So much for avoiding that pissing match.
On the first day of spring semester classes at Georgia, the parents of Bulldogs walk-on kicker Rodrigo Blankenship issued a statement Thursday going public with why they feel like coach Kirby Smart should have put their son on scholarship after his redshirt freshman season.
It came the same day they said their son paid for his spring semester tuition.
“Our son being refused a scholarship is an injustice to him as well as a crushing hardship for his family,” Ken and Izabel Blankenship said in an email to some media outlets, including OnlineAthens.com.
… The family said Smart didn’t mention scholarship limitations to them in the meeting as the reason why Blankenship isn’t going on scholarship now but did say that “he never puts anyone on scholarship mid-year.” They pointed to scholarships that opened with the departures of transfers Shaquery Wilson, Juwaun Briscoe, Kirby Choates, Shaun McGee, Rico McGraw as well as Isaiah McKenzie declaring for the NFL draft.
“Since there will be about a half-dozen brand-new Georgia Bulldogs riding on the scholarship gravy train on Jan. 5 (as early enrollees and transfers), we beg to differ with that statement,” the family said. “…It it is very distressing to us that our son, who has ALREADY made fairly significant, valid and measurable contributions to this program commands a lower priority than those who have yet to provide a single play or single point for that same program. Isn’t Rodrigo a somewhat viable candidate for future contributions? Has he not established a somewhat impressive track record on which to base future projections?”
Ken Blankenship said Smart said in the meeting he wasn’t sure he could “trust Rodrigo to be the player we want in that position,” and questioning “practice injuries,” he had.
The year is already getting off to a bang for Kirby and we’re not even out of the first week.
At least Ken doesn’t think Smart holds a grudge.
The father said he didn’t think acrimony with Smart would jeopardize his son’s standing on the team.
“He said in that meeting he wouldn’t do anything like that to retaliate because he wasn’t given any scholarship,” Ken Blankenship said. “I don’t know if he meant that but that’s what he says. We have to agree to disagree. …Rodrigo’s not saying any of that. It’s us. We think this decision was not fair or just.”
Stage parents. What are you gonna do?
Get The Picture 
He’s grown. Butt out Mom and Dad.
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He may be grown, but I doubt he personally struck that $6,000 check. The parents do have an input on this since they are likely paying for his school (whether this was the best tactic to get a scholarship is another question). He has no leverage since the idiotic transfer rules would make him sit out a year to play somewhere else unless he went to a different division. I would imagine if Rodrigo could transfer to Alabama or Florida and be eligible immediately since he wasn’t on scholarship at Georgia, I bet Kirby would be finding a scholarship for him.
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I sort of doubt that..
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You doubt what? You really think Kirby would let him walk if he could go to another P5 school and play immediately? Kirby knows he doesn’t need to offer him a scholarship because he’s locked in by the NCAA’s arcane rules meant to protect its members rather than the student-athlete.
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Bama don’t have time or scholarships for no kickers… just sayin
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That has nothing to do with the point I’m making. The reason Kirby can do this is the NCAA’s transfer rules prevent a walk-on from transferring to another P5 program and being immediately eligible even if he walked on at his new school. If what Kirby said what the father is alleging, it’s a bush league move rather than being honest about the numbers. I would like to see the kid on scholarship because he earned it on the field and takes care of business in the classroom.
By the way, Kevin Butler (his unofficial position coach) was on scholarship.
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Bama’s punter, kicker and long snapper are all on scholarship
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Yes, I do.
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If they co-signed for his FAFSA and student loan, then they’re pretty much precluded from “butting out.” Especially since student loan debt isn’t dischargeable in bankruptcy.
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I have probably seen 100+ comments online and heard many others personally from people who want the dad to “butt out”. Oddly enough, every single one of those comments was coming from someone who wasn’t financially responsible for Blankenship’s education.
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This might not end well for Rodrigo. Kirby may choose to make an example out of his Dad.
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If Kirby is going to go full saban-esque asshole, he better be prepared to, you know, actually be good at coaching football. So far, he’s been shit. Meyer, Harbaugh and Saban are dicks because they have earned that right.
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When did you earn your right?
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When I got my internet license.
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Touche
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So Meyer, Harbaugh, and Saban weren’t assholes until they were good at coaching?
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Then they were just plain assholes. Now they’re entitled assholes.
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When were they not good head coaches?
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Take a break bro, we’re all clear on your position.
