid or in denial? This has been the UGA policy from day 1. “Just win Baby!” Academics be dam_ed. This is nothing new, can you say Pulpwood Smith? He could not spell cat if spotted him the C and the T. Please note, I do realize it is very difficult for non-scholarship white males to get into UGA. I also realize the average SAT score for incoming freshmen is equal to Ga Tech and higher than many other SEC schools. UGA is a great academic institution with great graduates. It is shame they demean their great school letting ignorant athletes in just to win games. You must also realize that 75% of UGA fans have never been to college, so these monkeys are simply playing down to the fan base!
By Cuz
October 12, 2006 10:05 PM | Link to this
Just another bunch of Adam’s lies. Anything to win favor with the Bulldawg Nation who despises the man. If he meant what he said, Vince Dooley would still be AD. Fire the SOB, the sooner the better and let me get back to my football school.
By Allen
October 12, 2006 10:17 PM | Link to this
Athletes are “special” and are treated that way by schools as early as middle school. Most teachers can tell you the name of a current, or even past, athletic hero that they taught in kindergarten or sometime later. This continues, actually it gets worse, all the way through and after the pros. Can anybody spell OJ? And you want this practice to stop only during college? It’s not going to happen - ever.
By jason
October 12, 2006 10:43 PM | Link to this
Who was the football coach during the Jan Kemp scandal?
By Bo
October 12, 2006 10:52 PM | Link to this
Moore you like to play in the mud,Yes?
By Drexel Gal
October 13, 2006 03:25 AM | Link to this
QUOTE WITHOUT COMMENT:
In 1986, after Christa McAuliffe (a teacher) died with her six fellow astronauts in the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, I spied a bumper sticker on a car in Sandy Springs that read, “Jan Kemp For Next Teacher In Space”.
By Robert
October 13, 2006 07:47 AM | Link to this
Average incoming freshman SAT score at UGA equal to that at Georgia Tech??? You’d be “slightly” off on that one partner……look it up.
By Daryl
October 13, 2006 08:16 AM | Link to this
If you want to see how affirmative action impacts quality, read the columns of Mr. Moore. Affiirmative Action is the ONLY way this guy is a writer for the AJC or any paper.
By Sports Guy
October 13, 2006 08:23 AM | Link to this
Division 1 football and basketball players bring in BILLIONS of dollars for these major colleges. I do not agree schools should lower standards for them BUT I understand. I think most of these schools are Hypocrits, they say we want STUDENT ATHLETES, what they don’t say is “we want them to win at all cost to bring us millions of dollars”. I wish most of these athletes take advantage of their scholarships and graduate, they will see that free education bring them a decent livelihood. I am fine with UGA if they lower standards to let guys and gals in school, I just want them to use the school and graduate. One hand washes the other. Lets not be fooled though, this is all about money and UGA aint the only one with its hand in the cookie jar.
By billgt
October 13, 2006 08:29 AM | Link to this
Good article,one of your best. In summary, what uga and other schools are doing is reducing academic standards to the lowest level, rather than raising the students to a higher level. I have seen this in AR,TN and GA, not only in college but it starts in high schools. No wonder we are falling behind the rest of the industrialized world.
By AL
October 13, 2006 08:30 AM | Link to this
Only one “Race Bait” comment in the whole column. Not bad. If anyone who can read this doesn’t believe winning is the #1 priority for every school in SEC football. They should find something else to occupy their time. UGA is no better and no worse than any other school be it Florida, UT, whichever. Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Les Miles, Tommy Tuberville are all paid MILLIONS of dollars to do only one thing WIN! It is the presidents and AD that should ensure they have the best environment possible to succeed. Screw the guy at Hartford he’s in a completely different arena. Don’t mix football at Georgia or even Georgia Tech with academics. Or puit less enphasis on winning …take your pick. Moore should stick to “Shock Columns” like Mike Freeman and leave real stories of merit to the ones that can handle it.
By El Mongol
October 13, 2006 08:40 AM | Link to this
It’s not often that I agree with Mr. Moore, but he hits the nail on the head: “big-time” college sports are the most hypocritical institution in the U.S.
For example, administrators, coaches and fans say, “we want our players to graduate, and we want them to stay out of the police report.”
