You are Sean Rawlings

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

What do you do? Me personally, my father would have never allowed me to commit and not honor it. Just how I was raised. My father loathes ole miss but he would have never allowed me to back out of my commitment. I figured the Rawlings were the same type of people. Guess not.

What would you do? No judgment either way.

[CJDAWG85]

You go where your heart is and you want to play. Wish him the best wherever he decides to go.

[dickiedawg]

Cue "oh no, not this shit again" meme/gif.

[ShotgunDawg]

What do you do? Me personally, my father would have never allowed me to commit and not honor it. Just how I was raised. My father loathes ole miss but he would have never allowed me to back out of my commitment. I figured the Rawlings were the same type of people. Guess not.

What would you do? No judgment either way.

I just don't have a problem with what Rawlings did. We just have put our egos aside and realize that we all would have likely done the same thing if MSU was the school to offer late.

Just as the Kang used to say, "Kids that don't want to be at your school make excuses when they make mistakes or don't perform, however, kids that want to be at your school, suck it up and find a way to succeed." If you believe this quote to be true, then you probably also believe that, if Rawlings' heart is at Ole Miss, then that is where he needs to go.

With that being said, I would say that your dad would have been wrong and ultimately risked the potential success of your career by not allowing you to go the school that you really wanted to be at.

[spiritual_machine2005]

I would have done the same thing he did. Ole Miss had not offered. He obviously wanted to play in the SEC/D1. MSU was his only offer. You take it. If you go back and read all the posts that his father put on 247, you will see he never said they would not consider an Ole Miss offer if it came. The posts are very carefully worded. That dream offer came in late and they took it. I don't fault them at all. He is playing where he wants. Congrats to him. I wish we could all move on. It bugs me that some try to down him for "not honoring his word" when we are trying to get Cory Thomas/Trey Carter to not "honor their word". This is recruiting. Some people need to grow some thicker skin in my opinion.

[BeastMan]

Me in his shoes with roles reversed, I would switch my commitment the second I was offered even if it was as I was about to fax my LOI in. You go with your heart. Nothing else to it. IMO this has zero indication of "how he was raised". We flipped Fred Ross right before signing day and no one has questioned how he was raised. I strongly dislike that argument.

[maroonmania]

Me in his shoes with roles reversed, I would switch my commitment the second I was offered even if it was as I was about to fax my LOI in. You go with your heart. Nothing else to it. IMO this has zero indication of "how he was raised". We flipped Fred Ross right before signing day and no one has questioned how he was raised. I strongly dislike that argument.

About the only thing you can criticize the Rawlings over is his Dad should have stayed off MSU message boards and interfacing with MSU fans given he had to know almost 100% that his son would flip at the first sign of an OM offer.

[thedawg]

I wouldnt let my kid do it.. It may not be popular... but in the same situation I would have shut down communication with the other school months ago. If I wasnt prepared to shut down communication I wouldnt have committed. Thats how I feel they all should be done even when it benefits us that kids dont do it that way. Truth is truth and lying is lying.

[maroonmania]

I wouldnt let my kid do it.. It may not be popular... but in the same situation I would have shut down communication with the other school months ago. If I wasnt prepared to shut down communication I wouldnt have committed. Thats how I feel they all should be done even when it benefits us that kids dont do it that way. Truth is truth and lying is lying.

That's easy to say but if he hadn't jumped on the MSU offer he might have lost it and had no options other than a non-BCS school. But that obviously didn't mean he wasn't looking for the OM offer. Keith Holcombe did the EXACT SAME THING to us its just that Bama offered much earlier in the process. Bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush as they say.

[thedawg]

There is no way to know who would have offered or not offered.... Whats wrong with the way that Stallings or Grant Harris have handled their recruitment?

[smootness]

I would walk on at State before I took a scholarship at Ole Miss.

[thedawg]

I would walk on at State before I took a scholarship at Ole Miss.

There is that option too... If he was so dead set on going to Ole Miss his dad almost certainly could have paid for school at Ole Miss and he could have walked on. They are paying for school at MRA. Instead they essentially used us and lied to us in order try and position themselves to get a scholarship to Ole Miss. You can package that any way you want to.... They lied...

