Howland Denies Garrison Brooks Release from LOI

[ShotgunDawg]

From the Mom:

We’re not done with the appeal process. We will go to the ends of the earth because Garrison does not want to attend Mississippi State. Contrary to what people think, this is not his mother’s decision. Yes there is friction between his parents, because I don’t think any kid should be railroaded into protecting a person’s job or doing something for his parents. This is his life. I’m prepared to retain an attorney. I’ve spoken with Mississippi State. I tried to resolve this amicably. Just release the kid. He clearly does not want to go.

Garrison has another appeal with the NLI. There’s another process that we can go through that would put everyone out there. It could put his dad as a coach out there. How did he come to this decision? Was there bad advice on his behalf? How did he make this decision without his mother? How did his dad sign the NLI if he isn’t the custodial parent? There’s a lot of things that the media does not know. I’ve never even seen the NLI. Garrison has never been a resident of Mississippi. He doesn’t even live there. His father really had no right to sign the NLI. Mississippi State knew that and they shouldn’t have allowed it. That’s why I’m questioning that part.

My appeal to them as an institution is to release the kid if he doesn’t want to go there. Don’t bring a firestorm of rumors and allegations. You don’t want those problems with a new athletics director. His dad could easily go in there and say “hey, hey, hey, it’s time to stop this. My son doesn’t want to go.” That would be what I would do. But he’s not standing up for Garrison.

My thing is we’re going to take this to the end of the earth. If that means we have to lawyer up, fight fire with fire, we’re going to see this to the end. Garrison does not intend to play basketball for Mississippi State. He doesn’t plan on going to juco. If he has to go to prep school, that’s fine, we’ll do that. But he’s not playing for Mississippi State because he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t feel that it’s a good fit. He feels like he made an emotional decision.

My thing is I want people to get it right. This isn’t an issue of a mother trying to enforce something. This is a kid who has come to me and said “mom, I don’t want to go there. What can I do?” Me being the mother that I’ve been for 17 years, I’m going to go tooth and nail for him. I feel like he’s been railroaded. I feel like he’s been misrepresented.

That is not what I’m going to allow. Garrison is a good kid. He’s a good student. He’s a good athlete. He deserves better than what we’re receiving right now.

http://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.co...ing-brooks-nli

Something isn't passing the smell test here. Not sure I've witnessed many family situations as toxic as this one appears & it's sad that Garrison appears to be caught up in it.

Honestly, I'm not sure I want the kid as part of our basketball program, but out of principle, I don't believe you can release him because "he changed his mind."

I'm positive that there is a ton of behind the scenes pieces to this story that we have no clue about & likely would completely alter the way this situation is viewed.

[ShotgunDawg]

She says she is fine with him going to prep school so sounds like her problem is solved, he can do that. But personally, I don't have a clue on how you would trust anything she is saying. She is saying a lot of things that, to my knowledge, Garrison has never ever said.

That's a great point. I'd like to see some quotes from Garrison.

How come we never see those?

[Liverpooldawg]

From the Mom:

We?re not done with the appeal process. We will go to the ends of the earth because Garrison does not want to attend Mississippi State. Contrary to what people think, this is not his mother?s decision. Yes there is friction between his parents, because I don?t think any kid should be railroaded into protecting a person?s job or doing something for his parents. This is his life. I?m prepared to retain an attorney. I?ve spoken with Mississippi State. I tried to resolve this amicably. Just release the kid. He clearly does not want to go.

Garrison has another appeal with the NLI. There?s another process that we can go through that would put everyone out there. It could put his dad as a coach out there. How did he come to this decision? Was there bad advice on his behalf? How did he make this decision without his mother? How did his dad sign the NLI if he isn?t the custodial parent? There?s a lot of things that the media does not know. I?ve never even seen the NLI. Garrison has never been a resident of Mississippi. He doesn?t even live there. His father really had no right to sign the NLI. Mississippi State knew that and they shouldn?t have allowed it. That?s why I?m questioning that part.

My appeal to them as an institution is to release the kid if he doesn?t want to go there. Don?t bring a firestorm of rumors and allegations. You don?t want those problems with a new athletics director. His dad could easily go in there and say ?hey, hey, hey, it?s time to stop this. My son doesn?t want to go.? That would be what I would do. But he?s not standing up for Garrison.

My thing is we?re going to take this to the end of the earth. If that means we have to lawyer up, fight fire with fire, we?re going to see this to the end. Garrison does not intend to play basketball for Mississippi State. He doesn?t plan on going to juco. If he has to go to prep school, that?s fine, we?ll do that. But he?s not playing for Mississippi State because he doesn?t want to. He doesn?t feel that it?s a good fit. He feels like he made an emotional decision.

