My Take On The Student-Athlete vs. HBCU Problem.


BRAVEHEART123

BRAVEHEART123

The Clown Prince of Crime
Some of you are about to murder me for saying this but....

until we as HBCUs put aside our pride and history and start APPEALING and REACHING OUT to kids, we will be in the same cycle.

By APPEALING, I mean upgrading facilities, etc. Recruits of this decade do not care about hearing about pride and tradition, it is 95% of what they SEE. If they SEE a school looks good, they are more likely to sign with that school. They also desire to ENVISION THEIR FUTURE.
 
The other 5% if of one's self. Student-Athletes of today look out for themselves over the school (ex. declaring for the NFL Draft early).
 



We hash and rehash this issue until 2020 examining African-American history, pride, culture, the Internet, socioeconomic conditions upgrading facilities and donating money. But the fact remains kids and their families are going to select the school that best fits their goals academically and athletically. If it's an HBCU, fine. If not, fine.

The elite African-American athlete is the most coveted product in all of organized athletics. These young men are in high demand. Every school and community is desperate for their services. The power these kids have is immeasurable because they are part of the meat market that is collegiate athletics.
 
To hell with the elite ones as your basically engaging in practices that rival the slave trade to get access to them with the exchange of money, etc....

the ones who sign with the bottom feeder D-1s who could be stars in the SWAC are the ones we lose....Nothing major in terms of facilities and attendance when you compare schools such as Louisina Monroe and Louisiana Tech to Southern, etc.
 
the band fan said:
To hell with the elite ones as your basically engaging in practices that rival the slave trade to get access to them with the exchange of money, etc....

the ones who sign with the bottom feeder D-1s who could be stars in the SWAC are the ones we lose....Nothing major in terms of facilities and attendance when you compare schools such as Louisina Monroe and Louisiana Tech to Southern, etc.
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I agree with the beginning of this thread... HBCU's are not spending enough on marketing.. We have a generation in college and about to go to college who have never been exposed to the HBCU lifestyle... We have a generation of parents who did not go to HBCU's... So the kids have not been exposed... I have a co-worker who went to Southern... He lives Southern... His kids are a junior and senior in high school.... They LOVE Southern.. He made sure they grew up with the colors and going to homecoming... As far as the athlete goes... WE think that going to a PWC gives us a better shot at the pros and we will SEND OUR CHILD to a PWC because WE THINK ITS BETTER.. Lets uderstand that alot of parents are making these decisions...
 
the band fan said:
To hell with the elite ones as your basically engaging in practices that rival the slave trade to get access to them with the exchange of money, etc....

the ones who sign with the bottom feeder D-1s who could be stars in the SWAC are the ones we lose....Nothing major in terms of facilities and attendance when you compare schools such as Louisina Monroe and Louisiana Tech to Southern, etc.
Click to expand...

Going to or even being considered by a BCS school or a mid-major FBS school brings a little street cred, a defacto status symbol for young athletes. Those kids see the scores of HBCU-FBS games or FCS postseason games. Blowout city.

Few kids, even the ones that are not the elite athletes, but still aspire to play D1 football, will not want to be part of a program that is considered a bottom feeder at the FCS level.

Every high school student-athlete wants to be a D1 athlete. Those are where the best athletes are in the minds of many.

As corny as it sounds kids do really grow up wanting to play in the Rose Bowl for a national title at X school even if they never reach the NFL.

Kids who grow up in Texas, Florida, California, Alabama or wherever major college football is played see how much college athletes are revered in those towns and surrounding areas.

They are engulfed in all the press, love from the fans and communities. And they want to be part of that experience. That's why those kids play in the MAC, WAC or Mountain West. Why? It's still D1 football.
 
emptyright said:
I agree with the beginning of this thread... HBCU's are not spending enough on marketing.. We have a generation in college and about to go to college who have never been exposed to the HBCU lifestyle... We have a generation of parents who did not go to HBCU's... So the kids have not been exposed... I have a co-worker who went to Southern... He lives Southern... His kids are a junior and senior in high school.... They LOVE Southern.. He made sure they grew up with the colors and going to homecoming... As far as the athlete goes... WE think that going to a PWC gives us a better shot at the pros and we will SEND OUR CHILD to a PWC because WE THINK ITS BETTER.. Lets uderstand that alot of parents are making these decisions...
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I agree... this is 2011 and I wanna start doing stuff like that this year to get people used to Valley... because we as HBCU alums have been slippin as far as doing that.

And yeah, we also have to be realistic. At this point as far as athletics is concerned (football being my primary focus), I agree with you as well... we dont even need to bother about going after the 4-5 star athletes. We need to work on those who end up choosing the Arkansas State's, ULM and North Texas's of the world...
 
