Not in any way related to LT, just an observation...

I was always under the impression that a recommendation would most likely only be agreed to if the recommender could do so favorably (I have asked and been turned down)

But on this admissions panel, I have read some brutally honest and unflattering "recommendations," if you can call them that. Basically "I will be honest, this person is very lackluster and has nothing to offer you, but if you have space for them they will certainly learn a lot from your program"