My thing is I want people to get it right. This isn?t an issue of a mother trying to enforce something. This is a kid who has come to me and said ?mom, I don?t want to go there. What can I do?? Me being the mother that I?ve been for 17 years, I?m going to go tooth and nail for him. I feel like he?s been railroaded. I feel like he?s been misrepresented.

That is not what I?m going to allow. Garrison is a good kid. He?s a good student. He?s a good athlete. He deserves better than what we?re receiving right now.

http://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.co...ing-brooks-nli

If that's the case then no way in heck should we release him. She is saying he just changed his mind. Open and shut case, you hold him to his contract. I wonder what Pearl is saying to them?

[Jack Lambert]

Everything I read is that in this situation the poor kid is caught in the middle. I don't get the feeling that Garrison really wanted out adly or they would have worked something out. I think the request was potentially to appease momma and in this case Howland just has to play the bad guy

Mothers of America meek and mild.
Say goodbye to your sweet child.
We're gonna make him drill.
We're gonna make him run.
We're gonna make some changes in your sweet son!

Oh yeah! Hear we go! One Went to Vietnam, two we had lot of fun, three smoked a little grass four kick some charlies ass. One, two three four United States Marine Corp. Ooh Rah!

Left right leyo! Low righta leyo. Left right leyo.

[maroonmania]

Something isn't passing the smell test here. Not sure I've witnessed many family situations as toxic as this one appears & it's sad that Garrison appears to be caught up in it.

Honestly, I'm not sure I want the kid as part of our basketball program, but out of principle, I don't believe you can release him because "he changed his mind."

I'm positive that there is a ton of behind the scenes pieces to this story that we have no clue about & likely would completely alter the way this situation is viewed.

Sounds like she is just throwing stuff against a wall to see what sticks. For example she says "Garrison has never been a resident of Mississippi. He doesn’t even live there." Well what does that have to do with the price of eggs as it relates to an NLI?

[PSYCHO(thesis)DEFENSE]

I don't know what to think of this situation. Some on here are saying good for Howland, but if it was a coach from another team blocking someone coming to State this board would be up in arms about the coach (Petrino earlier this week), but if the player wants to stay and its another person interfering with that then I get it.
If Garrison really wants to stay here then good for Howland, but if he wants to leave willingly on his own accord then it makes Howland look bad IMO.

completely different situation IMO. Wiggins signed his NLI & enrolled at Georgia, completing the obligation he agreed to. He was allowed to transfer to Louisville, and graduated, completing the obligation he had to Louisville & Petrino. Brooks signed a contract to enroll at MSU, and we have no obligation to void that contract without reasonable extenuating circumstances, per NCAA rules. A change of heart does not warrant extenuating circumstances.

From nationalletter.org:
"What happens if I change my mind about attending the institution with which I signed?

And I want to attend another NLI institution instead:
- The NLI basic penalty is that you lose one year of competition in all sports and must serve one year in residence at your next NLI institution."

"In general, the committee determines what constitutes extenuating on a case-by-case basis. However, examples may include illness of the student, illness or death of a parent or financial hardship of the student's family which prevent the student from attending the signing institution. "

[mstatefan91]

He signed the NLI. It's over. Going to prep school would be an awful decision, and Garrison is not doing himself any favors by listening to his mother. Just my 2 cents

Wish him and his the best and hope he is in Maroon and White in the Fall but if not, good luck.

[maroonmania]

completely different situation IMO. Wiggins signed his NLI & enrolled at Georgia, completing the obligation he agreed to. He was allowed to transfer to Louisville, and graduated, completing the obligation he had to Louisville & Petrino. Brooks signed a contract to enroll at MSU, and we have no obligation to void that contract without reasonable extenuating circumstances, per NCAA rules. A change of heart does not warrant extenuating circumstances.

From nationalletter.org:
"What happens if I change my mind about attending the institution with which I signed?

And I want to attend another NLI institution instead:
- The NLI basic penalty is that you lose one year of competition in all sports and must serve one year in residence at your next NLI institution."

"In general, the committee determines what constitutes extenuating on a case-by-case basis. However, examples may include illness of the student, illness or death of a parent or financial hardship of the student's family which prevent the student from attending the signing institution. "

Ok, from that it sounds like, without the release, he could enroll somewhere else this Fall, lose his freshman year while he sits out (I guess paying his own way), and then be eligible in 2018 and go on scholarship as a SO at that time? Is that the correct interpretation?

[chainedup_Dawg]

From the Mom:

We?re not done with the appeal process. We will go to the ends of the earth because Garrison does not want to attend Mississippi State. Contrary to what people think, this is not his mother?s decision. Yes there is friction between his parents, because I don?t think any kid should be railroaded into protecting a person?s job or doing something for his parents. This is his life. I?m prepared to retain an attorney. I?ve spoken with Mississippi State. I tried to resolve this amicably. Just release the kid. He clearly does not want to go.

