Gov Jeb Bush caught in middle of NCAA recruiting flap

[seafan]

Bush caught in middle of recruiting flap

By Emily Badger
Tallahassee Bureau
Posted February 5 2006

TALLAHASSEE · Florida State may be facing a secondary NCAA violation -- one that would warrant essentially a slap on the wrist from the governing body -- after Gov. Jeb Bush delivered a favor to university President T.K. Wetherell.

Bush admitted last week to sending a message to New Jersey high school football player Myron Rolle, the top-rated recruit in the country, according to some recruiting services, encouraging him to come to the Sunshine State.

And, more specifically, Florida State.

And now -- with Rolle already on campus -- the university is preparing to send an explanation to the NCAA.

snip

Bush went on the defensive -- not because he may have cost FSU a finger wag from the NCAA but because he appeared to show the school favor when FSU wasn't the only state football power recruiting Rolle.

"The mistake I made was listening to the president of FSU say that was being recruited by Stanford, Duke, Notre Dame, Michigan," Bush said. "He failed to mention that he was also being recruited by the University of Florida and the University of Miami. So I would have done the exact same thing for the Gators and for the Hurricanes, I promise you.

"Truth be known, I'm a Hurricane fan," Bush said.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-bushfsu05feb05,0,5915546.story?coll=sfla-sports-headlines


That's our Jebbie, the micromanager.

[fooj]

1. He tore himself away from the shredder? Holy crap.

Peace.

[seafan]

5. LOL Our li'l Jeb is a meddler, that's for sure!

[bliss_eternal]

2. What the...?

Doesn't he have enough to do as governor?

So he's a *recruiter* now? Am I correct in suspecting this action on his part came with some sort of 'kick back'?

[seafan]

3. Miami Herald: FL GUV JB RLY KSES UP 2 YNG MR

Posted on Sun, Feb. 05, 2006

FL GUV JB RLY KSES UP 2 YNG MR
BY FRED GRIMM


Jeb wants to hang with Myron.

When you come to Tallahassee again, let's hook up with each other, the Guv suggested.
It was something of a miracle that Myron Rolle even noticed Gov. Bush's text message, given that his cellphone was being inundated with scores of fawning missives every day, most of them from the 83 different universities recruiting his services.

snip

The governor's new homeboy, of course, is a senior at a New Jersey high school. Myron's reported to be a very good student, but, more important to Gov. Bush, Florida State University and thousands of whacked-out Seminole fans, he's considered one of the best high school football players in the nation.
Naturally, the Guv wants to hook up.

snip

The news that a governor had joined the unseemly solicitation of high school athletes came out during testimony last month before the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, when Rolle added his experiences to testimony describing mad, sleazy, expensive, out-of-control recruiting tactics.

snip

David Ridpath, professor of sports administration at Mississippi State University and director of the Drake Group, which seeks to replace corruption in college athletics with academic integrity, was stunned to learn that a governor had leaped into the recruiting muck. Bush, he told me, was using his prestige to reinforce that grand illusion foisted on young athletes: What they do on a playing field transcends academics and the other mundane pursuits that occupy lesser mortals. (The Guv knows that he won't garner much publicity by sending text messages to New Jersey's merit scholars.)

snip

But the Gators, who also coveted Myron Rolle, could hardly compete with a text message suggesting that the defensive back, between games of course, could hang out with the Guv. ''Doesn't a governor have anything better to do?'' Ridpath wondered.
''You wonder what's next, Ridpath said. ``A message from the governor's brother?'' U want stop by Wite Hus next time in DC?

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13787947.htm

[peekaloo]

6. That made me laugh!

Jebus, Jebthro throwing down some text skilz. :rofl: Yo Big Head in T-Town got the hook up. :rofl:

[seafan]

7. Hey, that's pretty good too! So much of Jeb's hoodoo to go around. n/t

[Flying Dream Blues]

4. He puts the dumb in dumba**, for sure.

[graywarrior]

8. Put a feed bag on him.