Harrell Transferring to Florida

Skeptic

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Oh, I think with every passing day it's already out of the news cycle. I think most people would 'get it' that if you look at the long span of time--we're not in the habit of just picking on players for the fun of it. Nor, of kicking players on the way out the door.

Obviously, I'm biased. But, my hunch is that folks probably assume there's a reason things went down the way they did. And they know that the player knows that reason, no matter how he wants to spin that.
Unless this became, or continued, the dreaded "trend" it is merely conversational, message board piffle scoured up in the off-season. There seems to be several each year, and maybe rationing is due. Seems the player landed on his feet with another scholarship, Johnson remained constant, and one of the freshman LB recruits gets a chance to play some this fall. I can't see that Tech's ego has been damaged any, Ted Roof has not quit in a huff. This will be an issue among those who want an issue. The rest of us want to know who is at WR, Aback and Bback come September. And peripherally, how anybody who saw the OB sober can conclude that Prescott is a better QB than Thomas. You know, important things.
 

ClydeBrick

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Oh, I think with every passing day it's already out of the news cycle. I think most people would 'get it' that if you look at the long span of time--we're not in the habit of just picking on players for the fun of it. Nor, of kicking players on the way out the door.

Obviously, I'm biased. But, my hunch is that folks probably assume there's a reason things went down the way they did. And they know that the player knows that reason, no matter how he wants to spin that.

Reasonable people, if informed of the actual circumstances of what happened, could conclude that this situation is much ado about nothing and not worthy of mention beyond last Friday. A young man acted in his best interest, but consequences are part of what happens in life - Harrell broke a team rule and CPJ acted accordingly.

However, people can be unreasonable and the actual circumstances will not be made public. GT and CPJ now have to live with one additional anecdote that gives other program's recruiters something to talk about. Certainly not the worst thing that can be held against GT, but one more possible nail for a coffin.

Perception can be more powerful than the truth.


Harrell has moved on - I hope that he helps lead UF back to the top of the SEC/E and experiences success in all he attempts in life.

GT & CPJ has moved on too - it's roughly 5 weeks until practice starts and 65 days to kickoff. Then we will have something else to talk about.
 

DrJacket

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Reasonable people, if informed of the actual circumstances of what happened, could conclude that this situation is much ado about nothing and not worthy of mention beyond last Friday. A young man acted in his best interest, but consequences are part of what happens in life - Harrell broke a team rule and CPJ acted accordingly.

However, people can be unreasonable and the actual circumstances will not be made public. GT and CPJ now have to live with one additional anecdote that gives other program's recruiters something to talk about. Certainly not the worst thing that can be held against GT, but one more possible nail for a coffin.

Perception can be more powerful than the truth.
We all follow GT closely. So, other teams' issues are probably a little less on our radar screens. Do we think that there's a team who recruits out of the same fishing-holes as us that doesn't have similar issues each season? Those couple of players, or more, who stray outside the rules and have to be punished. Or, who exhaust their 3 strikes and are dismissed? Can't imagine with eighty-five 18-23 yr olds that we're the only ones making headlines.

That perspective needs not to be lost. Duke. UNC. Virginia. Virginia Tech. Miami-- you name them.
 

TechCubed

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Regardless of what happened afterwards, it's important for CPJ and the staff to let the team know if rules are broken, there are consequences. That's one thing that has been lost in this conversation so far.

As an aside, let's appreciate that mostly civil, respectful discussion about this matter on this board. The other boards about this topic exposed the worst aspects of message boards.
 

ClydeBrick

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
960
I appreciate what Harrell wanted. I understand what GT/CPJ had to do.

Issues from player infractions are part of every program. Around here, who doesn't smile a little when another mutt goes rogue?

I think that the Harrell situation is different because it appears like GT/CPJ was trying to black-ball a player who wanted to move on.
 

Skeptic

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Regardless of what happened afterwards, it's important for CPJ and the staff to let the team know if rules are broken, there are consequences. That's one thing that has been lost in this conversation so far.

As an aside, let's appreciate that mostly civil, respectful discussion about this matter on this board. The other boards about this topic exposed the worst aspects of message boards.
Is this the point for somebody to post something like, "I'm fed up with you!"?
 

Skeptic

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6,372
I appreciate what Harrell wanted. I understand what GT/CPJ had to do.

Issues from player infractions are part of every program. Around here, who doesn't smile a little when another mutt goes rogue?

I think that the Harrell situation is different because it appears like GT/CPJ was trying to black-ball a player who wanted to move on.
I'm sorry, Clyde, but appears to whom?
 

ClydeBrick

Ramblin' Wreck
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I'm sorry, Clyde, but appears to whom?
People other than GT football fans.

