Why has recruiting news blown up?

Years ago, even the most diligent fans hadn't heard of most players until they were juniors in college.

Now, people bite their nails for weeks wondering where a kid is going to "verbally commit," who is on his "short list," etc., etc. There are two competing national Web sites, with a vast network of beat writers and reporters, specifically geared toward recruiting news. A lot of newspapers assign someone other than the beat writer to the recruiting beat.

How did this all happen? When? You had your Tom Lemmings in the 1980s, but it was an extremely niche market.

Was the hunger for this info out there waiting to be tapped? Or did the media create something and convince people they couldn't live without it?

And why do people care so much about recruiting anyway?

 

It's kind of like Christmas.

It's exciting to see those shiny boxes sitting under the tree. You dream about them for weeks and weeks and maybe even scheme to peek into them.

So what if on Christmas the boxes turn out to be underwear and socks and toys that are broken by noon?

Next year -- more shiny boxes!!

 

I paid attention for a couple of years.

But after one player after another didn't qualify . . . or ran afoul of the law of team rules . . . or didn't pan out . . . I simply decided to ignore it for the most part.

I may turn a cartwheel or two if you score a touchdown in October . . . but not if you sign a piece of paper in February.

 

The media helped create it, no doubt. But the hardcore fans hunger for it.

And I'm still convinced a recruiting writer will eventually be the target of an NCAA investigation. Too many of them are nothing but shills for the school they cover.

 

Inky,

We could sure use a sports writer like yourself at the student paper at good ol' Faber College.

 

Gee, thanks Coach Ace. I'm a lean to Northwestern right now, but I might soft verbal to Missouri if I like my official visit next week. But I'm still going to wait until Signing Day to announce. I'm planning on pulling out a reporter's notebook with the logo of the school I choose on it. That'll be pretty cool.

 

I hear Northwestern grads can't spell and that Missouri's j-school dean is on his wait out. Wouldn't want to see you in a bad situation. Here at Faber we have spellcheck and no ne else wants to hire us.

 

Really? I didn't know that. I'm also considering Syracuse because their professors will be able to prepare me for appearances on Around The Horn. Didn't Faber hire a new interview coach during the offseason? What if my interview style clashes with what he's teaching?

 

uh, because of that thar' internets?

seriously. i don't know how diehards followed recruiting 10-15 years ago. i guess they had to subscribe to actual newsletters or magazines or 900 numbers. now it's all online. so it's available to everyone. so more people are interested. so newspapers cover it.

 

because people are stupid

 

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/30173/

Not a d_b, this time. Just another reason why.

 

Did I mention girls and booze?