5 Star Recruit, 5 Star PR Problems

This past week, I was asked to answer a simple question in my Social Media course at GW. The question: what is social media? Among some of the answers offered by myself and my classmates, one posted by Michelle Edelman stood out in particular. "Social media gives voice to everyone with access to the internet. This allows us to gain exposure to an abundance of information but also gives those, with not such great things to say, a voice as well." It is the last part of that answer that has stuck with me. We all have that friend who posts things online that should never see the light of day, things that would make any parent or potential future employer squirm in their chairs. Thankfully, these messages are usually limited to the few amount of followers or friends they have online. However, there are a select few who are graced with not only a large online audience, but a lack of a filter as well. Prime example of this group: college football players.

Don't post that photo from Friday night!

Now, I am not saying that all college football players are dangerous on social media. I am currently friends with a number of college athletes via Facebook and Twitter and have never seen a truly cringe worthy post. However, when it comes to social media gaffs, it seems that a few rotten apples (in this case, young men who are oblivious to how their words and actions will affect others) have spoiled social media for the group as a whole. Even worse, when these gems catch the eye of a reader, 11 times out a 10, the post will end up making its way into a sports news report in front of a national audience. 

Here is a recent example: Jayru Campbell is a 4-star recruit who had recently received a scholarship to play at Michigan State next year. Michigan State is coming off one of its best seasons in school history, going 13-1 and winning the Rose Bowl. With that success comes intense media focus on the team, including its new recruits. So, when a video of Jayru throwing a school security officer to the floor surfaced earlier this week, the video quickly went viral and made its way onto national newswires. For all we know, this could have been sparked by a set of freak circumstances and we may not be able to see all sides of the story. Maybe Jayru is not completely at fault for the incident. Regardless, in the eyes of the viewers, Jayru comes off as a unstable, emotional young man, one who may not be able to handle all of the pressures of being a starting quarterback and leader of a prominent football program.  Comments across the Internet call for Michigan State to revoke Jayru's scholarship. Just goes to show you how quickly one post online, even if you are not the one who posted, can ruin a life. 

Unfortunately, Jayru is not the only one who has generated a bad image for himself via social media. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Johnny Manziel has made himself "the bad boy of college football" with his off field antics. Photos of Manziel at a Texas fraternity party or drinking at the bar with his mom have been mercilessly dissected on national news programs including ESPN. While this may look like harmless college fun to some, others have taken note of Manziel's actions. There are some executives in the NFL that have some reservations about adding Manziel to their team this year due in large part to his off field issues. Regardless of his talent, Manziel can't outrun, out pass, or out perform his negative social media image.

So what can we do to help these young men clean up their social media lives? Do we limit their social media use, potentially banning it altogether? While that has been done by other teams, it does seem a little bit Orwellian. One remedy is the growing trend of introducing a "Process" into the lifestyle of the team, one that holds the players accountable for their actions with a zero-tolerance party. It seems that new Texas coach Charlie Strong has begun to install his own version of the Process into the Texas football community. Included in this new vision for the Longhorns includes a list of rules and expectations for all of the players. Included are rules forcing the players to live in athletic dorms, stricter requirements on class participation, and a stronger policy against drugs and alcohol. All of this comes with a zero-tolerance policy. The goal of this program is to not only bring the focus of the team back on playing and winning football games, but to also make the players more well rounded individuals. I can only imagine that as part of this new code of conduct, the social media presence of each player is a keystone issue that needs to be addressed. I am excited to see how well this program functions, both on and offline. I believe that Coach Strong has the ability to bring a well rounded and winning football team to Texas, one that makes noise on the field, but remains silent off the field. 

Like I said, not all college football players have this problem with social media. Unfortunately, it is the vocal minority that becomes the face of the majority. So, regardless of whether you are an athlete or just a spectator like myself, be mindful of what you post. And please, don't post those pictures of me taking down the school security officer. I can't afford to let the NFL scouts see that. 

Goodbye NFL dreams

A Little College Football In-between Playoff Games

Sorry for the long delay between posts, real life has gotten in the way of me posting my offseason football thoughts here. Even though it was only Syllabus Week, aka: the spring break of the classes, I have been swamped with both classwork and work for my new internship. Here I was thinking that second semester of senior year was supposed to be easy....


Well, enough about my life struggles, lets move back onto the field for college football news. I guess I chose the right week to take some time away from here, as there was very little news to report this week. In fact, the only real story in the world of college football left me with more questions than answers. The first question:

1) Who the hell is James Franklin?

