Yes or No ... Gopherhole has impact on recruiting

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MNSpaniel

MNSpaniel

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Some of you may blow-up on this note. But I think all the negative posters on this site have an a negative impact on recruiting. I know you will say the players should educate themselves as to what each Univ. has to offer. I think they do but when all things are equal I'm sure they are checking into the local sites of the Universities they are considering. Again all things being equal I think the negative vibes of the fans could push an athlete away.
 

MNSpaniel said:
Some of you may blow-up on this note. But I think all the negative posters on this site have an a negative impact on recruiting. I know you will say the players should educate themselves as to what each Univ. has to offer. I think they do but when all things are equal I'm sure they are checking into the local sites of the Universities they are considering. Again all things being equal I think the negative vibes of the fans could push an athlete away.
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+1 The haters should leave and leave this team and this site to the people who love it.
 

I am really hoping that it doesn't have any effect on recruiting. In a perfect world, players wouldn't read this board. Like I said a perfect world, after Adam Weber had a less than good game I would be hoping he would be spending time with his teammates both on and off the field, and watching film. I seriously hope and doubt he wakes up in the morning and wonders what the topic is on Gopherhole, and if players do read it I am guessing it is more for fun to see what the crazies (all of us) are thinking.
 

Yes it does have an impact. Probably not as much in recruiting as it does in team morale. Current players read it more than recruits I'm willing to bet. But we are a part of the over all vibe of gopher nation, and for that the negativity on here reverberates and gets used in the media. More though the negative media infiltrates here than the other way around, but it all feeds the same overall vibe. The overall negativity of the media has a tremendous impact. I'd be willing to bet the links to Ruesse's ruesse are apart of every recruiting effort against us.
 

Schnoodler said:
Yes it does have an impact. Probably not as much in recruiting as it does in team morale. Current players read it more than recruits I'm willing to bet. But we are a part of the over all vibe of gopher nation, and for that the negativity on here reverberates and gets used in the media. More though the negative media infiltrates here than the other way around, but it all feeds the same overall vibe. The overall negativity of the media has a tremendous impact. I'd be willing to bet the links to Ruesse's ruesse are apart of every recruiting effort against us.
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I would hope not, but it would be nice if posters tried to frame their arguments cogently and without being a pr*ck in case recruits and players are reading.
 


MNSpaniel said:
Some of you may blow-up on this note. But I think all the negative posters on this site have an a negative impact on recruiting. I know you will say the players should educate themselves as to what each Univ. has to offer. I think they do but when all things are equal I'm sure they are checking into the local sites of the Universities they are considering. Again all things being equal I think the negative vibes of the fans could push an athlete away.
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"Magical thinking" is a psychological abnormality associated with the thought that one's actions cause reactions that cannot possibly be connected. For example, "every time I attend a game the team wins!"

There is no way a recruiting board can drive a recruit away. If the school is worth attending and some malcontents are badmouthing it, the malcontents will sound like nuts. On the other hand, if a program is in the toilet, the malcontents do not sound nuts- they sound like the newspapers, commentators, and opposing recruiters who all say the same thing: the program is in the toilet. In these cases, the posters who keep preening on about what great shape the school is in sound like the nuts to recruits.

Facts, exploited by opposing recruiters, drive recruits away.
 

We really should think of ourselves as agents for positive change and try to argue our points without dumping and bashing. But sports is a passionate thing for alot of people and so it's difficult to be rationale in the midst of heart break.
 

Handsome Pete said:
"Magical thinking" is a psychological abnormality associated with the thought that one's actions cause reactions that cannot possibly be connected. For example, "every time I attend a game the team wins!"

There is no way a recruiting board can drive a recruit away. If the school is worth attending and some malcontents are badmouthing it, the malcontents will sound like nuts. On the other hand, if a program is in the toilet, the malcontents do not sound nuts- they sound like the newspapers, commentators, and opposing recruiters who all say the same thing: the program is in the toilet. In these cases, the posters who keep preening on about what great shape the school is in sound like the nuts to recruits.

Facts, exploited by opposing recruiters, drive recruits away.
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Good point with a rediculous conclusion. A recruit is never going to be driven away by supportive fans. I know you're not this lame to actually assert that.
 

It can't help if a recruit (or a family member) comes to this site and see's dozens of dump Brewster threads. Just saying.
 



Schnoodler said:
Good point with a rediculous conclusion. A recruit is never going to be driven away by supportive fans. I know you're not this lame to actually assert that.
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If you can find anywhere in my post where I come close to asserting that, I will buy you a growler of beer if you can find anywhere that sells a growler of beer.

What I actually say, quite clearly, is that negative facts, exploited by opposing recruiters, drive recruits away. If all the fans are 100% supportive, the recruits will still make the exact decisions that are born out by the facts.

You want to know what kind of facts drive recruits away? Half full student sections in 50,000-seat new stadiums. That is not me being negative. That is a fact, and one that is being told to every recruit we have by our opposition.

