July 9, 2020
TODAY’S COLUMNS: Scott has a mailbag of issues/opinions
Dennis discusses a problem in Baton Rouge High School Football
Jon broaches hs football and baseball swapping seasons
Please scroll down below.
OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO ONE AND ALL AS WE TRY TO MAKE OUR WAY SAFELY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. WE STAND WITH THOSE THAT ARE PEACEFULLY PROTESTING AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY AND RACISM.
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HULLABALOO HOORAY
A message from the Great Jim Springs:
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
If there was ever a year to break down the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest, this would be that year. Hardly anything is happening in the sports world as it is and the men’s and women’s world record were broken. There it is. I am done.
The reality is we are still a few weeks away from the reboot of sports, so let’s open the mailbag.
Q: What are your thoughts on the Pat Mahomes contract?
A: Wow! Those are staggering numbers. That being said, I know the NFL well enough to know the reality is long term contracts rarely see the full length, and the key number is always the guaranteed money.
Both sides did well. Mahomes is certainly worthy of the contract, and I doubt either side will have any remorse. As a Saints fan, I am always jealous of the teams who have great quarterbacks on their rookie contract. The Seahawks were the best at taking advantage of Russell Wilson’s tiny salary cap hit to build a great roster around him. The Chiefs have done well in this aspect too, and I am ready for the playing field to level out somewhat.
Q: Did you see Zion Williamson? He looks to be in excellent shape.
A: The best part is seeing a just turned 20 year old (who shares his birthday with my daughter) have the discipline and commitment to change his body while away from the team facility.
I am going to turn around and ask the readers a question, though. Can someone explain to me the minutes restriction discussion around Zion? He injured himself a year ago. He rehabbed for twice as long as was expected, then returned to action and played very well. Since then, he has had basically an off season to take care of himself and get to what looks like the best condition of his young life. Did I mention he is only 20? Why on earth would he be restricted in any manner?
Q: Don’t you love the format of a “mailbag” Q&A?
A: Absolutely! No need for transitions or to go into great depth in one area or another. Perfect for July or quarantimes.
Q: Who are you picking to win the NBA title?
A: Making predictions is difficult enough in normal settings, but in the new realities we are about to observe, my bold prediction is that people are crazy to make bold predictions. Normally when a player gets hurt, it limits that player's availability. With the pandemic rules, there will be ripple effects for days.
With those qualifications out of the way, I think teams that are balanced and deep have the best odds. For that reason, I don’t think the Pels have a chance, but everything is in their favor to make a move.
Nevertheless, I will go with the Bucks because the only evidence I have is of them being the best team. Also their path has the least obstacles.
If you feel a little cheated because I didn’t analyze the hot dog eating records, allow me to end with this thought. Joey Chestnut said his goal is to raise enough money to donate to his elementary school and have the cafeteria names after him. I think Nathan’s and ESPN should match whatever Chestnut ends up donating for all the recognition he has brought to the contest.
HEY REF
Whenever I’ve sent to my editor an earlier column that’s been requested by either coaches; officials or both I haven’t ever hesitated labeling it a “BEST OF”. But this week as I’ve struggled with false allegations, untruths and downright lies I’ve found it very difficult to focus on anything but the TRUTH. For the last four days I’ve searched both of my computer’s hard drives trying to find something that isn’t there. But I promise next week to explain some of the things going on that have this writer seeing red.
But for right now I want to “THANK” those football coaches for taking time out of their extra busy days to share with me their concerns over the LHSAA’s decision to retain the Baton Rouge’s Association’s Assignment Secretary. As I told them beforehand and I’ll say it again this writer will never reveal his sources. I could never expect any coach to put his livelihood on the line without that guarantee. Getting back on track while combing through years of columns I found this one from August 8, 2019 that deserves an extra read. So, without further delay, please enjoy another episode of;
“The Best of Hey Ref”
This was going to be what I thought would probably be the shortest column I’ve ever penned simply because I’ll be asking for help from those individuals that are right now simply not having fun doing what they enjoy doing. So, let’s get down to business; I’ve hit an all-time low after spending just two weeks as a member of the Baton Rouge Football Officials Association. I started my journey of working high school games in this association way back in 1979. Back then this association was home to the best football officials Louisiana has ever had.
It got this way through hard work and dedication from each and every official. We all knew that the only way to continue being the best was to commit to a program where we’d never say we’ve become the best we can be. Simply put nobody rested on what they accomplished the year before because there was this unwritten code that went something like “if you feel you’ve called a perfect game then it’s time to retire because you’ll never call two perfect games in your life”! In fact early on we learned from a shared passion for the game of football that we must learn something new each and every time we walked off a football field.
Oh, how things have changed. There was a time not too long ago when health problems took me off the field. Things turned very serious as an out of control infection in my lower spine had eaten away at three vertebrae and the only thing that the doctors were concerned with was that I’d survive the infection and be able to walk again. The next three years were pure hell as I had to learn how to live with bone taken out of my hip and spliced into my lower spine. It took me twelve long years before I tried to once again walk out onto a football field to enjoy working games once again.
