Lou Tilley, Comcast-Philly studio man, anchored SNY's Saturday "SportsNite." As his kicker, he pointed to a Matewan HS (W.Va.) kid who Friday rushed for 658 yards and 10 TDs in a 64-0 win. Tilley thought that was great!
Of course, his kid didn't play for Burch, the other team. And his kid wasn't a backup RB who practiced all week only to watch a teammate score 10 TDs.
And Tilley didn't tell us that the kid who was allowed to score 10 TDs was also allowed to go the whole way, scoring two late TDs in a 64-0 win for Matewan, now 5-0. Or that the same kid, two weeks ago, scored six TDs and three two-point conversions in a 66-16 game. Or that Burch, now 0-5, has been outscored 30-263.
Yesterday on "SportsCenter," where unqualified stats are always welcome, anchors Josh Elliott and Chris McKendry were equally delighted by the kid's numbers. "We're impressed," cooed McKendry.
The National High School Record Book, loaded with kick-em-when-they're-down achievements, should also identify those media folks who indulge, excuse and even applaud - thus help fuel - the abuse of sports and the children who play them.