The Necessity of Football

 

Friday night is high school football night for anyone growing up in America. 

 Here in Oklahoma it’s almost a sacred past time that only the bravest of souls dare monkey with.

 I seriously doubt that if the height of Covid 19 season began in August or September school officials would have shut it down. No chance. Coaches would make arrangements, fans might spread out and players might separate for a while, but no one would cancel football.

Even in Illinois, a less pigskin crazy state, it’s still football that brings out the crowds on Fridays. It’s a bit cooler this year up north but no bother, it’s the season for cheering crowds, hard hits, chilly temps and buttery popcorn scents wafting through the bleachers. I took in game last night at Lincoln Christian. I choose the school where I know the most people, many of whose kids play on the team or cheer.

Lincoln Christian (Bulldogs) are well coached and highly disciplined for a 3A school team. I’m not an expert on these things but the difference in squads was obvious. Since it was homecoming for the Bulldogs everyone expected a massacre, the kind you’re embarrassed to cheer for. I don’t mean like the New England Patriots used to do to the Jets every year. I mean like an Aussie cop on a citizen who snuck out of his house without a mask.

 After the 3^rd touchdown in 10 minutes of game time I started feeling bad for the other team, Locust Grove. I took a look at their record before the game. There were a lot of zeros on their side of the ledger. Seems like every school gives them the jackboot treatment. Small community schools suffer from the same problems across the country, a limited talent pool with little option to move kids in. Coaches understand that you can only win with small kids and average talent for a little while. You’ll have some nail bitters where smart play makes up the difference in a close one. But for long term winning you need to attract big athletes, year after year.

Some schools just won’t get there. They can’t. The best they can hope for is to have a few strong teams every decade or so. It’s tough on the kids to go out there and get smashed like that every week. Every game becomes a reminder of how awful their situation. Consistent losing also keeps what little talent exists away. No kid wants to join a team that’s reluctant to take the field every week. He’ll likely go play baseball. 

I’m not much of an athlete so the world of big time high school sports remained a mystery.

Working at a sporting goods store where the half the salesman were either college athletes or coaches has caught me up quick. High school football is about recruiting the best kids. I don’t mean recruiting in an illegal way, although that certainly happens. I just mean establishing a pipeline of talent to fill the ranks of your high school squad. Much of it happens naturally. Consistent winning makes parents of young athletes want to live there. So they move in to the area and get their boys in football.

This is true for other sports and disciplines (wrestling, band, theater) but football is the big show and probably will be for some time.

Whenever I hear some anti-football zealot detailing the cost of the injuries or the risk of head trauma I have to shake my head. Football is popular BECAUSE it’s dangerous, not in spite of it. There is a rough, masculine intensity that you don’t get from soccer or baseball or basketball. But I’m all for making sports safer and more accessible. I sell high end football helmets and shoulder pads after all. Just don’t mess with its internal parts. It’s strategic and violent; it rewards discipline and hard work.

 It’s not designed for everyone, like marching bands and theater.

But I’m for football--in all its societal shaming and ‘tut tutting’ about its dangers. No one gave up on the game last night either. Despite the drubbing the Pirates dug in and played hard.

They even found a little bit of juice near the end of the game. The Bulldogs invoked the unstated mercy rule and let their JV team have a go in the second half. On a kickoff return one of Locust Grove's speedier backs found a seam and took it down the sideline for touchdown.

At that point I had switched allegiance and started rooting for them. Not all schools can have historic winning programs and dominate the class. But individual players are capable of greatness in the moment. For that kid, on that night, during that play—he was best talent on the field.

Football pays you back sometimes.