Tebow's dad helps Florida recruit?

by HenryJames on Jan 18, 2010 9:44 AM CST

Last week GamecockCentral.com, Rivals' South Carolina site, put up an article on their blog saying that Urban Meyer used religion to gain the commitment of defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd.

Coaches talk about their religion all the time with players and recruits, but this was different. Much different.

The blog post said Floyd's coaches relayed what Meyer told Floyd in a phone conversation a few days before the U.S. Army All-American game.

“Sharrif was really confused and put a call into Coach Meyer. When they spoke Coach Meyer told him that he had a ‘dream’ the night before, and that Coach Meyer saw himself on the sideline coaching Sharrif. Told him that is was a "message from God that I should come back and coach, as I guess if it’s my time to die, I'd rather die on the sidelines coaching you than anywhere else in the world.

"Sharrif talked to us the next day and said Ohio State is great and all, but Coach Meyer said he would DIE for me. That's pretty intense. From that day on Sharrif mainly kept to himself. But that was the turning point in my eyes."

That's both surprising and not so surprising. It's surprising that Meyer would be that manipulative regarding a recruit's religion. It's not so surprising that God, like many old Jews, has retired and is living in Florida.

When I first read the post, I wanted to know more so I looked for the original article that had the quotes from the coaches. But there was no link to it in the post and no mention from where the quotes came. So I used the google on the internets, but every hit just kept bringing up the same quotes without any original source. And that set off my bullshit detector.

Turns out the original source for the quotes was a post on an Ohio State site's message board. I have no dog in this fight, but I'm loath to believe anything those couch-burning jackanapes write. The original article, which was posted on ShaggyBevo, did not have any attribution for the quotes. After the ensuing shitstorm, the author of the blog post inserted the following: According to a quote that first appeared on a Ohio State site and has made the rounds on the internet, here’s what the coaches said:

That's called covering your ass. But you should never take for gospel what is written on a message board (except ours, of course). And you should certainly never use direct quotes from someone without verifying their accuracy. Or something.

Three days after the original article appeared, the Florida Rivals site wrote an article that refuted the story. Floyd said it never happened, and Floyd's head coach, Ron Cohen, told a recruiting analyst for Rivals that the story was unfounded.

But the damage has already been done. If a story isn't immediately corrected on the internets, it takes on a life of its own. You'll notice that the ShaggyBevo thread doesn't ever link to the corrected article posted on the Florida site so if you only read that thread (or many of the other threads out there on this) you'll probably think Urban Meyer did say those things to Floyd. It just reinforces what you already believe.

As Mark Twain said, "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes."

At least we think he said that.

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Comments

So what you are saying is that the Bible is all bs?

by dick on Jan 18, 2010 10:06 AM CST reply actions

I love the word “jackanapes”

by henley on Jan 18, 2010 10:15 AM CST reply actions

No Dick, just where they keep calling Tebow “Jesus.” And where they say Holy Land they mean Florida. Jews and all, you know.

by Jrog on Jan 18, 2010 10:36 AM CST reply actions

There are plenty of opportunities to crack on Meyer for legitimate reasons, no need to just make shit up. It sounded fishy when I first heard Ketch report it on his radio show. Not as a rumor or anything, he reported it as a straight fact.

by Hornmatic on Jan 18, 2010 10:43 AM CST reply actions

A story like this is too important to worry about trivialities like whether it actually occurred.

by Minnesotahorn on Jan 18, 2010 10:48 AM CST reply actions

A story like this is too important to worry about trivialities like whether it actually occured.

Are you talking about the Shariff Floyd story or the Gospels?

by BrickHorn on Jan 18, 2010 10:59 AM CST reply actions

I say let Florida have all the Jesus freaks they can recruit. I want some guys on the line who want to rip off their opponents’ heads and shit in their chest. Standing on The Rock ain’t gettin’ the job done.

by Blueshorn on Jan 18, 2010 11:18 AM CST reply actions

I love Ragnar Redbeard [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Might_is_Right] as much as anyone, but if you wouldn’t take Shariff Floyd on your team you’re flat ’tarded.

by bigdukesix on Jan 18, 2010 11:21 AM CST reply actions

Chris Halls sucks. Chris Hall is a Christian. Therefore all Christians suck at football. Not quite.

by bigdukesix on Jan 18, 2010 11:22 AM CST reply actions

I wouldn’t categorize all Christians as Jesus freaks, either.

by Blueshorn on Jan 18, 2010 11:45 AM CST reply actions

Yeah, those dudes in Stryper kicked ASS before and after they converted. No matter what this prick says:

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/CCM/stryper.htm

by ghostofagroundgame on Jan 18, 2010 11:53 AM CST reply actions

So on the day of the biggest game of the year for the undefeated #1 basketball team in the nation, this is the crap we have to endure.

