here's what McNabb said and what she said...

[BillSU]

first, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

For those who don't know, the following is a response to Axe's article today in which he poses the question I wonder what Donovan said to Vick's mom? Here it is and far more important what she said to him.

In the immediacy of the moment, McNabb seriously considered Florida State, but Tallahassee was just too far away from Chicago. Instead he choose to play both football and, for a time, basketball at Syracuse.
Ironically, “distance” would also come into play a few years later when McNabb himself was a recruiter at Syracuse and hosting Vick, who Syracuse hoped would be his heir-apparent at quarterback.
Like McNabb’s run-in with Ward, Vick grew up idolizing McNabb, and like Bowden in Tallahassee, the Syracuse coaching staff made no secret about wanting him. Scouts had Ronald Curry as the top player in Virginia that year. Syracuse’s coaching staff thought otherwise.
“Our coordinator told me personally, ‘He’s the best quarterback in Virginia,” McNabb explained. “This is the guy. We’ve got to have him. I’m like, ‘All right coach, I’ve got this.’”
For most of the weekend, McNabb did have it. Right before Vick was set to head home, he was ready to commit to the Orange.
McNabb just had to convince one more person.
“He’s like ‘Man, I want to come here,” McNabb said, describing a starry-eyed Vick. “But you’ve got to talk to my mom.’”
No problem, right?
“I get on the phone with his mom,” McNabb said. “She says, ‘You know, he talks about you all the time. I’m glad you guys got together. I really want him to make the best decision.’”
The problem: She didn’t make it clear whose decision it ultimately was.
“I really want him to stay in Virginia,” Vick’s mother, Brenda, said.
Unperturbed, McNabb went into sales mode.
“If he comes here, he’ll get a great education, we’ll win and it’s not far from you guys,” McNabb told her. “We’re like a family.”
Vick’s mother didn’t budge.
“We’ll see,” she told McNabb. “But I really want him to stay in Virginia.”
And it was at that point McNabb realized sometimes mama really does know best — even if her son hoped for something different.
“He was right next to me,” McNabb said of an eager Vick. “He’s asking me, ‘What’s she saying? What’s she saying?’”
She was saying her boy was staying close to home, a decision that obviously worked out fine for Vick. He went to Virginia Tech, where the school went 22-2 in his two years as a starter, and played for the 1999 BCS title.

 

[baggerbob]

first, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

For those who don't know, the following is a response to Axe's article today in which he poses the question I wonder what Donovan said to Vick's mom? Here it is and far more important what she said to him.

In the immediacy of the moment, McNabb seriously considered Florida State, but Tallahassee was just too far away from Chicago. Instead he choose to play both football and, for a time, basketball at Syracuse.
Ironically, “distance” would also come into play a few years later when McNabb himself was a recruiter at Syracuse and hosting Vick, who Syracuse hoped would be his heir-apparent at quarterback.
Like McNabb’s run-in with Ward, Vick grew up idolizing McNabb, and like Bowden in Tallahassee, the Syracuse coaching staff made no secret about wanting him. Scouts had Ronald Curry as the top player in Virginia that year. Syracuse’s coaching staff thought otherwise.
“Our coordinator told me personally, ‘He’s the best quarterback in Virginia,” McNabb explained. “This is the guy. We’ve got to have him. I’m like, ‘All right coach, I’ve got this.’”
For most of the weekend, McNabb did have it. Right before Vick was set to head home, he was ready to commit to the Orange.
McNabb just had to convince one more person.
“He’s like ‘Man, I want to come here,” McNabb said, describing a starry-eyed Vick. “But you’ve got to talk to my mom.’”
No problem, right?
“I get on the phone with his mom,” McNabb said. “She says, ‘You know, he talks about you all the time. I’m glad you guys got together. I really want him to make the best decision.’”
The problem: She didn’t make it clear whose decision it ultimately was.
“I really want him to stay in Virginia,” Vick’s mother, Brenda, said.
Unperturbed, McNabb went into sales mode.
“If he comes here, he’ll get a great education, we’ll win and it’s not far from you guys,” McNabb told her. “We’re like a family.”
Vick’s mother didn’t budge.
“We’ll see,” she told McNabb. “But I really want him to stay in Virginia.”
And it was at that point McNabb realized sometimes mama really does know best — even if her son hoped for something different.
“He was right next to me,” McNabb said of an eager Vick. “He’s asking me, ‘What’s she saying? What’s she saying?’”
She was saying her boy was staying close to home, a decision that obviously worked out fine for Vick. He went to Virginia Tech, where the school went 22-2 in his two years as a starter, and played for the 1999 BCS title.

