College Football Recruiting: Has Yellow Journalism Infected Recruiting News?

National signing day has come and gone, and though most letters of intent have been signed and faxed, there are still a few out there that remain.  Fans of college football hunger for recruiting news, bordering on addiction.  Many sites have monthly fees for fans to feed this addiction.  If fans are not entertained, they will take there money elsewhere. 

So the pressure to constantly feed the need is out there.  Though most of the time services have inside information after forming relationships with recruits, their families and friends, sometimes reporting is not as accurate.  Now that NSD has come and gone, the news for the 2012 class has not ended.

Five-star recruit Davonte Neal has stated that he will wait until February 10 before he makes his final decision.  But Mike Farrell, a highly credible recruiting expert, tweeted the following: “don’t have the reason why #OhioState won’t be taking Davonte Neal, I just know he tried to commit and couldn't. Well sourced.”

But the Arizona Republic’s Richard Obert reported that Davonte’s father knew nothing about his son trying to commit, as well as Urban Meyer and OSU pulling his scholarship offer.

Obert then wrote that this news “miffed” Neal’s father, who has been handling his son’s recruiting. 

Anthony Gimino of the Tuscon Citizen writes, “Neal has taken official visits to Notre Dame, Ohio State, Arkansas and North Carolina. He hasn’t publicly eliminated any school. If he uses his fifth official visit to go to Oklahoma, he’ll take an unofficial (unpaid) trip to Arizona. And he’ll decide when he decides.”

It seems like there is an inconsistency in the Neal story.  What could have produced such a rift?  Farrell states that his source is highly credible yet Luke Neal is responding as if his son has just been raked through the tabloids and the local media seems to be confirming that Farrell’s story is false.  Who do we believe?  What could have prompted such a misunderstanding of the situation? Or is the media trying to “influence” the outcome?

If, indeed, there are ulterior motives, it would not be the first time.  CNN, in the 2000 Presidential Election between Al Gore and George W. Bush, projected Florida to Gore only to remove it later.  This caused uproar, as many accused CNN of trying to influence voters. 

Dan Rather of CBS News reported in 2004 that memos were found criticizing then-President George W. Bush’s service with the Texas Air National Guard.  These memos were shown to be false, and Rather shortly after retired from his position as anchor.

Maybe the situation is nothing more than an incorrect source, or one side not totally divulging the truth, but the media must be careful when reporting “the facts.”  As shown above, one false report can ruin credibility and a career.  Plus, as young people are making life-changing decisions, shouldn't the media not get in the way?

Davonte Neal is a young man who is one heck of a football player.  In our media crazed society, sometimes we forget that college football is only a three to five year experience, while an education lasts a lifetime.  Conflicting stories like these do not help young people in this “life-changing” process.  Neal does not appear certain where he will attend college, as reported by Greg Biggins of ESPN: 

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It's now late Wednesday night, and for the majority of the players across the county, their recruitment has come to an end. Some players show relief, others undignified joy and a few others uncertainty about whether or not they made the right decision. For Neal, it's that last group he wants to avoid and why he's in no rush to pick his college choice.

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Let us hope that this recent snafu of reporting does not cause this young man to make the wrong decision about where he will play ball and hopefully earn a college degree.