NY Times article on McFarland

For a more rational explanation of what actually happened, go to Barking Carnival via Scipio's link. It will give you an insight or two into what Mack was dealing with while trying to recruit the guy.
 
This is a response to the Thayer piece on the NYT website. Follow this link The Link then scroll down the responses. Kemp's response to Diane from OK is also pretty good.

Updated 8:25 p.m.: As you all know, I’ve been fortunate to gain a couple sources in Lufkin that are extremely close to this recruitment, and I just talked to them about the NY Times story.
A couple very key notes:

1. This is pretty much common knowledge, but it’s important to note the party in Dallas that was alluded to in the story was obviously not a party in which the Texas program was affiliated in any way. The game was in Dallas and OU was the home team, so McFarland was a guest of OU’s (neither team could actually talk to him). My sources weren’t 100 percent positive but it was their understanding that it was McFarland’s mother that took him to the game. As for the Texas team, the entire team left the stadium shortly after the game was over on chartered buses to make their way to the airport and back to Austin.

2. In talking to my sources, they said the talk of Mack comparing houses to those of other coaches was absurd. Anyone that has ever been around Mack knows that’s not something that he would say, and my source said that topic had never been mentioned by anybody before it showed up in the story. It’s just not plausible, and that comes from a person that’s known Mack directly for years and I believe has talked to him about the NY Times story.

3. There’s a part in the story where McFarland’s mom alleges that she called Mac McWhorter and he refused to put her in touch with Mack Brown. According to my sources, McFarland’s mother had Mack’s cell phone number and called him regularly throughout the course of last summer. And my source said to his knowledge, she very rarely even called McWhorter.

4. There were comments in the story from McFarland’s mother about Texas’ effort, and them going by the school instead of the home, no calls, etc. Again, my sources in Lufkin all indicated that the Texas coaches tried everything they could to do a visit at the family’s residence, but McFarland’s mother wouldn’t let them in.

Just a few notes that are worth putting out there.

******

6:55 p.m. update - Congratulations to Jamarkus for ending what has obviously been a stressful recruitment and congratulations to OU for gaining a big commitment.

I’m not going to get into specifics, but as for the NY Times article, I can tell you that people at Texas would dispute an awful lot of that information, and from various sources that I’ve talked to both in Lufkin and elsewhere, there is quite a bit of erroneous information in that report.

As always, I can promise you that there are two sides to the story.

— Ken Kemp
 
It seems like a real hatchet job. It's very unfortunate that we have to sit here now and defend ourselves. Regardless, I have a couple of points:

Every coach has two choices: contact the kid everyday or let it ride a bit. You can't read people's minds. It could have been just as likely that contacting the kid/parents everyday would have been a turn-off.

The mud slinging from the McFarland family concerning our coaches tactics and alleged loan offers smacks of needing an excuse for going north of the border. Why not just say OU is a better fit for our son and our family?

It seems we've had several recruits such as Tommy Harris, Perrillous and now McFarland that spurn us with much vitriole... it doesn't make sense...
 
The funniest part of this Okie's coverage of this recruitment is his attempt to bolster OU's academics while downplaying UT's. I wonder why he didn't report of Jermie Calhoun of Van who was set on going to Texas until Mack stopped recruiting him because of his extreme risk academically, after which OU was there to scoop him up.
 
I think the article itself self destructs when ms adams says she thought it was tasteless when Mac said he would step back from the process and not visit unless asked....that is class
 
The posters who are questioning this decision must be young or have bad memories.
AJ Nicholson
Fred Rouse
Ryan Perriloux
RB from Sacremento
All bullets we dodged. For every model citizen strong 4* or 5* that we miss there is another that would have caused a riff in the locker room, embarrassed the University, or simply would not be admitted to the University.
This is not arrogance. This is factual.
 
I know it won't happen but every time I read that article I feel that McFarland and his mother owe Texas, the coaching staff and fans plus his own high school coach an apology .
 
Rather striking the difference between how JM's mom handled her son's recruitment and how Cole Pittman's dad handled his (from the book "Raising Cole" by Marc Pittman): "This choice was the biggest decision my child would ever make in his life, and I was determined he would make it alone.....My child being happy was the most important thing to me."

I hope JM made the choice that was right for him. If so, he'll be happy. Good luck to him.

Personally, I'm happy with the players that want to come to Texas and not too concerned about those that don't.
 
IMO Mom made this decision for the young man... not the young man making the decision for himself with the Mom behind him fully supporting HIS decision. He will have to live with her decision and all the negative and positive that comes from it. Unfortunately for him, I think in he heart he wanted UT all along.
 
Unfortunately, I think you're right Worsterman. Some parents try to live their kids' lives for them, rather than simply trying to help them grow into someone they can be proud of. No matter who made the decision, it's one he has to live with for the next few years, so for his sake (not his mom's) I hope he's happy with it.
 
Seems like JMac is pretty comfortable with the choice he made...
Most recent Facebook status:
"JaMarkus is tired of haters. You just motivate me. Im still gone get my degree and money.BOOMER SOONER"
Made at 12:01 am on 12/28

What money is he talking about??
Darn you, you ignorant twit. I'm ashamed you will graduate from my alma mater.
 
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