Comments about ‘BYU football: Top junior college prospect Tenny Palepoi visits BYU’

WON84:

Silly desperate frantic and emotional coug. I ALREADY was accepted to the Y. That's actually where I spent my Freshman year. Being from out-of-state, I didn't know how weird, stifling, and silly that school was, nor was I educated on their disdain for academic freedom. So naturally, once fully apprised, I finished the academic year, and transferred to the U; a learning environment where our thinking hasn't already been done for us.

A few years later, I earned my MBA from Penn State. If I had no use for a cougar degree with an undergraduate diploma from the U, why would I ever have any use for it with a PSU MBA?

"WON84:

Silly desperate frantic and emotional coug. I ALREADY was accepted to the Y. That's actually where I spent my Freshman year. Being from out-of-state, I didn't know how weird, stifling, and silly that school was, nor was I educated on their disdain for academic freedom. So naturally, once fully apprised, I finished the academic year, and transferred to the U; a learning environment where our thinking hasn't already been done for us.

A few years later, I earned my MBA from Penn State. If I had no use for a cougar degree with an undergraduate diploma from the U, why would I ever have any use for it with a PSU MBA?"

Alright, so your beef with BYU is academic freedom related? Fair enough, I can't really argue there. I actually attended the University of Texas and kind of agree with that statement.

I don't understand why you hate the sports so much then? Good for the U on their new league and bowl win. Don't see why that means one has to hate BYU sports so much though.

Naval Vet

"I didn't know how weird, stifling, and silly that school was, nor was I educated on their disdain for academic freedom. So naturally, once fully apprised, I finished the academic year, and transferred to the U; a learning environment where our thinking hasn't already been done for us."

In other words, where professors were free to trash the sincerely held religious beliefs of the LDS students in their classes without having to worry about offending the institution that writes their paycheck.

Get over your hatred; it isn't healthy.

Deep thoughts on 'ZERO' star recruits...

Yesterday on a BYU story...

"Well, well, well. It seems you have quite the obsession with me, and what I think of you and your bush-league, Indy-WACey school.... Anyway, I thought I'd post something that Mr. Gurney accidently left OUT of the article...

Scout ranks Palepoi with ZERO-stars.
Rivals never even heard of the guy.

Should I re-post that one more time to ensure you read it?"

And today on a Ute story...

"The DB currently has zero stars as rated by both Rivals and Scout... I find it interesting that both Whittingham AND Scalley made a PERSONAL home visit to grab a commitment for a zero-star recruit. Was it just because he runs a 4.3 forty? Or is he indeed a diamond in the rough?"

Most Utes seem to be happy about their 'zero' star recruit from Texas today.

So conflicted is the Ute fan.

Lets all lay-off the religion and the politics. Utah will always get better players now that we are with the big-boys, cougar fans get use to it. These kids know if they want to go on and play in the NFL Utah is a much better place to be, especially if you are a lineman both O & D.

MLH

"Utah will always get better players now that we are with the big-boys,..."

Too bad your fantasy doesn't always match reality.

Case in point:

BYU recruit: Tanner Mangum, 4-star, named the Elite 11 camp co-MVP

Utah recruit: Travis Wilson, 3-star, didn't even make the Elite 11

BYU is a national brand and will always get quality players.
Utah is a regional brand and will sometimes have to make do with DII transfers.

Get used to it.

MLH

So your 'zero' star recruit from Texas is far better than other 'zero' star recruits considering BYU.

Yep, makes perfect sense to me considering the source it came from.

'Lets all lay-off the religion, the politics' and big-boy conference Kool-aid. BYU will continue to get great players because of its national appeal and legacy. Ute fans should be used to it by now but so many are in complete denial.

That makes perfect sense to me as well.

sammyg:

Your parsing of my comment on that other article was shamefully disingenuous, and taken out of context. For starters, it was cougar fan "TJ" that brought up that "diamonds in the rough" analogy. What I stated on that very post you quoted me from was:

"Many apologists will say, just because he has zero stars, that doesn't make him a zero-star recruit, but rather that he just hasn't been rated yet. I SAY NOT SO. If he hasn't been rated by now, I find it highly unlikely he'll be awarded anything more than 2. Still, seeing as how both coaches went through all that effort just to land him, I'm hopefull that he's better than the ratings services are reporting."

