Arkansas not releasing Rotnei Clarke
Email
PrintNew Arkansas head basketball coach Mike Anderson has proved to be as petty as the NCAA, and Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley (not a group one should aspire to be associated with). Since the firing of John Pelphrey, leading Razorback scorer Rotnei Clarke has asked to be released to transfer to another school twice, and has twice been turned down by the child-like Anderson. This follows in the footsteps of Volunteer football coach Dooley refusing to release running back Bryce Brown (who was recruited to UT by Lane Kiffin), who is now at Kansas State.
This practice, quite simply, should be outlawed by the NCAA. Coaches are allowed to move from school to school (although at times there is a buyout clause connected to a coach leaving one school for another), so why all the fuss and handcuffing of the student-athletes? Clarke, who is a rising senior, will have to sit out a year, while paying his own way, and then have one year of eligibility remaining if he opts to leave Arkansas in his rear-view mirror.
Anderson, Dooley, and their ilk need to grow up and accept the fact that most times athletes choose to play for a coach, not the school, and when the coach who originally signed the athlete is fired or leaves for another school, it's only fair and right that the athletes be granted the same freedom of movement.
21 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Seems so obvious
to everyone but the NCAA, I guess.
God Bless Our Troops............Especially Our Snipers!
The apple never falls far from the tree
He’s a Richardson clone so he has no choice but to be an ass.
"SPORTS"--Not interested----"CATS"--Pull up a chair,I've got all night.
He's a decent coach,
but that doesn’t change his personality
"SPORTS"--Not interested----"CATS"--Pull up a chair,I've got all night.
Glenn, a question ...
If Clarke is determined to not play for Anderson, what are his options? Any?
He can transfer,
sit out a year (while paying his own way) and then have one year of eligibility remaining.
by Ken Howlett on Jun 18, 2011 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Ken, ...
Thanks for the information.
So, the difference between getting the release and not is that with a release he could go to another school and sit out this next season on scholarship (like Harrow) and without a release he would have to pay his own way for the year he sits out. Cost him and his family $30,000 -Anderson is absolute scum.
If I were him I’d be headed back to Oklahoma to play for a very appreciative Sooner or Cowboy team – seems a least cost solution (in state tuition) for an intolerable situation.
BTW: I apologize for not recognizing you as the author of the original post in my earlier comment.
normally,
I totally agree with you on this topic, Ken. It really does bug me that athletes who have lost their coach due to firing, them leaving, etc. are not allowed to leave as well, and this sort of does too, but not entirely. I mean, Clarke has been in Arkansas for three years. Does he not feel any loyalty to the people, fans, friends that have been cheering him on for three years and for all that he’s met? I guess not if he wants to leave, but I can tell you that if say Liggins or Miller wanted to leave after three years because their coach was let go, as a fan of theirs I’d feel sort of upset at them too, you know?
Main point – I think it does matter just a little if the athlete that wants out has never actually set foot on campus or competed for a team’s or school, or if they have sort of set down roots for three years and been part of the community. If that makes any sense.
One can look at it,
as if Rotnei has had the rug pulled out from under him. My guess is he is wanting to go because he may not be used the way he was under Pelfrey and that is why he came to Arkansas.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
I think more times than not, the recruit likes the coach
More than the school. Of course, that never happens at UK. ’-) Well, yes, I sadly think, maybe it does.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
BSC ...
I think of it sort of like no-fault divorce – One of the couple doesn’t want to be married anymore – do you seriously think it a good idea to force that person to stay in the relationship against their will?
As to staying for “the people, fans, friends that have been cheering him on for three years” – Consider the coach, John Pelphrey, was let go because his teams didn’t perform, the players were roundly reviled for their failure to win and the people who booed, jeered, cussed, criticized and castigated them vastly out numbered the ones “cheering.”
Now Clarke has emerged as arguably the best player from those teams but he certainly wasn’t shielded from the majority of the vitriol spewed and when all the people you are closest to have been treated as they were and finally unceremoniously rejected would you want to stick around and try to kiss and make up?
