Too Much Hype?
February 13th, 2009 - byMitch Albom has had enough. In a scathing editorial printed this week he attacked the hype and media buzz that has become associated with college football’s signing day. He doesn’t like the hats, the TV shows, the press conferences during school hours, the internet reporters chasing quotes and generally everything that falls outside of a recruit faxing his Letter of Intent to a college coach.
Then there was a defensive back named Craig Loston, out of Houston, who picked LSU. His Eisenhower High coach was excited. Funny thing is, Loston doesn’t even attend school anymore. According to the coach, the kid lives in Louisiana. According to the principal, the kid says he’s taking online classes to finish his requirements. Online?
How about a Texas safety named Colton Valencia, who brought four hats to his news conference, then, for drama, ignored them and pulled out a Texas A&M hat from under the table. What’s next? A rabbit?
Only once in my career did I attend a recruiting announcement. It was for Robert (Tractor) Traylor, a prep basketball star in Detroit who did the TV/entourage thing, chose the University of Michigan, and later became part of a recruiting scandal that led to his coach’s firing and the school’s NCAA probation.
I lasted five minutes at his event, left, went to the school library, and found a kid going to the same university on an academic scholarship, all alone, doing homework.
On the other hand signing day caps years of hard work. Doesn’t our society celebrate milestone moments? We celebrate graduations. These high schoolers are graduating to become college student ahtletes. Don’t they deserve a few minutes in the spotlight before they become the low man on the depth chart again. For most players it will be the last time they are the best player on their team. The last time they are recognized as the big man on campus. It that so bad?
What do you think?
February 13th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Mitch Albom is a part of the media crowd that creates the buzz. The idea is to sell papers, advertising, website hits, etc. AND people are buying. So Mitch, back off! If you truly want to do something about this, reign your colleagues in. You don’t seem to mind when ESPN pays you to comment on this, so why do you mind when ESPN hypes this?
February 13th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
For me this is somewhat similar to the age old question of what came first, the chicken or the egg…Did ESPN create this hype out of nowhere or did they accurately gauge the interest of rabid fans who wanted this type of recruiting buzz and simply fulfill their audience’s demand? I dont really know, but if no one was watching, then I doubt it would receive this type of attention. Shouldnt their goal be to provide content that people want to watch? Personally, I think its ridiculous, but if TV catered to my specific needs, they would simply play reruns of Bulls Championship team games…But thats probably not going to happen so I say just turn your TV off if you dont want to watch the recruiting hype.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:20 am
I personally think the hype is overkill. Not to mention the added pressure it puts on kids. However, I agree with Adam. If you don’t like it don’t watch it.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Hey, Mitch aren’t you part of the Media and isn’t the media responsible for the hype surrounding signing day? I mean, c’mon is Mitch really that out of the loop that he think’s that we have to much attention surrounding this event? Mitch, don’t you work for the same network that broadcasts the High School Football All American Game? And doesn’t that same network have every web blogger, reporter and columnist sticking a mic in the face of every one of the particpant’s of that game? C’mon Mitch your complaining about the hype that your very own employer/network has created! Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?
February 18th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
These are the kids that have paid their dues. The kids that are up at 6am in the weight room when others are still in bed. Shining the spotlight on excellence is a good thing in my opinion. Good for the kids, school and community.
February 20th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I think the media is a great tool for the kids that come out of high school..as long as the kids are taught well to stay humble and still work very hard as they go to the next level in college they will be fine..most kids have great stories to tell about their path to that point..for example..how many kids out there that raised by their grandparents or single parent or different circumstances and they excell to the top by working so hard with the help of so many good people like his families,coaches,teachers,pastors,friends and so on..those are great encouraging stories that will help a lot of kids out there that says..They Can Do It..so keeeeep up the goooood work media people and very much care to all of U.
Groberg M Lavulo.