The Army has had a change of heart on Caleb Campbell, and his NFL future: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-lions-campbellarmy&prov=ap&type=lgns I never understood the public response on this story. He was given a college education with our tax dollars, trained to defend our country, and then was going to be given special treatment on his obligations (unavailable to any of his classmates) because he had a chance to play football? And he's treated like a hero? I'm the first to stand up and cheer a man or woman in our country's uniform, but he hadn't served yet; all he'd done was go to college.
What I dislike about it all is that they drug him through the mud. If you don't want to let him do it, then don't let him do it. Don't make him think he can play, then pull the plug last second. One body will not win or lose any battle anywhere and the kid was lied to.
Yeah, pretty obvious to me they had no intentions of ever letting him play, just whored him out for the media attention.
I agree with you and TigerBait3 it clear they just used him for advertisement and thinking they could gain more recruits with that and ESPN and other channels doing specials about him. He has to be hurt and they wasted the Detroit Lions time also.
Agree with you all, and wish I had worded my first post better. My problem isn't with Campbell at all, its with a. the Army for setting up this special treatment scenario, and b. the media, for not pointing it out for what it was. The article detailed how David Robinson and others were made to honor their commitments before heading for the pros. And that was during peacetime. Roger Staubach did 4 years active duty after Annapolis, including a year in Viet Nam at a supply depot in a hot zone, and he was a Heisman Trophy winner. Sorry Roger, you made a commitment to your country. "Before you can sell what we've got to teach you over at United Airlines, you've got to give six f***in' years of your life, swee'peas..." --Sgt. Foley, An Officer and a Gentlemen
The Army realized belatedly that their policy was not in line with DOD policy and had to change it. In the process Campbell and a few others from other sports got shafted. It is a shame, but to say the Army did it deliberately to be be an SOB is ridiculous. This was not good PR for the Army and with recruiting the way it is, they need all the good PR they can get. But I agree that Campbell, et. al., got the wrong end of the shaft.
Weather Campbell got shafted or not remains the opinions of himself and of the Detroit Lions otherwise I feel the time best spent would be on congratulating the young man for honoring his commitment without playing the conscientious objector card or many other cards that the less gifted are actually playing this day. His serving with honor will make him a better athlete tomorrow. Getting shafted by the Army is a time honoring tradition. They didn't invent the shaft last year. The difference is how you honor your commitment in light of.
The Army blew it, which I cant say I am surprised by it. They were gonna allow him to play football and serve as a recruiter. Here is where the Army screwed up. 1.) How many teenage boys playing football think they have what it takes to play in college? Lets just throw out a number, lets say 100 2.) Out of those 100 what number would you say is looking for a free ride? lets say 100 3.) The Armed Services offer free rides and you can play sports. Downside You might have to go to war and fight, how many of those 100 still take that deal? Lets say 25 4.) How many of those 100 at the begining of college think they could one day play in the pros? All 100 5.) Armed Services new terms, free ride, play ball and IF YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY PRO BALL be a recruiter for your service, now how many would take that? All 100 6.) Now here is the biggy, How many of the 100 acutally make it to the Pros? 1 to 10 So that would leave 90 to 99 new physical fit soliders to join the ranks. The Army cant get 90 to 99 WILLING people to sign up now. Hell 75% of recruites are made up of people who get the choice: Go to Jail or Go to the Army! This was a stroke of genuies when it came out, so much so that it had to be too good to come from the Army!
"Deliberately to be an SOB?" No one's saying that. The Army thought it was making a good PR move, but someone in the chain of command threw a wrench in the works. Truthfully, this is not unlike the whole Jindal/pay raise issue. The proper course of action should have been evident from the beginning, but the Army, presumably with the best of intentions, started down the wrong road. It caught its mistake before it was too late and corrected the error, but it was impossible to do that without getting some egg on its face.
