emotional about this. You seem hell bent on changing my mind. But lets go down your list.
1) first to make an offer that legally can't be made or at least can't be taken seriously.
2) previous history of times it doesn't pan out for the school that made this kind of first offer.
3) factors within the VT program were the main reason for recruiting to deteriorate.
4) no way an offer that isn't a real offer makes any coach look serious.
You admit there's a neutral aspect to all this. That to me makes it silly. Kind of like revving an engine in neutral - you go nowhere when you do it and you waste a lot of gas.
It's a technique to develop a relationship - nothing to get excited about.