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#TBT: Generations of Football Champions

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

August 28, 2014

Our first Second Half Throwback Thursday of 2014-15 is such a long toss into the past that we don't know many of the details behind this photo – aside from the common tie between these celebrating athletes and those kicking off this weekend who hope to celebrate as well their football accomplishments. 

This photo was submitted by Mark Duffy, the son of the player holding the trophy, Ferndale Lincoln's Jack Duffy, who is being carried by his teammates and served as their captain.

It was taken sometime during the mid-1940s. Identifying the trophy's significance is trickier still. The MHSAA playoffs didn't begin until 1975, and "mythical" state champions were selected by The Associated Press or Detroit Free Press or News usually after the fact. This trophy might've celebrated a league title or been given as part of an annual "trophy" game, of which there are many played each week.

Ready for Some Football

August 12, 2014

How seriously should we take public criticism of tackle football when that public promotes boxing or cage fighting? Or how seriously should we take public criticism of football played with helmets when that public allows motorcyclists to ride without any helmets at all?

This fickle if not hypocritical focus on football deserves to be exposed. 

However, and more importantly, this does not reduce our obligation to rise above the obvious questions of fair and balanced criticism and keep pressing for a safer environment for schools’ most popular participation sport.

In Michigan this has led to new limitations on head-to-head contact in football practices that began for more than 600 high schools this week. Specifically, no team or individual may participate in more than one collision practice per day before the first game, and no more than two collision practices per week after the first game.

The new policies promote instruction in proper blocking and tackling technique. It is full speed head-to-head contact that is further reduced, not full speed shoulder contact with sleds, shields and dummies nor slow speed contact between players.

Last month, and perhaps two years too late to be helpful, the National Federation of State High School Associations hosted a high-profile, high-powered summit to discuss practice policies of the kind that we developed, debated and adopted during the past school year to be ready for this 2014 season.