gbo

Although I graduated from a public high school and a public university, I understand why the privates have thrived since the federal government takeover of the Metro Nashville Public Schools, and I bear no ill will toward the privates. I live in the shadow of MBA and know many parents whose sons have attended MBA. But as an outsider looking in and listening to what those parents have said over the past 20+ years, and having read every post and every newspaper article concerning the most recent firefight at MBA, here are my takeaways. 1) I'm sure there are faculty members at MBA who are of the opinion that the football program casts the rest of the school in a bad light. I'm sure some of the faculty would like to see the football program eliminated. 2) MBA has parted ways with three successful football coaches in the past decade, Bowers, Rutledge, and now McGugin. They didn't leave because they didn't know how to coach and win. Different reasons for their departure have been given by many on this board. 3) An alarming number of assistant coaches have either been shown the door, or found it on their own. 4) It appears that some of the MBA elite resented the way McGugin's father worked behind the scenes to get his son hired. 5) It appears that the recent firing of McGugin was due partly to (a) the backlash due to resentment that has built up over time from the way Daniel was given his job, ( Daniel's mistreatment of certain football players, © the ability of MBA powerbroker faction who detested the McGugins to wield it's power once it learned of the $1,500 payment to a football player's family. This became the "reason" McGugin was fired. "Ha, I say, I say, we CANNOT have a CHEATAH as ourwah futbah coach!" they steamed. The TSSAA violation was the very convenient reason to fire the one they so detested. 6) The $1,500 TSSAA violation, as innocent, good-hearted, well-intentioned as it may have been, spelled Daniel's doom, much to the delight of those who were out to get him. 7) It appears that there is a strong feeling among the MBA patrons that the headmaster has mishandled many of the football coaches over the past decade, which has created a great deal of acrimony within the MBA community, something that seems to fester like an infected wound. 8) There appears to be a long-held opinion among those who have dealt with the headmaster, as an employee or parent, that he suffers from a Napoleon complex. It also appears that this is the type of headmaster the MBA board of trust prefers. Afterall, they have held him in their employ for 17 years. To current employees and parents, if you don't like his style, go and work or enroll your son somewhere else. To those future hires and parents at MBA, approach with your eyes wide open. 9) It appears that some think the head football coaching job at MBA is the best in the state and they site the facilities and financial support. I don't know how much money MBA puts into its football program, but I have seen their facilities. They are good for the Nashville area but I've seen much better in other cities at both private and public schools. Given that there's a revolving door for football coaches at MBA, a headmaster who's difficult to work with, a board of trust that approves of the headmaster's management style and appears to be fractured, good but not great football facilities, and football Dads who think their son should start because they're paying $20k per year for their son to play football at MBA, it appears there are better football coaching jobs at other schools. 10) To have this embarrassing dirty laundry aired in the media and over the internet, unfortunately for MBA, this latest saga makes me think that in the collective mind of the public, on the outside looking in, MBA looks like the emperor who has no clothes. Every character in this sad saga looks bad. The school, the board, the headmaster, the coach, nevermind the students. Even the TSSAA looks bad. There is no one who is better for this. Someone on this board wrote, pride goeth before a fall. That is so true.

I beg to differ...steroids...you are losing sight of the fact that many of these young men and women (let's not be sexist here) at private schools contact the schools because they want the opportunity for a better education and the opportunity to play at the highest level of high school sports in order to get a scholarship to pay for an even bettter education. The Lords of Public and Private schools tend to think it is all about them and it is not. Many have gone over this much more eloquently than me, but let me remind all that every school BA, CPA, MBA, Ensworth, Goodpasture use the same clearing house in New Jersey regardless of whether the student will be able to play a sport or not if the student receives financial aid with parents having to submit tax returns, debt information, etc. This actually helps keep apples to apples. Then although there is a limit set by the clearinghouse the student is able to receive, the school's endowment plays a part in how much each student can receive. In the past, the number of athletes at MBA receiving financial aid was much less than the population as a whole that received financial aid. So how do you define recruiting? In the past there have always been rumors about students at schools where financial aid received meant the student could not play a sport or cheerlead-that some of those students received tuition given to a guardian but paid by a guardian. Is that recruiting? The McFadden boy at Ensworth, a smart great kid went online himself and applied to Goodpasture and Ensworth knowing no one but heard they were good schools and did not know where they were located. He was a finalist for Mr. Basketball in 2010 I believe. When he realized he could not attend Goodpasture and get financial aid (the kids call it scholarships) and that Ensworth was closest to his home on Charlotte, Ensworth lucked out. How much "christian" help did he receive at the school who knows and who cares-good for that kid. Now, I would say that the calls to certain Lipscomb and CPA boys in the last two to three years could be called recruiting but the parents can pay--is that any different than Maryville and Alcoa or Riverdale and Oakland? That did not work out so well for the Bellevue quarterback who some might say the Jefferson boy was "recruited" in over a few years ago at Ensworth. Those parents didn't squeal foul but transferred back to Hume Fogg and played at Hillsboro where the young man still got a scholarship to Navy I believe. This is complicated but it is not about the adults here. Finally, the kwoodruff is much closer to these two programs than me, but the list goes on and on of good men where Gioia's shall we say Napoleon complex has run off the likes of Bowers, Caudill, Hiett, Matthews, Elliott, Rutledge, Whitfield or held at bay such as Ingall Martin or David Pack. If the boys were first at MBA and it was their well-being that was being watched, the day Rutlege was abruptly fired was the day before finals at MBA. Many an upset boy struggled to concentrate when a seemingly oblivious administration was thinking of their ability to hire and fire coaches.