So put into its proper context, you'll see there has been no duplicity on my part, so unlike yourself, my honor and integrity remains intact.

And for what it's worth, you're only deceiving your own cougar brethren. I'm curious if those naive cougars would be grateful for that morsel of fantasy, or displeased/insulted at you playing them for a fool.

Naval Vet

The only fool I see in this whole charade is the so-called recruiting expert who has deluded himself into believing that the number of stars placed next to a recruit's name is the end-all-be-all of a recruit's potential as a college football player.

If that were really the case, you might as well write the obituary on Utah's chances of being competitive in the PAC 12 because the Utes will NEVER be able to recruit as many 4- and 5-star recruits as USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Stanford.

JtF, I think his "fantasy" is easily matching reality. He said "if they want to go on and play in the NFL Utah is a much better place" and reality is that there are nearly twice as many Utes as BYU alumni playing in the NFL right now.

LonestarRunner:

So in other words, what you're saying is, you're one who is "grateful" for sammyg's morsel of fantasy. Thank you for your input. Any other cougars out there want to sound off to the contrary, or do sammyg and LonestarRunner pretty much represent the dominant ethos of cougarnation?

Oh...and for what it's worth, I do not, nor have I ever, positioned myself as some kind of "so-called recruiting expert". I'M not the one who assigned Paleloi ZERO-stars. That would have been Scout.

P.S.: Rivals didn't assign Paleloi zero-stars either. How could they have? They've never even heard of the guy.

Naval:

The bottom line is there is a pool of recruits BYU is naturally going to have access due to church affiliation that they otherwise might not. Now not all of these players are great (or will pick BYU) but, there is a sizeable number who are (and pick BYU) and at the rate the LDS church is growing (particularly in the inner city) it is also reasonable to conclude that BYU's recruiting should only continue to improve.

On the same token, joining a "power conference" would do basically nothing when it comes to impacting how BYU recruits for many of the same reasons. The fact that such a move hasn't changed Utah's recruiting fortunes is really no reason to hate BYU though.

Honest question, when will Ute fans shift their attention to the rival's message boards? Colorado could use the attention.

StGtoSLC

"reality is that there are nearly twice as many Utes as BYU alumni playing in the NFL right now"

Are you sure about that? Maybe I am missing some. BYU: Beck, Collie, Denney, Feinga, Hoke, Keisel, Kehl, Nixon, Pitta, Poppinga and Tonga. I also think Hall, Dallas Reynolds and Unga are under contract, but might not be on active rosters. For the Utes: Beadles, Burton, Gross, Fanene, Kemoeatu, Kruger, McCain, Pouhu, Reed, Schlaterhaff, Smith x3, Soliai, Stangord, Sylvester and Weddle and Misi on IR.

I counted 14 Cougars and 19 Utes. Not quite 'twice as many'. With Matt Reynolds and when Tahi signs (currently free agent) it might be even closer.

WON84:

"Honest question, when will Ute fans shift their attention to the rival's message boards?"

Probably when CU fans start reading the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune....like cougar fans do.

"The fact that such a move hasn't changed Utah's recruiting fortunes is really no reason to hate BYU though."

The fact is, the move to the Pac-12 HAS changed our recruiting fortunes. When have the Utes ever had FIVE four-star recruits giving verbals? Not in our MWC days. Plus, many recruits who HAVE signed with the Utes have stated our conference affiliation factored into their decision-making process.

The reasons for my disdain for the cougars has already been asked and answered, and has nothing to do with our superior recruiting class.

factcheck, glad you looked, thank you. The last time I had looked was early in the season and my count was 21-12, I believe. There are also several Utes in free agency and that were on practice squads this year (Asiata, Taplin-Ross, Smithson, Cox off the top of my head, also didn't realize Maake Kemoeatu had just retired). Regardless, Utah does have a distinct advantage in that department.

"The fact is, the move to the Pac-12 HAS changed our recruiting fortunes. When have the Utes ever had FIVE four-star recruits giving verbals? Not in our MWC days. Plus, many recruits who HAVE signed with the Utes have stated our conference affiliation factored into their decision-making process.