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

About the only thing you can criticize the Rawlings over is his Dad should have stayed off MSU message boards and interfacing with MSU fans given he had to know almost 100% that his son would flip at the first sign of an OM offer.
^^^this^^^ I just don't understand the reasoning behind guardians posting on message boards in the first place. What were they looking to gain?

[BeastMan]

About the only thing you can criticize the Rawlings over is his Dad should have stayed off MSU message boards and interfacing with MSU fans given he had to know almost 100% that his son would flip at the first sign of an OM offer.

No way he could have known that. I took everything Mr.Rawlings said as truthful and very complimentary of MSU and Mullen. Really don't know what more you can ask of him. I enjoyed his insight.

End of the day, it was Sean's choice and he went with his heart. Nothing wrong with that. It was clear that dad liked Mullen but it was Sean's choice.

[MSUDawg4Life]

If I grew up a MSU fan, there is no way that I would have committed to umiss. Even if that was my only offer. I would have gone to juco to try to improve my stock.

[BeastMan]

^^^this^^^ I just don't understand the reasoning behind guardians posting on message boards in the first place. What were they looking to gain?

He didn't gain anything but we gained insight. Don't know how we could possibly complain. Me.Rawlings didn't set us up

[civildawg]

You do exactly what he did. I dont see the big problem. He wanted to play in the SEC and only had one offer, so he commits to save him a spot and when he gets the offer to play for the school that he is a lifelong fan of he switches. No harm done. Everyone here would have done the same.

[Coach34]

I would walk on at State before I took a scholarship at Ole Miss.

I turned down a preferred walk-on spot at OM in baseball to live in Goodman, Ms and play the juco circuit. I thanked Coach Gibbs and then politely told him there was no way I'd ever go to OM.

I think Rawlings did the right thing- go where your heart is. He was only with us because we were his only good option at the time.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

I wouldnt let my kid do it.. It may not be popular... but in the same situation I would have shut down communication with the other school months ago. If I wasnt prepared to shut down communication I wouldnt have committed. Thats how I feel they all should be done even when it benefits us that kids dont do it that way. Truth is truth and lying is lying.

Plus 1. That is the point. If. If it was my son, he wouldve never commited in the first place? You want to sign up for hockey? Ok. After first practice you want to quit? Tough shit. You can quit at the end of the season.

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

Plus 1. That is the point. If. If it was my son, he wouldve never commited in the first place? You want to sign up for hockey? Ok. After first practice you want to quit? Tough shit. You can quit at the end of the season.

So if you have an offer but the coaches say that if you don't take it your spot may be filled, you would just take your chances? Some of you have on such thick maroon colored glasses on this that you really just can't wrap your heads around it. Maybe the kid's dad shouldn't have posted on the msg boards, but everything he said was very complimentary so I don't really even have a problem with that either. The way the Rawlings handled this situation was fine, and has no bearing on whether they are "upstanding persons" or anything of that nature.

[thedawg]

So being a liar is ok if you are in a tough spot? Breaking a commitment is ok if your hearts not in it?

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

He didn't gain anything but we gained insight. Don't know how we could possibly complain. Me.Rawlings didn't set us up
A LOT of this drama would have been avoided if they would've stayed off the message boards. I'm curious if he meant what he said about our coaches?

[maroonmania]

So being a liar is ok if you are in a tough spot? Breaking a commitment is ok if your hearts not in it?

I kind of view recruiting like getting married. You get engaged to someone when you commit but until the vows are exchanged on signing day you are free to back out. May not look good but you are free to do so.

[jimbo352]

There is that option too... If he was so dead set on going to Ole Miss his dad almost certainly could have paid for school at Ole Miss and he could have walked on. They are paying for school at MRA. Instead they essentially used us and lied to us in order try and position themselves to get a scholarship to Ole Miss. You can package that any way you want to.... They lied...

Wut?

He was simply an OM fan... Every single year there are recruits who love MSU and others that love OM. They grew up big fans, but they'd be absolutely crazy to not jump at the opportunity to play in the SEC. Had Rawlings never received that OM offer, he would have played his guts out for us. I have no doubts about that. In fact, he probably would have made it his mission to shove it in OM's face in the Egg Bowl...

It wasn't' about leverage... It was about playing in the SEC... He's gone now, and we will fill that spot with another player who will be absolutely thrilled with an offer.