Garrison has another appeal with the NLI. There?s another process that we can go through that would put everyone out there. It could put his dad as a coach out there. How did he come to this decision? Was there bad advice on his behalf? How did he make this decision without his mother? How did his dad sign the NLI if he isn?t the custodial parent? There?s a lot of things that the media does not know. I?ve never even seen the NLI. Garrison has never been a resident of Mississippi. He doesn?t even live there. His father really had no right to sign the NLI. Mississippi State knew that and they shouldn?t have allowed it. That?s why I?m questioning that part.

My appeal to them as an institution is to release the kid if he doesn?t want to go there. Don?t bring a firestorm of rumors and allegations. You don?t want those problems with a new athletics director. His dad could easily go in there and say ?hey, hey, hey, it?s time to stop this. My son doesn?t want to go.? That would be what I would do. But he?s not standing up for Garrison.

My thing is we?re going to take this to the end of the earth. If that means we have to lawyer up, fight fire with fire, we?re going to see this to the end. Garrison does not intend to play basketball for Mississippi State. He doesn?t plan on going to juco. If he has to go to prep school, that?s fine, we?ll do that. But he?s not playing for Mississippi State because he doesn?t want to. He doesn?t feel that it?s a good fit. He feels like he made an emotional decision.

My thing is I want people to get it right. This isn?t an issue of a mother trying to enforce something. This is a kid who has come to me and said ?mom, I don?t want to go there. What can I do?? Me being the mother that I?ve been for 17 years, I?m going to go tooth and nail for him. I feel like he?s been railroaded. I feel like he?s been misrepresented.

That is not what I?m going to allow. Garrison is a good kid. He?s a good student. He?s a good athlete. He deserves better than what we?re receiving right now.

http://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.co...ing-brooks-nli

and there it is.

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Garrison's comments on his signing day...
Brooks announced his decision to attend and play for Mississippi State on Wednesday morning — the first day of college basketball’s early signing period — in front of a packed crowd at Auburn High’s New Gym. The four-star prospect then made it official by signing his National Letter of Intent.

"I knew for a couple of weeks," Brooks said about his decision, "but I took a couple of days just to make sure this is where I think is best for me. And this is where I think is best for me.

"It’s a monkey off my back, really."

Brooks’ father, George Brooks, is an assistant on the Mississippi State staff.

"[That] does mean a lot to me," Brooks said. "I never got a chance to play for my dad and all my friends play for their dad, so it means something.

"It meant a lot but it wasn’t the only thing that factored in. It was one of the main factors but the other stuff factored in with it."

For Brooks, a strong relationship with the entire Mississippi State coaching staff was among the most significant factors. Shortly after Ben Howland was hired as the team's head basketball coach on March 23, 2015, Brooks said he began communicating with him.

"They developed a relationship with me from day one," Brooks said. "When coach Howland got the job, the week after, I started talking to him like immediately."

Eventually, on April 8, Brooks had an in-home visit from Howland.

"How much they have invested in me in the past two years made me feel really good about the situation," Brooks said.

Playing time and the chance to have an immediate impact were other big draws in Brooks' mind. He estimated that he will be playing around 30 minutes for Auburn High this season, and in college, "I don’t want a huge decrease, like to go down to 10 minutes," he said. "I don’t want to do that. I want to go somewhere where I get a chance to compete and start and play a whole lot."

Brooks will have that at Mississippi State.

"I saw what the four-man did in the system for coach Howland last year," Brooks said, "but I think I’ll have a bigger impact than he had."

[maroonmania]

Garrison's comments on his signing day...
Brooks announced his decision to attend and play for Mississippi State on Wednesday morning — the first day of college basketball’s early signing period — in front of a packed crowd at Auburn High’s New Gym. The four-star prospect then made it official by signing his National Letter of Intent.

"I knew for a couple of weeks," Brooks said about his decision, "but I took a couple of days just to make sure this is where I think is best for me. And this is where I think is best for me.

"It’s a monkey off my back, really."

Brooks’ father, George Brooks, is an assistant on the Mississippi State staff.

"[That] does mean a lot to me," Brooks said. "I never got a chance to play for my dad and all my friends play for their dad, so it means something.

"It meant a lot but it wasn’t the only thing that factored in. It was one of the main factors but the other stuff factored in with it."

For Brooks, a strong relationship with the entire Mississippi State coaching staff was among the most significant factors. Shortly after Ben Howland was hired as the team's head basketball coach on March 23, 2015, Brooks said he began communicating with him.

"They developed a relationship with me from day one," Brooks said. "When coach Howland got the job, the week after, I started talking to him like immediately."

Eventually, on April 8, Brooks had an in-home visit from Howland.

