When Herbert H. Lehman High School was built in the Bronx in 1972, New York City's board of education inexplicably approved a football field that was 20 yards too short. As a result, the reigning city champs have never had a home game.
As the New York Daily News reported Tuesday, the New York City Department of Education's School Construction Authority has earmarked $2.8 million for a new field, but no expansion is planned. There simply isn't enough money in the coffers to buy the extra yardage. "We have good kids that work really hard - they use football to stay off the streets," Michael Saunds, Lehman's varsity coach, told the paper. "But we can never practice a full game - we're restricted."
Lehman is the only high school team in the Bronx without a field of its own, and the school reportedly pays $1,800 more a year than other schools to cover the team's transportation costs. And remember, Lehman doesn't generate revenue from ticket sales or concessions.
