Football: Everyone's watching Kemoeatu now
Now that Kahuku lineman Anthony Siilata has made it official and faxed his letter of intent to Oregon State a day late (see Lya Wodraska's Utah blog for more details at http://blogs.sltrib.com/utes/index.htm ) attention has focused on his teammate, Benji Kemoeatu.
He is the player, of course, who announced Wednesday he was going to West Virginia, but wasn't able to send the letter because his parents were out of town and needed to sign it. Since then, rumors have circulated that the family is unhappy with the decision.
Nobody has been able to reach Kemoeatu -- surprise, surprise -- since Signing Day, but a Kahuku source told me last night that he might be waiting until his brothers, NFL players Chris and Ma'ake Kemoeatu, return home for Pro Bowl festivities.
The parents were scheduled to return home late last night from a church conference, according to a sibling who answered the phone yesterday.
I am not advocating negative recruiting, but if I were a coach at Utah or Oregon State, the two schools who were also in the running for the four-star recruit's services, I might want to make sure the family hears about a story that broke from Morgantown on Thursday.
New West Virginia coach Bill Stewart dismissed three players charged with felony possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
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Utah basketball beat writer Michael C. Lewis has blogged in the past about Brad Tinsley, the Oregon prep player who was released from signing with Pepperdine when that school's coach quit during the season. Utah is one of the schools that was recruiting Tinsley before he signed with Pepperdine, and is apparently now back in the picture to land him.
However, the Utes have acknowledged they probably won't have a scholarship to give him the first year.
Here's more on the situation from the Oregonian newspaper:
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1202444711279710.xml&coll=7
He is the player, of course, who announced Wednesday he was going to West Virginia, but wasn't able to send the letter because his parents were out of town and needed to sign it. Since then, rumors have circulated that the family is unhappy with the decision.
Nobody has been able to reach Kemoeatu -- surprise, surprise -- since Signing Day, but a Kahuku source told me last night that he might be waiting until his brothers, NFL players Chris and Ma'ake Kemoeatu, return home for Pro Bowl festivities.
The parents were scheduled to return home late last night from a church conference, according to a sibling who answered the phone yesterday.
I am not advocating negative recruiting, but if I were a coach at Utah or Oregon State, the two schools who were also in the running for the four-star recruit's services, I might want to make sure the family hears about a story that broke from Morgantown on Thursday.
New West Virginia coach Bill Stewart dismissed three players charged with felony possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
-------------------------------------
Utah basketball beat writer Michael C. Lewis has blogged in the past about Brad Tinsley, the Oregon prep player who was released from signing with Pepperdine when that school's coach quit during the season. Utah is one of the schools that was recruiting Tinsley before he signed with Pepperdine, and is apparently now back in the picture to land him.
However, the Utes have acknowledged they probably won't have a scholarship to give him the first year.
Here's more on the situation from the Oregonian newspaper:
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1202444711279710.xml&coll=7
16 Comments:
So Jay, sometimes, just when I think I am beginning to understand you, I learn that I have much more work to do. Are you saying that the fact the new coach at West Virginia dismissed three players for felony possession of marijuana would be a disincentive for this recruit to attend West Virginia? He should select Utah or Oregon State instead because this coach wronged these players and Utah and OSU coaches would not do this? Help us all understand. Don't things like this happen at most all schools?
Count me in the group needing further explanation what the comment meant. Negative recruiting because the coach actually punishes activity he has classified as against team policies? Negative because teenagers are using marijuana in college and that can't possibly be going on at Utah?
Or maybe Whittingham could tell the recruit's parents about how great it is to attend the U, where players drive drunk and don't get punished.
yOU 2 ARE IDIOTS
It clearly means that this sort of activity can't be good going on at WV. Marijuan with intent to distribute. Ya thats a great enviroment for a future NFL er
Dave it right - Vancougar and Ryan are idiots. I'm surprised they could figure out how to log on and make a comment.
I think the Kemoeatu's would definitely not want their boy to be on a team made up of drug dealers. It is very clear that was what Jay was saying.
