Buffs and J. Smith
Written by
neill in Wednesday, June 3rd 2009 under
Buffs
"Almost as soon as the story came out that CU officials would not immediately grant a blanket scholarship release to Josh Smith, I started to get e-mails and phone calls berating CU for its decision.
My take? Can’t blame them. CU on good faith invested two years and thousands and thousands of dollars on Josh Smith’s education. CU gave him every opportunity available to further his football career and enhance his pursuit of a college degree. He was awarded a scholarship when plenty of other D-I schools were not ready to take a chance on him, and he was awarded a starting job and given ample opportunity to display his skills.
I don’t blame Smith for wanting to leave. Kids change their mind. Kids decide they want to follow another path. Guaranteed, lots of us changed our minds at that age. I love to see a kid follow his heart, and evidently, his heart is filled as much with music as it is football.
But that doesn’t mean CU has to necessarily reward him for changing his mind. Josh is free to go anywhere to any school and pursue any degree he chooses.
But CU is also quietly setting a standard that other schools around the nation have set or will soon be setting. In a day and age when kids transfer on a whim, schools are saying those kids won’t be rewarded for their change of heart — particularly after they’ve invested lots of time and money.
Josh Smith wasn’t treated unfairly in his time at Colorado. Neither is CU treating him unfairly upon what appears to be his departure.
CU simply isn’t going to reward him for changing his mind."
Bravo Neill
Couldn't agree more.