American football fans and media have been left in awe of an apparent elaborate ruse that saw a “possibly fraudulent” high school feature in a nationally-televised game against top opposition.
According to a report by FootballScoop, there were suspicions raised about Bishop Sycamore high school’s football team, after they were soundly defeated 58-0 by elite sport school and reigning national champions, IMG Academy.
https://twitter.com/zach_barnett/status/1432141791768289285
The exhibition game was picked by ESPN to air this week, a common occurrence in football-mad USA, with future NFL stars usually unearthed and showcased to the broader public for the first time.
But Columbus, Ohio-based high school Bishop Sycamore doesn’t seem to be a usual participant, with reports suggesting it could be a online school. The school’s website only raises more questions, with a blank ‘About Us’ page, basic design and no updates for the last three months.
Even the name of the school was doubted by one US sports reporter.
https://twitter.com/bykevinclark/status/1432143520840753157
The most incredible moment of the broadcast came when ESPN commentators openly questioned the legitimacy of Bishop Sycamore’s participation in the game with their supposedly top college prospects unable to be verified.
“Bishop Sycamore told us they had a number of Division I prospects on their roster,” ESPN commentator Anish Shroff said.
https://twitter.com/IMGAFootball/status/1432093700126134276
“To be frank, a lot of that we could not verify. They did not show up in our database, they did not show up in the databases of other recruiting services.
“So, okay, that’s what you’re telling us, fine, that’s how we take it in. From what we’ve seen so far, this is not a fair fight, and there’s got to be a point where you’re worried about health and safety.”
https://twitter.com/AnishESPN/status/1432103735690399751