Big Games in Memphis ... Week 5

[owlbooster]

Let me tell you this... I do know for a fact that "SOME" private schools do hear/see kids at young ages who can make a difference for there programs and end up being apart of the program from being seen. I will bet my house that MUS like other schools do that.

 

Let's not be naive. EVERY coach worth his salt knows about ALL the kids "at young ages who can make a difference for their programs," so when any of them "end up being a part" of a particular program, it says NOTHING about whether anything improper may have happened. The "grapevine" of their former players ALONE inform coaches about all these potential stars. They might even see them play if they have time. Nothing wrong with that. There are no surprises, unless the kid moves to Memphis from some distance away. (When I was at MUS, we had a pleasant "surprise" in the form of a star RB at a similar type prep school in Dallas whose father was transferred to Memphis).

 

MOST private schools have an established policy about contacting prospective students. They advertise at the very least in newspapers, post notice of the date of their "open house," etc. If a parent contacts the school (even a coach), they are referred to admissions personnel, who send out literature, tell about open houses, set up appointments, etc. If a coach UNSOLICITED contacts somebody, they are at risk of being fired. NOT to say that it NEVER happens, or goes undetected, or somebody "looks the other way," but I know this is rare and happens MUCH less than many people think. I could write for hours about the number of kids who were not recruited (because I know their parents and exactly how they ended up where they did) and yet there are always some who will swear on their mother's grave that the kid was "recruited," often away from THEIR school. I have a good friend whose son was a star 7th grade footballer at a former big rival of MUS. He lived about halfway between MUS and this nearby public school. The kid's middle school principal advised his parents (who could afford it) to send him to MUS for academic reasons, which he did, became a star athlete at MUS and later went to an FBS university on a football scholarship. Yet for years, you would not have believed the level of animosity of this school's supporters over what they were SURE was "recruiting."

[owlbooster]

GoChiefs: This person who has riled me up has made a sweeping personal attack on ALL those involved with the athletic programs at three schools, saying we dishonor the sport. Them's fighting words and I guess I DO take it personally. The motto of MUS is "veritas honorque" (truth and honor), and we take that seriously. I don't care what he says in his own private world but he should keep his BS off these internet sites. If he wants to talk about the games, fine. But if he starts slinging mud, especially at 2 schools that just beat his team, then I have no problem calling him on it. I think most could see the absurdity of his personal "eavesdropping" history. Just wanted to have some sarcastic fun with it. Yeah, I shouldn't have called him big mouth. Yeah, you always run the risk of having some think you must be hiding something when you "protest too much." But I just got sick and tired of fans from so many schools we have played on our current 19 game winning streak throwing out the "R" word. When we were losing half our games two years ago, no complaints. But now those same players as seniors are "recruits" and therefor their wins are expected and tainted. Thank goodness the players are urged to stay off these sites.

[GoChiefs]

owlbooster - If you can look up my email address on my profile, send me an email. I can't send PM's on here for some reason. Thanks

[wsttnballer]

I could be wrong, but I recall when ECS and Briarcrest were playing almost every year in the Greater Memphis Christian School + One League "state" championship, that the only school outside metro Memphis was Davidson Academy of Nashville. My friends and I used to joke about it. Maybe it's just that Webb and PJPII never made it to the playoffs or got beat early.

 

Why do you keep bringing up your DIIAA record OR how it compared to MUS? I have acknowledged that you did "well." That is why MANY DIIAA fans (MUS, CBHS, Briarcrest are the ones I know) don't understand why you left (as it APPEARS, to become the big fish in the little IIA pond, which you ARE). You probably can and will win the "state championship" in every boys' sport and most of the girls'. How competitive is that? BGA, Ensworth, and Brentwood Academy are all smaller than you and chose IIAA. A lot of it also is disappointment that we now have only a 4 team league and have to look so hard to fill our schedules and that we won't be playing YOU regularly! Trust me, the "ECS games" in football, basketball and baseball were highly anticipated by the 3 schools I mentioned. And your soccer team knocked MUS out of the playoffs last spring. I don't think anybody really cared about Harding leaving, though their BBall team was usually competitive. ECS has been competitive in EVERY sport at DIIAA!

 

As far as WEBB, I thought it was self-evident that I was referring to your preordained REGULAR season schedule NOT the playoffs. There's not a team in WEST IIA that you shouldn't pummel - and that's 7 of your games? Why not play a 4 game DIIAA competitive schedule and throw in 4 or 5 games with DIIA teams for jollies? Personally, when MUS plays noncompetitive teams, I often don't go and if I do, leave at halftime.

 

The question still hasn't been answered as to why you left DIIAA for DIIA....It's OK to say "I don't know" if you truly don't know.

 

One last response to this subject and I'm done. Regarding "me keep bringing up our record and how we compared to MUS, for starters, that was the first response in which I mentioned our record or how we compared to MUS, and it was only a response to your dig regarding the fact that we began losing games and didn't get very far in the play-offs when we moved up. As far as answering your question about why we left DIIAA for DIIA, I'll leave that to your imagination.