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A fucking men. I wish we could hire a coach in addition to the recruiter in chief who hasn’t shown me a fucking thing about his ability to improve talent. Buttsmear has no budget for that though. Cant wait to see how many first rounded roll through Athens in the next four years while we finish second or third in the East.
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First rounders, not first rounded, as in draft picks.
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“He’s staying with the program,” his father said because he loves Georgia and playing for the Bulldogs.”
Good…now sit down, shut up, and please stop utterly embarrassing yourself with that 8th grade level reasoning and logic. With all due respect, he (the father) just doesn’t come off as all that intelligent; but he certainly does come off as bitter, trite, and just a wee bit like a helicopter parent.
When Rodrigo gets his first job, is daddy also going to publicly demand a raise 6 months in, all while pointing out the ‘injustices’ of those who are paid on a higher scale? Nice example you’re setting for your son, Mr. Blankenship.
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To borrow your analogy, if Rodrigo was an employee at his first job, performing well and yet getting paid a lot less than other employees who were doing the same job, would it be smart for him to accept that situation? If he had no other options, then yes, he would have to. But if there are other options, then he should consider those.
To translate this to his current situation, if Rodrigo is doing a good job of kicking and there is nobody else on the team who can it better than him, then he should demand a scholarship. Otherwise, the coach is right to not give him one.
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Then Rodrigo should speak up for himself. Not his daddy.
And just because Rodrigo can kick a FG better than anyone else on the team, doesn’t mean he deserves a scholarship. Who exactly is he better at kicking than? The punter?
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He’s kicking better than half the other kickers in the conference, many of whom are on scholarship.
Kirby comes from a program/coaching tree that doesn’t put emphasis on the kicking game. Saban doesn’t, but he can out-talent everyone else. Plus, he can coach fairly well. Kirby may get there (I think he has a good shot at it), but he’s not there yet. However, I get that it’s a numbers game. Still, kicking is very important
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It appears Rodrigo is fine with the situation. His dad is the one whining. I’m thinking dad may have decided to retire a little too early. He should have known having a kid or two in college was going to cost money. Dad might need to go to the financial aid office and/or look into a student loan. Since Rodrigo isn’t on scholarship, can he have a part time job in the off season? That might help with the “crushing burden” on the family. There seems to be plenty of families with Georgia students who manage to shoulder the burden of college costs.
Kirby needs to let dad know, off the record, that he is tired of seeing and hearing about this in the press, Kirby should tell him he is well aware of how he feels and if dad wants Rodrigo to continue to be on the team he would be best served by keeping his mouth shut. In the world of big time college football walk on kickers dads don’t get to try power plays on the head coach.
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Agree with this. If did showed better judgement, some booster might offer him a job. Happens in the West all the time. Rodrigo needs to have daddy dearest back off, it was bad enough in November.
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No scholarship so no retaliation, nothing to it. On a totally unrelated note, Coach Smart announced that the kicker will be participating in full contact drills this spring with the linebackers and safeties. After all, he might need to make a tackle on a blocked attempt or a kickoff.
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If daddy keeps running his mouth, Rodrigo might not be on the team next season. I like Rodrigo but he’s not an elite kicker and his dad needs to shut up. Issuing statements that basically call the head coach a liar probably isn’t the most effective strategy for getting your kid a scholarship.
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“Issuing statements that basically call the head coach a liar probably isn’t the most effective strategy for getting your kid a scholarship”
True. But it doesn’t change the fact that his head coach is a liar. The dad is a tool. Kirby is an idiot.
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“scholarship gravy train”? Bizarre….
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But not if you want your Dog to be a hero….
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As I have said elsewhere on this blog, obviously we have more pressing needs. Hot Rod’s Dad needs to chill out.
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I don’t hold Rod’s dad blameless, but there seems to be a lot of selective memory going on here about how bad kicking was and how bad it was hurting us, and Rodrigo Blankenship is the person that turned that around. Was he perfect? No. Was kicking perhaps the area on the team that improved the most from start to finish? Hells, yeah.
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That’s sort of my point. Rodrigo already earned his scholarship with his performance THIS season and Kirby not giving it to him is, well, chickenshit to the extreme IMHO.
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“Our son being refused a scholarship is an injustice to him as well as a crushing hardship for his family,”
If that’s true that it’s a crushing hardship to write the tuition check and they can demonstrate that, he needs to be talking to the financial aid office like every other parent. It’s that office’s job to provide relief from financial crushing hardships.
