Andre McDonald

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Chris Monter

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Gopher football signee Andre McDonald has left the Hopkins basketball team, which is 24-1 and is ranked #1 in Class AAAA.

Chris Monter
 




In Tubby We Trust said:
What was the reason he left the team?
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My absolute guess would be to focus on football and getting ready for next year.
 




scher215 said:
My absolute guess would be to focus on football and getting ready for next year.
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If he wanted to get ready for football why would he play the whole season for one of the best teams in the state then quit the week before sections start?
 

bassy123 said:
If he wanted to get ready for football why would he play the whole season for one of the best teams in the state then quit the week before sections start?
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I have no idea what happened with Andre McDonald and nothing would surprise me. However, he really didn't play the whole season for Hopkins. He missed a significant amount of time with a shoulder injury, he missed time during the recruiting process, and he missed time to go to the All Star Game that he went to. During that time, he was sort of jumped on the depth chart a bit. I have no idea if he came back and got his spot back, if this is academic/behavior related, but Andre hasn't been able to devote himself to basketball much this season.
 



Tweet from Doogie:

"I'm told the reason why Andre McDonald is no longer on Hopkins hoops is because he wants to focus on football. Still odd timing. #Gophers"

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Tweet from Doogie:

"I'm told the reason why Andre McDonald is no longer on Hopkins hoops is because he wants to focus on football. Still odd timing. #Gophers"

Go Gophers!!
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I wonder why Doogie thinks it is that odd of timing? It's that kind of laziness that shouldn't be put out by journalists. He could have ended it at "I was told....". The ending "still odd timing", is nothing but soap opera nonsense that is probably best for message boards. He should hold himself to a higher standard than us.
 

It says he left the team, not got kicked off; which makes it sound like it was his choice so I doubt it's academic related or about him getting in trouble. It's odd timing but I believe that it was to focus on football.
 

gophs11 said:
It says he left the team, not got kicked off; which makes it sound like it was his choice so I doubt it's academic related or about him getting in trouble. It's odd timing but I believe that it was to focus on football.
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One of two things has happened here:

1) Andre wants to work on some things for football, and has decided the opportunity to gain an extra 30 (or so; the bball final is on March 24) days to his workout schedule outweighs the chance to win another state championship with his friends.

2) Something more controversial happened that resulted in his leaving a 1-loss team a week before playoffs start.

Now I'm not a PR guy, but if #2 happened to me I know how I'd spin it.
 




Bob_Loblaw said:
I wonder why Doogie thinks it is that odd of timing? It's that kind of laziness that shouldn't be put out by journalists. He could have ended it at "I was told....". The ending "still odd timing", is nothing but soap opera nonsense that is probably best for message boards. He should hold himself to a higher standard than us.
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Laziness? Explain.

Can only go so far with 140 characters.

Remember: more often than not, I am asked to give my opinion by those I work for. My opinion: the timing is odd. Trust the information that was given me. But to leave the week of a huge game vs. top-10 Minnetonka and close to section playoff time seems odd. I was at one of his practices the day before he committed. Talked at length with Novak. Both on camera and off, he spoke like he couldn't wait for Andre to get healthy and help them win another state title.

Talking with Limegrover for a while last week, and no doubt there will be a big opportunity for McDonald to help a lot right away. Just figured he would finish out the hoops season and help Hopkins win another title.
 

@DarrenWolfson: Re: Andre - heard the stuff you're likely referencing. RT @jayeyem7: @DarrenWolfson If that's all there is to the story, I'll eat my shoe.
 

I don't have any issues with you stating your opinion on Twitter Doogie. I know that's what you're asked to do. But the 140 character defense is a little weak. You're able to write more than one tweet on the subject after all. :)
 

Gold Vision said:
@DarrenWolfson: Re: Andre - heard the stuff you're likely referencing. RT @jayeyem7: @DarrenWolfson If that's all there is to the story, I'll eat my shoe.
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This is the type of tweet that people have a problem with. You, Doogie, say that Twitter allows you to state your opinion, but you know as well as anyone that the 5000+ people who follow your Twitter account do so for news. As a journalist, your opinion IS news. To say otherwise or to hint at information you know without actually saying it falls, in most people's opinion, somewhere between ridiculous and irresponsible.
 

