California Still Hasn't Begun A High School Football Season

In real life, we're almost to the Super Bowl. But in California, they haven't even started high school football season.

And no one would mistake California for real life.

Despite all the restrictions and lockdowns, the COVID-19 virus continues to surge in California. You could make the argument that no state has managed things as poorly at the Golden State, and among the results has been the continuous postponement of the high school football season.

Coaches and other supporters of programs are hoping to squeeze in a shortened spring season, even "throwing a Hail Mary to legislators," according to the San Jose Mercury News.

As it stands, some high school football teams in the state have at least started practice, or some form of practice. But in many cases, the players and coaches are working in pods and required to wear masks, which doesn't resemble actual football.

"Here’s the dubious situation they find themselves in: Youth football is prohibited until a county has entered the orange reopening tier, meaning fewer than four daily cases per 100,000 residents," the Mercury News reported. "Even in the Bay Area, the daily rate is currently about 60 new cases per 100,000 residents; Los Angeles County has never exited the purple tier since the system was implemented in the fall."

In other words, again, California is a mess. And to think no state has tried as hard or set forth stricter guidelines to fight the virus than CA has.

On top of that, most other states have already held their football seasons and moved on to winter sports. In fact, California has even started some winter sports, which makes the suspended football season all the more frustrating.

But what do you expect? California hasn't been run like other states for some time -- and now the kids are suffering because of it.

Written by
Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.