Bridgewater suspended from HS coaching

[TBBills Fan]

1 minute ago, Rocky Landing said:

I get it, though. The article references "placating the rules are rules crowd..." but i'm going to assume that the school that Bridgewater coaches at isn't the only poor school in that league. From the other (potentially poor) school's perspectives, competing against another school that has an NFL QB as its coach is bad enough, but to have that coach dumping money into its program in a way that violates the rules for fair competition is a bridge too far. (sorry for the pun...)

Don't ever apologize for a Pun

 

I get what you are saying, but Uber rides, food, physical therapists as rent really a competitive advantage. Not compared to his knowledge for the game when it comes to practice, play on etc..

 

He can't help every school, but if he can help one, I say do it.  Kids need all the support they can get in 2025.  

 

Some coaches are better than others, but there's lessons in that for those kids as well 

[Buffalo716]

14 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

WNY doesn't count in HS football. I really had no idea how big it could be until I moved to Ohio. A St. X game on Friday night gets more fans than a UB game on Saturday. And even that's nothing compared to Texas and Florida. And the Catholic schools here recruit. Every good 8th grade player in a public school that is not Wyoming or Colerain will end up at St. X, LaSalle, Elder, or Moeller with an "academic scholarship." Alumni demand wins and will pay for them. 

That's also because Ohio has a private football culture 

 

Go to Texas 90% of the teams that are the best are all public 

 

Ohio is known for large private schools and sports like Saint Xavier... Texas is known for public school football that have 15 division one players on one team

 

Western New York puts out more division 1 football prospects then some states in total 

Edited July 15 by Buffalo716

[Rocky Landing]

2 minutes ago, TBBills Fan said:

Don't ever apologize for a Pun

 

I get what you are saying, but Uber rides, food, physical therapists as rent really a competitive advantage. Not compared to his knowledge for the game when it comes to practice, play on etc..

 

He can't help every school, but if he can help one, I say do it.  Kids need all the support they can get in 2025.  

 

Some coaches are better than others, but there's lessons in that for those kids as well 

Sure.

But I absolutely 100% understand why other coaches would complain-- I certainly would. They have to face an NFL QB, and he's paying to get them to practices, a pre-game nutrition program, and athletic-recovery services? And obviously, it was in violation of their league rules, or he wouldn't have been suspended. I can't imagine that the organization that runs that league was anything other than ecstatic that they had an NFL QB involved in their program. But, given the circumstances, you can't expect them to not follow their own rules.

[TBBills Fan]

17 minutes ago, Rocky Landing said:

Sure.

But I absolutely 100% understand why other coaches would complain-- I certainly would. They have to face an NFL QB, and he's paying to get them to practices, a pre-game nutrition program, and athletic-recovery services? And obviously, it was in violation of their league rules, or he wouldn't have been suspended. I can't imagine that the organization that runs that league was anything other than ecstatic that they had an NFL QB involved in their program. But, given the circumstances, you can't expect them to not follow their own rules.

 

Yeah I get rules. But at the end of the day it's about the kids, from a coaches perspective it should be about their kids and the other kids they see.  It's just a game. 

 

What percent of these kids make div 1?  How many make the NFL?  A very small percentage.  Don't take away a kids experience because you can't do the same. Instead the coaches should find their own way to Inspire and lead

 

The kids lose. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Don't take an experience that will last a lifetime away. If the rules need changing so be it.  

 

He was asking for donations this year, other coaches could ask the same and use that money on nutrition etc...

Edited July 15 by TBBills Fan

[Buffalo716]

20 minutes ago, TBBills Fan said:

 

Yeah I get rules. But at the end of the day it's about the kids, from a coaches perspective it should be about their kids and the other kids they see.  It's just a game. 

 

What percent of these kids make div 1?  How many make the NFL?  A very small percentage.  Don't take away a kids experience because you can't do the same. Instead the coaches should find their own way to Inspire and lead

 

The kids lose. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Don't take an experience that will last a lifetime away. If the rules need changing so be it.  

 

He was asking for donations this year, other coaches could ask the same and use that money on nutrition etc...

Because you can do all of that through your school's boosters 

 

Teddy Bridgewater is smart enough and Rich enough to in fact set up a booster program at his school 

 

If I did this I would be suspended.. like he has good intentions but there are rules in place and he could get travel and food and all this stuff from his boosters

 

The football boosters could have formally done all this.. he could have donated all this money to the football boosters and they could have paid for all of it

Edited July 15 by Buffalo716

[TBBills Fan]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Because you can do all of that through your school's boosters 

 

Teddy Bridgewater is smart enough and Rich enough to in fact set up a booster program at his school 

 

If I did this I would be suspended.. like he has good intentions but there are rules in place and he could get travel and food and all this stuff from his boosters

 

The football boosters could have formally done all this.. he could have donated all this money to the football boosters and they could have paid for all of it

Then what's the real difference?

