Pollard Addresses MBB

[Stormin]

Think about it: Not only did Mac go out of his way to recruit "The Teutonic Twit", he was even willing to give him a scholie to ride the pine at ISU during his first year. Giving a headcase an invitation to your program is one thing when he can contribute, but how much sense does it make to bring one in who can't even contribute on gameday OR in practice?

I did find it interesting that Fennelly's entire 2008 recruiting class has now transferred. And that included one sometimes starter in Whitney Williams.

Staiger was given a scholarship and then the NCAA made their ruling. I feel that it would have been absolutely reprehensible to pull the scholarship from Staiger and can't believe that you would even suggest it.

The transfer thing is really bad. But ISU seems to be one of many schools suffering from the "Age of Transfer". In the old days it was very rare.

GMac is on the hot seat. No doubt. But at this point we will have to see how it plays out. Very good chance of a change unless a miracle season develops.

 

[Wesley]

He wrote the letter after we probably led the nation in transfers after the last two campaigns/season/whatever you want to call them.

So what is up with the women's teams? BF was zero for four from last year. Greg and BF eat at the same restaurants?

Is hard work and tough times forbidden with the young people at this point?

 

[Racer68]

Thank you JP for the news release...that was a great read! I had no idea that there has been that many transfers in the last 2 years...that does tend to make me wonder as well. I totally agree about our early child education these days...my wife and I are actually teaching our girls that there is a winner and a loser, and that there is a lesson or lessons to be learned from a loss ad how to deal with it. Wanna see me get mad...tell me my child needs a calculator in 2nd grade!

In the industry that I am in, there are 2 types of people that I have to work with. The older generation is by far the easiest and best to work with as they are just plain hard workers with a vision. Their kids are a different story...most are good for the business, helping to get internet exposure going and are good at the online side of the business...warranties, parts look-up, etc...but some are just how JP explained it. They want instant gratification and don't want to actually work for their paycheck...they expect a paycheck for any amount of work or lack thereof. When the computer freezes, if it doesn't get moving within a few seconds, they want to hit the reset button. I know that I will someday be cancelling some accounts as the son will be next to impossible to work with!

 

[cybsball20]

So what does this letter say to someone like Scott Christopherson?

In the past two years over 500 men's basketball players have transferred from a Division I team to another program. That number is absolutely amazing.

Still FAR less than one per year per team.

 

[Wesley]

I don't think he was doing that at all. He was just saying its the nature of college basketball now. Nowhere did he say it was acceptable.

The most telling line (and I've seen this before in other emails posted by people on here) is this:

Eventually everything gets fixed one way or another.

Anyone hear any rumors lately about the Big ten expanding? That has sure cooled.

 

[ISUAg Grad]

I agree with Pollard.

 

[Clonehomer]

I don’t read it exactly that way. I work with college students and I’m amazed at their Burger King like mentality (your way right away) and their inability to deal with adversity and taking greater responsibility for their actions. I agree that it will be interesting to see how they transition into the ‘real world’ of being an adult.

I do agree with this. I went back to school after 4 years in the workforce and I've been amazed at the attitudes some take in their lives. I've seen people stumble into exams because they were out at the bars the night before. Personal responsibility needs to become a major focus again.

When I was in school previously, I had professors of small classes treat them as if they were a job. If you are not there, you had better send him an email ahead of time explaining why you were not there. Otherwise, you drop a letter grade each time. That was the best thing that happened to me. I found out how the real world worked before I got my first job and thus didn't have to make the mistakes a lot of young employees make.

 

[Oldgeezer]

Nice. Blame the student/athletes. That'll shut up all the GMac critics.

I would say you have 2 problems. Reading comprehension, and you are no doubt one of the kids Pollard is talking about. Does your mother still wipe your nose for you?

 

[CRAZYGREG]

This is nothing more than a CYA statement! I really think that JP is on the hot seat as well right now. He NEEDS GMAC to come through since it was his marquee hire. We are/were a basketball school remember. JP is simply defending his job to the best of his abilities right now. If anyone can not see through that load of crap that he sent out, then wow, just wow.

 

[Al_4_State]

But that makes you a bad fan. You should spend blindly.

Oh, I know.

