The people pissed about him getting a contract extension are the ones that dont understand recruiting. It was just a one year extension so he can tell recruits he will be here through 2013. Whether or not that contract is honored by the school will be up for debate.
Brew gets first 2010 recruit from Bielema's backyard
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Thanks for the welcome. To respond to a couple posters and then get back on my soap-box...
Truthfully, all I have is my opinion on BB at WI. I don't have any inside scoop. Following what many consider a legend in Alvaraz, BB has big shoes to fill. Some are getting anxious, though. IMO, the Badgers were a QB and a couple interior d-linemen shy of a 2nd place conference finish in the B-10 this past season.
*I think MN getting Konrad Zagzebski will raise a few more eyebrows from Badger fans. DC Everest, to get a better idea on KZ, is not quite an Eden Prairie, MN every year, but they are in the same ball park. They have some state championships and are consistenly first or second in the Wisconsin Valley Conference, which is one of WI's better big school conferences. Your a stud if you start for Everest as a frosh.
*I agree with a poster in that a Hudsonite likely has some strong ties to MN due to it being right across the St. Croix; however, Urbik and Vandenhuevel chose WI. Sam was born in MN and has strong interest in the Gophers. They seem to be heading in the right direction.
IMO, I like that MN is moving back toward more of a TE, QB under center, back bashing a hole type of offense..it'll be needed at times in the new stadium. I'm old school though-three yards and a cloud of dust kinda guy. Win the line of scrimmage and you'll win the game.
*I don't profess to have any more FB IQ than anyone on this site...you all have good knowledge if you're posting on a FB site. But if you see Sam's JR video on Rivals/Scout in the next couple months or if you're watching videos of other 2010 prospects, I'd recommend that you consider: 1) how quickly they respond to the snap and get off the ball in comarison to a TE and the other O-linemen; 2) do they come off with power or is it more of 'I'm going to shield you' technique; 3) how they move their feet (do they hit and stop or keep moving); 4) how they move their hands when engaged with a defender-do they move in order to ensure they maintain control and leverage or do they hit and then stop).
All MN and WI line recruits will have size and pretty good strength. Most will be pretty aggressive. IMO, quickness w/pop is what sets them apart. Sam's heard it all his life-'It's better to be the hammer than the nail."
Truthfully, all I have is my opinion on BB at WI. I don't have any inside scoop. Following what many consider a legend in Alvaraz, BB has big shoes to fill. Some are getting anxious, though. IMO, the Badgers were a QB and a couple interior d-linemen shy of a 2nd place conference finish in the B-10 this past season.
*I think MN getting Konrad Zagzebski will raise a few more eyebrows from Badger fans. DC Everest, to get a better idea on KZ, is not quite an Eden Prairie, MN every year, but they are in the same ball park. They have some state championships and are consistenly first or second in the Wisconsin Valley Conference, which is one of WI's better big school conferences. Your a stud if you start for Everest as a frosh.
*I agree with a poster in that a Hudsonite likely has some strong ties to MN due to it being right across the St. Croix; however, Urbik and Vandenhuevel chose WI. Sam was born in MN and has strong interest in the Gophers. They seem to be heading in the right direction.
IMO, I like that MN is moving back toward more of a TE, QB under center, back bashing a hole type of offense..it'll be needed at times in the new stadium. I'm old school though-three yards and a cloud of dust kinda guy. Win the line of scrimmage and you'll win the game.
*I don't profess to have any more FB IQ than anyone on this site...you all have good knowledge if you're posting on a FB site. But if you see Sam's JR video on Rivals/Scout in the next couple months or if you're watching videos of other 2010 prospects, I'd recommend that you consider: 1) how quickly they respond to the snap and get off the ball in comarison to a TE and the other O-linemen; 2) do they come off with power or is it more of 'I'm going to shield you' technique; 3) how they move their feet (do they hit and stop or keep moving); 4) how they move their hands when engaged with a defender-do they move in order to ensure they maintain control and leverage or do they hit and then stop).
All MN and WI line recruits will have size and pretty good strength. Most will be pretty aggressive. IMO, quickness w/pop is what sets them apart. Sam's heard it all his life-'It's better to be the hammer than the nail."
Gold Vision
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Wow, who says stuff like that and decommits with his second offer, just shows you how far a 17 year old's word goes.
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What a complete lack of class. he'll fit in perfectly with Bielema
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That's the thing - the kid is 17 years old! How many of us stuck to every commitment we made when we were that age? This is just a reality check - it's great to get kids early, but when you get them before they've had a chance to make an informed decision, their word is not their bond.
