There are a few things the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association should use a bottle of Wite-out to correct.  Putting into motion disciplinary actions against a school for a football game back in October meant to bolster the spirits of a school holding a "White-Out" is one one of them.

This situation stinks of egos run-a-muck and a rule that is at its least poorly written andif held steadfast misses the point of what a community involved in its kids sports is all about.

Before I get to the heart of this, because frankly, I'm a bit steamed about this and it isn't even a team I cover. Rules are meant to preserve the integrity of the game so that those participating, both as players and as supporters, benefit. If a rule interferes in this, then it is a poorly designed rule.

There are a few poorly designed things within the PIAA and we'll touch on two here. One based on the current events and one that has been burning my you know what for a few years now.

The PIAA schedules playoff games on Memorial Day and often on Veterans Day each year. Parents and grandparents become torn whether to attend the parade or watch their family play in a game. Their military families are important to them and it truly causes some grief having to decide.

The parades and festivities are much more than a local tradition to many of these veterans, to them it is them still giving to their country by reminding everyone why it is important for freedom that men and women to serve the greater good of democracy.

It is their chance, again to honor the country they served while receiving the small honor of recognition they deserve, though many will say the recognition belongs to the duty, not the individual.

But PIAA doesn't have a problem scheduling games right in the heart of the day that these events take place. And it's been burning my butt for awhile. 

I've been meaning to write about this for a couple years, but I usually forget because - a couple days pass and I forget like everyone else that these things matter.  Until they do again.

But today, reading about this ridiculous back and forth between the PIAA and Iroquois High School about wearing a different color jersey to create a bit of school spirit reminded me just how out of touch these folks have become with the needs of the communities they are supposed to be bringing together through regional and statewide competition.

An article from our friends up at the Erie Times painstakingly goes through the long list of events that led the PIAA to now hold a hearing as to whether  impose sanctions or some level of disciplinary actions against Iroquois for its decision this past fall to hold a home white out game despite their usual home jersy color is dark.


Many high schools around these parts raise school spirit by hosting a white-out game, a tradition started to show school unity back in the early 2000s by Penn State. They tend to really draw the kids to the event and raise decibel levels considerably, especially when the teams are doing well.

Read the article here, it is long, but thorough.

I understand rules and the need to maintain a level of order to preserve an equal opportunity for all.

I get it.

But, if this article is accurate, and it appears great effort to dot the i's and cross the t's was given here, the schools involved communicated with one another and even sought the officials approval to proceed - so what in the world could possibly be the problem?

Was the rule book's ego hurt. The team asked to wear their white jersey's for a home game. The request was granted. The other team wore their dark jersey's. They had no issue. There was no confusion who was who and they played the game without incident.

And it was back in October and here we are on the Day of Infamy talking about a disciplinary action against the school who played a game and did their best to get the school and community to bond together for a common good. If a rule was broken, but given the green-light by those officiating at the time, who, thought it was an acceptable breach, then how can the school be held responsible for this?

And why is this a steadfast rule anyway?

I was at a basketball a year or three ago when the visiting team simply goofed and wore the same color jersey as the home team. It was confusing for some of us, but the officials seemed to figure it out and they played the game. No big deal. Stuff happens.

This game between Greenvile and Iroquois was coordinated, discussed, planned, hashed-out, mulled over and ratified in agreement.

PIAA - change the stupid rule to make sense and leave Iroquois alone. This is ridiculous.

​A social media post by retired journalist Jim Carroll grabbed our attention due to its subject matter - little-known movie from the 1930s.

"Just watched a 1937 movie I found on YouTube—'High, Wide and Handsome.'
The plot revolves around the discovery of oil near Titusville and the conflict between local oil producers and big money interests and the conflict between the railroads and pipeline developers.
Plus it’s a musical.
I never heard of it before.
Interesting flick but a little weird at times.
Stars Randolph Scott and Irene Dunn."

​We reached out to Carroll to see if he wanted to write a review and he obliged.

​Here is what he wrote.