2014 commit: ATH Blake Dennis

[ZachTheZip]

Maybe you missed the part where he played with a high ankle sprain all last season.

[zippyfan34]

In the Rittman versus Norwayne game on friday a Norwayne kid made a nice one handed TD catch. It was on Sportscenter Top 10 this morning. Clip of catch found here.

[LZIp]

In the Rittman versus Norwayne game on friday a Norwayne kid made a nice one handed TD catch. It was on Sportscenter Top 10 this morning. Clip of catch found here.

Lets offer him instead. I mean, at least this kid has a highlight.

[Sergeant Zip]

Blake Dennis made Deadspin today and so did Akron

[Dave in Green]

It's OK. It's just Ohio trying to be as serious about HS football as Texas.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Nick Andre is a plagiarist. He makes me sick.

That poem is a complete rip-off of Derrick Tarver's epic December 2003 post regarding Bryan Hipsher.

C'mon Nick. Cite your sources.

[Dr Z]

Blake Dennis made Deadspin today and so did Akron

I would hope there is more to the four day suspension than just an artistic expression.

[Zipmeister]

Blake Dennis made Deadspin today and so did Akron

Two questions that occur to me.

Will Blake play more, less or the same number of downs for Akron as Ryan Bain did?

To which school will he end up transferring?

[ZachTheZip]

Blake Dennis made Deadspin today and so did Akron

With players like that on the team, it's no wonder they're struggling.

[Zipgrad01]

I am obviously not the only one that thinks we will have completely wasted a scholarship on this kid if he does in fact have one. Has anyone been able to find out if that offer was, in fact, legit?

[Dr Z]

I would hope there is more to the four day suspension than just an artistic expression.

Not sounding like it.

Here is what Rittman principal Brett Lanz told WJW in a statement:

"[The student] wrote a mean and disrespectful poem about another student and our athletic director/head coach. [it was] hazing, harrassment."

Does a mean-spirited poem read out once in a public classroom really constitute hazing? Neither Andre or his mother think it does, and one prominent Cleveland civil rights lawyer agrees with them.

"The breadth of expression, even in public schools, is virtually limitless," Cleveland-based lawyer Avery Friedman told WJW. "Unless speech is creating material disruption to the educational process, which certainly isn’t here."

[Captain Kangaroo]

Hard to believe that writing and reading a poem in high school that speaks poorly about your football coach would get you kicked off the team?

Back in my day, coaches loved such poems. The usually netted you a starting job and a Team Captain's role.

[zippyfan34]

Coach Dennis has stepped down from coaching the team and Blake has left the team.

[Hilltopper]

I agree with the Principle. Free speech is one thing, but making slanderous accusations against the coach and his fellow team mate is out of line. Avery Friedman has been on the wrong side of these cases more than once.

[Zipmeister]

Coach Dennis has stepped down from coaching the team and Blake has left the team.

I'll be darned.

[Dr Z]

I'll be darned.

Power of the pen. I wonder if the resignation is a step to start some kind of legal action. The principle handled this poorly. Hopefully the great grandson of the guy from Nantucket never enrolls in his institution.

[Zipmeister]

Power of the pen. I wonder if the resignation is a step to start some kind of legal action.

Possibly; he may be able to attach the kid's lunch money for several years.

The principle handled this poorly.

The guy in charge of the school didn't do such a good job either.

[wadscarman]

Things are CRAZY in Rittman. Dennis and sister start school in Orrville Monday due to threats. This has gotten REALLY out of hand.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Things are CRAZY in Rittman. Dennis and sister start school in Orrville Monday due to threats. This has gotten REALLY out of hand.

I sense him enrolling in Akron in January.

Or Oberlin...Bluffton...wherever he has a scholarship offer.

[wadscarman]

I sense him enrolling in Akron in January.

Or Oberlin...Bluffton...wherever he has a scholarship offer.

Not good enough to play at any of those places according to Rittman fans.

[GP1]

Not sounding like it.

Here is what Rittman principal Brett Lanz told WJW in a statement:

"[The student] wrote a mean and disrespectful poem about another student and our athletic director/head coach. [it was] hazing, harrassment."

Does a mean-spirited poem read out once in a public classroom really constitute hazing? Neither Andre or his mother think it does, and one prominent Cleveland civil rights lawyer agrees with them.

"The breadth of expression, even in public schools, is virtually limitless," Cleveland-based lawyer Avery Friedman told WJW. "Unless speech is creating material disruption to the educational process, which certainly isn’t here."

Imagine if this student was running for a student government post and called his opponent an Atheist in religion and a Fanatic in politics. Would he get suspended? Alexander Hamilton used those exact words to describe Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson somehow managed to survive this attack and go on to become President. Should Hamilton have been required to wear his uncomfortable wool clothing for four days without the soft undergarments they used to wear because of his hazing and harassment of Jefferson? The only issue here is the hypersensitivity of people.

[LZIp]

this whole situation is pathetic and an embarrassment to the region.

[GP1]

this whole situation is pathetic and an embarrassment to the region.

It's pathetic and embarrassing to those at that school. Outside of that, nobody really cares.

[Blue & Gold]

Akron Beacon.

[GP1]

One thing that is getting lost in all of this is the assignment. I think it was a great assignment from the teacher. The poem itself, if you want to call it that, was below average. I'll give it a D. The only thing saving it from being an F is the kid actually turned in something.