And for Seantrel Henderson, here's another fact: the addition of a dominating, immediate freshman starter at LT can help us win whole games. With more wins, more fans will attend. That is a positive fact we can use in recruiting him that is not BS, and is based on the performance of our O-line this year and its impact on our offense in key losses.
 

In these cases, the posters who keep preening on about what great shape the school is in sound like the nuts to recruits.
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wasn't that your point? That positive posters are all kool aid drinkers oblivious to the deficiencies of the program. It sounds like the same black and white argument I see in every thread. If you bash the team you're a realist, if you are positive you're delusional. This is exaclty what is wrong with sports today, and the sour attitude that is rotting the foundation of the program that this thread is alluding to. You didn't say the words but the inference is apparent. I think your type of attitude is short sighted and harms the program. What do you think of that? I don't think your type of perspective is very rational or realistic at all. And if what you say is correct and it starts to sound like the norm because it is parroted over and over again by those who should be supportive the recruits will believe it. But I won't lump you as a hater, or I'd have you on ignore.
 

If what's on a discussion board can turn recruits away just imagine the doom and gloom in Ann Arbor and a few other normally upbeat football towns right about now.
 

I don't know. It's arrogant to think that the collective "we" can influence a recruit, but it's also ignorant to think that we can't influence them. Damn Al Gore for inventing the Interweb.
 



Whatever minimal impact it might have in a vaccum is mitigated by the fact that every team has a message board like this, and all of them have some posters who are always negative and some who wear brightly colored glasses. If a recruit were to check them all out, they'd end up right where they were before they started, but probably wanting to jab thier eyes out with a rusty scissors.
 

howeda7 said:
Whatever minimal impact it might have in a vaccum is mitigated by the fact that every team has a message board like this, and all of them have some posters who are always negative and some who wear brightly colored glasses. If a recruit were to check them all out, they'd end up right where they were before they started, but probably wanting to jab thier eyes out with a rusty scissors.
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A-men.

You'd think this was the only program that has issues and dissasitisfied fans. If I were a recruit being asked to come and change the way things happen at the University of Minnesota and read about how happy everyone was with a 6-6 program that closed out exactly one game this season and wasn't competitive in 4 of the last six games, I'd be concerned that the fans expectations reflect a lack of commitment to winning football throughout the program.

But that's just me.
 

We have an opportunity to make an impact. There is no vacuum. You either make it better or make it worse or you say nothing. You are not absolved because you have a moniker.
 

Schnoodler said:
We have an opportunity to make an impact. There is no vacuum. You either make it better or make it worse or you say nothing. You are not absolved because you have a moniker.
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The only thing I would say is that there's no need for threads ripping specific recruits for choosing other schools and/or de-committing, etc. For the most part I don't see that here, and I think this site is probably better then most in that regard. Even the thread about the current decommit to TCU is focused on why he did this and is not ripping him threads for changing his mind. Most threads about specific recruits I see on this site are positive. So to the extent that this does impact anything (it's minimal) I'd say GH is better then most.

I stand by my prior post that has a whole, this isn't in a vaccum and every team has a site similar to this with debates about the status of the coaches, program, etc. and if a recruit checks them all out, they'd all blend into nothing but white noise.
 


Impossible question

It's an interesting question to ponder but let's face the facts;

You're not going to get a truthful answer out of everybody responding. Bottom line, those that have been banging the Fire the Coach drum will without question assert that none of their comments could possibly hurt recruiting. On the other side, the pro-coaching crowd will say otherwise.

Basically, each side's response is going to be driven by their own agenda, regardless of what they think about their comments on an anonymous site.

Kids are young and impressionable and in today's society, they know more than any generation about how to research and gather information towards making a big decision. I'd be absolutely shocked if there was ever a recruit in the last 3-5 years that did NOT visit this site.
 

You want free expression and exchange of opinion, but there has been a negative caste to the board for some time. 6-6 wasn't bad, considering the schedule, but people became disappointed when it appeared that with any kind of offense we could have won the Illinois and Iowa games and done much better against SD State (Nebraska can say the same thing). Our defense and kicking games improved over the last Mason years, but offense regressed this year and Gray never got to play when he was really needed, which raised question marks.

But the stadium is sold out and is a beauty and football is back on campus and we are going to a bowl. Shouldn't be all gloom and doom here.
 

Yes. Huff's comments are proof.

How many times have we asked the "no contract extension = lost recruits" crowd to cite a single quote from any college football recruit that mentions this line of thinking? No one was ever able to do it. Not once.

Now -- it finally happens. And by no coincidence, among the 120 teams in FBS, it involves our own team.
 

I really don't think Gopherhole has any bearing on recruiting whatsoever. This website isn't unique, almost every program has a site like this. Additionally, I think people from MN tend to be more logical and positive than the average person around the country. Meaning, this site really isn't full of irrational haters and I gurantee you has a higher amount of positive posters than most BCS conference programs who hover around 6-6. Are there people who disslike Brewster, obviously. However, these recruits are being bombarded with information about Brewster from our rival schools, all of this stuff isn't new.