However, if the players graduate and stay out of the police report, ut the team goes 6-5, the coach gets fired.
Then, a new coach will come in and recruit a bunch of guys who have absolutely no business being in any college.
But, if the new coach wins enough games with a bunch of illiterate thugs, he will be hailed as the greatest thing since sliced bread.
The bottom line is that it’s very unfortunate that so many supposed grown-ups (i.e., administrators, boosters, etc.) came more about winning football and basketball games than they do about academic integrity.
By GMan
October 13, 2006 08:43 AM | Link to this
Terry Never had much use for Adams, but when he made the comment about having to field a team in the SEC I thought he deserved some credit for being honest. It didn’t take you long to grab that race card you keep at hand and play it in your response. How so many of us long for the day when you finally decide you really belong in Cincinnati. Go home Terry. You’ll be so much more happy. So will we.
By Will
October 13, 2006 08:49 AM | Link to this
Wrong, Terrence. I hate to defend Adams, but his point was that one should look at the current APR rates to see that there is a different climate at UGA than the one in place under Goff/Donnan and the Harricks. It’s really pretty simple. I don’t see the point of your negative spin. I guess you couldn’t find anything to race-bait on today, so this was your next best option.
How about a story on how the “Family-friendly” zones at UGA are nothing but a staged photo-op? Why place the area at the front of campus near the arch so that everyone can clearly see the now under utilized area? Those poor sheltered chirren are probably mentally ruined each Saturday after they must walk thru the drunks between them and the stadium. Nice job, Adams. I hope you look one way before crossing the street.
By reality check
October 13, 2006 08:49 AM | Link to this
I’m still upset Jan Kemp got all that money and still couldn’t fix that hair. Ugly as a mud fence.
By nobull
October 13, 2006 08:52 AM | Link to this
uga is a special school…
By ED FROM ELLIJAY
October 13, 2006 09:13 AM | Link to this
ADAMS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED WHEN HARRICK WAS FIRED. LET’S GET RID OF THE BUM!!!!!!!
By The Wreck
October 13, 2006 09:22 AM | Link to this
The difference between UGA and Tech is that while UGA’s entering freshman might have SAT scores close to Tech’s freshman, UGA seniors are no smarter when they leave than they were when they arrived.
You can’t consistently be a top 10 party school and still claim the mantle of a serious academic institution.
By satsocres
October 13, 2006 09:31 AM | Link to this
Some guy above said GT and UGA SAT scores are equal? I want what you’re smoking:
The sad thing is, with having the next to worst basketball graduation rate you’d think they would have accomplished something on the court. And you would think their football team would have won a title by now instead of continuing to blow the big game.
By Hackanoo Too
October 13, 2006 09:42 AM | Link to this
FLASHBACK 10/20/1973 :
Scholardores 18, Dumbdawgs 14
When hobnail boots were called cleats….Larry remembers this day well
By Joe
October 13, 2006 09:43 AM | Link to this
You guys are a joke - a laughingstock and your president continues to prove it. When the first shot was fired acrosss the bow - when the remedial studies program Saint Vince oversaw - was delivered, Georgia had a chance, to climb into the century with the rest of the country. Moore is right, this is a charade. You guys never really clean anything up, or strive to get it right. Still spinning and tap dancing around the edges. There are some STILL defending Harrick and most of you STILL defending Dooley. This stinks all the way to the top, and all the way to the bottom. Stop recruiting these scumbags and selling your soul. Georgia would be just fine by keeping it clean and recruiting from one of the best football playing states in the country. There are enough good students out there who are also good football players to keep Georgia competing at the top. Instead, you guys feel you have to accomodate the lowest percentile of thugs. Adams is embarassing to you. And anyone from this state knows Vince is just as much so trying to get off the hook himself.
By Clay
October 13, 2006 10:46 AM | Link to this
Al, if your inclusion of UF with your comparison of UGA and other institutions is accurate, then why did the progress reports released by the NCAA a couple of weeks ago show UF’s football graduation rate at 80% and their basketball rate at 100% in the period covered? UGA’s rates were dramatically lower than UF’s, particularly their 9% in BB.
