The Football Investment

In the next two days, everybody on the 12 Iowa high school football teams playing for championships is about to play the biggest game of their young lives. For 99 percent of those participating, it will be the biggest game they will ever play in. Everything they have worked for athletically for months – and even years – will come down to four more quarters.

After the game – after all the physical and emotional energy has been expended – there will be a release of emotions unlike they have ever felt before. One team and one fan base will feel the highest of highs and the other side will feel the lowest lows.

I was down on the field for all of the finals in 2010, and several since then, and couldn’t help but get caught up in the emotion every time. I did have connections with the teams I was following, but even after the games that involved other teams, the conflicting waves of joy and sadness inside the UNI-Dome were overwhelming.

I was at one of the Earlham playoff games this season with Kristen and near the end I said something about how hard it is on the kids to lose at this point in the season.

She asked me, “Do guys cry when they lose?”

I quickly reminded her how wet my shoulder got when I was hugging her after her team lost the softball title game two years ago.

“Well, yeah, but guys?”

I told her yes, guys have feelings, too. We just don’t generally like anyone to know it.

Madrid lost a championship in 2010 in one of the most compelling, gut wrenching games I have ever seen. This is what I wrote then:

Seeing uncontrollable tears flowing from several individuals on a team defined by its toughness and that had been so physically dominant all season may have seemed strange to some, but it served as a reminder that these are just kids playing a powerfully emotive game. These young men who play high school football are asked to give much of themselves and get nothing in return but the joy of playing. And in cases like this when all the joy has been sucked out of it, all that’s left is raw pain.

And Tiger Coach Randy Hinkel told me later:

“One thing I try to remind people is that when you invest a lot into something and it fails, it hurts more than if you didn’t. But these kids—and not necessarily our kids, but across the gamut—when they don’t achieve and they threw everything into it, it hurts. You see more emotion out of the kids that have invested the most.”

Yes. The game of football is a huge investment, and it hurts to lose. And it’s okay to let it out. As bad as losing feels, winning feels that good. It’s just much more fun to let those emotions loose.

Good luck to all the teams. To the winners – enjoy the moment. To the others – it’s okay to feel bad for a while. Then get back to work.

You Can Go Dome Again

I have a soft spot in my heart for all the teams I followed in 2010 when I was researching my book, and one of those teams made it back to the Dome this year. So naturally I’m pulling hard for the North Fayette Valley TigerHawks to bring home the 2A title. Take a drive through West Union or visit the school and it looks similar to a lot of Iowa towns and schools. There isn’t anything unique on the surface that might indicate the sustained excellence in football that they have achieved over the past three decades. What they have is a recipe of good people, good coaching, and a culture of winning. They expect to do well, they work hard, and they succeed. The good news for schools that have fallen short in their sports programs is that that recipe can be cooked up anywhere. The bad news is; it ain’t exactly as easy as all that. Some schools like North Fayette just make it look easy.

As big a fan as I am of theirs, it’s good to see that I am still revered in those parts, too – judging by this photo from 2010 that I found on their web site.

Go TigerHawks!

The championship dream is still alive for the 24 Iowa high school football teams that made it to the semifinals at the UNI-Dome. Action kicks off Thursday with the first 8-man matchup at the painfully early, and somewhat unusual, time of 9:06 a.m. Here are some more interesting facts about this year’s semis:

Six private schools are among the field this season. That’s down one from last year when seven made it. Last year private schools won titles in five of the six classes, but that won’t happen this year because in two classes (A and 8), only public schools remain. Two classes (3A with Heelan and Xavier; 1A with Regina and St. Edmond) have two private schools in the semis, setting up the possibility of a couple of all-Catholic school finals. (Regina and St. Ed met in the 1A final last season.)

These six private schools spend almost as much time in the Dome as the Panthers. Between them, they have been to the semifinals 14 times since 2010.

Ten of the 24 teams are back to the semis for the second year in a row, including four state champions. Two of those champs are in the same class this year so only three teams can repeat. 2013 Class A champ West Lyon was bumped up to 1A this season and could meet defending champ Regina in the final. The other two defending champions are Heelan and Dowling.

Regina is going for their fifth straight title, and even though the 1A field is rugged this year, it’s hard to bet against this juggernaut. (Betting for entertainment purposes only, of course!) Solon snapped the Regals’ gazillion game winning streak in week one, but their 2014 resume includes a 21-7 win over Xavier, class 3A semi-finalist this year and 4A runner up last year – not to mention the beatings they inflicted on their district foes. So in spite of their “down year,” Marv Cook’s guys will be tough to unseat.

