SAE scandal could galvanize Sooners

That's the title of a piece over on ESPN today. Jake Trotter wrote the article, and personally, I think Trotter is one of the best writers that covers OU. Although he's become a "Big XII" writer, his days of being the beat writer for OU have served him well with this story. It's a good read, with some really good points. If you have a minute, go check it out.

Here's a line from the story that stood out to me, and something I've kinda been thinking about:

 

They also have a video and 2 more articles saying that this scandal will be "a permanent stain on Oklahoma." ESPN is hedging its bets so they can milk it for every last click.

 

Hey, I posted this possibility before ESPN - did they reference me in the credits? :nevreness:

There was yet another article I read (don't recall the source) that was talking about how hard it is to get rid of this type of behavior in the frat system. Schools have tried and they immediately get threaten by big donors that lived in those houses that funds will be cut off. SAE has been suspended and reinstated by more than one school and this would certainly explain why.

 

The team will not galvanize if there is division on the team. Usually these types of incidents can lead to some division. I certainly hope not.

The magnitude of the coverage of this event never ceases to amaze me. The LA Times has OU articles every day. I am deeply concerned this will affect recruiting extremely negatively for several years.

 

what is so "funny" aggravating...is this happens at every school....maybe not public videos, but people of ALL races being racists. You can't tell that not 1 black person has "thought" racists things about ANY race but they just didn't POST it. Racism exist in EVERY race.

The media wants to run with it, everyone wants to claim how bad it is at OU...nothing more than anywhere else.

Oh, I don't think it will impact in the long term. IF OU puts a great season together and wins the Big12 and gets into the playoffs, THAT is what these athletes want.

 

My prediction: it wont make any difference either way come this fall.

This is pretty good for offseason, but it's still garbage.

 

I think it will have a little impact on recruiting now but I expect/hope it will blow over by signing day.

As long as our coaches handle it correctly with the team then it could help the team in the spring practices, but by the time August gets here, they'll just be playing ball. None of it will matter if we don't find a QB or receivers.

Can you tell me what this has to do with the SAE kids?

 

Other school's recruiters will try to use it against OU.

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Recruits, even the one that did the national media rounds to say over and over that he was decommitted, are applauding OU's post-SAE video efforts.
http://oklahoma.scout.com/story/1528277-ou-s-actions-resonating-with-recruits?s=146

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't TaShawn Thomas say he woulda thought otherwise if he knew what was going on.

It's not just about athletics, or scholastics. A lot of people of color, including Asians will have second thoughts about attending OU.

I was glad Boren acted quickly like a surgeon cutting out a cancer. A few apples.....

OU's PR Dept. has their work cut out.

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What people say and do are two entirely different things.

 

I think there was a lot of knee jerk reaction when the video went public. I can't blame anyone for having those reactions, but I don't think it will really affect much of anything in the long run. In fact, I think this will be a positive in the long run. Everyone knows this incident isn't exclusive to OU, but now that it's out in the open, and OU has had the chance to react (positively), I think it makes OU look good. There's no other school in the country that is getting national exposure about racism, and OU has done a good job of spinning things with the "Not on OUr campus" thing.

Although it had nothing to do with football, that's what we're all on this board to discuss, and I think this will be a tiny blip on the radar by the time National Signing Day rolls around next February.

 

Anyone stupid enough to let the incident sway their decision, is well.. stupid, if they think this doesn't go on, at EVERY single campus in the U.S.

If they're that close-minded, means they're probably also angry. I'll pass on angry young kids. Thanks, but no thanks. We've seen what that gets us.

 

Indeed!

 

you really need this explained?

 

yup

 

I know the sae video was done AFTER he was already here...but TT just said this the other day...point is kids want to win and play.

“That was one of my big decisions,” Thomas said. “I wanted to transfer somewhere that I knew that I’d at least have a chance to make it to the tournament. I know playing in the Big 12, they take seven teams and we finished second in the conference so that was a guarantee to be in.

 

I really hope I'm wrong on this.

Wouldn't be the 1st time. Won't be the last.

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I think you're both right and wrong on this, for the following reasons.
1. The whole SAE deal and OU as the situs will, to a large degree, blow over by the fall and certainly by next February. Totally? No, of course not. But to a large extent. 16-18 year olds are damn near all ADHD afflicted. The next shiny thing will occupy the 'front of mind space'. And that most assuredly includes the fact that the university administration and the coaching staff were utterly condemnatory toward the perps and supportive of the feelings and opinions of the players; so this forgetting is not all a good thing.
2. It depends to a great degree on where you're from. To folks in Hawaii, and the coasts, flyover country has always been a bit scary. I've got grown *** men Asian suppliers in Cali who are physically frightened to travel to Louisiana. Even if I pick them up at the airport and drive them to our meetings. To folks of that mind set, the SAE incident does not matter. Their minds were already made up. The incident simply validates long held opinions.
3. Reality trumps stories. IF you can get a kid on campus and IF his host is cool and he sees and hears comforting things, the story fades into history pretty quickly.
4. It's all individual. it's very easy, especially for an elite athlete, singled out for special treatment for years by the time he's recruited into a Div I program, to accept the notion that HE will have a different experience. And thankfully Bob had put together a group of coaches who ought to be able to relate to and sell recruits on that notion to a better degree than has recently been the case.

So, recruiting impact? Yes, undoubtedly. But less than might be supposed, in my view. And something that will fade faster than we might expect.

 

A large part of recruiting is the recruitment of the parents.

If they smell discrimination they will steer their athlete, boy or girl away from a certain school.

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