Signing Day

Today, I saw for the first time the frenzy that is National Signing Day for football recruits. Having never seen the spectacle on ESPNU before, I was a little freaked out by the parade. Here we have national television crews, on-air interviews and what basically amounts to bounty hunting for 17 year-olds. Think about it. Before most of these kids can even drive, they're getting text messages and visits from college coaches across the country. Forget the regular high school experience...most of these kids were having press conferences in their school libraries and gyms today. We've taken sports and celebrity to such a level that adolescents who can ball are seen as future cash cows for universities that don't have to pay them a dime outside of tuition, which, let's face it, the overspill from full tuition students easily covers.

So you've got merchandising, TV contracts, ticket revenue, concessions, bowl appearance fees and who knows what else all pouring millions into the university for a few free class spots. It's about as close to legal slavery as our country gets now, which is evident in the rules that forbid free meals or transportation or anything else to these "student-athletes" at risk of NCAA sanctions. Of course, the NCAA, at the head of all of this, sucks in money. But hey, that's why they're called "amateurs," right?

The kids love signing day of course. Playing right into the frenzy, you have them sitting at a table with four baseball caps, like they're about to play Eenie-Meenie-Meinie-Mo with them before they put on the school they're going to. Even more showman were the few that pulled other school hats out from under the table to trump all the ones they led on.

But I'm thinking about after all this. After the cameras have gone, the torn ACLs have added up, the concussions have ripped through the grey matter and the paychecks have ended, if they ever started. What happens then? For some, the fame is enough to ensure security through the rest of their lives. But for more, what are the options when the only thing we valued them for between the ages of 13 and 17 was what they could do on a field? Hopefully educations have taken hold, but I'm not sure that goal can be helped by all the focus on football. Have we really taught these children the right values when their draft number or ESPN ranking is more important to their future success than their GPA or Major?