Cinderella doesn’t usually make it to this dance – somebody shatters that glass slipper sooner rather than later. Among the 24, there are seven undefeated teams and 11 with only one loss.

But a couple of teams are intriguing, though they may not necessarily qualify for Cinderella status.

Newell-Fonda lost their first three games of the season and hasn’t lost since. Last Friday they upset defending 8-man champ (and owners of a 25-game win streak) Don Bosco, 37-36, to earn the trip to Cedar Falls.

With a similar script, Class A Denver lost four of their first six games and finished third in their district. They eventually upset previously unbeaten Maquoketa Valley in the second round, and then avenged a week 2 loss to district rival Nashua-Plainfield by beating them last Friday. They will be seeking revenge again in their semifinal matchup with Gladbrook-Reinbeck, who beat them 43-0 in week 4.

Good luck to all the teams – and let the games begin!

Getting What You Deserve

While speaking about his football team at Earlham High School’s fall sports banquet last Sunday, Head Coach Chris Caskey stated very matter-of-factly that “we’re getting what we deserve.” After finishing third in their district, his team had won a first round playoff game the previous week and was getting set to play a team that was 10-0 the next night. His statement wasn’t self-congratulatory or boastful in any way. Just reality. All the off-season work by the players in the weight room was paying off. The team was reaping the rewards of good attitudes, solid practice habits, and the willingness to do what it takes to improve. Seniors and veterans were setting a good example and leading by doing while the underclassmen were not afraid to follow in their footsteps. Big moments in games were not intimidating. Everything was coming together at the right time. And they were getting what they deserved – and earned.

When they beat a previously undefeated team by two touchdowns on their home field in the rain on Monday, they also got a birth in round three of the state playoffs, one step away from playing in the semifinals at the UNI-Dome.

There are 47 other teams still playing high school football in Iowa that have similar scripts. None of the teams have gotten this far by being lucky or on “looks” alone – they have gotten what they deserve. They have done the work necessary and have played hard and smart. There are “underdogs” like Earlham and teams with gleaming undefeated records and an aura of invincibility, but they have all had to overcome difficulties and challenges along the way to get here. With grit and determination, star quarterbacks and special teams players alike have battled and defeated opponents and the elements; doubters and naysayers; pain and injury; fear and uncertainty. While they have been winning games together, the players have formed friendships and bonds that have strengthened their souls as well as their team. They are confident that no one can beat them now, but not too cocky. And they are having the time of their young lives – which is great, because they deserve it.

There are plenty of deserving teams whose season is over. Maybe they couldn’t out-work a lack of talent and depth or too many injuries; or maybe they could have dug down a little deeper and gotten more out of themselves. That’s left for them to consider and their coaches to contemplate. But that’s just how the world works – this isn’t six-and-under soccer anymore and not everybody gets a participation ribbon. Sometimes you fail to hit your goals and fall short of expectations, but you pick yourself up and keep trying. (And there are plenty of teams out there that finished with miserable records and they also got what they deserved this season. Enough said.)

But only six teams will be left standing a couple weeks from now in Cedar Falls, and they will each have gotten what they deserved.

The Fields of Fall

You Can’t Go Back

There isn’t enough football in Napoleon Dynamite for it to qualify as one of my favorite football movies, but it is definitely the best movie ever that mentions “delicious bass.” One of my favorite scenes (there are so many to choose from!) is football related. Uncle Rico is sitting with Napoleon and Kip and they are watching a video he made of himself throwing a football. No receivers – just him with that classic headband zipping the ball around the prairie. Kip seems neutral; Napoleon proclaims it the “worst video ever;” and Uncle Rico is almost mesmerized with his performance when hearkens to his high school playing days and pines, “Ohhhh, man I wish I could go back in time. I’d take state.”

This is especially hilarious to old(ish) guys like me because we all have a little Uncle Rico in us. There isn’t an ex-high school athlete (except for those very few who went onto greater athletic glory in college or the pros) who hasn’t thought back to their playing days and wondered what could have been. “What if I could go back and play that game (or season) again?” I admit that I’ve done that plenty of times – I just never filmed myself as a 30- or 40- or 50-something wannabe athlete re-enacting my youthful sports life.

