'Real Sports' Segment Mentioning OU Football

[8timechamps]

Have you seen the HBO show? Your former O lineman, who graduated with this "multi-discipline" degree, is working an office job that doesn't require a college education. Your former advisor quit because he couldn't stomach funneling your players to a degree he knew was worthless anymore. Your own guys called this fraud.

You're kidding, right?! A college graduate working an office job that doesn't require a degree?! That can't be!!!!1! Someone call the president! I thought a college degree meant an employer HAD to hire you and you HAD to make more than the scum that didn't have a degree!!!! What's the world coming to?!

Seriously though, the advisor that quit, didn't really quit. He's still on staff at OU. I'm not sure why he left that role, but I highly doubt it was out of guilt.

There is nothing to see here, as it does happen at every school. Even Texas. You may not offer a multi-disciplinary degree, but I bet there are degrees some football players are "guided" to, and I bet they aren't engineering. Long ago, it was communications, but I guarantee you that there is a 'football' degree at schools that don't offer a multi-disciplinary degree.

The real story in the segment was what happened at UNC. Even that is suspect, as the original report has been questioned.

Look, there are kids at EVERY school in the country playing football, and they probably aren't really that smart, and they probably don't belong in college. But, that's how it's always been, and it's probably never going to change. And yes, Texas has those players too.

[picasso]

Good lord, nobody is going to argue the status of UT's standards and such but we're talking football here! OU can line up just as many successful student athletes off the field as Texas. Same as a sorry list of failures.
Get over yourself.

[Herr Scholz]

Oh, bull****. On the academic casualty thingie.

No it's not. Your guys skate by. Ours don't. We have ineligible players every single year. You absolutely don't. If not, please give me the exhaustive list of academically ineligible OU football players under Stoops' entire career there. I believe you can use one hand to count them all.

[Herr Scholz]

If you honestly are proposing that there are signficant differnces in IQ or academic acheivement between OU and UT players, then I must seriously question your academic credentials.

No, I'm pointing out the obvious differences in academic integrity of the respective institutions (general study degree vs none, academically ineligible players vs very few, etc). The HBO piece probably didn't do much to change the perception that OU is a juco football factory. Talk to them about it.

[Herr Scholz]

Seriously though, the advisor that quit, didn't really quit. He's still on staff at OU. I'm not sure why he left that role, but I highly doubt it was out of guilt.

You might want to watch the interview before making that claim. He called it "fraud" and "he couldn't stomach it anymore".

[BoomerMcSooner]

And VY earned a degree in education.

Vince Young earned his degree in "Youth and Community Studies", a clear case of a "football degree" if there ever was one!

As reported in the Washington Post (1/7/2010): "NCAA pressure on universities to improve athletes' graduation rates perversely encourages suspicious concentrations of athletes in particular majors. In a recent year, 41 percent of Texas football players were majoring in youth and community services, compared to 0.2 percent of all students; 78.4 percent of Michigan's were in general studies, compared to 1.6 percent of all students there."

Looking at Texas' most recent press release of graduating student athletes (12/7/2013), there are 29 athletes, 10 football players, and 5 "Youth and Community Studies" majors. All 5 of the athletes listed with that major were football players.

Why do you think football players are 200 times more likely to major in "Youth and Community Studies" than the rest of the student body at the University of Texas?

According to the University of Texas, "The Youth and Community Studies major is designed for students preparing to work with children in a variety of settings that do not require teacher certification. Students who choose this degree option are given flexibility to select courses ..."

Texas suggests the career path for this degree, "Examples of career options include directing youth programs at the YMCA, Parks and Recreation Departments, daycare centers, after-school programs, and government agencies related to childcare."

Perusing Monster.Com, job openings for these types of opportunities are largely part-time, low-pay, and rarely have a college degree requirement (although it is occasionally listed as preferred.)

[olevetonahill]

No it's not. Your guys skate by. Ours don't. We have ineligible players every single year. You absolutely don't. If not, please give me the exhaustive list of academically ineligible OU football players under Stoops' entire career there. I believe you can use one hand to count them all.