IMHO, we spend way too much time hanging on every word a kid says. There's nothing wrong with getting excited about a new commit and welcoming them with open arms to the Gophers, but I just don't count it until it's signing day (or the rare instance they're a really mature kid - like a Victor Keise - but you don't know that unless you actually know the kid personally).
cncmin
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Nah, he didn't have to verbal if he wasn't sure. It's a total lack of class, plain and simple; especially toward a guy (Brewster) who stuck with him through his injury and everything. If he wouldn't have verballed, then went to Wisconsin, I wouldn't have cared. Instead, now he's just a douche. It doesn't matter if he's 17, or 57, he should know better.
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Do you feel that way about Michael Carter too? Or is it just when it happens to us?
These kids get a lot of pressure to commit early from every school - a lot of them cave without making an informed choice. I remember being shocked the Lipscomb committed here without even visiting...and so many kids do that. The top ones, just probably can't say "no," and are people pleasers. The middle of the road ones almost have to say yes, before their offer is pulled. I know it sounds shady, but you almost have to CYA as a recruit. You can always decommit if you find a school you like better, but if you wait, take your visits and time - your offer may not be there when you want. Shady, but true.
cncmin
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Good point about Carter, but seriously, I'm not that big of a Carter fan (compared to others around here) with what he did to WVU; though it's always worse when it's the other way around, too.
And you're right about accepting offers because you can always get another - but that is extremely shady. Maybe I'm just too honest of a person.
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I think it's obvious this guy used the U to get an offer from Bielema. This was not a drawn out recruiting war as with Michael Carter. It's a spoiled brat who wanted an offer from Wisconsin NOW and played the Gophers like fools to get one. Totally pathetic but as a previous poster noted, he should fit right in over there.
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The difference between Carter and KZ is that Carter's recruitment went down to the wire he never made the strong comments about Minnesota when he verballed. I'm fine with a kid changing his mind, but don't come out and say things you don't mean. What he said was pretty straight forward. Its like me saying a woman was ugly and then sleeping with someone they don't like, then saying a week later I wouldn't mind getting married to the same woman. Takes a smart person to do something like that.
I agree, we don't know what level of pressure brewster put on him to commit right away, especially coming off an injury. Who knows he might have heard about the fritz rock ordeal as well and felt it is better to commit now, especially coming off an injury and guarantee myself a scholarship here rather than risk having the offer pulled if he could not come back fully from the injury . The gophers set the precedent that they were not afraid to pull an offer early and without warning and sometimes it can comeback to bite you. Whatever the reasoning behind the switch however it is not worth getting upset about as this is what happens in big time athletics all the time. Atleast he switched early rather than do it the night before signing day, this way there is plenty of time for the coaches to re-focus on another recruit.
sonnygarcia
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Exactly, I'm sure Brew can use the scholly on someone better than a 3* tweener (DE/LB) coming off of ACL surgery. This is hardly a blow to us other than we could use it as ammo telling sconnies their kids want to play here more. We have cut-off their recruiting in MN, that is good enough (and will probably be their demise)
Here's the thing: When do we start holding kids accountable for what they do and say? That's the real issue I have in this case. Michael Carter is another example and I can fully understand why West Virginia fans were upset when he switched to us. I would have been royally pissed as well in that case and even as a fan of the team that he switched to, I find this trend troubling.
And I also fully understand some of the other points you made, which as always, are well thought out.
But it's as simple as either giving a soft verbal, not verballing at all, or saying you still have to weigh your options. Situations like this one look more like a bidding war than trying to sell what your program has to offer. If that's not the case, then Konrad should have never fed us a line of hooey in regards to his desire to play for the Gophers.Was it a mistake on his part? Probably. But there is nothing wrong with criticizing the kid for what he does and says either. That's part of becoming an adult: learning how to take criticism when it is warranted and in this case, it is indeed warranted in my opinion.
You guys are hilarious. A kid is classless that decommits from the Gophers but the kids that decommit from other teams and sign with the Gophers are all good kids that just saw the light. How pathetic. Why don't you listen to your moderator. At least she can look at the situation with a tiny bit of objectivity.
Kids change their minds all the time. It is part of the game. All coaches continue to recruit kids that have committed (even Punky) and it will be that way until the end of time. There have been 5 or 6 kids in the last couple of years that have decommited from the Badgers.
And just to be clear, I don't care where he goes to school. We are talking about a kid that won't step on the field until 2011.
Kids change their minds all the time. It is part of the game. All coaches continue to recruit kids that have committed (even Punky) and it will be that way until the end of time. There have been 5 or 6 kids in the last couple of years that have decommited from the Badgers.
And just to be clear, I don't care where he goes to school. We are talking about a kid that won't step on the field until 2011.
For me, it doesn't matter that this kid is from WI or Timbuktu. Could care less. I also know kids change their minds in recruiting all the time. I also know the pressures for a kid to stay in his home state or huge. The reason this stinks is what the kid said. I know is is only 18 or whatever, but just don't say you aren't going to change your mind. Don't say this is final and that is that, unless you mean it. Just commit and keep your yap shut and if you decommitt, no big deal. This kid lost respect from alo of people and that is why this decommit is coming through back channels. He doesn't have the guts to stand up and admit he lied.
