Tom Crean gets the dubious distinction of being the First NCAA coach to follow a recruit on Twitter. (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Tom-Crean-s-too-obvious-Twitter-blunder?urn=ncaab,176769)
So, did he cross the line?
I being the coach of the storied program at IU, you wouldn't have to resort to such tactics. IU can recruit and draw better then all but 5 programs in the country?
As far as the NCAA is concerned,
"Coaches can "follow" recruits on Twitter – and vice versa – so long as the @reply function is not used. Any direct messages sent through Twitter must conform to the contact-period legislation for each NCAA sport."
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/ncaa+news/ncaa+news+online/2009/division+i/ncaa+rules+on+communication+technology+vary+by+division_06_04_09_ncaa_news
Am I the only one that thinks it is absolutely incredible that they've managed to keep up with and regulate a technology as nascent as Twitter?
Quote from: Keelsmeals on July 15, 2009, 08:42:11 PM
As far as the NCAA is concerned,
"Coaches can "follow" recruits on Twitter – and vice versa – so long as the @reply function is not used. Any direct messages sent through Twitter must conform to the contact-period legislation for each NCAA sport."
That ruling leaves a bit to the imagination. For example in the article, it clearly states that Crean didn't use the @reply function, but twittered a response to a recruits twitter.
Quote from: lurch91 on July 16, 2009, 06:57:07 AM
That ruling leaves a bit to the imagination. For example in the article, it clearly states that Crean didn't use the @reply function, but twittered a response to a recruits twitter.
Actually, it doesn't leave anything to the imagination. The rule is black and white. As long as he doesn't use the @reply function, he's OK.
Is CoachTomCrean following any recruits? [/teal]
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on July 16, 2009, 08:01:19 AM
Actually, it doesn't leave anything to the imagination. The rule is black and white. As long as he doesn't use the @reply function, he's OK.
Right, so TC can tweet a response or have a full conversation with a recruit via Twitter as long as they don't use @reply.
That's like me and you sitting next to each other at a game and talking towards the court, but it's not technically talking to each other because we weren't making eye contact.
While the ruling is black and white, it leaves a ton of room for coaches and recruits to converse freely and in the open on twitter.
While I don't think coaches shouldn't be punished for saying hello to a recruit, technology is certainly helping some bend the rules as far as contact.
If I were the AD at a school where a team has been harshly sanctioned for improper contact with recruits and I found out that the current coach of said team was playing footsie with the line of proper contact, I'd be charging into his office & threatening his job.
Seriously, Crean can't be THAT stupid that he doesn't know why he has the Indiana job, right?
The Dagger sometimes covers interesting subjects but the journalism usually seems suspect. Calling potentially breaking NCAA bylaws "illegal" seems questionable, but getting the name of a big-time basketball recruit at the heart of the story wrong just makes me question how much effort was really put into the research and reporting.
They can't get in trouble when the rule is black and white. If the NCAA doesn't like it, change the rule so that no coach can follow anyone on Twitter...or use Twitter at all.
Coaches will always try to go as far as they can to remain in contact with recruits and will always exploit various loopholes in the NCAA rules. It was the same when texting first came out, and I'm sure it was the same when electronic mail first came out as well. I'm sure in a couple of years some new form of electronic communication will gain popularity and coaches will exploit that until the NCAA develops specific rules/boundaries regarding that as well.
Quote from: Brewtown Andy on July 16, 2009, 09:50:29 AM
If I were the AD at a school where a team has been harshly sanctioned for improper contact with recruits and I found out that the current coach of said team was playing footsie with the line of proper contact, I'd be charging into his office & threatening his job.
+1 The last thing IU needs is its name in an aritcle about contacting recruits.
Quote from: 77ncaachamps on July 16, 2009, 08:16:02 AM
Is CoachTomCrean following any recruits? [/teal]
no, but he might have to start using the @reply button. Me, him, 4never and Bruce Pearl are golfing this weekend, I'll ask him.
and for the record, 4never is our forecaddy.
