Trying to remake Clemson into a Top 20 Public University is a project on par with trying to send a man to the moon in a Yugo powered Space Rocket fueled by ham sandwiches and Dr. Pepper extract.(Image: The recruits went that way)
When your engineering professors wear orange coveralls and describe gravity as a "risky scheme," you're probably not going to gain academic respect any time soon.
Adding the Clemson football program to the agenda of items to clean up just makes the project that much more pointless. There's not enough scrubbing bubbles in the world to get Danny Ford's tobacco spit stains off the compliance director's forehead.
Clemson Promotional Video
Yet, Clemson is trying anyway. In fact, they may have gone "too far" in trying to clean themselves up. Mickey Plyler, a South Carolina sports talk show host and publisher of TigerNet.com, says that he has spoken with 10 sources within the Clemson athletic department and administration. During that process, he has learn about a quasi-secret admissions committee that blew up the recruitment of 8 potential student-athletes that were strongly considering Clemson.
The committee also attempted to refuse admission to seven more players, but Tommy Bowden got the recruits back upon further review. One of the rejected recruits didn't get the final "nay" until the day before signing day.
The irony, Clemson is losing these recruits to schools like UNC and Georgia. Schools that run academic circles around Clemson and their "reading is a fad" curriculum. Check out Plyler's article. It's an amazing read about a program that's hitting the "self-destruct" button in pursuit of an academic reputation that they will never obtain.
Counterpoint: Clemson's University President says it's all lies. Damn lies.
WWDFD?
See Also:
-- Clemson's Dirty Little Secret - AOL
-- Clemson Faithful have mixed feelings on recruiting - WLTX.com
-- Recruiting Debate Lingers - Myrtle Beach News
-- Clemson's Multi-Cultural Efforts - WLTX.com
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