Recruiting hype takes off

This is slowly becoming my least favorite time of the year.

I used to love recruiting back in the 1980s. That was before it was a big business. That was before the coaches lied to the kids. And the kids lied right back. That was before you called a kid and got privacy direct on the phone lines. It was before kids belched on the phone and told you their "commitment.''

But now it is all hype all the time.

Unfortunately those of us who have covered recruiting for a long time are partially to blame for this mess. We've fed the beast and now the monster has grown.

It's grown to the point people care about Luther Davis. Never mind that there is no guarantee he ever does anything at Alabama. People care to the point of getting worked up over him.

Sadly, we can't turn back time. No matter how hard we try.