Hows that HARD to earn Education degree workin out fer radio?

[Sooner in Tampa]

AHHHHHH fukc, here we go with the SUPERIOR UT academic standards and how they hold them back bullspit again...

[starclassic tama]

Vince Young earned his degree in "Youth and Community Studies", a clear case of a "football degree" if there ever was one!

As reported in the Washington Post (1/7/2010): "NCAA pressure on universities to improve athletes' graduation rates perversely encourages suspicious concentrations of athletes in particular majors. In a recent year, 41 percent of Texas football players were majoring in youth and community services, compared to 0.2 percent of all students; 78.4 percent of Michigan's were in general studies, compared to 1.6 percent of all students there."

Looking at Texas' most recent press release of graduating student athletes (12/7/2013), there are 29 athletes, 10 football players, and 5 "Youth and Community Studies" majors. All 5 of the athletes listed with that major were football players.

Why do you think football players are 200 times more likely to major in "Youth and Community Studies" than the rest of the student body at the University of Texas?

According to the University of Texas, "The Youth and Community Studies major is designed for students preparing to work with children in a variety of settings that do not require teacher certification. Students who choose this degree option are given flexibility to select courses ..."

Texas suggests the career path for this degree, "Examples of career options include directing youth programs at the YMCA, Parks and Recreation Departments, daycare centers, after-school programs, and government agencies related to childcare."

Perusing Monster.Com, job openings for these types of opportunities are largely part-time, low-pay, and rarely have a college degree requirement (although it is occasionally listed as preferred.)

Don't bring your facts into this. They don't play well with Herr's ridiculous rhetoric.

[BoomerMcSooner]

No, I'm pointing out the obvious differences in academic integrity of the respective institutions (general study degree vs none, academically ineligible players vs very few, etc).

You are making two unsupported claims here:

1. That the lack of a "general study degree" demonstrates "academic integrity". Currently there are 51 schools ranked above Texas in USA Today's national college rankings. These include strong football schools such as Ohio State, Florida, Miami, Penn State, USC, Notre Dame, Cal, and Stanford. All of these schools are ranked above Texas in academics. Most have some sort of interdisciplinary studies programs.

2. You claim that Texas' problems with failing athletic students is a sign of academic integrity. If true, other schools with higher academic standards should have similar problems.

Before asking for a list of OU football academic casualties, I'd suggest the burden is on you to contrast the football academic casualties at a school like Texas vs a school like Stanford and make your case regarding what it says about the academic integrity of the two schools. Until then, your claim that failing footballs players = academic integrity would appear to be subjective hogwash without any supporting data.

[KantoSooner]

Herr, I've listened to UT players attempt the English language, after 'graduation'. If you really want to continue your jeremiad asserting that these folks are Rhodes Scholars, compared to poor, abused OU players, go right ahead. It's not making you look very rational.

Further, it's rather ridiculous to engage in chest beating regardiing the academic standing of any land grant university. Pure academic achievement is not now and never has been the core mission of any such school. If you want that, go to a Harvard or Yale for a university or an Amherst, Williams or the like for a college. Failure to take this into account renders arguments on the matter sort of silly.

[badger]

I finally watched the DVR of it last night. Very short, wouldn't be surprised if it was on the internet somewhere. go kill 10 minutes and watch it if you want.

i don't think the ou guy was necessarily against the ou system per se, but the system in general that tries to con everyone into thinking student-athletes are students before athletes, or even remotely like other students.

erik mensik's participation was not on the same level as the memphis player that was reading dr. seuss. i'm not really sure why he agreed to be interviewed for such a program, nor am i sure why they pursued him for this.

[BoomerMcSooner]

'm not really sure why he agreed to be interviewed for such a program, nor am i sure why they pursued him for this.

If you Google, "multidisciplinary studies", OU is on the first page, and is the only big-time football program on the first page. Perhaps the producers did a similar search in looking for supporting stories, and started fishing from there?

