[uk96]

Nothing negative against him, thought he was an alright person, but he isn't at a disadvantage, some people in this area don't have any of the 3 things he has (cell, laptop, car)

You have posted some of the most pitiful comments that I have ever seen on BGR. You are either someone that is jealous of his talents or someone that has no compassion for the underpriviliged. That fancy car you are referring to him having is a 20 year old truck that he lived in...

[Ridge Runner]

I felt so sorry for all the kids on there because they were being exploited in a sense. Someday they will look back on that and be extremely embarrassed. The whole incest thing was just uneccessary. BUT, I can't help but wonder if they were so poor, who paid for those tatoos, that cell, and that truck. When that phone rang, everyone in the room where I was just looked at each other mystified. My wife and I make pretty good money together and our second vehicle is not that nice. I swear it. People just seem to have their priorities twisted.

I keep seeing everyone asking how he got these items. People, in EKY you can trade a pill or a food stamp for anything. You saw what his mother said she could do with those pills if she wanted. Prepaid cells are the easiest to get. Laptop....same thing.

I for one was ****ed when I heard of the 20/20 show that was beeing aired. But, when I watched it...I thought it wasn't all that bad. I mean I think that maybe some of the stats were alittle ballooned and I had a few mixed emotions about it. But, I thought that over all it was tastefully done. Cause we need to face the facts people....IT is going on here. I know exactlly where she was last night. I have been in those areas and I can name a few more areas like that. And let me tell ya. LIFE IS HARD THERE! And it is one vicious cycle. You see so many young players graduate with hopes and dreams and while they are waiting to go off to college....they just seem to get sucked deeper and deeper into that hole that is soooo hard to climb out of. Every single one of us has witnessed it or know someone that it has happened to.

There is actually so much I would like to say. But, so little space.
I for one hope Shawn gets a break, takes it and succeeds. If he truly wants to get out of here and stand true to his word. He will jump at one of these offers that people are slinging at him now.

BUT, if he gets that break and ends up back here again.......Can't blame anyone but himself.

Good Luck Son.

[Ridge Runner]

I have saw kids that when the food stamps and the check comes at the first of the month they over eat and get what they can, while they can. Because they know if they don't get it while they can, then others in the family will, or they might even trade what they have for drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol (items they can't buy with food stamps).

I think once you get this type of day to day mentality, almost survival, you lose sight of any type of long term goals. Therefore, getting a college education, having a nice home, owning a boat on the lake, or other luxury items are not important.

I hate to inform you of this. BUT, you can buy ANYTHING you want with a food stamp.

[Yogibear]

My statement was a rhetorical question more than an actual question. I know how he basically go them. I am not stupid. It is just irritating to think that people on welfare actually put smoking, drinking pop, and getting tatoos above other things. The one little girl did not even have sheets on her bed. I never said any of it wasn't true. I just know that someday these kids will look back and wish they had not been on TV in that situation. That is exploitation. Do you really think that it was neccesary to put that incest part in there? The whole piece was basically done at that point.

[Ridge Runner]

My statement was a rhetorical question more than an actual question. I know how he basically go them. I am not stupid. It is just irritating to think that people on welfare actually put smoking, drinking pop, and getting tatoos above other things. The one little girl did not even have sheets on her bed. I never said any of it wasn't true. I just know that someday these kids will look back and wish they had not been on TV in that situation. That is exploitation. Do you really think that it was neccesary to put that incest part in there? The whole piece was basically done at that point.

I agree with you about the incest part being unnecessary. Like I said, I watched it with some mixed emotions.

[MonsterMan]

Shawn is a great kid and I hope he gets the break he needs. If Diane Sawyer is so worried about our area, why does she not use all the resources she and CBS have to help us instead of mock and exploit us for ratings?

I wished there had been more positive to balance the bad that was reported. This area has some of the state's top ranked academic high schools with more than half the students below the poverty being hammered with continuous budget cuts, why could this not been reported? I am sure they could have found more sucess stories if they had looked.

We have many great churches in the Eastern Kentucky area and are always ready to send money out to missionaries around the world, which is good, but we seem to ingonore that we are living in one of the needist mission fields in the world, let's put the same effort here.

[Stardust]

Wow, a sad story

[PC_You_Know]

You have posted some of the most pitiful comments that I have ever seen on BGR. You are either someone that is jealous of his talents or someone that has no compassion for the underpriviliged. That fancy car you are referring to him having is a 20 year old truck that he lived in...

I did not say one bad thing about Shawn, only stated the truth. I live next to someone when I'm at home that has 11 people for a 3 bedroom house. I know how bad these people live and what they go through, don't act like im characterizing Shawn, I know the entire situation. Like I said though, I know Shawn at least has his head on straight because he came to college, and with the right push, I think he'd go back.