In_The_662 said:
I agree... this is 2011 and I wanna start doing stuff like that this year to get people used to Valley... because we as HBCU alums have been slippin as far as doing that.

And yeah, we also have to be realistic. At this point as far as athletics is concerned (football being my primary focus), I agree with you as well... we dont even need to bother about going after the 4-5 star athletes. We need to work on those who end up choosing the Arkansas State's, ULM and North Texas's of the world...
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Well what do those schools offer that a SWAC school doesn't? North Texas has played in bowl games until a certain bad hiring years ago. Same with SMU and TCU. You still have the same issues to deal with. And with North Texas, you have 2 items to deal with if you try to recruit in theDFW area 1) One of the top rated sports talks shows feature grads from North Texas and the most FAMOUS alum of North Texas football is...

scsa.jpg


Also look at where those schools are located at. Especially SMU. It's right near the DART rail station, various stores and eating places and apartments in a SAFE neighborhood unlike Paul Quinn. SMU's uppitness is the only thing holding them back from having all DFW jocks on lock.

I say go after the kids that are debating to go to JUCCO, D-2 or D-3. Get your hooks on to them before Senior Year so they can keep thier grades up and not go that route to a D-1 school. Where any school can get them instead of the HBCU.

WE think that going to a PWC gives us a better shot at the pros and we will SEND OUR CHILD to a PWC because WE THINK ITS BETTER
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Or the PWC goes after them at a young age. This is what I was talking about in the other thread. SMU did this recently for DISD.
SMU has a great relationship with DISD and a number of community groups around the Metroplex. We consistently organize community groups, offer them free tickets, and help arrange for transportation to a number of our athletic events.

Last spring 13 buses full of children from DISD schools were invited to the Women's Basketball Championship. SMU provided the transportation, tickets, and t-shirts free of charge to the schools. The kids had a great time, and next year we are looking to bring this program to every sport.

SMU has a created a reading program with the University Park library entitled Milk and Cookies, and last fall thousands of SMU Athletics bookmarks were distributed to area school children as a reward for reading. This summer student-athletes are visiting over 20 local football camps speaking to young football players about the importance of staying in school and respecting your coaches. The athletes distribute posters and vouchers for a free ticket to a game next season. By summer's end the athletes will have spoken to over 2,000 kids in the area.

These are just a few examples of the many community relations activities that SMU is a part of. It is my promise that we will continue to grow this program, and communicate our activities to the community.
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http://smumustangs.cstv.com/chat/053106aaa.html

Would the SWAC be willing to do that for thier basketball tourney in Garland to get kids interested in the SWAC?
 
BRAVEHEART123 said:
Some of you are about to murder me for saying this but....

until we as HBCUs put aside our pride and history and start APPEALING and REACHING OUT to kids, we will be in the same cycle.

By APPEALING, I mean upgrading facilities, etc. Recruits of this decade do not care about hearing about pride and tradition, it is 95% of what they SEE. If they SEE a school looks good, they are more likely to sign with that school. They also desire to ENVISION THEIR FUTURE.
Click to expand...

Pressure should be applied to our Boards, Legislators, Governors, etc to seek more state funding.
 
skyvolt2000 said:
Would the SWAC be willing to do that for thier basketball tourney in Garland to get kids interested in the SWAC?
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Please. :emlaugh: And, from what I can tell about some of these HBCU "alums" around these parts, all they want to do is throw dumb ass HBCU-type party----------------> :retard: I mean REALLY -> :retard:
 
kendrick said:
Going to or even being considered by a BCS school or a mid-major FBS school brings a little street cred, a defacto status symbol for young athletes. Those kids see the scores of HBCU-FBS games or FCS postseason games. Blowout city.

Few kids, even the ones that are not the elite athletes, but still aspire to play D1 football, will not want to be part of a program that is considered a bottom feeder at the FCS level.

Every high school student-athlete wants to be a D1 athlete. Those are where the best athletes are in the minds of many.

As corny as it sounds kids do really grow up wanting to play in the Rose Bowl for a national title at X school even if they never reach the NFL.

Kids who grow up in Texas, Florida, California, Alabama or wherever major college football is played see how much college athletes are revered in those towns and surrounding areas.

They are engulfed in all the press, love from the fans and communities. And they want to be part of that experience. That's why those kids play in the MAC, WAC or Mountain West. Why? It's still D1 football.
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Many of you are saying go after juco D2 and D3 athletes thats who we get now the scrubs (the SWAC is lacking in sound coaching and strength conditioning and SPEED)..I've seen guys come to JSU and I'm like how in the hell are they even playing football....Many of my homies went to D1 schools skinny as hell and after their freshman year come home home jacked...How many 5,4 OR even 3 star athletes do u think SMU and North Texas are getting!