[Eielson]

Vince Young earned his degree in "Youth and Community Studies", a clear case of a "football degree" if there ever was one!

As reported in the Washington Post (1/7/2010): "NCAA pressure on universities to improve athletes' graduation rates perversely encourages suspicious concentrations of athletes in particular majors. In a recent year, 41 percent of Texas football players were majoring in youth and community services, compared to 0.2 percent of all students; 78.4 percent of Michigan's were in general studies, compared to 1.6 percent of all students there."

Looking at Texas' most recent press release of graduating student athletes (12/7/2013), there are 29 athletes, 10 football players, and 5 "Youth and Community Studies" majors. All 5 of the athletes listed with that major were football players.

Why do you think football players are 200 times more likely to major in "Youth and Community Studies" than the rest of the student body at the University of Texas?

According to the University of Texas, "The Youth and Community Studies major is designed for students preparing to work with children in a variety of settings that do not require teacher certification. Students who choose this degree option are given flexibility to select courses ..."

Texas suggests the career path for this degree, "Examples of career options include directing youth programs at the YMCA, Parks and Recreation Departments, daycare centers, after-school programs, and government agencies related to childcare."

Perusing Monster.Com, job openings for these types of opportunities are largely part-time, low-pay, and rarely have a college degree requirement (although it is occasionally listed as preferred.)

Wow. This ends the debates.

I'm used to Herr coming on here and making most of the posters look silly. He's obviously more informed than the average member on this board, but if this is legit, he looks very foolish here. Just about everything he said is invalidated by this "Youth and Community Studies" degree. At least with multidisciplinary studies you have the option of taking difficult classes. Youth and Community Studies sounds like it was made specifically for football players...who goes to a college like UT to be a stay at home mom? Multidisciplinary is a legitimate degree plan, it just happens to be abused by football players and others.

Mensik may not have needed a degree to get his office job, but VY can only use his degree to get a daycare/babysitter position. If I was good with photoshop, I would fark VY's face on Eddie Murphy.

[Eielson]

...who goes to a college like UT to be a stay at home mom?

On second thought, I know of lots of people who did this. They weren't men, though.

[FaninAma]

Have you seen the HBO show? Your former O lineman, who graduated with this "multi-discipline" degree, is working an office job that doesn't require a college education. Your former advisor quit because he couldn't stomach funneling your players to a degree he knew was worthless anymore. Your own guys called this fraud.

I only have 3 words for you: Vince "Wonderlic" Young.

[FaninAma]

No it's not. Your guys skate by. Ours don't. We have ineligible players every single year. You absolutely don't. If not, please give me the exhaustive list of academically ineligible OU football players under Stoops' entire career there. I believe you can use one hand to count them all.

Edit: BoomerMcSooner's posts were the perfect reply to Herr. I guess Herr disppeared after that massive beat down.

[KantoSooner]

Darn! We never got around to discussing the magical transformation of student 'A' from mumbliing nincompoop when considering matriculation to OU to Werner von Braun Jr. when he changes his mind and opts for UT.

It's one of those 'SEC Speed' kinds of things.

[BoomerMcSooner]

but if this is legit, he looks very foolish here.

It is legit. Here and here are links citing Young's major in youth and community studies. Here is the Washington Post article I quoted pointing to the clustering of Texas football players in this major. Here is a link to Texas' recent athlete graduates showing the clustering of football players in youth and community services (note it looks like it is actually 6 of 11 football players in this major among most recent graduates.) Here is the the link on the Texas website describing the major and career path.

Speaking of foolish...

Herr argues that more academic casualties in football is demonstration of greater academic integrity...Turns out LSU has more academic casualties in football than Stanford does yearly...So he is arguing that this data point shows LSU's greater commitment to academic integrity than Stanford...

[KantoSooner]

But, but, but Boooooomer, such clustering not just in athletes in general but in the football player sub-group in particular could not be a random data anomaly. It would indicate some positive, active force sorting the UT football players into those majors. And that would indicate.....

Oh, my.