Class of 2016 - How Dino Babers overhauled Syracuse football's 2016 recruiting class | Syracusefan.com

Class of 2016 How Dino Babers overhauled Syracuse football's 2016 recruiting class

Article does a great job of really pointing out the negatives of recruiting and how angry recommits where. I just need to stop reading anything the write at this point.
 
I'll be honest, I thought this one was pretty fair. And, for the record, I'm not a huge fan of Stephen Bailey. There were quotes from two de commits and two new commits. I think he tried to be as objective as possible while writing about both sides of the equation.

I'm typically not a fan of his slant, but, thought this one was balanced and better than his typical work.
 
That's fair. I guess I just go in expecting the worse and typically find it.
 
It is an ugly dance. When they fired Shafer, the AD publicly said they would honor the verbal commitments. They hire Babers, who then basically discourages most of those verbals. A fan might not care, only interested in the success of the team. But some of those kids may have eliminated any back-up plans because of their commitment. Most/all? seem to have secured a verbal elsewhere. So, in the eyes of many, no harm, no foul. Personally, if I were a being recruited (like my daughter was for track), I would care more about the school and the academics first, coaches come and go, injuries happen, etc. But most of these kids seem to look at the football first. An ugly dance
 
Finwad32 said:
I'll be honest, I thought this one was pretty fair. And, for the record, I'm not a huge fan of Stephen Bailey. There were quotes from two de commits and two new commits. I think he tried to be as objective as possible while writing about both sides of the equation. I'm typically not a fan of his slant, but, thought this one was balanced and better than his typical work.
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You may not like his slant but recruiting coverage since the previous PS regime has tripled under his watch.

That's not even for debate.
 
Lot of truth in that article. Coach has to do what he thinks is in the best intrest for him and his team. it's unfortunate for the kids that commited to shafer but that's the way college sports go.
 
cuseguy said:
You may not like his slant but recruiting coverage since the previous PS regime has tripled under his watch.

That's not even for debate.
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Well, when Nolan Widener is your predecessor, not exactly huge stairs to climb.

Edit - And I think coverage in general has changed. Kids are more accessible, and, the rate which we consume information has greatly increased with the development of technology and Social Media. I think in as little as 4 years we've seen a pretty significant paradigm shift.
 
PAcuse said:
Article does a great job of really pointing out the negatives of recruiting and how angry recommits where. I just need to stop reading anything the write at this point.
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I thought it was a great article. Its a really crappy situation for the decommits and not everyone can handle it with grace and class like Holloway and his mom did. And that is not an insult to the people who couldnt. Because i certainly dont think i could handle it well. But its life and it is part of the story that needs to be told.
 
Thought it was fine. If anything, Brinson's dad comes out of this the worst of anyone.

And in all honesty, Bailey brings up a very valid point in that Babers needs to do what he needs to do to get the players he needs to be successful.

This is a cut throat business and unfortunately some things cannot be helped. Babers, for better or worse, owed only the truth to the commitments that were leftover from Shafer. And sometimes, as we all know, you can't handle the truth.
 
Finwad32 said:
Well, when Nolan Widener is your predecessor, not exactly huge stairs to climb. Edit - And I think coverage in general has changed. Kids are more accessible, and, the rate which we consume information has greatly increased with the development of technology and Social Media. I think in as little as 4 years we've seen a pretty significant paradigm shift.
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I'm really speaking about Widener and the writers before them.
 
SUFan44 said:
I had forgotten about that guy. What a disaster he was.
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I've met him a couple times, and he's a super nice guy. But, unfortunately, that doesn't mean he's a great beat writer. I think they've got him covering a sport that he both doesn't understand, and, doesn't really care for.
 
Finwad32 said:
I've met him a couple times, and he's a super nice guy. But, unfortunately, that doesn't mean he's a great beat writer. I think they've got him covering a sport that he both doesn't understand, and, doesn't really care for.
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Nolan is a very nice person. Not a great beat writer and much better off covering HS sports.
 
Can you imagine if that tool Bud has written the article.
 
cuseguy said:
You may not like his slant but recruiting coverage since the previous PS regime has tripled under his watch. That's not even for debate.
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Are we sure that's a good thing?
 