[thedawg]

It absolutely was about leverage. If it wasnt about leverage he would have told us when we offered, " I really appreciate it. I am interested in playing in the SEC. I am interested in you guys. Honestly I want to see what Ole Miss is going to do because that is where my heart is." Instead he said... " I am committed to sign and play for the Mississippi State Bulldogs."

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

So being a liar is ok if you are in a tough spot? Breaking a commitment is ok if your hearts not in it?

If this is your stance on recruiting then you need to quit following recruiting altogether. What about Fred Ross last year? Is he a liar in your book? What about Cory Thomas if we flip him? The list can go on and on.

[smootness]

So being a liar is ok if you are in a tough spot? Breaking a commitment is ok if your hearts not in it?

So you consider Fred Ross, Tolando Cleveland, Dillon Day, Brandon Bryant, Deion Calhoun, etc. liars?

So you consider our coaches, who offer players like Darius Liggins scholarships, liars?

So you consider yourself a liar if you don't tell your current employer you're interviewing elsewhere? This is how the game is played, and everyone, on both sides, understands the game.

[The Croom Diaries]

Rawlings used MSU as a safety school in case OM didn't offer. That's smart on his part...we were the only SEC school to offer him. We should have played our cards better and not offered him until late - I bet OM would've never offered him if we didn't have one on the table. I don't think they trusted their own evaluations until we made the leap.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

So if you have an offer but the coaches say that if you don't take it your spot may be filled, you would just take your chances? Some of you have on such thick maroon colored glasses on this that you really just can't wrap your heads around it. Maybe the kid's dad shouldn't have posted on the msg boards, but everything he said was very complimentary so I don't really even have a problem with that either. The way the Rawlings handled this situation was fine, and has no bearing on whether they are "upstanding persons" or anything of that nature.

That is what im saying if your dad is a lawyer and you go to mra. He can pay for you to walk on at your dream school.

Rawlings is a rare situation. You cant compare him to 98% of recruits. He comes from a family that graduated from a school, holds season tickets to a school and his dad makes good money. I cant compare myself to cj johnson. I can to rawlings and im telling you what my dad would have done.

Dont compare rawlings to bryant or koolio or any of those guys. Completely different situations.

[smootness]

It absolutely was about leverage. If it wasnt about leverage he would have told us when we offered, " I really appreciate it. I am interested in playing in the SEC. I am interested in you guys. Honestly I want to see what Ole Miss is going to do because that is where my heart is." Instead he said... " I am committed to sign and play for the Mississippi State Bulldogs."

So, again, when you accept a job, you go ahead and let your employer know you're looking elsewhere and will take another job if it's offered.

[notsofarawaydawg]

He should have told his dad to keep his damn mouth shut and stay off the message boards if he was going to follow his heart. Wish him luck but his dad is a freaking idiot. Looks like mom won the day too.

[BeastMan]

A LOT of this drama would have been avoided if they would've stayed off the message boards. I'm curious if he meant what he said about our coaches?

The dad started zero drama. The only drama was that OM offered an MSU commit late in the process. How did the dad start that drama? There is a major difference in what Mr Rawlings and what Mz Terry did. Like not even close.

[thedawg]

So you consider Fred Ross, Tolando Cleveland, Dillon Day, Brandon Bryant, Deion Calhoun, etc. liars?

So you consider our coaches, who offer players like Darius Liggins scholarships, liars?

So you consider yourself a liar if you don't tell your current employer you're interviewing elsewhere? This is how the game is played, and everyone, on both sides, understands the game.

First I didnt say that I didnt understand the game and how it is played. In an earlier post I said I dont like how the game is played even when it benefits us. And no I dont consider myself a liar because when I go interview for a new job I tell my employer I am doing it.

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

First I didnt say that I didnt understand the game and how it is played. In an earlier post I said I dont like how the game is played even when it benefits us. And no I dont consider myself a liar because when I go interview for a new job I tell my employer I am doing it.

Then either you have a job that is unique in its job safety, or you are fond of being fired.

You also didn't answer the question that 6 people have now asked you. Do you consider our players that were once committed elsewhere to be liars?

[smootness]

He should have told his dad to keep his damn mouth shut and stay off the message boards if he was going to follow his heart. Wish him luck but his dad is a freaking idiot. Looks like mom won the day too.