Back off with your comments, I'm sure what I said was not the worse things ever said on this site like you stated.

[jetpilot]

Why. Did. He. Quit. School.

[PC_You_Know]

Why. Did. He. Quit. School.

No.work.ethic.

[jetpilot]

Then. This. Discussion. Is. Over.

[PC_You_Know]

Then. This. Discussion. Is. Over.

Lol, okay.

[jetpilot]

Don't understand the sympathy.

[gotcha2]

Shawn is a great kid and I hope he gets the break he needs. If Diane Sawyer is so worried about our area, why does she not use all the resources she and CBS have to help us instead of mock and exploit us for ratings?

I wished there had been more positive to balance the bad that was reported. This area has some of the state's top ranked academic high schools with more than half the students below the poverty being hammered with continuous budget cuts, why could this not been reported? I am sure they could have found more sucess stories if they had looked.

We have many great churches in the Eastern Kentucky area and are always ready to send money out to missionaries around the world, which is good, but we seem to ingonore that we are living in one of the needist mission fields in the world, let's put the same effort here.

Nice post MonsterMan.

[BballFan63]

Don't understand the sympathy.

Why?

[jetpilot]

Why?

Quit school.

[BballFan63]

Quit school.

That's what is wrong with some of us - too quick to judge others without knowing the full story.

[gotcha2]

Sadly- there are Shawm Grimm's in every school. It's a shame too- so many kids with so much talent and no one at home willing to push them. It looked like Shawn's support group during high school kept him focused and on track. Unfortunately they couldn't be there for him in college. So many of our high school coaches/staff play a much bigger role in kids lives than most people realize. How many players/parents on this board have seen kids get on a bus at 4:00 for a long road trip, no money in their pocket, no food since lunch at school? It's a sad situation for alot of kids.

[If...Then]

Grimm's story was truly inspiring.

I've read some of the comments, one even said they would like Shawn to come to Orlando and live with them and have him goto the Central Florida University until he gets on his feet. Amazing!

This is just what the kid needs. I wish there was some way that he could know that, get contacted, and start a new life doing the thing he loves most

[BlackBearDenMother]

When I heard Diane Sawyer had been in Harlan County and was planning this special to air on 20/20, I dreaded it because they DO always show the worst. That being said, it was all true. There are thousands of kids who live that way every day of their lives. Now, all I wish is that she would come back and do a story on the flip-side of life in the mountains. There was an article in the local newspaper, the Harlan Daily Enterprise, on Thursday, the day before the 20/20 show aired, and it said they didn't want to see the brand new state of the art highschool that we have here in Harlan County. They didn't want to be taken to Woodland Hills or Caball Estates (two of the nicer areas in Harlan County). This show was focused on the drug problem in the Harlan County segment of the the show. But, I have to give Diane Sawyer and the producers a break....it was just a one-hour show that wanted to focus on bringing into the light and helping the poorest kids in Appalachia...but like I said, come back and do another story on the kids who come out of here and DO succeed.

As far as Shawn Grim, I really, really felt for him. I DON'T know him personally or know anything about his "work ethic", but when people are raised in that kind of situation and that is all they know, day in and day out, it is hard to push through and get a different mentality...it is easy for them to just give up and go back to what they have always known no matter how bad it is. Diane Sawyer said NO ONE in his family had ever even graduated from high school, much less gone to college. Also, we don't know what kind of scholarship he got from Pikeville (anyone who knows, feel free to comment), but I'm sure no matter what kind of shcolarship you get, you still need money for other things, money you have to come up with yourself, money he OBVIOUSLY wasn't getting from home. His support system he had always known through high school (coachees, friends, community) probably most likely WASN'T there for him anymore. He was like a "fish out of water" people. I just hope he does get another chance from some of the people who posted on the CBS website that they would be willing to help him. I hope he still has enough drive and fire in him to step up and accept the help and make a better life for himself.

