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Let’s make one thing crystal clear, I’ll never shy away from an “I told you so.”

Some people think the practice is tacky and unwarranted. I believe it’s entirely necessary. In fact, I’m having a difficult time writing this column because it’s tough to type and pat yourself on the back.

While others were claiming a close contest between Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure last Friday night, I was busy running my mouth, telling everyone within earshot that the Lions were going to annihilate Bonnie.

To quote The Acorn’s game preview page: “Oaks’ stars will shine bright on the biggest stage, helping the Lions roll.”

Final score: Oaks Christian 59, St. Bonaventure 13. Job well done, Mr. Dorkman.

Media malfunction

I’ve come to a conclusion, which is a nice start.

The local media completely lost its mind last week while covering the aforementioned football game. The national media gets a pass. Why? Because they’re better.

As I was watching Westlake beat Hart on Thursday night in a thriller at Warrior Stadium, I be- gan talking to a writer from a prominent paper in Los Angeles. He told me his rag was sending five reporters to cover the Oaks- Bonnie matchup. Five!

The morning of The Big Game, I was reading another bird- cage liner that claimed it had re- quested 15 press passes but was only granted 10. What a disser- vice to its readership.

When a high school football game requires media outlets to send an army of reporters, there are larger issues at hand. In this case, I think I know why: Los Angeles and Ventura counties are starving for something bigger than football on Fridays and Saturdays.

High school games are won- derful. Having USC right in your backyard can be awesome. And who doesn’t like to travel to Kankakee, Ill., every other Christ- mas to see UCLA play Southwest Texas-El Paso in the Boy Scouts of America Bowl?

But let’s be honest, folks, this place needs the NFL. Gov. Schwarzenegger wants two NFL teams in Los Angeles. Let’s just start with one. Get-‘Er-Done, Arnold, and save us all from an- other media-driven high school football fiasco in the future.

And please, don’t send your “We don’t want those overpaid NFL prima donnas around here” e-mails. Save yourself the time. Do the names Cedric Ceballos and Olden Polynice ring a bell? Do you still cheer the Lakers and/ or Clippers? Exactly.

Don’t talk, go to jail Last Thursday, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White ordered San Francisco Chronicle report- ers Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams to jail after they refused to give up the per- son or persons who leaked grand jury testimony to them in the BALCO case.

Fainaru-Wada and Williams, co-authors of “Game of Shadows,” the book that detailed alleged ste- roid use by Barry Bonds and other prominent athletes, are now facing an 18-month prison sentence, pending an appeal, for their refusal to give up confidential sources.

As a working journalist, it should be no surprise that I’m completely against the judge’s rul- ing. And I’m darn sure our found- ing fathers would be with me, too. First Amendment, anyone?

ESPN.com did a poll after the verdict was announced and the re- sults shocked me.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 6,247 ESPN users had voted, and 50.5 percent believed the two men should give up their sources.

But it gets worse.

Of those who voted, 32.4 per- cent believe the justice system should punish journalists with lengthy jail terms if they refuse to talk, 29.5 percent voted against any punishment, 19.9 percent favored short incarceration and 18.2 per- cent favored a fine over jail.

I’m no math whiz, but a quick check of the calculator reveals that 70.5 percent of those who voted believe journalists should face some sort of punishment when they refuse to name a source. I’m sorry, but that makes me sick.

Granted, these two men pub- lished a book and there should be little doubt they did so with aspi- rations of making a buck. In that regard, it’s a little different than a newspaper article.

Still, a terrible message has been sent by the judge and the U.S. attorneys working the BALCO case. Expose the truth, go to jail. Lie to a grand jury about taking steroids, go to the Hall of Fame.

– E-mail sdorman@theacorn.com

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