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At a MSU signing day party in Starkville, Croom opened up his speech by assuring everyone that "each and every player they had signed could in fact read." ( Which, if history repeats itself once again, means that we can now look forward to several academic casualties from this MSU signing class ).

Now granted, he did not indicate what exactly they could all read ---coloring books, arrest warrants, CD labels, rap lyrics, etc. And he did not say that they could all speak English ---ebonics perhaps. But, he was clearly making a slam at Powe and Ole Miss. Classy guy.

Lord, I pray that Powe gains eligibility to play football at Ole Miss. Please forgive my impure, evil thoughts of revenge, retribution and unnecessary roughness against thine enemies, and re-direct my thoughts toward the best interests of a young man less fortunate than most ---and much bigger and stronger than most. Amen.

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I'm sorry, but that's pretty funny. Not something a head coach oughta be saying though. Especially one that pretends to be so concerned about "character." When he was first hired, I thought Croom was a good find and would lead the Dawgs back to bowl eligibility and clean up the stink that lingered after the departure of Jackie Wayne. Boy was I wrong. And the best part is that he looks to be pretty solidly entrenched.

mottlet

What makes you think he was referring to Ole Miss or Powe. He could have been refering to countless other places and recruits. Or did his statement strike pretty close to home. Also, every coach every where takes shots at their rivals when they are before the "faithful." So what? I guess O has never made a dig at State.

But as to the real problem:

I think its pretty obvious that Mississippi has a real problem with its educational system. For Powe to get all the way through 12 years of school and then find out he can't read because of dyslexia is a frikking travesty. There are educators and administrators that ought to be held personally accountable for situations like this all over the state and nation. But thanks to the NEA, MEA, and the educational "cover yo ass" bureaucracy, the people that are guilty of educational malpractice don't have to worry about it.

About 65% of our entire state budget goes to education and this is what we get for it. And make no mistake, Powe is just the tip of the iceberg.

However, I don't want to let these kids, their coaches or their parents off the hook. These kids have learned that being a good athlete allows them perks and privledges that many other kids don't get. And that means being allowed to get away with stuff at school. Depending on the school and how it is run, that can be a little or that can be alot. But it happens.

How many of these coaches really care about academics outside of the player remaining eligible to play. Did Powe's coach know that Powe had a problem? If he did, did he try to get the kid some help when he found out? Or did he turn a blind eye to the problem because "I've got to have him this year for our championship run." or some other such type of reasoning.

And the parents -- My God, if you don't know your son can't read after 18 years of raising him, that's beyond pathetic. If you did know he couldn't read and weren't raising three kinds of hell to get your son some help, that's pathetic too. You don't wait to the kid's senior year to ask for help!

As far as Ole Miss recruiting Powe, I don't have a problem with that. Going in to the recruiting process what have you got to go on -- evidence (eye-witness or video) of the guys athletic prowess, and the kid's school transcript. From the transcript and talking with the kid they probably knew they weren't dealing with the sharpest knife in the drawer, but so what -- every school recruits dumb players. Ole Miss was probably as shocked as everyone when it was found out he couldn't read. If Powe winds up signing with and attending Ole Miss, I hope somebody gives this guy the help he obviously needs. If Ole Miss doesn't try to help this kid when he gets there, or Powe refuses to do what it take to improve his reading problem, than may the guilty party get what they deserve.

it's funny that the mother and the tutor have both publically stated that he can in fact read, just not as well as others his age..... yet, everybody wants to take the statement that was taken out of context in the first place and say that he can't read...

Yelp, its a much better story for our rivals and those critical of UM, if he "cannot read". The truth really does not matter to them. And its a shame the ammo they needed came out of his mother's ill advised, innaccurate comments, and perhaps some over-lawyering.

From what I am hearing now about the ramifications of the RE situation, it appears that Croom and company may have done us a HUGE favor. It looks like clear sailing now for our borderline academic signees to get admitted, including Powe. If true, I'll toast my glass to that and a lot of future wins.

Kudos to Coach Croom, Melvin $mith, and Gene Gene, the dancing machine. ROCK DAT #2!!!!

What makes you think he was referring to Ole Miss or Powe. He could have been refering to countless other places and recruits. Or did his statement strike pretty close to home. Also, every coach every where takes shots at their rivals when they are before the "faithful." So what? I guess O has never made a dig at State.


Is it just me or did you change thought processes mid paragraph? Did Croom take a shot at Ole Miss or not you need to make your mind up!

What makes you think he was referring to Ole Miss or Powe. He could have been refering to countless other places and recruits. Or did his statement strike pretty close to home. Also, every coach every where takes shots at their rivals when they are before the "faithful." So what? I guess O has never made a dig at State.


Is it just me or did you change thought processes mid paragraph? Did Croom take a shot at Ole Miss or not you need to make your mind up!

