J's World, by Jeremiah Bartz

A mean case of the stupids

Whomever designed the 2003 Northern Railbelt Conference football schedule must have had a mean case of the stupids.

The stupids, a little -known disorder that can cause massive problems, had to have prompted the schedule makers to pair Colony and Wasilla together for a week four matchup.

The stupids must have caused the schedule makers to match up a pair of crosstown rivals before school even starts.

And because of this, the schedule makers stricken with the stupids, may cause at least one local football program a big hit when it comes to annual revenue.

With athletic budgets that are drasticly cut each year, a big part of the team's financial support comes from cash earned at the gate each Friday night or Saturday afternoon during the football season.

Since the Colony/ Wasilla game is before school even starts this season, Colony, which hosts the game this season, will never get the draw of fans that they would if the game where scheduled for its normal late September or early October date.

Combine that with the fact that many people will either be out of town on vacation during the Labor Day weekend or enjoying the last weekend of the Alaska State Fair, the Knights could be looking at a major hit to the gate.

While the biggest problem created by these insane schedule makers is financial, it is also disheartening to the players.

As a former Valley prep football player, I know that regardless of how your season is going, you always look forward to the games against your crosstown rivals.

If you play for Colony, you want Wasilla and Palmer in the last two weeks of the season.

If you play for Wasilla, you want Colony and Palmer the final two weeks of the year.

Wasilla and Colony not only have to play one of their biggest rivals during week four, they have to open conference play with one of their biggest rivals.

Hopefully for our team's sake, the stupids is just a one-year disorder.