A face to a name

After the departure of Bill O'Brien, Penn State tapped Franklin to lead a team that is still attempting to rebuild itself in the post-Paterno era. While O'Brien did lead the team to a 15-9 record over his two year span, there are still a good of amount of rebuilding to be done. This is where James Franklin steps in. After stints at Vanderbilt and Maryland, Franklin steps in to lead a Nittany Lions team that is eager to leave the past behind. The only thing is: no one outside of the SEC really knew Franklin's name prior to his nomination, myself included. This lead me to my second question:

2) How is he qualified to lead this Nittany Lions team?

It is interesting to see such a high profile program hire such a seemingly under the radar coach. They must have had a good reason to look his way. After a quick trip to ESPN, I found two good reasons for Franklin's hire. First, he is a proven winner. In his 3 seasons with Vanderbilt, his teams went a combined 24-15. What makes that stat line even more impressive is that these wins came in the powerhouse that is the SEC. An 11-13 conference record sounds less than fabulous, but when you have to play teams like Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and South Carolina every single year, it makes sense that your win percentage may be a bit low. This year, Franklin inherits a team that was 2nd and 3rd in the Big 10 over the past two years respectively, meaning that he now has a chance. In addition to his ability to win, Franklin is a world-class recruiter. As an assistant coach at Maryland, Franklin was given control of the recruiting process for the entire team. He had the ability to get recruits away from the bigger schools in the SEC and bring them to Vandy during his tenure. His strength in getting young men to buy into his style and the program will be of immense value to Penn State, as the program will still be missing some scholarships as part of the NCAA punishments two years ago. Each recruit becomes that much more valuable and Franklin will have his work cut out for him. With two questions down, the only question I have left in regards to this story is:

3) Is Franklin the right fit?

This one is tricky. While Franklin can win and recruits well, he is not without his fair share of controversy. During his time at Vanderbilt, there were some off field  legal issues regarding his players, including to five players being charged with rape last year. While they were dismissed from the team and Franklin was never connected, he was the head coach at the time and has a responsibility to the program to bring in the right kind of people to represent the program and to hold them to a certain standard. This is incredibly important at a school like Penn State, where the program still lives in the shadows of controversy. If Franklin can't control his players, his tenure will be short.

Overall, I don't see Franklin as the future of Penn State. I feel that he will only last three seasons, with at least one major controversy taking place in his time there.

Thanks again for the read. I promise to be better about posting in a more timely manner (aka not a week after the story was first announced). Special shoutout to my new readers from my #SMPASocial class at GWU. Go Colonials!

Happy "Rebecca Black" Day #1

Welcome to the first edition of Rebecca Black Day, a tradition I am "borrowing" from my previous internship with D.C. United. Nothing makes you feel more alive than listening to a wonderful rendition of her timeless classic when you first wake up on the last day of the work week (read: I just flew in on a red-eye flight from SF and am rather delirious at the moment). To start it off, we are going to go with the original, in all of its glory!

Hmm, why did I suddenly just lose a few readers?

Now that we are ready to either a) get down on Friday or b) find a remedy for the ringing in your ears, it's time to move onto the news coming out of college football this week. Three major stories broke in the days following the end of the BCS (and SEC domination) Era. Our first story takes us down to the heart of Texas, in College Station where....

1) Johnny Manziel announced that he would enter the NFL Draft

In a move that was shocking to absolutely no one, Johnny Football declared that he was done with the whole "college thing" at Texas A&M and was taking his talents down to South Beach the Radio City Music Hall for April's draft. This move comes as no surprise given his off season tensions with the city and the fact that he is consistently ranked as the #2 Quarterback in the draft and slated to go in the Top 10 picks. Guess that means his side market autograph days are truly over now that he will be swimming in money.

What he will be doing as he walks up to the podium

So, what does this mean for college football? Well besides his almost infinite off field antics, Manziel leaves behind a legacy as one of the most entertaining players to watch on the field. Over 7,800 passing yards, 93 combined touchdowns, and and average Adjusted QBR of 88.4. Oh and just a few important awards like the Heisman. His plays will run as highlights on SportsCenter for years. Congrats on your decision, Johnny. The NFL just got an upgrade. I feel for the young Quarterback who has to fill his shoes next year (although he looks like he will fit right in). Speaking off filling shoes in Texas, the new coach of the University of Texas is....

