Welcome to a Getaway Day edition of the Friday Feedback. A vacation begins Monday — hardly any travel, so I need not worry about my wallet this time — but I don’t think I’ll be stepping too far away from the laptop. It will be kind of sparse here until I return the 30th, but I might pop in if I see the bat symbol. I have an idea for Monday, maybe Tuesday and perhaps even Friday. And who knows, maybe there’s a guest host here or there. No promises. Only vague innuendo.

Before we begin today, a word about recruiting:

Eh.

I find I have a lot of respect for the folks who chase these stories for a living. Just through my far less passionate fiddling with that instrument, I find it a frustrating thing to do.

And still yet, I find it oddly compelling to follow.

Maybe it’s just me and a jaded view or a strained look for a different angle, but it seems like it’s a rapidly evolving soap opera these days. To that, it’s become … oh boy … almost enjoyable. Hardly ever is a story now merely about how Player A commits to School X. There are layers under the surface. One side’s playing another. He uses them. They woo him. There are angels and demons. Rules are made and broken. People are up to good and no good.

And then there’s us, here to digest and opine as we see it and frequently those things becomes angles and stories worth pursuing. I think it’s the second wave. The Rivals and Scout and associated sites were the first and made it a business. Newspapers tried to follow, only now it’s hard because staffs are so much smaller and more specialized to focus on bigger beats. (The same is said for those recruiting sites and how they don’t devote as much to the games and results and features as do newspapers.)

The larger papers can have a recruiting beat, but those are an endangered species today. What we do have, though, is an edge in numbers and circulation over the Web sites so the news has to be delivered, if even a day or a few days late. You then have to make people care. So you dig and unearth an angle and even if the target has already heard about a commitment or a signing, it’s at least presented in a way to make one give a darn about old news. More and more now it’s about pulling back the curtain on recruiting.

What’s next? Personally, I’d love to see a kid take it into his/her own hands and devote a Twitter page to the entire recruiting process. I believe we’ll then see the introduction of “tertiary recruiting violations.” Giddyup.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In lieu of a joke, how about a shameless plug. Let’s pick the 15-v.-2 upset.

Mack said:

I’ve had this idea for a while (but never spent the time to fully develop it because I don’t get paid to do so) … but the best way to do this is to promote/relegate to/from BCS conferences.

Therefore, the winners of the Mountain West, CUSA, and Sun Belt move up and the losers of the BCS conferences move down. Like anything else, this would be good for the sport, but politics (and Vanderbilt/Syracusa/Northwestern/Stanford) would keep it from happening. This would virtually abolish all of the academic institutions in D-1 and promote the state schools with no standards.

I get paid to do so and I really wish I’d given it more time. Who knows, maybe I do so again in the future. I think in some form it’d work and rejuvenate the game. There are so many nightmarish logistical obstacles, though. I really did like the submitted idea from the original post as well as this one and mine, but how can you restructure conferences and the finances every year or every few years? It’d require a dramastic — dramatic AND drastic … it’d be that big — change in philosophy or you’d have a total apocalypse. That said, I think it can happen.

Country Roads said:

I like the relegation idea for professional sports, but not so much for college football. College football is so successful in part because it’s built on traditional rivalries developed over time between teams that share a common (usually regional) bond. Relegation would destroy many of those bonds.

Plus, what happens when a team is good for one year because they have a bunch of seniors (e.g. Cincy 2008)? Are they punished in 2008 by playing “down” because they hadn’t been that good before, or are they punished in 2009 by playing “up” thanks to the success of players who are no longer with the team?

A playoff is the only viable option.  

You’re no fun! I’m in favor of a playoff, but for now let’s examine your points: Rivalries can still sustain and might actually flourish. What if a team was no longer confined to … seven Big East games and WVU could pick and choose its opponents. Think maybe a Penn State, Ohio State, Pitt, Maryland or a few others might get in there? Especially when money will be a little tighter and reasonable travel at a premium. As for the Cincinnati problem, that’s no different than today’s game. Good programs are there every year, the cyclical programs make their runs and the bad ones are bad. This doesn’t change that. If anything, it puts more attention on the deserving teams and adds to the way we celebrate the teams that come along every so often. I’m OK with that. 

Jeff said:

It’s too bad money rules everything. The system will never change unless you show them that they can make MORE money doing it a different way…  

I give up! What if there was a revenue-sharing plan? Take all the money and spread it equally among the non-relagated/promoted teams. Or make it a weighted plan, if you want, so the teams that deserve the most money get the most and make it proportional to the bottom. I’m telling you, this can work. 

