I like football. I played when I was a kid in scrubby lots and of course the street - often until it was too dark to see the ball. I watch college games, the Lions and am in the occasional office pool. Given these affections, it pains me to admit my emerging concerns about the game as entertainment.

My issue isn't the steroids, the gambling or even the fantasy leagues. While these topics range from disturbing to pathetic, they are still primarily limited to the college ranks and the NFL. Whether it is a player with suspiciously fast muscle growth or a fantasy addict neglecting his kids for the 9 a.m. pre-pre-pre-game show, the decisions of adults (more or less) are their own.

You cannot say that about high school football. The participants are far from adulthood, and how the game has been packaged, marketed and consumed should give us all a bit of indigestion. To be clear, my concern isn't about physical safety of players, which I think actually is pretty well managed. My concern is how disproportionate the hype has become.

GRPS doesn't have a superintendent and cannot afford heat or new roofs new roofs, yet I am much more likely to catch another painful promo for TV8s FOOTBALL FRENZY WALL-TO-WALL IN YOUR FACE coverage than I am an update on the millage. The Sunday Press is skinnier than a Jonas brother's necktie, but they still find plenty of room for in-depth PREPS BONUS coverage ... good luck finding the MEAP scores, but did you see the third quarter rushing yards from that Hesperia game???
As bad as it is here (bad), I know we pale in comparison to states like Texas or Florida. ESPN's Longhorn Network was going to carry high school games until the idea was squashed by a college conference. I watched "King of the Hill" ... I know what goes on.

The cult of high school athlete as celebrity isn't new or inherently evil by any stretch. But there is a huge difference between the validation a 16 year old gets from a varsity jacket and the disillusion he gets from 24/7 media coverage. Going from a star at 17 to a nobody at 18 has always been a bitch, but now the fall can be a lot farther.

Ultimately, there is plenty of blame to go around here, with media simply following the ad dollars and eyeballs and the schools more or less doing the same. My gut is that the issue lies mostly with parents unable or unwilling to stop the runaway hype machine every fall. Don't tell me it's Americana, tradition or community pride. And don't tell me it's "Friday Night Lights" ... I know "Toddlers and Tiaras" when I see it.

SDP has his kidney up for sale on Craig’s List so he can afford a ticket to this year’s ArtPrize winner’s announcement … nothing says public art like gouging the public.