2) Charlie Strong

The search for Mack Brown's replacement is over! And Charlie Strong is just the man to turn the program around. Although "turn around" is a bit of exaggeration. Last year, the Longhorns went 8-5, including an Alamo Bowl lose to a high powered and vastly superior Oregon team. However, for the Longhorns and their fans, its is BCS or bust (well, for next year its College Football Playoffs or bust).  In addition, they are losing the recruiting battle in the state of Texas to A&M and TCU, a battle that the University of Texas has always dominated. This is where Charlie Strong come in.

Already in good form with the hand signal

Strong has a proven track record of taking programs from .500 to winning conferences in a short span. When he took over the reigns at Louisville in 2010, he took a team that had been 4-8 in the previous year to 7-6 and a bowl victory. He went out and actively recruited players to come build his program into a national contender at a school known more for its basketball program. With the help of a couple key signings (looking at you Teddy Bridgewater), Strong was able to build up his initial success with an 11-2 and Sugar Bowl winning 2012 season and a 12-1 record this past season. In his four years at Louisville, Strong was 37-15, with a winning record in each season. Even more impressive was the fact that during his tenure, there was an absence of off field issues with his players (the exact opposite Manziel). With his ability to win early, recruit well, and hold his players to a higher standard, Strong is the perfect fit for a young Texas team looking to reclaim the glory days of 2005. Speaking of glory days, the AD of Louisville was probably feeling a bit blue and nostalgic following Strong's departure, so he decided to bring in....

3) Bobby Petrino

You may be asking yourself, "Wait, Bobby Petrino is still coaching college football?" Trust me, this was the first thought that popped into my head when Louisville announced that Petrino would be returning to coach the team. Most people these days seem to forget that Petrino coached the Louisville team from 2003-2006, where he went 41-9 during his first tenure, giving him the best winning percentage of any coaching in Louisville football history. Similar to Strong, he led his team to both and 11 and 12 win season as well as an Orange Bowl victory before heading to the NFL to coach the Falcons. Unfortunately, Petrino is known more for his final days at Arkansas, where he was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident which revealed is extramarital affair with a female staffer. This discovery led the university to fire Petrino, who then went on to coach a forgettable season at Western Kentucky University, going 8-4 and missing out on a bowl game bid.

Hopefully people will remember this Petrino when he begins coaching

So, where does this leave Louisville after they brought Petrino back as their coach? All bad PR aside, they bring back a coach who has not only had a great deal of success, both at Louisville and elsewhere, but a man who has been humbled by his mistakes. Yes, there will be some initial recruiting backlash, as prospects will begin to move away from the program. However, that issue will remedy itself after Petrino leads the Cardinals to another set of successful seasons. For know, Louisville and Petrino must focus their efforts on a young squad who lost Teddy Bridgewater to the draft, a daunting task on its own.

That wraps it up for the major college football news of this week. I'll be taking the weekend off to enjoy my first week back in D.C. (read: sleep the entire weekend as my internal clock is so messed up, I don't even know what year it is). I'll be back on Monday with any breaking news and remember: Don't Rebecca Blackout too hard this weekend.

I'm with ya there Robin

College Football Viewing Guide

Since it is a bit hard to tailgate for a team that doesn't exist, I present to you the step by step guide to spending your Saturday in front of the TV watching college football.

Step 1) Wake up with a pounding headache, the terrible result of a rowdy Friday night.

Step 2) Create a mental pros/cons list of staying in bed all day for a lazy Saturday.

Step 3) Spend the next 15 minutes building up the will to exit the comfort and security of your bed.

Step 4) Slowly roll out of bed, the exact opposite of the band-aid method.

Step 5) Struggle to get your legs into both legs of your sweatpants.

Step 6) Breathe a sigh of relief as you see the "care package" your alter ego left you on kitchen counter: a bottle of Blue PowerAde, Advil, and your coffee mug waiting to be filled with black gold that you programmed to be brewed an hour before you got up. Also remember to thank your alter ego.

Step 7) Bring care package contents over to couch and begin self medication of coffee and PowerAde (repeat as needed).

Step 8) Grab the remote and turn on the TV, making sure to turn up the volume for your sleeping roommates.

Steps 9) Change the channel to ESPN just in time to see Lee Corso put on his headgear.

Step 10) Hmmm, didn't see that choice coming Lee.

Step 11) Begin channel surfing between the different games as you have access to only so many (and lets be honest, some of these early games aren't gems).

Step 12) Go back to your room to grab your laptop to begin the streaming of games that you can't find on your basic cable package (read: ANY. PAC 12. GAME).

