infrared41

"Hit a nerve." Please. Don't flatter yourself. And I didn't defend anything. I said I don't fawn over anything in sports. Other people might and that's really weird too, but I don't. I can only speak for myself on that matter. Quote me "admitting I'm mad" about any part of this conversation and I'll concede this entire argument. I'm not mad at all. Haven't been this entire time. You can't come up with a defense for your weird obsession with watching kids play sports so you're trying to deflect by making things up like me being angry. My opinion is both formulated and crystal clear on this. Again, you have no counterargument so you're left with nothing but making things up. No, most kids do not turn 18 when school starts or before school starts. Sure, some do, but it's more the exception than the rule. For example, I turned 18 in April of my senior year. Which part of "16 is what I figured the median age on a high school football team would be" is tripping you up? As far as being obsessed goes, I'm not the one tenaciously defending getting off on watching kids play football. That would be you. Again, I'm not mad about anything. I'm glad they had to change the rules. Those kids were treated horribly by their coaches. I'd imagine no longer being allowed to watch 14 year olds on TV must be tough for a guy like you, but it's for the best. All that being said, I think it's a good idea to end this conversation before I actually do get angry and decide to stop playing nice with you.

Obsession? Nice try, now off with that nonsense. 16 is what I figured the median age on a high school football team would be. Would you prefer I'd said 17 year olds? (Which is still every bit as ing weird as being a fanboy of 16 year olds.) There's a huge difference between a college freshman and a junior in high school and I'd like to think you know that, but I can't say I'm confident that you do. For the record I don't "fawn" over true freshman in college either. Mostly because I don't "fawn" over anything sports related. But I especially don't fawn over 16 and 17 year olds (and the occasional 18 year old) playing high school football. But that's just me...well, me and the overwhelming majority of well adjusted adults.

Yes I am and if people like you who live and die with 16 year olds playing football think I'm ing nuts, I'm fine with it. What would concern me more is if you weirdos didn't think I'm ing nuts.

Name them the Canton Bulls, use the Jacksonville Bulls uniforms and logos, hire Brian Sipe to walk around the sidelines or something so there's a "local connection" and call it a day.

Yes, I choose to ignore it because it's really ing weird. Something being "a thing" doesn't legitimize it or make it any less crazy. Outside of parents and maybe relatives who have kids on the team, people who live and die with the performance of 16 year olds have serious issues. With regard to Hilliard fans cheering for a team called the Wolverines, the only ones who would give a flying about the name of a high school team are the lunatics you seem to be defending. The type of person who goes that far with sports has way bigger issues than some high school team that shares its name with a college rival. Seriously, does this stuff make sense in your head before you post it? I ask because out here in reality, it sounds pretty silly. So your argument is putting a team where a stadium is cheap, available, and actually draws a crowd once in a while is a desperate move. Yeah, it makes much more sense for a team called the New jersey Generals to play their home games in Canton, Ohio. That aside, I couldn't care less about Canton getting its own USFL team. All I said was "if this happens they have to call them the Bulldogs" and I was 96% joking when I said it. No, they really don't. I live in a small city. The most popular football team in this city isn't either of the High School teams (one public, one parochial), the most popular football team here is by far and away the Cleveland Browns, followed by the Ohio State Buckeyes, Pittsburgh Steelers, and as much as it pains me to say it, Michigan Wolverines. The Catholic school here is a perennial Division VI powerhouse. People are happy for them, but that's about as far as it goes. In fact, the crowds for their games are usually around 60% capacity. Sometimes less. And capacity is around 2900. Nope. You mentioned the stadium like it would be some foreign concept to me. I simply pointed out that I'd been there. I mentioned the games because I wanted to point out that I've never been to a High School game there. That's it. Did you think throwing out that you've been on the field for a USFL game legitimized your point or something? I've been on the field or in the press box for MLB games, NFL Games, NCAA football games, the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Minor League Baseball and Hockey, and more high school games than I can remember. I've seen more adults act like ass-holes at High School games than anyone should ever be subjected to which leads me to my final point. I still stand by what I said about High School football.

Dude, I live in Ohio. Paul Brown was born in the town where I lived until I was 16. I lived down the street from two of his nephews. Trust me, I know all about the Canton-Massillon rivalry. I've been to the stadium.* I saw Go Tigers! and everything. I stand by what I said about high school football. *I went to the USFL Championship Game last year and I've been to two HOF games there. I live about 90 minutes from Canton

If people are that into high school football, they have much bigger problems than the name of a USFL team.

Had to account for the 90 minutes we had hope back in April.

BREAKING: The Cleveland Browns have been eliminated from the race for the playoffs.

The Canton Bulldogs ceased to exist in 1927. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say there probably aren't many Bulldogs fans left in Canton.

If this happens, they have to be the Canton Bulldogs, right?

Probably not.

Try it in Esperanto.

Please tell me there's a Walmart Electric Cart Division in Major League Eating.

Deflection from what? Which part of what I said wasn't true?

Sam Hornish made money in NASCAR. Ain't no one out there saying he was a great Cup driver.

Let's see how he does at Atlanta this week before we declare him to be the next Dale Earnhardt. Wait, that's right, he's not running Atlanta this week. Look, I'm as impressed as anyone by SVG's performance in Chicago. It was really fun to watch, but we need to tap the brakes on this guy being the next big thing. Ask Marcos Ambrose about the differences between winning on road courses in a Cup car and winning on an oval track. Wait, that's right, he never won on an oval track. I'd love to see SVG take a shot at running Cup full time, but until then, he's just a road course ringer who kicked everyone's ass on a road course.

Didn't you say don't be scared?

Is it really working this time? How many of these "new fans" from yesterday do you think will be tuning in for Atlanta next week? Even if some of them do, they won't last 20 minutes watching actual NASCAR instead of F1: Sedan Circuit.

Assuming you're referring to the boom of the 90's, it was unsustainable because it was way more of a fad than actual growth. Ideally, NASCAR would have realized that retaining 25% of those new fans would been a huge win and used it to continue growing the sport at a sustainable pace. Instead, when the bubble inevitably burst, NASCAR panicked and started desperately chasing gimmicks in hopes of getting back to the level of the 90's boom. Each failure has resulted in more desperation and here we are. Had the sport stuck to what it's good at, it wouldn't be in the position it's currently in - which is not gaining many new fans while simultaneously losing core fans. F1: Sedan Circuit is not the solution to that problem. NASCAR's best bet going forward is to be NASCAR. The culture of the sport is what caused the 90's boom in the first place. Lean into that culture. Rednecks, while not fashionable, are still plentiful and their dollars are worth the same amount that David and Karen's from Barrington Hills dollars are. Maybe it's time to stop driving the rednecks away.

So you're the one.

Why would anyone be scared of this?

The moves he made were impressive as hell. Dude made Haley look like a rookie when he passed him for first. This cat can flat out drive. It was really cool to see, but I don't think it's exactly the flex NASCAR social media is making it out to be. He made full time Cup drivers look like fools. I can't imagine anyone in F1 would be celebrating like this if Kyle Busch won in his first ever attempt at one of their races. Great story and fun to watch, but I also think it made NASCAR look a little silly.

And a ringer wins the race. Perfect.