Here’s a memo to current high school athletes everywhere: you can’t go back. Do it now. Whatever you have dreamed; whatever you have worked for; this is your time.

Especially you senior football players. Forget your first three years. Maybe you played a lot; maybe not. Your team may have won tons of games and maybe they have been terrible. It doesn’t matter now. All you need to care about is the now.

Don’t worry about next year. Maybe you’ll be in college this time next year and maybe you’ll have a job. Forget about it. All you need to care about is the now.

What you and your football team do over the next few weeks is all that matters. From the starting quarterback to the freshman on the end of the bench, now is the time to grab the glory. Make the memories you will never forget.

Week 9 will be a beginning for half the teams that move onto the playoffs while it will be the end for the other half. A lot of seniors will play their last game ever on Friday. That may not dawn on you right away, but it will soon enough. So if you were ever going to play like it’s your last game – you need to do it Friday night. Don’t waste this opportunity to be great. Even you underclassmen. Your last game will come sooner than you think, so make the most of week 9 – and every game – while you still can.

Only six teams will raise championship trophies on the floor of the UNI-Dome. Every other team will end their season with a defeat, and it will taste bitter. If your team isn’t one of fortunate few that will be celebrating, just make sure you go down knowing you gave it your best shot. Don’t be Uncle Rico 20 years from now saying, “Yeah…if Coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we woulda been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind.”

Woulda, shoulda, coulda doesn’t cut it. Do. Leave the field with no regrets. Because you can’t go back.

Use Your Head

Inevitably, high school kids will get into a little (or a lot) of trouble. A popular phrase I’ve heard thrown around a time or two is “to be old and wise you must first be young and stupid.” So true. “Experienced” folks like me were young once (some longer ago than others), and we have all been guilty of varying degrees of stupidity. The young thing wears off naturally – and hopefully most of us grow out of the stupid.

But (and this really makes me sound old), times are different from when we were in high school. There’s a lot of bad stuff out there these days, and when kids are out of school or out of the house, they have to use their heads.

I heard one of the most interesting theories about helping keep athletes out of trouble from Bob Lape, head football coach at North Fayette Valley. He told me once, “One thing I learned a long time ago — don’t do anything that’s going to embarrass your mom. That’s what I always tell the kids. I grew up with that. I tell my own kids that; I tell all the kids I coach; I even tell all the kids in school — don’t do anything that’s going to embarrass your mom. You don’t want that.”

Absolutely not. Think about that one as it applies to you, your wife or your mom. Moms don’t play.

One of the best things about high school sports is the kids are so busy practicing and playing, it limits the time they can go out and get into trouble. And the discipline and effort needed to perform well is hopefully teaching kids the right way to go about their business and they are applying that to their lives away from the athletic fields.

But kids being kids, they will find trouble or it will find them eventually.

Two schools in Iowa that deal specifically with kids in trouble are Clarinda Academy and Woodward Academy. Established in 1992, Clarinda Academy is a residential foster care facility that provides residential treatment and shelter care to at-risk and delinquent male and female youth. Woodward Academy, established in 1995, is a residential treatment facility for male youth. They are both owned by Sequel Youth and Family Services, a privately owned company that develops and operates programs around the country for people with behavioral, emotional, or physical challenges.

Sports are an important part of what both schools do to positively affect the lives of their student athletes. They have enjoyed success in many of their programs, and especially with powerlifting – which I didn’t even know was a high school sport.

Winning at football is a little tougher at both schools. Consider that most kids are only there for a short time. Depending on the specific program he is in (both schools offer similar programs), a student may only be there for 90 days, or up to 12 months. So the coaches are basically starting over with an entire roster every season. That is a little easier with the sports that require fewer players and/or a smaller playbook. But trying to get 11 guys on offense and 11 guys on defense up and running every year and having to take on some of the best teams in the state is a rugged task.

Clarinda Academy is winless this season and takes on a scrappy Earlham (4-3) team at home, while Woodward Academy is 1-6 and has the distinct “opportunity” of hosting Madrid (5-2) tonight. Both will be underdogs and, frankly, both games might end up a little lopsided, but the gains and successes made in these programs can’t truly be measured on the scoreboard.

Across the state of Iowa there are towns where high school football is less a game and more a way of life. Bigger schools certainly have their traditions, but in some of Iowa’s smaller towns, football is the heartbeat of the community; a center of activity; an object of intense passion for both the school and the community as a whole. In these football epicenters the game has been turned into an art form, young men who excel at it become local heroes, and winning is second nature—but never taken for granted.