Michael said:

 Mike-

I wonder if this kid has prior connections to West Virginia? There are a ton of Brunettis in Clarksburg. I doubt that there are very many families w Italian American surnames that have lived in Tenn for much longer than a generation.  

I wondered the same, but as best as I can tell, there is no connection.

Dave said:

What is the #1 reference in the title? He’s apparently the #24 QB by scout.com, and his other offers of Duke, Marshall, Chattanooga, Miss St., Purdue and Tulsa do not exactly reflect an elite football prospect.

PSU is on the list, but one wonders why the weather for one day would be considered an inhibiting factor in the kid’s selection of a school. It’s spring, so does that mean that the kid considered Penn State but was turned off by rain? Help me out here … I’m a kid with an opportunity to play football at Penn State for a legendary coach and I can’t make the visit because of the weather? It reads more like PSU was interested, but maybe not that interested and the kid knew it. I just can’t see Paterno, after 40+ years at a school, accepting a declination for a prized QB to visit based on the weather for one day.

I may be reading this wrong but please, please, do not overhype these kids like they were last year. Players were labelled as supposedly “the best” or “the fastest” or “the next …” and many of them sat the bench. A few are gone. Yeah, maybe they’ll make it someday and I respect the process, but a title like “WVU nabs No. 1″ implies they got the best kid in the country. Or at least the best at his position. But not the 24th best or that we should celebrate a commitment as he declines Chattanooga.

What does #1 mean?

Wait for it …

Country Roads said:

My (educated??) guess is that Brunetti was #1 on WVU’s board. He is also ranked the #1 dual-threat QB by Rivals.com. So that could be it, too. Don’t let his offer list fool you, Brunetti can play. He was drawing interest from several SEC schools who had not offered yet, and some suspect his size (generously listed at 6′1″) made some schools hesitate. As for PSU, from what I gather it looked like he couldn’t make his flight to Happy Valley, so he decided to spend the weekend in Morgantown with the intention of visiting PSU at a later date. He was so blown away by WVU, though, that he decided to commit and forego his PSU visit. PSU has a fantastic QB, Paul Jones, committed, but he may be waivering, so I’m pretty sure they would still take Brunetti. That’s just my take, maybe Mike has more insight.

No, that about sums it up. WVU really liked this kid and was hoping he’d commit soon, likely because he’s still going to get a lot of attention from other schools. In truth, WVU’s recruiting of Brunetti is almost just beginning.

rekterx said:

Musical quarterbacks anyone?  

The thought crossed my mind. And a few others, too.

Latin hillbilly:

The kid can play based on his tape. He can chuck it a mile with accuracy. He’s got elusive feet too. With BB and JJ, Mullen landed two of the highest rated QB prospects in the country, both of whom were top priorites. Even if they bomb it’s good news and reflects well on our program, and especially well on the legacy of Pat White. And don’t forget Geno’s already here. I think the coaches don’t want to find themselves in a similar spot to our current one down the line, e.g., a starter with no clear backup and noone, really, with significant experience.

Here’s hoping there’s no comparable BBA in the future.  

No BBA, please. The hardest and maybe most important thing about building and sustaining a successful program is stockpiling and replenishing talent at the quarterback position. In any case, this looks good for WVU.

Bill said:

Ludicrous. The NCAA and their stupid rules continue to amaze me. I’m all for somewhat limiting the amount of visits, phone calls, etc so as not to harass these poor kids, HOWEVER, I don’t see the harm in allowing them to get the full experience when they make campus visits. What’s wrong with allowing them to run out of the tunnel and having fans chant their name? ANY other school can do the same thing so it shouldn’t be considered a Big School vs Small School disadvantage.

And if you are going to have these stupid rules, and then go so far as to call them “secondary violations”, what’s the point if you really aren’t going to punish anybody? Where is the incentive to obey? Just another idealistic and pointless concept that doesn’t meet with reality in my opinion.

I’m somewhat with you on this. You can let a kid stand on the sideline at home games and the fans can serenade him and he can be impressed by the school spirit and support. But to have him run out of the tunnel and get cheered on by fans is illegal? Seems petty. That said, I don’t necessarily agree with a lot of the NCAA’s opinions, but I’m actually OK with this. It should be about the player, the team, the school, the campus and the town. How about this? WVU has a camp this weekend and I’m told five 2010 commits will be there. If I were to go over and interview them and ask questions in a way that A) suggested there was doubt about the future of the program B) suggested they were the missing pieces of a national title puzzle it could potentially make them think about their decision. That’s why the media is not allowed at camps. Removing all the variables is OK. It’d be a better idea to police it more strictly.

