It’s no longer new or useful to bemoan the ever-burgeoning ESPN empire. They expand, they get money, and simple distaste isn’t going to stop it from growing or you from watching. And yet at the same time, there’s something particularly odious about their willingness to exploit amateur athletes for a tidy profit, and it appears that their latest invention, the National High School Invitational, is no different.

(Too over the top? Eh, be happy we didn’t put Mickey Mouse ears on the guy and drag Disney into the mess.)

According to the SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, ESPN’s tourney will take place in the beginning of April, which is convenient. And by convenient I mean a stupid idea, because spring break’s one or two weeks prior, and it’s not like April Fool’s Day is a federal holiday. They seriously couldn’t do this during the summer? Go ahead and try convincing one of these kids that education is still more important than athletics after you let them take off a few days of high school so they can play ball on national television. Try it.

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Usually you have to save a bunch of kids using your superpowers to warrant an action figure. But thanks to the folks at MONDESI’S HOUSE, we now know you just have to play high school sports.

Yes, Terrelle Pryor, a talented high school athlete from Pennsylvania, has a little doll fashioned in his likeness.

At the risk of sounding redundant, let me say that again: he’s in high school. Read more…