What are you talking about? His dad never once say he wouldn't go to Ole Miss if they offered.

Essentially, all of the people upset with Rawlings and/or his dad are upset because they got too emotionally attached to a life decision for a HS kid they've never met and feel like they got their hopes up and had them crushed.

[thedawg]

So, again, when you accept a job, you go ahead and let your employer know you're looking elsewhere and will take another job if it's offered.

Yes, if I am looking for another job I tell my employer... It has came up and happened twice in the last seven years.

[thedawg]

Then either you have a job that is unique in its job safety, or you are fond of being fired.

I have never been fired in my life

[BeastMan]

Rawlings used MSU as a safety school in case OM didn't offer. That's smart on his part...we were the only SEC school to offer him. We should have played our cards better and not offered him until late - I bet OM would've never offered him if we didn't have one on the table. I don't think they trusted their own evaluations until we made the leap.

That's assumption based. OM passed on Rawlings. They told him no thanks. MSU liked him at camp. We offered and he took his only SEC offer. Nothing about that is weird or out of the ordinary. OM missed on a ton of higher profile OL and decided to offer him. That simple. Did his MSU offer force and OM offer as opposed to getting him to walk-on? Probably. That is completely different than maliciously using MSU for leverage which I think he or his family in no way did.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

Yes, if I am looking for another job I tell my employer... It has came up and happened twice in the last seven years.

Ive done the same. I got a raise when I did it.

[smootness]

First I didnt say that I didnt understand the game and how it is played. In an earlier post I said I dont like how the game is played even when it benefits us. And no I dont consider myself a liar because when I go interview for a new job I tell my employer I am doing it.

Haha. I seriously doubt that. Because you know as soon as they know you're looking, they're going to try to fill your spot. But it's even different.

Tell me this...when you go for an interview, do you show the employer a list of companies and where they fall on your list? Because that's what you're asking Rawlings to do...to say, hey, please hire me...but you're not first on my list and if this other company offers, I'm gone. Because in that scenario our coaches would have gone after someone else.

[Barking 13]

So you consider yourself a liar if you don't tell your current employer you're interviewing elsewhere? This is how the game is played, and everyone, on both sides, understands the game.

I have almost 35 years with a company... a better offer popped up, and I start my new job next week. I truly believe the Rawlings were committed to MSU and are thankful for the opportunity, until the "dream" offer came up... I can identify...

[thedawg]

Haha. I seriously doubt that. Because you know as soon as they know you're looking, they're going to try to fill your spot. But it's even different.

Tell me this...when you go for an interview, do you show the employer a list of companies and where they fall on your list? Because that's what you're asking Rawlings to do...to say, hey, please hire me...but you're not first on my list and if this other company offers, I'm gone. Because in that scenario our coaches would have gone after someone else.

No Im not... Its not the same scenario... I am asking people to commit when they are ready to commit but once they commit to follow through with what they say they are going to do... A more realistic scenario in the job world would be for me to accept a job and tell them I will be there at whatever date. The employer then calls all other applicants and tells them the position is filled. Then after whatever amount of time I call back employer and tell them nevermind another company offered me a job and we were in negotiations the whole time... Dont worry employer you can figure it out and this is how the game is played.

[smootness]

Ive done the same. I got a raise when I did it.

Then you can't compare that to Rawlings. We offered him everything we could offer. You knew that your company still had the opportunity to keep you, so it wasn't a 'if they offer I'm gone'. Or if you did tell them that, then accepted a raise, then you lied for the purpose of getting more money from them.

And we don't know what they told the coaches. They could have been 100% honest with the coaches. But we're all mad b/c of what they told US, which again, WAS NEVER A LIE. So we expect Rawlings to be forthcoming with every scenario just so we can sleep better at night knowing that a kid's decision that doesn't affect us in any material way is set in stone?

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

The dad started zero drama. The only drama was that OM offered an MSU commit late in the process. How did the dad start that drama? There is a major difference in what Mr Rawlings and what Mz Terry did. Like not even close.
Agree to disagree...out of all the prospects that we recruit, how many have started posting on a MSU message board? Words like "committed to state" and "all dawg" do not help the situation at all. No one asked him to start posting, he did it on his own.

