Bishop Sycamore

[JimH5]

The story is so bizarre and is such an example of what's wrong with education, the sports culture, ESPN and state athletic associations.

 

Bishop Sycamore is purportedly an online high school based in Ohio, but participating in a Texas HS athletic league. Last year they went 0-6, and were outscored 227-42. They claim to have top level football recruits, but their roster doesn't have any players recognized by recruiting organizations. At least one of the players might be beyond graduation age.

 

They got manhandled by a powerhouse IMG Academy team on Sunday, 58-0, in a game broadcast on ESPN. And reports are that the team had played and lost a game on FRIDAY, in Allegheny County, PA.

 

Everything is so weird about this. ESPN clearly didn't do their homework about the Bishop Sycamore team or its players being up to the task. Player safety was a real concern, not even considering that Bishop Sycamore had played 2 days prior.

 

I've got a 5 year thread on the politics site about football being a stain on the culture, and this is the latest example of corruption by adults and kids who deserve better. There should be an investigation into this program. Since there is interstate commerce related to the program, I guess it would be a federal issue, if authorities are paying attention.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/high-school/football/news/a-closer-look-at-whether-bishop-sycamore-is-a-legitimate-high-school-football-program/

[SomewhereInTime]

This story gets crazier and crazier. Any team not affiliated with a state is not a high school football team. Call it semi pro, minor league, or whatever else. This includes athletic groups like IMG and sham athletic groups like Bishop Sycamore.

 

It's just crazy, the head coach has an arrest warrant out on him, the players are not high school aged and are not in high school, they played a game two days before this one, most of the players play two ways as they don't have enough players, and based on the two plays I saw, they barely could even line on defense let alone stop anyone. I have no idea how the score was only 58-0. I guess they've never won a game either and even lost by a similar score last year to IMG.

 

Broadcast actual high school games with teams in actual conferences who are eligible for state playoffs and state title games, not sham programs, and national barnstorming team crap.

[nodakfan17]

Yesterday was truly Internet Christmas between this story and then finding out Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham (who is rich now) was demoted to remedial classes at the Harvard online extension after bragging about ‘getting into Harvard.’

 

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3381015/farrah-abraham-is-suing-harvard-university-because-a-teacher-told-her-she-stinks-at-reading

 

A few years ago, ESPN wanted to televise a local HS football game that featured Alec Ingold at QB for Bay Port and James Morgan at QB for Ashwaubenon. At the time, Ingold had committed to Northern Illinois (to play QB) and Morgan (now with the Jets) was headed to Bowling Green. The WIAA nixed it because ESPN wanted the game moved to a TV window on Thursday and the WIAA must require 6 or 7 days between football games. I wish they’d allow one exception per year for rare opportunities like that.

[homer]

Why do I feel like IMG had something to do with this?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Why do I feel like IMG had something to do with this?

 

They absolutely knew this at least wasn't the school ESPN thought it was. I mean they played them last year. I don't think they care. IMG is its own unethical little thing anyway.

 

Fascinating story though.

[SomewhereInTime]

Yesterday was truly Internet Christmas between this story and then finding out Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham (who is rich now) was demoted to remedial classes at the Harvard online extension after bragging about ‘getting into Harvard.’

 

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3381015/farrah-abraham-is-suing-harvard-university-because-a-teacher-told-her-she-stinks-at-reading

 

A few years ago, ESPN wanted to televise a local HS football game that featured Alec Ingold at QB for Bay Port and James Morgan at QB for Ashwaubenon. At the time, Ingold had committed to Northern Illinois (to play QB) and Morgan (now with the Jets) was headed to Bowling Green. The WIAA nixed it because ESPN wanted the game moved to a TV window on Thursday and the WIAA must require 6 or 7 days between football games. I wish they’d allow one exception per year for rare opportunities like that.

 

WIAA used to end the season with 3 games in 10 days if you made the playoffs and advanced to the second round. Don't know when they changed that but that's how it was when I was in high school. Finish season on a Wednesday or Thursday night, 1st round of playoffs next Tuesday, 2nd round of playoffs Saturday afternoon. Wonder when that was changed?

[SomewhereInTime]

Why do I feel like IMG had something to do with this?

 

They absolutely knew this at least wasn't the school ESPN thought it was. I mean they played them last year. I don't think they care. IMG is its own unethical little thing anyway.

 

Fascinating story though.

 

Yes, they are definitely to blame as well. But that's what you get when it's not actually high school football and instead minor league/semi pro ball. You can play anyone you want anywhere you want. Doesn't matter if the team played the night before across country.

