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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Columbia, SC

    Ray Ray and Clemson

    The "article" that DBR posted this AM had perhaps the most negatively slanted overview possible of the Ray Ray McElrathbey situation at Clemson. A couple of points from the other side.

    The Clemson athletic department has already (yesterday) made a refutation of the comments that James Davis made to the media. Davis did not accurately convey the specifics of the situation - at least the specifics that Clemson would have you believe. I'm not going to try to say that Clemson's objectives in this case are 100% altruisitc but they're likely not as devious as some outlets have made them to be.

    According to the Clemson SID this is the situation:

    1) Clemson has James Davis (Sr.) and CJ Spiller (Jr.) returning at RB for 2008. In addition Clemson landed Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington as RB recruits, both of whom ranked in the Top 10 overall nationally at the position by all services. IF (and that's a big IF) Ray Ray has aspirations of seeing game action in the hopes of improving the possibility that he'll get a look at the next level he'll need to go to a program that doesn't have a logjam of players more talented than he is. He's 4th on the depth chart heading into 2008 at least - and that assumes that Ellington will redshirt.

    2) If Ray Ray decides that he just doesn't have the ability to be a full time football player anymore after he graduates due to other life infulences then he has a job waiting for him as a graduate assistant within the program. That job would pay for 100% of his academic costs so long as he held the position - assuming that his objective in staying at Clemson is to further his education and remain affiliated with the football program.

    The Clemson spin is, essentially, if the kid wants to play then he'll have graduated and been released from any scholarship obligations and he can go wherever he wants and pursue his dream. But if he stays at Clemson he's not going to play, he'll have graduated and therefore he can have a pretty good job offer.

    A graduate assistant position isn't nothing. There are, literally, thousands of aspiring coaches who would die for a graduate assistant position at a program like Clemson. That's the path to a coaching career and those slots are highly coveted.

    Not to be lost in the shuffle when Davis says that Ray Rat is keeping his mouth shut so as not to drag Clemson through the mud is the fact that that street runs both ways. While we can all admire Ray Ray for his dedication to his family and the sacrifices he has made for his brother - that situation has effectively prevented him from being a football player at the D1 level. That's a bit of a tough break on the football side of things but it's a reality. We can all relate in some way or another to having missed an opportunity in our lives because other circumstances stood in our way of pursuing it. Ray Ray didn't ask for this - but it's the hand he was dealt.

    Additionally, also unlike any other D1 athlete you will EVER hear about, there's a trust fund waiting for Ray Ray and Farmar at the end of the football rainbow. I don't know the details and so I won't speculate too much - but common sense tells me that the major stipulation of the trust fund is that it's off limits so long as Ray Ray is on athletic scholarship. It may simply be that releiving Ray Ray of the athletic scholarship is the mechanism by which Clemson helps both Ray Ray and his brother get access to what they need far more than a football opportunity...a lifetime opportunity. Purely speculation.

    I'm a little disappointed that DBR would run an "article" from a rumor mill. Those folks are not only unlimited by the costraints of professional journalism they seek to create controversy specifically to further their own site.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Arlington, VA

    Thanks

    For some insight and clarification. Ray Ray is in a tough spot. I wish him and his little brother all the best.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Acworth, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by Klemnop View Post
    The "article" that DBR posted this AM had perhaps the most negatively slanted overview possible of the Ray Ray McElrathbey situation at Clemson. A couple of points from the other side.

    The Clemson athletic department has already (yesterday) made a refutation of the comments that James Davis made to the media. Davis did not accurately convey the specifics of the situation - at least the specifics that Clemson would have you believe. I'm not going to try to say that Clemson's objectives in this case are 100% altruisitc but they're likely not as devious as some outlets have made them to be.

    According to the Clemson SID this is the situation:

    1) Clemson has James Davis (Sr.) and CJ Spiller (Jr.) returning at RB for 2008. In addition Clemson landed Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington as RB recruits, both of whom ranked in the Top 10 overall nationally at the position by all services. IF (and that's a big IF) Ray Ray has aspirations of seeing game action in the hopes of improving the possibility that he'll get a look at the next level he'll need to go to a program that doesn't have a logjam of players more talented than he is. He's 4th on the depth chart heading into 2008 at least - and that assumes that Ellington will redshirt.

    2) If Ray Ray decides that he just doesn't have the ability to be a full time football player anymore after he graduates due to other life infulences then he has a job waiting for him as a graduate assistant within the program. That job would pay for 100% of his academic costs so long as he held the position - assuming that his objective in staying at Clemson is to further his education and remain affiliated with the football program.

    The Clemson spin is, essentially, if the kid wants to play then he'll have graduated and been released from any scholarship obligations and he can go wherever he wants and pursue his dream. But if he stays at Clemson he's not going to play, he'll have graduated and therefore he can have a pretty good job offer.

    A graduate assistant position isn't nothing. There are, literally, thousands of aspiring coaches who would die for a graduate assistant position at a program like Clemson. That's the path to a coaching career and those slots are highly coveted.

    Not to be lost in the shuffle when Davis says that Ray Rat is keeping his mouth shut so as not to drag Clemson through the mud is the fact that that street runs both ways. While we can all admire Ray Ray for his dedication to his family and the sacrifices he has made for his brother - that situation has effectively prevented him from being a football player at the D1 level. That's a bit of a tough break on the football side of things but it's a reality. We can all relate in some way or another to having missed an opportunity in our lives because other circumstances stood in our way of pursuing it. Ray Ray didn't ask for this - but it's the hand he was dealt.

    Additionally, also unlike any other D1 athlete you will EVER hear about, there's a trust fund waiting for Ray Ray and Farmar at the end of the football rainbow. I don't know the details and so I won't speculate too much - but common sense tells me that the major stipulation of the trust fund is that it's off limits so long as Ray Ray is on athletic scholarship. It may simply be that releiving Ray Ray of the athletic scholarship is the mechanism by which Clemson helps both Ray Ray and his brother get access to what they need far more than a football opportunity...a lifetime opportunity. Purely speculation.

    I'm a little disappointed that DBR would run an "article" from a rumor mill. Those folks are not only unlimited by the costraints of professional journalism they seek to create controversy specifically to further their own site.
    Agreed Klemnop - I thought the article was pretty unfair. The key to me is that he has *graduated.* So, his education has been provided for. If he isn't going to play, why then keep him on a football scholarship? And, I think the graduate assistantship is more than generous on Clemson's part.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham
    Athletic scholarship or not, the point of going to college is to graduate. I know that gets overlooked a lot these days but the bottom line is that the kid graduated. He was not going to play so they offered him a very coveted Graduate Assistant position where he can even further his education.

    Not to say this kid and his brother haven't been through tough times but Clemson's giving him some pretty nice options considering they've already provided him a free college education.

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