Recruiting Violations On A Message Board?
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 amBy Chris
There aren’t many college football fans as passionate as SEC supporters. Every successful SEC team has a feverish fanbase that isn’t afraid to lash out when their team loses. Take Tennessee for example. Every time the Volunteers don’t meet expectations — like, say, losing to UCLA — Vol fans are quick to call out everything that led to the disappointment.
This includes coaches and players alike.
One such player, Arian Foster, had a costly fumble in the third quarter against UCLA while the Volunteers were driving in Bruins territory. Some in the media feel if Tennessee completed that drive by scoring a touchdown, they might have avoided the shocking upset.
Apparently, some Volunteer fans felt the same and took to Scout’s VolChat message board to voice their displeasure, only this time, someone didn’t agree with their assessment, especially when it came to Arian Foster’s fumble.
That someone was Foster’s mother, who allegedly had this to say when posters started attacking her son.
I would’ve posted had we won, so what the heck. I’ve seen blame on everything from orange pants to Dustin Colquitt. Arian had a bad fumble….a good game, but a bad fumble. No excuses. It can’t happen and it shouldn’t. What would you like me to say?
Roy?
What would you like Arian to say to you? While you lure former athletes to your home with food and drink and God knows what else? While you sit there and offer $100 handshakes to anyone who will pay any attention to you? While you spread gossip like an old fat bat at the beauty shop? What would you like my son to tell you?
How about I tell you something instead. I’m grateful that he doesn’t look for fools like you. I’m grateful that he stays far far away from crud and filth and people who have nothing better to do in life than to mire in other peoples business. I’m grateful that he can get up tomorrow and still look a fine man in the mirror. And I’m grateful that no matter what he does on the field or in life, he’ll be a far better character than you will ever be.
Money doesn’t buy you intelligence, it doesn’t even buy you love. But I guess in Memphis, it sure as hell buys you a crowd at your house for a football game. I’d gladly be poor all my life than to wind up like you.
And I don’t care if I get banned. You, Roy Adams, can kiss my ass.
The reason I say allegedly is if you look at FosterMom’s posting history, there isn’t a post that matches the above description, meaning it was either removed or it’s make-believe.
Regardless, this little story should be all the incentive a parent needs to stay away from fan message boards. Usually, parents of big time college athletes have an insight the average message board poster does not, making for a potentially volatile mix, especially when these parents feel the need to defend their children.
The nature of Internet message boards gives fans the anonymity to say things about players they wouldn’t normally in public situations. Because of that, it’s usually best if the parents of college athletes avoid these discussions because arguing on a fan site is not going to get you anywhere. You won’t change the minds of these Internet tough guys and if you aren’t careful with what’s being said, the school your child is attending could wind up in some potentially hot water.
It’s doubtful anything will come of FosterMom’s alleged post, but it should serve as a warning to any parent who wants to go into an Internet discussion to defend a son or daughter who made a mistake in a big game. Let it be, folks. Let it be.
