Mass 247 Cancellation Movement

[zelezo vlk]

Our fanbase is huge and there are a lot of ND 247 users. To effectively be blacklisted by possibly the biggest fanbase in the country would be, at a minimum, quite concerning for a company that makes their money on clicks.

Just this site alone, drives a massive amount of traffic to their site. Every recruiting profile has multiple links directly to their site. Their reputation is everything and the moment fanbases don't see them as credible, they start crumbling (see Scout).

No one expects this to kill 247, but there is no doubt that it should make them look into Hopkins.

And maybe Loy too. Rationale: if ND had a reporter that the fans love, they may have been inclined to stay.

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[Rocket89]

Rocket, you are missing the whole point.

Hopkins is supposed to be a JOURNALIST, not a bag man for the university he covers. He consistently trolls our fanbase and took an active part in getting our COMMITTED player to consider his favorite team.

He broke a lot of the unwritten rules of sports journalism and certainly doesn't understand the ethics around reporting.

I know that you feel like you have some great insight that the rest of us "just aren't getting", but you don't. We have a valid beef with them and you can choose to put your head in the ground. But don't tell us that it's "embarrassing" that we want to be heard on this matter.

Take your own advice and move on from this topic....

No, I'm not missing the point.

You want to act as if Hopkins being a douche equals him breaking "ethics" in the Barnett recruitment. That's a long, long, long bridge to cross and frankly no one has any evidence to bridge those two concepts together.

And since you don't, and act like it's so obvious there is, that's what makes this pity party so embarrassing. I'm not the one with my head in the sand.

 

[woolybug25]

Not trying to start in with you Wooly, but I find these statements to be ironic in light of all the "Loy Debate" we've had around here. I mentioned "ethics" as a reason Loy reported on the first Crawford visit that fell through, and everyone started telling me that covering recruiting is not the same as journalism, and that the "morals" and "ethics" aren't the same.

I'm not defending Hopkins' douchery (because "tampering" goes beyond deciding on the "timing" of when to report something), nor am I trying to bring the Loy thing up again. I'm just highlighting what a clusterfuck this all can be, especially when everyone has at least some tint in their glasses. It's clear that these reporters are disregarding the "unwritten rules" of reporting because they actually don't exist anymore... recruit reporting is the Wild West, and it seems like ND has been on the short end of the stick a lot in this regard.

I don't see the comparison here. I have always said that I don't care for Loy because of his delivery and how he communicates. Not because of shoddy ethics. When did I ever say anything about recruiting coverage not being journalism? I certainly never said that to you.

 

[woolybug25]

No, I'm not missing the point.

You want to act as if Hopkins being a douche equals him breaking "ethics" in the Barnett recruitment. That's a long, long, long bridge to cross and frankly no one has any evidence to bridge those two concepts together.

And since you don't, and act like it's so obvious there is, that's what makes this pity party so embarrassing. I'm not the one with my head in the sand.

Then you don't know much about journalism. Loy is a douche, but he isn't unethical. There is a clear difference that you are trying to melt together.

You also don't seem to know the entire story or timeline of events.

Again... if it's so embarrassing, then pick up your buddy connectthedots and leave the thread. No one is losing any sleep over your lack of participation. I will side with the rest of the long time, more respected posters and keep my clicks away from 247.

Thanks.

 

[IrishLion]

I don't see the comparison here. I have always said that I don't care for Loy because of his delivery and how he communicates. Not because of shoddy ethics. When did I ever say anything about recruiting coverage not being journalism? I certainly never said that to you.

I don't think you did, but several posters mentioned this when you and I debated on the Crawford thing.

My whole point though is that the ethics/morals in both recruiting and now reporting on recruiting have taken a back seat to "what's in my best interest?"

Loy's best interest was to report Crawford's visit first (all of the clicks!)
Hopkins' best interest (for a reason we don't know clearly) was to push the Oregon angle on Barnett

Those are the two big examples recently that have stung ND. Your comments just got me thinking about the whole idea of how shady this all really is. Wasn't trying to debate you.

 

[tussin]

If anything, Loy is reason no2 for the mass cancelation. I don't think anybody is willing to truly defend Loy here.

