Signgate: Is it a big deal?
We’ve all watched and listened this week as the news around Michigan Football’s “Signgate” intensified. By now you know the story. If not, here is a good up-to-date synopsis.
Tons of comments have come from all kinds of analysts and former players and coaches. They range from those who believe this scandal challenges the integrity of the game to others who are almost disinterested.
Why the disparity of reactions?
This gives talking heads something to talk about. In the 24-hour news cycle age of college sports, pundits run out of things to analyze and over-analyze. This story is a gift to them from the heavens. It’s a perpetually unfolding saga with plenty of nuance and grey area to yammer on about.
There is a ton of “cheating” all over college football (and we’ve all known it forever). After all, why do coaches put their play sheet over their mouths or insinuate for years that players have been bought and sold by wealthy boosters for eons? Perhaps no one inside the game wants to complain to hard about the current scandal because they are afraid for folks to pull to hard on this loose thread for fear that it will unravel the whole garment.
Doesn’t every close game come down to 4-5 plays? We’ve heard the cliche for years parroted by virtually every coach in college football. When they lose one, they claim it come down to a handful of plays. Then doesn’t it seem like having a leg up to knowing what the offense (who relies on both the element of surprise and execution) is about to do is a distinct advantage?
Why would Harbaugh risk so much for so little? Jim Harbaugh is one of the weirdest human beings God ever created, but he’s not stupid. Why would he do something so obviously against NCAA rules unless the payoff was perceived to be worth the risk?
Does this negate what Michigan has accomplished? Certainly not fully. They are a juggernaut particularly this season, but their ability to win the big one is the question. Throughout his career, Harbaugh has struggled to win in the playoffs and in playoff-like situations. That was true in the NFL, and it’s still true today. Does this underscore that Harbaugh needs to cheat (more than everyone else) to get the edge to get over the hump?
Perhaps the coming days will bring clarity to these questions, but perhaps we will never know.
What do you think? I’d love to hear your comments and opinions! Post them in the comments below.
