There’s rivalry, there’s passion, and then there’s this: An Ohio State “fan” had to issue an apology after putting a $2,000 threat on the head of a Michigan committed recruit.
All of this comes on the heels of that recruit, Logan Tulley-Tillman, sending out a picture of him burning a letter he received from OSU after his announced commitment to Michigan was posted on Twitter.
Of course the individual stated he meant the “$2,000 to whoever sidelines this kid permanently” as a joke, but even then… really, REALLY? That’s your idea of a joke?
I mean, I get being a passionate fan – heck I wouldn’t be writing this or any article for MTB if I wasn’t – but there’s passion and then there’s pure stupidity! Yikes. It all goes back to a column I wrote a few months back, calling for people to stop stalking these kids on facebook and tweeting at them like they are their best friends.
It’s one thing to send them a congratualations, or give them a follow to see what their choice may be in the end, but seriously, leave the kids alone already! There’s something just super creepy about grown men seemingly trying to justify their “coolness” by “friending” 15, 16, 17 year old kids.
Let them make their choices in peace. It’s one thing to contact them from a journalistic perspective like we’ve done to bring you, the fellow passionate fan, a perspective future Badger’s thoughts on the process and what they like about Wisconsin. But it’s an entirely different thing for fans to harrass, threaten, browbeat, etc. these kids.
Ask yourself this question? When you were 17 what would you think about a bunch of grown men/women trying to influence your choice on where to go to school? Chances are it wouldn’t have much affect at all, but if it did it might only be a negative thing. I know when I was that age I didn’t want to do what everyone else was telling me to do. In fact, many recruits have gone on record as saying this type of behavior has actually turned them off of playing for a particular school.
Let this be a lesson to everyone out there: STOP HARRASSING RECRUITS! In the end the irony of this particual situation is that a man who claims to be an Ohio State fan through and through is now going to be donating $2,000 to the University of Michigan. Next time you think of tweeting something at a recruit, keep in mind it could cost you and your team dearly!
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