Not a fan of state bowl games

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Nine weeks down and six to go. That’s lot of football for any team, but some high school kids will play more games this season than USC (14).

The state bowl games have added another week to an already long season for teenagers, and the potential matchups just don’t do a whole lot for me. I’d pay to see Vista Murrieta play Redlands East Valley, or Corona Centennial take on the winner, but I can’t say that for the SoCal vs. NorCal state bowl championship format.

Sure, it was fun watching Jimmy Clausen and Oaks Christian look average against Cardinal Newman last season, or Canyon Country Canyon scoring a shocking upset over De La Salle, but that was more beginner’s luck than anything else.

Kind of like when you make that first trip to Las Vegas, pop a quarter in a slot machine just after checking into your room and winning 40 bucks. Next thing you know, you’ve fed that 40 back into the slot machine and you’re pulling out another 40, hoping to get your original winnings back.

Gambling with the health and safety of young athletes, however, just isn’t worth potential payoff at the turnstiles or from broadcast and advertising revenue.

-- Dan Arritt

-- Image from www.funexpress.com