And people wonder why nobody takes UT hoops seriously.

by BastardSonofElRoberson on Jan 18, 2010 1:14 PM CST reply actions

You don’t like Stryper?

by ghostofagroundgame on Jan 18, 2010 1:15 PM CST reply actions

Did I miss something or is the basketball game at 8:00 PM, tonight?

by Blueshorn on Jan 18, 2010 1:30 PM CST reply actions

I think we all missed the part where this is the biggest game of the year for Texas.

by HenryJames on Jan 18, 2010 1:37 PM CST reply actions

That explains our performance against Agnes. We were focusing on KSU.

by magnusbleuveigner on Jan 18, 2010 2:19 PM CST reply actions

Bastard – If we can slow down Ro Blackmon, we have a chance. Feel better now?

by Wade's Violent Temper on Jan 18, 2010 2:39 PM CST reply actions

And here I had the KU game circled as the game of the year, pre-tournament. Little did I know it was KSU and TODAY IS THE DAY!

by Blueshorn on Jan 18, 2010 2:40 PM CST reply actions

I guess facing #10 team in the nation thats beaten you the last 2 of 3 isnt a big deal with giants like Texas State on the schedule. My mistake.

by BastardSonofElRoberson on Jan 18, 2010 2:42 PM CST reply actions

Bastard,

I’m sure our team is dutifully focused on the Cats. I’ll wait ’til about 7:30 to start pissing myself. But thanks for stopping by!

by Blueshorn on Jan 18, 2010 2:53 PM CST reply actions

We’re playing who? Kansas STATE? Are they in this conference? Huh. Well good for them I guess.

by Minnesotahorn on Jan 18, 2010 3:15 PM CST reply actions

I’ve chosen to believe that this story is true. I don’t need any links. It’s true.

Can you believe that Meyer would so shamelessly use religion for personal gain? He’s out of control.

by Chooky on Jan 18, 2010 3:43 PM CST reply actions

“If I couldn’t sway him, Tebow was going to do the in home.”—Urban Meyer, per an unnamed source, according to Ketchum.

by magnusbleuveigner on Jan 18, 2010 4:57 PM CST reply actions

I bet Tebow hates Stryper. He seems more like an Amy Grant guy.

by ghostofagroundgame on Jan 18, 2010 5:00 PM CST reply actions

Gospel means “good news.” It doesn’t mean “truth.”

by Dave on Jan 18, 2010 10:28 PM CST reply actions

Good call Handjob, that game was a real gimme for UT.

by bastardsonofelroberson on Jan 18, 2010 11:14 PM CST reply actions

Congrats, bastardson. Your team sucked less than ours, tonight. You should thank us for handing you the W.

by Blueshorn on Jan 19, 2010 12:38 AM CST reply actions

Chooky. Interesting. He owes us like 134 posts. Arrears.

by admin on Jan 19, 2010 12:58 AM CST reply actions

Hey bastard —

There’s two "L"s in Ell Roberson. And anyway, only hot chicks are permitted to be called “Ell.” So I call shenanigans on your handle and its basis. Put that shit in your mouth.

by ghostofagroundgame on Jan 19, 2010 9:13 AM CST reply actions

Having Tebow’s dad recruiting AND the fact that the Florida head coach (Urban Meyer) is saying ANYTHING to get a player IS DOWNRIGHT SLEEZY. What is this I’d DIE for you B.S.? When he bolted Utah for the Gators, was he saying the same things to recruits only to leave them holding the bag as he moved to Florida? Can you spell (or smell) SEC..?

by eeeeee on Jan 19, 2010 10:40 AM CST reply actions

I heard tebow and meyer were in an ally looking for a virgin, when wolfman popped out of nowhere . Meyer yelled at tebow “kick him in the nards, kick him in the nards!” Tebow responded “he doesn’t have nards!” Than tebow said screw it and kicked wolfman. He went down like perez hilton at chris crocker look a like contest. Then tebow said “wolfman gots nards!”

by iamthepush on Jan 19, 2010 12:03 PM CST reply actions