Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship's parents rip Kirby smart

[lilphilw]

We would gladly welcome you with open arms Rodrigo!

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/f...ustice-son-isnt-on-scholarship-220712858.html

So think the parents are bitter or does he deserve a scholarship? Sounds like he played well enough for one

 

[StyleKnight]

Let's get him.

 

[RUPartisan]

How is he on kickoffs? I never really understood what appears to be a real disdain for kickers and be grudging the good ones of scholarships when they are such an integral part of the team, but yet a 5th stringe tight end deserves one and may never see the field? seems to have earned it judging by his stats.

 

[koleszar]

Want to know how to get back at Kirby Smart? Mr. & Mrs Blankenship send Rodrigo to Rutgers, that'll show him.:)
We'll take 14-18 Fg and 26 of 26 pat and give you a scholarship. Just call I'm sure Ash will be very interested. O and you're not on scholarship you can play right away.

 

[Pritz99]

I would love to hear the actuall number of schools that call in the next week offering him a scholarship. Betcha it's a ton. Then Kirby will relent to avoid the embarrassment.

 

[Caliknight]

How is he on kickoffs? I never really understood what appears to be a real disdain for kickers and be grudging the good ones of scholarships when they are such an integral part of the team, but yet a 5th stringe tight end deserves one and may never see the field? seems to have earned it judging by his stats.

In defense of the 5th string TE, that guy is getting the shite beat out of him every practice.

 

[koleszar]

In defense of the 5th string TE, that guy is getting the shite beat out of him every practice.

Yea but that 5th string TE didn't kick them the game winner against Kentucky. I think that save from embarrassment alone should be worth a scholie from Kirby. I highly doubt Georgia boosters take kindly to losing to Kentucky.

 

[BoogieKnight]

Ugh, parents intervening at the major college level. As an educator/coach who experiences this at the high school level this turns my stomach. In fact, we had a team meeting about this very thing tonight and I feel bad for the head (bball) coach for having to put up with this. It certainly is a new age. I'm actually embarassed for Blankenship. Whether the parents are right or wrong is not the point. What's next? NFL players parents bitching to the coach about their kid not making a roster out of camp? Because that is the trajectory we are on in society.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

I read more about this, as Blankenship is from a high school three miles from my house. One article from DawgNation says he would have to go FCS to not sit out a year. It's a little different than a typical "helicopter parent" deal if the dad really is dipping into retirement savings to pay for school. Rodrigo sent something last night implying he plans to stay at UGA.

 

[Pritz99]

Boogie, this is not a situation where the kid's moaning and groaning (Or the parents, for that matter) about not starting, not getting enough playing time, isn't respected, ad nauseum. It's about a scholarship (seemingly deserved.)

 

[Mr_Twister]

Given it is the SEC, the FedEx package with "the goods" was delivered to the wrong doorstep.

 

[RUchip]

He's not wrong. Let him leave and then let UGA struggle with a walkon kicker because those always work out...

 

[madchuck]

I think if he wasn't happy he should just transfer or reach out to other schools without his dad publicly blasting the coach. If he called Rutgers, Ash would give him a scholarship tomorrow.

 

[StyleKnight]

Did Smart promise a scholarship at the start of the year?

 

[DJ Spanky]

I read more about this, as Blankenship is from a high school three miles from my house. One article from DawgNation says he would have to go FCS to not sit out a year. It's a little different than a typical "helicopter parent" deal if the dad really is dipping into retirement savings to pay for school. Rodrigo sent something last night implying he plans to stay at UGA.

That's the kicker right there, pun intended. It sounds like the parents thought (or were promised) that their son would earn a scholarship based on his performance. If they're having to take such drastic measures, then perhaps it is time for their son to move along to somewhere that will more appreciate his skills.