Not only are the young men in these towns learning the game of football, they are being taught valuable life lessons that will pay dividends long after their playing days are over. By teaching their players how to work effectively as a team and the importance of dedication, sacrifice and discipline, coaches are primarily concerned with developing the character of their players—and thus winning football games becomes the result.

The Fields of Fall follows several of the best known football dynasties in Iowa—as well as some lesser known programs—for an entire year. The book is an enlightening and entertaining ride through the 2010 season; dissecting the teams’ philosophies on football, education and life in general; and telling the stories of the people and the communities that make high school football in Iowa so special. The Fields of Fall captures the emotional power of the game as it details the teams’ journeys through a season of incredible highs and corresponding lows—and describes the sheer fun that everyone surrounding the game was having.

Week 7…already?

For returning letterman and wannabe starters alike, summer is a time for dreaming those sweet dreams of football glory by night and toiling long hours in the weight room and beyond by day. By the end of training camp and late summer practices, the kids are ready to hit people other than their teammates, and when week one rolls around, they get their chance. As the players take the field for that first game, anything is still possible. Optimism abounds and there are no crooked numbers in anybody’s loss column yet.

Most teams have at least two non-district games and coaches can use these first couple weeks as a “pre-season” to get everything (or most everything, hopefully) figured out. Once the district schedule starts and the games “count,” the intensity is heightened.

By week seven, the sheen of the new season has worn off and teams have established their identity. The grind of the first six games have taken their toll physically and mentally. For some teams, the season that was so full of hope and promise just a couple months prior has spiraled down, and their work has resulted in limited success on the field. Others have racked up enough wins to feel good about their chances of making it into the top four spots in their districts to advance to the playoffs.

Other teams are steamrolling though their seasons like the ’72 Miami Dolphins. As the Iowa high school season enters its seventh week, a total of 31 teams in the six classes are still undefeated. (Eight in 8-man; six in Class A; six in 1A; six in 2A; three in 3A; two in 4A.) Additionally, 32 other teams still have an unblemished district record, which, of course, determines playoff seeding. (Twelve of those teams are in 4A, which have only played two district games so far.)

That’s a lot of teams that are still feeling good about that goose egg under the “L,” but week 7 is going to be the beginning of the process that will whittle that number down over the next three weeks of the regular season. Thirteen games will be played around the state Friday between teams with undefeated district records. “Just another game” isn’t the case anymore when the top spot in the district and preferred seeding for the playoffs is on the line. Here are those games:

This week the great teams can start to separate themselves from the good ones. But week seven is compelling for reasons other than playoff positioning. Week seven is mile 20 of a marathon; the fourth quarter of a company’s fiscal year; the final night of studying before an algebra final. Mustering the courage to complete anything difficult isn’t easy, and whether a team is headed for the playoffs or destined to lose every game, how it finishes a season says a lot about its character.

Across the state of Iowa there are towns where high school football is less a game and more a way of life. Bigger schools certainly have their traditions, but in some of Iowa’s smaller towns, football is the heartbeat of the community; a center of activity; an object of intense passion for both the school and the community as a whole. In these football epicenters the game has been turned into an art form, young men who excel at it become local heroes, and winning is second nature—but never taken for granted.

Not only are the young men in these towns learning the game of football, they are being taught valuable life lessons that will pay dividends long after their playing days are over. By teaching their players how to work effectively as a team and the importance of dedication, sacrifice and discipline, coaches are primarily concerned with developing the character of their players—and thus winning football games becomes the result.

The Fields of Fall follows several of the best known football dynasties in Iowa—as well as some lesser known programs—for an entire year. The book is an enlightening and entertaining ride through the 2010 season; dissecting the teams’ philosophies on football, education and life in general; and telling the stories of the people and the communities that make high school football in Iowa so special. The Fields of Fall captures the emotional power of the game as it details the teams’ journeys through a season of incredible highs and corresponding lows—and describes the sheer fun that everyone surrounding the game was having.

The 300 Club

Coach Randy Hinkel of Madrid has been a head football coach for 34 years, so it’s not very often that he’s the “young whippersnapper” on the sidelines. But that will be the case this Friday when his Tigers take on the Gaels of St. Edmond of Fort Dodge, led by 84-year-old Dick Tighe, now in his 61st year as a head coach. Tighe has 428 coaching wins to his credit, while Hinkel has 306 – so it’s an intriguing matchup of coaches who are members of the coveted 300-win club.

