🏈 We won't be able to avoid politics and football in this thread. "Georgia loses recruit: Immigration

[TerryP]

It's not one established by the federal government, or the state of Georgia herself, but the Board of Regents as I understand it.

Who is on that board? Good question and probably worth the time to research. But, that's another thread.

Here's an interesting story.

Chester Brown was so excited about the opportunity to play football at Georgia that he got his commitment date tattooed on his left forearm. But the Samoan-born offensive lineman is now being forced to look elsewhere. An anti-illegal immigration measure passed by the state Board of Regents in 2010 requires "the verification of a student's lawful presence in the United States" in order to enroll -- documentation Brown's family is unable to produce.
Brown, who attends the Bradwell Institute in Hinesville, Ga., initially cited "personal reasons" for decommitting, saying that he didn't want "anything bad to happen to me, anything bad to happen to my family and most of all I don't want anything bad to happen to Georgia."

“ It's just a complex issue and the parents are not always sure how to deal with it ... And the student's not always aware of the fact. I'm sure your parents didn't discuss their citizenship status with you when you were a child."
” <cite>-- David Graves, University of Georgia
senior associate director of admissions </cite>​

But Brown had no choice, said a family spokesperson, who added that the decision left him heartbroken after developing relationships with Georgia recruits, coaches and members of the team. He had been talking up the Bulldogs to other would-be Georgia commitments for the Class of 2012 for months.
"It has been rough on Chester," the Brown family spokesperson said Tuesday night. "He went to school today and he just got bashed from all of these teachers calling him dumb and stupid for decommitting. He came home and just cried. And they don't know the situation."
The spokesperson, who wished to remain unnamed for fear of further hurting the family, confirmed that Brown's decommitment was related to the Board of Regents' policy.

 

[BornBama]

He could always run for President...

 

[JoshB]

woooow thats crazy. sad to hear that happened to him (yes im ignoring the ignorant comment above me).

 

[TerryP]

I had a conversation with a employee of the state of Georgia's educational system about nine months ago. The conversation revolved around Brent Calloway and how Guidance Counselor's should know—at at least have an idea...or the ability to find out/know—what a students academic standing was/is.

But no! There jobs consist of little time working on guiding students, but more BS social programs.

First of all, it should always be questioned if a kid misses out on acceptance because he's missing something like a core class credit. But, he can't go any further because NO ONE knew he needed to get AT LEAST a student visa.

This isn't a case of a kid slipping through the cracks.

No one did their job here. No one.

 

[BamaDelta]

Feel so bad for the kid and the loss of his dream. Don't feel bad for UGA in the least.

 

[bamagirl917]

I'm a bit confused about why people would sympathize with him and his family on this one. Having been raised here, he/they are more than aware and familiar with the laws and the fact that their presence is illegal, and without documentation to prove otherwise, have apparently been having to 'get around' that for years.. i.e. not having drivers licenses, etc. I have to produce my documentation - birth certificate, social security card, etc etc - to do anything around here, including get myself in mountains of debt for college and graduate school.. The fact that people think they can come here illegally and have their children educated in our schools (on scholarship money) never ceases to blow me away. This country already has a very lenient policy about this, you can do it on VISA, but why anyone would believe they shouldn't have to go through ANY type of documentation process is absurd. Forget UGA and everyone else at fault, it's the family who is really under my skin for coming out with their spokesperson waving the victim card and wanting to turn their nose up at the state of GA, like it's somehow ridiculous that they want documentation that every American-born student in the country has to produce.

Gimme a break. Kudos to the state of Georgia and their attempt to actually enforce US law.



..."saying that he didn't want "anything bad to happen to me, anything bad to happen to my family" "....

Like being deported?

 

[TerryP]

There are a lot of assumptions in your post 917.

It's interesting that we have a test which allows individuals to be in this legally, but the test in itself is difficult enough the most ardent, patriotic Americans fail to pass. Then, we have people educating their children with the hopes they'll be able to succeed in said country, pass said test, but they (parents) are vilified because they can't pass the test the majority of the time?

