Roger Reid now a BYU football recruiter?

[Flystripper]

Are people really surprised that BYU uses religion to recruit? Why is this a surprise to anyone? BYU is at such a disadvantage when recruiting nonLDS and fringe LDS kids that I don't have an issue if they pull the religion card with some of the very active LDS kids. Is it going to backfire sometimes? Sure, but it works more than it doesn't. BYU does not do with with every kid and every kid is recruited differently.

If they view a kid as a top priority in the recruiting class they are going to give him an offer and not ask him to walk on for the sake of his religion. Will they use a little guilt trip to secure the offer of the top kids? Maybe. They probably do it without even thinking about it since guilt is so ingrained in our culture. I can't get too worked up about the kids that get guilted into attending BYU when BYu is at such a huge recruiting disadvantage with the majority of the recruiting pool.

[Uncle Ted]

There is that mentality out there that it is a "privilege" to go to BYU. They might be a bit leary of a kid who doesn't jump at the chance to go to BYU, scholarship or no scholarship. Could be a kid who may not totally conform to the culture.

If the culture won't expand, well perhaps they are right in being leary of kids who don't "recruit BYU". Odds go up they won't serve a mission and easily merge in with the band of brothers.

They don't see all the advantages of being part of the "borg".

You didn't use the SU approved spelling of CULTure.

It seems there are only a handful of programs that allow players to take two years off for a mission and it seems they are all in and around Utah. Potential recruits outside this bubble are pretty much screwed if they want to serve a mission and play college football. It is more likely the odds significantly go down for LDS players to go on missions that go to other schools that are not so mormon friendly.

Of course there are/were many to quick forgive the Steve Young's, Jimmer Fredette's, and even, at least one time, the Jake Heap's that didn't serve missions because they were considered missionaries through their respective sports. For some reason I don't think the same consideration is given to LDS athletics that play at other schools for their "missions", especially if it is the University of Utah.

[byu71]

You are basing that on the article? Base doin his comment hat they "basically" said he would be a bad mormon?

If you aren't a good mormon, aren't you by definition a bad mormon. Is there such a thing as a neutral mormon.

Heck, check out CB when a kid turns down BYU for somewhere else. Suspicions automatically are he can't live the HC or is academically inferior.

[falafel]

Would it surprise you if Bronco said, "The likelihood that you go on a mission and remain active in Church decreases if you don't play at BYU."?

He's said it to the general public before. Do you think he doesn't take that angle in private? I'd be surprised if he didn't.

I don't see any evidence of that sort of conversation happening here. Do you have any?

[Flystripper]

If you aren't a good mormon, aren't you by definition a bad mormon. Is there such a thing as a neutral mormon.

Heck, check out CB when a kid turns down BYU for somewhere else. Suspicions automatically are he can't live the HC or is academically inferior.

if you are neutral or luke warm you are spewed out of a mouth or something like that.

[Green Monstah]

You are basing that on the article? Base doin his comment hat they "basically" said he would be a bad mormon?

See post above.

You and falafel are right that I can't know with 100% certainty whether homeslice was told "you'll be a bad mormon if you don't come to BYU," but it would not surprise me in the least if Bronco or Doman pulled the, "if you want to go on a mission and stay active in the Church, it's far more likely to happen at BYU."

I can also see how an adolescent can flip that into "They're saying if I don't go to BYU, I'm a bad Mormon."

Either way, I think religion was used to influence this decision, or, stated another way, with a negative spin, "religion was used to manipulate him."

[Green Monstah]

I don't see any evidence of that sort of conversation happening here. Do you have any?

Purely inductive reasoning. Really, you don't see any? Did you not read the article? You may not give the article much weight, but I think it's an entirely plausible situation, and I'd be surprised if it didn't happen a lot, and is therefore "evidense of that sort of conversation happening."

[falafel]

Either way, I think religion was used to influence this decision, or, stated another way, with a negative spin, "religion was used to manipulate him."

So you're saying that Bronco and the BYU coaches care more about a kid's eternal salvation than whether he plays football at BYU?

[Flystripper]

Purely inductive reasoning. Really, you don't see any? Did you not read the article? You may not give the article much weight, but I think it's an entirely plausible situation, and I'd be surprised if it didn't happen a lot, and is therefore "evidense of that sort of conversation happening."

I am still trying to figure out why we care.

[Green Monstah]

if you are neutral or luke warm you are spewed out of a mouth or something like that.

Mike Leach said that to his team once.

[YOUTUBE]BXRrqwD1GRo[/YOUTUBE]

I can't help but think of how many times he'd be quoted that scripture during his time as an inactive Mormon and that's why he was familiar with it.

[creekster]

If you aren't a good mormon, aren't you by definition a bad mormon. Is there such a thing as a neutral mormon.

Heck, check out CB when a kid turns down BYU for somewhere else. Suspicions automatically are he can't live the HC or is academically inferior.

I don't really go to CB anymore. It doesn't interest me.

I was curious about what is happening in this thread. This kid makes a rather vague comment, the same sort of comment that I have heard my kids make when they are trying to avoid specifics ("well, basically what happened is . . .") and people here are drawing conclusions about the types of leverage that were employed and the representations that were made, etc. It might all be true and, like FS says, it wouldn't be surprising if BYU tries to use religion to its advantage, but I sure don't know how anyone can talk about what happened with this kid.

[Green Monstah]

So you're saying that Bronco and the BYU coaches care more about a kid's eternal salvation than whether he plays football at BYU?

No, I'm saying that they actively play the religion card to recruit. It may come across to a recruit as using religion to manipulate his decision. Strictly speaking, it's an accurate statement.

[Flystripper]

Mike Leach said that to his team once.

[YOUTUBE]BXRrqwD1GRo[/YOUTUBE]

I can't help but think of how many times he'd be quoted that scripture during his time as an inactive Mormon and that's why he was familiar with it.

WSU hit it out of the park with this guy. Leach is awesome.

[creekster]

See post above.

You and falafel are right that I can't know with 100% certainty whether homeslice was told "you'll be a bad mormon if you don't come to BYU," but it would not surprise me in the least if Bronco or Doman pulled the, "if you want to go on a mission and stay active in the Church, it's far more likely to happen at BYU."

I can also see how an adolescent can flip that into "They're saying if I don't go to BYU, I'm a bad Mormon."

Either way, I think religion was used to influence this decision, or, stated another way, with a negative spin, "religion was used to manipulate him."

And is this manipulation worthy of approbation? Is it worse than any other type of manipulation int he recruiting process? Should we tell them not to point out that BYU is much more supportive of missions and church activity than any other school? IOW, so what?

[Green Monstah]

I don't really go to CB anymore. It doesn't interest me.

I was curious about what is happening in this thread. This kid makes a rather vague comment, the same sort of comment that I have heard my kids make when they are trying to avoid specifics ("well, basically what happened is . . .") and people here are drawing conclusions about the types of leverage that were employed and the representations that were made, etc. It might all be true and, like FS says, it wouldn't be surprising if BYU tries to use religion to its advantage, but I sure don't know how anyone can talk about what happened with this kid.

Maybe we can talk about it based on the kid's own words.