B.S. High

-

There’s a documentary out about Bishop Sycamore, a fake high school in Ohio that was put together by some guy named Roy Johnson.

I’m not sure how I missed the story when it happened - Bishop Sycamore played a football game on ESPN against the number one-rated school in the country.

It was an absolute blood-bath as the kids from the fake school got destroyed.

And I can’t do the documentary justice. Suffice it to say that it is one of the most disturbing stories I’ve ever watched.

Somehow, Johnson recruited kids, had them pay tuition, applied for PPP loans during Covid in their names, and faked his way all the way to a game on ESPN. (Allegedly).

(ESPN also deserves some of the blame here).

And the documentary was disturbing because Johnson appears to be nothing more than a conman who destroyed lives, ran up debt, and apologized for absolutely nothing!

“Oh, I hate him,” Kathy said, about halfway through, and that was even before the most disturbing of the offenses were even exposed.

At the end, Johnson goes on a rant, explaining that high school football is simply a huge business that preys on the ambitions of poor kids who are looking for a way out of poverty and miserable lives.

And he’s not wrong there!

But he also exploited those ambitions for his own shot at becoming infamous and perhaps rich.

Years ago, I read an article from a Dad whose boy was a high school football star as an offensive lineman.

The kid eventually went to a Division 1 school and played 4 years. He got a few professional tryouts and played on the practice squads of a couple of pro teams, but his career fizzled out because he had more than a dozen concussions along the way.

The Dad was interviewed for the article because eventually the kid ended up severely damaged. The last the Dad saw him, the kid was homeless, and could barely remember his name.

The Dad begged people to not let their sons play the game. He spoke, not about the NFL stars who end up with CTE (and there are hundreds of examples there) but about the kids who play in high school and college and end up discarded after schools make millions off of them.

Watch the documentary and witness the black kid crying at the end, and then think of a quote from John Mellencamp as he spoke on a talk show:

“They took black men out of the cotton fields and put them on the playing fields.”

Slaves to our entertainment.

Disturbing.

Who is ready for some football?

I didn’t watch a minute of a game yesterday. I hope that they don’t somehow suck me in.

I feel dirty watching it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more