[nodakfan17]

Here are the details of the Alec Ingold / James Morgan ESPN matchup that never was:

 

https://www.wrn.com/2014/08/wiaa-not-willing-to-bend-the-rules-to-promote-their-product/

 

Turns out, ESPN wanted to move the game from Friday night to fill a TV window on Sunday. The WIAA blocked it because both teams would have played on Sunday and then again on Friday (5 days rest). The WIAA does not allow teams to play two games during the same calendar week in the regular season. They must have separate considerations for the postseason.

 

Alec Ingold and James Morgan each went on to play in plenty of televised games, but for 100 other kids at Bay Port and Ashwaubenon, this would have been their only opportunity to ever play on ESPN. What a shame.

[homer]

The coach of Bishop Sycamore has been fired. Which begs the question; who fired him?

 

[nodakfan17]

The coach of Bishop Sycamore has been fired. Which begs the question; who fired him?

 

Apparently, Minister Andre Peterson:

 

 

Seems odd that a school administrator would use a gmail address. That probably should have been another red flag.

[SomewhereInTime]

The coach of Bishop Sycamore has been fired. Which begs the question; who fired him?

 

Apparently, Minister Andre Peterson:

 

 

Seems odd that a school administrator would use a gmail address. That probably should have been another red flag.

 

Yeah I'm not so sure this is a "school" lol. This whole story just keeps getting more and more wild.

[jerichoholicninja]

The NCAA is a joke with it's handling of athletics and academics so it's no surprise that this has trickled down into high school.

[SomewhereInTime]

The NCAA is a joke with it's handling of athletics and academics so it's no surprise that this has trickled down into high school.

 

They are independent of any state high school organization.

[GAME05]

If the players there aren't any good it must not be one of those go-pro-college-prep schools. Therefore, what's the point of this school existing? Is this just a way for people to get their HS diploma without actually going to class?

[homer]

If the players there aren't any good it must not be one of those go-pro-college-prep schools. Therefore, what's the point of this school existing? Is this just a way for people to get their HS diploma without actually going to class?

 

I don't think it's even a school.

[jerichoholicninja]

If the players there aren't any good it must not be one of those go-pro-college-prep schools. Therefore, what's the point of this school existing? Is this just a way for people to get their HS diploma without actually going to class?

 

Apparently many of the players are over high school age. I think the "kids" think this is their chance to be seen and get a scholarship but even the sleaziest D1 football coach is looking at 20 year olds at a fake high school.

[DuWayne Steurer]

They're probably just an outfit that pays players to play games against high profile comp that needs or wants to pad their schedule and pays "Bishop Sycamore" a decent amount to just show up and get walloped.

[SomewhereInTime]

If the players there aren't any good it must not be one of those go-pro-college-prep schools. Therefore, what's the point of this school existing? Is this just a way for people to get their HS diploma without actually going to class?

 

I think it was the payment they would get for playing on tv that would go to the program? The players are getting scammed for sure. There were stories that came out from players saying they were all sharing a house and sleeping on the floor and no food provided, etc. Let alone any education or anything.

[nodakfan17]

I feel bad for the kids (even if they are 19 and 20). Their season is cancelled and now their ‘school’ has become a punch line.

[nodakfan17]

It sounds like ‘Bishop Sycamore’ may have just been a vehicle for the head coach to make money. He charges the players ‘tuition,’ takes in travel fees from actual prep school teams who have difficulties filling their schedules, and then spends the bare minimum on travel and equipment to field a team (bouncing checks along the way):

 

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/opinion-scam-sadly-bishop-sycamore-105816447.html

[JimH5]

It sounds like ‘Bishop Sycamore’ may have just been a vehicle for the head coach to make money. He charges the players ‘tuition,’ takes in travel fees from actual prep school teams who have difficulties filling their schedules, and then spends the bare minimum on travel and equipment to field a team (bouncing checks along the way):

 

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/opinion-scam-sadly-bishop-sycamore-105816447.html

 

Strangely, the new head coach, Tyren Jackson posted a retort on Instagram, admitting there is no school. Bishop Sycamore is a football team only.

 

Ummm....

 

Doesn't that make his team unschedulable for most (all) other high school football teams? What HS Athletic Director is going to schedule his team to play against a barnstorming adult team?

 

I think he doesn't understand how that would be problematic.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/highschool/2021/09/06/bishop-sycamores-new-football-coach-not-actual-school/5749219001/

 

https://www.totalprosports.com/2021/09/04/new-bishop-sycamore-hc-denies-fraud-allegations-wants-people-to-stop-slandering-these-kids-video/

[jerichoholicninja]

“We do not offer curriculum,” Tyren Jackson told WCMH-TV. “We are not a school. That’s not what Bishop Sycamore is, and I think that’s what the biggest misconception about us was, and that was our fault. Because that was a mistake on paperwork.”

 

In Bishop Sycamore’s filing with Ohio’s department of education it describes itself as “a [sic] innovative academically accredited school” and “one of the best academic institutions in the country.”

 

Frankly, I find this whole thing hilarious.