Is this their case? I don't know. I just assumed it could be.

In this case.

If they educational system in Georgia has chosen to educate this kid, they don't have the right to say, "we are going to stop now."

It may not be the most attractive story, or the best and most logical ending. They've made the bed and they have to sleep in it now.

 

[bamafan9201]

It doesn't change the fact he needs to get a Visa to continue.

It's as if I failed a test in school and the teacher gave me an F for failing, should I get an A because I was good in the rest of my classes? No, I still receive the F. I don't like saying there is no way he can play or shouldn't, but I don't like just handing something to someone who apparently hasn't attempted to earn it. Simple, make him take the test. Also, Terry, a test isn't something you walk-in and just make happen. You gotta study like hell for it, if many people couldn't pass it, it's probably because they didn't care enough to try at it.

 

[TerryP]

It doesn't change the fact he needs to get a Visa to continue.

It's as if I failed a test in school and the teacher gave me an F for failing, should I get an A because I was good in the rest of my classes? No, I still receive the F. I don't like saying there is no way he can play or shouldn't, but I don't like just handing something to someone who apparently hasn't attempted to earn it. Simple, make him take the test. Also, Terry, a test isn't something you walk-in and just make happen. You gotta study like hell for it, if many people couldn't pass it, it's probably because they didn't care enough to try at it.

It doesn't change the fact that we are a few days away from signing day and NO ONE has pointed this out until NOW.

That's the primary point above all else as I see it. What has happened, has happened. Fix his situation now no matter even if there exists the slightest possibility it does step outside of the defined "lines."

Could he pass the test? There are many documented cases of some bright people failing our citizenship test. I've never taken the test. I wouldn't try to compare my ability to pass versus someone else either.

You know. I see a kid that's proven he has the ability to take an education and make something while playing football.

 

[bamafan9201]

I think his family was well aware of it but was hoping they could squeak by unnoticed. I'm sure Georgia was also holding off on asking for it, hoping the NCAA wouldn't require proof. Also, nobody assumes or wants the stigma of being the one who assumes someone is an "Illegal". They weren't about to screw up their recruiting chances by accusing him of being illegal or asking for documentation prior to the offer.

If the NCAA needs to make a law that requires the schools to check this before offering scholarships, it could remove the whole stigma of the conversation. However, as the system is now. The kid and his family have nothing but themselves to blame. When you're recruited and offered things like this (Which I've been a part of) you're generally given prior warning or a check list. Especially if you've already committed to a school on what procedures you must follow before signing.

 

[TerryP]

I think his family was well aware of it but was hoping they could squeak by unnoticed. I'm sure Georgia was also holding off on asking for it, hoping the NCAA wouldn't require proof. Also, nobody assumes or wants the stigma of being the one who assumes someone is an "Illegal". They weren't about to screw up their recruiting chances by accusing him of being illegal or asking for documentation prior to the offer.

No. Not a chance.

To even consider Georgia would take that the NCAA might not notice his immigration status in these times of limited numbers? That makes no sense. It would have come up eventually. There are too many things these athletes have to deal with where status is questioned. Heck, just health care alone.

If the NCAA needs to make a law that requires the schools to check this before offering scholarships, it could remove the whole stigma of the conversation. However, as the system is now. The kid and his family have nothing but themselves to blame. When you're recruited and offered things like this (Which I've been a part of) you're generally given prior warning or a check list. Especially if you've already committed to a school on what procedures you must follow before signing.

You've made my point in a sense.

"...you're generally given prior warning or a check list."

Evidently not. A because of that little fact, we are back to the original post.

I still love this idea..."If they are eight, and we find them wandering the streets, we stick them in school to educate them so they won't walk the streets—paid for. We failed to do our responsibility to ensure he can progress in the system we placed him in, but now we quit because he's still the same person he was when we found him at eight. Now he's got an education and the chance to even better himself...and we quit. Oh, yeah, we failed to do our responsibility to ensure he..."

