5-at-10: NFL issue, prep sports participation drops for first time in 30 years, Rushmore of fictional TV sports shows

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd/  Copper Basin's Chase Mickens (24) holds onto a pass after colliding with two Tiger defenders.  The second day of the Best of Preps High School football jamboree was held at Finley Stadium on August 17, 2019.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd/ Copper Basin's Chase Mickens (24) holds onto a pass after colliding with two Tiger defenders. The second day of the Best of Preps High School football jamboree was held at Finley Stadium on August 17, 2019.

NFL's biggest issue

Forget concessions, that's so 2013.

Forget star players holding out and missing time, that's so Le'Veon 2018.

Forget the CBA and the potential work stoppage, that's so 2021.

Nope. The biggest swirling talking point for the NFL right now is the wear and tear - emotionally as well as physically - the game has on its stars.

This is not new, of course. But the conversation of this has become newly commonplace.

It started with the discussions of Andrew Luck retiring in large part because of the cycle of injury, pain, rehab, play, rinse and repeat.

It continued when everyone's favorite Polar Bear, Rob Gronkowski, talked about how the injuries and the effort to get on the field and stay on the field took the joy of the game from him and in some ways the joy of life away.

It continued to a darker place with LeRon McClain, the former Alabama fullback and NFL veteran who played for almost a decade, pleading for the league to help him get his head checked.

Again, this is not breaking news, that these players are breaking their bodies for the game they love, and that the process has, does, and will continue to break the players' spirits, as well.

But talking about this - from some of the toughest dudes of their generation in Luck, Gronk and McClain - is even more damaging for a sport that has become accustomed to fighting the bad PR of several of its stars saying they would not let their sons play.

I think booing Andrew Luck was in poor form. Truly I do.

I understand the laments of Gronk, especially when he is calling a news conference to pitch a new pain reliever with CBD oil. (And I also believe the league needs to take a collective stance on dealing with pain relievers, up to and including marijuana, and come up with ways to help the players cope with the mental as well as the physical anguish.)

I feel for McLain's issues with head injuries and pain.

But let's be really blunt here: It's not like any of us or any of them should be surprised by this, right? They knew this going in and they readily accepted the transaction of fame and glory and six- or seven-figure salaries to be a modern-day gladiator in a sport that has never been more popular and never been more tightly regulated in an attempt at safety, and one that has never been played by a collection of physical freaks that have middle linebackers who are the size of former left tackles and who run at the speed of O.J. Simpson.

But the issues of players making enough money to live forever without sacrificing their quality of that life they have created will affect the league from this day forward.

And not just fringe guys. Stars. Potential Hall of Famers.

And the spins of this for future generations who are wondering if they are tough enough to play when the toughest of the tough who are already playing at the highest level are questioning whether they are tough enough is a powerful and negative narrative.



Speaking of that

Well, for the first time in 30 years, involvement in prep sports declined, according to this story on ESPN.

It was sparked by the fifth straight year in which numbers of high school participants dropped.

The number of total high school sports participants in 2018-19 was 7,937,491 according to the annual survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations. That was down 43,395 from 2017-18.

The survey showed that participation in 11-man football dropped by almost 31,000 and the 1,006,013 playing 11-man football is the lowest mark since the 1999-2000 school year. And that is with 168 more schools offering 11-man football. All but seven states had a drop in the number of football participants in the traditional game.

That said, participants increased nationally in six-, eight- and nine-player versions of the game, with 156 schools adding it and 1,594 new participants.

So there's that.



College football catch-up

It's Hump Day for most of us working stiffs who are breaking our humps. (Seriously, I can't even say that with a straight face. Unless I lose my voice or type a blister on my finger, what physical strains do either of my day jobs present? #BlessedFella Those folks out there doing real work - as opposed to those of us who just have jobs - to provide for their families, you guys and gals deserve to kick back a couple of Coca-Colas this evening. Thanks for all you do.)

But for a lot of area football fans, this is the last day of the offseason. It's Georgia Tech (+36) at Clemson, UTC hosting Eastern Illinois, and the first SEC action of Week 1 as Texas A&M (-33.5) welcomes Texas State. (Yes, that Georgia Tech is a bigger road underdog than Texas State is still a little unnerving.)

With that wonderful realization that we are down to less than 36 hours from a fun Thursday night slate, here are five college football things that caught my eye:

- UTC released its depth chart, and here are the details from Lindsay "Forever" Young, the TFP UTC beat ace. Lots of transfers, I see. That could be a good thing. Here's hoping that a) there's a nice-sized crowd on Thursday, and b) the Rusty Wright era gets off on a winning note. With the unknown and the stakes hanging on a fast start, the Mocs have a fair amount of pressure to deliver against an Eastern Illinois team that finished near the bottom of the OVC last year and was defensively wretched last year. Eastern Illinois allowed 38 or more points in eight of its 11 games last year and allowed on average 40.5 points per game. If you have a SoCon football fantasy league, well, first get some help for your raging fantasy football addiction and then start Nick Tiano this week.

- In arguably the biggest win of the week, Tennessee got news that Aubrey Solomon, the Michigan transfer, is going to be eligible to play. HOOOOOGGGGEEEEEEE news for Steve McB and the rest of the Johnny Vols Fans around these parts as Solomon instantly becomes the Vols' highest-ranked defensive player and injects what we all believe to be a dynamic presence into arguably the Vols' biggest position of need. Here are some details from Gene of Many Hats Henley, the TFP UT Beat ace.