And that's why he ended up in trouble, his mother was wrong. He needed to get away from his home boys, and here he would have.

 

[OrangePA]

Watching Vick in the Dome every week would have been great.

 

[OrangePA]

And that's why he ended up in trouble, his mother was wrong. He needed to get away from his home boys, and here he would have.

He should have come to Syracuse University.

 

[longtimefan]

And that's why he ended up in trouble, his mother was wrong. He needed to get away from his home boys, and here he would have.

We'll never know, but getting away from his boys and the dog-fighting culture might have made a positive difference in his life.

 

[PhatOrange]

She wanted him to stay in Virginia so she and the high school coach could split a big bag.

 

[corpjet]

oh what could have been....

 

[JoeSU]

I seem to recall that at the time of Vick's commitment, it was said that he didn't come to Syracuse because he didn't always want to be compared with McNabb. Maybe that was just a cover story to avoid having to appear to be a momma's boy.

 

[McNabb2Brominski]

So sounds like Mike Vick’s mom is responsible for the demise of Syracuse football over the past 15 years or so. If not for Vick’s mom, Vick comes to Cuse, P doesn’t get fired in ‘04, Grob doesn’t get hired, the program doesn’t suffer the subsequent embarrassment/setback.

 

[sufandu]

Maybe it worked out fine. Does he run with the same people and end up part of a dog fighting ring if he goes to SU, or some other school for that matter? Who knows, but sometimes a change of scenery and different friend groups can lead you in a different direction.

There's more to life than college/pro sports success.

 

[skurey]

So sounds like Mike Vick’s mom is responsible for the demise of Syracuse football over the past 15 years or so. If not for Vick’s mom, Vick comes to Cuse, P doesn’t get fired in ‘04, Grob doesn’t get hired, the program doesn’t suffer the subsequent embarrassment/setback.

If not for Vick's mom Syracuse is the modern Alabama.

 

[djorange1989]

Vick and Ray Rice. Maybe not getting them isn’t too bad in retrospect.

 

[Toga]

She wanted him to stay in Virginia so she and the high school coach could split a big bag.

Yeah I recall the HS coach played a role and not in an above board way.

 

[shu 49]

first, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

For those who don't know, the following is a response to Axe's article today in which he poses the question I wonder what Donovan said to Vick's mom? Here it is and far more important what she said to him.

In the immediacy of the moment, McNabb seriously considered Florida State, but Tallahassee was just too far away from Chicago. Instead he choose to play both football and, for a time, basketball at Syracuse.
Ironically, “distance” would also come into play a few years later when McNabb himself was a recruiter at Syracuse and hosting Vick, who Syracuse hoped would be his heir-apparent at quarterback.
Like McNabb’s run-in with Ward, Vick grew up idolizing McNabb, and like Bowden in Tallahassee, the Syracuse coaching staff made no secret about wanting him. Scouts had Ronald Curry as the top player in Virginia that year. Syracuse’s coaching staff thought otherwise.
“Our coordinator told me personally, ‘He’s the best quarterback in Virginia,” McNabb explained. “This is the guy. We’ve got to have him. I’m like, ‘All right coach, I’ve got this.’”
For most of the weekend, McNabb did have it. Right before Vick was set to head home, he was ready to commit to the Orange.
McNabb just had to convince one more person.
“He’s like ‘Man, I want to come here,” McNabb said, describing a starry-eyed Vick. “But you’ve got to talk to my mom.’”
No problem, right?
“I get on the phone with his mom,” McNabb said. “She says, ‘You know, he talks about you all the time. I’m glad you guys got together. I really want him to make the best decision.’”
The problem: She didn’t make it clear whose decision it ultimately was.
“I really want him to stay in Virginia,” Vick’s mother, Brenda, said.
Unperturbed, McNabb went into sales mode.
“If he comes here, he’ll get a great education, we’ll win and it’s not far from you guys,” McNabb told her. “We’re like a family.”
Vick’s mother didn’t budge.
“We’ll see,” she told McNabb. “But I really want him to stay in Virginia.”
And it was at that point McNabb realized sometimes mama really does know best — even if her son hoped for something different.
“He was right next to me,” McNabb said of an eager Vick. “He’s asking me, ‘What’s she saying? What’s she saying?’”
She was saying her boy was staying close to home, a decision that obviously worked out fine for Vick. He went to Virginia Tech, where the school went 22-2 in his two years as a starter, and played for the 1999 BCS title.