Step 13) Realize that two screens is not nearly enough and as a result return to your room to turn on your Xbox to stream another game.

Step 14) Begin ordering Chinese food because you realize that you haven't had a substantial meal in nearly 24 hours (hooray college diets).

Step 15) Begin loudly reacting to each decision made on the field until your roommates are up.

Step 16) As the first round of games ends, you hear the glorious knock on the door signifying that your orange chicken has arrived.

Step 17) Discuss the merits of your Fantasy College Football idea (seriously, it would be fantastic and a great way to get more people to watch more games....just saying).

Step 18) Continue to rotate your attention between the three screens that you have playing college football as the day continues.

Step 19) Decide that the halftime show is the perfect time to bathe.

Step 20) Comment on the amazingly creative names of the players on the teams (looking at you Cincinnati Bearcats).

Step 21) Repeat Step 18 until all college football games have ended.

Step 22) Discuss the plays of the day with your roommates as if you were on SportsCenter.

Step 23) Realize that bed sounds like a fantastic idea and begin to crawl back into bed.

Step 24) Just as you are about to fall asleep, you realize that you have yet to set your Fantasy Football lineup (well, I guess sleep can wait).

What do you mean we don't have a football team?

There are many things that I love about GW. The classes that I have taken are great, where class projects that I have worked on have actually landed me jobs. The friends that I have made here will be a large part of my life well after I graduate. And who could ever complain about living in D.C.? All college ranking jokes aside, GW has a lot going for it and I have a lot to be thankful for.

However, there was always something that bugged me when I set foot on campus. It felt as if something was missing, that something seemed out of place. I first attributed this to our campus' lack of anything close to a shade of green save U Yard and that patch of grass behind South Hall. Maybe the lack of oxygen given off by the 4 trees on our campus was finally getting to me? After careful thought, I realized this emptiness was much deeper than the shallow, dead roots of the grass around Foggy Bottom. I realized that GW was missing a key ingredient of the college experience.

Foreign countries don't count as GW green space

We were missing a college football team.

Arguably the most visible (and largest revenue producing) facet of college life, the one most cliched in every college movie ever made, was absent from GW.

My mind began to race. What is a college without a Saturday morning filled with drunken co-eds, helmet-to-helmet contact, and ridiculous traditions? How could I have overlooked such a glaring fact in all of my college reference books? Who can I blame for such an egregious offense?

After an extensive Internet search (read: 5 minutes on wikipedia), I discovered to my dismay that at one time, GW did have a football team. Back in the 1960's. A combination of low attendance, lack of an on campus stadium, and lack of wins (6-20 over 3 years is still better than Kansas, just saying) led to the decision to terminate the football program in January of 1967. In a related side note, the termination of the football program allowed the university to focus its attention on the men's basketball program and pump in money to build a new field house.

Extra points for the Coach wearing a bowler cap

Thanks a lot basketball! Ruining all of our fun with your flopping and 3 point shots. It is however much harder to be mad at them now that they are actually winning games (congrats on the 12-2 boys).

So what is a man supposed to do when the thing he wants most is taken from him? Wallow in self-pity? Angrily destroy half of his belongings in a frenzied rage? Drink himself into a stupor until he can't even remember what a football looks like? A healthy combo of all three?

I don't want your football-less life, GW!

No, in a situation like this, a man must take back what is rightfully his. And I did just that...by parking my ass on the nearest couch every Saturday morning to watch all the games that I can't actually attend. If I can't be a part of the drunken co-ed tailgating experience here at GW, I'll do the next best thing and watch other people actively participate on TV. Since I don't have a team to watch, I'll just have to watch everybody else's.

This is where this blog comes into play. Since I am a highly opinionated and vocal person, this blog will be my voice after  I lose mine shouting at the QB for making the wrong read during the option and turning a 5 yard gain into a 3 yard loss. However, since the college football season ended two days ago with FSU beating Auburn 34-31 in the BCS National Championship, my focus will now turn to commenting on the off season moves of each team. That means all coaching changes, transfers, recruiting classes, draft announcements, spring practices, tweets, and endless reruns of this season highlights. Well maybe not all bits of news (sorry Kansas, you are going to have to do a lot better to impress me).

THE DEFENSIVE END STAYED HOME! HAND IT OFF!

Welcome to the show everyone. It's a one man tailgate, but it is sure to get rowdy.

And remember: Go Colonials Football! Undefeated since 1966.