 

What you say makes sense, but why go through that hoop if the end result is the same?  What's the difference?  

 

 

 

[Buffalo716]

Just now, TBBills Fan said:

Then what's the real difference?

 

What you say makes sense, but why go through that hoop if the end result is the same?  What's the difference?  

 

 

 

Well unfortunately I don't make the rules and I can't tell you why they think there is a difference

 

He truly 100% has his players best interest at heart... I believe that 

 

Maybe because the boosters have a actual record of all the food travel and money which is probably used for tax purposes for the school.. to show where XY and z did go 

 

Instead of somebody saying yeah this is what I did with it

[BigDingus]

Imagine being those kids & having this opportunity taken away from you. That's what I feel is lost on this.

 

You're already growing up in a low income area, probably struggling with plenty of things that no child should have to deal with, then along comes a former NFL player trying to give you a better opportunity & provide your team with resources that you'd previously never had any hope of accessing. 

 

Then it's all taken away because of some adults deciding "if everyone can't have nice things, YOU can't have nice things."

 

Life can feel really unfair, especially when you're a kid. This won't help.

[BigAl2526]

I can see the problems with the things Bridgewater was doing.  Even with good intentions, the remains the possibility that people will see impropriety.  Moreover, if Bridgewater is doing things to make life easier for the fifty to a hundred kids that are involved in the football program, there are still hundreds of kids in the school living in poverty who are not benefitting.  Bridgewater could be inadvertently creating an elite class in the school system where life is better for some and not for others.  The kids for whom life is not better are certainly going to be aware of what is happening and will probably feel cheated.   Maybe what Bridgewater could do is set up some sort of foundation that will benefit all the students.

 

[frostbitmic]

Are athletic recovery services massages ?

[Beck Water]

12 hours ago, Saint Doug said:

My guess here is you have an adult giving money to unrelated minors. While this was probably done in good faith, I can see how this could be viewed as problematic. 

 

I wish the article didn't leave us to guess, but instead actually explained what rules were violated that led to the suspension.

 

17 minutes ago, frostbitmic said:

Are athletic recovery services massages ?

 

Maybe.  Could include stuff like cryotherapy and IVs

Edited July 15 by Beck Water

[Beck Water]

11 hours ago, Saint Doug said:

“Hey Coach Teddy, can you give me some money to go get some  _____ or meet up with _____?”

 

”Sure, I’ll call an Uber.”

 

Teacher often buy school supplies for needy students. These supplies are not earmarked for certain individuals. If so, it is done above board and through official channels. And these supplies are directly needed for the curriculum. What were the Uber rides for? Where did these students go? What does it have to do with the team? You can see how this would raise questions. 

 

Again, I’m not saying these were not done in good faith. But, and it seems like the school district agreed, there is a right way to do it and a wrong way. Adults unofficially funneling money or services to a minors is a great way to get in trouble. 

 

The thing is I know there are special sports rules.  Like there are rules you have to attend so much of the school day if you have an excused absence for medical or you can't play, that kind of thing.

 

So I don't doubt that there were rules and they were broken.  I just wish the article would have explained.

[Sojourner]

13 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

The best football team in the City of Buffalo and western New York is Bennett from the hood 

 

They're putting out multiple D1 players every year and would smoke 98% of public or private teams in New York state 

 

They have had an unreal 5-year run

 

Saw a video last year of one of their games, that #9 they had is a monster. Smoking the majority of schools is probably right. 

[Fleezoid]

"The move could put Bridgewater (who is only 32) in play to sign with the Lions or some other team for the 2025 NFL season."

 

So basically, an NFL team is seeing this and saying, "We like the way you operate....come on board and cross the line with us."

[TBBills Fan]

11 hours ago, BigDingus said:

Imagine being those kids & having this opportunity taken away from you. That's what I feel is lost on this.

 

You're already growing up in a low income area, probably struggling with plenty of things that no child should have to deal with, then along comes a former NFL player trying to give you a better opportunity & provide your team with resources that you'd previously never had any hope of accessing. 

 

Then it's all taken away because of some adults deciding "if everyone can't have nice things, YOU can't have nice things."

 

Life can feel really unfair, especially when you're a kid. This won't help.