Matchups of coaches who have achieved this milestone are rare, but less unusual in Iowa than in other states. Of the 113 coaches in the U.S. who had reached 300 wins by the end of last season, 11 of them are Iowa coaches. My math skills aren’t great, but even I know that that’s almost 10 percent. Not bad – and it certainly speaks to the quality of football coaching we have here. Tighe is 9th on that national coaching wins list while Hinkel is 104th. Also members of the 300 club are Jerry Pezzetti of Ankeny Centennial and Gary Swenson of West Des Moines Valley. When their teams hook up in week 8, it will be the latest in a matchup that has occurred almost annually for the past two decades.

Even with the legendary coaches calling the shots in The Jungle in Madrid on Friday, it will be the players that take center stage. Since going to the Class A title game in 2010, Madrid has had a couple of lean years by their high standards. But having been bumped up to 1A this season, the Tigers are off to a fast start with a 4-1 record.

St. Edmond’s only blemish last year was a loss in the 1A title game to Iowa City Regina. (Hardly a reason to fire the coach!) This year they have dashed out to a 5-0 record and are currently ranked third in the state.

Both teams are piling up more points than a lot of basketball teams. St. Ed is averaging almost 41 points per game while Madrid is scoring 39. And both teams are getting to the end zone in a similar manner – via the run game. Madrid’s rushing heritage is legendary, and they are living up to it this year by leading all Iowa classes with 2,095 yards. St. Edmond is second behind the Tigers in class 1A with 1,625 rushing yards. Interestingly, both teams are also together at the very bottom of the 1A passing statistics. The Gaels have attempted just 17 passes in five games; the Tigers only 12. But when your stable of running backs can average seven or eight yards a carry, why pass?

This game is also a critical District 7 matchup. When the districts were announced last winter, the coaches in this one probably cringed when they first had a look. It’s loaded with perennially good teams, and six out of the seven teams currently have overall winning records. In the current “extra round” era when mediocre to just plain bad teams can still make the playoffs, a quality team might actually get left out in this district this season. Madrid already has a district loss, so this game is especially significant to them.

Something will give when these two giants meet Friday. One defense will bend too much; there will be a critical turnover or two; an unsung kid will make the play of a lifetime. Just don’t bet on either of these coaches to screw something up.

Harlan Week

After attending my first game at Merrill Field in Harlan in 2010, I decided I was going to give my best effort to get to a game there every year. It’s a terrific facility, the atmosphere is great, the football is always fierce, the concession stands are second to none, and the drive is reasonable. So Quinn and I will road trip west this Friday.

I spoke with Coach Curt Bladt several times that fall and one of my favorite quotes was when he was telling me how he motivates his players every season. He said with a laugh, “We just have to remind the kids that everybody hates us.”

I don’t think that most football fans outside of Harlan really hate the Cyclones, but I know how rivalries work and how parents/fans can get pretty tired of getting drubbed year after year by the same team. So if folks don’t exactly hate Harlan, I can understand how some have perhaps built up an unhealthy frustration over the past few decades. Okay – and some people do hate them.

Those folks might be feeling a distorted satisfaction this year with the Cyclones having dropped three games in a row. I read somewhere last week when they lost their second straight game that they hadn’t done that since the early ‘70s, so I’m going out on a limb and saying that they have never lost three in a row under Coach Bladt. (Sorry for the lack of research, but this blog is for entertainment purposes only.)

Instead of being resentful of the dynasty programs for their success and reveling in their down years as a chance to beat them, haters should raise their own bar, understand what got the great teams to that level, and help their kids figure out how to get there themselves. When the great programs like Harlan, Madrid, Decorah, Solon, etc. practice, they are working to make themselves better – they’re not worried about what anybody else is doing. Most coaches certainly understand that, but fans and parents should also heed the “hateless” philosophy. Hate is a drain; optimism builds.

I hope Harlan turns things around quickly, because a year without a deep playoff run by the Cyclones is like a day without sunshine. And maybe that turnaround will start Friday in Harlan against Atlantic. Whatever happens, Quinn and I will be there to soak in everything that is Harlan football and enjoy way too many of the freshly-baked concession stand cookies.

