TV, magazines, Web can't get enough of prep football
Sacramento Bee
Nov 5, 2006
By Quwan Spears, Bee Staff Writer
Cheerleaders and balloons add to the excitement of a football game between the Granite Bay Grizzlies and the Nevada Union Miners, played in September at Granite Bay High School.
Mike Nelson is an avid Sheldon High School football fan. He was the Huskies' public address announcer from 2001 to 2005 and remains a close observer as a spotter for the team's current announcer.
But Nelson's affinity for prep football goes beyond his loyalty to Sheldon. He also is a big fan of Jimmy Clausen, star quarterback from Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, a town 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
"Did you see the kid play against Venice (High) on ESPN?" Nelson asked a friend in the press box a few weeks ago. "Isn't the kid great?"
That Nelson saw Clausen on television illustrates a growing trend: High school football is hot, and media marketers and the masses are proving it.
Coverage in print media is increasing; the Web has become home to various popular prep sports sites; games are on local and national television.
And the final proof? Hollywood has given its blessing in the form of a prime-time drama and -- all together now -- a reality show.
"What you're seeing is broadcasters responding to what others have been posting on the Internet the last few years," said Steve Jones, a communication professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago and co-editor of New Media & Society, an international journal of research on new media, technology and culture.
"Whether it's recaps or video, market researchers learned there is an audience for this and are taking advantage of it," Jones said.
As a result, the Friday night tradition is getting treatment previously reserved for college and pro games. ESPN, in conjunction with Paragon Marketing Group, will televise 13 games nationally. Comcast SportsNet will feature 10 games throughout Central and Northern California. So far, the company has showcased contests involving Cordova, Del Oro, Franklin, Granite Bay, Grant, Jesuit, Rocklin and Nevada Union.
On MTV, the reality show "Two-A-Days" revolves around Alabama's Hoover High School football team, ranked ninth in the country by USA Today. The show illustrates the personal and athletic pressures players experience in their quest for a fourth state title in five years.
The success of the 2004 film "Friday Night Lights," based on the book written about the 1988 Odessa Permian football program in Texas, has led to an NBC TV series of the same name. Some people laud the greater exposure.
"The way I see it, (the coverage) gives us more motivation to play," said Tim Lang, quarterback for the Grant High School Pacers.
"It's putting a school like mine and others on the map," said Devan Cunningham, a standout offensive lineman for Grant who is expected to be heavily recruited by colleges. "It also helps athletes get seen more by colleges."
Take Clausen, arguably the country's best prep player. He was the cover boy for the Sporting News' 128-page high school football preview section. That publication trades on the hunger of serious college football fans for more and more knowledge about the nation's top high school recruits.
"I know John Elway had a following when he was in high school, but there was still some curiosity about him," said Rashid Ghazi of Paragon Marketing. "There was no access to his stats, and there were no video clips of his games.
"It's a different story with Clausen. People can go online and read stories about him. They can gauge his potential in college based on stats and video they have of him on Internet sites."
Money also is a big reason. Advertisers are buying into the publications and Web sites, as well as purchasing television and radio ad spots.
The increased coverage has spread some cash to schools, too, though relatively speaking, not much.
The Associated Press reported earlier this month that Hoover High School took in an estimated $20,000 from Remote Productions for rights to film the show for MTV and is expected to receive $21,000 next season. Ghazi said Paragon gives schools a nominal fee to broadcast their games, refusing to specify how much.
Advertisers are supporting shows such as "Friday Night Lights" and "Two-A-Days" because of their appeal and access to a broad audience.
"High school football is part of America's culture," Variety reporter Michael Learmonth said. "It resonates with a cross section of Americans. That's why those shows are safe programming for advertisers."
But what is the cost to players and others associated with high school football?
"There is pressure for student-athletes to perform even if there are five to 10 people in the stands," said Gloria Solomon, an assistant professor and sports psychology consultant at California State University, Sacramento. "Add more television and media coverage, and the pressure to perform for some athletes can be overwhelming."
The added coverage also can be exploitative.
Jesuit athletic director Ron Nocetti and Cordova coach and athletic director Max Miller said their schools were not compensated when Comcast broadcast the game between the two area powers on Sept. 29.
"It's great Comcast is giving exposure to teams, the schools and various communities." Miller said. "But it can be a problem down the line if they continue to cover games. Comcast is not doing this for free. They're getting money from advertisers. They should give some of that money to the schools and the (California Interscholastic Federation Sac-Joaquin) Section. It's only fair."
John Williams, the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section assistant commissioner, agreed. He said no section school has been compensated and urges a change.
"There is value to broadcasting high school football games," he said. "What the dollar amount is, I don't know. But schools should get something for their product."
But Comcast Vice President Larry Eldridge said schools benefit from the increased exposure.
"Schools are getting equivalent to a 2 1/2-hour infomercial to showcase their facility, school, coaches and athletes," Eldridge said.
Eldridge said rights fees have not been paid because Comcast is not making profits from broadcasts, which he said each cost between $4,000 and $20,000.
"I can understand the train of thought of schools' feelings about rights fees," he said. "But we're in the embryonic stages in this area."
When ad revenue opportunity increases, he said, Comcast will talk with schools about sharing the money.
How much schools should be compensated is one issue. What the media should cover is another. Grant coach Mike Alberghini said shows such as "Two-A-Days" cross an important line.
"The coverage should focus on what goes on between the white lines," he said. "Doing more than that exploits the kids and their families. I just think some things should remain private."
That's why Cameron Park-based MaxPreps.com, which enhanced its coverage by offering national statistical leaders and the ranking of the nation's top 10,000 teams, focuses on team and individual achievements. It does not offer forums for fan criticism of coaches and athletes.
"We believe high school sports is a different niche than college," MaxPreps.com President Andy Beal said. "There is a certain amount of responsibility publishers should have toward high school sports. That's why we believe we should protect high school athletes from abuse."
In all forms, though, public desire for more clearly is rising.
"The passion for high school sports has been growing and growing," Ghazi said. "It was just a matter of time before it expanded from the grass-roots level and become recognized by the national public. It appears that time is right now."
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