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This is exactly what I was thinking…and what I did.
I feel bad for the kid–he is really in a no win situation. For all we know he signed based on the promise that Richt would give him a scholarship after the last kicker graduated. Richt lived up to his promises previously and probably would have again–but he got fired. Kirby didn’t promise him anything. And his Dad cannot seem to stfu.
Kirby is stuck too–he didn’t promise the kid anything. You have a parent that unreasonably expects him to live up to a promise that the previous coach made. AND that parent cannot seem to stfu.
The only fixable part here is getting Dad to stfu.
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No doubt in my mind that the Blankenships are right, Rod deserves a scholly. We’re getting one side of this thing, so I’m trying to stick to the facts here, but at some point, if the kid is staying regardless of the scholoarship, it’s time to move on. Richt isn’t here anymore, and we no longer have the moral high ground. Winning championships is tough, ya’ll. Eggs will be broken.
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Damn folks, I’m reading it different that some of you. I think right now Kirby’s got a swollen eye and blood streaming out of his nose.
I’ll bet the halls at the Butts-Mehre building are pretty quiet right now. McGoof is probably looking for a bunker. I’ll bet the Governor is reading this today.
Not a good look Kirby sweetheart.
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I get the gripe. The tactics — revealing the contents of a private conversation in public — are counter-productive.
If your goal is to get your son a scholarship immediately, I’d say airing your grievances like this pretty much assures it ain’t happening.
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Tactics? Dad’s burning down the village.
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And not to save it…
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He’s burning bridges to light his son’s way forward.
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In case you haven’t see the whole letter:
https://www.dawgnation.com/football/rodrigo-blankenships-father-son-refused-scholarship-crushing-hardship-family?utm_campaign=SF_dawgnation&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social
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Who can’t appreciate the little personal touch?
“Did Coach Smart make All-SEC as a walk-on his freshman season?”
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“Rodrigo’s accomplishments on the field — All-SEC Freshman team selection, SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, the team’s special teams player of the week four times, leading the team in scoring, providing the winning points in the games that made Georgia bowl-eligible (Kentucky, Auburn) and then providing the game-deciding points in the bowl game itself (putting the Dawgs ahead 24-23 with a fourth-quarter field goal) – as well as his accomplishments off the field – community service, seemingly significant popularity with the fan base, academic success (3.74 GPA, athletic director’s Dean’s list every full semester he’s been at UGA, straight As fall semester) — more than qualify him for an athletic scholarship. He was chosen by the coaching staff as most improved special teams player, but he did not improve enough to qualify for a scholarship? How many other walk-ons in the SEC led their teams in scoring this past season?”… and….”The “numbers” situation in actuality is this: starting long snapper on scholarship, starting holder on scholarship, backup holder on scholarship, starting punter on scholarship, backup punter on scholarship, starting kicker walk-on. Is there anything wrong with this snapshot of the specialist group? Why are those deserving lads worthy of a scholarship while our son isn’t? What more did they do this past season that our son did not?
Coach Smart said that practice injuries were a major issue (taking up 16 of the 26 typed lines he printed out on paper to validate his refusal, with quotation marks around the word “sprained” as if to imply that our son was faking an injury), yet Rodrigo somehow managed to play in every game, while the long snapper sustained an injury that limited him to field goal/PAT snaps while someone else had to perform punt snaps for the majority of the season, the starting punter missed the last four games of the season with an injury and the backup punter missed one game with an injury.
Our son played high school games with a broken bone; our son is in the treatment room taking care of his body EVERY SINGLE DAY, injured or not, because he knows he has to be healthy so the team can depend on him; our son has never shirked his duties on or off the field. Coach Smart does not yet know our son”…. The entire email is a pretty brutal.
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“The entire email is a pretty brutal.”
Stand by for somebody blowing chunks with gravy
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Don’t forget the missed 42 yarder against tech. Might have been important in a one point loss.
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I haven’t forgotten.
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So was giving up a 96 yard drive in the fourth quarter.
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3 more points and it wouldn’t have mattered. Also, the game winning drive wasn’t 96 yards, it was about 40 after the int.
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That’s true. Let’s blame a kicker for missing one kick earlier in the game rather than a 96 yard drive, followed by an interception, followed by another TD drive.
But yeah, the FG lost the game.
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If he’s got. 3.74 GPA at UGA then he seems to have enough brain power to have gotten a Hope scholarship, right?