That first meeting back was a complete and total shock for me. Gone were the well-oiled organized meetings. As I took the seat I occupied for more than 15 years I saw members playing video games on their laptops. Some were totally fixed on texting with their cell phones. Some were seated in a ring of 6 to 8 members just in another world and not concerned with the matters being debated on the floor. I felt like I was in an episode of The Twilight Zone.
I’d been in touch with the referee of the crew I was in before and told him I wasn’t sure if I was going to work one final year. He too had the same feelings and told me he hadn’t made up his mind either. As the winter temps faded away and spring was in full bloom we talked again and decided to work one last year together and then call it quits. My white hat has maybe 40 years of service and I am getting close to 30 years so we thought this would be a great way to end this part of our lives.
Well, just hold your horses, not so fast, grasshopper-son! Fast forward to three weeks ago. Since I’d been working in another association the past couple of years the assignment secretary in Baton Rouge told my referee that he considers me a NEW official with no seniority. Even though I’d put in nearly 25 years of service in Baton Rouge’s Association this assignment secretary was pulling off a power-trip and refused to allow me and two members of my old crew one last year of working together. Neither of us could believe he was doing this but after hearing from many of the present day members and former members in Baton Rouge it became very clear that he is running the Baton Rouge Association with two iron fists.
He intimidates the membership and they’ve told me he carries a grudge. Many feel that if they say anything he won’t assign them a game, which they say has happened. As I sat in on two recent meetings I noticed something just wasn’t right. I saw members sitting in their seats with this cold stare as if they were afraid to make a sound. Some looked like little robots or worse little zombies. I’ve never seen anything like this ever before. Grown men sitting quietly, looking into space I guess dreaming of when or if they’ll be paroled.
During my time away from the game I’d talk to coaches in the Baton Rouge area and whose games I’d worked throughout the years. I began to notice more and more of them complaining of the lack quality in those officials calling their games. The number of veteran officials began to drop off and many have refused to return. I counted just ten the number of officials I recognized at the two meetings I attended. I asked those officials I knew to tell me “what’s up” but most declined to talk about the problems in the Baton Rouge Association fearing the wrath of the assignment secretary.
I asked them why they haven’t gone to the LHSAA’s offices on Old Hammond and filed a complaint. And here’s the reason they can’t say anything, Baton Rouge is the ONLY ASSOCIATION IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA THAT ALLOWS THE ASSIGNMENT SECRETARY TO WORK GAMES ON THE FIELD AND ASSIGN GAMES FOR THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP. They told me this little SWEETHEART arraignment came by way of Keith Alexander the former head of officials with the LHSAA. In my day and in every other association present day the one and only job of the assignment secretary is to assign games. He works for the principals in theory but this little ‘ole honey of a deal came via the powers that be at LHSAA headquarters in Baton Rouge.
So, just a couple days ago I sat down with the newly appointed head of officials at LHSAA, Lee Sanders, and tried to impress upon him that this practice has to end. It’s caused all the Baton Rouge area schools to be in dire straits looking for and retaining good officials that can become great once again if only they’d stop this practice of legitimizing a gestapo type of atmosphere in Baton Rouge’s association. I could feel right away I wasn’t getting through to him because he’s been kept in the dark about the situation in Baton Rouge and he’s still very new to the job so I’ll give him a pass for this one season.
I ended our talk by mentioning a good friend of mine that I’ve known for more than 30 years and is a fellow football official in Baton Rouge that had a stroke a short time ago and was in the hospital. He mentioned his name and I confirmed the name then told him less than a week ago while visiting him at Lady of the Lake Hospital my friend also mentioned how far the Baton Rouge Football Officials Association had sunk. He was also one of the ones that worked our collective butts off keeping Baton Rouge at the top for so many years.
And as luck would have it as I stopped at Lowe’s to pick up some lumber to make shelves at my house I ran into another referee that I knew and he’s still in the Baton Rouge Association. I gave him a quick rundown of my morning’s events and he too chimed in on how bad things are with the Baton Rouge Football Officials Association. What I thought would be a quick 5 minute talk went on for close to 30 minutes. He sighted one instance where he gave a list of officials he wanted in his crew to the assignment secretary as he was asked to do. He still doesn’t know what he did wrong because he wasn’t allowed to work with any of those officials on his list.
I’ve been told many other horror stories of what’s happening in Baton Rouge and its football officials. But fear is a mighty tool and it’s being used with great effectiveness in Baton Rouge. I really feel bad for the schools, players and especially the coaches who’ve got to “gamble” their careers with the lack of good officials. Until the coaches finally get fed up nothing will change because those officials sitting around and allowing this to happen have soiled the work and reputations of many hardworking, honest and competent officials who went before them!!!