[Lambert #1]

My take on the 20/20 special was mixed at first, kind of embarrassed, and thought we were portrayed in a bad light. This morning I feel differently. All of what you saw is reality in Eastern Kentucky. We may not like seeing it on primetime television but it is a harsh reality. Mr. Grimm did not take advantage of the scholarship that so many kids wish they could get but I do think that he is a product of his society and upbringing. My God people he is still a child mentally and those decisions he made to move out was great. He went into a college society that he was not prepared for and did what he has seen his entire life, HE QUIT. There was nobody there to tell him he was messing up at least not a family member. When I was 18 and found myself in a scary unfamiliar setting at college I thought about quitting and I had a rock of an upbringing and my family unit was there for me and convinced me to stick it out for at least one year and then make my decision and learned that I liked the environment of college and finished up. Shawn did not have this extra point of view from educated normal people. We do have a problem in our area and it's so easy to say sign me up for foodstamps and welfare. It's our mentality as a whole people and it's not going to get better if we judge and then just forget. I see these types of kids daily in my job and my heart breaks for them, incest does exist not only here but everywhere and it's real. Our youth needs breaks from everyone even if they make poor decisions. I felt horrible for all 4 of the kids that were interviewed and know 15 cases for each one of those profiled. We cannot receive help from the outside until we start to help from the inside, we need to take care of our own and not be so bullheaded to NOT accept people's help from when they are trying to offer it. I Think Mrs. Sawyer's intentions were in the right place even if it did embarrass us a little bit, maybe it can be a wakeup call for our communities.

[gish]

I myself am on the football team at Pikeville College and have been since the 05 season so I was around Shawn everyday at practice. Shawn Grimm was not paying anything to goto Pikeville College and as far as school supplies go those were provided to him by our football staff. He may have not had money to do go out and do things but he was definitely taken care of while he was here. As far as his situation at home goes I feel terrible for him, nobody should have to go through life like that, BUT he had a chance to make things different and he chose to drop out. I think that he was frustrated with not getting to play a lot and part of that was due to his lack of commitment (missing weights and practice). My problem is not the fact that dropped out. College football is not for everyone, no matter what level it is. My problem is when people say that Pikeville College needs to step up because he says he can't afford it. Shawn Grimm is a good kid with a good heart but he was given all the opportunities he needed to succeed and he squandered those opportunities. Someone from ABC should have interviewed someone at Pikeville College before this was aired and gotten the entire story because you are rarely going to find an 18 year old kid that is going to say "I quit because i wasn't getting to play or I quit because I just couldn't take it anymore". He is a KID. No matter what all he has gone through he is still a child and like he said...isn't perfect. Hopefully Pikeville College was just a stepping stone for him to something else that may lead to him succeeding in life.

[mrfootball03]

I myself am on the football team at Pikeville College and have been since the 05 season so I was around Shawn everyday at practice. Shawn Grimm was not paying anything to goto Pikeville College and as far as school supplies go those were provided to him by our football staff. He may have not had money to do go out and do things but he was definitely taken care of while he was here. As far as his situation at home goes I feel terrible for him, nobody should have to go through life like that, BUT he had a chance to make things different and he chose to drop out. I think that he was frustrated with not getting to play a lot and part of that was due to his lack of commitment (missing weights and practice). My problem is not the fact that dropped out. College football is not for everyone, no matter what level it is. My problem is when people say that Pikeville College needs to step up because he says he can't afford it. Shawn Grimm is a good kid with a good heart but he was given all the opportunities he needed to succeed and he squandered those opportunities. Someone from ABC should have interviewed someone at Pikeville College before this was aired and gotten the entire story because you are rarely going to find an 18 year old kid that is going to say "I quit because i wasn't getting to play or I quit because I just couldn't take it anymore". He is a KID. No matter what all he has gone through he is still a child and like he said...isn't perfect. Hopefully Pikeville College was just a stepping stone for him to something else that may lead to him succeeding in life.

ABC didn't want to do that. They had plenty opportunities to show more than what was shown, but wanted to make it more dramatic. Just like the Harlan newspaper said, ABC wasn't interested in showing anything positive, like the state of the art school that was just built there, but wanted anything negative.

[BlackBearDenMother]

I myself am on the football team at Pikeville College and have been since the 05 season so I was around Shawn everyday at practice. Shawn Grimm was not paying anything to goto Pikeville College and as far as school supplies go those were provided to him by our football staff. He may have not had money to do go out and do things but he was definitely taken care of while he was here. As far as his situation at home goes I feel terrible for him, nobody should have to go through life like that, BUT he had a chance to make things different and he chose to drop out. I think that he was frustrated with not getting to play a lot and part of that was due to his lack of commitment (missing weights and practice). My problem is not the fact that dropped out. College football is not for everyone, no matter what level it is. My problem is when people say that Pikeville College needs to step up because he says he can't afford it. Shawn Grimm is a good kid with a good heart but he was given all the opportunities he needed to succeed and he squandered those opportunities. Someone from ABC should have interviewed someone at Pikeville College before this was aired and gotten the entire story because you are rarely going to find an 18 year old kid that is going to say "I quit because i wasn't getting to play or I quit because I just couldn't take it anymore". He is a KID. No matter what all he has gone through he is still a child and like he said...isn't perfect. Hopefully Pikeville College was just a stepping stone for him to something else that may lead to him succeeding in life.