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I thought he was on hope scholarship? I know it’s not a full ride, but it covers tuition. I do like the kid and want him to get a scholly, but I think this way of going about it is probably counterproductive
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Then exactly what, at this point, would you think would be productive?
Like, maybe, beating Kentucky?
Or maybe, beating Auburn?
Or maybe beating TCU?
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Maybe not doing it in public. If you (or your parents) are going to make threats you have to be willing/prepared to follow through with them. If you have an issue, meet with the coaches and get on the same page as far as expectations, options, timelines, etc… Maybe the scholarship is totally off the table, maybe not. I, personally don’t think the way this has played out has been productive. Do you disagree? Would you advise the same course?
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I think the Dad clearly made his threat earlier and followed through with it today. And I don’t think it will be productive.
The kid ain’t complaining. Of course he ain’t spending his own money. He’s spending dad’s.
Maybe Kirby totally doesn’t need to care.
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yeah, Kirby stinks.
Do you spend much time pondering how he led the Dawgs to victory over your beloved Heels?
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Look, if you guys can hold your noses while Kirby dicks people over to be little Nicky, that’s on you.
At least I’m not freezing my ass off in Minnesota.
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If Kirby didn’t promise Blankenship a scholarship, how is he being a dick?
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Kirby could have used 25 of the 26 lines thanking Blanky for his service then just said, “You aren’t the level of kicker I give scholarships to. I appreciate you and your family. You are a great Dawgs.”
“…But instead he taking up 16 of the 26 typed lines he printed out on paper to validate his refusal, with quotation marks around the word “sprained” as if to imply that our son was faking an injury).”
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Exactly my point. Just be honest and upfront about the decision rather than trying to put the blame on Rodrigo. Just say there’s not going to be a spot, or I’m not giving scholarships to kickers.
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Because sometimes you do the right thing. because it’s the right thing, not because you haven’t figured out a way around it yet.
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Giving Rodrigo a scholly locks that scholly up for three more years and denies an early entrant. There’s the right thing for Rodrigo and the right thing for the program (because living up to someone else’s promise is not a moral issue). Kirby needs to do the right thing for the program, and locking up a scholly on a “somewhat viable” kicker is probably not it.
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If Kirby doesn’t think he’s viable, tell him to hit the road and go be a student. The bottom line is Kirby wants it both ways. He wants Rodrigo to kick for the team, but he doesn’t want to pony up a scholarship to a guy who has been a key contributor.
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Agree. Best summary of the situation.
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I don’t think living up to someone else’s promise is the point. I think a good coach rewards a top performer with a scholarship.
Locking up the scholarship is beside the point – with the limit someone will always be left out – why not the unproven recruit? Why not ask Nick Chubb to give his up, since he’s locking out some other kid?
Rodrigo is more than a “somewhat viable” kicker. As for being the “right thing for the program”, that justifies a lot of bad behavior. I could rob a bank and it would be the “right thing for my household”, but it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.
Glad you guys are amped about the new coach, I think he’s an embarrassment.
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“Somewhat viable” was daddy’s words.
He’s not as good as many kickers UGA has had on scholarship. He could be. I think he has the leg for it. But the question begs to be asked: Why was Ham outperforming him through the beginning of the season? I think he is a solid kicker, perhaps better than the average college kicker. If we have a few open spots, then put him on scholarship. Kirby shouldn’t and won’t count that scholly until August when there might be one open due to attrition. If you can fill up on new signees and maybe find an opening in the fall when someone quits, transfers, gets booted, whatever, then that’s the appropriate course of action here. That’s when walk-ons get scholarships. That’s appropriate roster management. That’s what UGA has lacked for a decade and the reason UGA has won the division twice in the last eleven seasons.
I’m sorry you are so embarrassed. Would you still be embarrassed if UGA won the SEC next season? Made the playoff?
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Scholarships are renewed (or not) yearly, I thought. Richt chose to make them longer, but I didn’t think it was a given they were for 4 years.
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I can’t even imagine the shit storm that would occur if Kirby took a scholarship away from a kid (whether the original scholarship was just a one-year reward for a walk-on or not). Many of you would have pitchforks outside of BM within the hour of it hitting twitter.
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Hope does not cover full tuition. The Zell Miller scholarship pretty much does.
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My bad. When I was in school it did. It looks like maybe it covers some and is more needs based to determine how much?
