I really don’t like writing on this type of subject, plain and simple. So why am I doing it? Well, I just wanted to put my thoughts out there after hearing so many other viewpoints that are flat out obnoxious and wrong. Probably the best summary of the situation I have read so far was Mike Rutherford’s piece on CardChronicle that can be found HERE. My intention is to sort of expand on that as well as go in a few different directions. For the sake of keeping this somewhat organized I am going to break it down in divided sections. Let’s begin.
1. Louisville isn’t in a great position to absorb things like this at the present time. Like it or not, with the issues the school has faced whether it be hiring Coach Petrino, the Katina Powell ordeal, or any other controversy that has plagued the school in the past several years, there really isn’t a lot of wiggle room. I’m not quite sure how Tom Jurich should have handled this current situation but then again, I’m not putting that much thought into the matter just because it’s not something that I have to worry about. No matter what Jurich had said there were going to be talking heads and writers doing their thing to spin it based off of their individual agendas. We just have to accept that part of it.
2. For those talking heads, writers, bloggers, Michael Rosenberg, and anyone else who has hopped on the slander bandwagon: Just because you want it to be true, doesn’t mean it actually is true. You speak of these “morals” that should have held Coach Galloway to a higher standard that would have reported even the smallest bit of information yet you spew preconceived, agenda driven information based on hatred and slander. You don’t have to like Coach Petrino. You don’t have to like Louisville. But don’t sit here talking down on something when the person doing the talking is no better.
3. Tommy Elrod supposedly provided Louisville with plays and formations Wake Forest had been practicing recently. I’m a little confused how he had obtained this information himself, to be honest. Admittedly, I don’t know every inner-working of an athletics office but I didn’t realize radio broadcasters had the type of access to the team as Elrod apparently had. Also, let’s just be honest here: Todd Grantham and Bobby Petrino have seen about every possible formation and play there is in football. They also prepare for a variety of plays and formations every single week and to some extent prepare for a wide variety of trick plays, gadget plays, or any other “oddity” that exists in football. If I were to announce that in Louisville’s game against LSU they were going to run a RB counter to Radcliff, would anyone even pay attention to me? Of course not. What about a deep post to Seth Dawkins? How about if I said they had been practicing a 4 wide set with an empty backfield and a tight end? Still nothing. Now, what if I said that if Louisville gets the ball inside the 5 yardline they have scripted play X, Y, and Z in order? YES, big deal. Guess what? That didn’t happen. This information was minimal at best. No matter how big someone makes it out to be it just wasn’t that big of a deal.
4. I am tired of this “what if a student found answers for a test” comparison. It’s lazy and it doesn’t equate whatsoever. This is COLLEGE FOOTBALL. It’s an eat or be eaten career, like it or not. You don’t think the coaches are looking to gain a leg up on the competition? You live under a rock. “They shouldn’t accept any information like that”, really? So why are formations, plays, and personnel encrypted in signals? The other coach shouldn’t be looking at any information made known to them, right? Why don’t we just get a big Jumbotron for each sideline with Madden on it showing how the play works? The opposing team will be warned to not look, don’t worry. Oh, but you say this is a leak? Again, Tommy Elrod was on your payroll and given access to this information. Next time maybe you will be accountable for your own program’s actions.
5. Coach Lonnie Galloway and Tommy Elrod were former co-workers and from what we know, still friends. Your friend calls you up because they just robbed a bank, took 5 hostages, and killed 2 people? Yes, please snitch on them for the sake of humanity. This is not that situation and frankly, I don’t think any of those involved with criticizing Louisville would have turned their friend in either for that. I don’t think that it’s secret information that dirty recruiting happens in college athletics. Coaches have been caught doing it and will continue to be caught. Do you not think that opposing coaches know when these things go on? Hint: They do, yet you don’t have these coaches going to turn in their competitors, not to mention someone who is a friend. Still, the practice of dirty recruiting unfairly harms another school, coaches, fans, etc. Like I mentioned before, the information wasn’t a set of nuclear launch codes. Why would you turn in someone who is your friend for it knowing it will likely ruin their career and most likely a lot of their life? I don’t think many would.
Chris Person
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