The Illinois High School Association is trying to figure out a way to “level the playing field” between its public and private school members. It should not look for guidance at the Chicago Public League’s boys basketball playoffs.
Six second-round games took place Wednesday. The other two games–Hope vs. Washington and Marshall vs. Crane–are Saturday.
The quarterfinals are Sunday, so when Hope or Washington faces Von Steuben and when Marshall or Crane faces Curie, they will confront a much more rested foe.
You can usually blame TV for scheduling quirks at the college or pro levels, and you can find its fingerprints here as well. The Public League has a deal for 10 Saturday games to be telecast on Weigel Broadcasting Co.’s WWME-Ch. 23 and WCIU-Ch. 26, and that includes a doubleheader this week on Ch. 23.
It’s tempting to rail against the absurdity of compromising competitive balance for the sake of television, but it’s hard to get overly worked up when the teams don’t seem to mind. Calvin Davis, director of sports administration for the Chicago Public Schools, said he has received no complaints from coaches about the Saturday doubleheader.
Davis believes the positives of TV coverage outweigh any negatives.
“We feel it brings more exposure to the kids and enhances their scholarship opportunities,” he said. “It gives them another experience that is part of their sports experience.”
Crane coach Anthony Longstreet said his players love performing on TV . . . whenever, wherever. He believes effects from the disparity in rest will be insignificant.
“Any time you can get some exposure for your kids, I think it’s a positive thing,” Longstreet said.
That attitude reflects the lure of TV, especially in an age when games don’t seem to count until they show up on “SportsCenter.”
High school sports itself has become a media darling, not only as programming but also as the subject of niche national magazines and the recipient of increasing coverage in the likes of Sports Illustrated.
Skokie-based Paragon Marketing Group has been the biggest local player in high school basketball telecasts. It began staging a Chicago vs. New York postseason all-star game seven years ago and has produced a game-of-the-week series on WTTW-Ch. 11 the last three seasons, the first two with the Public League.
When the Public League switched to Weigel this season, Paragon started doing games featuring suburban schools and Chicago private schools.
Paragon President David Brenner said his company began doing high school games mainly because he and co-workers love prep sports.
“We love what it is and wanted to share it with everyone else,” said Brenner, New Trier’s sophomore boys basketball coach.
Weigel is producing Public League telecasts partly as a public service and because of a longstanding relationship with CPS, Executive Vice President Neal Sabin said.
“We want to do local things important to the community,” he said.
Both companies produce in-game segments featuring scholar-athletes as well as non-sports activities.
“Yes, basketball is important,” WCIU and WWME station manager Fred Weintraub said. “But as we go to schools around the city, there are other positive stories to tell.”
This doesn’t mean money has stopped talking. Davis implied that the Public League shifted its games to Weigel in part because it might generate more revenue. That revenue, he said, is not a significant amount but could grow down the road.
Sabin said Weigel expects to make money doing high school sports. Brenner said Paragon is approximately breaking even now and hopes to turn a modest profit soon. He said it costs about $20,000 to put on a game, which includes the small stipend that goes to the host school.
Brenner and Sabin say their companies may expand their coverage of high school sports. Paragon got into the national high school telecast business two years ago when it produced two games featuring LeBron James on ESPN2.
This school year, Paragon helped arrange one football game and three basketball games for ESPN2. Next year, Brenner said, Paragon will do high school events on ESPNU, a soon-to-begin 24-hour college sports network.
Considering how narrowly focused cable networks have become, can some “ESPrepsN” be far behind? One shudders at what that spotlight might do to already inflated young egos, but some kind of national high school sports cable network probably is inevitable.
More Top Picks Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Review
“I just don’t know where it’s going,” Brenner said of prep sports telecasts, “but I do know it’s compelling TV, gets decent ratings and delivers a good demographic.
“I don’t think we’ll ever see high schools as much as we do college or pro sports, but I certainly see it growing.”
– – –
On the air
Boys basketball
Friday
Glenbard South at Sycamore, 7 –WLBK-AM 1360
Joliet at Lockport, 7:30–WJOL-AM 1340
West Aurora at Naperville Central, 7:30–WBIG-AM 1280
Saturday
Public League playoff: Hope vs. Washington, 2–WWME-Ch. 23
Public League playoff: Crane vs. Marshall, 4–WWME-Ch. 23
Wheaton North at West Aurora, 10:30–WBIG-AM 1280 (delayed)On the air
———-