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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Good night McKnight

Nick Saban would have signed Joe McKnight to LSU.

Just kidding.

We'll never know.

McKnight, the No. 1 tailback in the nation out of John Curtis High in the New Orleans area, said he chose USC over LSU on Wednesday partly because he wants to major in broadcasting and he wanted to leave the state. That makes sense. USC is also clearly the best and most consistent football program in America since 2002. It is also ESPN's favorite school. That should give McKnight a jump on his career. He'll probably get to host College GameDay, which clearly needs an influx of new talent.

Here are some other possible reasons why young McKnight left the road home plan to go west.

1.) Maybe McKnight's exposure to possibly the most recently idiotic fan base in the world - LSU's - and historically the most idiotic fan base in the world - Alabama's - made him flee two time zones to California and USC. Now, he'll likely not have to ever play in either state.

Of course, USC's fan base and media showed a lot of stupidity back in 2003 when, in trying to give their Trojans the edge over LSU in the national championship argument, they tried to spruce up USC's early-season win over an Auburn team that finished 7-5 the regular season by saying it started Auburn on its way. No, teams still only get credit one win at a time, thank you.

The ink was barely dry on McKnight's national letter of intent before one LSU fan said on the radio that current LSU tailback Keiland Williams was better than McKnight, though no LSU fans breathed that before 11:15 Tuesday. Another LSU fan, disguised as a radio announcer, said McKnight went over to the dark side when he signed at USC. It really never rains at the Coliseum, pal. It's all sunshine all the time. And tourists actually go to L.A. One of the downtown landmarks of Baton Rouge, meanwhile, is a Kean's cleaners sign. USC coach Pete Carroll also has more personality and smiles more than half the SEC coaches. There's a lot of light over there.

Another LSU fan couldn't understand why McKnight was interested in broadcast and wanted to know if he was well spoken. He is well spoken, sir. He just doesn't speak all the time, which will be refreshing in that business.

Another LSU fan wondered how could McKnight get a job in Louisiana after he's done playing since he's going to USC. First of all, there are more and better jobs in California. No. 2, you don't think Marshall Faulk or Travis Minor could open a successful sports bar/restaurant right now in Baton Rouge?

Surely, there's some LSU fan blaming Saban for all of this.

Meanwhile, some Alabama fans are upset that Saban is recruiting Louisiana too much when he should be recruiting Alabama. That's a good idea if Saban wants to be as bad as Mike Shula and Mike DuBose and keep losing to Auburn. There are more players in Louisiana. There are only more trailers in Alabama. (And that's true even when you count the FEMA trailers in Louisiana.)

2.) Maybe McKnight wanted to live in a free state like California in which he could take a weekend visit to Tuscaloosa, Ala., and not be crucified by LSU fans.

3.) Maybe McKnight wanted to go to the college with the most open media policy in the nation, and it doesn't seem to be hurting the USC football team on the field. Any reporter need only go to practice and he or she can interview anyone at just about any time, including freshmen. This could help McKnight's broadcast career. He'll be interviewed as a freshman, which is not allowed at LSU. He'll also be in a major media market. In Baton Rouge, the local paper is a major sponsor of LSU athletics. And anyone who can find where they hold the press conferences can get in.

4.) Maybe, McKnight got tired of the terrible leadership in this state since Hurricane Katrina. As a New Orleanian, he's got to hear Jefferson Parish president Aaron Broussard, Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Blanco. That's nearly as much reason to evacuate as Katrina.

5.) Maybe he doesn't want to be in the only state in America that pays its NFL team's rich owner $20 million a year just so he won't move when that money could be used for other things like education or levees.

6.) Maybe McKnight wanted to go to a college in a real city. He's from a real city, but after Katrina, New Orleans tends to look more like Baton Rouge.

7.) Maybe McKnight wanted to go to a school that has a good men's basketball program.

8.) Maybe McKnight wanted to play in a conference that doesn't stress tackling.

9.) Maybe McKnight heard about all the Curtis players that have not panned out at LSU.

10.) Maybe McKnight is young and bold and wanted to do something different.

Good luck, Joe, and congratulations.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think he'll have the opportunity to play sooner at USC. LSU is pretty deep at running back.

12:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

come on... McKnight is not going to USC to major in Broadcasting...

12:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Who are you covering, the Tigers or the Trojans?

4:56 PM  

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