By STUPIDDAWG
October 13, 2006 11:45 AM | Link to this
Wow…. looking at the responses from the UGAG nation on this blog is amazing…. you call Terrance dumb, ignorant and other names, but he is right. Most of the supports of UGAG, never went to school anywhere, much less at UGAG… what a crock of crap that the excuse used by most of these people of “everyone else is doing it so it is OK”…. no it is not OK…all you have to do is look at example OF Odell Thurman… he got passed because he could play football…but look at him now….drunk, wasted and suspended from the league…and don’t make the mistake of thinking that the accommodations made at UGAG didn’t help make him into what he is today. College is suppose to help prepare young people for the trials of life…. and the question is, is UGAG doing it for these “students” or are they just trying to win games…the evidence says the worst….and now the President has said it twice…poorly both times and is now trying to blame the newspaper…(one that has always written no wrong about UGAG) for tranlating correctly the words of the President….so don’t blame the paper…blame the university.
By AL
October 13, 2006 12:29 PM | Link to this
There you people go again comparing football at major schools with academics. It’s apples and oranges people. And who says you have to graduate from the school in order to be a fan? If that were true Georgia Tech would be in the red about 500 billion dollars. It’s about money and football which happen to be two things Americans care about greatly.
By AL
October 13, 2006 12:41 PM | Link to this
Clay..your right for this reporting period UF has been better. I live in Jacksonville and have on and off for 20 years. UF in the Charlie Pell era and before, and some of the Spurrier era were the same as everyone else. UGA basketball has fallen victim to Cronyism with the Adams Harrick debacle. That has set them back years. While Donavin has been able to recruit nationally and pretty much pick who he wants nationally. He has missed on a few that have been kicked of or left early for whatever reason that were not included in the taly. Overall most major college football factories are the same.
By Chris
October 13, 2006 12:52 PM | Link to this
WORST in the SEC for football graduation and second WORST in the nation for basketball graduation and UGA and somehow residents of this state feel that UGA is beyond criticism? The liberal media is attacking your institution? Must be the angry black guy again writing some column to stir up the fine folk of Georgia. Get your head out of your a**.
UGA is a University the definition of a University is: “An institution for higher learning with teaching and research facilities constituting a graduate school and professional schools that award master’s degrees and doctorates and an undergraduate division that awards bachelor’s degrees.”
Maybe the UGA English department with the assistance of the governor should lobby Websters and get something added in there about the athletic department and the importance of bringing in “students” for the sole purpose of competing in athletic pursuits with a total disregard to the awarding degrees.
By Stupiddawg
October 13, 2006 12:56 PM | Link to this
Al, my blog name says all I need to say about you. College is not about dollars and football…. it is about preparing young minds to be productive members of society…not ignorant, drug taking, alcoholic, non-productive ex-football players….. I do think that many more Americans care about the future of this great country as opposed to the future of college football. I agree you don’t have to attend a college to be a fan of that school’s athletic program, but I also don’t think that it gives that same fan a right to voice an opinion about that school’s admission policy being correct or not with regards to admitting students that are graded below acceptance levels. It is the ignorance of those fans that keeps this type of debate going. Education keeps the money flowing in this great country….not football! So you are wrong….Ga Tech generates much more money through it’s reserach programs than UGAG has ever thought about making through it’s football program….and if it were not for the Ga Tech graduates managing the companies and developing the products that people like you and the UGAG graduates work for then you would have no money to spend on your beloved, but ignorant football team. So smile and say yes Boss to that Tech Graduate….. hehehehe
By cw
October 13, 2006 01:05 PM | Link to this
1) Michael Adams knows where the money comes from. The increase in SAT scores at UGA, and other insitutions in Georgia, is more a reflection of the HOPE scholarship and increased tuition at other colleges than a determined commitment by UGA. The donors give because of the success of athletics. Despite his implication, that to compete a place of higher learning must lower its standards for student athletes, there are places that compete successfully without compromising: Boston College, Notre Dame etc. His attitude is indefensible. Students should not be fodder so that donors can boast with their buddies about UGA sports succes. 2) I have read comments stating that this is nothing new, why should we be surprised? It is precisely because this has been going on for so long that the NCAA with support from courageous and ethical university presidents (unlike Adams) started focusing on institutional commitment and obligation to the student athletes. This data is now resulting in pressure on poor performing universites — like UGA and other schools in order to change behavior. 3) Finally, I would argue that graduates do get something of value (4-5 years of tuition, room and board and an education). I would argue that those that do not graduate should get a payment from the institution — that might provide an incentive to help them graduate.