I'm not sure you can afford me, Dude.
Quote from: Skatastrophy on July 16, 2009, 09:01:27 AM
Right, so TC can tweet a response or have a full conversation with a recruit via Twitter as long as they don't use @reply.
That's like me and you sitting next to each other at a game and talking towards the court, but it's not technically talking to each other because we weren't making eye contact.
While the ruling is black and white, it leaves a ton of room for coaches and recruits to converse freely and in the open on twitter.
No it's not. It's like them sitting in different sections and putting their convo on the jumbotron.
Coaches are allowed to make public statements.
This doesn't give any unfair advantage. I don't see why buzz wouldn't be on there by the time the season starts. I
Quote from: RawdogDX on July 17, 2009, 01:54:25 PM
No it's not. It's like them sitting in different sections and putting their convo on the jumbotron.
Coaches are allowed to make public statements.
This doesn't give any unfair advantage. I don't see why buzz wouldn't be on there by the time the season starts. I
But what if the kids or the coaches are private users. Twitter isn't all public. To relate it to forums:
What if the two of them were chatting on muscoop.com? How about a private forum for insiders? How about a private forum where it's just the two of them?
I'm not saying that there need to be rules to cover every scenario. Just that disallowing the @reply functionality on Twitter is ridiculously specific in a medium (the Internet) where there are a hundred workarounds to every rule.
Quote from: Skatastrophy on July 17, 2009, 02:10:04 PM
I'm not saying that there need to be rules to cover every scenario. Just that disallowing the @reply functionality on Twitter is ridiculously specific in a medium (the Internet) where there are a hundred workarounds to every rule.
+1
I think the NCAA has covered every conceivable use of a telephone/cell phone, but is sorely lacking in this new media.
Quote from: RawdogDX on July 17, 2009, 01:54:25 PM
Coaches are allowed to make public statements.
Not about recruits, beyond confirming their recruitment.
13.10.2 Comments Before Signing. (https://goomer.ncaa.org/wdbctx/LSDBi/LSDBi.LSDBiPackage.DisplayBylaw?p_Division=1&p_IndexName=ManualIndex&p_PkValue=333&p_TextTerms=ThisIsADummyPhraseThatWillNotBeDuplicated&p_TitleTerms=ThisIsADummyPhraseThatWillNotBeDuplicated&p_BylawNum=13.10.2&p_Text=1_13_11_2.HTML&p_ViewAdopted=off&p_BylawType=0&p_ProposedDate=&p_AdoptedDate=&p_EffectiveDate=01-JAN-2000&p_HeadFoot=1&p_CallCount=1)
QuoteBefore the signing of a prospective student-athlete to a National Letter of Intent or an institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid, a member institution may comment publicly only to the extent of confirming its recruitment of the prospective student-athlete. The institution may not comment generally about the prospective student-athlete's ability or the contribution that the prospective student-athlete might make to the institution's team; further, the institution is precluded from commenting in any manner as to the likelihood of the prospective student-athlete's signing with that institution. Violations of this bylaw do not affect a prospective student-athlete's eligibility and are considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1. (Revised: 1/14/97)
Quote from: Skatastrophy on July 17, 2009, 02:10:04 PM
But what if the kids or the coaches are private users. Twitter isn't all public. To relate it to forums:
What if the two of them were chatting on muscoop.com? How about a private forum for insiders? How about a private forum where it's just the two of them?
I'm not saying that there need to be rules to cover every scenario. Just that disallowing the @reply functionality on Twitter is ridiculously specific in a medium (the Internet) where there are a hundred workarounds to every rule.
ok, well I've used twitter for all of 20 minutes. I'm now on my account and see no way to exchange private messages without using @reply or the direct message which I'm assuming would be classified as an email. I suppose they could set up a private account only add a few recruits and that way only be able to talk to them without the public viewing it. Wake me up when someone does this, otherwise it's just another mental masturbation exercise.
You would have a hard time convincing me anyone here would be upset about this if some random coach from the horizon league was the one who started this rather than TC.