Dave said:

Regarding Huggins’ black eyes, I read another article mentioning the issue elsewhere. Is that really a story that needed to be reported on or that required photos in the papers? If the guy really did hit his head on a door, ok maybe a footnote, but was it really necessary to publish photos? Is it even news?

The state has enough baggage with the redneck stereotypes, the “image” of Stewart outside of the state, the “image” of Huggins from his days at UC and his DUI, the MBA issue, the RR/UM issue, etc. Do we really need to publish photos of the guy with two shiners so that the national media can latch on and spread the word?

This isn’t directed at you MIke, but rather how much I’ve read about it in the WV papers. Outside of tabloid fodder, I guess I just don’t see this as “journalism” or that it was done with any other intention than to promote negativity.

There are problems and stereotypical people everywhere, but it seems like some revel in the idea of promoting the less positive side of WV. And many times, it’s self-inflicted.

I had to sit and think about this. I didn’t cover it and yet wondered if it was hypocritical to include this comment this week. I decided it wasn’t, if only to address it one last time. I just don’t see the big deal and it seemed to me it was news because of who it happened to and now what happened … and let’s leave it at that. Now, to be fair to my friends and colleagues, Huggins volunteered the story and was really, really funny as he described it. And when you get in front of a few hundred people at a banquet and not only tell the story, but say the A.D. hit you and thereby play on the alleged tension that might exist, that’s almost irresistible.

Karl said:

After all the stories I’ve read about how Wes Lyons’ off-season tear, how he was going to revolutionize the slot position as a 6-8 guy, etc. I’m kind of disappointed to hear this. I was looking forward to seeing him play.  

I don’t think you have anything to fear. Seeing as if Wes was so heavily credited for being on the field and a big-time factor — two things he hasn’t been in the past — it’d be really hard for the coaching staff to put him on the sideline in favor of a kid who’s been off the field and in trouble since the bowl game.  

ccteam said:

I’d like to see Jock make it back. Here’s hoping Wes has turned the corner, but spring practice sensations quite often can’t carry it over to the fall.

Nathan Forse would like to speak with you!

Dave said:

I’m not sure I understand how he is being punished unless he is suspended for games and that not only hurts him but the team. If the team is going to be punished, why not have the team learn something as a result as well? Have the team take the class to prevent future incidents.  

First, I bet he’s suspended at least one game. Wouldn’t this be cool: Jock’s allowed to play the Liberty game, but is suspended for ECU. WVU can beat Liberty with with Jacques Cousteau or Larry Sanders at slot. Sanders plays, contributes a little, gets a taste, remembers what it’s like and what he’s missed, but the whole time knows it’s temporary because he’s out the next game. It’s the ultimate reminder how his spot cannot be taken for granted.

Country Roads said:

Dave
I’m not sure I entirely follow your logic. To the extent you’re advocating DUI classes for the entire team, I think 1) Jock is an example of what can happen when you drink and drive, and the team should learn from that; and 2) why make kids sit through a class when they haven’t committed the crime? If I were a player, I would be mad enough at Jock for hurting the team with his poor decision making. I really wouldn’t like having to sit through a class because of him too lol.

I’d like to think the players were really disappointed with Sanders, especially because this was his second problem. And when someone is deprived of something they love, I think everyone notices and thinks about what happened and what might happen to them. That said, I’d be both pissed and aware if I had to sit through a DMV class because of someone else’s error. And if I was the one who made that error, I’d do everything in my power to make up for it.

Dave said:

“I really wouldn’t like having to sit through a class because of him too lol.”

It’s not uncommon for “teams” to pay the price of one of their members. The PSU football team had to clean trash from the stadium on Sundays for a couple weekends last year due to a few bad apples. In the military, especially in boot camp, it’s not uncommon for many to pay for the trouble one causes.

In some respects, the team will pay regardless due to him not being in Spring ball and if he’s not able to play in games due to suspension.

This is probably a good place to say while our ideas are kind of neat and innovative, Stewart has handled this pretty darn well.

JP said:

Um, Elijah Macon is going to be a SOPHOMORE in high school next year. No chance he’ll change his mind between now and 2012?  

Funny you should ask. Check Tuesday’s column. 

Economic Friction said:

Could this be the son of former OSU/CMU “star(?)” Charles Macon, who would have played roughly 92-96? Age is about right. 

Turns out his dad is a former Ohio State player, Harold Macon. And Ohio State relly likes Elijah Macon.

glibglub said:

Could this be the son of former OSU/CMU “star(?)” Charles Macon, who would have played roughly 92-96? Age is about right.

Ooo, I love playing “6 Degrees of Charles Macon”.

Enjoy the weekend!