Coaches say they are staying at a job all the time only to leave. The kids are merely following the example they have seen in front of them. Personally, I do not see any problem as it is no different than me leaving my job for a better job when it comes along even though I told my boss I was happy in my review a few months back. The fact of that matter is sometimes something better comes along, atleast in the kids eyes and you cannot fault him for taking advantage of it. The real question should be how do you make the gopher football program more attractive that athletes do not see Wisconsin as a better option.
The obvious solution in this dilemma is to never believe anything anyone says ever. There, nice, clean and simple..
I don't think the issue, even in Konrad's situation, as as black-and-white as him thinking "well, I don't really want to be at Minnesota, but I'll tell them all how pumped I am about being a Gopher anyway." At least, I hope not
My original point was this: he shouldn't have committed in the first place. And even when he did commit, some measured language would have been much more preferable. Instead, we got this rambling account of how this was the end of the process, how Wisconsin had their chance and how much he was looking forward to being a Gopher, all of which, as it turned out, was patently false. That's the real problem. And call me crazy, but he deserves to be held accountable for it, whether he is a teenager or an adult. That's just the way it goes.
I don't think the issue, even in Konrad's situation, as as black-and-white as him thinking "well, I don't really want to be at Minnesota, but I'll tell them all how pumped I am about being a Gopher anyway." At least, I hope not
My original point was this: he shouldn't have committed in the first place. And even when he did commit, some measured language would have been much more preferable. Instead, we got this rambling account of how this was the end of the process, how Wisconsin had their chance and how much he was looking forward to being a Gopher, all of which, as it turned out, was patently false. That's the real problem. And call me crazy, but he deserves to be held accountable for it, whether he is a teenager or an adult. That's just the way it goes.
How do you propose a kid be held accountable for giving an overzealous interview when he probably has given few if any interviews in his life. There are professional athletes and coaches who are actually coached on interviewing skills who say more damning things that what he said.
Well, if he is dumb enough to not know how to handle an interview, than I really don't want him. There are plenty of kids who do plenty well with interviews that are of the same age.
This is what it is: a kid who misled the media, the coaching staff and the fans. Or at least, that's what it appears to be. I get really sick and tired of people wanting to make excuses for young people just because they are young. Maybe you're right and it was just an overzealous interview response. That doesn't just explain it away in my eyes. Sorry. Words do mean something and he should be held accountable for what he said. That's the way the world works. You are held accountable for your actions and words and there are certain consequences for it.
It's too bad that it makes him look like a liar, but that's just the way things go.
One of the biggest challenges in talent retention among businesses is trying to understand why a talent is leaving your cooperation. One of the major issues is that the person leaving will not give the real reasons of what caused them to leave. So they get a lot of, your company is great, no I had no issues with my manager, my work was challenging, I was excited to get up to go to work blah blah blah.
Adults do this all the time: thanks for giving me this job, but I found something better over here. (aka I'll take the bird in my hand then wait around hoping to get something different, since I know I can pick a different bird if it comes along).
Maybe you have never switched jobs. In my life, I've had my offered pulled ( I got layed off), I have taken a mid-major program (worked a crap job when I first went to the east coast to get a better understanding of the market/businesses out there), I have been recruited heavily by the big boys (when I came back here I was able to dictate my terms via vacation and salary b/c I had mulitple offers).
Every job experience I get better at the process. If I had the experience of the job recruiting process I do now when I came out of college I probably wouldn't have been in a position to get layed off. Those are all the experiences you gain from doing something the first time through.
Adults do this all the time: thanks for giving me this job, but I found something better over here. (aka I'll take the bird in my hand then wait around hoping to get something different, since I know I can pick a different bird if it comes along).
Maybe you have never switched jobs. In my life, I've had my offered pulled ( I got layed off), I have taken a mid-major program (worked a crap job when I first went to the east coast to get a better understanding of the market/businesses out there), I have been recruited heavily by the big boys (when I came back here I was able to dictate my terms via vacation and salary b/c I had mulitple offers).
Every job experience I get better at the process. If I had the experience of the job recruiting process I do now when I came out of college I probably wouldn't have been in a position to get layed off. Those are all the experiences you gain from doing something the first time through.
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i would hope that is the case! then as he is being brought back to the sidelines by the becky trainers coach brewster should give him a quick little wave that is basically saying to him: "hey konrad you remember us? the golden gophers? that team you said you really, really wanted to play for but it was just a underhanded ploy to get something else? well, tought sh!t konrad because now we are going to be on you like flies on sh!t each and every game until you graduate!"
cncmin
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What posts, exactly, are you referring to? Obviously your reading comprehension is poor today.