News & notes

Former Saratoga High standout Anthony Weaver will be on the sidelines as a defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans as the NFL season begins tonight. Weaver's mission is to try to contain the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. We're all expecting Mahomes and Houston's DeShaun Watson to light up the scoreboard through the air and on the ground, but the game is a litmus test to see how well Weaver's defense can contain Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense.

Kickoff is expected around 8:30 pm.
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While Albany's entry in the National Arena League doesn't have a name yet, their coach is familiar.

Rob Keefe, who directed the Albany Empire to the ArenaBowl title in the Arena Football League last year, signed a few days ago to coach the new squad. Here's an idea. Why not stick with Empire?
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As the NFL season begins, and with colleges having started, high school football players will have to wait six months before they can play.

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced late Wednesday that "high risk" sports such as football & volleyball, while they will begin practice as previously announced on September 21, won't be able to start their season until March, after the winter season ends. Spring sports (baseball, softball, lacrosse, outdoor track) will be delayed until April 19 to avoid overlapping.

Spring football is common in colleges, as that is usually to evaluate the next season's roster. It's going to be weird watching high school football on Friday nights in March & April instead of September through November, but these are the strange times we're in.

One Daily Gazette reader wrote in, and threw cold water on the plan, suggesting that all sports be postponed for this season, the better to alleviate the spread of COVID-19, well aware of what has happened on college campuses across the country, including at Oneonta, in recent weeks. I get what he's trying to say, but when you factor in that some, if not all, Section II schools are into merchandising these days as a form of fund raising and/or district revenue, not quite unlike the pros and colleges, there is bound to be some opposition to his idea at the administrative level, at least for now.

Stay tuned.