 

[bamafan9201]

I'm going to make a point here, and don't take it personally.

At what point do you tell them all to mature? At what point do you feel someone needs to grow-up? **** sucks, lifes hard, whatever. There are people who are worse off than a kid who didn't get a scholarship to play at a school. He's got the education to work, so long as he applies for a Visa. He's obviously not running around doing drugs and robbing people, so what do you expect them to do? They gave him the tools, he didn't apply them correctly. I came from a school with a coach who had no idea how to deal with recruiting. Because of that, I had to not only learn how to recruit myself, but promote myself and send tapes to all the schools and speak with all the head coaches or assistants who called me. What if I hadn't done that, do I blame my coach for not recruiting for me? Do I blame the school? The NCAA? No, I blame myself. If you don't get off your ass and do something about it for yourself and your own dreams and ambitions, then you have nobody to blame but you. Passing the blame off on others is ridiculous and childish in nature. Sadly, this entire society does nothing but that. We are a society filled with scapegoats and angels. People think or assume they are Gods gift to the world and it's everyone else that is at fault. That's just not true, and if you believe that, you are narcissistic and conceited. This kid and his family hoped to skate by and it didn't work out. Well you can either fix it or cry about it. Hell, I wanted a million dollars to fall in my lap today, it didn't happen, tough luck. He should chin-up and get to work on the visa. Greyshirt (If possible) and count to next years signing class. Or, attend a JUCO and work on it before then. Either way, it's his fault.

 

[Swamptick]

He could always run for President...

Lol!

 

[Swamptick]

There are a lot of assumptions in your post 917.

It's interesting that we have a test which allows individuals to be in this legally, but the test in itself is difficult enough the most ardent, patriotic Americans fail to pass. Then, we have people educating their children with the hopes they'll be able to succeed in said country, pass said test, but they (parents) are vilified because they can't pass the test the majority of the time?

Is this their case? I don't know. I just assumed it could be.

In this case.

If they educational system in Georgia has chosen to educate this kid, they don't have the right to say, "we are going to stop now."

It may not be the most attractive story, or the best and most logical ending. They've made the bed and they have to sleep in it now.

Georgia does indeed have the right to stop. Decent or not, they absolutely can stop. Better late than never.

 

[bamagirl917]

Georgia does indeed have the right to stop. Decent or not, they absolutely can stop. Better late than never.

This. Just because he's gotten through the system thus far doesn't mean he's entitled to it for the duration. That's like immigration officials showing up at a plant, factory, landscaping company, whatever the case and rounding people up for deportation. The fact they've been allowed to work for X number of years doesn't make it somehow wrong that it happened on that particular day, that year... You took a knowing gamble coming, and every day you stay. And I wasn't saying anything about the citizenship pathway in my first post- and the test may very well be difficult- I was talking about the ability to stay here and be educated with a visa. And, "assumptive" or not, the fact remains that if they have no documentation of their legal presence here, then yes they are without drivers licenses, insurance, etc and have been working the system for a long time and are well aware of the legalities of it all.

I'd say right now they should just be thankful nobody is talking about making them leave the country. Instead, they're letting us all know, in the spirit of Lebron James, that they'll be taking their talents elsewhere.. like the great state of TN.

 

[Bo]

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

A lot of people and politicians in this country seem to forget this.

 

[bamagirl917]

A lot of people and politicians in this country seem to forget this.

I don't think anyone forgets it, they just understand there's a procedure for it. Not to mention, that description applies to a large percentage of people already here, born and raised.

 

[JoshB]

Lot of assumptions being thrown around in here...

 

[Bo]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not all for illegals running around un-checked. I just think the process to be legal is a little to complicated. There are a large portion of us that would not be here today if the citizenship process were as hard back when out great grandparents or great great grandparents came here.

 

[bamagirl917]

Lot of assumptions being thrown around in here...

Example?