Guy Decommits Because of Message Board

#1
rexvol

rexvol

The Minister of Defense
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Apr 29, 2006
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#1
Wisconsin decommit due to message boards.

Sticks and stones will break your bones but words will never hurt you.

Unless, of course, you're Vander Blue.

In that case, the words hurt.

And it was only a matter of time before we got here, wasn't it?

"These so-called Wisconsin fans, what they had to say on those [message boards], it really made me second-guess: Do people really want me here?" Blue told Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "Because I know if I was a fan and I heard about a recruit [who might be struggling academically], I'd be more like: 'What can we do to help him?' And not, 'Let's make him feel like the worst person in Madison right now.'"

Vander Blue decommitted from Wisconsin earlier this week.

It was not national news.

He is not John Wall.

But what made it a national story -- and perhaps a lesson for the uncivilized world of message boards, if we're lucky -- is that the decommitment was prefaced by a story about the Madison native's alleged academic woes, which led to some Wisconsin fans spending their days publicly bashing the Class of 2010 standout on the Internet. They questioned his attitude, character and intelligence. And guess what? Vander Blue read it and it bothered him.

He is 16 years old, by the way.

"I felt like I was in a corner, trapped and I couldn't get out," Blue told the Milwaukee paper. "I just felt like it was so unnecessary. I don't think I'm that worse of a guy. Sometimes I might be tired and have a little attitude, [but] I don't think I'm a horrible person.

"Forty year-old adults talking about somebody who don't got their license yet; I just felt it was so unnecessary," Blue added. "Picture yourself in my position. Rumors going around, you're just keeping quiet. And you read the article and 1,000 people [are] throwing you under the bus."

It would be easy to spend the next 250 words killing Wisconsin fans.

It would also miss the larger point.

Because this is not a story about Blue and Wisconsin as much as it's a story about message boards, and how total anonymity allows people to attack and attack and attack with little regard for the folks they are attacking. On a personal level, I can't tell you how many wild (and anonymous) words are written about me each month either on message boards or via e-mail; words that question my integrity, background, education, sexuality, hairstyle (that one's open for criticism, I suppose) and anything else you can imagine. Every once in a while, I actually take the time to respond in the most reasonable way I know. And more times than not, I get a response within hours from somebody apologizing and explaining how they would've never been so rude or brash or ignorant if they really believed I would read it.

Well, I got news for you: I read it.

As does Vander Blue.

And though I'm an adult with a high-profile job who is by definition fair game, Vander Blue is -- as he put it -- "somebody who don't got their license yet." He has not graced magazine covers, played on national television, appeared in police blotters or done anything to make himself a target. The only notable things about him are that he's pretty good at basketball, and that he has committed to and decommitted from Bo Ryan's Wisconsin program. That's it. And yet dozens if not hundreds if not thousands of people -- some of whom are most certainly adults with children of their own -- have spent this week trashing Blue and everything about him to the point where it's reasonable to presume they've hurt the future recruitment of the prospect they once believed would lead the Badgers to Big Ten titles.

That's the kicker, you see.

Though Blue decommitted from Wisconsin, he never eliminated Wisconsin from his list of potential destinations. Rather, he just said he wanted to take another look around and make sure everything was a right fit because he committed when he was only 15. Makes sense to me. It probably makes sense to most people. But his wavering didn't make sense to some Wisconsin fans, and they responded with personal attacks that led to a good old-fashioned your-school-sucks/no-your-school-sucks war on a message board with Marquette fans. Poor Vander Blue just caught in the middle, young Vander Blue now scarred by the wrath of the same people he thought loved him just weeks ago.

He said it all made him feel like the "worst person in Madison."

But I suspect some anonymous posters have a better hold on that label.
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,
 
#12
#12
I'm guessing the Wisconsin board would have had an issue with some of our recruits. As long as they qualify, that's about where our concern for academics seem to end.

Of course, it's fine if they are smart, but still. We'd like to have a good football team.
 
#13
#13
attention recruits: i love all of you.

so come here
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we have to remember these are just kids going into adult hood. and i love all recruits who are going to be a Vols and wish the guys well that aren't interested. :good!:
 
#15
#15
pretty simple fix---

e-napalm for all the people who down the boys. get them to steppin'.

<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bPXVGQnJm0w&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bPXVGQnJm0w&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>
 
#17
#17
dickens821 said:
I'm decommitting from VolNation because you were so rude to that poor kid :no:
Click to expand...

I suppose that makes me the worst person on the internet?


Seriously though, I can't imagine being so thin skinned that I am that bothered by something that someone I have never, and probably will never meet says.
 
#18
#18
emainvol said:
I suppose that makes me the worst person on the internet?


Seriously though, I can't imagine being so thin skinned that I am that bothered by something that someone I have never, and probably will never meet says.
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Well he IS only 16 (which I think is a legitimate point). And in his mind the Message board fans are a complete microcosm of the Wisconsin fanbase (incorrect, just like anywhere else). Plus he might end up signing with Wisconsin. He just doesn't want to play where a bunch of douchey yankees are gonna harass him.
 
#19
#19
dickens821 said:
Well he IS only 16 (which I think is a legitimate point). And in his mind the Message board fans are a complete microcosm of the Wisconsin fanbase (incorrect, just like anywhere else). Plus he might end up signing with Wisconsin. He just doesn't want to play where a bunch of douchey yankees are gonna harass him.
Click to expand...

Douchey necks are much cooler.

And I say that in all seriousness.
 
#22
#22
emainvol said:
I suppose that makes me the worst person on the internet?


Seriously though, I can't imagine being so thin skinned that I am that bothered by something that someone I have never, and probably will never meet says.
Click to expand...


I can see two sides of this coin clearly. I know where you're coming from. As athletes these kids and young adults have to realize that when you take away accountability from people , as the message boards and blogs have, they become big mouthed pricks. You have to let it roll off your back and not pay any attention to it because half the crap these idiots spew , they don't even know why they're saying it.
On the other hand, especially as someone at his age, what do you expect?? He knows the majority of posters on a Wisconsin board are gonna be supposed Wisconsin fans. So if there's 200 posters a day tearing you apart in all aspects of your persona , they must not like you . RIGHT? I mean, why else even take the time to log on and bash someone mercilessly if you don't mean what you say? For all this kid knows, the bullcrap they are spewing about him must be what they really feel about it. Why else would they say it? This kinda mess is what I've been ranting about lately. Don't grow a pair of big boy balls the second you get behind the computer and shat all over them just because they can't identify you. How big of a puzzy can you be... That's exactly what I was talking about with JC. When other recruits read these boards and you're throwing poop bombs at your current QB while hiding behind the screen, they notice it. And all but a very few of them are gonna think the same thing that Badger recruit thought. WTF am I getting in to....Think about being on his side of the coin once in a while.
 
#23
#23
Tennessee Jack said:
pretty simple fix---

e-napalm for all the people who down the boys. get them to steppin'.

<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bPXVGQnJm0w&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bPXVGQnJm0w&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>
Click to expand...


Nice.
 
#25
#25
footballref said:
If it happens here it will be national news.
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And should be. The vast majority of vol fans fully and openly support LK's angle of playing the class clown to get attention , so you rise and fall with him. FWIW I think he's done about the best he or anyone else could do in such a short time,as far as bringing in the upgraded players, so I'm not bashing him for it. But if you roll with the robber , expect to do the time with him as well.
 
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