[smootness]

No Im not... Its not the same scenario... I am asking people to commit when they are ready to commit but once they commit to follow through with what they say they are going to do... A more realistic scenario in the job world would be for me to accept a job and tell them I will be there at whatever date. The employer then calls all other applicants and tells them the position is filled. Then after whatever amount of time I call back employer and tell them nevermind another company offered me a job and we were in negotiations the whole time... Dont worry employer you can figure it out and this is how the game is played.

And that's what happens all the time.

Again, you're telling me that if you interview with one employer and they offer you a job, you tell them to hold on b/c you may have another offer, knowing the whole time if you tell them that, they'll offer someone else and you may be left with nothing?

Let me ask you this...at your job, have you ever once discussed something that was in the plans for a couple years down the road, in language that would suggest you'll still be there then, knowing you may at some point look elsewhere and won't actually be there two years down the road? Because unless you made sure to tell them, 'Hang on, I don't know what could happen. Nothing is in the works now, but I could receive another offer by then,' then according to your standard, you're a liar.

[smootness]

NM

[thedawg]

I want it to be known... Im not mad and crying about this deal... I understand better than most how this game works... I also hate every second of it... I was simply displaying my hatred from where we are as a society... Alot of you have only further proved my point for me... Our society tells us that you can lie if it betters you... You can lie when things get tough.. In the business world and in the recruiting world... Who can you trust? Coaches pull offers all the time. Kids lie like hell way worse than Rawlings did. I wish as a rule people would do what they say they are going to and follow through when they tell someone they will. Either way it is what it is. No matter what I think or dont think coaches are still gonna offer kids and drop them. Kids are still gonna drop schools and decommit and recommit and decommit and hold press conferences because they are recommitting to the same school. Im done with it.... Best of luck Mr Rawlings

[thedawg]

And that's what happens all the time.

Again, you're telling me that if you interview with one employer and they offer you a job, you tell them to hold on b/c you may have another offer, knowing the whole time if you tell them that, they'll offer someone else and you may be left with nothing?

Let me ask you this...at your job, have you ever once discussed something that was in the plans for a couple years down the road, in language that would suggest you'll still be there then, knowing you may at some point look elsewhere and won't actually be there two years down the road? Because unless you made sure to tell them, 'Hang on, I don't know what could happen. Nothing is in the works now, but I could receive another offer by then,' then according to your standard, you're a liar.

Dude there is no way your going to paint me as a liar... Ill tell you more than I wanted to tell you.. I am in coaching... We have a really strong Freshman class. I told my head coach just last week... I am here to see the 9th graders through.. After they graduate it will be a year to year deal for me because I want to move up.. I told him that verbatim.. He was cool with it. I got a call Monday and asked to come interview for a job. I turned down the opportunity mostly because I dont want to move and secondly because I am really committed to seeing this group through... I told my head coach about the conversation with the other school Monday.. Im sorry you dont operate that way.. I do.. lets call it a difference of opinion

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

Dude there is no way your going to paint me as a liar... Ill tell you more than I wanted to tell you.. I am in coaching... We have a really strong Freshman class. I told my head coach just last week... I am here to see the 9th graders through.. After they graduate it will be a year to year deal for me because I want to move up.. I told him that verbatim.. He was cool with it. I got a call Monday and asked to come interview for a job. I turned down the opportunity mostly because I dont want to move and secondly because I am really committed to seeing this group through... I told my head coach about the conversation with the other school Monday.. Im sorry you dont operate that way.. I do.. lets call it a difference of opinion

I'm still just waiting for you to answer the question you keep ducking - are Fred Ross and everyone else that we have playing for us who were once committed elsewhere also liars?

[smootness]

I want it to be known... Im not mad and crying about this deal... I understand better than most how this game works... I also hate every second of it... I was simply displaying my hatred from where we are as a society... Alot of you have only further proved my point for me... Our society tells us that you can lie if it betters you... You can lie when things get tough.. In the business world and in the recruiting world... Who can you trust? Coaches pull offers all the time. Kids lie like hell way worse than Rawlings did. I wish as a rule people would do what they say they are going to and follow through when they tell someone they will. Either way it is what it is. No matter what I think or dont think coaches are still gonna offer kids and drop them. Kids are still gonna drop schools and decommit and recommit and decommit and hold press conferences because they are recommitting to the same school. Im done with it.... Best of luck Mr Rawlings

I get what you're saying, but again, we have no idea what they told our coaches. They may have been 100% honest so it's a bit presumptuous to claim they lied to begin with.