Good point Jay. Anytime a program has something negative like this happen with its players it can tend to affect recruiting.
Coach Whittingham wouldnt be wrong to point out to recruits that the University of Utah runs a clean program. I know I would.
OK, I get it. This doesn't go on at Utah, just at bad places like West Virginia...and probably Oregon State too. I am an idiot. Thanks for explaining. And the kid has one obvious choice now - UTAH! I love common sense. Is "marijuan" a form of marijuana?
Yeah, the kid should go to Utah, where Alex Smith sexually assaulted a girl in a bar yet still was allowed to play in his final bowl game, the baseball players vandalize property and photograph themselves committing the crime, the football players steal parking permits, and a little knife fight here and there is no big deal. That's not hypocritical in the slightest. Besides, if he goes to another school Coach Kyle will call him up on the phone and cuss him out just like he did Harvey Unga. Get real Utes, your program is no better. No program is immune to these occurrences.
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Too all BYU fans, especially mars: You are all MORONS. Alex Smith didn't sexually assault anyone, check your facts. Players being attacked by hoodlums with knives could have happened anywhere. And Whittingham didn't call Unga and "cuss him out". Unga called him and Whittingham allegedly(and understandably) got upset that Unga broke his word, aka LIED to him. As for the mudslinging: how about two instances of alleged gang-rape? how about breaking and entering over water balloons?
Actually, I went back and checked the facts based on newspaper and police sources and Mars is correct on all counts. He is not a moron. I was happy to have his list to help me understand this issue.
Vancougar-Now you have just proven yourself to be a dishonest person and a MORON just like mars. There's no way you checked police and newspaper sources to confirm Alex Smith sexually assaulted someone, because he never did. Brett Ratliff was accused of it, but never convicted. If you had checked the facts you would know this. And the only article about Unga/Whittingham was a column by Monson and nowhere in that column does it say that Kyle 'cussed him out'. Better go repent to your bishop for lying so that you don't get kicked out of BYU or the church. What a loser. Why would you lie to back up another posters false information? Because you, like all BYU fans, are a loser.
You are quite correct. I often mix up the many great Ute quarterbacks and did so this time. Sorry. Ratliff was not convicted but your comments suggest you are the one not understanding what went down there and in other recent incidents. And no need to name-call. The point continues to be this - all football programs have blemishes when it comes to the behavior of student athletes. Certainly BYU has had them. To suggest that a recruit should discard West Virginia for Utah because of these kinds of problems is patently absurd and does not meet the common sense test.
I wasn't commenting on the issue of whether or not all programs have problems, rather I was pointing out that mars did not have his facts straight. Name calling aside, I was also pointing out that you were less than truthful when saying you 'checked the facts' and that mars was 'correct on all counts'. He was not at all accurate about Smith or Kyle and you obviously didn't verify his claims. As for not 'understanding what went down' with Ratliff or 'other recent incidents', I read the paper, listen to talk radio, and watch the news. I know as much as any fan could know about these situations without having actually witnessed them. You and mars however seem to think you can present your own interpretations of what happened and label them as facts. Typical BYU fans.
Uteblunder has somehow found a way to miss the entire point of this long and fascinating exchange while at the same time resorting to name calling each time he posts. So I give up on him and this thread.
vanLoser-Let me see if I have this right: mars presents false information as fact, I call him out for it, YOU LIE to back up his claims, I bust YOU for LYING, I admit I am not commenting on the broader issue(rather I was pointing out that mars and you are wrong and or lying), I call you what you are(a loser), your feelings get hurt, you say I don't know what I am talking about, I further explain myself without the name-calling, and you follow up by saying that I 'resort to name-calling' each time I post and that I still don't get it(while at the same time making a lame attempt at name-calling). Well if you had read my last post you would know that I didn't resort to name-calling in all of my posts. As it stands, I am left to blieve that either you can't read or you can't stop lying. Which is it? My guess is both. Although, I guess you could interpret my saying that you are a 'typical BYU fan' as an insult, I know I would. Have a nice day.
From West By God Virginia, Kemoeatu, please, please, please come to West Virginia, we need you .
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