I know this horse is, if not dead, badly wounded! But, one last whack from me:
I know that CUFC's leadership discourages contacting players who have been at other clubs. That is not to say that it never happens, only that it is discouraged and his manifestly an exceptional event. I understand that CESA, on the other hand, encourages its coaches to recruit players from other clubs. (If I am wrong about that, correct me).
I agree that many (probably most, in fact) players who go to CESA from outside of its geographic area do so of their own volition and not because they were recruited, and I've never said differently.
I have never accused CESA of violating the recruiting rules. I have said that, in my opinion, recruiting at ODP events violates the spirit of an ambiguous rule.
What I am saying is that there is a culture at CESA that encourages activity in pursuit of championships that I don't care for. I freely acknowledge that it works - look at all the soccer balls. It isn't illegal or immoral. Generally, it probably isn't even fair to call it unseemly. Heck (didn't want to offend loc dog), its pretty darn common around the country. Maybe the best way to describe what I perceive to be the difference between the philosophies of the two clubs, in this context, is this: CESA's goal is win championships and works backwards from there. CUFC takes its players and tries to make them as good as it can, and if that results in championships - wonderful.
BTW - some of you folks need to stop taking this stuff so personally. I really don't understand the defensiveness. No one has substantively disputed my characterization of CESA, only some have suggested "yeah, well CUFC does it too." Either way, you CESA folks know what goes on and know that it works, I would expect you to be proud, not defensive.
