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NFL Misdirection

September 26, 2014

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did something I really respect; and then he didn’t.

On Aug. 28, the commissioner sent a letter to the NFL’s 32 owners in which he admitted that he “didn’t get it right” when he assessed a mere two-game suspension for a player who was seen on videotape to be involved in domestic abuse. I admire his admission. (The player later would be suspended indefinitely from the league following additional evidence in the incident)

Unfortunately, the commissioner accompanied his mea culpa by describing a series of initiatives the league will undertake, one of which – once again – attempts to deflect a public relations disaster upon high schools.

When the NFL was under attack for the head trauma its players were experiencing, the league responded with a state-by-state campaign to impose youth concussion laws which, in most places, were mostly unfunded mandates that are more about symbolism than substance.

Now, again under attack for malfeasance by a workforce with more money than maturity, the league’s leadership is deflecting the blame to college, high school and youth football programs by planning educational efforts aimed at those levels.

Commissioner! Clean up your mess, but leave us alone. You are gutting public support of school sports with one televised game Thursday, three on Sunday and another on Monday, and adding Saturday games in December. Don’t have this out-of-control league lecture our level about restraint and responsibility.

Ours is the level that prohibits sack dances and end zone prances. We insist that our interscholastic players demonstrate maturity that the NFL’s players do not.
From left: Ben Holden, Madison McCarter, Ryan Riopelle, Evan Stockton crew the first Sunday Selection Show exclusively on the NFHS Network, from the Michigan State University School of Journalism Newsroom.

Broadcast Schedules Set for MHSAA Football Finals Exclusively on NFHS Network

By Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

November 18, 2025

Over the next two weekends, and for the first time, all 10 MHSAA Football Finals will broadcast exclusively on the NFHS Network.

The two 8-Player Finals will be contested Saturday at the Superior Dome on the campus of Northern Michigan University, while the eight 11-Player Finals will be played Nov. 28 and Nov. 30 at Ford Field in Detroit. The Detroit Lions also host the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 27, and on Nov. 29, Michigan State will host Maryland in a Big Ten matchup also at Ford Field.

A subscription to the NFHS Network is $13.99 per month – subscribe at NFHSNetwork.com. The broadcast teams for each game is below:

Division

Day

Time

Play by Play

Analyst

Sideline

8P-Div. 1

Nov. 22

11 am

Sean Baligian

Grant Perry

Patti Cesarini

8P-Div. 2

Nov. 22

2 pm

Sean Baligian

Grant Perry

Patti Cesarini

Div. 1

Nov. 30

7 pm

Evan Stockton

Grant Perry

Alexis Ayala

Div. 2

Nov. 28

7 pm

Evan Stockton

Grant Perry

Cristiana Rosa

Div. 3

Nov. 30

12:30 pm

Evan Stockton

Grant Perry

Dave Ellis

Div. 4

Nov. 28

12:30 pm

Evan Stockton

Grant Perry

Cristiana Rosa

Div. 5

Nov. 30

4 pm

Joe Jason

Chris Fritzsching

Alexis Ayala

Div. 6

Nov. 28

4 pm

Joe Jason

Chris Fritzsching

Dave Ellis

Div. 7

Nov. 30

9:30 am

Ben Holden

Chris Fritzsching

Dave Ellis

Div. 8

Nov. 28

9:30 am

Ben Holden

Chris Fritzsching

Dave Ellis

You can also listen to all 10 finals via MHSAANetwork.com. The audio call of each game is carried there for both live and on-demand listening.

Division

Day

Time

Play by Play

Analyst

8P-Div. 1

Nov. 22

11am

Matt Tjapkes

none

8P-Div. 2

Nov. 22

2pm

Matt Tjapkes

none

Div. 1

Nov. 30

7pm

Eric Vandefifer

Adam Schihl

Div. 2

Nov. 28

7pm

Eric Vandefifer

Adam Schihl

Div. 3

Nov. 30

12:30pm

Eric Vandefifer

Adam Schihl

Div. 4

Nov. 28

12:30pm

Eric Vandefifer

Adam Schihl

Div. 5

Nov. 30

4pm

Eric Vandefifer

Adam Schihl

Div. 6

Nov. 28

4pm

Eric Vandefifer

Adam Schihl

Div. 7

Nov. 30

9:30am

Joe Jason

Eric Vandefifer

Div. 8

Nov. 28

9:30am

Joe Jason

Eric Vandefifer

PHOTO From left: Ben Holden, Madison McCarter, Ryan Riopelle and Evan Stockton crew the first "Sunday Selection Show" exclusively on the NFHS Network, Oct. 26 from the Michigan State University School of Journalism Newsroom.