Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour is skeptical that an early signing period is going to prove to be the silver bullet that saves things on the recruiting trail. She sure sounds like she’s on to something here:
“Frankly, I think the greater concern is this accelerated timeline period,” she said. “I don’t know that an early signing date helps anything. It probably does marginally. But the real issue here is that, no matter where the rules are, we’ll continue to push them and push activity earlier. OK, you can’t sign until November or August, but we’ll keep pushing kids to commit.
“This is the old Road to Abilene. I don’t think anybody wants to do it, but they all think everybody else is doing it, so you’ve got to participate. I don’t think we’re doing the kids any justice, and I certainly don’t think we’re doing our athletic programs or institutions any justice.”
I keep saying it. With every passing day, this makes more and more sense.
Get The Picture 
I prefer the more formal ‘tauro-scatalogical products’.
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It’ll never happen because the WWL needs cheap programming on the 1st Wednesday of February when nothing else in sports is happening.
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You are right, EE, this situation will no doubt be discussed at the ESPN-NCAA meetings in Indianapolis, or some other, mutually agreed upon, meeting destination.
The break out session on “Why I need to keep my job” led by a former Tech quarterback of little or no distinction (Is that redundant?) should be well-attended.
ESPN’s attitude will, no doubt, be that money trumps logic.
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You just allow/limit a partial number to be signed before January 1. That would actually intensify the closing period where many of the prima donnas would fall anyway. And you still the “final analysis” of NSD when classes are subjectively ranked and pre-season rankings begin. The WWL loses nothing by this, in fact, you have to manufacture a downside from what I see. Do it, this has taken way too long and wasted tons of time and gold pieces.
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You are so wise Mac….🎓. A Scolar in fact and fiction. When you getting down here? I am ready.😘🎈
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It’s what they believe.🎈
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