As you said yourself:
... This will be an issue among those who want an issue.
Such as people recruiting against GT/CPJ.


Just because many GT fans will simply chalk this situation up as a classic example of CPJ being CPJ (holding fast to the rules and enforcing them evenly without thought to what it "looks like" or who gets to play) does not change the fact that those who only read headlines will be left with:
1) "GT suspends player" and
2) "they lied"

Going forward, a GT fan will only remember this situation in a future where the loss of Harrell noticeably affects GT's 2015 season. It is my opinion that potential recruits could be influenced to dislike GT/CPJ by this kerfuffle - either by simply reading those headlines or by people advocating for another program.

Or, I will hopefully be wrong and will have only wasted some time & electrons by posting in this thread.
 

Skeptic

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6,372
People other than GT football fans.

As you said yourself:

Such as people recruiting against GT/CPJ.


Just because many GT fans will simply chalk this situation up as a classic example of CPJ being CPJ (holding fast to the rules and enforcing them evenly without thought to what it "looks like" or who gets to play) does not change the fact that those who only read headlines will be left with:
1) "GT suspends player" and
2) "they lied"

Going forward, a GT fan will only remember this situation in a future where the loss of Harrell noticeably affects GT's 2015 season. It is my opinion that potential recruits could be influenced to dislike GT/CPJ by this kerfuffle - either by simply reading those headlines or by people advocating for another program.

Or, I will hopefully be wrong and will have only wasted some time & electrons by posting in this thread.
Now, if you have any idea what happened and in what order, you should post it post haste so to speak. Else we are left with what we know -- first the suspension, then the transfer -- and who we know -- Johnson and his reputation. And somebody else is looking for an issue. I think we have both wasted time and electrons or neutrons or whatever, frankly.
 

DrJacket

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1,178
People other than GT football fans.

As you said yourself:

Such as people recruiting against GT/CPJ.


Just because many GT fans will simply chalk this situation up as a classic example of CPJ being CPJ (holding fast to the rules and enforcing them evenly without thought to what it "looks like" or who gets to play) does not change the fact that those who only read headlines will be left with:
1) "GT suspends player" and
2) "they lied"

Going forward, a GT fan will only remember this situation in a future where the loss of Harrell noticeably affects GT's 2015 season. It is my opinion that potential recruits could be influenced to dislike GT/CPJ by this kerfuffle - either by simply reading those headlines or by people advocating for another program.

Or, I will hopefully be wrong and will have only wasted some time & electrons by posting in this thread.
I think it would hurt recruiting just as badly for people to know that a coach is going to throw your every indiscretion out into the public discourse just to cover his own butt. 18-23 yr. olds are fully capable of messing up. They know that CPJ will discipline firmly. But, they might also value that he's not prone to telling.

The fact that nothing public has been explained is much more protective of the athlete than the program. At least as I understand these things. My hope is that there never becomes a reason why the program would tell what happened.
 

Skeptic

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Messages
6,372
I think it would hurt recruiting just as badly for people to know that a coach is going to throw your every indiscretion out into the public discourse just to cover his own butt. 18-23 yr. olds are fully capable of messing up. They know that CPJ will discipline firmly. But, they might also value that he's not prone to telling.

The fact that nothing public has been explained is much more protective of the athlete than the program. At least as I understand these things. My hope is that there never becomes a reason why the program would tell what happened.
I think people would be surprised at how ineffective a lot of "negative" recruiting is to 18-year-olds. Stuff like UNC being threatened with stiff NCAA penalties can hurt, because recruits have read and know about that situation. But the coach of X is mean? X is unfair? X will take your scholarship? Even kids for the most part see through that and besides, it is easy to get character references because most of these prospects know somebody or know somebody who knows somebody close to the program. It ain't called social media for nothing. I have to think it would take an exceptionally polished recruiter to pull that off without coming across as sleazy and underhanded. The kind of guy your parents don't want you around.
 

Northeast Stinger

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I think it would hurt recruiting just as badly for people to know that a coach is going to throw your every indiscretion out into the public discourse just to cover his own butt. 18-23 yr. olds are fully capable of messing up. They know that CPJ will discipline firmly. But, they might also value that he's not prone to telling.

The fact that nothing public has been explained is much more protective of the athlete than the program. At least as I understand these things. My hope is that there never becomes a reason why the program would tell what happened.
Yep. Sometimes the best political move of all is to not be political at all. :)
 

DrJacket

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1,178
any guesses as to who will get his number?
Well, we know who has requested it. And, so far it hasn't been assigned. I am hopeful we're going to see that number being used again real soon. And, if it's who I hope---there's going to be way more to be excited about than the number.
 
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