By SkiDuck
October 13, 2006 01:21 PM | Link to this
When I went to college, I always thought it was my “bad” if I didn’t graduate, not the schools. My parents told me this is when you grow and the first thing you really do own your own. Coach Whimp of Bama basketball was asked ” how many of your players graduate? His response ” as many as want too.”.
By Bryan G.
October 13, 2006 01:25 PM | Link to this
Did he really call UGA in the 80s a “plantation system”?
Yeah, I remember seeing that. They had people chained up and picking cotton all over campus. Or maybe it was just guys getting a free education to play football. I really can’t remember which one it was. I mean, they’re both so similar….
By AL
October 13, 2006 01:44 PM | Link to this
Stupiddawg… I thought I would stir up another GT fan with an agenda. You are confusing Football in the south with academics my friend. Forget all your gobly goop about minds and training future leaders bullcrap. My sister graduated from UGA and went on and got her masters at Duke and is now a prof herself. My daughter is in her second year in Athens and we go to the football games frequently however, not once have I heard. Hey we lost to Alabama today but who cares we have more boys graduating. After a few games like that and a few empty seats on Saturday and no chance at all to get on ESPN Gameday and all of the sudden the millions aren’t flowing. Then bars and hotels and Taxi’s and cafe’s start going under. Who the heck do you think wins? The almighty dollar my friend. My daughter has a new building to study in everynight and a somewhat safe environment all partially paid for with football money. Thank you Pulpwood Smith. If he wasn’t smart enough to take advantage of the oppurtunity he was given , or if he didn’t get drafted. It’s not society’s fault. And if you think the athelete’s at GT are some all knowing superior beings you are a stupiddawg. GT is a good school I chose the USN otherwise I would have loved to have attended Tech BUT!!! Football is money and viceveresa
By alwaysgolfing
October 13, 2006 02:18 PM | Link to this
Right on!Go get’em Terrance: Glad that academic malaise is confined to a few of the Georgia and Alabama schools.
By Stupiddawg
October 13, 2006 02:45 PM | Link to this
Al, no I am not confusing the two…what I am doing is trying to get the people who attended UGAG and the fans of football to acknowledge the difference between the two. As you said, your daughter, who really wanted to further her education had to go to Duke (a great ACC institute of higher learning). While football brought in money, most of it went to fund sports programs and to pay for the coachs’ salaries. A college’s first and foremost task is educate and advance human knowledge, not promote sports….and to discount the development of a young person’s mind at the expense of creating an above average athlete is a failure of that school, and the President’s job performance should be classified as poor in that major objective.
By crichardson
October 13, 2006 04:05 PM | Link to this
For those of you who never went to school under Dr. Adams, he is just shy of a dictator. I served on University Council as a student representative…where he bullied not only the students, but professors as well. I was an athlete at Georgia…where he tried to cut funding to support his new construction projects (the most in history of any president), I was a greek at Georgia….where he wants to dispand the entire system. Many of you are remarking that UGA is a school of rednecks who don’t graduate any smarter than when they began. On the contrary, many of the colleges are ranked nationally. Many of my friends are now attending law school, MBA prgrams, and medical schools. As for the graduation rates of athletes, all schools struggle with this issue, including Tech (I really doubt Reggie Ball was ever going to be a structural engineer) but many who come to play ball get educational opportunities they would have never gotten from small community colleges. Many of you have strong opinions based on what you read and watch on T.V. not on first hand knowledge. If you are as smart as you pretend to be I would think you would take the time to research the topic from all sides before making strong derogatory comments.
By RD
October 13, 2006 04:36 PM | Link to this
Day five in the Battle of Atlanta. On one side you have Sonny Perdue, Mike Adams, adn Don Leebern. On the other you have the AJC’s list of usual suspects hiding behind their pawns disguised as columnists.
Volly toward Atlanta, volley toward Athens, repeat of volley, repeat of repeat of volley.
