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YSU and Steve...thanks for the kind words.
Some of the specific potential problems we saw were coaches and/or players not being themselves. People might play it up for the camera. Or kids might be playing for the wrong reasons, or it may have run some kids off. In some situations, there are players that need FB more than FB needs them. We have a few kids that will never see the field, but they dint miss a work out or practice from December on. It feels good to them to just be a part of a team. Our program is on a big upswing, and we didn't want ESPN focussing on the last few years, that weren't very good. Our kids are expecting big things this year, and we are trying to keep everything positive.
It basically came down to us not wanting the perception that our administration, coaches, players and our community were involved with high school football for any other reason than developing young men and the love of football (we could all name a million reasons to play or coach HS FB, but I'll save that for another day)
IMO, HS FB is part of the soul of America (especially where we are from) and it would be a great injustice to everyone who has strapped it up on Friday night to have ESPN water it down with money and ratings.
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