Blake Barnett Transferring from Alabama

[ellupo]

I don't disagree with you. The kid certainly shows (in my opinion - which is flawed because I don't know all of the facts, but based on what little I can see) low character. One thing you don't do is quit on your teammates. When you sign up to play, you make a commitment. It shouldn't be a commitment of convenience. So i get it - the kid is lame.

But my point is that the kid isn't substantially different (unless there is some traumatic event we don't know about that changed everything - in which case, all bets are off) than he was when Saban recruited him. So failing to uncover this character flaw is on the coach. That doesn't excuse the kid to be sure - but Saban shouldn't be glossing over the reality that it was he, as a recruiter, that brought this kid into the program.

I guess I dont see low character. I see a kid who wants to play, knows he is not playing at Bama and is making a move so he can play for someone next year without sitting.
Who should the kid put first himself and his future or his teammates?

 

[nddulac]

I guess I dont see low character. I see a kid who wants to play, knows he is not playing at Bama and is making a move so he can play for someone next year without sitting.
Who should the kid put first himself and his future or his teammates?

I see a kid more interested in lowering the bar than raising his performance. I also see a kid who quit on his teammates.

Both are pretty chicken-shit, if you ask me.

 

[uncfan103]

I see a kid more interested in lowering the bar than raising his performance. I also see a kid who quit on his teammates.

Both are pretty chicken-shit, if you ask me.

What does raising his performance get him?

No matter what he's going to have to work hard to play. He's going to have to raise the bar to make it in the NFL. He quit on his teammates, but he's improving his future.

How is transferring now worse than transferring at the end of the year? If anything, the coaching staff can now begin actively recruit his replacement for next year.

 

[Deep Creek]

Did he play right away? Because he wouldn't be able to these days ....

You didn't mention anything about playing...or enrolling for that matter. Here's your quote.

He would have to tell someone about his decision. You can't just leave campus and move into another university ... that's not how it works.

He DOESN'T "have to tell someone about his decision." He CAN "just leave campus and move to another university..."

I will definitely agree that something will have to transpire before he can play at another D-1 school, but the kid still doesn't have to tell anyone a damn thing. He can just up and leave. Sounds like that is what he did which is what I have a problem with. I don't blame him on iota from transferring at all. I have a problem with his timing and the way he did it...unless there are details that warrant him up and leaving immediately.

 

[BTSBuckeye]

I see a kid more interested in lowering the bar than raising his performance. I also see a kid who quit on his teammates.

Both are pretty chicken-shit, if you ask me.

All I see is a kid who wants to play in football games and knows that it's not going to happen at Bama, where a younger guy has come in and won the job.

Transfers happen all the time. The only reason this is even remotely a story is because A) It's Alabama B) Saban made comments about it.

 

[Deep Creek]

Transfers happen all the time. The only reason this is even remotely a story is because A) It's Alabama B) Saban made comments about it.

Not to me. Don't give one shit about Saban or Bama. The only reason I have a problem at all is timing and manner of which it went down.

 

[4down20]

I didn't say (or even insinuate) that he should be fired. What I am saying is that he should take some responsibility for his failure to assess the kid's character.

And in terms of coaches being expected to be physic - how would you feel if your coach was completely unable to predict and prepare for the opponents' offensive scheme? How about if a coach puts a kid out to play who is unable to handle the game pressure and keeps screwing up?

Damned non-physic coaches...

So he should have known Blake was going to leave in the middle of the season?

Hell, I think it just highlights the reason Blake didn't win the starting job to begin with.

 

[BTSBuckeye]

You didn't mention anything about playing...or enrolling for that matter. Here's your quote.

He DOESN'T "have to tell someone about his decision." He CAN "just leave campus and move to another university..."

I will definitely agree that something will have to transpire before he can play at another D-1 school, but the kid still doesn't have to tell anyone a damn thing. He can just up and leave. Sounds like that is what he did which is what I have a problem with. I don't blame him on iota from transferring at all. I have a problem with his timing and the way he did it...unless there are details that warrant him up and leaving immediately.

The whole point of Blake leaving now is because of legibility rules, so I thought that was a given. Permission-to-contact requires AD permission. So I'd assume Blake told the right channels about his decision.

 

[nddulac]

What does raising his performance get him?

Notice as a competitor? How many people who are successful at anything don't continually work on raising their performance? Honestly - this is a dumb question.

No matter what he's going to have to work hard to play.

There - you just answered your first question. And incidentally, there is no aspect of life where this is not true.

How is transferring now worse than transferring at the end of the year? If anything, the coaching staff can now begin actively recruit his replacement for next year.

Because he is no longer available to help them this year, as he promised he would be when he signed up to be on the team.