The reasons for my disdain for the cougars has already been asked and answered, and has nothing to do with our superior recruiting class."

According to Scout, the Utes have commits from two four star recruits which is actually less than the four Utah had in their 2010 class. The 2009 class had one four star and one five star commit to note.

In your heart things may have changed but, on paper the numbers are the same.

WON84:

"According to Scout, the Utes have commits from two four star recruits which is actually less than the four Utah had in their 2010 class."

Actually, the 2010 class showed Utah with FIVE 4-star recruits; not FOUR. But even at that, Utah didn't get verbals from Dunn, Cullen, or Ransom until 2 days AFTER LOI day. So, by THIS time 2 yrs ago, our 2010 class showed TWO 4-star recruits, which is pretty much equivalent to our current station. Furthermore, Scout rated out 2010 class -- after signing day -- as the 50th best class in the country. Currently, Scouts ranks us at #43. Ergo, slight improvement there.

But...as I had mentioned before, I find Rivals to be the more accurate recruiting site. And, per Rivals, Utah's 2010 class had 32nd best class in the country, and inked FOUR 4-star recruits. Currently, Utah's 2012 class is ranked #28, and holds FIVE verbals from 4-star recruits. So again, slight improvement there. And, it's important to note that 4-star athletes like Langi, McGill, and York have all expressed Utah's Pac-12 membership played a part in their decision. [It also played into Benji Kemoeatu's decision to transfer to the U...just as soon as he works out his academic issues.] And THAT's just the 4-star recruits who have said that. So that right there proves our membership HAS IN FACT aided in our recruiting successes.

So, in your heart, things may have stayed the same, but on paper, the numbers changed for the better.

Naval Vet,

Just curious, do you also follow Penn State football nearly as much as you do Utah? If so, what is your opinion on Joe Paterno's involvement and firing because of the Sandusky affair?

Whoa Nellie:

I DO follow Penn State Football. In fact, I've had season tickets since 2007. The 4-hr drive to State College is drag, but what else am I going to do when the Utes aren't playing on the East coast?

As for your inquiry, I LOVE Joe! My feeling is that he's been scapegoated over the whole Jerry Sandusky scandal. And it IS a Sandusky scandal; not a Paterno scandal. I feel Joe was fired for expediency purposes. Nobody outside of the PSU community knows the name of the Athletic Director, the University President, nor the members of his cabinet. Firing them wouldn't have made as splashing of a national headline as would have the firing of the winningest coach in all of college football. Firing Joe was PSU's "postured" response to the nation to show that they will not tolerate abuse......despite tolerating, then covering up the abuse.

Sexual abuse is a horrible plague on society. Covering up the scandal by PSU administrators is a horrible stain on the university's athletic reputation. But Joe neither sexually abused anyone, nor had he covered it up. Joe did the right thing by bringing this allegation to his superiors. Note:

(1) Joe did not actually see the abuse.

...So what was he supposed to do? Go to the police and accuse someone of a crime he did not witness? What if the accusation was wrong? What if it was based on malice of an assistant coach with an ax to grind against Sandusky? For the record, I don't think McQueary lied about what he saw....but I wasn't there either; so I don't KNOW what he saw, or thought he saw. If Joe DID go to the police, and Sandusky turned out to be innocent, that could have put both Joe AND the university in a very actionable position.

(2) Joe is a coach; not an HR manager, nor a sex-crimes investigator.

...But PSU has officials who ARE trained in managing these types of issues. If I were in Joe's [not Mike McQueary's] shoes, I would have done the same thing...bring the allegations to the attention of those who would/should know how to address such a serious issue, with major ramifications.

Like most PSU alumni, I am outraged over the way the University handled this sexual abuse situation; but NOT at Paterno, nor his decision to report it to his superiors rather commit some knee-jerk reaction by going straight to the police. The alleged sexual abuse had ALREADY HAPPENED; it wasn't as though the abuse was HAPPEN-ING, in the showers, at the VERY MOMENT it was being brought to Paterno's attention.

I hope that answered your question.

Thanks Naval vet. From what has been reported I agree with your assessment. The whole thing is a sad affair.