And if the game is played in such a way that EVERYONE understands a 'commitment' is not necessarily a true commitment, then is it lying anyway? Again, they said, 'right now, I'm committed to State', which was true...they just publicly left out the, 'but that will change if Ole Miss offers'.

Again, it would be like you telling your employer what you planned to do 3 months out and being honest in that plan, then letting them know a month later something else came along and you won't be able to do the project that was planned.

And it's difficult for you to speak on this b/c apparently in your line of work being 100% honest at all times doesn't hurt you and in fact helps. To me, there is a clear difference about not being forthcoming about absolutely every possible scenario, and clearly saying something you know isn't true. I put the Rawlings in the former category.

[thedawg]

Im not ducking it.. In their recruitment they lied

[smootness]

Dude there is no way your going to paint me as a liar... Ill tell you more than I wanted to tell you.. I am in coaching... We have a really strong Freshman class. I told my head coach just last week... I am here to see the 9th graders through.. After they graduate it will be a year to year deal for me because I want to move up.. I told him that verbatim.. He was cool with it. I got a call Monday and asked to come interview for a job. I turned down the opportunity mostly because I dont want to move and secondly because I am really committed to seeing this group through... I told my head coach about the conversation with the other school Monday.. Im sorry you dont operate that way.. I do.. lets call it a difference of opinion

As long as under no circumstances would you ever consider leaving before that group graduated, then touche. Let me ask you this...if you got an offer to suddenly be a coach on the D1 level, would you consider it? Or if your parent became really sick and you needed to move to help them before they graduated, would you do it?

[blacklistedbully]

Sean did no less than what a huge % of recruits do every year, and that is, changed his mind. And since schools often change their minds, it's perfectly fine for kids to do so, unless there was some additional side-agreement, like, "We'll guarantee you a spot right now if, and only if, your commitment is 100% solid and you won't accept any other offer.", or if it's so late in the process that it screws over the team that offered you.

Personally, if the school I grew up loving knew I was a legit SEC talent, but waited until the last minute to offer, and only after I'd committed to the rival, I'd have told them to pound salt, and would mark that game on my calendar every year as a day to make them regret. Once I committed, my loyalty would belong to my school, not my former favorite. I guess I'd consider it a point of pride, honor & integrity. But that's me, and I'm different from most.

I truly believe that, as much as I hate Ole Miss, if they'd shown me the love & respect that comes with an early offer, especially with them knowing I was a State fan, and I gave MSU plenty of time to counter, but they waited this long, I'd have embraced OM as my team. Actions speak louder than words, and for me, that would have trumped my childhood fantasies.

But again, I'm not upset with his decision. We all have to do what we think is best for us. I do think he'd have had an opportunity to develop more here than he will there, but he either doesn't see it that way, or is still immature enough to put his childhood loyalties ahead of his potential future.

In the end, he seems like a nice kid from a nice family. I wish him luck in every game except one every year.

[Political Hack]

As a kid, I would've done the same thing had roles been reversed.

As a parent, I'd let my kid make the decisions as to where he wants to be the next 4-5 years.

[BeastMan]

As a kid, I would've done the same thing had roles been reversed.

As a parent, I'd let my kid make the decisions as to where he wants to be the next 4-5 years.

Bingo. Further, as fans there are multiple guys we are trying to flip right now and no one is questioning what their commitment means and how it reflects on their character.

[thedawg]

I get what you're saying, but again, we have no idea what they told our coaches. They may have been 100% honest so it's a bit presumptuous to claim they lied to begin with.

And if the game is played in such a way that EVERYONE understands a 'commitment' is not necessarily a true commitment, then is it lying anyway? Again, they said, 'right now, I'm committed to State', which was true...they just publicly left out the, 'but that will change if Ole Miss offers'.

Again, it would be like you telling your employer what you planned to do 3 months out and being honest in that plan, then letting them know a month later something else came along and you won't be able to do the project that was planned.

