Grades, Grades, Grades

This is exactly why no one should ever get excited over having the so-called #1 ranked recruiting class. Every year it seems 20% dont get in due to grades, injuries or off-the-field character issues.

As much as I love USC football, I am a little uneasy with the number of academic risks the program accepts.

I suppose it's one thing for a kid to try and still have poor grades and test scores. The kid could be from a crummy neighborhood, with bad schools, and a chaotic living situation, and, as a result, he or she might be significantly disadvantaged especially when considering other students. As long as he/she plugs along and works through it, I'm fine with it?

But to just decide not to go to class? In high school? Maybe there is a family thing going on, I don't know, but still, do you really want this kind of kid in the program? He going to be on his own at USC, who says he's going to go to class when he gets here.

It's up to the USC to give these kids the help they need (including a kick in the ass and consequences). I think we do a great job at it. Look at Chauncey Washington. Can you imagine what it took to get to where he is academically now, by time management, confidence, work habits and a host of other skills and discipline that he obviously attained a little late in the game. USC could have done like at least half the schools around and let him play. This spring he wasn't even allowed to train! Instead he got what he came for, a great education and I'm sure a great deal of pride and satisfaction. I hope all of you 'SC alum are proud of that. We sometimes forget, that's more meaningful than any football win.

I don't know his personal story so I'll shut up. I just hope Stanley knows what he's getting into.

scott,

again, pete carroll's policy of giving out football scholarships and automatic admission to the academic side of usc to that many academically challenged football players every single year is a lose/lose policy both for usc, which could be giving out those scholarships to student athletes who qualify under the extremely minimal ncaa clearing house standards, and for the football players in question who should be going to jr college or prep school, instead of showing up at usc and losing a year or 2 of ncaa playing eligibilty.

the ncaa academic standards are extremely minimal and easy to figure out in advance, even for pete carroll.

sure, the chauncy washington story is a great one. however, how much playing eligibilty does not taking care of the academic issues in advance cost both usc and chauncy?

the only real beneficiary of not bothering to look at the academic side of recruits in advance is pete carroll, who is able to claim a top recruiting class every year, based on the stars awarded by rivals or scout.

pete carroll's failure to take academic issues into account in advance also certainly makes no sense in light of the new usc's serious academic standards.

is there room for a pete carroll type football program at the new usc?

i really do not know. however, i understand that the subject is being seriously debated within the usc community.

keep up the great work,

robert t. gilleran

The number stated on this blog of 8 players being iffy on their grades/test scores is a bit high... On signing day the questions were Hazelton (he's in), Havili (according to an interview with scout.com... he's in), CJ Gable (he's in) and the only real question is going to be Jamere Holland who needs a better SAT Score.

Robert -

How many football recruits during PC's tenure at SC have not met NCAA academic qualifications out of high school? I count five in five seasons. Of these five, only two eventually did not make it into SC. One is playing for Oregon, the other Michigan. Your claims make the facts seems otherwise.

Can you provide me with a list of the numerous SC verbals who did not meet the minimum NCAA standards? It should be easy fo you if your claims are true.

You didn't respond to me last time I asked for that information. Now is a good opportunity to prove that you're not ducking me.

I'm looking forward to seeing the evidence you will provide. As a former lawyer, that should be easy for you.

I still stand by my original number of eight recruits being on the bubble. Neither Hazelton nor Havili is in right now, although I believe the odds are better today than two months ago. Their final grades will be anxiously awaited by USC.

What in the hell is the "new" USC? Don't they still produce all the outstanding graduates that go on to successful careers, as they have for over one hundred years? Vidal Hazelton attends a prestigious prep school, was aggresively recruited by Penn State, and is a risk? What's with the new Penn State? Don't all recruits have to get decent grades for there final semester of high school, to be "in"?

scott,

1. as for the fellow who wants me to supply him with publicly available statistics on academically challenged football recruits admitted to usc under the carroll regime and rejected by the ncaa academic clearing house, i suggest that the record speaks for itself and that this person, who is apparently afraid to reveal his identity and has to hide beyond a false internet identity, find the information himself.

2. i believe that the post after that of the person afraid to reveal his identity provides some starting point for our very shy friend with the big mouth.

3. with respect to our shy friend's reference to me as a former attorney, i am and remain an attorney by virtue of my law degree from yale law school. if you are referring to my ongoing war with the crooks at the california state bar, then you should be aware that 2 crooked ca judges have already been charged and pled guilty to felonies in federal court after the la county da refused to prosecute them.

4. since you are so hopelessly opinionated,vicious, and wrong from behind your phony internet id,perhaps you would like to give us or me your real identity. you have my email adddress and my real name.perhaps you would like to see me in court.

keep up the great work,scott,

robert t. gilleran

Robert -

I've asked you twice to provide hard facts to support your claims. You haven't been able to either time. In other words, you can't prove your bogus assertions. That's exactly what I thought. You haven't done your homework and it shows.

Your last post tries to deflect from that by focusing attention to an internet handle, a standard part of internet culture. This further proves my point. People who can prove their point don't attempt to deflect in an argument. If you could prove your points, then you would have already. You can't, so you try to focus attention elsewhere. For a former lawyer, you're not very good at building a compelling case. LOL.

One final thing, you mention "seeing you in court." LOL. That's impossible: you were disbarred for unethical behavior and are forbidden from practicing law. As much as you would like it to be
frightening, your toothless threat is actually funny.

Affholter:

Great post! Keep up the great work in fighting the USC haters.

Robert -
It would appear from the following link that Affholter does have a point, regardless of what you say as to your law credentials.
Regarding grades, etc., everyone is entitled to an opinion.

http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member_detail.aspx?x=70962

wow - I don't recall anyone getting this owned before. Good work Affholter. It was so easy, it's comical.

Gee, Robert is awfully quiet. He shouldn't have thrown rocks at USC. I'm reminded of the old saying that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Apparently Robert didn't learn enough at Yale to prevent him getting disbarred almost 10 years ago by order of the California Supreme Court. Thanks for holding a naysayer accountable, Affholter87.

Scott,

Just wondering, have you considered a system whereby the latest entry into a blog moves that blog up the list? So that we know when changes have been made and if so desired, we could make the appropriate response.

Obviously, you do not want the day's subject moved, so maybe you have the day's topics on top with the latest blog change right beneath it.

Or, maybe have a mini table on top showing the blogs with the latest additions.

It might be asking too much, but I like the responses you are getting and thought there might be an easy way to notify posters.

Thanks.

Fight On!

This is from an interview with Kyle Williams that more than proves that Robert's issue with how Pete manages academics is incorrect:

One of the things we always heard in the 90’s, when the program wasn’t doing as well, was the thought that maybe the academic standards had gotten too high and that USC simply couldn’t succeed at that high level anymore. Since Carroll has come in though he’s shown that the academic standards here can still exist with a winning program.

"Of the class that I came in with, everybody is on track to graduate except for Mike Williams who left early, Winston who left early and Fred who left early although Fred is pretty close to being done. Other than those three, we'll have one of the highest graduation rates."

I will pass that suggestion along to our computer people. Everything is still a little new right now. So far, the best way to check is to count the comments to see if a new one is posted. Thanks.