Godfatha
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Quick thoughts of my own, and recaps from snippets on this and other sites / boards:
1. TCU Rivals site confirms that BB was on campus yesterday.
2. TCU is near Dallas.
3. Since BB was in Dallas yesteday, Arthur Sr.'s previous comments about, "not going anywhere" while he was fasting, seem (for whatever reason) false.
4. Apparently, the Browns wanted to keep the visit hush-hush and were somewhat angered when it was discovered to have been leaked.
5. Several long-term highly respected posters on this site and others began publicly stating, "Lock" to BB being a Vol in the middle and end of last week.
6. Although it could have been decided and announced weeks ago, the open practice was only announced late last week - and it has been highly publicized since then, in every conceivable fashion, including a "personal" e-mail which CLK just sent out this week.
7. Ordinarily, most coaches prefer to bring in recruits during the course of a seson, just to get a "feel" for a gameday atmosphere. Obviously, this wasn't an option for this staff - so they have consistently done the next best thing available and placed the recruits in front of some semblance of that experience, to the greatest extent possible. They've attempted to show some of the passion, so to speak, using whatever event could most display it in the off-season, notably, bball. Recall, it was their introduction as a staff at halftime of one bball game, and EB's recognitition of All-American honors at halftime of another. Both occurred during Saturday games over the course of the two largest and most critical on-campus recruiting weekends we had. Well, there's not basketball game at home this weekend - so how about 10,000 fans out to watch a practice?
8. Some have speculated that BB liked the Vols, but that Sr. and Butler were not sold - and pointed to the fact that they did not accompany BB to Knoxville on his official visit as cause for concern, and rightfully so. Despite whatever influence Butler may or may not have, or how active Sr. is or will ultimately prove to be in BB's decision - one or both of them will have some say in the decision, to be sure. Had neither of the two most influential people to BB not seen UT first-hand, it would be difficult to envision him signing here. But if they do.....and spend their own dime to do it.....
9. BB did not make the trip to Miami in conjunction with his latest visit to Baton Rouge - but recall the reason he had mentioned the timing of that particular visit.....to see the team in spring practice, which began on March 3rd. There may be some significance to that - considering that both UT and UM have had some recent staff changes. If I were a recruit considering a school, but had some uncertainty about a new coaching staff, my best means of measuring them would be how they conducted / held / managed spring practice.
10. Crompton was Bryce's host during his official visit. If I wanted to set a tone with someone close to a recruit, to show them what we were all about, and what it meant to be a Vol - I couldn't get them in front of Eric Berry fast enough. I might even send him to the airport to pick them up. If they were flying in.
11. What team representative would be available to meet someone at the airport immediately before the first full-contact scrimmage of the spring? Who could be missing, and go somewhat unnoticed on the sideline? Likely, the guy who you knew wouldn't be participating at all, and didn't expect to see. Forget this could be part of the duties of a Vol hostess idea - you don't have those on an "unofficial" visit.
12. Allegedly, the rumor first broke when a UT hostess told others that BB was coming back in. BB was "married" to a UT hostess on FB for quite some time, and she was listed as the same on her page as well. BB made one comment on one photo on her FB page, a funny remark about a photo showing his "wife" / hostess hugging another guy (completely innocently). BB remarked that he would "beat him up" if the cup he was shown to be holding (in the photo) contained alcohol. To whom did BB direct the one and only comment on any of the photos? Mr. David Oku. Likely, insignificant, but worth mentioning.
A mosaic of VSPN comments which have been posted either here or elsewhere (shall we say):
1. Has steadfastly insinuated that he had personal knowledge of "someone" coming in this weekend.
2. He has informed us that he has a follow-up interview with BB scheduled after March 16th (the day he signs).
3. He has mentioned that any "unofficial" rumors saying that BB was not coming in this weekend are just that, rumors. He presents hard evidence (i.e. texts, conversations, etc.) to the contrary - even after BH and Hymen (intentional misspelling, leave it alone) have said that he is not coming.
