I caught wind of this article from Bruce Feldman's ESPN Insider College Football blog. It's a good resource for off-season news...sort of like this gem from SoCal: (USC Freshman RB Michael) Coleman Told to be Quiet Excerpt: Why's this interesting? Because this site had a nuclear meltdown over comments a hundred times tamer than "but he's not better than me" that were attributed to Ryan Perrilloux. When you recruit absolutely sick studs at a top tier program, this sort of thing can and will happen. If you think hot-shot recruits haven't had these thoughts in the past, you're crazy. Don't go overboard and hate someone like Perrilloux or Coleman for saying what so many others in their situations think. Besides, if RP can walk the walk, I could care less how he talks the talk...or, at the very least, I can live by this premise: as long as his teammates don't threaten him LenDale-style over what he says, then it's not something for me to get overly worried about. If the other players don't sweat his words, why should I?
Coleman had nothing to say to White face to face, but RP has already spoken to JR and MF face to face and ironed out any differences. Similar situations, much different resolutions.
Since you inferred that I'm not "old enough" to understand the issue at hand, let me try and prove my maturity to you by offering some free (and helpful) advice: spelling all of the words in your post correctly goes a long way towards making your argument a convincing one to other forum members. Just some friendly advice. There's really not "a world of difference", truth be told, between thinking something and saying something. I'll grant you that there's a difference in, say, couth or good judgment, but that's hardly "a world of difference", IMO. We've seen rumors run wild about what, for example, John Brady did or didn't do in recent months, from getting kicked out of eating establishments to having his players talk back to him, etc. If there was any sort of bad blood among the players in regards to Perrilloux, who's arguably the most celebrated and heralded LSU football recruit in a generation (if not more), I'm pretty sure we'd have seen rumors aplenty appearing here to that effect, even though he's yet to practice with the team. My point---which I'll restate here---is that all of these kids are supremely confident. It's a poorly-kept secret that very, very talented athletes at high-end collegiate programs are hyper-competitive and all think, on some level, that they are the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, in the name of "sportsmanship" and "teamwork", they keep such thoughts under their hat (at least to the public), but that hardly absolves them. Do you think that Justin Vincent, when he started the 2003 season as the, what, #5 tailback on the depth-chart, didn't get pissed off thinking he could smoke the four guys ahead of him if given the chance? Of course he did, and it was this that allowed him, in part, to bust his ass until he got his shot...and then making the most of it. Furthermore, this attitude was surely shared by Alley B who, having to hear how bad-ass JV was all off-season last year, worked even harder to “get his”, something that he showed on the field in 2004. I want cocky guys here, players who can and will back up what they say. No, I don't want a "gangsta" program in Baton Rouge along the lines of the old Miami (Fla) days under Jimmy Johnson (guys w/ the Army fatigues and stuff), but I do want very confident young men to continue to choose LSU, ones who genuinely feel as if they can play right away. Tenure is for professors, not for football players. If you as a letterman get chapped because some newcomer says he wants your job, you whip his ass on the practice field, in the weight room and during games to keep him on the bench. If you’re not good enough to do so, then accept the fact that someone’s come along who’s better than you and adjust and recommit yourself to getting your job back…very much like JV is doing right now.
I'd have to disagree. There's a time to keep your mouth shut, no matter what you're thinking. That's when maturity comes in handy, hence my strong support of Saban's rule about freshmen speaking to the media. First of all, there's a big difference between cockiness and confidence. Cocky guys are the ones who are so arrogant and full of themselves that they think they are the team. They're the ones who spout off at the mouth when they shouldn't, the ones who whine and complain when they don't get enough touches or catches, and then go bad mouthing their teammates and coaches in the press. No thanks. Don't need 'em. However, guys can be confident and mature at the same time. They're the ones who believe in themselves, yet understand their place on the team, and understand that no one person can win football games. Those who know they have special abilities, yet know how to show respect to their fellow players. Guys like Chad Lavalais, Michael Clayton, Rohan Davey...guys who had incredible talent, but understood the difference in confidence and cockiness. I'll take confident over cocky any day. And don't use JV as an example. He never said anything he shouldn't have. He was always mature and respectful towards the guys ahead of him. At least as far as anything I've ever read/heard. RP said things he shouldn't have. It's as simple as that. Don't try to defend his comments that sprung from his over-inflated ego and his immaturity. He should turn out to be a great player, but he should've waited to prove that on the field. But whatever. This subject is dead. Let it die.
Bubba, I've said all I have to say on this subject as well. I suspect I'm not alone in feeling the way I feel about this, so I'll hang back and let others chime in with their thoughts. Thanks for stating your piece without making any unnecessary personal attacks, be they obvious or inferred. :geauxtige
agree RP should have kept his mouth shut and people hate arrogance. Prove it on the field, no need to say it if you can show it. although this deal was overblown, he knew it would be since everything he says is printed in every rag. its a done deal and simply 'time to move on'. we'll have plenty of quotes to see if this superstar teenager has learned his lesson. there will be no shortage of other quotes to work with in a month or so.
No players should say what RP or this Coleman kid said. They should be humble and glad for their opportunity to play at a great college. They should also repsect their teammates and never say anything in public like these kids did. I think White basically showed how it effects the team by calling this kid out, being willing to knock some sense into him and the kid backpedaled and now probably realizes he should have kept his mouth shut.