 

[4down20]

All I see is a kid who wants to play in football games and knows that it's not going to happen at Bama, where a younger guy has come in and won the job.

Transfers happen all the time. The only reason this is even remotely a story is because A) It's Alabama B) Saban made comments about it.

Nah, the only reason it's a story is because he did it in the middle of the season. It was expected at the end of the year.

I still wish him well, but he's going to need to get some more heart if he wants to be successful.

 

[nddulac]

So he should have known Blake was going to leave in the middle of the season?

Hell, I think it just highlights the reason Blake didn't win the starting job to begin with.

Just as it is a coach's job to assess who should start, it is also the coach's role to assess other character traits of players - like which of them are quitters. I never said he should have predicted the kid would quit in the middle of the season. What I said is that he should take responsibility for failing to identify the character flaw in the kid - that the kid is a quitter.

 

[uncfan103]

Notice as a competitor? How many people who are successful at anything don't continually work on raising their performance? Honestly - this is a dumb question.


There - you just answered your first question. And incidentally, there is no aspect of life where this is not true.


Because he is no longer available to help them this year, as he promised he would be when he signed up to be on the team.

1. My point was he's not lowering the bar. Being noticed as a competitor doesn't help him. He has to work no matter where he ends up. He has to work to make it in the NFL. So, leaving Alabama doesn't mean he gets to slack off and not work.

2. Correct, he didn't make this move so he could work less hard.

3. It benefits him so so much more than it hurts the team. They still have 3 four star QBs on the roster and they can find a replacement, but yeah, he can't help them this year.

 

[Deep Creek]

I'm pretty sure you still have to let someone know. Permission-to-contact requires AD permission.

You are talking about playing again at D1...and even that doesn't require contact. The only reason "contact" would be required is if he is trying to get released to play immediately or next year at another D-1 school.

Every player in America can leave their university immediately and enroll as a student in another one without any consequences whatsoever...as long as they meet entrance requirements and admission timelines. He may have to wait til semester to enroll, but he won't need permission from anyone at Bama.

 

[ralphiewvu]

Beats me.

What did you expect Saban to do? Leave Miami in the middle of the season?

One could always argue they expected Saban to fulfill his contract with Miami.

 

[uncfan103]

Nah, the only reason it's a story is because he did it in the middle of the season. It was expected at the end of the year.

I still wish him well, but he's going to need to get some more heart if he wants to be successful.

I don't see how this has to do with heart. You'd leave your job right now if you had another, better one, set up and knew that you didn't have a future with your company.

Why should he have to wait until the end of the year?

 

[Deep Creek]

Nah, the only reason it's a story is because he did it in the middle of the season.

I also have a problem with the way it seems to have gone down. I'm not a fan of people not having the guts to go in and tell their bosses/coaches things like this. Unless they "fear for their life", the act of "facing the music" is a learning experience IMHO. The fact you "did it" shows cajones, and you can learn how not to react in the future if your boss/coach is an ass and flies off the handle. Still learning process either way.

 

[uncfan103]

One could always argue they expected Saban to fulfill his contract with Miami.

Or at least not actively look for a new job during the NFL season.

 

[4down20]

The is leaving now so he does not have to sit out next season. If he waited he would have to sit next year. It sounds like this kid is smart. People are attacking him but what benefit does he get by sitting for a year doing nothing?

As far as Saban leaving Miami, he was never under some rules that made him sit for a year if he left before the end of his contract.

It's not as bad of a decision if he is able to get his eligibility this way. But as I understand it, he can't be the starter for another team next year even if he is able to play next year because he will have to miss the first 4 games of the year.

So if he goes to another team, they'll end up having to play another QB during that time and if he is the actual starter after that, it means they'll have to spend a bunch of time working with 1 guy, and then bring him in later ni the season. I can't imagine teams are going to be lining up for that.

 

[BTSBuckeye]

Nah, the only reason it's a story is because he did it in the middle of the season. It was expected at the end of the year.

I still wish him well, but he's going to need to get some more heart if he wants to be successful.

You are talking about playing again at D1...and even that doesn't require contact. The only reason "contact" would be required is if he is trying to get released to play immediately or next year at another D-1 school.

Every player in America can leave their university immediately and enroll as a student in another one without any consequences whatsoever...as long as they meet entrance requirements and admission timelines. He may have to wait til semester to enroll, but he won't need permission from anyone at Bama.

But we aren't talking about being a student. We're talking about playing QB. So if he wants to have a chance at being a starting QB next year he had no choice but to leave now. Otherwise he has to wait a full year. If this is indeed his plan, he would be required by NCAA rules to notify Bama's athletic department.

I guess we have to wait until more details are released.

 

[4down20]

Saban didn't have to deal with eligibility rules now did he?

Sorry, I don't understand what your point is supposed to be.