College Football National Signing Day is Here! La-Di-Flippin'-Da!!!

I love college football. I spend four to six months preparing to cover the sport, four months covering the season, and a month covering the sport's lifeline--recruiting.

Unlike many other college football crazies, I absolutely despise the latter portion of that equation. Of course, the demand for recruiting coverage means I have to pay attention to it, but there's something about stalking high school kids that turns me off. 

Furthermore, disgruntled fans who proceed to bash said recruit for not choosing their school should have their fan-card revoked permanently. It's a kid. This is an 18-year old child who happens to be gifted in athletics. 

As if those two factors aren't enough to make you sick, figure that websites receive millions of hits based on the perception that success at the high school level means automatic success at the college level.

Fans forget that the college level is light-years ahead of anything most of these kids have ever seen. 

Most of these high schoolers go from being the absolute best on their team, city, or region to being the third or fourth best player at their position on their team.

Sure, there are a few freakishly gifted "can't-miss" prospects out there, but that is one of the smallest segments of the recruiting population every year. 

Yet, here I sit, awaiting Junior College star Byron Moore's announcement on some random Blog Talk Radio show (He eventually chose the Tennessee Vols over the Miami Hurricanes).

Last year, I watched Markeith Ambles' rambling, attention-fest on his UStream account on National Signing Day eve. 

I tracked down current Vols Da'Rick Rogers and Nash Nance at a local restaurant for a chance to interview them hours before National Signing Day was officially over.

I plan to listen intently to every high-profile signing on National Signing Day and report it via a live chat at KnoxVegasVols.com. I'll do all of that regardless of how sick the whole thing makes me. 

Sure, let the kid have his moment in the spotlight. Let him be the focus of thousands of rabid fans. But don't dare complain when all the attention goes to his head.

Don't even think about writing a blog entry calling for his new head coach to kick him off the team the minute his big ego costs your team those precious 15 yards late in the fourth quarter against your team's rival. 

When he goes to the NFL, please don't whine about how his smack talking and prop-involved-celebrations are ruining the game. We are creating monsters.

We are making idols out of unproven teenage athletes and completely bashing them for not delivering by the time they're 20 years old. 

And we'll continue doing it because the demand for recruiting coverage dictates we must. 

Regardless of how sick it may make us watching these ridiculous spectacles, we'll keep on watching. Fans will keep on blasting the player when he doesn't choose our university of choice.

We in the media will continue to overvalue his high school career and ask--"what the heck happened"--when he doesn't pan out in college.

Pardon me while I go shower.