Till next week…
FINE IDEAS
High School Football and High School Baseball need to switch seasons. Have Baseball in the fall and Football in the spring. There is a lot more risk in spreading the coronavirus infection in Football than in Baseball. By switching seasons, high schools could be buying invaluable time for High School Football to ward off infections in its players, coaches and fans.
If there is a prescription for spreading the coronavirus it is via playing football. Whether it is droplets of saliva or secretions of sweat, the exchange of these fluids is likely to take place when 22 people are in very close proximity—engaging in intense physical contact-- with one another over a 2 to 3 hour period. In short, football is the epitome of a contact sport.
There is an inherent risk of contracting the coronavirus in playing Baseball, but it is vastly less than in Football. There is almost no physical interaction in Baseball. With the notable exception of the batter’s box, players are spaced far apart. In short, Baseball is a noncontact sport.
The advantages of playing football in the spring are numerous. Again, they mostly give schools the opportunity to be best prepared to play football in a safer environment. Yet, even in this scenario, there are a lot of unkowns. Here are some of the reasons I have for having spring High School Football.-- Notice the operative word is questionable, even when evaluating the positive elements of moving football to the spring:
--Perhaps there will be a vaccine by then. If so, will it be available for the widespread inoculation of high school football players and coaches? Admittedly questionable.
--By the spring, we can only hope that enough of society will be executing its proper pandemic gameplan—masking up, social distancing, proper cleaning hygiene—that the number of per capita cases will be vastly reduced. Then, players will be at much lesser risk. Will society, en masse, be willing to do this? Another very questionable proposition.
--The physical condition of high school football players, at present, is less than ideal. Some have diligently worked out and are in reasonable shape. Many have been unable to do so. Can high school football players be in football physical condition by the fall? Very questionable. Putting some of these boys on the field would leave them a lot more susceptible to injury—with many having heat related problems. By having football in the spring, you are giving players 7 months or so of vital access to their coaches and weight rooms. Most would be in top-notch condition come the spring.
--High schools could learn from what has and has not worked for colleges and the pros. This is not to say that high schools could offer the exact same environment to play football as DI Football or the NFL. High schools do not have the funding nor manpower to do so. But, at least, high school’s learning curve as to how to put on football would be greatly enhanced.
--Logistically, it will be an epic undertaking to put on a high school football game. This is true at present or in the spring. But, by giving schools more time by moving football to the spring, there is a better chance to formulate and execute a successful game-day game plan, in what, hopefully, will be a societally safer environment.
--The peripheral, yet, perhaps, critically important aspects of high school football should be a lot easier to accommodate in the spring. Cheerleaders, Bands and large, vocal crowds give high school football a rich, perhaps, essential pageantry. These elements of high school football are likely not to be included in the fall. Or, if they are, their numbers will be vastly reduced, as will their positive impact on the game and game-day experience. In the spring, there is a lot better chance to, at least, approach the yesteryear overall experience of a high school football game.
--High School Football is by far the largest revenue producer for a high school’s athletic department. At present, there are difficult decisions to be made. If you prohibit fans or restrict their numbers, you put a harpoon to important athletic revenue. If you allow fans, unfettered in numbers, in the stands, you are putting them in harms way of an insidious contagious pandemic illness. In the spring, we can only hope that the ravages of the coronavirus will be reduced to the extent that the sport of high school football, including large crowd gatherings—will be a lot more feasible. This will largely depend upon society successfully executing its pandemic game plan in the next 7 or so months.
Is there a down side to this plan? Certainly. They include, but are probably not limited to:
--High School Baseball would subject itself to a greater pandemic risk in the fall than in the spring.
--Logistically, it would be an extreme challenge to move high school baseball from its traditional spring schedule to September. Such a decision to move high school baseball to the fall needs to be made. Yesterday. (All my troubles seemed so far away
Oh I believe in Yesterday. Printed without permission of Paul McCartney or Jack Malik.)
--If things get back to “normal” for the 2021-22 school year, 2020-21 underclassmen football players would be playing football back to back from Spring 2021 to Fall 2021. The recovery time from one football season to the next becomes negligible. Meanwhile underclassmen baseball players would have a year and a half off between seasons. All of this can not be good for both sports.
--For the unheralded high school football player (90 plus percent?), your ability to be signed to a college scholarship gets tremendously reduced if you do not have a chance to show your (improved) stuff to colleges in the fall of 2020. When seniors are playing football in the spring, both signing periods will have come and gone.
--When you’re playing football in the spring, there is a greater chance that some players—who are marginal students—will be academically ineligible to play. They would have been eligible in the fall, before they had a chance to be academically suspended. Many will be star players. This can not help their college prospects.
Can high schools opt to just move Football to the Spring and not alter Baseball’s schedule? Yes, but many high school football players play both sports at present. Their ability to do so if both sports were in the spring would be jeopardized if not eliminated.
What if High School Football is moved to the spring and we are still in a major battle with the coronavirus? Then, high school athletic associations would have the same tough choices as they do now.
The problem now and likely in the future is there are no easy choices… no easy answers.
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