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My understanding is that it’s based on a formula passed by the General Assembly. At Georgia and tech (maybe GSU), it doesn’t cover the full tuition and fees. At other schools in the university system, it probably covers all of it.
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Nope, I was wrong again. It looks like, starting in 2011 to get 100% tuition coverage a student had to earn a 3.7 GPA and meet some other academic criteria and then maintain performance. More difficult than it used to be
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Sorry ee, posted on top of you. Looks like either way it’s probably not full anymore and more difficult to keep than it used to be
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it covers enough for this kid’s dad to shut his pie hole.
I read he’s a retired school teacher from Sprayberry. If he values education, then aside from living at home and driving to Kennesaw, he’s getting the best deal possible in higher education for a paying student.
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The Hope/Zell has nothing to do with Rod’s ability to kick a ball between two posts, so his father has a right to ask Kirby to put his son on scholarship as the team’s starting kicker. I don’t agree with the father’s decision to go public with all of this but certainly can understand why he is.
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I don’t dispute his right, but he’s a dumbass. It’s not an “injustice” as he whines and in light of the crushing poverty and fatherless homes that countless athletes come from, his bitching grates on my nerves.
Money talks and bullshit walks. If they are committed to a full ride and won’t get one form Georgia, then leave. All things being equal, the cost of an education to an in-state HOPE eligible kid is negligible compared to the value of said education.
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Why should his dad shut his pie hole? Are you his dad’s boss? He doesn’t owe you or Kirby Smart or Georgia football a damned thing. You like to give your opinion, maybe he likes to give his opinion.
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This is the internet dammit, I demand the right to demand the impossible!
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+1
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And tuition, while a hefty chunk, is about a 3rd of the total COA.
https://osfa.uga.edu/costs
COA across the USG has doubled over the last ten years.
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Exactly … while I don’t think what Rodrigo’s father did was in the best interest of his son, I understand why he did it.
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I bet Hot Rod is pulling so much wool in Athens he has no desire to leave the team and lose his celebrity status.
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+1
Do the young kids use that expression anymore? I’m 40 and “pulling wool” was an oft used term in my days.
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34 and it’s the first time I’ve heard it in my life.
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Spittin’ Game, Gettin’ Digits and Pullin’ Wool. Oh to be young again!
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No idea if the young kids use the term. I spent my time in Athens during the grunge years so it was applicable then. I don’t think the young kids are dealing with much wool if you know what I mean
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ha-ha, that’s true.
I recall after leaving college hearing rumors and innuendo about this exotic new grooming preference.
South Park did a great episode about a drone video and shaving “down there”.
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I cannot ever remember a parent of a non-scholarship player doing something like this. It just strikes me as an insane thing to do. In response to not getting what you want you are going to attempt to publicly show up the head coach? Is that going to get Smart to reveres his decision or make him redouble his efforts to find another kicker whose parents are out of their minds.
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you’d be surprised.
I knew a walk-on that lost his spot after a coaching change so the little bitch and his daddy contacted the NCAA to allege special favors he received. Like Rod, the kid’s parents were sending him to college regardless of the scholarship anyway.
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Works for Trump ! Sorry, I had to…… I tried to stop but my fingers kept typing.
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I’m with Kirby on this. Gone are the days we tell the kicker I love you even when you miss. Maybe we are trying to get into the business of winning instead of feel good stories. Yes, it is cut throat.
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This^^^^^^^^^^
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I remember that. I also remember the kid made the FG in question.
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Ridiculous, I already didn’t consider him a scholarship worthy kicker but this new crap with the parents should rule it out entirely. Rodrigo is a great guy, but giving away precious resources to “great guys” or bc they “played at georgia” is the kind of crap that held the program back in the first place. Publicly embarrassing the program and attempting to blackmail Kirby is freaking unthinkable. He was far from an elite kicker, being unable to make long FGs consistently, or put kickoffs in the back of the endzone. On top of all that, this team has many other pressing needs on both sides of the ball. I feel sorry for Rod bc I don’t think he’s responsible for all this nonsense, but I want to see Kirby make an example here.
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I’m having trouble trying to write something intelligent without SCREAMING.
If you can’t afford college, get a job. That’s what i did and that’s what thousands of other students do. Maybe Dad should have made better decisions so he could pay for his son’s college……………….
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Plus this is UGA not freaking Harvard! Tuition is 12 grand a year here, and compared to any out of state or private college is pocket change. I know people have different means, but its not like we’re asking this middle-class family to fork over $50,000 a year or something.