4. VSPN has clarified BH's previous "not coming" statements to mean, "not confirmed" or "will-not-publicly-state-until-"X"-has-occurred" - and not that he doesn't know, believe or have folks that are telling him otherwise. BH has recently left the door open by saying that he would not, "completely rule out" BB being here in the next 48 hours.
5. Jimmy Hymens is a moron who notoriously just flat gets it wrong - either stating his opinion or a "source" (see: Kelly, Brian; Brown, Marlon) and who only recently confirmed that Abe Lincoln was shot, and believes the assassin to have been one, "Mr. GreenJeans" from the Captain Kangaroo show.
6. VSPN has said that BB will arrive in an area with a "lot of concrete and lights with a big building in the middle of it....and that "birds" flew in and out of it via "direct" paths"....but then went on to say that he hadn't described anything in Knoxville. He also said that BB would not arrive in Knoxville via an airplane. Notably, McGhee Tyson Airport is in Blount County.
7. Yesterday, at 2:30pm EST he informed one poster who speculated about BB flying into Knoxville that he would be, "very happy with some news within the next 36 hours" - seeming to hint that BB would somehow arrive in Knoxville no later than 2:30AM EST, Saturday morning. The key word there is "within" - as in, before that time.
8. VSPN has said that someone would "break" this story sometime this afternoon or this evening, and in doing so, he would be vindicated in his predictions.
9. VSPN gave out the GPS coordinates for BB's destination as: 35° 49' N latitude and 83° 59' W longitude. Some call this place, "Knoxville".
10. BH mentioned that he didn't know how BB come come to Knoxville this weekend because he has an early-Sunday morning interview with a member of the media back home in Kansas - and that he would have to leave, "very early" in order to be back in time for it. Quite possibly, he is assuming that BB and family are driving, as they have done in the past - or that the media interview would have to be held "in-person" (from a person who makes his living doing telephonic interviews, no less)...which it doesn't. If so, one could leave TYS early Sunday morning and be home in Wichita by 10:45am CDT. If the interview could take place telephonically - and someone were driving - and you wanted to talk to the nations top recruit who remained unsigned for weeks after the conclusion of NSD, and one day before his much-anticipated announcement...what better time or opportunity would there be to do so than while he was stuck in a car, in the middle of a long road-trip home?
11. VSPN has said that someone special could be in attendance for hopefully all, or at the very least, some portion of tonight's practice....if they arrived in time to do so. As for the rain, he mentioned that there was a reason why we had skyboxes and luxury suites. This could not only be for the rain, alone, but also to allow someone to be quietly ushered in and up, outside of prying eyes. Where are the gates that fans will enter to attend the practice? Gates, 1,2, and 3. The gates which typically give the most direct access to either the skyboxes or to field level / Letterman's Club, locker room? On the opposite side of the stadium where entrance for practice will be permitted.
12. VSPN has commented that it would not be a matter of BB seeing anything (implying he's sold), but a matter of the two guys with him watching and "seeing" the two guys standing in front of him, most likely, members of the coaching staff.
So? What does all of this mean? Who knows, but take it FWIW, as just one person's opinion.
Most are like me, we cannot allow ourselves to fully believe it until the papers are signed - despite our belief in both VSPN and notable posters on this board - but at the very least, there is an awful, awful lot of things at play here. As we speak.
I will be looking around the stadium tonight (with binoculars), and believe that I'll see someone of interest to a lot of people - from Miami to Eugene - and all points in between. Until then, I will be keeping a close eye on this "bird":
FlightAware > Live Flight Tracker > American Eagle, Inc. #3599,
until it successfully lands.....and then hope that someone might know just who arrived on it.
VSPN, if you'd please confirm or deny at your leisure or ability to do so, I would appreciate your input on how accurate / stupid this all is. I don't know, nor profess to even be close - so, everyone else, please ignore everything in this post, believing it to be nonsense.
Thanks TD. It was getting annoying trying to sort through all this other bullsh@t.
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