Football: A botched decision leads to a canceled game

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I’ve written too many times about embarrassing decisions made in the City Section, but this latest one deserves attention and condemnation.

North Hollywood and L.A. University were scheduled to play in a football game Friday night. But Friday is a furlough day in the Los Angeles Unified School District, so it had to be changed. North Hollywood decided to schedule the game for Saturday afternoon at North Hollywood.

But University balked. It apparently didn’t want to travel to the San Fernando Valley on a Saturday afternoon (too much traffic?) and play in hot temperatures (Palm Springs and Palm Desert played Friday night when it was 108 degrees).

University suggested switching the game to Saturday night, but North Hollywood balked. One of its coaches apparently has a prior commitment. University also suggested it could host the game. North Hollywood didn’t like that idea.

The game is now canceled. Shame on the principals and administrators at the two schools. More than 150 students who play for the varsity and junior varsity teams are down to nine games for the season, and you wonder why North Hollywood was 1-9 last season and University was 0-10. I can’t wait for the City seeding meeting if the two schools are trying to gain a playoff berth and then have to explain why they played only nine games.

Why couldn’t adults couldn’t come up with a compromise for the kids’ sake? Barbara Fiege, the City Section commissioner, should send the issue to the City rules committee to consider whether one school or both should be put on probation.

At least someone should have to explain to the players why they won’t be playing this weekend.

-- Eric Sondheimer