Saw this gem in an Associated Press story Monday:

“With three of the nation’s marquee programs scrambling to hold on to their blue chippers, Jeremy Crabtree, the national recruiting editor for Rivals.com, calls this the most suspenseful recruiting season in his 12 years of covering it.”

With all apologies to Mr. Crabtree, who does a fine job of keeping track of the whims of 18-year-olds, “suspenseful” and “recruiting” are two words that should never be used together. Seriously.

I’ve had the misfortune of having to pay attention – to various degrees — to college football recruiting for the better part of three decades now, and “suspenseful” has NEVER been an emotion I’d use to describe following it.

Over-hyped? Burned to a crisp? Definitely. But never “suspenseful.”

Suspense is fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with four seconds left and the team with the ball trailing by five. Suspense is your point guard on the free throw line, tie ballgame and 1 tick remaining. Suspense is a full count in the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded and the home team down by a couple of runs.

Suspense is NOT wondering which cap an 18-year-old kid will pick up and put backwards on his head.

I understand the interest in recruiting (well, kind of).  I’ve covered it when Colorado was recruiting and landing the best players in the nation. It’s part of the business.

But it’s not the game. It’s not athletes performing. I’ll save my suspenseful moments for when they count.

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