College Football in perspective with Hilby

The STUDENT-athlete

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Admissions to college are becoming more and more complicated. The NCAA says "yes, they're good" and then, as in the Memphis case recently, they determine, "well no, they werent and rather than slap ourselves on the wrist, the institution is going to have to take the heat".

There has to be a better way. Colleges are in no-win situations. They dont know what to do. Steve Spurrier a few years back criticized the South Carolina administration for not admitting a potential player...some say the problem was that he was from the border area...except on the North Carolina side. What a joke that was, everyone knows that North Carolina has better standards then South Carolina...in everything. The South Carolina admins were too worried about the NCAA...when they could have just sent the kid through the Clearinghouse, but they know thats not the end of it.

All schools have their own admissions procedures, but the NCAA has complicated the process so much and is unwilling to take any blame for its process, that AD's are throwing their hands in the air. Here's a recent entry regarding this issue:

http://www.moneyplayersblog.com/blog/2009/08/guest-column-terry-holland-on-ncaa-reform.html

I say this. If the NCAA wants to use the Clearinghouse...then the kid is cleared...forever for the schools purposes. Once your in, your in. Unless you do something wrong while your there. If a violation is found to have occured prior to entry, like a payment or invalid test score...then lets pass legislation saying that if you lied on your application, you can be prosecuted. High School players and their parents and friends would think twice about what they are doing if they knew they could be prosecuted for it or it would hold them back later. Lets go after the real source of the problem, and stop putting all of the blame on the colleges.

Enjoy the Journey

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:51:00 GMT

The media warps your brain!!!

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:09:00 GMT

Perspective....

Rush Limbaugh refers to them as the "drive-by media". Now I'm not a big Rush fan, but he's dead on about this.

They just like bold headlines...like thread titles, without giving any perspective. The worst thing is people eat this up. Every day your brain is getting more and more warped. You have to fight to think for yourself.

This same thing applies to college football. You want perspective? How about there isnt that much difference between a team rated 6th and rated 16th. But you perceive there to be a huge difference. There isnt much difference between 16th and 26th, but that 26th team doesnt make the headlines every week. They may not make the scroll bar of the game your watching because they arent Top 25.

Perspective.

Most columnists are biased. Most editors are biased. They are pandering. They are filtering. They are promoting. Whatever it takes to push their agenda. Whatever it takes to sell more stuff.

You have to catch yourself. And remember....your eyes dont deceive you. What you see on the football field is not filtered. Its not pandering. Its not biased, unless you let yourself be biased.

The football field is neutral. Its two teams competing. Dont forget as hard as your team is trying...the other team is trying just as hard. There is no entitlement on the field. Its neutral territory.

Dont believe everything you read in the paper, or online. Believe what you see on the field, because when you see both sides, you really can apreciate the sport.

The "Real" Student Athlete

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:41:00 GMT

Student Athletes get a bad rap. They are completely misrepresented.

From a non college football fan standpoint, the student athlete has been criminalized. Its no wonder, the transgressions of student athletes are front page news. They are many times treated the same as professional athletes.

But they should be looked at differently.

Yes, they receive posher digs than the typical student. Yes they receive room and board and their schooling is paid for. But dont act like they arent paying the price.

First of all, they have a better work ethic than you. Not only do they have to go to school, but they also have a job. Now I worked my way through college, many times until 4AM, but many kids are handed the keys, the credit card, and their parents say....just dont flunk out. And then many of them do.

Not student athletes....yes some of them flunk out, but not most of them. Most of them are better than me...or you....most of them handle pressure better. Most of them turn out to be successful people in this world. Most of them dont become professional athletes. Most of them give their sweat and blood for their school....while your outside tailgating...and many times inside criticizing. While your at the beach, they are in the weight room.

So remember when you read about a student athlete doing something stupid. Remember that these guys are contributing. They are doing something. What are you doing?