What Is Learned From Fitts Saga?

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USC’s decision to renege on its early scholarship offer really only reminds us that colleges make business decisions daily. Remember that when you are upset when a recruit decommits.

It goes both ways. Remember last year wide receiver Jaydon Mickens committed early to USC and then got dropped by the coaching staff. It doesn’t mean there are heroes or villians. It’s all business.

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  • Spedjones

    So what if Mamba bolted to Oregon on signing day – SC had a ton of 5* RBs on the team already. So what if Fitts dreamed of going to SC for years, graduated early just to fill his spot, signed his grant-in docs a packed his bags? Different story. At best, it’s very bad planning on SC’s part. At worst, it’s killing a kid’s dream for on OOS kid who’s only slightly better.

    • http://4chan.org/ m00t

      Not directly disagreeing with you, but if you have a defense with 15 all-american caliber players, and all of them are DTs or DEs, you’d probably trade any of them for 1 average CB. Not a perfect example, but just a reminder that there might (read:are) things the coaching staff knows that we don’t in terms of performance and true depth.

      • marvgoux1

        If that’s true that we were overloaded at DE why did we offer him in the first place?

        • http://4chan.org/ m00t

          That offer was probably (I don’t know) made last year (he said he was committed for about a year), when we were unsure about whether new players like breslin, woods or williams were going to contribute. If not for their production, dline would probably be a larger concern.

          • Cheap seats

            Don’t you think INTERIOR dline is a big concern? If you look at our 2011 team, we had much more beef and I believe it played a big part in why run defense was so poor in 2012. If all this talk about going to a 3-4 is true, we’d need a stud DT.

            I guess it was part of the “stop the spread with quicker guys” mentality?

          • http://4chan.org/ m00t

            I thought fitts was a DE. Also, next year we have 2 safeties I’ve even heard of…

          • Cheap seats

            I meant the Dline in general. Not enough beef inside.

            After watching Bigelow’s film, it looks like he can play almost any position on the DL, but will likely go inside with his size.

          • http://4chan.org/ m00t

            We went into this season with two all americans dbs, and 2 year starters opposite, and everybody threw all over us. Going to start (maybe) 4 new dbs next year, I think the dline is less of a concern, for now.

          • TrojanFan

            A good pass defense starts up front, if we can get after the QB it will take a lot of pressure off the secondary…..But that’s a big IF

          • http://4chan.org/ m00t

            That’s true, and I’m a huge proponent of ‘games are won/lost on the lines’, but I’m much more concerned over the secondary right now than I was a few months ago, as opposed to the DL, which I’m feeling pretty good about.

  • http://www.facebook.com/tom.oday.524 Tom Oday

    In the business world, people sue when they are being wronged. Thus, USC does not qualify to use “it’s all business” as an excuse. The NCAA is a business, and a villain.

  • ThaiMex

    Sweet Justice Baby!!!! McQuay has an ACT of NINETEEN (19)???????????? He will at some point be an academic casualty and will not be a part of the team. Meanwhile, SUCks also loses FITTS. I guess Goat Boy just enjoys shooting himself in the foot. Couldn’t happen to nicer people.
    fit on LIMBO U!

    • http://4chan.org/ m00t

      What did Christian Morris get on his ACT again? 17? At UCLA? Weird.

  • Kennedy

    Fitts scholarship wasn’t pulled, he can still become a Trojan if he wants in the June. Tough break for the young man but he can follow his dream to ‘SC but just a few months later. We can thank the NCAA for their sanctions. Once again, they hurt the innocent and not the guilty. Thanks Paul Dee and cronies!

    • http://www.facebook.com/arturo.barajas.1800 Arturo Barajas

      well said,Kennedy.

  • Al

    The embarrassing part is that Haden nor Kiffin bothered to respond to the news or do any damage control. I’m embarrassed both as a fan and USC alumni on how Fitts was treated.

    What about the seniors who failed to graduate on time this causing the scholarship problem in the first place? And who is responsible for keeping the student-athlete eligible and on track to graduate?

    • dtksr1 @dslextreme.com

      I think your questions are legit. But I would like to go a little farther… If Kiffin won’t fess up and it appears Haden isn’t leaving his office anytime soon, what about the person Haden hired (his pal JK McKay) to oversee just the football program?

      • http://twitter.com/FatBooster Joe Blow

        Dued, it’s a money grab by Mr. PR and Job Hopper.

    • Fullstop

      Neither Pat nor Lane responded because THEY CAN’T. It’s an NCAA violation to comment about any recruit until he’s signed his LOI, or, in the case of early entries, begun classes.