And it's difficult for you to speak on this b/c apparently in your line of work being 100% honest at all times doesn't hurt you and in fact helps. To me, there is a clear difference about not being forthcoming about absolutely every possible scenario, and clearly saying something you know isn't true. I put the Rawlings in the former category.

I do agree with you on one point... none of us have any idea what Rawlings told our coaches... So if in fact he did tell them "I want to come to Mississippi State but if Ole Miss offers that could change things." I would go on record as apologizing for calling them liars.

[The Croom Diaries]

That's assumption based. OM passed on Rawlings. They told him no thanks. MSU liked him at camp. We offered and he took his only SEC offer. Nothing about that is weird or out of the ordinary. OM missed on a ton of higher profile OL and decided to offer him. That simple. Did his MSU offer force and OM offer as opposed to getting him to walk-on? Probably. That is completely different than maliciously using MSU for leverage which I think he or his family in no way did.

I didn't say there was anything malicious. In fact, I included that I didn't think there was in this case in an article yesterday.

But if Rawlings wanted to go to OM from day 1, then he accepted his offer to MSU as a safety. It's just like a student who doesn't get accepted to a certain college on their early acceptance app but finds another school they would like to go to in case it doesn't work out again with their top choice.

I also wrote this on Monday - I think State should wait to offer these type of prospects. There's no need to be the first SEC offer all the time. We know he would have flipped to us from la tech or wherever in Jan. and I bet he's still a 2 star without an SEC offer. And if we don't have an offer until late I bet OM never offers by NSD.

[Jack Lambert]

the only thing I will give them credit on is the fact that they did it this week and not wait until the day before signing day or on signing day. I just kind of wondered if Ole Miss did not try to get them to do that.

[Vandownbytheriver]

This is the problem I have with these verbal commits. If you're not 100% sure you want to play for that school, don't try to force another school into offering you by committing to a school you have no desire to play for. If his school of choice all along was Ole Miss, he should have been pissed off it took State to offer just to get his offer at Ole Miss. If it was me and my kid, I'd have told them to get ****ed. Or, if you really wanted that offer, don't commit anywhere til you are 100% convinced. If you lose your spot and end up at a Sun Belt or CUSA school, you're still getting to play college ball and a free education.

[msstate7]

the only thing I will give them credit on is the fact that they did it this week and not wait until the day before signing day or on signing day. I just kind of wondered if Ole Miss did not try to get them to do that.

Rawlings was waiting till tomorrow to decide what he knew immediately. We didn't allow him and OM to string us out

[Vandownbytheriver]

As a kid, I would've done the same thing had roles been reversed.

As a parent, I'd let my kid make the decisions as to where he wants to be the next 4-5 years.

As a kid, no way I could commit to a school unless I knew it's where I 100% wanted to go.

As a parent, I tell my kid the same. If you are sure, commit. If not, wait it out. If State wants you now, they will want you in February.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

This is the problem I have with these verbal commits. If you're not 100% sure you want to play for that school, don't try to force another school into offering you by committing to a school you have no desire to play for. If his school of choice all along was Ole Miss, he should have been pissed off it took State to offer just to get his offer at Ole Miss. If it was me and my kid, I'd have told them to get ****ed. Or, if you really wanted that offer, don't commit anywhere til you are 100% convinced. If you lose your spot and end up at a Sun Belt or CUSA school, you're still getting to play college ball and a free education.



Amen

[Goat Holder]

I don't think you can handle it any better than what the Rawlings did. Came across as good folks to me. There may be hope for the Ole Miss faithful after all.

[GhostRider]

Looks like I'm late to the party but can someone post a link to where his dad was on message boards? I never saw that.

[CousinEddie]

What do you do? Me personally, my father would have never allowed me to commit and not honor it. Just how I was raised. My father loathes ole miss but he would have never allowed me to back out of my commitment. I figured the Rawlings were the same type of people. Guess not.

What would you do? No judgment either way.

Lets take Ole Miss out of the equation.

Hypothetically...you are a HS senior right now...and you commit to Southern Miss, because at the time, that is your best available offer. Ok, Southern sucks right now, but a free education is a free education.

Now, late in the process, State comes calling and offers.

You tellin me your father would make you honor your commitment to Southern...he would encourage you to not attend your dream school, the school that you grew up cheering for?

