I'll start off the weekly mailbag with the latest drama surrounding Nick Saban.
From John in Garden City, N.Y.: With Saban and the S. Florida recruits, don't you think you can tell from the subject matter that this could not possibly be a mere greeting (in particular discussing defensive schemes). It seems to me if this gets a pass, other coaches will be under pressure to match what Saban does.
Bruce Feldman: Honestly, John I think they already do. This rule gets violated all the time and it's almost impossible in some cases not to break it. Many high school coaches don't know the specifics of the rule.
Let's say you're a high school coach at a relatively small school and till now you haven't had a legit D1 prospect. But now you have some really promising player and Phil Fulmer or Mark Richt shows up at your school and you know exactly who they came to see. So you bring over Johnny Blue-chip and try and sell him to the college coach. It'd be pretty hard and awkward for that college guy to take the high road without coming across as a really aloof or a jerk. The NCAA has a bump rule to allow for such things, but obviously it's a slippery slope and coaches get tempted.
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Bruce Feldman
