Sports View

By Brad Greer

In the  final scene of perhaps my favorite football movie Varsity Blues, quarterback James Vanderbeek gathered this teammates in the huddle and says  “let’s be heroes” right before scoring the winning touchdown.

I don’t think the following events would suggest that in the ranks of high school football lore.

Ten Byron (Ill) High School football players were suspended from the team for three games last month after they ran across a field raked with Oreo cookies wedged between their buttocks.

The  “Oreo 10’”were suspended for indecent exposure but school administrators concluded they went on the run at the school’s football field voluntarily and were not victims of hazing.

It’s now named  the “Oreo Run,” and is catching on around the country. If I decide to run down the street with a cookie between my butt cheeks, I want it to be called something with a better name.

To make matters worse (if I it could get any worse) the players were to forced to sit out Byron’s Class 3A state championship football game in which they lost 24-20 to Monticello High School.

Imagine losing the state championship game because 10 of your players were suspended for running around with Oreo’s in their butt.

I don’t feel sorry for these kids in the least. I feel sorry for their kids who in 15 years from now are going to have to listen to how their dads cost the high school a state football title.

Since we’re on the subject of football, next week starts Bowl Mania as the first of 48 college bowl games gets started with something called the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta  with North Carolina A&T taking on SWAC champion Alcorn State.

With all the controversy surrounding the final four teams playing for the championship, here is an idea. Just let every team in Division 1 go to the playoffs and get a trophy and label themselves  “National Champion” like Central Florida did last year even though they did not play in the title game.