OK, I’m old school. There are, I’d like to believe, worse afflictions. The most recent manifestation: A skeptical reaction to what amounted to “The James Wilder Jr. Show” last week — live from Plant High School in South Tampa.
For the uninitiated, Wilder is a very, very good, high school football player and by all accounts a nice kid. Every major college program in the country would love to have him on its campus and in its stadium. So, for rabid fans of high school and college football — and the ubiquitous media that chronicles it all — it was a big deal for Wilder to finally announce where he planned to go to school next year. Reportedly, it had come down to Georgia, Florida and Florida State.
So the Bright House Sports Network carved out a half hour to go live and showcase — and orchestrate — Wilder’s decision. Not unlike the NBA’s LeBron James — in his controversial, prime-time, ESPN-enabled revelation of where he would take his free agency (Miami) — Wilder waited until near the end of the show to finally reveal his choice of FSU. Grid drama to die for.
Here’s what’s inherently wrong with this scenario. It’s part of an athletes-as-a-spoiled-class continuum. One where the rules are often customized or compromised and the lionization starts early. High school hero worship as reality TV.
At one end of that continuum are professional sports, most notably football. The NFL is arguably as much about show business as football. The networks are in bed with those they cover. That’s why cameras linger on those whose jobs include playing for their teams — as well as to the cameras. Cheerleaders are chorus-line eye candy for the usual demographic. It’s about pedestaled stars, boorish swagger, juvenile choreography, huckstering talking heads and TV ratings. That’s why it needs Tim Tebow more than he needs the NFL.
Alas, college football — with all that rides on TV money, conference affiliations, booster pressure and bowl-game scenarios — keeps ratcheting up the ante on winning. Too many “student athletes” are oxymoronic Hessians. Too many have already mastered look-at-me narcissism. That’s because they’ve been catered to and spoiled and told how special they are from high school.
And that’s why I have an issue with “The James Wilder Show.” We’re talking high school. A man-child is still a teen. And it’s still just about football — not a salute to a lad who’s a paragon of community volunteerism or a shout out to an aspiring cancer researcher. It seems like it’s too much publicity and too much enabling of the sort of self-important attitudes too often manifested by prominent athletes in our culture.
Can a kid, especially one so gifted, remain grounded when all those around him remind him, in effect, that he’s above it all? That he warrants his own, well, show? Lights, camera, perspective?
And yet.
There are other perspectives. One is that of Wilder’s coach, Robert Weiner. He sent out pro forma e-mails to Wilder’s family, friends and the media. He shared the stage before Wilder’s announcement that he would be a ‘Nole next year.
“As an educator (he’s also an English teacher), I want to find out what is special about all of my students and all of my players,” says Weiner. “But we don’t want to contribute to a feeling of entitlement. It’s a fine line…There’s a lot of hoopla, if you will, that’s created by the media. But when I spoke, I said very little about James’ football ability. More about his personal growth.”
And such announcements and ceremonies are nothing new at Plant. Every player who signs to play at the next level gets one. The week before Wilder’s highly hyped announcement, the media took note of the early commitments of quarterback Philip Ely and tackle Tony Posada to Alabama and Michigan, respectively. It was “news.” Last year six Plant kids who signed with non-marquee, smaller schools were also feted — in the context of family and friends — with a ceremony and video highlights. Even though it wasn’t “news” — and went uncovered by the media.
“We want them to remain grounded and humble,” underscores Weiner. “But we won’t stop having celebratory moments. I know that in the end, we’ve created a special moment for a young man. Everything else is the collateral experience around it.”
And know this about the uber successful Weiner, whose teams have been state champions three of the last four years. He takes a back seat to no one when it comes to putting things about young people into perspective. That’s why he brings Plant players to a muscular dystrophy camp each summer to work as counselors. It’s why players, including Friday night heroes, help organize Saturday morning “Panther Pride Challenge Football” adaptive games for disabled youths.
It’s why he stresses another facet of announcement ceremonies, including the Wilder one. “It’s an opportunity to say thanks,” emphasizes Weiner. “To say, ‘Mom, I love you.’ A public forum that we would all like to have — to sincerely and honestly thank those who helped us get to that spot.”
And one more thing. ESPN will televise Plant’s preseason game at Bradenton Manatee as well as a mid-September matchup on the road against Abilene (Texas) HS, which right now is ESPN’s top-ranked team in the country — with Plant at number two.
Is ESPN getting carried away with nationally televised high school games — and all the attendant publicity and pressure it inherently involves? Probably. Will I be watching? For sure. Go, Panthers.