Coach Pack has been pretty vocal to alumni that he will not return to MBA until Gioia has been removed. Seems there is a common thread here.

I wish MBA could have played MUS with the healthy starting defensive and offensive players that MBA had against Moeller plus starting center Owen Lipscomb who did not play against Moeller. But that's football, BA stayed pretty healthy all year and got there in the end and will play a very good MUS team. It should be a good match up very physical on the line however MUS's quarterback will open things up a bit. Should be a good game.

lovehawaiisurf, I see that you are not grounded anymore and I see that your mother gave back your Ensworth issued laptop....try channeling some of that overpriced Ensworth education into making intelligent and mature posts.

Who has offered Ligon?

When will DL grow some balls and actually play good football teams rather than the school for the blind each week!!!!

Honestly I believe the TSSAA needs to investigate BA for this 6-4 season /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" /> Because When you have 4 senior lineman who are D-1 prospects, 2 junior lineman that are D-1 prospects, 2 tailbacks that are D-1 prospects, two receivers that are D-1 prospects, and finally 2 members in the secondary that are D-1 prospects as well. You should never lose 4 games. Guys that is 12 players who have the chance to play D-1 or D-1AA ball in college there is no excuse for this record. From a outsider looking in, it looks like the players decided not to work very hard this summer because they read their press clippings and don't have a lot of pride in their school.

The Jefferson-Darkwa Tigers are averaging over 450 yards a game and this is true, but the the EHS is really two players and a bunch of blocking dummy's IMHO. But do you really want to compare Alex Bullard vs Will Netterville, or Will Netterville vs Wesley Johnson, Austin Long, etc.. Yes EHS has put up gawdy rushing numbers and yes they have done it twice against good teams in McCallie and MBA. But for a whole season Bullard has played against tougher competition and has still dominated, Netterville is still a good player but I can think of 6 players off the top of my head at the moment that are better.

This is what a football player on EHS's team told me, its for sure a MCL sprain, but I am not sure how bad the sprain is.

The Orleans injury is a sprained MCL and I am not sure how many weeks he will be out but its probably 2-4 weeks for a mild sprain or 6-8 weeks if it was a bad sprain. But as for MBA vs. Ryan Rivalry game, it may not be as intense off the field as far has hype and trash talk. But on the field it is a very physical game still and Ryan still does enjoy hitting or grabbing male private parts /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" /> All kidding aside Coach Mcgugin knows how important this game is to the alumni, since he is one, he will make sure MBA is extra focused this week and plays well on Friday.

Back: Spencer Wise QB MBA- This kid is having an unbelievable year still, despite having not much of a run game and losing a starting TE(D-1 prospect) to injury, he still continues to carry his team. His Stats are below: COMP ATT % YDS TD INT 105 171 0.614 1373 13 3 Lineman: Alex Bullard BA[]- This kid is impressive with his footwork and strength while blocking. BA is running the ball very well averaging 188 yards per game and doing this without a passing attack. Kicker: Andrew Fletcher MBA- This kid packs a punch in his 150 pound frame and is 7/11 from field goal range with a long of 53 yards. 3 of his misses were at Bengal Stadium in the same type of wind the Titans faced and the field goals are narrower.

St. Paul-Wade Longmire and Owen Lipscomb CPA- Clark Benton and Barret Jacques

You say MBA recruits... Here is where the starters all went to school before MBA QB:St. Henry's RB:St. Henry's,Ensworth middle Fb: Oak Hill Wr:Oak Hill, BGA, Ensworth Middle, Oak Hill (4 receivers who play) TE: Harding Academy Rt:St. Henry RG: Harding Academy C: St. Paul LG:St. Paul Lt: CPA DE's:Harding Academy and Woodland DT: Brentwood middle, Harding Academy, Browner moved from ATL Freshmen year so don't know school, MLK LB:CPA, Oak Hill, Overbrook CB:Ensworth Middle,FRA FS: Croft Middle SS: Oak Hill K: Harding Academy P:Oak Hill So how does MBA recruit because those look like some pretty nomal schools that have been MBA feeders in the past?