Elaborate for the noobs on why everyone is tired of Loy.

 

[Rocket89]

Then you don't know much about journalism. Loy is a douche, but he isn't unethical. There is a clear difference that you are trying to melt together.

You also don't seem to know the entire story or timeline of events.

Again... if it's so embarrassing, then pick up your buddy connectthedots and leave the thread. No one is losing any sleep over your lack of participation. I will side with the rest of the long time, more respected posters and keep my clicks away from 247.

Thanks.

This is a perfect response and expected.

I don't know what I'm talking about and don't know the whole story. Sure thing, man.

 

[gkIrish]

There's a difference between someone trying to get clicks through bullshit tweets (Loy) and someone who actively uses his position to affect the recruiting process itself (Hopkins).

Personally while I find Loy's tactics annoying, I don't see them as unethical.

And if you don't see the difference then you should be twice as mad at 247 for employing both Loy and Hopkins.

No more crystal balls/stars, etc. until they address the Hopkins situation.

 

[ShakeDown]

Oh snap, we made a difference.

Loy just made a thread asking people to stay subscribed and basically condemning Hopkins' antics post decommit.

Wiltfong made a comment that alluded to the situation not being brushed under the rug.

 

[rocket66]

Wow guys- Wiltfong just posted on the 247 board that he just realized what everyone was upset about. He originally thought it was just on Hopkins breaking the news, but sees what the issue is now.

"Gentlemen, I thought people were mad at Hopkins for basically breaking the news. I've gone back and looked into it, and it's more about what has happened since, and conduct outside reporting the Barnett story. You can trust it is being handled accordingly and that's all ill say on the matter."

"My apologies for not knowing what ticked you all off".

 

[ab2cmiller]

Oh snap, we made a difference.

Loy just made a thread asking people to stay subscribed and basically condemning Hopkins' antics post decommit.

Let us know when Wiltfong disciplines him.

 

[rocket66]

Seriously, bravo to LAX and the gang for the movement. It has made a difference.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Wow guys- Wiltfong just posted on the 247 board that he just realized what everyone was upset about. He originally thought it was just on Hopkins breaking the news, but sees what the issue is now.

"Gentlemen, I thought people were mad at Hopkins for basically breaking the news. I've gone back and looked into it, and it's more about what has happened since, and conduct outside reporting the Barnett story. You can trust it is being handled accordingly and that's all ill say on the matter."

"My apologies for not knowing what ticked you all off".

I don't think Wiltfong gets it yet. He thinks it's about his behavior on twitter after breaking the story etc.

 

[koonja]

Wow, can't wait to see what comes of it, although I highly doubt he loses his job.

Double pistols to Lax and everyone else who participated.

 

[koonja]

I don't think Wiltfong gets it yet. He thinks it's about his behavior on twitter after breaking the story etc.

Yeah, someone should inform him that it's not just acting cocky afterwards, it's that he actively recruited Barnett to Oregon, which is completely outside of his job, whether it's understandable because he's a fan or not.

 

[gkIrish]

Of course we made a difference. You think 247 is this massive organization that can handle losing say, 100 subscribers, overnight without blinking? Not a chance. I fully expect Hopkins to be suspended at a minimum for this.

 

[Rack Em]

Don't stop now!

Did Rudy quit after he made the football team? No, he busted his ass and saw the field!

Did Charles Bronson quit after he killed his daughter's rapists in Death Wish 3? No, he killed all the muggers!

Did Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman quit after he burned Atlanta? No, he left a path of destruction all the way to the coast!

Did irishog77 quit after he humped his first fat chick? No, that's all he shoots for now!

AND WE WON'T QUIT EITHER!

 

[woolybug25]

This is a perfect response and expected.

I don't know what I'm talking about and don't know the whole story. Sure thing, man.

Yet... you have brought nothing but the same tired comment over and over again.

Looks like 247 agrees with us, and action will be taken, so your argument a) doesn't matter and b) wont make a difference is obviously misguided.

Who looks like an ass now?

 

[NDdomer2]

Wow guys- Wiltfong just posted on the 247 board that he just realized what everyone was upset about. He originally thought it was just on Hopkins breaking the news, but sees what the issue is now.