 

[Scarlett Fan]

this is about well over 100k-150k dollars or more in cash to the family they thought they would be relieved of paying

 

[IvyLeagueFootball]

Want to know how to get back at Kirby Smart? Mr. & Mrs Blankenship send Rodrigo to Rutgers, that'll show him.:)
We'll take 14-18 Fg and 26 of 26 pat and give you a scholarship. Just call I'm sure Ash will be very interested. O and you're not on scholarship you can play right away.

Walk-ons still have to sit out a year if the transfer. Tony Trahan had to sit out at Texas Tech when he left Rutgers.

 

[Dpgru]

Our kickoffs were awful, our punters couldn't flip the field, our field goals were non existent, Ash has to address this issue. If it means offering a kid like this then do it. This idea of bringing in walk ons and see how they do before we offer may work in places where they have a kicking game in place already but we clearly do not fall into that category. Ash must address the kicking game. Hopefully he is but if he is doing so it appears he is doing it very quietly.

 

[Dpgru]

Walk-ons still have to sit out a year if the transfer. Tony Trahan had to sit out at Texas Tech when he left Rutgers.

I am not totally sure of this but I think the sitting out rule only applies to players with scholarships. Non scholarship players can move to another school with no penalty since they were paying their own way.

 

[brodo]

Want to know how to get back at Kirby Smart? Mr. & Mrs Blankenship send Rodrigo to Rutgers, that'll show him.:)
We'll take 14-18 Fg and 26 of 26 pat and give you a scholarship. Just call I'm sure Ash will be very interested. O and you're not on scholarship you can play right away.

I doubt he would get 26 PAT opportunities at RU.

 

[IvyLeagueFootball]

I am not totally sure of this but I think the sitting out rule only applies to players with scholarships. Non scholarship players can move to another school with no penalty since they were paying their own way.

Baker Mayfield was a walk-on at Texas Tech and won the starting job as a true freshman. He transfered to Oklahoma over a scholarship issue with Texas Tech. He still had to sit out s year at Oklahoma even though he was a walk-on at Texas Tech and never received a scholarship from them.

 

[koleszar]

Walk-ons still have to sit out a year if the transfer. Tony Trahan had to sit out at Texas Tech when he left Rutgers.

You might be right, I figured if you payed your own way and somebody offers you a scholarship somewhere else the NCAA wouldn't penalize the kid. Apparently they do penalize the kid, I figured common sense would prevail here and that this rule would strictly apply to scholarship athletes only. I know I was a fool for putting common sense and NCAA in the same sentence.

 

[RUwoz]

His dad is insane. This is a website created for the kid (updated to now show his football stats) but shows the complete narcassm http://www.rodrigoblankenship.com/soccer-2015/

 

[Abro1975]

Non-recruited Student Exception
A student-athlete may transfer and play immediately if he or she met the following conditions at the first institution:

• The student-athlete was not recruited according to the NCAA’s definition of recruiting;
• The student-athlete never received an athletic scholarship; and
• The student-athlete did not practice or compete at all in athletics at the original school except for one 14-day period (i.e. a tryout).

.

Source: http://www.athleticscholarships.net/ncaa-transfer-exceptions.htm

 

[ScarletGrapfan]

Baker Mayfield was a walk-on at Texas Tech and won the starting job as a true freshman. He transfered to Oklahoma over a scholarship issue with Texas Tech. He still had to sit out s year at Oklahoma even though he was a walk-on at Texas Tech and never received a scholarship from them.

Mayfield's transfer and sit out had more to do with Big 12 intra conference transfer rules. They have since amended the rule to allow walk ons to transfer within the Big 12 without losing a year of eligibility. This change is why Mayfield can play next season.

Texas Tech back then claimed Mayfield had a written scholarship offer(Mayfield said they did not). So Texas Tech claimed he was a scholarship player.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Hate to throw cold water on this but.. can he handle cold weather? He's a Georgia native.

 

[RUwoz]

He also tweeted that he's staying at Georgia so this is all moot