Brinsons Father said: "The head coach is about to be on the hot seat if he don't win games because he let too many recruits get away," Monticelo Brinson said previously. "I don't think he has time on his side to recruit. I was looking at what he's got now, boy it don't look too good. They can dress it up all they want, too. Football season will be here before you know it and then Syracuse will see he's not near better than Coach Shafer."

I think that statement would now be a falsity regarding time to recruit. As for actual coaching, we will see, but I do know that Baber's HC record over the past 4 years is pretty darn good!
 
I struggle to see how that article could be interpreted as anything other than ranging from balanced to outright slanted toward SU. I guess some people will find something to complain about in any article that isn't full blown propaganda.

The article described Monticelo Brinson as "bitter". I contained qualifiers like:
The situation is a harsh reality of the recruiting world, but a necessary one for a head coach whose job security relies on winning with the players he signs. Waiting a cycle to start bringing in your own guys could be the difference between an extension and dismissal.
in other words, everyone does it like this.

It contained a justification in:
"Of the 11 players who have left the commitment class since Babers has been hired, only one has since received multiple Power-5 offers: Louisiana quarterback Lindsey Scott. Others are committed to UConn (2), UMass (2), Tulane and Georgia State."
in other words, nobody else thought the decommits were any good either

And for heaven's sake, the article ended with an affirmation of Babers' experience and reason for optimism for future classes:
"But even if that doesn't happen, Babers has broken down and built up 80 percent of his recruiting class in less than two months. He's lent credence to the idea that his four years of head coaching experience will bring value and provided reason to believe that the 2017 class could continue to trend upward with a full calendar year to recruit."

If anything, that article seemed geared toward talking off the ledge any less informed fans who were alarmed or upset at the transition in the recruiting class. I thought Bailey did Babers a favor with the article.
 
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"Of the 11 players who have left the commitment class since Babers has been hired, only one has since received multiple Power-5 offers: Louisiana quarterback Lindsey Scott. Others are committed to UConn (2), UMass (2), Tulane and Georgia State." --This about sums it up
 
richard levy said:
It is an ugly dance. When they fired Shafer, the AD publicly said they would honor the verbal commitments. They hire Babers, who then basically discourages most of those verbals. A fan might not care, only interested in the success of the team. But some of those kids may have eliminated any back-up plans because of their commitment. Most/all? seem to have secured a verbal elsewhere. So, in the eyes of many, no harm, no foul. Personally, if I were a being recruited (like my daughter was for track), I would care more about the school and the academics first, coaches come and go, injuries happen, etc. But most of these kids seem to look at the football first. An ugly dance
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Life is real and most college players will never be pros. It's a tough lesson to learn when hopes for the future are so high. I'm not sure there can be a good way for transition in leadership to unfold where the change in philosophy is so dramatic. These kids want to play and I wish the best to all the families that had to change their plans. Life gets complicated and no one is immune to change. It's an ugly dance but one that provides access to a free education for a lot of kids that would struggle otherwise. Kudos to all the kids that have the talent and effort to be offered a scholarship to play sports in college. It's a significant accomplishment we should honor even if they're no longer a fit with the new system.
 
Statesman1 said:
"Of the 11 players who have left the commitment class since Babers has been hired, only one has since received multiple Power-5 offers: Louisiana quarterback Lindsey Scott. Others are committed to UConn (2), UMass (2), Tulane and Georgia State." --This about sums it up
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And you wonder why the Cuse is hovering with the likes of BC and WF in the ACC.
 
Very impressive article. Lot to get excited about there. How could you want it to go any other way.

I generally favor the kid in recruiting vs. coaches. But this situation is just a fact of life. Any kid has to know that when you commit to a hot seat coach like Shafer, this is a possibility. I wouldn't consider this pulling the rug out from anyone. I can certainly understand disappointment, but this is just an unfortunate thing that happens. There's literally no way Babers can hold on to a bunch of kids that Shafer reached for and/or don't fit the system that's being run. Maybe in the day of unlimited scholarships, but that's just not realistic in any way shape or form today.
 
GoSU96 said:
That was a very favorable article.
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Entirely fair article. My only complaint is that he should have waited for Signing Day before publishing it.

I'll admit it. I believe in jinxes.
 
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