Answer Monday! (Evening Edition)
A question about signing date here.
Q: SCMBA said:
Scott,
I'm curious what the rules are concerning National Signing Day and what the signifigance of that exact date is in the recruiting process. Can you explain the time line for when a recruit can submit his letter of intent (ie: when are the dead periods, when is the first and last day a recruit can turn in his letter, etc). I'm trying to figure out how so many schools (Texas, Michigan, etc) have 6 or 7 guys who have signed their letters of intent in January, while guys like Bryce Brown aren't expected to announce until 2 weeks after national signing day. Thanks!
A: Signing date is significant because it is the first day a recruit can sign a letter of intent, which officially binds him to a school. The letter of intent period usually lasts about two months. After that, a player can sign a scholarship agreement, which does not bind him to the university but allows him to receive a scholarship. I'm not aware of Texas or Michigan signing players in January, but that's what happens when you have a JC transfer or if a high school player enroll early (like Matt Barkley at USC).
There's really no reason for a player like Bryce Brown to sign Wednesday, other to relieve stress for Miami or USC or wherever he winds up.
Great job Mr. Wolf. This really clears it up. Let's see. A player can sign an LOI that you say officially binds him to the school. You then say he can later sign a scholarship agreement that doesn't bind him to the school but allows him to receive a scholarship. Silly question I know, but why would a player want a scholarship from a school that you say he hasn't agreed to attend?
What would we do without your clarity and knowledge on such a complex subject.
well for simple people like you Paso...we know you need help on the subject....
Allow me to explain.
If athletes were smart, none of them would sign a Letter of Intent (LOI). Once you sign, you cannot get out unless the school releases you to do so-it gives the school all the leverage.
If athletes were smart, they would just sign the scholarship paper, enabling them to receive their full scholarship but not binding them to the school if something happens (they simply change their mind, illness in the family they want to be closer to home, the effects of the koolaid from their visit finally wore off, etc., etc.)
However, while there are a few players each year (mainly in basketball) who seem to understand that and do just that, players don't because they and their parents don't understand what is truly best for them.
The LOI has not been around for 100 years. It was actually created to keep in-conference schools from "stealing" committed recruits from their fellow conference members. I should say ostensibly, because it really handcuffs the athletes.
Mo is right but kids and parents are competing, not cooperating. Players would have to band together to reject the system and that ain't gonna happen. Schools have penalized kids for messing up the system but not the other way around.
A big time CFB team isn't going to wait for a kid to dictate their keeping more scholies free. Schools usually reserve extra scholies for a non-scholie player who has proven themselves or specific recruiting needs the following year however. A second or 3rd year CFB player is a better bet than a flaky in-coming frosh with no signed LOI.
A basketball player who is in high demand and dealing with lesser schools might play the system, signing late and seeing if anything else developed. A single kid can help a developing program in a short time at a tournament run. And basketball players tend to have more savvy would be agents. Football players don't have the same leverage.
I am going to deviate from the LOI issue. The problem I have is with parents and HS schools. WHY wait until the HS senior year to identify a student's academic deficiencies? It is happening every year at this time during the recruiting peak. This problem needs to and has to be addressed.
Captain Idiot:
I see that brokenfacemask.com blog was taken down after it was revealed to have been a whole lot of lies and absurd conspiracies. The author of that blog was threatened with numerous lawsuits for libel and he immediately removed everything from that blog and shut it down permanently. That is precisely why he had been banned from USC events. He's a fraud and a liar.
And who does he have to thank for his blog being shut down after two days when it had been online for several years? The idiot captain, of course. It was only because you linked to it dozens of times that people went there and discovered his lies. It was because of you he was threatened with libel lawsuits for his lies. If you had said nothing, his blog would still be up there for everyone to read, lies and all.
Congratulations, you are officially the most stupid person on earth who believes anything on the Internet.
Broken Facemask, R.I.P.
Ha! Ha! Ha! I laugh in the idiot captain's face!
Bernard,
You keep following El Capitan around this blog, cutting and pasting the exact same thing every time he throws a post out there.
I understand you don't like him, but you should at least have the common courtesy to write something original each time. That whole cut and paste thing is just a colossal waste of everyone's time.
And besides, he said something worthwhile this time... give the guy a break.
The captain copied and pasted the same broken facemask link at least two dozen times, on threads it had no business being on. Over and over again, he kept posting it. I have no problem if he is now being called on it. He should be held accountable for his actions and I support Bernard in his humiliation of the "idiot captain."
USC'87:
You're NOT man enough say that to my face. PUNK SOB*tch.
Captain Idiot:
I see that brokenfacemask.com blog was taken down after it was revealed to have been a whole lot of lies and absurd conspiracies. The author of that blog was threatened with numerous lawsuits for libel and he immediately removed everything from that blog and shut it down permanently. That is precisely why he had been banned from USC events. He's a fraud and a liar.
And who does he have to thank for his blog being shut down after two days when it had been online for several years? The idiot captain, of course. It was only because you linked to it dozens of times that people went there and discovered his lies. It was because of you he was threatened with libel lawsuits for his lies. If you had said nothing, his blog would still be up there for everyone to read, lies and all.
Congratulations, you are officially the most stupid person on earth who believes anything on the Internet.
Broken Facemask, R.I.P.
Ha! Ha! Ha! I laugh in the idiot captain's face!