Thursday, May 13, 2010

Is spring football contagious?

It's hard to believe, but a football-crazy state such as Pennsylvania doesn't have spring football.
Well, that may change.
The Keystone State is leaning toward adding a spring practice period - an idea that received a ringing endorsement from a pair of familiar college coaches earlier this week.
Unlike in Florida, where spring practice begins May 1, Pennsylvania would start its spring sessions start toward the end of May, as per request of the state's coaches.
That said, the biggest stumbling block could be a bylaw within the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association stating one sport cannot be a detriment to any others. Spring football in Pennsylvania could cut into volleyball, tennis, lacrosse, baseball and track.
"We don't see it happening, and mostly because it will be a detriment to the five other spring sports," PIAA assistant executive director Melissa Mertz told The Associated Press.
Having worked in Pennsylvania for four years, I can tell you football up there is huge, especially in the western part of the state.
(This flick gets it right).
So spring football would make as much sense up there as it makes down here. It buys coaches 20 extra days of practice, helps make preparation for the summer that much easier and gives kids a chance to give football a try. If a player drops off the team in spring, it is much easier to deal with than if he does so two weeks before the season opens.
And May 20 in Pennsylvania is much cooler than May 20 in Florida.
So PA ought to give it a try.
I mean, if Joe Pa likes it, it has to be good, right?

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