Sorry...I might LOVE to refute everyone's posts.
But, face it...there are dozens of you and one of me...I don't have that much time.
So, yes, I pick and choose what to answer.
Sorry if any of you feel slighted in that regard
And, yes, I do repeat my points from time to time. As we all do. Mostly because many of you repeat those same themes after they've been answered.
Let's add one here, since it's been asked again--and I haven't previously addressed it.
Someone asked "Why UCLA and not Fresno State or San Jose State, etc.?
Seriously? Why hadn't any of you decided to attend IUPUI or Ball State rather than Notre Dame? The kid obviously doesn't just want to be or need to be closer to home, he also wants a top notch education and a big time Football program. How many UCLA alums are playing in the NFL? How many from San Jose State? And, if Football doesn't turn out to be his future, are you aware of the relative value of a degree from UCLA versus a degree from San Jose or Fresno?
Why not Cal? Their program is a mess right now.
Why not Stanford? They didn't recruit him out of high school.
Of the schools Eddie had as his finalists--the ones that had recruitied him the hardest, that offered him scholarships, UCLA was the one closest to home. And, again, it is a mere CHEAP one-hour plane ride.
There you go, some new material. I hadn't addressed it before because it really should have been obvious.
Someone else brought up that you roster plan for 85 scholarship slots and four years--as why each individual case is important. And that you spend a lot of money recruiting the player.
Okay, but, lots of players that you plan on being there don't show up--for a great many reasons: Academic casualties, injuries, rules violations. All sorts of variables you can't and don't plan for. If it were only that simple that you planned for 85 slots and knew all 85 would show up day one and stay four full years. Doesn't happen. Not at Notre Dame. Not at UCLA. No place. As to spending all that money on recruiting: Notre Dame, UCLA, everyone spends all that money on EVERY recruit they go after--both the ones they sign AND the ones they don't sign. Notre Dame's cost vis-a-vis Eddie would have been the same whether he signed with Notre Dame as it would have been had he signed with UCLA or Alabama or USC. By LOI day, you've spent that kind of money on maybe 50 recruits and signed only 20-25 of them.
Do I listen to what you're saying? Of course I do. I have read this entire thread (and others on your board). I do understand what you are thinking. Hey, my emotional reaction to the same thing, had it happened with a UCLA recruit would likely have been similar. I would like to think that, logically, I could be a voice of reason, but, emotionally, I would also be p*ssed off in similar fashion. I actually enjoy reading the reasonable, logical posts--even those whose points of view I disagree with. Can't say I'm thrilled with the posters who only want to insult my abilities as an attorney (though I laugh more than take any personal affront since I know they have zero idea as to my practice or qualifications. I could post my resume, but, hey, there SHOULD be a bit of privacy here). Luckily, there are enough of you with some desire to actually consider the situation that make it acceptable to deal with the jerks as well.
Again, I didn't come here to be a jerk...or to rub anything in anyone's faces. I DID expect to present a different view on the matter...and to spur some intelligent and lively dialogue (and, thankfully, there's a little of the intelligent sort...and definitely the lively sort!). I originally came to lurk a bit--to see if there was any different information to be found here than on, say, the UCLA boards. In my book, you can always stay with your own message boards and get a decidedly one-sided view on any subject. You can visit rivals' boards and see their viewpoint...and often pick up tidbits of information that add to your own understanding or beliefs. I only started posting here because I thought SOME of you might be interested in hearing a little of the other side. I certainly didn't come here to take abuse (recalling the old Groucho Marx response to that line: "I didn't come here to take this abuse!" "Well, where do you usually go?") or to try to rile anyone up.
Interestingly, one thing that has come up elsewhere on this topic that hasn't been touched upon here is the timeline on all of this. The NCAA's appeal process has a 30 day timeline from the filing of the appeal to the required answer by the institution involved. Notre Dame got in just under the timeline with its answer on May 22. The NCAA has 30 days from that date within which to rule--but, in practice, has most often beaten that deadline. So, no matter what, w'ell know something fairly (though not entirely) conclusive soon. As was noted, Notre Dame's Summer School begins shortly after that--though I think that is moot...that Eddie does not intend on enrolling in Summer School at Notre Dame. But, it does look like we will actually know a bit more ahead of that date.
I think, as all of this winds down, I will likely be more correct than some of you wish to admit.
