Lott Dismisses Rival Football League

Does the emergence of a new L.A.-area semipro football league bother Jim Lott?

“I’ve seen seven leagues go under,” said Lott, who founded the High Desert Football League 55 years ago. “They always make fun of us, but the next year, they’re not in business and we are.”

Lott, 86, has taken several potshots from Bo Brooks, who pulled his Ventura County Cardinals out of the HDFL after the 1989 season and started the Southern California Football League.

“We had our fill of the HDFL and amateurism,” Brooks said. “It’s a poorly organized league. We felt we could do better.”

Lott scoffs at Brooks, whom he considers a Johnny-come-lately. “If we’re not organized, we wouldn’t be around 55 years,” Lott said.