North by Northwest

There is an intriguing game this Friday being played so far in the northwest corner of the state that if it was much farther north or west, it would be in Minnesota or South Dakota. Perennial small-school powers Emmetsburg and West Lyon will play in Inwood in a matchup of programs that not only win with amazing consistency – they are the epitome of winning the right way.

Anyone that knows just a little about high school football history has heard of Emmetsburg and is aware of their tradition, legacy, and the contributions they have made to high school football in the state of Iowa. I won’t go into any of that in this space because I’ve already done it in another space. (Here!)

Although I touched on West Lyon in my book, they probably don’t get the credit they deserve as one of the top programs in the state. Maybe it’s because of their “remote” location; I don’t know. But the Wildcats have put up numbers worthy of the word “dynasty.” They are tied for 15th in the state with 24 playoff appearances all time. (First on that list – Emmetsburg with 38). Since Coach Jay Rozeboom’s arrival in 1992, the Wildcats have won four state titles, including the Class A championship last season.

Emmetsburg and West Lyon aren’t exactly neighbors – it’ll be a 100-mile bus ride for the E-Hawks Friday. But they’re close enough to be considered in the same neck of the woods in the broad context of geography of the state. I’m often intrigued how schools in certain “pockets” of the state seemingly produce excellent athletic teams year after year. Northwest Iowa seems to have no shortage of excellent programs in all sports – and it’s often the same schools again and again. I’ve heard many folks explain this phenomenon with the old joke, “Well they don’t have anything better to do!” That’s short-sighted and more than a little rude, but it’s not entirely incorrect in this case. E-Hawks Coach Mike Dunlap once told me about life in Emmetsburg, “Not everybody wants to live three hours away from a mall.”

Malls or no malls, I believe that part of the explanation for sustained success is that these folks in the northern hinterlands of our state are descended from hearty stock that were serious about tradition, hard work, and excellence, and those attributes have been passed down through generations. The northern European immigrant influence is still evident in both towns – Inwood’s ancestry is mainly Dutch and Emmetsburg’s is mostly German – and their rosters are still peppered with names like Schultes, Schleisman, and Schiek; and Van Roekel, Van Beek, and Ter Wee. The early Dutch settlers to America had a credo of “ever family, faith, and farming.” Add “football” as a fourth “F” in that saying and it’s still relevant today in both communities.

These two teams are no strangers to each other. They have met in the playoffs 11 times, including the 2008 1A title game that Emmetsburg won 3-0. They have also played frequently in the regular season and occasionally find themselves in the same district. Whenever they play, it’s always a “big game,” and this week (a non-district matchup) is no exception. Win or lose, both teams will go back to work next Monday with the goal of being better next week. And it’s not exactly a bold prediction to say that by the end of the year, both teams will be tough outs in the playoffs. But whether the Emmetsburg or West Lyon programs win 10 more state titles a piece or none, these programs will never lose focus of their main goal of turning boys into men.

Cold Seat, Warm Thoughts

When I settle into my seat in Greenfield on Friday night to watch the Earlham Cardinals take on Nodaway Valley, I’ll probably be a little irritated that the seat is cold and hard and generally uncomfortable. (Maybe I should invest in one of those stadium chairs; the heated, messaging version.) But while the bleachers and the unseasonably cold weather may get me down, I will be pleased about several things:

• The pre-game conversation wasn’t about some guy punching his girlfriend in an elevator.
• I will be relatively sure that nobody on either team has ever punched a girl, period. (Unless it was when he was 5, it was his big sister, and she just stole his ice cream.)
• Nobody in a Vegas sports book will be hanging on the outcome of the game.
• The officials aren’t paid “per flag.”
• I won’t have to raid my kids’ college accounts to pay for snacks.
• Nobody will be stressing about fantasy points after every play.
• Most of the players think that PED stands for perfectly engineered duckblind.
• Bob Costas won’t be there.
• Neither will Roger Goodell.

High school football players aren’t all choir boys and straight-A students, I know, and scandals in high school sports do occur. And the plays run on Fridays aren’t as crisp, there are more mistakes, and less sheer athleticism than in the games on Saturdays and Sundays. (Wait…and Mondays and Thursdays; and sometimes Tuesdays; and…) I’ll watch many of the games on those days, too, but there’s just something special about watching kids play the game who aren’t getting paid. (College players on scholarship – yes, that counts as getting paid!) Give me 30 or 40 guys gutting it out for the old alma mater over the rich guy with a signing bonus nursing a sore hammy in the cold tub while on his phone with his agent any day. And especially on Fridays.