The reason I phrased it like that is because who knows how he meant it. Croom knows how he meant it, and probably the crowd that heard him knows what he meant -- through body language, or other surrounding comments. But the line, as originally quoted, is ambiguous. If you think he was taking a dig at Ole Miss then so be it. Croom and the people that heard him are the only ones that know for sure. And I wasn't there.

I just don't know for sure that "he was clearly making a slam at Powe and Ole Miss." Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't.

As to Powe's ability to read or not -- if he can read, good for him; and I apologize for besmirching his reading ability. I had been under the impression that he could not read because of dyslexia. Regardless, it is evident that he has a substantial learning disability and that the educational system failed miserably in diagnosing his problem and giving him the help he needed. As I said before, if he goes to Ole Miss, is he going to get the help he needs are is he going to be used for a year or two and then just leave school without a degree. Now, granted, that may happen anyway, no matter how much Ole Miss tries to help him. He may use Ole Miss just like Rory Johnson used Ole Miss, as nothing more than a stepping stone for a potential NFL carreer. If he makes it to the NFL, fine. He's improved his lot in life. But if he doesn't make it, what then?

I may be drastically underestimating here, but I think 70% of the students, alumni, and fans of any school really don't give a damn what happens to these guys once their playing days are done. Oh sure, we follow their carreer if they go on to the NFL, but after that -- who cares. If they don't go to the NFL -- who cares. Unless you are a personal friend of this person or grew up in the same town with them, you don't give a hoot. They are throwaway heroes.

I, like most of you, love football; but our devotion to our respective schools makes all of us just a little bit crazy (some more than others). If you step back and read the posts on this board from an objective standpoint and see just how adamant everyone is in the certainty that "our" recruits are the best and can do no wrong, and how awful, criminal, or dumb everyone else's recruits are -- it just seems totally psychotic. "Our" coaches and recruiters are great (at least while we are winning) and above board and never cheat while everyone else lies, cheats, and buys players. It's insane. I like to think I bring some logic and reason with me when I post, but I am still an MSU fan -- and fan is short for fanatic. I cannot totally remove my biases. But mark this, If Powe goes to Ole Miss it'll be RAH RAH RAH till he is gone. If he doesn't go to Ole Miss, he'll be forgotten and there will be somebody new to RAH RAH RAH next year. And that goes for every school, not just Ole Miss. For most people, it doesn't matter what these kids can or can't do -- as long as they can win football games. And after they're gone -- who cares?

Dude, come down off of the soapbox. He was talking about Powe; let's try and not kid ourselves here. And you know what?? I think that's great. It was stupid on Croom's end and will end up just being one other thing that comes back to bite him in the booty. Assuming Powe gets qualified (looks like the third time is gonna be the charm), State doesn't have any two offensive linemen that can block him. And believe me, it's gonna take two. And now this man-child is even more motivated because Croom pulled off one little recruiting coup and thought it was safe to open his mouth.

mottlet

34-2 twist sam shade, mike willie fire, rover 3 go.

the defense is complicated stuff boys.. be careful what you wish fer...

"See that prima donna QB with the clean jersey holding the football --- separate him from the ball and his limbs".

Complicated stuff indeed.

i'd loved to heard the biatching from the um fans if the shoe had been on the other foot and powe had been trying to sign with state for the 4th time. .. or however many times it was!!!

Now Bigwater, name one time that I have "bitched" about the academic credentials and subsequent qualification of ANY players ever signed by MSU. You can't, because I have not. And I have sat back and quietly witnessed the likes of Pegues, Prather, Dante Jones, Pistol Whip Bullard, and many others get eligible and enter MSU. And the reason why I have not said anything is that it would be hypocritical of me to do so ---expecially with the likes of Tim Bowens, Joe Gunn and many others having entered Ole Miss.

Such is why all of this criticism surrounding Powe is so surreal. I know for a fact that MSU, Auburn, and LSU have made complaints to the SEC office re Ole Miss signing Powe and seeking to have him admitted. These very same complaints have led to the over-scrutiny surrounding Powe's admission and have effectively kept Powe out of UM and made him the poster child of what is wrong with college football. And when you consider the athletes that THESE complaining schools have signed in the past and their own academic scandals, those complaints would be hysterical, if they weren't so pathetically hypocritical.

Put it this way, in an academic competition, I would put my money on Powe against Prather any day of the week.

Trust me on this ---- the recent "activities" surrounding the RE signing by MSU have pretty much all but guaranteed the admission into UM and NCAA clearance of most all of UM's academic borderline recruits, including Powe , provided he simply completes the classes he is taking. You won't be hearing any more about the RE matter from any official representative or in any official capacity from the UM camp. This matter has been settled behind closed doors with the SEC office and its member schools. Its over and done. No one will be going on probation or be investigated.

Many thanks to Sly, Melvin, Gene, and company.

Prather received an acceptance letter from Miss State University to attend school and a scholarship to play athletics. Jerrell Powe has yet to receive either.

Prather wins.

Sounds to me like y'all need to complain to the ones who originally called the guy illiterate. Don't hate the echo.