Honestly, if anyone thinks this site is at all brutal or harsh to the Gopher program, you need to check out the way other schools are attacking their program (e.g tOSU this season, Notre Dame, Penn St. (a few years ago), FSU, Illinois, A&M, Cal, etc).
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Honestly, if anyone thinks this site is at all brutal or harsh to the Gopher program, you need to check out the way other schools are attacking their program (e.g tOSU this season, Notre Dame, Penn St. (a few years ago), FSU, Illinois, A&M, Cal, etc).
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All of which took a recruiting hit at the time.
 

Schnoodler said:
All of which took a recruiting hit at the time.
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I think it's a chicken and the egg thing. I don't think the "negativity" causes poor recruiting, I think the dissappointment on the field causes both (negativity and hits in recruiting).

Furthermore, Penn St. (during the JoePa negativity) sure didn't take a hit in recruiting, that is when they were able to get some power classes and put it back on track. Notre Dame also didn't take a hit in recruiting, they have had some of the best classes in the nation in the last couple years through all the negativity. Michigan had a great recruiting class last season (RichRod was and is getting blasted by Wolverine fans), Richt and Georgia are having a great class (getting blasted). tOSU really hasn't taken a huge hit either (there ranking is down because they don't have a ton of scholly's available this year, but their player star average is still really strong).

I will agree that when teams do worse on the field that they often get more criticism and recruiting often is hurt. I personally don't think that criticism plays any part in the drop off in recruiting, but I guess there is no possible way to determine that.
 

It all works together no doubt. And i will say this site and ones like it are probably the least influential of all the data these recruits are being bombarded with and have to wade through to make their decisions. But being the least influential doesn't equate to being non influential. We don't know how we might impact. And if we are on the plus side of just one recruit that's enough. If we are on the negative side of just one recruit that is too much.

From a selfish standpoint I can see alot of benefit from being a more positive site. It would be nice if this were a site recruits, parents of recruits and players weren't afraid of. One where they felt proud to be a Gopher rather than ashamed. I would much rather be a part of the solution than a part of the problem. I guess we need to decide which community we want to be apart of. I really don't care to be an extension of the media, I'd much rather be an extension of the program. I feel a little protective of this concept.
 

Weren't OSU fans clamoring for Tressel's job earlier this year? Weren't they booing a true Sophomore quarterback after the Purdue game? Does that negatively affect their recruiting? 6-6 has much more to do with recruiting than what is posted here or anywhere on the internet.
 

StartGrayPlz said:
Weren't OSU fans clamoring for Tressel's job earlier this year? Weren't they booing a true Sophomore quarterback after the Purdue game? Does that negatively affect their recruiting? 6-6 has much more to do with recruiting than what is posted here or anywhere on the internet.
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Well, Ohio St finished last year as the number 3 team on Rivals recruiting ratings (number 4 the year before), this year they are 21 (albeit their class isn't filled yet). Is there a correlation to that negativity? Maybe, maybe not, hard to tell.
 


My question is this: Why spend so much time being negative? Every post? Every chance a person gets? Some of the negative posters (you know who you are) never change their tunes. It's always bad-bad-bad. Bitching about a play-call, or a ref's mistake, or even a fumble is fine in my book but to always bitch for bitching sake?? Recruits pick up on this and it can't help. It most likely won't sway a recruit this or that way, but I have talked to three football recruits over the years and they all read the sites.
 

tikited said:
My question is this: Why spend so much time being negative? Every post? Every chance a person gets? Some of the negative posters (you know who you are) never change their tunes. It's always bad-bad-bad. Bitching about a play-call, or a ref's mistake, or even a fumble is fine in my book but to always bitch for bitching sake?? Recruits pick up on this and it can't help. It most likely won't sway a recruit this or that way, but I have talked to three football recruits over the years and they all read the sites.
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Bitching about things is a national obsession and has been for a lot of years. The complainers around here have a more rational agenda. Some want to irritate anybody who supports the current regime others want to make it seem as of nobody supports the program.

The true trolls and the Brewster-haters have one thing in common. They actually hope recruits read the boards and come the conclusion not to go to Minnesota.

The anti-Brewster crew honestly feel that Brewster is never going to get it. The sooner he's gone the sooner the U can turn it around. They want to start over as soon as possible. Some think the talent will stay and if they just get a better coach the 9 and 10 win seasons will just roll in. Others hold to the hope, or delusion, that the Administration will break the budget, or drop some sports, and pay for a proven, great coach. They always will sight Tubby by the way, when asked if it is really possible.

The other major groups, Masonites and Big Ten Trolls, have one major thing in common. They just want the University to lose. Masonites want to punish the U and want everybody fired because they just "couldn't see" how the Gophers had no chance of ever winning and should have stayed with the guy who could give them a real taste of victory ever year or so. Big Ten trolls just want the Gophers to lose. Period.

The Masonites constantly complained about how all the negativity on the boards HURT the program they love. The present Brewster haters state again and again how it doesn't make any difference. The irony being they secretly hope the Masonites were right.:banghead:
 

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