The Memphis City schools have gone to hell- in- a- hand- basket. They lack leadership, vision and have become an institution worried about a quality paper trail rather than being a place where children can learn.
Auditors are reviewing the grades from students from last year to ensure that students were properly promoted or retained in a particular grade. We've got a 7th grader who played ball with us last year, he failed the 7th grade 2 years in a row, shows up this year and has been "socially" promoted to the 9th grade. This scenario has been repeated at schools around town, it looks better on paper. Also, our fearless leader has decreed that you can't suspend or expel except in dangerous situations, again at the end of the year it looks better on paper.
You can get off your high horse about parental involvement or responsibility, it's not going to happen, to many kids are raising themselves, sleeping where they can (cars, laundromats) anywhere opened and with heat or air. We have kids who have played ball with us for 3-4 years, traveled the country and we have yet to meet a parent or relative. Thank God for people like the Touhy's and in particular places like Streets Ministry.

Pressed Rat Wrote:Despite my suprise & anger over the BYU classes; God Bless the Tuohy's.

They should be lauded for the Love and selfless generosity.


I might agree with you if this guy played the trombone, but left defensive end with NFL potential to play at his Alma Mata. Maybe I'm too cynical, but that is too big of a stretch for me.

I agree, though they may have grown to love the guy over time, which is a good thing, I guarantee you the only reason the guy was given a second glance by Tuohy was he was a big ole boy who could probably play some football. It happens everyday in every city, someone, whether its a coach or booster or friend of a friend, takes some high schooler in because he is a ball player. Not saying it is an all out bad thing, as I am sure it helps a lot of the kids get out of some pretty terrible situations, but to me it is really no different than the booster slipping some cash under the table or buying a car for a college player. Only here, a golden spoon is stuck in the kids mouth for a couple of years of high school and in return he goes and plays a little ball for his sugar daddy's favorite college football team.

Pressed Rat Wrote:Despite my suprise & anger over the BYU classes; God Bless the Tuohy's.

They should be lauded for the Love and selfless generosity.


I might agree with you if this guy played the trombone, but left defensive end with NFL potential to play at his Alma Mata. Maybe I'm too cynical, but that is too big of a stretch for me.

They are his guardian and had him put in their will.
Sean and his wife don't need the money.
They love the kid.
God bless them.

This kid was no more a future NFLer than you or I when he arrived at Briarcrest.

Easterwood Wrote:The Memphis City schools have gone to hell- in- a- hand- basket. They lack leadership, vision and have become an institution worried about a quality paper trail rather than being a place where children can learn.
Auditors are reviewing the grades from students from last year to ensure that students were properly promoted or retained in a particular grade. We've got a 7th grader who played ball with us last year, he failed the 7th grade 2 years in a row, shows up this year and has been "socially" promoted to the 9th grade. This scenario has been repeated at schools around town, it looks better on paper. Also, our fearless leader has decreed that you can't suspend or expel except in dangerous situations, again at the end of the year it looks better on paper.
You can get off your high horse about parental involvement or responsibility, it's not going to happen, to many kids are raising themselves, sleeping where they can (cars, laundromats) anywhere opened and with heat or air. We have kids who have played ball with us for 3-4 years, traveled the country and we have yet to meet a parent or relative. Thank God for people like the Touhy's and in particular places like Streets Ministry.

I've voted for Willie more than once. That said; the School System is a mirror of it's leadership starting with him. Morally corrupt is an apt description.

I worked as a mentor to various kids and was involved for years at Streets Ministries. I decided to spend more time at home with my own kids when my wife and I had a late in life child.

It's a great Ministry and God is doing great things through all of the various volunteers and others at Streets; especially Ken Bennett, Howard Eddings, and Eli Morris.

I know you've experienced it Keith. People that are stunned by how many of these kids either don't know who their Dad is or he has 0% involvement in their lives.

I remember showing the NCAA Championship game on a big screen LCD to the Streets kids back when Gutheridge was the UNC Coach. I asked Ken Bennett about a girl at the party. She was 13 years old and pregnant with with her toddler son in a stroller. Babies having babies. How many are doomed to the almost insurmountable problems that almost got Mike Oher?

I'm not naive enough to believe Parental involvement and Dads involvement will magically happen in the inner-city; I just pray it changes a little at a time.

I'm also not as cynical as btiger is duly noted for; but just like you my wife and I have sacrificed things to put two of our three kids in Private Schools.

Thank God for people like you that get involved in these kids lives as well.


[quote]cynic  /sin-ik/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[sin-ik] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

Thanks Cletus. Not to tarnish his image, but BTiger has helped my teams as much or more than any here, he and a few others have been the difference between us leaving some guys here or having the money to feed them while out of town.

Easterwood Wrote:Thanks Cletus. Not to tarnish his image, but BTiger has helped my teams as much or more than any here, he and a few others have been the difference between us leaving some guys here or having the money to feed them while out of town.

See; it's all an act. Are you saying he's an easy mark and a softie???






.

Cletus Wrote:In my opinion this attitude is the part of the basis for the existing problems with the Memphis City Schools and our "Great" Country in general.

Nobody raises our kids but us. If you expect the City School System to raise your kids then you get what you deserve.

When you have 2 wage earners in a Family then there's less time for parents to spend time with their children's academics and discipline.

Too often in today's Society parents expect the Teacher to not only to teach their children the ABCs but also instill discipline in their lives.