We will never and let me repeat never get the 5 and 4 star athletes until....
1. Our Administration changes the direction of our school from a financial standpoint
2. School Pride/Alumni and Booster must start to give back
3. Athletic Dept. must upgrade in staff and management and want to become bigger and better in terms of expecting more from athletics
4.......An upgrade in facilities.......You are not gonna get a kid to choose Praire View over North Texas (no smack) ....especially when they look at the nice facility, indoor practice field, sellout stadiums and the Nike Contracts.....
5....Community Marketing HBCUs need to start gaining Business sense....Many may hate me for this but Former JSU President Mason had that...Jackson State has one of the best HBCU Campus now a days.....You can look on the website..but all HBCUs need that!


And look at our OOC games where we are getting blew out and our SWAC Championship game fumbles guys cant even throw 20 yard passes....Please dont take this as smack but style of play from all of our SWAC schools look like they are playing in quicksand compared to big time football.....
 
Understand I respect the tradition and honor of the SWAC. From Steve McNair, Walter Peyton, Jerry Rice, Eddie Robinson, etc.

But I feel that in order to get students to much less play HBCU athletics, we have to do better than marketing our tradition in today's world.

I know I post crazy stuff on here but when I post something, my perspective is from what happens TODAY. It just fustrates me when an HBCU (like Alcorn) does stuff like having its 4th Head Coach in 5 years yet folks do not what to admit that it is a problem. That is a big problem especially if you want to recruit in today's world.
 
And another thing have u guys watch a SWAC or MEAC game on tv what the first thing they mention.......

SWAC greats Walter Payton and Doug Williams.......kids today is like WTF who are they?
they see empty stadiums...and to mention we dont even compete against the GA Southerns, Sam Houston, Appalachian State of the D1-AA....so how can we seriously compete seriously in gaining recruits and exposure from the Big Money Schools...
 
JSUDMJ2004 said:
Many of you are saying go after juco D2 and D3 athletes thats who we get now the scrubs (the SWAC is lacking in sound coaching and strength conditioning and SPEED)..I've seen guys come to JSU and I'm like how in the hell are they even playing football....Many of my homies went to D1 schools skinny as hell and after their freshman year come home home jacked...How many 5,4 OR even 3 star athletes do u think SMU and North Texas are getting!

We will never and let me repeat never get the 5 and 4 star athletes until....
1. Our Administration changes the direction of our school from a financial standpoint
2. School Pride/Alumni and Booster must start to give back
3. Athletic Dept. must upgrade in staff and management and want to become bigger and better in terms of expecting more from athletics
4.......An upgrade in facilities.......You are not gonna get a kid to choose Praire View over North Texas (no smack) ....especially when they look at the nice facility, indoor practice field, sellout stadiums and the Nike Contracts.....
5....Community Marketing HBCUs need to start gaining Business sense....Many may hate me for this but Former JSU President Mason had that...Jackson State has one of the best HBCU Campus now a days.....You can look on the website..but all HBCUs need that!


And look at our OOC games where we are getting blew out and our SWAC Championship game fumbles guys cant even throw 20 yard passes....Please dont take this as smack but style of play from all of our SWAC schools look like they are playing in quicksand compared to big time football.....
Click to expand...

I don't disagree with what you are saying. However, the majority of the items on that list can't be done without funding -- public, private and from the state. I've said this before those BCS schools care more about winning than HBCU do. How do I know this? Just look at the financial influx coming in and going out of the programs.

These people are willing to cheat the system to get what they want. Administrators, boosters and coaches put their racists beliefs on the back burner to acquire the nations best black athletes. That tells you the mindset of those who are part of those institutions. In so many words, they are radical in their approach. A recruiter from another conference said an SEC school will get a kid by any means necessary.

HBCUs have to do one of two things: Be radical or be content. When you are competing in a marketplace such as this, it going to take more than just rattling off the history of your school to an 18-year-old kid who has Nick Saban, Les Miles, Jim Tressel and Mack Brown knocking down their door and about 100 other ones as as well.

The ESPN crew said during the Rose Bowl that TCU had LaMichael James -- or at least thought they had him. Right up until signing day, Patterson thought he had James. Then James visits Oregon. Once that happened, no way was he going to TCU. LOL!
 



kendrick said:
I don't disagree with what you are saying. However, the majority of the items on that list can't be done without funding -- public, private and from the state. I've said this before those BCS schools care more about winning than HBCU do. How do I know this? Just look at the financial influx coming in and going out of the programs.

