Rockne's Roundtable

In short: Yes.

CFB was more enjoyable to me 15 years ago than it is today. All sports were. But the advent of the 24/7 news cycle and the need to fill air space with talking heads has caused everyone to analyze everything until it is just pounded down our throats. It's tiresome really, and most of it isn't even very intelligent or insightful, just hot air.
Anyway...thank you ESPN for ruining what you cover.

IrishWon

Yes, Rain man, you know too much.

Jimbo

There is way too much knowledge and it's one of the reasons I haven't enjoyed the games as much as before (final scores aside). I think I liked it a lot better when I was in the dark about recruiting, practice.....pretty much everything. I watched the games and read about them on Sunday and Monday. I made the "mistake" of joining one of these godforsaken sites and it's been downhill ever since.

There is definitely more information than we grew up with, and we don't know how to react to it yet. Like kids who get into daddy's hidden stash, we're both smitten and dangerous--daddy hasn't caught on that we use his big-boy toys when he's not looking. He's moved the stash a bit (closed practices) thinking we would never find it again, but we're much craftier than he's aware of yet. From here, it's a race to see if we can mature out of this stage and reach a comfortable equilibrium before we spin out of control and he catches us red-handed and puts a lock on the box (bans social media, etc.).

Of course, we'll find that key eventually, too...

Is There Almost Too Much Knowledge Today?

Well, if there is, I don't have much of it, so don't blame me.

All the information can be a double-edged sword. I remember the days when you couldn't just look something up online (my students think I'm super old for this), and you still managed to go through life okay. Now, we have everything at the touch of a button, and sometimes knowing a little of everything makes you miserable. Ignorance is bliss, right? All the hype definitely can take away from the game itself, but for me, it also adds to it when I know enough to think of the people on the field as more than bodies with a football. It hurts that much more when they lose, but it makes the wins that much more fun. The important distinction is getting information without all the crap around it. You guys here at B&G do such a great job of providing the facts without sensationalizing everything.

The real issue though: Was it the prospect who was wearing a Notre Dame hat, or was it the Egg McMuffin? Because if anyone ever gives me a McMuffin that comes with accessories, that'd be a noteworthy win.

I think there is. And I think there is way too long of leash given to players to use social media as a way to vent frustrations and the such. If it were me I would ban Twitter but since it won't be at least have some repercussions if someone is using it as a way to put a teammate or the team down or bitching non stop about the school they attend. I agree with people who say that these sites can consume you now year round with up to the second news and year round coverage. I remember why I decided to join. It was after reading an article in the Newark Star Ledger about how Notre Dames recruiting was going downhill and how they were looking for diamonds in the rough. Abdel Banda was given as an example. I didn't know a lick about recruiting until signing day just like everyone else but wanted to find out why they were struggling to get top talent. It's made following ND more enjoyable but also more frustrating. I know though I will probably never give it up that's for sure. It's an addiction and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Honestly there may seem like a lot of people follow our teams as closely as we do but it's simply not true. We are in a very small minority that the majority think are freaking nuts with no lives. I'm actually quite proud of that.

Exactly!

Relative to social media and culture in which we live today. There is a reason we are living in the so-called "information age." Every school plays by the same rules. The ones who adapt to change the best and even use to their advantage are the ones who thrive. It's like everything else is life, anything has the potential to benefit you or harm you depending on how you decide to be affected by it. ND uses social media/internet to it's advantage in selling merchandise, tickets, online streaming & broadcasting and getting it's brand out there. They are making a fortune via the web.