Don’t think we couldn’t have done that though. If he played here who knows where we would be

 

[721Comstock]

Vick and Ray Rice. Maybe not getting them isn’t too bad in retrospect.

Or, it’s a butterfly effect thing, whereby both are positively impacted by a better college experience, and don’t go on to make the huge off-field mistakes they made in this timeline.

Getting Vick away from bad influences @ home, and Rice a real education, may have been enough to move the needle to avoid those future misdeeds.

Even IF we didn’t get Vick, but didn’t can P, we’d have gotten Rice, and that may have been enough to get 4 more solid years out of P - which means the GERG Error never happens.

Now, where’s a souped-up Delorean when you need one?

 

[Cusefan78]

All these what ifs are all a fantasy. Sure we would have won for a few more years but you have to remember crouthammel And the bot was still in charge and that means the facilities would still have fallen behind and there in lies the issues. As Dino’s recruiting it proving no one can recruit at a high level until Syracuse seriously invests in the team. A real locker room, player dorms, invest more into the ipf... we can bring in urban Meyer and after a year or two his recruiting would fall off here. Losing Vick wasn’t the problem it was and still is Syracuse’s lack of commitment

 

[longtimefan]

All these what ifs are all a fantasy. Sure we would have won for a few more years but you have to remember crouthammel And the bot was still in charge and that means the facilities would still have fallen behind and there in lies the issues. As Dino’s recruiting it proving no one can recruit at a high level until Syracuse seriously invests in the team. A real locker room, player dorms, invest more into the ipf... we can bring in urban Meyer and after a year or two his recruiting would fall off here. Losing Vick wasn’t the problem it was and still is Syracuse’s lack of commitment

As a football program, SU is not, and never will be, Clemson.

 

[SU2NASA]

So sounds like Mike Vick’s mom is responsible for the demise of Syracuse football over the past 15 years or so. If not for Vick’s mom, Vick comes to Cuse, P doesn’t get fired in ‘04, Grob doesn’t get hired, the program doesn’t suffer the subsequent embarrassment/setback.

And Rutgers likely doesn’t get its lone notable win in its entire history.

At least they’d still have that 50-man game of soccer 150 years ago.

 

[Cusefan78]

No one is saying to spend like Clemson but you need to have Competitive facilities with pier schools

As a football program, SU is not, and never will be, Clemson.

 

[RoysRunts]

As a football program, SU is not, and never will be, Clemson.

Huh! Your Kidding Right? Take Dabo out and Clemson is back to mediocre

 

[SURules]

If not for Vick's mom Syracuse is the modern Alabama.

And VT isn’t relevant.

 

[Day2]

Or, it’s a butterfly effect thing, whereby both are positively impacted by a better college experience, and don’t go on to make the huge off-field mistakes they made in this timeline.

Getting Vick away from bad influences @ home, and Rice a real education, may have been enough to move the needle to avoid those future misdeeds.

Worked out great for Marvin Harrison.

 

[orangenauburn]

Worked out great for Marvin Harrison.

Well. He went back home.

He reinvested in his community, and laid the law down the way he knew how when he felt threatened.

Not saying he is right. Just saying his transgressions happened many years after his time on the hill.

 

[cuse10]

She wanted him to stay in Virginia so she and the high school coach could split a big bag.

Don't forget the Governor of Virginia getting involved. One of the wilder high school recruitments you'll ever see. It changed Va Tech and would have continued SUs upward trajectory. Some blame the Daily Orange for Vick staying home.

 

[longtimefan]

Huh! Your Kidding Right? Take Dabo out and Clemson is back to mediocre

Bull. Clemson is an SEC program playing in the ACC. Remember the thread about the support staff--asst. coaches, training staff, GA's,etc--that they brought to the Dome. They are Big Time. They may take a half step back if Swinney leaves in the next 10 years and they screw up the next hire.