"How much they have invested in me in the past two years made me feel really good about the situation," Brooks said.

Playing time and the chance to have an immediate impact were other big draws in Brooks' mind. He estimated that he will be playing around 30 minutes for Auburn High this season, and in college, "I don’t want a huge decrease, like to go down to 10 minutes," he said. "I don’t want to do that. I want to go somewhere where I get a chance to compete and start and play a whole lot."

Brooks will have that at Mississippi State.

"I saw what the four-man did in the system for coach Howland last year," Brooks said, "but I think I’ll have a bigger impact than he had."

Poor guy. Really feel sorry about how we forced him into signing with us after reading that.***

[Ifyouonlyknew]

I expect he ends up at Prep School.

[blacklistedbully]

That psycho bitch is actually threatening us! I say screw her and the horse she rode in on. One can't capitulate to sleezy shit like that, or one is doomed to have it happen again.

She wants to fight fire with fire and lawyer up? OK, let's send our lawyers in and make it as expensive as hell for her and her attorney. And while we're at it, let's notify AU we will look into possible tampering, and get sworn testimony on the matter when this POS takes us to trial.

[gtowndawg]

From the Mom:

We?re not done with the appeal process. We will go to the ends of the earth because Garrison does not want to attend Mississippi State. Contrary to what people think, this is not his mother?s decision. Yes there is friction between his parents, because I don?t think any kid should be railroaded into protecting a person?s job or doing something for his parents. This is his life. I?m prepared to retain an attorney. I?ve spoken with Mississippi State. I tried to resolve this amicably. Just release the kid. He clearly does not want to go.

Garrison has another appeal with the NLI. There?s another process that we can go through that would put everyone out there. It could put his dad as a coach out there. How did he come to this decision? Was there bad advice on his behalf? How did he make this decision without his mother? How did his dad sign the NLI if he isn?t the custodial parent? There?s a lot of things that the media does not know. I?ve never even seen the NLI. Garrison has never been a resident of Mississippi. He doesn?t even live there. His father really had no right to sign the NLI. Mississippi State knew that and they shouldn?t have allowed it. That?s why I?m questioning that part.

My appeal to them as an institution is to release the kid if he doesn?t want to go there. Don?t bring a firestorm of rumors and allegations. You don?t want those problems with a new athletics director. His dad could easily go in there and say ?hey, hey, hey, it?s time to stop this. My son doesn?t want to go.? That would be what I would do. But he?s not standing up for Garrison.

My thing is we?re going to take this to the end of the earth. If that means we have to lawyer up, fight fire with fire, we?re going to see this to the end. Garrison does not intend to play basketball for Mississippi State. He doesn?t plan on going to juco. If he has to go to prep school, that?s fine, we?ll do that. But he?s not playing for Mississippi State because he doesn?t want to. He doesn?t feel that it?s a good fit. He feels like he made an emotional decision.

My thing is I want people to get it right. This isn?t an issue of a mother trying to enforce something. This is a kid who has come to me and said ?mom, I don?t want to go there. What can I do?? Me being the mother that I?ve been for 17 years, I?m going to go tooth and nail for him. I feel like he?s been railroaded. I feel like he?s been misrepresented.

That is not what I?m going to allow. Garrison is a good kid. He?s a good student. He?s a good athlete. He deserves better than what we?re receiving right now.

http://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.co...ing-brooks-nli

I need a ruling. Is it ok to refer to your own son as "the kid"...multiple times in fact.

[ShotgunDawg]

I expect he ends up at Prep School.

What's your take?

What is the driver here?

If the kid had it his way, what would he want?

[KentuckyDawg13]

Mama's apron strings getting in the way of her objectiveness.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

What's your take?

What is the driver here?

If the kid had it his way, what would he want?

People trying to make sense of the situation should just stop. It's not a normal situation let's just leave it at that.

Again we all know who/what is driving this.

To be at MSU like he signed up for.

This isn't a typical situation & most people can't wrap their minds around the situation. I wish Garrison the best.

[MarketingBully]

I expect he ends up at Prep School.

I'm afraid you are right unless someone can talk some sense into the mom or Garrison grows a pair and gets away from that woman.

[HSVDawg]

I agree 100%, that shuts mama up, and he gets to do what he wanted to do in first place.

LOL....not even close. The bridge has been burned at this point. He will not be here.

[Irondawg]

I have to think that when you're talking about a staff member's son that if Garrison really, really didn't want to come to state that we would have worked something out. Now everything else is speculation but put the puzzle together somebody wants him at someone else specifically and that other place is not in the best interest of MSU and screams improper contact.

If the kid had said he wants to get away from it all and sign with Texas or Florida State or Virginia I have to think we would have let it go.

There's either a real victim here or somebody is playing the victim - can be hard to tell sometimes.