Signing Day Disgustingness and Miller Lite Showers...I miss football already

Well, another Signing Day has come and gone. It was a typical Signing Day for me: no work was accomplished, I hit F5 on my computer about 4,584 times, texted at least that many times to my friends, and spent the evening scouring our rival's rosters to see who will be trotting out of the tunnel when we face them in 2012. Laura asked at one point if I was going to actually speak to her before bedtime. I think I did, but I don't remember. In any event, I was happy with the recruits the Dawgs signed. Our second opponent  in 2012, the vaunted Missouri Tigers, signed the #1 recruit in the nation. Florida has the #3 class in the nation. Auburn was in the top 15, South Carolina and Tennessee were in the top 25. Luckily, our schedule rotation worked out where we don't have to play Bama, who signed the #1 class in the nation. The rich definitely got richer on this February 1st. The SEC looks to be the premier conference in the nation for years to come.

Then....there's Tech. I don't know who they signed. As a matter of fact, nobody does. No one actually knows who plays for Tech until you line up across from them. I know Paul Johnson pulled the scholarship of a recruit from Lanier County, Georgia, who ultimately signed with North Carolina. His first question was, "when do we play Georgia Tech?" Good for you, young man. You are realizing a very important fact of life....Georgia Tech sucks. They suck in all forms and fashions. They lie, cheat, steal, inhale, kill kittens and know the identity of the second gunman on the Grassy Knoll. (+1 for Ace Ventura reference) If Tech was real estate, it wouldn't perk. If Tech was cheese, it would be fat free Velveeta. If Tech was a car, it would be a Honda Element riding on a donut. You get the picture.

Quite frankly though, this year's recruiting cycle was one of the most disheartening I've ever seen. Maybe it's been going on like this for years, I don't know. Maybe we are all too "plugged in" to what is going on now and we are shocked at how dirty, underhanded and disconcerting the entire process has become. Honestly, the NCAA, the conferences, coaches and ultimately, the fans are to blame for this debacle. We facilitate this "fifteen minutes of fame" gone awry by subscribing to websites, reading Twitter feeds, and calling in to talk shows. We pay the money to see the games. The coaches want to keep their jobs, so they will do anything short of murder to sign the best recruits. (there is no proof of this, maybe somebody has been whacked in Alabama, I wouldn't be shocked) The NCAA and the conferences rely on the money made by these guys, so they don't monitor anything in the present, they wait 3-4 years after they're gone and then investigate. The most egregious offenders get a "don't do that anymore" speech, a huge fine, a few schollys pulled and it's over.

Think about it. Alabama was on double secret probation for a good chunk of the 2000's, mostly for recruiting violations. They experienced a couple of bad seasons. They still sold out their games, then signed a top notch coach in 2007 and have won two national titles since. USC is currently on double secret probation (recruiting violations) yet they signed a top ten class (with Lane Kiffin, who left Tennessee in shambles, and on probation) and look to be in the Top 5 when the 2012 season starts. They are still on TV. They are still in Los Angeles. More importantly, they still have money. Same with Ohio State. Top Ten class, top notch new coach.....the future is so bright, they gotta wear shades. Lesson learned, right? Yeah, they seem real concerned. It's like a bug getting smashed on the windshield of a Bentley, it's annoying to look at the guts smeared all over the place, but it's still a Bentley and the guts will wash off eventually. Nothing will change the machine that is college football unless the money runs out. The same people stay on top. When was the last time ANYBODY came out of nowhere in major college football? (Boise State does not count. Sorry. If 10 of your 11 games are over by halftime, you are not major college football.)

Then you have the players, the families, street agents and the giant pool of hangers-on that make this circus complete. They all know the score and play the part of the innocent, wide-eyed recruit who wasn't aware that getting a brand new Navigator was a NCAA violation. However, if somebody gave me a free car, cash, and gifts, you better believe I'd rip their arm off taking every last bit of it. They know this is their one shot in the spotlight as a college recruit, that tomorrow is not promised and every single one of them is an ACL injury away from reality. I guess this may justify the constant "I'm committed, but I'm still looking, so I guess you can say I'm 90% but I guess I'll just leave it up to God" routine that permeates the recruiting machine. I don't remember a Signing Day with more de-commitments and last minute mind changes. If I was a coach, it would be so maddening to spend all the time and effort on a kid who blows you off at the 11th hour, thereby ruining your chances of getting another player to take his place. At the same time, the disgusting way that Nick Saban dropped Justin Taylor illustrates that this mentality swings both ways. Ugh. I'm getting annoyed just typing this sentence.

Then, I think about all the good times that college football has produced. Not just my times in Athens, but my entire college football watching life. I saw the greatest team in history (2001 Miami) play an unforgettable season.  I was able to see Reggie Bush dominate Pac-10 defenses, running around like Bo Jackson on Tecmo Bowl. (Seriously, Bo was MONEY on that game). I saw the greatest single game performance on live television (Vince Young singlehandedly defeating Southern Cal in the National Championship in 2006). I've seen guys come back from impossible injuries, people cry over victories and destroy property in defeat. All the amazing upsets.....I will NEVER forget when Appalachian State beat Michigan in 2007. I got emotional over it, I won't lie. A small school from the South with a quarter of the budget and a tenth of the facilities vs. a symbol of Northern blue-bloodedness. For anyone who was tailgating with me at that moment, I am so sorry for the Miller Lite shower, but that celebration was about more than football.

So, I will press on as a fan, regardless of the nonsensical quagmire that Signing Day has become. I will hang on until August....six long, agonizing months, until they tee it up again. In the meantime, I will watch the Hawks squander their early Southeast Division lead, Linsanity continue to overtake New York, early PGA events named after yet another corporation I've never heard of, and listen to another excuse as to why the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will not take place. (They haven't used a tropical disease as an excuse yet...maybe Manny will get beriberi or scurvy this spring.) The Braves have already launched a "this may be the year" campaign, so we shall see. I'm betting Chipper will be out the entire month of March with a nagging ear lobe injury.