But the School Systems have outlawed Corporal Punishment.

I know when I was in school I didn't want to get any licks.

Will that solve all the problems; no. Because just like Academics; discipline must start at home.

But the description of what the American Family "is" has drastically changed since the 1960/70's.

School's shouldn't be raising our children. We should. If you don't want to or can't raise children then don't have them. Show some personal discipline and responsibility.

More single Parent homes, more illegitimate births, more crime, less discipline.

What came first the chicken or the egg?

Despite my suprise & anger over the BYU classes; God Bless the Tuohy's.

They should be lauded for the Love and selfless generosity.

Quote:Proverbs 22:9

He that seeks to relieve the wants and miseries of others shall be blessed. (Pr 22:10)

To be clear-My "attitude" is NOT that MCS should raise anyone.
But they have a RESPONSIBILITY to not continually promote kids who fail repeatedly just to get them out of their hair.

These kids learn that life is just what you can get in the now.
When your parents don't make time for you, why would you think you're worth anything to anyone.
Why would you invest or believe the best about yourself when the people who gave you life throw you out like an old shoe?


As far as Tuohy and the good ol' boy stuff..I was of the same mindset until I read the story.
All Tuohy was ever interested in was making sure the kid could eat lunch.
His wife really got alot of the moving in stuff going.

They not only saved a kid and put hin on a path to give him success he never dreamed he deserved but helps to expose the crap that is the MCS.


On a lighter note, from the article, Oher's quote " I was gonna put him on the bus." was absoluely HILARIOUS!!!

If you haven't read the article, read it.

memphodude Wrote:I think it's a fantastic story.

Yes I believe Freeze probably saw some success for himself with oher.
But in the end who is it really going to benefit.
We're not talking about some kid who's parents used their child to make a better life for themselves.
This is a kid who was forced through by no choice of his own, and not because he was so talented.
Someone else stated he could've turned to crime, but just didn't.

I've never been a fan of Tuohy mostly because of his mouth.
But I give him alot of credit for this and especially his wife.

This kid had no shot at any kind of life and would've spent most of it at 201 Poplar had things continued.
This wasn't about HS/College football, it was about people seeing someone as a person and meeting a need he could never do for himself.

Did they play the system to get him into college? Absolutely.
That's the way the NCAA wants it. If not they'd change it.
They're not ignorant of it.
And kudos for making it work for this kid.

The difference between him and Powe is Powe had a parent.
She knew what was going on and let it!
It's her job to fight for her child.

The real villian in all this is not Tuohy, Freeze, or BYU.
The criminal in ALL of this is...the MEMPHIS PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.

The NYT should do a book on how many lives have been derailed, destroyed, and railroaded into a life of misery and tragedy because of the Memphis public school system.
It should be shut down for all the good it does.

If people like Sean T would put as much energy into helping kids in MCS as he did with Oher at Briarcrest, things would be a lot better in the city.

There are many fine, intelligent, successful, moral MCS studnets who graduate with good grades and high test scores and go on to successful college careers.

You only hear the bad stuff.

Sean Tuohy in the past has played a very large role with the Memphis City Schools Athletic Department. He has been a sponsor of the various activities and when called on at any time during this period he never said no. He has also offered more support. These are things you don't read about. Not only does he offer support there are many occasions where he is not only providing lots of food but he is also personally picking up and delivering the food.

He does not turn away from helping many in the community.

TG4 Wrote:

msu65 Wrote:I worked as the Basketball strength coach, for one year as a graduate assistant. It was under Dana Kirk but I won't single anyone out. There were some young players who had no work ethic and zero character on that team. I would try to get them to lift weights. Their excuse was that they did not want to be fat when they were older. Yes, some people still believed muscle turned to fat in 1981. When we ran in conditioning they would loaf and do just enough to get by. They were extremely talented, but they would not attend a class if it killed them. I would have to go check their, "Marriage and the Family" and "Driver's Education" classes. (I'm not kidding) to make sure they at least showed up. Generally they did not.

You had my full support in this post until you made it a personal issue and coming from an old teammate makes it even worse. I'll have you know that I attended almost every class session for "Doc" Henderson and got a "B" in Marriage and the Family. I also got an "A" in Crime and Deviant Behavior. Opted for Badminton and Archery instead of Driver's Ed since I already knew how to drive.

msu65 Wrote:

TG4 Wrote:

msu65 Wrote:I worked as the Basketball strength coach, for one year as a graduate assistant. It was under Dana Kirk but I won't single anyone out. There were some young players who had no work ethic and zero character on that team. I would try to get them to lift weights. Their excuse was that they did not want to be fat when they were older. Yes, some people still believed muscle turned to fat in 1981. When we ran in conditioning they would loaf and do just enough to get by. They were extremely talented, but they would not attend a class if it killed them. I would have to go check their, "Marriage and the Family" and "Driver's Education" classes. (I'm not kidding) to make sure they at least showed up. Generally they did not.

You had my full support in this post until you made it a personal issue and coming from an old teammate makes it even worse. I'll have you know that I attended almost every class session for "Doc" Henderson and got a "B" in Marriage and the Family. I also got an "A" in Crime and Deviant Behavior. Opted for Badminton and Archery instead of Driver's Ed since I already knew how to drive.

You seemed to turn out ok, so I guess I was wrong. Waiiiit a minute....you didn't play basketball, you kidder, you.