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Not $50,000, but the estimated annual cost of attendance for 2016-2017 is about $26,000 which isn’t chump change.
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Student loans then, like how the other 90% of students do it
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Tell your kid to take out student loans when he/she is a contributing member of a school athletic team.
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With you 100%. It just seems that many have lost touch with how much this education thing costs. I covered mine with Hope ,the Montgomery GI Bill, and cash from my day job, but I still had to take out a small loan by the end of it all. I really loved $250 textbooks. You can get used ones but now they all come with a one-time-use online portion. To participate in the class you have to spring for a new user ID. It is all a damn scam to get that piece of paper that hangs on my wall. Rant over….
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Rice University-based publisher OpenStax announced Aug. 1 the top 10 schools that have saved their students the most money through adoption of OpenStax free college textbooks in the 2015-16 academic school year.
Photo courtesy Rice University
Photo courtesy Rice University
“We are glad to recognize and celebrate the schools whose leaders and faculty have adopted OpenStax free textbooks,” said Daniel Williamson, managing director at OpenStax. “Those who adopt open textbooks for their students are the real stars here. Their leadership in instituting our titles has saved students significant money.”
The schools and school systems that have saved the most money for students with OpenStax free textbooks are:
No. 1
University System of Georgia
$3,542,802
35,942 students
See more at: http://news.rice.edu/2016/08/01/openstax-ranks-the-colleges-that-save-the-most-with-free-textbooks/#sthash.jIW2HBeu.dpuf
See more at: http://news.rice.edu/2016/08/01/openstax-ranks-the-colleges-that-save-the-most-with-free-textbooks/#sthash.jIW2HBeu.dpuf
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Awesome. Some good news on that front.
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That’s great news, and I’m glad the paradigm is changing. Hopefully it will be in full swing by the time I’m paying those fees in a few years.
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Do you have time to get a job when you’re taking a full schedule, are expected to be working out, practicing on your own, and trying to maintain a 3.7 GPA? The guy has a job … it’s called kicking for UGA. Your comment about the father is interesting, but no one knows their financial situation.
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There are student loans, heck joining the army gives you a full ride and stipend if you’re willing to serve your country for a few years after you graduate. It’s what my dad did, his family was totally broke and he went to private college for undergrad and med school. He served for 13 years after that and went to war twice for his country. Certainly ain’t easy, but its ridiculous that people act like there are absolutely no options in front of them.
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It gives you a full ride depending on when you serve. When I came home from Vietnam in 1969 I go exactly the same dollar amount my dad had gotten at the end of his schooling in 1949. By 1972 it had been raised significantly but, without the tuition scholarship provided by the state if Illinois, it still wasn’t a “full ride”. The current GI bill is pretty good and includes a housing component and family members also can take advantage of it.
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What’s more important? A college degree or kicking? Personal choice.
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If he decided to quit football and become a student only, I see your point.
If Kirby is the hard ass he seems to want everyone to think he is, tell the Blankenship family that Rodrigo is no longer on the team.
The guy is one of the good stories of the year of the team, and now Kirby seems to be going out of his way to minimize his contribution to the team.
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This.
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This is ridiculous. Old man Blankenship needs to STFU immediately.
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I get the feeling Mr. Blankenship has never been in the arena or even read about being in the arena!
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So, I was looking at the stats and Rod falls in the middle of the SEC in terms of FG percentage. He’s 100% on extra points so that’s moot. Of the 7 kickers he ranks ahead of, 5 of them are on scholarship. Bama and LSU kickers aren’t (in fact, LSU has a new kicker this year because the previous kicker left for Texas after Miles refused him a scholarship).
Anyhoo…I noticed that the Tennessee kicker is on an academic scholarship. The guy has performed well academically, but I wonder if that’s something Rod could get, especially seeing as how he has a 3.74.
The whole situation stinks, especially with Dad running his mouth. But Kirby needs to keep Rod around. He actually is a good kicker, and a full year with Butler helping him will pay off greatly. But as I said above, I don’t think Kirby puts the same value on the kicking game as he does offense/defense. I think that’s a mistake, but I’ve never been in the arena.
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There are better tactics than suggesting that the kid doesn’t deserve a scholly. That’s objectively not true. CKS earned this public rebuke.
