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Just finished watching Don Bosco take down the Alabama state football champs (Prattville) 35-24 on ESPNU.

People always balk at my when I say that high school football in NJ is some of the best in the country.

Don Bosco has wins over De La Salle and Pratteville. Pretty darn good footvball being played 15 minutes from my house.

(BTW, its especailly painful for my brother to watch this happening. He is the head coach at our alma mater (Warwick) which is a public school right over the NY/NJ border. 6 kids on the Bosco team live in his school district - including two kids whose fathers are Warwick Football Hall of Famers. My brother's team is one of the best in NY this year and could be that much better with those 6 kids (including 2 Big East and 2 Pac10 bound players) on his team.)

that's cool and all - but I wonder - am I the only one uncomfortable with HS games being played on TV? and, to boot, ESPN brokering games between schools from thousands of miles apart? this seems like such a questionable idea... bad enough elements of the college game long ago seeped in to high school (recruiting, profiteering, academic inflation) but now, lucrative tv contracts and even younger men in danger of being over-exposed before they can handle it...

it could just be me, but the whole idea makes me a tad squeamish... that being said - I'll cop to LOVING that local FSN and CSN networks are running LOCAL HS games for the local audience (got to watch my old high school play an arch rival on Thursday night...) maybe there is no difference and I'm a big ol hypocrite... but I don't think so...

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:that's cool and all - but I wonder - am I the only one uncomfortable with HS games being played on TV? and, to boot, ESPN brokering games between schools from thousands of miles apart? this seems like such a questionable idea... bad enough elements of the college game long ago seeped in to high school (recruiting, profiteering, academic inflation) but now, lucrative tv contracts and even younger men in danger of being over-exposed before they can handle it...

it could just be me, but the whole idea makes me a tad squeamish... that being said - I'll cop to LOVING that local FSN and CSN networks are running LOCAL HS games for the local audience (got to watch my old high school play an arch rival on Thursday night...) maybe there is no difference and I'm a big ol hypocrite... but I don't think so...

Don't get me wrong....I totally agree. There really is no reason for Don Bosco to play these teams. It does help somewhat with recruiting for the kids as they get exposure to some college coaches who wouldn't otherwise recruit them. But is that worth the time away from school as a high school student? I don't know if it does.

danefan wrote:

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:that's cool and all - but I wonder - am I the only one uncomfortable with HS games being played on TV? and, to boot, ESPN brokering games between schools from thousands of miles apart? this seems like such a questionable idea... bad enough elements of the college game long ago seeped in to high school (recruiting, profiteering, academic inflation) but now, lucrative tv contracts and even younger men in danger of being over-exposed before they can handle it...

it could just be me, but the whole idea makes me a tad squeamish... that being said - I'll cop to LOVING that local FSN and CSN networks are running LOCAL HS games for the local audience (got to watch my old high school play an arch rival on Thursday night...) maybe there is no difference and I'm a big ol hypocrite... but I don't think so...

Don't get me wrong....I totally agree. There really is no reason for Don Bosco to play these teams. It does help somewhat with recruiting for the kids as they get exposure to some college coaches who wouldn't otherwise recruit them. But is that worth the time away from school as a high school student? I don't know if it does.

I would think Don Bosco playing another elite NJ squad on a regional cable sports net (like MSG or something) would give the kids some good tape, and college scouts could watch it on satellite - helping the kids get exposure

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:

danefan wrote:
Don't get me wrong....I totally agree. There really is no reason for Don Bosco to play these teams. It does help somewhat with recruiting for the kids as they get exposure to some college coaches who wouldn't otherwise recruit them. But is that worth the time away from school as a high school student? I don't know if it does.

I would think Don Bosco playing another elite NJ squad on a regional cable sports net (like MSG or something) would give the kids some good tape, and college scouts could watch it on satellite - helping the kids get exposure

They do that already and have for a long time. MSG has great high school sports coverage in this area and even a high school only channel (MSG Varsity).

I don't have a problem with teams traveling in their region, like a preseason type of game. But going from Florida to California, four weeks into the season is crazy.

But part of me does like to see how top teams from each state matchup with each other.