Bernie Machen’s quotes about oversigning in USA Today were just a mild warm up for his screed in SI.com, where he refers to some of his peers in terms such as “reprehensible” and “disgusting”.
Then, there’s this:
What needs to happen in intercollegiate athletics is that universities must accept the moral responsibility to stop and prevent “grayshirting” and its associated actions.
Uh, physician, heal thyself.
… One also assumes he’s referring to only offering a grayshirt after signing day has passed. UF offered one to QB Jacoby Brisset last October, and it also discussed one (but didn’t end up going that route) for TE Michael McFarland last January shortly before NSD 2010.
I think Year2 is right in that Machen does a poor job of defining the practice.
Imagine the feeling if the student finds out, literally a few months before enrolling, that the institution is backing out of the contract. It is too late in the summer to go back to one’s second choice. The student is told he will have to wait until next year. Sorry, but no acceptance, no scholarship. That’s it.
In Division I college football this practice is known as “grayshirting”…
Actually, that’s known as screwing a kid over.
If you’re going to wax indignant over something, the least you can do is understand what you’re objecting to and describe it accurately. Machen fails miserably at that – unless he truly believes all grayshirting should be banned. Maybe Corch can enlighten him.
Get The Picture 
I think UGA took the brains out of Gainesville when they hired McGarity.
That’s some good stuff there, Senator.
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“I think UGA took the brains out of Gainesville when they hired McGarity.” I have been saying all along that McGarity was the real force behind the success of the football and basketball programs at FLA. His title was , after all, Senior Associate AD in Charge of Football and Basketball, or words to that effect. Look at the success the Gators have had in those 2 sports in the last 2 decades. Jeremy Foley was/is a figurehead.
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Maybe I’m the dummy, but “grayshirting” at Georgia was the practice of telling a D-1 tweener that he could come to Georgia as a walk on and if he proved himself capable, he’d get a ‘ship.
A friend of mine did this and due to injuries he was getting significant snaps by mid season as a true fresh. True to Goff’s word, he was on scholarship the next two yrs before injuries convinced him to quit.
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Not exactly the same thing.
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Let Machen explain why a student, let alone an athlete on scholarship, who sent a “time to die” text”, followed by additional threats, was allowed to remain in school for the upcoming semester. And don’t tell me the “victim” refused to file charges, Machen should be enlightened enough to know how many frightened refuse to file charges and then end up battered/dead. Wonder how large the awarded damages would have been if he followed through on his violent threats. His comments about scholarship abuse are on target, but he is hardly a qualified spokesperson given the way he, via Urbie, handled several serious disciplinary issues on that campus. We aren’t talking scooter violations and 20 year olds with a beer in their sober hands here.
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Give me a break. Put the foam #1 finger down for a second, dude, and realize we are talking about something that involves real people and academic institutions here.
Florida is the most powerful institution of the SEC. He is exactly the one to take this on. And I can tell you from first-hand knowledge that Greg McGarity and Michael Adams fully support him on this. I have no doubt that Machen’s public lead on this was discussed prior to all this.
There is a lot more to come, and you will see Georgia, Florida, and Vanderbilt officials increasingly working together to end the disgusting practice of oversigning.
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Perhaps you may want to re-read my post, and others I have made on this subject “dude”. I fully support a complete ban and control on oversigning. I simply said Machen isn’t “exactly the one” to take this on because he has ignored real, and more serious violent issues in his own program. You think condoning/ignoring violent threats against women isn’t more significant than oversigning? Or AK 47s? Or stealing dead girls’ credit cards? Or multiple drug offenses? These are REALLY big issues, and they affect REAL people more significantly. I think violence and drugs trumps oversigning.
You see me stand up for UGA and Richt’s handling of the signing issue everytime, and always condemning the NCAA and Slive for not stepping up to the problem.
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I fully got that. It’s just a really lame argument.
It’s the same stupidity that says Georgia can’t condemn this practice because some athletes and the previous AD got into trouble last year so some silly blog gave it an “award” for the incidents.
Step off the internet. Machen is the head of a powerful state institution. One of the most powerful of its kind in college athletics. He is exactly the person to make this statement. And very good for him for doing so.
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No, lame is you totally missing the point….twice. I fully support your position about oversigning, you simply don’t seem to get that. You attack the wrong person while flailing wildly. What you also don’t get that is that loses cred when he takes the high road because he is guilty of much more serious oversights. You may forgive those, incredibly, but I don’t.
No one can argue the damage done by drugs and violence on college campuses relative to the small number of oversigned athletes. I am glad Machen gets this right, but he is far from the right person to be the right person to lead the cause. I am proud of CMR’s record, and even Adams is more qualified to be the lead. I don’t remember either of them allowing what has gone on at UF, including the issue of oversigning. Why would you possibly think machen is the right person? Maybe the Vandy prez, but not UF ahead of UGA.
What in the hell makes Florida a more powerful institution? Because you annoit them so? Maybe you should step off the internet because you seem a trifle confused. You can’t even figure out who is supporting your position. Attack the other side, not me. I condemn all the oversigning.
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Post-humous Edit “frightened females”.
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1) He refers to a specific behavior by some of his peers in those terms. Not his peers themselves. Let’s be clear.
2) He is absolutely right in characterizing grayshirting and bogus medical DQs to expand rosters as “disgusting” and “reprehensible.”
If Florida has at times been guilty of that (though it has never come even close to the level of this that the SEC West schools currently do), then he should condemn it and work to make sure it doesn’t happen again. But that changes nothing about the validity of his argument. It’s just a convenient spin for people like you who want to keep your head in the sand about something your beloved conference is engaged in.
And by the way, McGarity and Adams are in complete agreement with Machen on this. So you might want to be careful there.
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What does he have to be careful about? Last I checked the Senator is not employed by the Athletic Department and is entitled to his opinion.
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Lest he end up condemning a very justified position shared by his school’s officials, who will no doubt be increasingly speaking out on the topic as well.
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Show me where I’ve condemned their positions. I’ve only pointed out all the ambiguities of the debate.
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Be very careful when people start throwing the word “lest” around. 🙂
BD
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UGA and UF bring mucho dinero into NCAA coffers, together, along with the Big Ten, they could put an end to oversigning and gray shirting. The Senator is definately not on the payroll at UGA. I googled UGA and couldn’t find his name anywhere. Oh God, he is probably an undercover agent for the One Worlders and the NCAA, and he knows my address. Gotta get outa here before the black choppers show up.
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I like the preferred walk on approach. Promise the prospect he will have a full scholarship in his Christmas Stocking. The Dawgs need the players now. Work It Out.
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I guess we know what the new meme is for this off season.
BD
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