Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

[deathadder]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes

Army grad won't get shot with Lions after change in military policy

Story Highlights

* West Point graduate was Lions' seventh-round pick
* Original policy would have allowed Campbell to serve as recruiter
* Lions president received letter from military informing of change

DETROIT (AP) -- Caleb Campbell will not get a chance to play for the Detroit Lions because of a change in military policy.

Campbell was a seventh-round draft pick for the Lions in April. At the time, Army policy would have allowed the West Point graduate to serve as a recruiter if he made the team.

But a subsequent Department of Defense policy has superseded the 2005 Army policy.

In a letter to Lions president Matt Millen dated Wednesday, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jonathan P. Liba wrote that Campbell has been ordered to give up professional football for "full-time traditional military duties."

Liba wrote that 2nd Lt. Campbell may ask to be released from his active duty obligations in May 2010.

Liba said Campbell was allowed to enter the draft "in good faith."

Looks like now we can see why Mike Viti was cut! Your thoughts?

[The Spaz]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

I just saw this myself. Pretty ****ed up I think. I have to agree this being at least part of the reason Viti was cut.

[Michael82]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

That really blows.

[DrGraves]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

****.

[yordad]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

This seems very unfair to the individual.

But, where do you draw the selective line and why? Is the argument "He has a small window of physical prime where he can make a lot of money and be set for life, so he should be allowed to explore non-military options"?

Because everyone would become crab fishers.

I guess I see the government not wanting to head down the slippery slope of making people exempt from the military duties they are obligated to. But, lets use some common sense. The policy was fine as it was, IMO. Let the dudes play if they can, while they can. It isn't like they couldn't probably serve better as a recruiter anyways if they were a respected NFL player.

[Michael82]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

Not to mention, it will be impossible to recruit any decent football players for the Army teams.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

No these guys signed up for the military. Why should they get special treatment. I feel bad for both but it was their choice.

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

Since Viti was cut before this edict and he was a longshot, I really am not sure it had any affect on him being cut.

That being said, the Army should have never made the exception in the first place for the reasons Thurm stated. Now they are being unfair by rescinding a rule they should have never created in the first place. The Lions wasted a pick and Campbell wasted time and energy in preparing for the season he can't play.

[yordad]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

No these guys signed up for the military. Why should they get special treatment. I feel bad for both but it was their choice.

Thurm, that is an excellent argument. But, they could "serve" as recruiters, and they would be the best recruiters out there.

Recruiters are serving. And besides, how would like to make a choice at 18 and be stuck til you were almost thirty? And, in the mean time, say goodbye to an NFL career.

So there you are, a guy who could have been a millionaire, living the American dream, while serving as a recruiter in the prime of your life, or wasting the prime running drills with a guy who went to the military to escape a jail sentence (I am not saying a majority of people are escaping jail, just saying).

It would be very painful.

[HHURRICANE]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

Well this is pretty stupid. This is not going to encourage people to enlist.

[The Spaz]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

Besides it's not like there were a **** load of military personnel that got drafted this year there was a handful. I mean if they wanted to cancel this rule why not wait until next year?

[trapezeus]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

i understand the reasoning of why you shouldn't have exceptions, but it has been in place forever. as tough as it is to have two wars on going, i find it hard to believe that having campbell in the mix makes the US Army significantly better.

Some one else said it prior, but these are such rare exceptions. Very few army, navy airforce guys are considered draft day material. i guess if West point had OSU or Florida's program, then it'd be odd to have an exception rule. but they don't.

If they were really hell bent on making the change,it should have taken affect after this year so that the lions and campbell would have been ok.

[OpIv37]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

well, I will say this: I don't know how it works in the Army but I'm very familiar with the Marine recruiting process, and considering that they share some recruiting stations, I'm assuming it's somewhat similar.

There is no way that one person could handle recruiting duties AND the rigors of an NFL practice/game schedule. Recruiters cover either large or heavily populated geographic areas and basically have full schedules every day. They go to schools, colleges, mallls etc- they even do home visits- and they spend a lot of time cold-calling people on the phone.

I'm sure some of this would be negated by the "we can go to the recruiting station at the Walden Galleria and see a Bills player!" factor, but how many of those people would seriously be interested in the Army anyway? Anyone who's serious is going to show up whether a football player is there or not.

[Captain gameboy]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

This has nothing to do with schedule conflict.
It has everything to do with making unusual exceptions for athletes that are not made for others who have accepted and benefited from full scholarships to US military academies.

The US taxpayer spends a lot of money giving these individuals full scholarships, and they sign on and accept them knowing what the commitment is.

Things are done to accommodate them, ie., David Robinson, but the bottom line is that we have paid for this guy's college education, and we should expect a return on that investment.

The argument that it will effect recruiting down the road is a red herring.
The US military academies are not about training pro athletes, they are about training officers.

If pro sports is your wish, take another scholarship somewhere else.
Given the academic requirements, most of these kids have many other opportunities.

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Heres the Reason Why Mike Viti was Cut From The Bills

I agree gb, my only issue is that they made one rule that led to his drafting and then they changed it again.


They should have never made the first change and should not have taken it back with no warning.