I get obsessed with recruiting. I always have been, even when there was far less access to it. These days it's easy. Websites, message boards, cable, highlights and interviews on demand, there is a lot to get obsessed with these days. And I still can't get enough of it. Star ratings, the point systems, levels of interest, offers, and lots of media happy to tell you about it, recruiting has truly become a sport within a sport and it has developed a rabid fanbase.
It's kind of like trolling for prom dates all over again, except we are grown men now and we probably should have better emotional control than we did as testosterone drunk teens. But we don't. We hang on their every word, their every move, their favorite color, and any hint that they may be interested. We look desperately for signs that they like us. We curse our rivals and refuse to believe they could be picked over us. We intently listen to friends, family, mentors, and even strangers for signs of where we stand. We kiss up to relatives at every opportunity in hopes of gaining an ally. We search diligently for any bonds, links, mutual interests, anything that might tip the scales even slightly, in our favor.
We get frustrated, we get excited, we gloat, we whine, we pout, and we strut, depending on the latest sign. We feel jealousy, envy, insecurity, and deflation when we lose the latest perceived love of our lives(non-sexual). We put the objects of our obsession on such a pedestal that we grow to see them as bigger than life. If only they want us too, life could be perfect.
And if we don't get them? We throw ourselves a big old pity party. We sit around and look for anything and anybody to blame, and we spew venom at all of them as if that will somehow ease our pain. We go on and on about how we were really out of our league anyway and we don't deserve the popular kids. We are a pathetic sight for awhile. At least until the next dance.
The way I see it, recruiting fever has caused college fans to kind of lose focus. We forget that the whole purpose of recruiting is to win football games, and recruiting championships don't always translate to beating the same teams on the field.
Texas sucks. They recruit kid after kid that we would die for, and they suck. We beat the living crap out of them in the Texas Bowl and would have done it again this year if they had given us a chance by getting bowl eligible, but they suck.
LSU, going by recruiting rankings, should stomp us easily every year. But they don't. Our handful of 4 stars play toe to toe with their glut of 4-5 stars and beat them up even when we don't beat them. We've gut stomped their all-star team the last few years. A&M, Tenn, Aubie OM, all teams we should not put up much of a fight with going by recruiting rankings, but none of them see us as an easy week.
We aren't we want to be. We all know that, even the coaches and players. I do think we are closer than our recruiting rankings make us look.
It's kind of like trolling for prom dates all over again, except we are grown men now and we probably should have better emotional control than we did as testosterone drunk teens. But we don't. We hang on their every word, their every move, their favorite color, and any hint that they may be interested. We look desperately for signs that they like us. We curse our rivals and refuse to believe they could be picked over us. We intently listen to friends, family, mentors, and even strangers for signs of where we stand. We kiss up to relatives at every opportunity in hopes of gaining an ally. We search diligently for any bonds, links, mutual interests, anything that might tip the scales even slightly, in our favor.
We get frustrated, we get excited, we gloat, we whine, we pout, and we strut, depending on the latest sign. We feel jealousy, envy, insecurity, and deflation when we lose the latest perceived love of our lives(non-sexual). We put the objects of our obsession on such a pedestal that we grow to see them as bigger than life. If only they want us too, life could be perfect.
And if we don't get them? We throw ourselves a big old pity party. We sit around and look for anything and anybody to blame, and we spew venom at all of them as if that will somehow ease our pain. We go on and on about how we were really out of our league anyway and we don't deserve the popular kids. We are a pathetic sight for awhile. At least until the next dance.
The way I see it, recruiting fever has caused college fans to kind of lose focus. We forget that the whole purpose of recruiting is to win football games, and recruiting championships don't always translate to beating the same teams on the field.
Texas sucks. They recruit kid after kid that we would die for, and they suck. We beat the living crap out of them in the Texas Bowl and would have done it again this year if they had given us a chance by getting bowl eligible, but they suck.
LSU, going by recruiting rankings, should stomp us easily every year. But they don't. Our handful of 4 stars play toe to toe with their glut of 4-5 stars and beat them up even when we don't beat them. We've gut stomped their all-star team the last few years. A&M, Tenn, Aubie OM, all teams we should not put up much of a fight with going by recruiting rankings, but none of them see us as an easy week.
We aren't we want to be. We all know that, even the coaches and players. I do think we are closer than our recruiting rankings make us look.