[trojanswars365]

This is my last response on this subject. I hate owlbooster has let his anger get the best of him and I dont want to encourage that. I felt owlbooster implied I was involved in a couple of instances I mentioned or some way maybe shopping my son...I was not. I was with a friend of one of the coaches once and at a sporting event where a coach was another time. I am not a liar nor am I a BSr(ok maybe a little BS about my golf game). I know what I know and I heard what I heard. I'm out....

[dou]

GoChiefs: This person who has riled me up has made a sweeping personal attack on ALL those involved with the athletic programs at three schools, saying we dishonor the sport. Them's fighting words and I guess I DO take it personally. The motto of MUS is "veritas honorque" (truth and honor), and we take that seriously. I don't care what he says in his own private world but he should keep his BS off these internet sites. If he wants to talk about the games, fine. But if he starts slinging mud, especially at 2 schools that just beat his team, then I have no problem calling him on it. I think most could see the absurdity of his personal "eavesdropping" history. Just wanted to have some sarcastic fun with it. Yeah, I shouldn't have called him big mouth. Yeah, you always run the risk of having some think you must be hiding something when you "protest too much." But I just got sick and tired of fans from so many schools we have played on our current 19 game winning streak throwing out the "R" word. When we were losing half our games two years ago, no complaints. But now those same players as seniors are "recruits" and therefor their wins are expected and tainted. Thank goodness the players are urged to stay off these sites.

 

Owlbooster, I have stayed out of this because of having a lack of facts. But Iwill give you one fact MUS does solicit athletes or at least did at one point 4 years ago by sending invites to specfic upcoming 7th, 8th, and 9th graders to attend a MUS camp, and I am not referring to the combine. I think that is great. One question I do have though. How many non athletes, who are low income needy families from Frayser are pursued to attend MUS?

 

Everyone has the right to an opinion, without be personally attacked as you did earlier.Does this show honor?

[owlbooster]

Dou - I did not cast the first stone (see the first posting on page 7). I defended those that were attacked. Moreover, I don't consider it an "opinion" that should be expressed in this venue to say 3 specific schools dishonor HS football. If you can't understand the inappropriateness of that, nothing I say - and I have said a lot - is going to make a difference. If you consider it "recruiting" to send out invites to a summer camp, then ANYTHING a school does to introduce or show off what it has to offer can be construed as "recruiting." MUS offers up its sports facilities to a lot of different groups. I personally don't see a thing wrong with that. Obviously, some see that as recruiting. So be it.

 

If a poor kid from anywhere approached MUS for a scholarship, he would have to pass the entrance exam first. As there aren't scholarships for everybody, what happens after that is dependent on what else he brings to the school. That could be sports. Or a truly superior intellect that would thrive at a private school. Or an artistic talent. As I said in an earlier post, religious or ethnic background might factor in, as MUS seeks diversity in its student body. I can tell you that most kids seek entry into MUS for academic reasons. As has been mentioned before, any scholarship becomes an "athletic" scholarship if the kid plays a sport, and these are limited. This unfortunately has the effect of preventing many superior students on scholarship from playing sports. I have had an office in Frayser, and I doubt if many needy families there would want their kid going across town to what is perceived as an mostly white, "rich kids" school. Most times when it happens, it is because an educator (e.g. teacher) has directed a special kid that way.

 

I don't consider it much of a "personal" attack to point out the absurdity of one man's claims. He, presumably a Millington resident, would have us believe that twice, presumably at some public venue, he overheard from "5 feet away" coaches from East Memphis schools openly engaged in recruiting. That is so unbelievable for so many reasons that it doesn't merit rehashing. I've been here 50 years and probably wouldn't be able to identify more than a dozen HS coaches, and most of them are BBall coaches (you can actually get a good look at them in a gym unlike a football field). I don't think I would recognize any of the MUS football coaches other than Alston. And even though I have followed DII since inception, I could not identify visually a single football coach of CBHS or ECS - the other two schools denigrated - or Millington, of course. 'Nuf said. As I said before, people believe what they want to believe. As to your last comment, it IS a honorable thing to defend one's honor.

[owlbooster]

Wsttnballer. You disappoint me. I may have trouble falling asleep tonight because you won't answer the BIG question: Why did ECS, a big-time competitor in all sports in DIIAA, choose to switch to DIIA, where they probably sweep all the state championships? You might make Sports Illustrated! Repeatedly, I have praised ECS to the heavens, but you choose to focus on the perceived "dig" of my mentioning the simple (and logical) fact that you didn't do quite as well in DIIAA as DIIA. Your silence says a lot.

[owlbooster]

Wsttnballer. You disappoint me. I may have trouble falling asleep tonight because you won't answer the BIG question: Why did ECS, a big-time competitor in all sports in DIIAA, choose to switch to DIIA, where they probably sweep all the state championships? You might make Sports Illustrated! Repeatedly, I have praised ECS to the heavens, but you choose to focus on the perceived "dig" of my mentioning the simple (and logical) fact that you didn't do quite as well in DIIAA as DIIA. Your silence says a lot.

[cam6]

Owlbooster[

Why did TSSAA separate Public and Private schools?

/b]

[dou]

Owlbooster, Isaid specific athletes in this case football players, why not all of the football players from this one team, just so happens it was the best with the most potential.

[dou]

also not honorable to use profanity on this site.