"Gentlemen, I thought people were mad at Hopkins for basically breaking the news. I've gone back and looked into it, and it's more about what has happened since, and conduct outside reporting the Barnett story. You can trust it is being handled accordingly and that's all ill say on the matter."

"My apologies for not knowing what ticked you all off".

I don't have a dog in the fight but do you really believe something is being done?

If his "antics" were so obvious to outsiders, don't you think his coworkers would have been on to him long before the general public?

Sounds to me like Loy and Wiltfong are the ones taking the damage here and are trying to keep the subscribers while whats his nuts is beating off to his rolled up Barrnett shirt.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Don't stop now!

Did Rudy quit after he made the football team? No, he busted his ass and saw the field!

Did Charles Bronson quit after he killed his daughter's rapists in Death Wish 3? No, he killed all the muggers!

Did Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman quit after he burned Atlanta? No, he left a path of destruction all the way to the coast!

Did irishog77 quit after he humped his first fat chick? No, that's all he shoots for now!

AND WE WON'T QUIT EITHER!

Did the Germans quit after they bombed Pearl Harbor?? Oh wait. Never mind. Super proud of you guys for this movement.

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[IrishLion]

Loy addressed the "recruiting for Oregon" thing in a post and said that he doesn't believe that was the case, and that if Blake is swayed because Hopkins tweets/retweets pro-Oregon stuff, then he's not thinking clearly either way.

I personally think something went down, and Loy/Wiltfong are trying to lessen the blow of lost subscriptions by avoiding the "recruiting for Oregon" thing and focusing on the "douchey antics on Twitter" thing.

 

[Rack Em]

I don't have a dog in the fight but do you really believe something is being done?

If his "antics" were so obvious to outsiders, don't you think his coworkers would have been on to him long before the general public?

Sounds to me like Loy and Wiltfong are the ones taking the damage here and are trying to keep the subscribers while whats his nuts is beating off to his rolled up Barrnett shirt.

But that's the only real way for the ND fanbase to voice its displeasure. Money talks. If Loy and Wiltfong lose enough subscribers, don't you think they'll at least take it to the higher ups? That's really all we can hope for.

 

[koonja]

Don't stop now!

Did Rudy quit after he made the football team? No, he busted his ass and saw the field!

Did Charles Bronson quit after he killed his daughter's rapists in Death Wish 3? No, he killed all the muggers!

Did Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman quit after he burned Atlanta? No, he left a path of destruction all the way to the coast!

Did irishog77 quit after he humped his first fat chick? No, that's all he shoots for now!

AND WE WON'T QUIT EITHER!

Did the Germans quit after they bombed Pearl Harbor?? Oh wait. Never mind. Super proud of you guys for this movement.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Does your dog quit just because you run out of peanut butter!?

Wait, shit.

 

[ab2cmiller]

So right now we have a half apology from a supervisor with a vague assertion that they are handling it and that's the last he's going to comment on it.

uuuuuhhhh yeah

 

[IrishLion]

You guys who are "plugged in" would know more than me... I'm skeptical, thinking Wiltfong and Loy are simply being "company men" in reassuring subscribers that things are being "handled," but really this is gonna be brushed off as "Hopkins, be smarter on Twitter dammit!"

 

[IrishLax]

Of course we made a difference. You think 247 is this massive organization that can handle losing say, 100 subscribers, overnight without blinking? Not a chance. I fully expect Hopkins to be suspended at a minimum for this.

The number is much more than that, too.

 

[Cali_domer]

 

[Rocket89]

I don't think Wiltfong gets it yet. He thinks it's about his behavior on twitter after breaking the story etc.

No he DOES get it. This is the exact point I'm trying to make.

Hopkins has always been a douche. It's no secret. He's been getting crap from ND fans stretching back weeks and months for saying that Oregon was recruiting Barnett very hard and that the Ducks would be a player, etc.

Just so we're clear: Hopkins was hated on, long before Barnett's decommit, for merely reporting that Oregon was making Barnett a priority. That this pissed off so many ND fans doesn't say much about Hopkins, as it does ND fans who are now trying to shape a narrative.