C'mon Son (http://media.tumblr.com/84ac605fd2ef9434c5ae6c34ae8f09a5/tumblr_inline_mnabsvGjXf1qcyflk.gif)

[Jack Lambert]

Rawlings was waiting till tomorrow to decide what he knew immediately. We didn't allow him and OM to string us out

They could have asked him not to say anything about the offer and just do it the day before signning day.

[CJDAWG85]

Lets take Ole Miss out of the equation.

Hypothetically...you are a HS senior right now...and you commit to Southern Miss, because at the time, that is your best available offer. Ok, Southern sucks right now, but a free education is a free education.

Now, late in the process, State comes calling and offers.

You tellin me your father would make you honor your commitment to Southern...he would encourage you to not attend your dream school, the school that you grew up cheering for?

C'mon Son (http://media.tumblr.com/84ac605fd2ef9434c5ae6c34ae8f09a5/tumblr_inline_mnabsvGjXf1qcyflk.gif)


See Damian Williams recruitment

[ckDOG]

In the ideal world, you make an objective decision and realize that you are likely going to have the best development and opportunity at a program that identified you early in the process and placed an emphasis on you. Fighting the stigma of backup plan isn't ideal.

But, I understand the emotional side to it as well and understand how you get to that decision. Sometimes, you just picture yourself in those school colors regardless of how you end up there. If you truly want to be some place and you don't pursue it when given the opportunity, you will end up regretting it and becoming bitter with your choice.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

Lets take Ole Miss out of the equation.

Hypothetically...you are a HS senior right now...and you commit to Southern Miss, because at the time, that is your best available offer. Ok, Southern sucks right now, but a free education is a free education.

Now, late in the process, State comes calling and offers.

You tellin me your father would make you honor your commitment to Southern...he would encourage you to not attend your dream school, the school that you grew up cheering for?

C'mon Son (http://media.tumblr.com/84ac605fd2ef9434c5ae6c34ae8f09a5/tumblr_inline_mnabsvGjXf1qcyflk.gif)

That is exactly what Im saying. This thread tells me a lot about peoples word and how people are these days....Im 30 for the record

He would have never let me commit there if I wasnt 100%. That is the point. Youdont marry a woman and 3 years later, a 10 wants to **** you and you leave your wife. You dance with who brought you.

If i had a crush on the hottest girl in school and she turns me down for prom, i ask the next best thing. Then if the original gets shot down a few times and ask me to go to prom a week before, i tell her to get ****ed.

[maroonmania]

That is exactly what Im saying. This thread tells me a lot about peoples word and how people are these days....Im 30 for the record

He would have never let me commit there if I wasnt 100%. That is the point. Youdont marry a woman and 3 years later, a 10 wants to **** you and you leave your wife. You dance with who brought you.

That was my earlier point. You don't marry when you commit, you plan to marry sort of like being engaged. Until you sign the papers you haven't taken your vows.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

Sounds like there are a bunch of pussies in this thread that dont mind being the backup prom date.

That would piss me off and i would play at 1000% percent and want to destroy msu every time i played them.

Guess yall are wired different.

[ckDOG]

Sounds like there are a bunch of pussies in this thread that dont mind being the backup prom date.

That would piss me off and i would play at 1000% percent and want to destroy msu every time i played them.

Guess yall are wired different.

Making a commitment only to later renege is generally despicable. However, I'm not sure I have high expectations for 17 year olds in being steadfast in their moral framework when 40+ year old men are constantly promising them the world and encouraging them to back off on their prior commitment. Football recruiting is pretty much corrupted every which way you look at it.

[CJDAWG85]

Sounds like there are a bunch of pussies in this thread that dont mind being the backup prom date.

That would piss me off and i would play at 1000% percent and want to destroy msu every time i played them.

Guess yall are wired different.



No wait... In your OP you said "No judgement either way." Now you are saying everyone is a bunch pussies because they aren't as mad about it as you?

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

No wait... In your OP you said "No judgement either way." Now you are saying everyone is a bunch pussies because they aren't as mad about it as you?

Touche'

[CJDAWG85]

No worries... IMO what we should've done is pull the offer once we found out he was going up there. Would've been interesting to see what OM did after that.

[TexasDawg]

We should rename this thread beating a dead horse