RickKarle's Blog

     Man, are we getting pumped up for our 20th anniversary of "Sideline"!  Starting a week from Friday, we air the big show each and every Friday between 10:10 and 11:05 pm- that's right. We are going to nearly a full hour this season!  After 19 years of anchoring the show, I've decided to bring in Mike Dubberly as my co-host-  the sheer volumn of games being read the last 19 years has taken ten years off my life, and I'm not getting any younger.

    The team to watch this fall? There are several, but in class 6A, you have to look at the likes of Prattville, Spain Park, County High and yes, Hoover. And did you see the Hoover Bucs nation held a pre-season rally this past weekend at the Riverchase Galleria? I loved the energy, but I did not like one thing: 16, 17 and 18-year olds signing autographs.  Now don't get me wrong- I'm fully aware that other schools had rallies this past weekend, and I'm sure autographs were doled out at the likes of Spain Park, Oak Mountain, etc.  But it's a question you need to ask yourself:  Is it right to have these young men signing autographs? If your answer is "yes",  then I could argue that it's allright to have members of the soccer, baseball, basketball, track, volleyball, wrestling and golf teams sign as well. How about other kids who work just at hard at math, music, art- heck, chess?  Maybe it's me, but seeing the pictures we had from the Galleria the other day just didn't sit well with me.

     I will be the first to congratulate the Hoover folks for hiring a man of character and conviction in Josh Niblett, and I know he will do a superb job. But let this serve as a reminder that these kids are playing football, not saving lives by curing cancer. Let the kids be kids, and next time, keep the pre-season rally to player introductions and passing out magnetic schedules.