Lo and behold it's now reported that Barnett has been talking to Oregon for months.

That was Barnett's choice. Hopkins knew about it (just like we'd expect Wiltfong to know about it from our side) and he did not do anything unethical in handling this ordeal.

Just because Hopkins is a douche and has fought back with spurned ND fans does not mean he was unethical in getting Barnett to go to Oregon. This is the big difference I'm trying to point out. Yes, Hopkins has acted unprofessional when dealing with the aftermath but Barnett has been thinking about this for a long time.

With our without Hopkins, it's pretty clear that Barnett would have ended up at Oregon.

 

[Irishman77]

The number is much more than that, too.

How many would you guess?

 

[irishog77]

Yup, it's fun for some fans and maybe it feels like a just cause but it's mostly embarrassing.

It's really just a small movement on the under belly of the recruiting scene that exposes the war between the differing recruiting sites. There are many prominent posters here who are aligned (in various forms) with the sites not named 247. It is and has been plain as day. You could see a silly thread like this coming a mile away.

Now, this isn't to say that all criticisms of 247 and some of their writers aren't legit. In some cases they are. But to have it lead to a thread like this is embarrassing.

The bottom line is this: The Notre Dame coaching staff did not get out recruited by Justin Hopkins. If you really believe that he was some sort of bag man or was highly responsible for flipping Barnett to Oregon than I don't know what to tell you. If you REALLY believe that then I suggest two things:

1) Take a good hard look at Notre Dame coaches and their recruiting history.

If there's any truth to this vendetta then we've got way bigger problems than Justin Hopkins.

2) If you're hearing stories from other recruiting sites maybe it's time to turn the 10,000 pound microscope away from 247 for a second and take a look at the other sites.

A lot of people want to trust everything they hear from ISD, II, etc. and not so much with 247 but it's naive to believe that folks from those places can't or don't sell some BS from time to time to make fans feel better about themselves and to take shots at another business that has been taking subscribers away for a while.

Again, I'm not saying 247 is better or the other sites aren't better. I'm merely pointing out that there is a strong predilection to take some of the non-247 content as the Word of God and Holy Gospel.

It sucks to lose Barnett. It really, really does. But sometimes y'all grind your axes, get far too flooded with emotion, and it then turns into stuff like this.

Barnett grew up an Oregon fan, he's a great fit for them, and ultimately he'll play college ball there. It sucks for us but it really isn't any more complicated than that. There is no fallout between Barnett and the ND staff, there is no big issue (grades) that caused this, and Hopkins did not have a role in this beyond being close to the situation as a reporter and knowing the family well, which after all, is just him doing his job.

The truth hurts. The best way to swallow it is to accept it and move on. Yes, Hopkins is a douche. But now y'all are making it worse. Oh yes, he's taking everyone for a ride on this one on Twitter and elsewhere and it's enraging to some of you. But to act this way makes our fans look really bad and it only makes it tougher to swallow the truth.

I'll post the Commandments again:

Commandments of Recruiting

1) Never get too emotional

2) Don't let anything surprise you

3) Avoid saying things like "I'm done with recruiting"

It's hard but y'all are breaking the crap out of the first golden rule. We go through stuff like this every single time there is a major recruiting loss. It's a lot of the same scorned girlfriend behavior from a lot of the same people. Time after time. Whereas 24-36 hours ago there was a lot of potential people ready to commit to Rule 3 that's now just morphed into an assault on 247 instead.

I know a lot of you don't want to hear this but it needed to be said. Many of you do a wonderful job here are IE keeping things organized and educated around recruiting. For that you should be applauded. Some of you might lash out and disagree with me. I couldn't care less if you believe me or not I just wanted this to get out there.

At first blush and at face value, I kind of agree with you.

But I side with my fellow IE brethren on this one, Eric. The main issue being that they have been spending their own hard-earned money for 247's information, when they could be spending it on multiple other sites. When it comes to spending money and dispensing a portion of our income (however large or small) on a vendor, I think people are justified completely on spending their money however they best see fit.

These guys aren't embarrassments for doing so, they're principled for doing so. And I think the world needs more of this type of action, not less.