High school sports is over for another year.

Hosannah.

Kidding!

Each year, it gets a little bit harder to buy into the whole package; it becomes more expensive to operate school sports each season of each sport. And even though youth sports is still the BEST place (not the only place, just the best) to learn many of life’s lessons, the conduct around it can be hard to take.

Parents live through their kids. Some are has-beens. Others are never-weres. All can be excuse machines (Kid picked up for speeding? “At least she wasn’t drinking.” Kid picked up for drinking? “At least he wasn’t doing drugs.” Kid picked up for drug offense? “Well, it’s not like they murdered anyone).

Now, add to this list of don’t-worry-I-have-a-magical-ability-to-overlook-anything-my-little-angel-does situations the “team party” episodes.

Kids getting ready for season. Kids celebrating a win. Go to teammate’s house. Parents either not there, or are there but look the other way.

Drinking, etc. etc. Somebody inevitably posts something on Facebook. Gets forwarded to school administrator (who then quickly wishes he could get OFF Facebook, and put head back into sand). School has to go to police. Arrests. DA charges. Trial or guilty plea etc.

Then excuses from many.

Please. Give me a break. Just this once. I promise (until next time).

Which leads me to the controversy that some Maine high schools have gone through with the school mascot name of Redskins, and what the NFL team in Washington is going through.

Here, as a public service from your 04074 scribbler, some Q and A:

Q: Is the term Redskins offensive?

A: Yup. If it were l938, yes, refer to Indians by the color of their skin. But now? Bubba, reality check in Aisle 14 please.

Q: Why is it offensive?

A: Are there other situations where we refer to people by their skin color?

Q: How did you feel when Scarborough High changed its nickname to Red Storm a decade ago?

A: I was on the committee. I understood the desire for change; it was easy for me to go along with it because, fact is, I had a greater reason for wanting a change I thought we needed a nickname that would inspire kids in the yuppie suburb that we have become. Marauders? Warriors? Crusaders?

Q: How did you feel about the nickname Red Storm?

A: Storm I could live with we are a coastal town. Wind. Rain. Lighting. Thunder. Not bad qualities for athletes you hope contest games fervently.

Q: Anything you didn’t like?

A: Storm I get. “Red” Storm? Nope. If the OOB summer baseball team, the Raging Tide, wore yellow uniforms, would you call them the Yellow Tide? Doubtful.

Q: What should the Washington Redskins do?

A: What should they be MADE to do? Or what should they be SMART enough to do?

I cannot imagine the historical nickname has enough value to continue to battle on over the nickname. Does it?

Q: You equate the NFL debate about the Redskins’ name with high school sports, conduct, making excuses for knuckleheads doing bad stuff, etc?

A: Only that I bet if Redskins owner Daniel Snyder were a teenager living in a yuppie suburb his great grandmother would say of the name controversy: “At least he didn’t kill anybody.”

True, grandma. True.

Dan Warren is a lawyer in Scarborough who can be reached thru Facebook private message at Jones & Warren Attorneys at Law, or by e mail at [email protected].