That's what I'm saying. Thank you

[JP51]

I dont know all of the facts maybe there is more to this... but my very initial reaction is C'mon man... with all the crap going on in this world this is what people wanna  "Karen" about... I guess... but geez... 

 

* separate topic... rumor has it Bridgewater just checked the final box to officially hit the radar of the Chiefs.. Gardner Minshew's house is now for sale... stay tuned... LOL... I mean someone had to put this out there.... sorry....  .....    not sorry...  

Edited July 15 by JP51

[MJS]

15 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

Sure.

But I absolutely 100% understand why other coaches would complain-- I certainly would. They have to face an NFL QB, and he's paying to get them to practices, a pre-game nutrition program, and athletic-recovery services? And obviously, it was in violation of their league rules, or he wouldn't have been suspended. I can't imagine that the organization that runs that league was anything other than ecstatic that they had an NFL QB involved in their program. But, given the circumstances, you can't expect them to not follow their own rules.

He was probably paying for a lot more than that. That is just what he admitted to.

4 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

I wish the article didn't leave us to guess, but instead actually explained what rules were violated that led to the suspension.

I don't think they really know or care to know. They just wanted to get their narrative across.

[MJS]

14 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Well unfortunately I don't make the rules and I can't tell you why they think there is a difference

 

He truly 100% has his players best interest at heart... I believe that 

 

Maybe because the boosters have a actual record of all the food travel and money which is probably used for tax purposes for the school.. to show where XY and z did go 

 

Instead of somebody saying yeah this is what I did with it

Agreed. Bridgewater can claim whatever he wants. Funds going to underage school children need to be accounted for and properly documented to make sure claims are actually accurate. For all we know, he could have been paying for alcohol and parties, or incentivizing their play with lavish rewards. There is a process for paying for all the things he claimed to pay for, and he didn't follow that process, so how do we know everything was kosher? We don't. And that's the problem.

Edited July 15 by MJS

[SoTier]

On 7/14/2025 at 9:49 PM, Buffalo716 said:

Because you can do all of that through your school's boosters 

 

Teddy Bridgewater is smart enough and Rich enough to in fact set up a booster program at his school 

 

If I did this I would be suspended.. like he has good intentions but there are rules in place and he could get travel and food and all this stuff from his boosters

 

The football boosters could have formally done all this.. he could have donated all this money to the football boosters and they could have paid for all of it

 

What if a school doesn't have a booster group?   My guess is that Bridgewater found out last season that his school didn't have a booster group or an active one, so he paid for the things his players needed.   This year, he tried to get donations, and that probably triggered the investigation that led to his suspension.

 

Moreover, not all booster groups are equal.   Schools in wealthy areas, whether public or private, have almost infinite ability to support their schools' sports programs, whether through school taxes and/or booster clubs compared to schools in poverty areas whether those schools are public or private.   Poor communities simply don't have the economic resources to raise extra money like wealthy communities do.

 

On 7/14/2025 at 10:14 PM, BigDingus said:

Imagine being those kids & having this opportunity taken away from you. That's what I feel is lost on this.

 

You're already growing up in a low income area, probably struggling with plenty of things that no child should have to deal with, then along comes a former NFL player trying to give you a better opportunity & provide your team with resources that you'd previously never had any hope of accessing. 

 

Then it's all taken away because of some adults deciding "if everyone can't have nice things, YOU can't have nice things."

 

Life can feel really unfair, especially when you're a kid. This won't help.

 

I think that your quote might be more accurate like this: "if everyone can't have nice things, kids like YOU can't have nice things."   Poor kids know that some kids -- stereotypically white "rich" kids -- can and do have nice things.    Poor kids learn this lesson early on, and it makes it much harder for adolescents to have some real hope of escaping poverty that they need to avoid self-destructive behaviors that tempt all young people but especially youngsters in poor communities..

 

FYI - I taught in inner city schools in Buffalo for nearly 10 years many years ago.

 

Edited July 16 by SoTier

[dbfla10]

I coach down here and have face MNW several time. The uber rides is a problem cause hes more than likely paying for kids to get to the school that are out of district. Thats the problem. Yes overall he's doing a great deed. But that deed is benefiting the program by bringing in kids that are not zoned to go to MNW. unfortunately these are the rules.

 

Imagine a school like OP paying for uber for kids at other schools, and it just so happens those are the best kids athletically in those zone.

All you WNY HS wont play schools like Frannies Joes, Canisius because of recruiting. Well this is exactly why

Edited July 15 by dbfla10