What a fun thing to watch… Survivor: The All Idiots Version.
By stupiddawg
October 13, 2006 05:27 PM | Link to this
crichardson, I am sorry if you have mistaken anything we have said about the graduates of the U of GAG, what we really have been commenting on is the silly remarks that your President has made about defending such stupid remarks as he has now made twice in the last week. Now he is having to apologize to one of the coaches who really created the system to begin with. I have no problem giving someone, anyone the opportunity to improve oneself, provided that there is a reasonable chance that the opportunity will be seized. However, as one of the bloggers said earlier, if they have never done it before, they won’t all of sudden decide to do it now. That is really the issue here…. why give away a spot that would be used by someone who would really benefit from the chance to an athlete who will not do anything but be encouraged to play football or basketball? Then for the ignorant fans who have not gone to college or even taken the chance to try and go….to blindly say that UGAG is right to do this sort of thing is the ignorant part of this debate. This blog is about the stupid thing that Adams has said and not what the paper has made up or the fans of other schools…but exclusive on what Adams has said not once, but twice now. That the only way to compete is to go and get the marginal student that just happens to play football very well. All of this at the same time that a very good studne may get denied only because he just so happens to be a poor football player….. that is really the issue today…. and no Reggie Ball did not go to Tech to become an engineer, but he has most certainly gotten smarter and more educated and will receive his degree from Tech, which does a much better job of doing just that than UGAG….and that is the role of a University!
By JohnD
October 13, 2006 10:34 PM | Link to this
Terence,
UGA was a plantation when the program was run to keep the “student-athletes” in school and now you want them to graduate as well? Would graduating an unworthy athlete also constitute a “plantation mentality”?
Face the facts. Most of the scholarship players are not interested in graduating and are only there to build a foundation for professional sports. The reality of the statistics relative to their chances of ever being a professional are lost on them. Not only are many of the college athletes of today not students they are also unworthy of even being on the campus.
The major sports (football and basketball) are housing individuals who are theives, mysoginists, abusers of females, rapists, thugs and various other unsavory types. A better study than graduation rates would be the schools with highest and lowest conviction rates.
How many college football teams currently have players who have already been CONVICTED of felonies and serious misdemeanors? I believe in second chances but when a player has demonstrated a failure of character while a college athlete then he should be gone. Anyone who can not recognize the responsibility associated with the scholarship they receive should be expelled.
Only when the schools return to actual student-athletes and not hired guns (pardon the pun), will the integrity come back to the athletic programs and the colleges and universities.
By Surfrider
October 14, 2006 12:10 AM | Link to this
Good article Terrence. As I was gaining more respect for University in it’s academic growth amongst regular students the truth is exposed that Student is not part of the Athlete equation. Maybe this is why more student athletes in High School are waking up to the fact they are being used at the Big schools and would do better to find a school with a decent academic track record for athletes and where they can still play on the field. Maybe this is why Ga. is starting to lag some in Richt’s program that appeared to be skyrocketing not too long ago.
By JohnD
October 14, 2006 02:20 AM | Link to this
Student athletes in high school will wake up to being used? Good grief, the point of the article is that UGA and most of the others are not recruiting student-athletes, just talented football and basketball players. You must have been drinking Terence’s “Plantation Kool-Aid”.
UGA has plenty of high level opportunity for any student but the athletes are incapable of, or disinterested in, taking advantage of the academic side. UGA should recruit athletes who can succeed at the college level academically as opposed to their history of recruiting low-level students who can play.
Academic assistance is available to the student-athletes but the players do not have enough pride, or enough drive, or enough desire to succeed, to take advantage of the free college education. The schools are not taking advantage of the players - the players are too dumb, or lazy, to take advantage of the opportunity.
The attitude of the players seems to be “I do not need an education, I am going to be a pro”. When the realization finally takes hold that they will not be a “pro”, uh-oh it is too late.
Before anyone starts with the junk about the athletes who do leave for the professional leagues hurting the numbers (the old idea that the successful teams have more leave early), the players who leave do not count against the school if they leave in good academic standing. And this is true if they leave for any reason.
The culprit in this scenario is not the school, even though the schools do profit financially, the culprit is the recruiting process and the academically incapable players who accept scholarships.