Tobias Harris: A Good Reminder For Fans. And Recruits.

by Sean Keeley on Nov 20, 2009 3:09 PM EST

Honestly, NOW it makes sense...

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Tobias Harris is learning a valuable lesson today in marketing. He's already seeing how his decisions affect his reach. And he's also learning that, when deciding on where to go to college and you know you're not going to choose the team in New York, don't go to a prominent New York establishment when fans of that team are out in droves and are allowed to sit all around you while you make your decision known. (Video courtesy of The Orange Fizz)

"Go back home!" Huh? He IS home. Iz confused.

Are we jerks for booing a 17-year-old kid over his life choices? Of course we are. But Tobias isn't sitting in an ESPN Zone surrounded by Syracuse fans unless Tobias makes that happen. You get what you pay for. Or you pay for what you get.

The Orange Fizz, who had their paws all over the Tobias story from the get-go, find the reaction troubling:

But we all need to keep perspective. These are 18-year-old kids, deciding where they want to spend their next few seasons playing sports. Tobias did not jerk everyone around. He did not continually delay his decision. He professionally went about his business, with a structured family unit in tow. And decided on Tennessee.

And we booed. Watch the video. Fans dressed in orange (I'm assuming they're not Vols fans), on their way to the Garden for the Cal tilt hissed.

Not ok.

Maybe not. But Tobias should have known better. He's a sports fan himself. He knows how deep allegiances and passion runs. Especially on a game day when NYC Syracuse fans had their hackles up in preparation for the big showdown with Cal in a few hours.

Besides, Tobias should probably get used to it. You're entering the world of college athletics. Not only that you're entered the world of the SEC, where college sports are 100 times more paramount than in the Northeast. Getting booed by fans might be the least of your concerns.

At the end of the day, I think we're all done. Tobias isn't the first high-profile recruit to spurn the Orange. He won't be the last. Like many have said, SU has nothing to worry about in that department, our 2010 class is stacked.

Lessons learned, everyone. Let's get back to work. Tobias, good luck, the Lady Vols are lucky to have you.

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Comments

Tobias, good luck, the Lady Vols are lucky to have you.

HA.

Bills fan? In Colorado? It's more likely than you think.

by UZ on Nov 20, 2009 3:12 PM EST reply actions

i bet you

that the graphics guy went to ‘cuse and that’s why it says lady volunteers. i’d be surprised if that was a mistake! haha

by chrisbee13 on Nov 20, 2009 3:17 PM EST reply actions

Let’s get back to work.

Did you not know its Friday? Should read:

Let’s get back pretending to work.

by ryanwk628 on Nov 20, 2009 3:20 PM EST reply actions

I spend more time

reading this site on fridays than doing any of the work i should be doing.

by MarshallSt on Nov 20, 2009 3:29 PM EST up reply actions

I spend more time writing this site on fridays than doing any of the work i should be doing.

Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - The Syracuse blog that cares.

by Sean Keeley on Nov 20, 2009 5:37 PM EST up reply actions

I complete agree with you Sean

It made me feel a little uneasy to watch Tobias get booed on what should be one of the happiest days of his life to date.

That being said, his whole recruiting process reeks of a publicity stunt. Having so many schools on his list, making all the official visits and unofficial visits that he made and showing up at ESPN Zone in a limo don’t make me feel to sympathetic.

The way this all turned out- I really think that his decision was made when Fab Melo committed to the Orange. It looks like Tobias (and his father) wants to be THE MAN whereever he ends up. He obviously isn’t looking to win a National Championship- he wants to maximize his draft status in one or two years. How best to do that? Put 5 of the top college programs in the country on your list so people know everyone wants you. Then choose a second tier program where you can score 20+ per game. Don’t get me wrong- I was really looking forward to watching Triche, Waiters, Johnson, Harris and Jackson/Melo next year.

by FireMikeVeley on Nov 20, 2009 3:41 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

He obviously isn’t looking to win a National Championship- he wants to maximize his draft status in one or two years. How best to do that? Put 5 of the top college programs in the country on your list so people know everyone wants you. Then choose a second tier program where you can score 20+ per game.

Wow. That might just be it. Well, good luck to him.

Go Tartans!

by voteprime on Nov 20, 2009 3:43 PM EST reply actions

I do kinda feel bad for him

getting booed there, but he should’ve known he was going into someone’s territory and telling them to **** off. He got not necessarily what he deserved, but what he should’ve expected.

Of course he’s going to the SEC where basketball isn’t considered relevant at all, and even a third tier college sport, outside Lexington. He’s not going to be an on-campus celebrity.

Though if we keep a good chunk of this year when next year comes around, we could be in that upper escelon with Fab Melo, Dion, and CJ Fair coming in.

by adselver15 on Nov 20, 2009 3:56 PM EST reply actions

Perfectly said

He got not necessarily what he deserved, but what he should’ve expected.

Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - The Syracuse blog that cares.

by Sean Keeley on Nov 20, 2009 5:38 PM EST up reply actions

Enough

He’s 17 – he made the decision he felt was best for him. I’m fine with that. I wish him well. God recruiting is creepy.

by Russianator on Nov 20, 2009 4:00 PM EST reply actions

Jerking off

So if he didn’t jerk everyone off, then who did he jerk off? HMMM maybe Magilla Gorilla down at UT?

by SUBB8 on Nov 20, 2009 4:41 PM EST reply actions

17 year olds aren't infants

I agree, it would be messed up to boo a 17 year old because he didn’t pick your school…IF he announced this at his high school gym or UT or even in Manhattan when Syracuse wasn’t in town for a big game. He wouldn’t be getting the nasty response on the web from Cuse fans either if he did that. Why not announce it on Wednesday night at ESPNZone since he knew he was sending in his LOI that night anyway? Because he would have been fighting for attention with other big recruits. The fact is, he went out of his way to announce his decision on ESPNU at the public ESPNZone restaurant a few blocks from MSG only ONE HOUR before Syracuse played there. Frankly, it’s a disrespectful way to announce and he had to know that it would be one of the more hostile environments that he could have chosen (other more hostile environments? center court at MSG, the Dome, the Melo Center, the Cuse locker room).

Is it wrong to boo a 17 year old? Usually it is, but if he’s gonna be a dick about it, I don’t really have any sympathy for him.

Good luck on Coach Summitt’s team. Also, this decision was clearly NOT about joining a stacked recruiting class. This decision is to be top dog and get the majority of touches so he can go pro. Fact is, Cuse has too many really good players and he’d just be another one of the guys. That is something, evident by the way he craves attention, he isn’t interested in.

by DMF on Nov 20, 2009 5:04 PM EST reply actions