Why not say: “he’s more deserving than most on the team but I can’t justify giving a pk a scholly right now. Sorry that it is unfair. If Rodrigo wants/needs to go, we understand.”
Dumb to try to argue that the kid hasn’t earned it or is somehow unworthy. It’s not as if he didn’t know dad was a loudmouth. Why do the one thing that’s going to get this reaction? Not smart Smart.
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I’m sure the NFL general managers are taking note of the baggage that comes with Rodrigo. And no he will not be drafted… another crime against humanity.
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What if the only thing standing between Kirby and a 5-7 record next year was a makeable FG to beat Tech with :02 left. Hot Rod lines it up, clock winds down…and he kicks the snapper squarely in the ass with the ball. He rips off his helmet, flips Kirby off, and screams “SCHOLARSHIP THAT, ASSHOLE!” then casually walks off the field. I’d pay to see that in the theater.
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If you’re gonna be thetruth you best keep telling the truth!
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My son just got accepted into UGA and qualifies for the Zell Miller Hope so this is the situation we are currently in: The Zell Miller covers 100% of tuition at Georgia State Public Colleges. At UGA that is roughly $10000 a year. It does not cover fees, books, room and board. That is also roughly $10,000 a year, potentially a little more. That is a debt of $40,000 at the end of 4 years unless you get other stipends. The Zell Miller is hard to get and hard to keep unless you are a dedicated student. It is what I will face if my son decides to go to UGA. (He has been offered academic money at some other state schools) I don’t have a particular opinion on the rightness or wrongness of the parents position but I think I would gladly pay that price for my son to play on UGA’s football team.
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This could and probably will end bad for Kirby. Should the father have gone public…probably not but he’s pissed at Smart and has a lot of valid points.
Kirby better do more than recruit well. If he and his staff don’t coach better he’ll catch a lot more hell than papa Blankenship is giving him.
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One thing to consider is that when Kirby was promising these early enrollees a spot, Blankenship couldn’t win the job from Ham. It’s to late in October because the ship has sailed.
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I got my scholarship from Uncle Sams Misguided Children. Used it at a private school which cost substantially more than UGA. Worked full time to cover the rest. I couldn’t care less about them whining. I’m the american dream, son of a welder.
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Well, Rodrigo can transfer to Kennesaw State, live nearby at home to save on room/board, keep his Hope scholly, and kick for the Owls. Maybe even land a football scholly. Dad can take the short drive to KSU to watch sonny play. If not KSU, then give Georgia State, or West Georgia, or even gtu a try – just a matter of a longer commute.
And then Dad can tell Kirby (via the press) to take his scholly and shove it. I imagine this would make the Blankenships and Kirby happy.
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For everyone getting on Kirby’s case, please take a moment and read this sample of Rodrigo’s father’s website: http://www.rodrigoblankenship.com/soccer-2015/ For those too lazy to read the link, Rodrigo’s dad throws Rodrigo’s teammates and coaches completely under the bus while claiming his son can do no wrong.
I feel bad for Rodrigo in all of this but this is one of the worst cases of pathological sports parents that I’ve ever seen.
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Holy moly, that’s bad! I feel bad for the kid, having to put up with this.
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Unfortunately, Rodrigo’s dad was a teacher of mine in HS. Hands down, the worst teacher I’ve ever had. I was a 3.8 GPA student at a top public HS and I struggled to get a B. Not because I didn’t work/learn, because he was just an awful human being.
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When Nick Saban comes out of his hole Tuesday morning after the championship game and reads about this you have to imagine he’s going to chuckle. All the shit that was thrown his way over a back up DB is now pointed at Kirby over a quirky kicker.
Where Kirby stepped in poo here is not be straight up about the numbers and just letting it be at that. As for the actual contents of the meeting, like Saban and Mo Smith, we only have the comments of a scorned parent who is solely concerned for their family (rightfully) and not the entire team/program.
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This is yet another symptom of the broken “indentured servitude” that is college football and basketball.
Schools are making millions of these kids and giving them crap in return. I saw this kid kicking field goals and kickoffs on national television. He was contributing to an entertainment product for this UGA was paid millions of dollars. How in the hell is he deserving of $0?
The whole concept of walk-ons in div1 football/basketball is broken as hell. The concept of scholarship only and no ability to monetize your own persona is bullshit. The lack of a salary for what is clearly a job is bullshit.
The whole system is busted and needs to be burned to the ground. I hope Rodrigo’s dad helps bring more attention to this broken system.
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