I’ve got no problem with a fan having the belief that our program is morally superior to all others and that that makes us ‘different’. Notre Dame has built their entire program around that propaganda and has won almost unparalleled fan support by doing so. Do I agree with it? No. Do I understand it and support our fans’ position in believing it? Sure.
Where I draw the line is the mental twisting and turning to justify our signees doing exactly what we chastise our decommitments for doing.
The concept that because we are ‘morally superior’ to others means that trespasses by individuals against the principles of that morality, i.e., retracting a commitment, are fine as long as they benefit us (because the perpetrator chose the path of our interpretation of higher morality), is frankly, kind of scary, especially when that same logic is applied to much more important aspects of life than college football.
While not necessarily ‘scary’, one analogy that pops in my head is losing $1,000, and railing against the lack of morality of others for not turning it in somewhere. But if you were to find $1,000 yourself, not turning it in because of your belief you were going to put the money to better use than whoever lost it, and therefore you’re ‘right’ in keeping it. Here, believing that your use of the money is ‘better’ is not much different in believing that the NU offer is ‘better’ and therefore doesn’t call into question hypocrisy on positions of ethics or morality.
If your belief is that verbal commitments should be honored, that it is giving your word, that’s fine. But you should hold true to that in all situations, even when you are the beneficiary when someone breaks that ‘commandment’. If you’re saying that it’s okay when someone breaks their word elsewhere to come to NU, because NU offers something special others cannot, well then, this whole thing is really NOT about morality then, is it?
In that case, it’s about the kid choosing the best option for him, an assessment of the program and school which with you agree. When we lose a kid, because he believes another school is the best option, you DON’T agree with that assessment, so you wrap your criticism with a morality play that doesn’t hold water when explored from all angles.