Barkley’s early commitment has spared us all

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I like Matt Barkley as a player. Don’t really know him as a person. But I love him for making a commitment to USC.

No, I’m not a USC honk. I’m just glad that Barkley -- deemed the No. 1 junior recruit in the nation -- won’t subject us to writing blogs about him every time he sneezes toward one school or another. The stories about Barkley -- or anyone (Darrell Scott, Ryan Bass) -- visiting this school or that school, who’s leading the Barkley chase this week but who has the inside track next week, are to me endlessly boring. That’s why I’m so glad Eric Sondheimer handles the Recruiting Buzz. Eric is my hero.

No doubt, such attention is a boost to the player’s ego -- although my understanding is Barkley’s got that under control -- but man, has more bandwidth/ink ever been more wasted than on recruiting updates?

And, it seems this year more than others, athletes who make commitments continue with the recruiting process, so their word really isn’t their word. If someone renegs on his commitment, even if it’s oral, that’s news. I understand that. If Barkley decides a month from now he’s a UCLA man, I hope I’m the first guy he calls. Anytime someone commits, it’s worth letting people know about it. But the notion that Boise State is interested in Joe Blow and watched practice on Thursday? C’mon ...

Hopefully, Barkley’s word is his bond and we -- myself and you, the reader -- won’t be subjected to so much of the hysteria surrounding the wooing of a talented 17-year-old. He has a life. Now he can get on with it.

Thanks, Matt. I owe you one.

-- Martin Henderson