Thanks for your honest input on this situation Gish, and thanks for pointing out Shawn's positive qualities, as well as what was lacking, and not just bashing him when you had the chance. That shows real maturity on your part.

[the old WASP]

Watched the show and all I'm going to say is that I feel sorry for the kid. I watched him play once and he was a pretty good football player. But while watching him he seemed lazy and thats understandable comming from a family that he came from. But can I ask this question if his home life is so bad then how come he went back home? If you want out as bad as he says he did you go to a college that will give you a full ride even if it's a college like Kentucky Christan. Watching him he obvisouly didn't want to make much of his life any way and like said in a previous thread how are you going to talk about people being poor and you have your own cell phone, computer and vehicle. Plus to make things even more intresting how do you get your class work down and sleep in the locker room. I bet this kid was given a little more help then they were trying to show on this show. It's tv they try to make things seem 10 times worst then what they really are.

you are right this was a tv show like any other, and people axross the country ar etalking about those stupid people in kentucky. They are right . Who in their right mind would put their family and all their family affairs on national tv? Only people with no pride.

[BballFan63]

I myself am on the football team at Pikeville College and have been since the 05 season so I was around Shawn everyday at practice. Shawn Grimm was not paying anything to goto Pikeville College and as far as school supplies go those were provided to him by our football staff. He may have not had money to do go out and do things but he was definitely taken care of while he was here. As far as his situation at home goes I feel terrible for him, nobody should have to go through life like that, BUT he had a chance to make things different and he chose to drop out. I think that he was frustrated with not getting to play a lot and part of that was due to his lack of commitment (missing weights and practice). My problem is not the fact that dropped out. College football is not for everyone, no matter what level it is. My problem is when people say that Pikeville College needs to step up because he says he can't afford it. Shawn Grimm is a good kid with a good heart but he was given all the opportunities he needed to succeed and he squandered those opportunities. Someone from ABC should have interviewed someone at Pikeville College before this was aired and gotten the entire story because you are rarely going to find an 18 year old kid that is going to say "I quit because i wasn't getting to play or I quit because I just couldn't take it anymore". He is a KID. No matter what all he has gone through he is still a child and like he said...isn't perfect. Hopefully Pikeville College was just a stepping stone for him to something else that may lead to him succeeding in life.

Very nice post.

[Poseidon]

I was thinking the same thing. I can't believe anyone would talk this way about a situation that this kid has no control over. I don't think a cell phone, laptop, and a car has anything to do with real life. He seems to have no one that cares about him. He has no "home." This story just really hit home. Amazing that someone would talk about someone who is having it this rough.

I think he was saying that while he had it rough, so did other kids and those kids had less.....I did not read anything personal about his post.

[Poseidon]

I think he was saying that while he had it rough, so did other kids and those kids had less.....I did not read anything personal about his post.

I have had bad things happen in my life, does that mean I deserve any more chances than any other person has? An adult makes no excuses and is accountable for the things that happen good or bad when he\she becomes an adult....We all have had things happen to us, but how we respond to adversity determines our place in this world. I did not watch this show, but I just think that while he may have had a bad life, so has many other kids in the mountains and one is more important that the other IMO.

[MonsterMan]

As bad as we would like to highlight the best of East KY these conditions do exsist. How could we expect these kids to be prepared for life coming out of this situation? As East Kentuckians we must take care of our own and do more to help these kids. Every little thing we could do to help kids we know are in these situations the better off they will be, no matter how small we may think it is. There are some very special people in East KY who could help mentor these kids and maybe provide the difference they need. I challenge all East Kentuckians, as well as myself, who knows of a kid in this situation to step up and make a difference, no matter matter how small it is. No kid should have to grow up this way!

[Poseidon]

As bad as we would like to highlight the best of East KY these conditions do exsist. How could we expect these kids to be prepared for life coming out of this situation? As East Kentuckians we must take care of our own and do more to help these kids. Every little thing we could do to help kids we know are in these situations the better off they will be, no matter how small we may think it is. There are some very special people in East KY who could help mentor these kids and maybe provide the difference they need. I challenge all East Kentuckians, as well as myself, who knows of a kid in this situation to step up and make a difference, no matter matter how small it is. No kid should have to grow up this way!

Good post, the kids in EKY are just as worthy as the kids in other parts of the state. They are also as smart and are just as capable of making something of themselves as other kids are. I was raised in EKY and know the issues that the kids face, but when we become adults, we should be accountable for our own actions and make our own future. There is financial aid if kids want to go to school, and there are jobs at fast food places and such for those who do not. I think kids make excuses way too much and play the victim role instead of being accountable for the decisions they make.