Rotnei Clarke
A University exists for the purpose of serving the students primarily from my perspective. The decision here should be, “how can Rotnei best be served?”. It is particularly important here because the student in question is a working student, athletic scholarship.
To force someone to work for an organization he does not wish to work for without suggests almost a type of indentured servitude, some might even suggest a type of slavery.
If the roles were reversed, how would Long and Anderson wished to be treated? What if Missouri refused to let Anderson out of his contract after he made the decision to not work there any longer? Rotnei strikes me as the type of person who would act in the best interest of the student if the roles were in fact reversed.
Yet Another Example
Of athlete as serf.
"Statistics are no substitute for judgment" — Henry Clay (my namesake)
Agreed
College athletes get short end of the stick most of the time.
by FortyYearCatFan on Jun 19, 2011 8:31 AM EDT up reply actions
It's not just the right thing to do, it's also the smart thing to do
If Clarke doesn’t want to play for Anderson, what exactly does he (Anderson) think he is going to get out of him this last year? Or does he plan to simply keep Rotnei on the bench the whole season?
3 > 2, except for very large values of 2.
lemme put some feelers out
around here….i have been so wrapped up in my kid’s summer plans, new switcher at work, UK news, etc I haven’t heard a word about this. I heard he was leaving but not the Anderson bit…
Seems like a b*tch move to me. Let the kid go. A handful of kids left already what’s one more? With the hype and buzz Anderson has going he should be able to get some kids in on the fly. Tough first season but ball will roll and pick up momentum. I hope to see Anderson get the Hogs up to snuff soon. Make the SEC a VERY competitive league again.
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
This is potentially a very big deal for Rotnei
If he has a very good senior season it could lead to a significant pro career money-wise, whether it be the NBA or another league/country. The best shot Rotnei has is to be used in a system that benefits him. If he is convinced that Anderson’s system will not benefit his style of play then it could have a huge detrimental impact on the rest of his life from a monetary perspective. The way it works – Anderson and Arkansas would not be liable for that. Think Liggins. If we had kept BCG there is no way Liggins would be working out with just about every NBA team in advance of the darft. It may not always be fair to the school but there is the player to consider as well. And it is the school that fired BCG, Pelphrey, and every other coach that has ever been fired. It was their decision and they knew some players might want to leave because of it. The players have nothing to say about these moves.
Anderson and Arkansas need to grow up, stop being childish and stupid. Keeping Rotnei for another year will definitely NOT help them in the long run. They won’t get players this way.
Kentucky Basketball - The Reason for Living
Seems like he hasn't been happy there at all.
This is not the first time Clarke has considered transferring. In fact, he reportedly wanted a release from the program under Pelphrey at the end of the 2009-10 season, but decided to stay. KNWA said Clarke has asked for a release at least three times in the three years he was at Arkansas.
Plus this
KNWA, a Northwest Arkansas-based TV station, citing "sources close to the Arkansas program," reported Friday that Coach Mike Anderson informed the team that Clarke was no longer a Razorback. It is unclear if Clarke was dismissed from the team or granted the scholarship release he was seeking.
His sister left the volleyball team there earlier this year. Entire link HERE.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Clarke has been released
but no “official” announcement from university as of yet.
Couple of recruits may be jetting as well. Main thing to remember from Arkansas right now: Archie Goodwin. He’s down to UK and Hogs…Hogs NEED him, UK would LOVE to have him.
Saw in comments section after article where Mizzou fan said Hog fans better not get their hopes up for “40 minutes of hell” because Anderson’s teams don’t play that way…more like 20 minutes of tornado intensity and 20 minutes of walk your butt up the court. Sheesh! Whar’s the love! hahahahahahaha ;j
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Community Guidelines
[UPDATED 01/18/2012]
Related FanPosts on A Sea Of Blue
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