Doogie said:
Laziness? Explain.

Can only go so far with 140 characters.

Remember: more often than not, I am asked to give my opinion by those I work for. My opinion: the timing is odd. Trust the information that was given me. But to leave the week of a huge game vs. top-10 Minnetonka and close to section playoff time seems odd. I was at one of his practices the day before he committed. Talked at length with Novak. Both on camera and off, he spoke like he couldn't wait for Andre to get healthy and help them win another state title.

Talking with Limegrover for a while last week, and no doubt there will be a big opportunity for McDonald to help a lot right away. Just figured he would finish out the hoops season and help Hopkins win another title.
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Investigate.
 

I don't think there is anything to 'investigate'. It is different for HS kids, I think it's off limits to report on this kind of stuff at a detailed level, IMO (hence why Doogie isn't going there). Now a pro, sure, find out why and write an article, but HS kids I feel like deserve a different level of privacy/confidentiality.
 

sonnygarcia said:
I don't think there is anything to 'investigate'. It is different for HS kids, I think it's off limits to report on this kind of stuff at a detailed level, IMO (hence why Doogie isn't going there). Now a pro, sure, find out why and write an article, but HS kids I feel like deserve a different level of privacy/confidentiality.
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I'm with you, but why re-tweet the comment and then hide behind the fact that McDonald is a high school kid? All Doogie is doing with that type of action is encouraging rumor. That is why people see it as irresponsible.

If Doogie doesn't want his Twitter account to be viewed as a form of journalism, he shouldn't list his two media jobs as his personal description. That re-tweet does nothing but stir the pot and subject McDonald to more scrutiny. If you don't want to say what you know, Doogie, that's fine. Just remember that nobody is forcing you to say anything at all.
 

I have know idea why he quit, if it is health related and he just can't play then that is a valid reason, if something happened within his family that won't allow him to spend time in basketball that is a valid reason.

To focus on football is a bunch of crap.

Lets face it quitting just before playoffs is well, a quitter, I doubt that is the case, whatever the situation is, that would be the worst case scenario, bottom line is you don't decide to just quit on your teamates, ever.
 

Totally agree that there may very well be no scandal involved in him leaving the team but the focus on football excuse is a cop out. Another couple weeks of basketball is not going impact his ability to make a potential impact on the football team next season.

Something happened, hopefully something minor, but something definitely happened to make a player quit a possible state championship team this late in the season.
 

So.. what you anti-Doogie people are saying that it ISN'T odd timing? Is that what you are implying? How is it NOT odd timing? Sorry, don't think that's an opinion. That's just a hard, cold fact. Leaving a powerhouse BBall program just week(s) before State playoffs is odd timing.. Especially when you are a starter for said program.
 

go4rube said:
Investigate.
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You investigate a blog entry or article you submit. It's a freakin' tweet, not a front page article on the STrib. If you don't like how he tweets, then don't follow.

Twitter is more used for quick hitting, ear to the ground info/speculation when it comes to 'journalism'. The blogs/rags are where we can rip the authors about mis-information, not for what they tweet/re-tweet.
 

Formo said:
You investigate a blog entry or article you submit. It's a freakin' tweet, not a front page article on the STrib. If you don't like how he tweets, then don't follow.

Twitter is more used for quick hitting, ear to the ground info/speculation when it comes to 'journalism'. The blogs/rags are where we can rip the authors about mis-information, not for what they tweet/re-tweet.
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Gotta agree with Formo/Doogie on this. Seems to me people are blowing this way out of proportion just because they dislike Doogie. It would be a whole different situation if he went ahead and made a blind speculation as to why McDonald quit at such an odd time. But he didn't.
 

jovs said:
I have know idea why he quit, if it is health related and he just can't play then that is a valid reason, if something happened within his family that won't allow him to spend time in basketball that is a valid reason.

To focus on football is a bunch of crap.

Lets face it quitting just before playoffs is well, a quitter, I doubt that is the case, whatever the situation is, that would be the worst case scenario, bottom line is you don't decide to just quit on your teamates, ever.
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Wow...this post is so full of sh!t, I don't even know where to begin.
 