These people are willing to cheat the system to get what they want. Administrators, boosters and coaches put their racists beliefs on the back burner to acquire the nations best black athletes. That tells you the mindset of those who are part of those institutions. In so many words, they are radical in their approach. A recruiter from another conference said an SEC school will get a kid by any means necessary.

HBCUs have to do one of two things: Be radical or be content. When you are competing in a marketplace such as this, it going to take more than just rattling off the history of your school to an 18-year-old kid who has Nick Saban, Les Miles, Jim Tressel and Mack Brown knocking down their door and about 100 other ones as as well.

The ESPN crew said during the Rose Bowl that TCU had LaMichael James -- or at least thought they had him. Right up until signing day, Patterson thought he had James. Then James visits Oregon. Once that happened, no way was he going to TCU. LOL!
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Amen.

But let some tell it..."We're not going to win this kid anyway, so we should just leave him alone and go after someone who will."

If that attitude keeps up, we're DOOMED. HBCU athletics as a whole are already a novelty item for a niche market...which is a crying shame.
 
I know many of you are against white athletes at HBCU's but why we cant recruit them into the SWAC?????

I feel that this is a big problem with HBCU's we are very narrow minded and only look at one race of athlete...We have got to branch out!
 
kendrick said:
HBCUs have to do one of two things: Be radical or be content. When you are competing in a marketplace such as this, it going to take more than just rattling off the history of your school to an 18-year-old kid who has Nick Saban, Les Miles, Jim Tressel and Mack Brown knocking down their door and about 100 other ones as as well.
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Pretty Much!
 
No argument from me.



JSUDMJ2004 said:
I know many of you are against white athletes at HBCU's but why we cant recruit them into the SWAC?????

I feel that this is a big problem with HBCU's we are very narrow minded and only look at one race of athlete...We have got to branch out!
Click to expand...
 
Another Thing,

SWAC Folk who hold on to the "good ol' days of SWAC Athletics", Let them go. It's a new era. Do not be afraid of the new generations sense of "change". You can never know the outcome of a specific "change" unless you let it happen first and then mold it in the best possible way for benefit.
 
Panther88 said:
Please. :emlaugh: And, from what I can tell about some of these HBCU "alums" around these parts, all they want to do is throw dumb ass HBCU-type party----------------> :retard: I mean REALLY -> :retard:
Click to expand...

You are right, I need to reach out to Kim Runnels and see if we have a way of setting up an information booth at the tournament, so students can learn more about us. I would be willing to work the booth if we did something like that
 
JSUDMJ2004 said:
I know many of you are against white athletes at HBCU's but why we cant recruit them into the SWAC?????

I feel that this is a big problem with HBCU's we are very narrow minded and only look at one race of athlete...We have got to branch out!
Click to expand...

THANK YOU.

I could see White athletes doing what many of the Black ones do...if they know Nick Saban & Les Miles won't recruit them, they'll run off to Jaxville State, UNA, Troy, etc.

Sometimes we have step outside of our comfort zones to make progress, and there's no better time than the present.

But imagine the outrage if an HBCU started recruiting White athletes, and put out a better product than before....just like SEC schools did in the 70s, they had to go outside their comfort zones to remain RELEVANT. Me personally, I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of. I really don't.

They use OUR athletes to remain relevant, don't they?
 
2kool said:
They use OUR athletes to remain relevant, don't they?
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Folks dog JSU all day about our white qb.............we as HBCU's are stuck in a horrible OLD WAY of thinking...

Folks think just because we are an HBCU we should get the elite black athlete or since their parents went to an HBCU there child should automatically attend an HBCU...He is a white why is he playing QB for an HBCU...Sum Folks on TSPN are horrible....
 
BRAVEHEART123 said:
Some of you are about to murder me for saying this but....

until we as HBCUs put aside our pride and history and start APPEALING and REACHING OUT to kids, we will be in the same cycle.

By APPEALING, I mean upgrading facilities, etc. Recruits of this decade do not care about hearing about pride and tradition, it is 95% of what they SEE. If they SEE a school looks good, they are more likely to sign with that school. They also desire to ENVISION THEIR FUTURE.
Click to expand...

What are they going to do when they get them. The facilities are good enough now to win and put quality on the field. Look at what uam does to the swac and they have far less in terms of facilities. The smoke and mirrors of the swacs is a most effective weapon.
 
JSUDMJ2004 said:
Folks dog JSU all day about our white qb.............we as HBCU's are stuck in a horrible OLD WAY of thinking...

Folks think just because we are an HBCU we should get the elite black athlete or since their parents went to an HBCU there child should automatically attend an HBCU...He is a white why is he playing QB for an HBCU...Sum Folks on TSPN are horrible....
Click to expand...

Hell, I wish we had some white olineman blocking for him.
 
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