      I love how people make dumb comments without knowing anything about which they speak.

      • TrojanFan

        Are you talking about betomas(AKA Mr. Insider) and Spedjones(AKA Mr.I’m obsessed with USC football)

  • dtksr1 @dslextreme.com

    So Scott Wolf, its not about student athletes… its just about athletes huh?

  • oneillwatch

    Even in the business community, there is a recognition that just because one has the legal “right” to do something does not make it the right thing to do. Some of us actually act ethically. Apparently I graduated before USC started running on mafia principles. There is a huge difference between a 17-18 year old kid flaking on a commitment and a University that fancies itself as being seen as setting higher standards treating a constituent so cheaply. That’s okay, but payback is a bitch, Lane and Pat. Don’t think the parents of the 4-and 5-star recruits you are slobbering over aren’t seeing how you treat other prospects and students and wondering how their kids will be treated if they become Trojans. I sure as hell would. This may be just business to you guys with your seven-figure salaries – it is pissing on a kid’s dreams to the kid who gets an offer pulled.

    • ProbationU

      Actually a well-reasoned argument on a blog! Well done. I am a Bruin and will certainly welcome Kylie to the team should he decide to join the Bruin family. SC really screwed this one up. The kid dreamed about becoming a Trojan and Kiffin pulled the plug on him. Who can trust this staff now?

      Lame just added to an already difficult situation with the lack of available scholarships by reneging on an agreement. Another example of why this programs is headed in the wrong direction under his “leadership”.

  • JJ4SC

    For crying out loud enroll in June. SC has no depth @ safety and needs to bring Cravens and McQuay up to speed in the spring. L. Williams came in the summer and became the conference freshman defensive player of the year. Spend the next few months rehabbing your wrist and take some transferable classes from your local jc. Many kids have much bigger problems than this.

  • 1Emmit

    It may be all business, but if USC offered Fitts a scholarship and Fitts initially agreed to the offer in good faith only to have USC renege on the offer due to expediency, THAT is an element of USC football team’s problem.

    • http://twitter.com/FatBooster Joe Blow

      BS. Screw the kid. If he found something better,he’d bolt.

      • lobotrojan

        You just don’t get it do you?

        • http://twitter.com/FatBooster Joe Blow

          I more than get it. It’s fools like you that don’t.

        • TrojanFan

          Dude, where did you come from? did you fall off the lettuce truck?

          • http://twitter.com/FatBooster Joe Blow

            Watermelon truck

  • http://twitter.com/FatBooster Joe Blow

    Why doesn’t Fitt’s parents pay for one semester? Cheap screws. F him

  • wrong

    FYI – A 19 ACT is probably about average to above average for a nationally recruited NCAA football player and is about the same as a 1350 SAT. A legit HSGPA of 3.0 or higher is far above average. I’d guess, sadly, that many FBS football players enter college with half the HSGPA and/or Test scores of some that join them at the same university. For so many football players to receive their degrees, imagine the hard work and time they put in and the countless hours of support they receive – so they can be NCAA Student-ATHLETES.

    So let’s not bash any of the recruits/players. They didn’t make the system. The coaches and recruits/players are just trying to do their best to thrive within it.

    • SoCal_Native_59

      You don’t get it. These internet tuff guys have failed in life and live to blast anyone who will succeed. What kind of man ridicules a 17-18 year old who has worked hard to graduate early while putting in enough work to be the #2 ranked safety?

  • nard dog

    Mora to Chargers. Done deal. Farts.

  • http://www.facebook.com/arturo.barajas.1800 Arturo Barajas

    If there was any doubt about how the sanctions are handcuffing SCs ability to recruit, I present to you exhibit Y.

  • http://www.facebook.com/arturo.barajas.1800 Arturo Barajas

    I actually can’t believe that SW didn’t blame CLK for this..he blames and bashes him for everything…just read that Kiffin didn’t call plays for the Sun Bowl and yet SW wants to….never mind.

  • hitdawg29

    USC didnt pull his scholly they simple wanted him wait until June, but again everyone who hates SC loves to blow up everything. The fact off the matter is that soon SC will slapping all these “ham sandwich” offenses in the PAC-10 real soon.

    • Spedjones

      Haha. 7-6 and getting worse.

      • TrojanFan

        Move on, you stupid idoit, you keep saying the same fucking thing over and over…….We all laugh at your pathetic ass…….go troll a Baylor site

  • hitdawg29

    JJ4SC I agree with you 100%……Get Stronger and Rehab instead of putting USC on blast and decomitting because your feeling are hurt. Does he understand that thier are on 18 of these to handout. Someone wants it, trust me!