Formo said:
You investigate a blog entry or article you submit. It's a freakin' tweet, not a front page article on the STrib. If you don't like how he tweets, then don't follow.

Twitter is more used for quick hitting, ear to the ground info/speculation when it comes to 'journalism'. The blogs/rags are where we can rip the authors about mis-information, not for what they tweet/re-tweet.
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I don't follow his tweets, they were posted here because he's a supposed journalist. He's free to tweet whatever he'd like, but for me, if someone considers themselves a journalist and they put out tweets like that, I will question them as journalists. As far as it just being a tweet, it's just a tweet if it is done by someone who isn't a journalist, who isn't using their twitter to further their career in journalism. I would never have said it was irresponsible for some random person on this message board to say that. If you're a journalist and you're using your twitter account with references to your other journalism jobs, than I don't think you get a pass for acting like a gossip mongering message board poster.
 

Doogie said:
Laziness? Explain.

Can only go so far with 140 characters.

Remember: more often than not, I am asked to give my opinion by those I work for. My opinion: the timing is odd. Trust the information that was given me. But to leave the week of a huge game vs. top-10 Minnetonka and close to section playoff time seems odd. I was at one of his practices the day before he committed. Talked at length with Novak. Both on camera and off, he spoke like he couldn't wait for Andre to get healthy and help them win another state title.

Talking with Limegrover for a while last week, and no doubt there will be a big opportunity for McDonald to help a lot right away. Just figured he would finish out the hoops season and help Hopkins win another title.
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I'll answer your question because this is a response to me.

If you're going to be weirded out by the timing of the entire ordeal, I think it's lazy for a journalist to just say "odd timing". In my opinion, a journalist could do a little digging. If you simply put "Andre McDonald quits the basketball team because he said he wanted to focus on football", that should be enough. You are making it clear it is what he is saying so the skeptical people could still use their imagination and it would be you reporting the facts. However, my opinion is that you needed to get your little dig in, but didn't have the time or desire to put the effort in to investigate any of the information.

As far as the amount of characters, that's a terrible argument. I thought it would have been more responsible for you to type less on that story, IMO, it should have ended at "...focus on football." Second of all, if you really need to make a pure guess on the subject and it didn't fit, i'm sure you could have tweeted again.

As to the point of the whole tweet, look at what you just wrote. You just wrote that "Novak couldn't wait for Andre McDonald to get healthy", that was a month ago.

Andre McDonald's entire future depends upon football, not basketball. He got injured at the bowl game and missed something like 9 games. During the time, he was passed on the depth chart and he'd been saying in a couple interviews (after he committed) that the shoulder issue was still bothering him. Now, I have no idea if it was shoulder related or not, but I thought it was strange that if you needed to make some sort of pure guess or judgment on the issue, you didn't bring up that he had a shoulder injury. I think it's weird that you apparently talked to his coach not that long ago and his coach wanted him to get back healthy.

Again, I have no idea if that was the reason why he quit, but I would think you would have went that route, if you had to guess.
 

Formo said:
So.. what you anti-Doogie people are saying that it ISN'T odd timing? Is that what you are implying? How is it NOT odd timing? Sorry, don't think that's an opinion. That's just a hard, cold fact. Leaving a powerhouse BBall program just week(s) before State playoffs is odd timing.. Especially when you are a starter for said program.
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The timing depends upon the situation.

I don't think it's that odd considering that Andre was injured one month ago and had missed something like 9 games. From what i've heard (I could be wrong on this), he was passed on the depth chart after his injury and he is going to be playing college football in a few months (I believe he shows up on campus in June).

I have no idea what happened but Doogie knew that McDonald was coming off an injury and he knows that Andre's future is dependent on football, I think to just spew out "odd timing" is a tad out of context. Now, I am not saying that something isn't weird, I have no idea. However, if I were a journalist before I would say something like "odd timing" or "sounds fishy" I would look around a little bit. If I felt the needed to expose some sort of Andre McDonald quits Hopkins basketball team coverup, I would look into it a little bit. He did neither, he rumor mongered without taking the time to find any info.
 

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