I have no problem spending money on football. Funny how that works.

 

[Stewo]

GMac aside, his comments were spot on. These kids all want to be the next King James and make a bazilion dollars in the NBA in the fastest way possible. Little do they know, transferring isn't going to speed up the process. WJ could have been in the NBA this season if he hadn't transferred. 95% of all American kids have ADD in some form, at least, that's how it seems.

 

[kg-cyclone]

I respect the hell out of JP, he gets it...I feel sorry for those that don't understand what JP is saying.

 

[2forISU]

JP failed to mention that ISU leads the country in transfers...

 

[Spam]

Disaster Management is not Jamie's strongest point...

 

[Al_4_State]

This is nothing more than a CYA statement! I really think that JP is on the hot seat as well right now. He NEEDS GMAC to come through since it was his marquee hire. We are/were a basketball school remember. JP is simply defending his job to the best of his abilities right now. If anyone can not see through that load of crap that he sent out, then wow, just wow.

Pollard isn't on the hot seat. As fans we like to think that his job is measured on the coaches peformance. It isn't. It's measured by the financial state of the Athletic Department, and that's in better shape than it's ever been, in large part due to him.

If the University starts losing money, Pollard will be on the hot seat. But if it stays in the red, and football keeps doing pretty well, Pollard has no job worry.

 

[CYlent Bob]

I did find it interesting that Fennelly's entire 2008 recruiting class has now transferred. And that included one sometimes starter in Whitney Williams.

Staiger was given a scholarship and then the NCAA made their ruling. I feel that it would have been absolutely reprehensible to pull the scholarship from Staiger and can't believe that you would even suggest it.

The transfer thing is really bad. But ISU seems to be one of many schools suffering from the "Age of Transfer". In the old days it was very rare.

GMac is on the hot seat. No doubt. But at this point we will have to see how it plays out. Very good chance of a change unless a miracle season develops.

I submit to you that if the ISU coaching staff was unaware of HIS (I refuse to type his damn name) elgibility problem, that demonstrates a HUGE lack of research on their part.

Should we have pulled the scholarship the minute the NCAA ruled him inelgible? No, that would be a **** move, as you indicated. What I AM saying is that the scholarship offer should have never been made in the first place. Coach Mac went out of his way to bring THAT GUY into the ISU program, and he's got to share the blame.

If that particular player was a cancer, then Coach Mac is the guy who smoked 5-packs of Marlboros a day AND spent 2 hours a day standing right in front of a poorly shielded microwave in his underwear. These things don't just happen in a vacuum.

 

[BryceC]

I totally understand what JP is saying. I just think he's avoiding the fact that although it is an epidemic in college basketball it's MUCH worse at ISU than other places. I'm working on it now.

 

[azn4cy]

While I completely understand where JP is coming from on all this, because I think most of us can agree there is a greater sense of entitlement with each passing generation, the whole letter just gets way too personal, which is sort of the complaint with the Rainey response, as I recall. This line is the worst of the bunch:

Unfortunately if a kid’s world is not absolutely perfect (in their mind), they run from the problem rather than deal with it. Makes you wonder if it is the first signs of our society’s change in our early education program (no longer give kids grades – everybody passes; can’t keep score, everybody has to win; if you do not like something, have mom or dad complain on your behalf)

So there's a blanket statement for all of these transfers? I guarantee if the WJ went the other way and he transferred from Syracuse to ISU we wouldn't be implying him as part of this "spoiled athlete" statement. How are Scotty and future transfers supposed to take this?

I understand that JP has made a decision and needs to support his guy, but to do it in this fashion is pretty inappropriate IMO.

 

[2forISU]

I respect the hell out of JP, he gets it...I feel sorry for those that don't understand what JP is saying.

Once again, all I can do is smile when I read your post.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Pollard isn't on the hot seat. As fans we like to think that his job is measured on the coaches peformance. It isn't. It's measured by the financial state of the Athletic Department, and that's in better shape than it's ever been, in large part due to him.

If the University starts losing money, Pollard will be on the hot seat. But if it stays in the red, and football keeps doing pretty well, Pollard has no job worry.

Buh, buh, buh, he's the guy that fired DannyMac and Wayne Morgan and must be held responsible for it... :wacko: