The Cost Of Winning - 5 Things To Know About College Recruiting
Finding "the one” has never been so difficult.
Is there anything coaches won’t do?
Whatever it takes,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. Making it to the big leagues is a big deal and nearly impossible. Only 3-5% of athletes, in any sport, will make it to the collegiate level, let alone the pros. Some players are recruited as young as junior high. SO YOU’RE SAYING THERE’S A CHANCE?
2. Prospective student athletes have the opportunity to have five “paid” official recruiting visits to schools. This means all expenses related to the prospect’s visit are paid for by the school. These are also the trips you hear about that may or may not involve parties and other tactics to get recruits excited about the schools. But they, nor their families, cannot receive gifts or payments from any school. WILD AND FREE
3. Coaches go to lengths to get their top prospects to commit with school visits and extravagant home visits. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has climbed a tree, went to school with top prospects and had a sleepover complete with some Netflix. One coach wrestled a prospect and another serenaded a recruit or two (and it worked). WHATEVER YOU’RE INTO
4. Head coaches don’t have to only win over the athlete, but their families. One coach went as far as writing a recruiting letter to a prospect’s cat. And sometimes things don’t always go as planned, like when one mom ran off with the letter of intent and no one could find her. (His dad later signed the paperwork. That led to a court battle). WHEN YOUR MAMA IS THE DRAMA
5. While you might think that a college coach’s job is to call plays and win the big game, 50% of their time is spent recruiting. You might remember a story about Arizona State University’s football coach Herm Edwards, who spent his career in the NFL. He had no idea about having to recruit AND coach. WELCOME TO THE WORLD
Thanks to the Bedford Agency for their help with today’s post. Just like we relied on them for great info for this post, college recruits across the country from all sports (and their families) rely on Bryan, a former division I recruiting director, and his team to navigate the recruiting process.
Wednesday Wisdom
Here’s what everyone will be talking about this morning at the watercooler including how Michael Jordan proved he's the real deal, a NYC Fashion Week debut, more Antonio Brown and why Team U.S.A. is scared. READ
The Ridiculous Day That Is ESPN8: The Ocho - The 5 Things You Need To Know
Why today is arguably the best day in sports.
Life is too short for normal so today the fan favorite, ESPN8: The Ocho is back. The one day takeover features obscure global sports that you won’t want to miss.
What more could one ask for?
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. Inspired by the Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn flick “Dodgeball” The Movie,” ESPN8: The Ocho is in its third year. While the past two years have been on August 8 (8/8), this year’s takeover is on August 7 because of preseason NFL (National Football League) football. It’s still the eighth month so guess we’ll let that slide. BOLD STRATEGY, COTTON
2. You knew your life was missing something and it was clearly lawn mower racing. Yes, racing around the track on riding lawn mowers. The mower must have originally been designed and sold commercially to mow lawns but the blades are removed for racing. Another interesting specification is that the mower must remain suitable for lawn cutting, with the exception of certain approved modifications. BURNING RUBBER
3. Since pizza isn’t fun enough, let’s talk pizza acrobatics, another event featured on The Ocho. This cheesy event, which has been around since the 80s, will feature the “LeBron James of pizza acrobatics,” five-time world champ Tony Gemignani. A pizza acrobatics routine features tricks like simultaneously rolling two pizza doughs across your shoulders, is typically 2-3 minutes long and is choreographed to music. NOT KETO FRIENDLY
4. Ever wondered what to do with those pits in the cherry? How about spit them for a world record? The Ocho will air the 46th Annual Cherry Pit Spitting Championship because why not? (Don’t Google it because it’s not airing live and it’ll spoil the surprise). There’s a men’s, women’s, dignitary and youth division. THAT’S A TALENT MADE FOR TAILGATING
5. Other events today include spikeball, axe throwing, chess boxing, arm wrestling, Stupid Robot Fighting League and of course, dodgeball. The day will start and finish with a showing of “Dodgeball: The Movie” because what else are Wednesdays made for? BLOCKING OUT CALENDAR NOW
Wednesday Wisdom
Besides the Ocho, let’s talk about the hottest topics in sports including the grossest photo so far from football season, the athlete’s home that could be yours and a basketball record that’ll have you thinking twice. READ
If I Can’t Have You
Who found their lobster, is there a new career on the horizon for a few senators and a Hall of Famer’s commercial that’s so bad you have to watch?
If we can’t get a Sunday reboot, might as well make this Monday worth it.
Let’s do this,
The Last Night’s Game Team
MLB (Major League Baseball)
The newest class of the MLB Hall of Fame was inducted this weekend. The New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera was the first player to receive an unanimous decision to be enshrined, but on his big weekend his awkward Toyota commercial is getting all the buzz. The wife of the late Roy Halladay, who died in a plane crash 2017 at age 40, delivered an emotional induction speech on behalf of the two-time Cy Young winner.
Elsewhere in baseball, Luke Voit of the New York Yankees took a 91-mph fastball to the face but stayed in the game. Later, he scored a run in his team’s rout of the Colorado Rockies. TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM
Overtime
Kevin Harvick won the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) race in New Hampshire and lucky him, as the winner he received a 22-lb. lobster. His young son promised to kiss the crustacean and was a man of his word. THAT’S A FIRST KISS HE WON’T FORGET
Sideline stat
Age ain’t nothing but a number to boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. On Saturday night, he beat Keith Thurman, who is 10 years his junior in a 12-round fight. A senator in his home country of the Philippines, Pacquiao not only took home a $10 million paycheck for his win but became the fifth oldest champion ever, regardless of weight class. FOR THAT PRICE, MAYBE SOME AMERICAN SENATORS WILL HOP INTO THE RING?
Coaches’ corner
The wind was howling and the weather was terrible at The Open in Ireland but the crowd was behind their countryman, Shane Lowry, as he claimed what some are calling the greatest Irish victory since the tournament began in 1860. NOTHING A LITTLE JAMESON CAN’T WARM UP
What to watch
The NFL (National Football League) season is around the corner with training camp starting this week. It’s essentially the spring training of football. Keep an eye on #1 draft pick, quarterback Kyler Murray in Arizona and wide receiver Antonio Brown at the Oakland Raiders camp. Brown is known for his outlandish arrivals at training camp. Last year it was a helicopter and previous years featured custom painted Rolls Royces.