How much of an issue is this Steve Sarkisian story?

How much should we really be discussing the Steve Sarkisian story?

Steve Sarkisian has been plastered across the news since he got all lubed up at USC’s Salute to Troy event over the weekend. At the function, an intoxicated Sarkisian delivered a speech where he talked trash about Pac-12 rivals, offered up an NSFW “Fight On,” and reportedly had to be pulled from off stage by athletic director Pat Haden.

Anyone who has been drunk at some point in his or her life has likely embarrassed him/herself to a certain degree. Then again, not every person earns about $3 million and is caught on camera while playing a little loose.

It depends on how close to the pin you are, really.

For USC, Sarkisian getting blitzed at a work event is no bueno. Sure there was alcohol present, and Sark is a grown man, but he was still representing his employer. It’s pretty much a workplace standard: Unless you’re the ghost of Hunter S. Thompson, getting drunk while speaking on your company’s behalf in a public forum rarely goes well.

In the macro, should this really be a saga that plays throughout the offseason and into the 2015 season?

On one hand, USC is one of the nation’s premier programs, as well as the preseason favorite to take the Pac-12 South. Its coach making a buffoon of himself two weeks before kicking off the season is news. But beyond that, should it have legs?

I’m not so sure media coverage, at least from an opinion-based standpoint, has changed that much with digital publishing. When a public figure steps out of line or embarrasses him/herself there’s always been the a columnist here, a TV head there to call BS and take a stand – H.L. Mencken cut his teeth on skewering politicians. Where things differ presently in this (mis)Information Age is that there are now 400 million voices calling the offender an idiot. Anyone with a blog, Twitter handle or Facebook profile has a platform. It is now near impossible to shut out the din, whereas prior to the Internet Age it was as easy as not buying a paper or keeping the TV off for a few days.

But do we truly care about Sarkisian’s pop-off for anything more than pageviews?

Unfortunately for the coach, this incident happened in the last possible dead period of the sports year. One week later and college football’s kickoff, the NFL preseason and MLB’s hunt for October would’ve dominated the headlines. With the timing, however, Sarkisian gets (near) full-spread coverage.

First the leaked footage. Then the fallout. Next the statement from both coach and AD. Following that, statements from players. After that, another apology from coach and the admission that he will seek treatment. Then some cute punishment from players. And then eyes looking back into his history of drinking or picking up bar tabs. And then the tunnel-visioned monitoring of his program until kickoff. All the while, commenters – some sanctimonious, some sincere – opine on a situation and a man they hardly, if at all, know.

In the macro sense, this is story is little more than pageviews. It has legs until the next big story comes down the chute. Some coach will crash a motorcycle with his mistress on board, another will get fired midseason, or some footballs will mysteriously lose PSI and attention will turn elsewhere. Self-righteous opinions will steamroll onward, and Sarkisian will be out of the spotlight.

In the micro, whatever issues Sarkisian (if there even are any outside of the Salute mishap) is dealing with are his, his family and his employer’s cross to bear. It’s unfair for media or fans to step out and judge a person based on a leaked clip from a fundraising event. So while its a page-grabber now, perhaps that’s best for all parties (dart-throwers and target). Nobody deserves to have his/her entire personal life dissected based off footage from an eight-second clip and a bunch of hearsay.

How much should we really be discussing the Steve Sarkisian story?

More from College Football