- From the "Like it matters" category comes news that four Alabama difference-makers, including perceived RB1 Najee Harris, will be suspended for at least parts of Saturday's opener. Yeah, here's betting that Alabama's fourth-string running back - which is where they are considering suspension and injury - will make Duke coach David Cutcliffe mumble "Dang, I wish we had that guy" at some point relatively early Saturday afternoon. Here's more from TFP college football poohbah David Paschall.

- Yes, odds matter in futures bets, but according to David Purdum, ESPN's excellent gambling reporter, the top five teams with the most money wagered on them at Caesar's Palace to win the national title are: 1) Georgia; 2) Oklahoma; 3) Alabama; 4) THE Ohio State; and 5) Clemson. Thought that was interesting.

- Also of note in terms of gambling, DraftKings has a prop bet right now that you can bet on Clemson-Alabama meeting in the national title game. 'Yes' pays plus-225 (bet $100 to win $225) and 'No' is at minus-275. According to reports, as late as Monday, no one had bet on 'No.'



This and that

- Braves played. Braves lost. That's back-to-back 3-1 setbacks. Hey, could someone get the bats some hats? As Cerano said, "Keep bats warm Gracias."

- We had this conversation a couple of weeks ago, but it appears to be getting a little more serious. After drilling a 55-yard field goal at an Eagles preseason practice, U.S. women's soccer star Carli Lloyd has been fielding offers about trying to be a kicker. She has returned the interest, but says she's contemplating the move for 2020. The kicking part is clearly something Lloyd could master, but the questions about what happens on a blocked field goal and/or almost completely eliminating a fake involving the kicker now become questions and issues for the league, which will be put into a devilish lose-lose situation if a) they enact rules against females playing or b) don't do anything and then something happens and Lloyd gets seriously hurt. (Biggest lose-lose in all of sports, in my view, is the high school wrestler who has to go against a girl. You win, well, you beat a girl. You lose, and well, you better be prepared to turn in your singlet.

- Speaking of Andrew Luck, looks like "Jeopardy!" James Holzhauer's support of Luck's decision has folks wondering if he tanked his final appearance on the famed quiz show. Thoughts?

- Is there a bigger testament that owning a sports franchise is a license to print money than the Kansas City Royals are reportedly going to be sold for $1 billion?

- Awful end to the Lookouts home season as Tuesday's doubleheader was understandably scrapped after news that a Montgomery player's wife, his mother and child were killed and a family member was charged with first-degree homicide.

- Keep an eye on this story, as a Fayette County (Georgia) high school teenager is suing the school system after she claims she reported she was sexually assaulted and the school suspended her for sexually impropriety.

- Also from the news of kids suing school systems comes the details that a Houston family is suing after their seventh-grade son had his haircut covered with a Sharpie because his fade violated the school's dress code. Seriously. The suit even has this verbiage in it, according to the story: "The lawsuit says, (the jet-black Sharpie) perpetuates harmful racial stereotypes of white people describing African Americans with "jet black" skin. 'During the Jim Crow era slaves were often depicted as happy in their slave existence and with jet black skin as a means to disguise their humanity and imply that they are unlike 'white' people,' the lawsuit reads." Not sure if the Sharpie was named as a defendant or not.

- Count me on Team AB in this spat. Because as crazy and unpredictable and goodness knows what else Antonio Brown can be, man, I don't trust Big Ben as far as I could throw him. Seriously. And with a relationship that turned that sour - and here's betting it was long before Roethlisberger showing up AB for a "bad route" - I'm with AB in that, "Dude it's over" and just keep my name out of your mouth.

- Speaking of AB, I have not watched "Hard Knocks" from last night. Sorry.



Today's questions

Which way Wednesday starts here.

Which is the biggest issue facing the NFL at this moment?

Which Week 1 game are you most looking forward to?

Which way would you want your team to start the college season: Big non-conference test, bludgeoning against a Georgia State-like team, or fringe threat against a Power 5 also-ran or a decent-to-good Group of 5 team? Because know this, I am terrified about a true freshman starting against Oregon, which has a top-10 NFL pick at QB, because a loss Saturday - and considering the schedule Auburn must navigate - well, the season ending before September does not sound all that much fun.

As for today's date, Aug. 28, well, let's review.

Martin Luther King delivered the "I have a dream" speech, which is right there as the GOAT of speeches ever written, friends.

Shania Twain is 54 today.

David Soul is 76 today. He was Starsky. Or maybe Hutch. One of them.
Also, Daniel Stern is 62 today. He was excellent in "City Slickers," which is underrated. He also was the narrator in "The Wonder Years," which is wicked underrated.
Wow, Jason Priestley (Brandon Walsh from "90210") and Jack Black are 50 today. So there's that.

As for a Rushmore, while we did not watch "Hard Knocks" last night, we did watch the season premiere of "Ballers." It's OK. (Or, as Coach Pruitt would say, "It's aight.")

Rushmore of fictional sports TV shows, and yes, it's going to be tough to top "Friday Night Lights," which is fictional in that form.

Go, and remember the mailbag.

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