Coach Brian Kelly – NSD 2013
Some of you may have seen this before but this is my all time favorite list that explains those of us who follow recruiting. Even my Dad tells me I’m crazy to follow the “Days of Our Lives” type drama of a bunch of 17-year-olds trying to decide (and re-decide … and re-decide …) where they are going to go to college and play football. I find the whole thing to be a human nature science experiment of sorts and try my best to not take each and every decision personally, but we all know how that tends to work out.
On this eve of National Signing Day I’d like to walk through some of the oxymorons of this beloved thing we follow … recruiting. I’d also like to give a kind reminder to all of you folks out there in cyber space. Please don’t talk to recruits. Ever. Not even playful banter on Twitter and/or Facebook. Just say no.
Okay, that being said, here it is. “Things I’ve learned over the years, down the stretch to Signing Day…”
College Football Recruiting Musings, courtesy of my pal Brandon Huffman of Scout.com
That kid who decommitted from a fan’s school has no character, lacks integrity and can’t keep his word…
The kid who just committed to a fan’s school but decommitted from another, made a good, thoughtful and well-meaning decision…
The 5-11 quarterback that a fan’s school just got is the next Drew Brees or Doug Flutie…
The 5-11 quarterback that a fan’s rival school got sucks because he’s too short…
The kid who’s committed to a fan’s school but takes visits elsewhere is a headcase who can’t make up his mind and is not loyal…
The kid who’s committed to a fan’s school, takes other official visits, but sticks with his original commit made a good, thoughtful decision…
Fans hate when kids hold press conferences…But fans love when kids hold press conferences and they announce for their school…
Fans find the hat game tired…unless their hat is the one the kid pulls on…
A fan’s schools commits are always underrated…their rivals are always overrated…
A fan’s commits are never ranked too high. They are always ranked too low. Same with a parent’s kid…
17-year old kids should know what they want when they commit to a school. They aren’t allowed to change their minds…
When a kid picks a fan school because of the parents, the parents showed great guidance, council and wisdom…
When a kid picks another school because of parents, the parents need to stop interfering and let their kids make the decision…
When a kid picks the hometown school, he’s a hometown hero…when he picks another school, he’s a pariah…
When a kid picks another school, the fan’s school ALWAYS “pulled the offer”…
And of course, the most common line- when a kid spurns a fans school, WDWHA…
When a kid commits as a Junior in the hopes of scaring off a Senior commit then later decommits he is public enemy #1…
Kids that commit as freshman or sophomore, are mature beyond their years…when said kid decommits, he’s immature…
When a school doesn’t give all it’s scholies because guys are turning them down, the school wanted to hold them for next year anyway…
A fan can tell a lot about a kid from his picture…despite never talking to him…
True fact- more adults have their hearts broken by the choice of a 17 year old, than they did when they were a 17-year old themselves.
And there you have it!
It’s almost here … Signing day is this Wednesday, February 5th! And then on February 6th it starts … All. Over. Again.
Cheers!
Her Loyal ... Daughter
Lisa Kelly is a multidimensional marketing professional. She has over two decades of marketing experience and earned a bachelor of business administration and marketing from the University of Notre Dame (Class of 1993 ... Siegfried Hall!). She is a Digital Publishing Manager by day and by night is writing her third book, a continuation of "Echoes From the End Zone: The Men We Became" and its sequel "The Men We Became: MORE Echoes From the End Zone." In 2012, Lisa was crowned the "Biggest Fan of the Big East" in a blogging and social media contest, representing Notre Dame.
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but in the end, the fans don’t determine the quality of the class or its development. So it doesn’t matter. There will be disappointments tomorrow, and up to first game (note the defections and season-ending injuries last spring). that’s part of the process now. Expect it.
So true…