No Nuance -- Just Pontification and Preaching

In lieu of facts and often without a timely point to be made (especially during a long offseason), college football relies on pontification and preaching in an effort to shape perceptions. It's all a power play.

Unfortunately, the media never really knows how to handle such messages or even play the game -- and that's especially so when those messages are delivered by coaches.

For many reasons -- from the desire to be first with news or an ongoing effort to secure higher ratings -- the media simply stumbles. There's no nuance or perspective. All to happy to have anything to report, the media amplifies the shouting, diminishes up the quality of the message and gives fans/viewers less as a result.

Simply ignoring the inane never seems to be an option, either.

In just the past couple weeks, there have been several examples of the approach, as well as the meaningless results.

First, no radio or TV station could avoid the booster club-style remarks of Michigan coach Brady Hoke as he playfully jabbed Notre Dame and its supporters about the end of the schools' series. He talked about the Irish "chickening out" when speaking to a group of Michigan supporters, and in this age of social media the comments got attention all over the country.

Still, the comments were intended mostly for the people in the room, and every media member who propelled them further knew that as well. So, the amplification was irresponsible.

Sure, Hoke's opinions matter but as much as he knows all the factors that play into the hiatus for an on-field football series between Michigan and Notre Dame so too does the media know that he's just making a point in a room full of die-hard supporters of his program. For the comment to go much farther beyond that is simply sloppy.

At the same time, any message delivered over and over sometimes becomes almost accepted as fact -- and that seems to be the approach of some Southeastern Conference football coaches and programs when it comes to Alabama coach Nick Saban.

Too often in recent months, rival coaches have -- again, mostly in program-specific booster sessions -- referred to him as "the devil" or even "Nicky Satan."

Again, they might be nice laugh lines, a cool jab for folks in on the joke, but it should take more for it to become news -- and unfortunately it does not. Vanderbilt coach James Franklin later apologized for his line, "Nicky Satan," but that did not stop Florida offensive line coach Tim Davis from taking a shot at a man on whom's staff he previously worked.

Said Davis when comparing Florida coach Will Muschamp (also a former Saban assistant) to Saban: "I've always wanted to work with Will. Will's got a plan. Will coached under the devil himself for seven years. I only did three. He did seven. And is DNA is not any different than Nick."

Really? You have to wonder how Davis's time served ("only did three") helped propel his career. You also have to wonder how Saban can be so evil is Muschamp's DNA is not any different.

It's just meaningless bull -- a coach talking to hear himself -- and not really news. But, barring any real context or depth, minus a story on anything related to the academics or safety of student-athletes, sports fans get such drivel instead. Sure, the comments end up on message boards after boosters parrot them when they get home from rah-rah events, but there should be a difference between message board fare and honest-to-goodness journalism.