Well, this is as good a place as any:
Matt Patchan's has found that "Medical Redshirt"/SIXTH-year-of-eligibility deal that he'll use immediately, to either "follow Urban Meyer to Ohio State" or (get this) join Addazio at Boston College...You gotta know Meyer, "Mr. Honor and Loyalty", won't "waste space on a crip" unless (1) he has PLENTY of room AND there's some advantageous angle he's been apprised of, or (2) has strong reassurance that Patchan is in magically good health--whereas The Dive Master and BC are likely willing and desperate (I mean, they hired The Dazzler, fer cryin' out loud!) enough to take ANY chance to get their hands on even perennial damaged goods that at least ONCE was "coveted 4-star-material"...
Let me get this straight: We patiently stand by this kid thru thick and thin--almost entirely "THIN"--for FIVE YEARS, keep renewing his scholarship through it all, and at the first sign of a crack-in-the-dark-clouds, wherein he is finally healthy AND the NCAA grants him an extra, or SIXTH "medical-year" of eligibility, and he immediately skips out on us?!! The only reason I think he MIGHT in fact be heading for tOSU is that this has the odor and greasy fingerprints of the sleazy, practiced and well-rationalized "reverse-loyalty" and zero-honor of an Urban Meyer-move all OVER it...Meanwhile, the idea that his fall-back position is Boston College, under the circumstances makes you wonder if part of his medical history involves too many big hits-to-the-head.
You can bet our Head Coach's view of these issues played a large part in us letting him go quietly and unfettered now. We've managed without him, and I am SURE that our plans along the OL already assumed that Patchan, one way or another (ie. whether he were granted such a special dispensation or NOT--one that our doctors, trainers and coaches helped him apply for, supporting and guiding him through the process, btw: that's the behind-the-scenes-word from Athletic Dept. mutterings), was unlikely to be counted on in any event--BUT still: even if no honor, no loyalty, and no judgment count as great reasons for not WANTING him, it remains one more slap-in-the-face. Do WE stand by the NEXT one who may be taking-what-he-can-get, until he thinks he's gotten all he could and that someone else can offer him more?
I hope so: at least as long as "the next one" doesn't have such close ties to a previous regime whom we by then KNOW are slime...Because that is who and what we are dealing with here--as opposed to the kind of determined, hard-driving kid who keeps working and staying upbeat and a good-teammate through-it-all, and DESERVES "one more chance"--with the team and program he loves, and who stood by HIM. These folks, on-the-other-hand all deserve each other: WE just need to be a little more careful about subsidizing their growth. Evidently, after our experience with The Liar in those last months and weeks of HIS tenure here, we should have more carefully sterilized our environment before now.
Matt Patchan's has found that "Medical Redshirt"/SIXTH-year-of-eligibility deal that he'll use immediately, to either "follow Urban Meyer to Ohio State" or (get this) join Addazio at Boston College...You gotta know Meyer, "Mr. Honor and Loyalty", won't "waste space on a crip" unless (1) he has PLENTY of room AND there's some advantageous angle he's been apprised of, or (2) has strong reassurance that Patchan is in magically good health--whereas The Dive Master and BC are likely willing and desperate (I mean, they hired The Dazzler, fer cryin' out loud!) enough to take ANY chance to get their hands on even perennial damaged goods that at least ONCE was "coveted 4-star-material"...
Let me get this straight: We patiently stand by this kid thru thick and thin--almost entirely "THIN"--for FIVE YEARS, keep renewing his scholarship through it all, and at the first sign of a crack-in-the-dark-clouds, wherein he is finally healthy AND the NCAA grants him an extra, or SIXTH "medical-year" of eligibility, and he immediately skips out on us?!! The only reason I think he MIGHT in fact be heading for tOSU is that this has the odor and greasy fingerprints of the sleazy, practiced and well-rationalized "reverse-loyalty" and zero-honor of an Urban Meyer-move all OVER it...Meanwhile, the idea that his fall-back position is Boston College, under the circumstances makes you wonder if part of his medical history involves too many big hits-to-the-head.
You can bet our Head Coach's view of these issues played a large part in us letting him go quietly and unfettered now. We've managed without him, and I am SURE that our plans along the OL already assumed that Patchan, one way or another (ie. whether he were granted such a special dispensation or NOT--one that our doctors, trainers and coaches helped him apply for, supporting and guiding him through the process, btw: that's the behind-the-scenes-word from Athletic Dept. mutterings), was unlikely to be counted on in any event--BUT still: even if no honor, no loyalty, and no judgment count as great reasons for not WANTING him, it remains one more slap-in-the-face. Do WE stand by the NEXT one who may be taking-what-he-can-get, until he thinks he's gotten all he could and that someone else can offer him more?
I hope so: at least as long as "the next one" doesn't have such close ties to a previous regime whom we by then KNOW are slime...Because that is who and what we are dealing with here--as opposed to the kind of determined, hard-driving kid who keeps working and staying upbeat and a good-teammate through-it-all, and DESERVES "one more chance"--with the team and program he loves, and who stood by HIM. These folks, on-the-other-hand all deserve each other: WE just need to be a little more careful about subsidizing their growth. Evidently, after our experience with The Liar in those last months and weeks of HIS tenure here, we should have more carefully sterilized our environment before now.