This is a sequence of scholarship emails I received from a recruit.  (This is the same battle I posted about earlier.)   I would be interested in hearing what the consensus is on what each of the messages mean.

1. Coach, you've said everything I needed to hear. I think Wagner is the place for me. Can't wait to sign!
2. Coach, thanks again for the scholarship offer - I really like your program, but I have to tell you, I may still have some other options that I want to check out yet.
3. Coach, I'm really on the fence right now - there are a couple of other schools I really like right now too. I can't decide just yet.
4. Coach, thanks again for the scholarship offer - I really like your program, but I have to tell you, I may still have some other options that I want to check out yet.
5. Coach, I'm really struggling right now - you have a nice program (from what I know of it) and the school is okay, but it's such a big decision. I'm leaning towards no, but I need more time.
6. Coach, I really appreciate you having enough faith in me to extend me a scholarship offer. I hope that you have enough faith to wait for me to visit some other schools - they really have made their programs sound great and to be honest, I'm not sure where I'll be next year.
7. It would be an honor to play for you at Wagner, but I'd also be honored to play for a couple of other schools too. I'm sorry, I just need more time.
8. Hey coach, your scholarship offer really means a lot to me. I can see myself at Wagner next season. But, another school is promising me a way to make my own name for myself. That's awfully appealing. I just can't decide yet.
9. Hey Coach, I really love your program, but I feel like I need to give each program my full attention before I make my decision. I can't say yes right now. Sorry.
10. Coach, you've sold me, but another school is doing a great job of selling their program too. I just can't decide yet.

A couple of notes; #8 seemed like a blatant call for some kind of promise, I promised ten minutes.  After #10 I got the ssh-bang email, but he still did not sign for 3 cycles after that.

Your leading in the 1st, losing in all the other ones by different amounts. There was no call for a promise, that is just window dressing.

Posted by tmacfan12 on 7/9/2010 7:54:00 PM (view original):
Your leading in the 1st, losing in all the other ones by different amounts. There was no call for a promise, that is just window dressing.

You sure about that, I won the recruit.

Posted by tmacfan12 on 7/9/2010 7:54:00 PM (view original):
Your leading in the 1st, losing in all the other ones by different amounts. There was no call for a promise, that is just window dressing.

You're right about the window dressing part, but incorrect that all of the others meant that he was losing. They're mostly messages that you will get when the battle is very close -- and some of them you can get when you're both slightly behind or slightly ahead. There is definitely some ambiguity when the battle is close.