SYFL

Snoop Dog, Snoop Lion, Snoop Doggy Dog, Snoop, Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., however you recognize him, started a youth football league in 2005.

The Snoop Youth Football League.

You might be tempted to scoff at this.

Consider this.

24 former SYFL players have signed letters of intent to major college football programs including Snoop's son. Schools like San Diego State, San Jose State, USC, UCLA, Alabama State, Arizona State.

Four former SYFL players have made it to the NFL.

Apparently the weed Snoop smokes not only does not kill short term memory, it promotes wild ass success.

The league started in 2005 with 1,300 players and has grown to 1,700 as of last season.

The season ends with the two best teams competing in The Snooper Bowl.

How cool is that?

They have a rule book that emphasizes the right things, like scholastics and safety. The official objective is: "To give kids, regardless of race, color, creed or economic background the chance to learn the values of hard work, discipline, team work through football; to bring communities together through a common interest in sports; promoting fair play and fellowship, to teach the game elements promoting safety, enjoyment and healthy competition."

Players have to submit copies of their most recently issued report cards in order to be declared eligible. They must maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA.

Admittedly that is not a very high bar but it still connects academic discipline with athletic performance. It sends the message that the chance to play is not a free ride and that you have to perform in the classroom as well as on the field.

"Coaches must not have been convicted of any crime which would cause them to register under section 290 of the California Penal Code." This is officially known as the sex offender registration act.

Good policy.

Coaches "may be found ineligible by the SYFL for any crime. This must be verified by State Facilities via Live Scan. All volunteers with the SYFL must clear Live Scan to participate in the season."

Live Scan is an inkless, electronic means of capturing fingerprints in a digitized format and then transmitting them to State Police and the FBI.

There is a section in the rule book on coaching ethics covering behavior for everything from the proper time and place for criticizing players to showing respect for officials and the opposing team to a ban on abusive and profane language and much, much more.

"He/She (the coach) will not use any gang related language, slogans or gestures - Zero Tolerance on this matter."

"All coaches hats are to face forward."

There are very specific rules on which helmets can be used, stipulating that helmet construction must be recognized by NOCSAE - The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment.

I got carried away here but you get the point. Snoop has created a youth football league that has become wildly successful and has earned the respect of football amateurs and professionals across the country.

How could I have guessed this decades ago when I was walking around singing "rollin' down the street, smoking indo, sippin on gin and juice, laid back ( with my mind on my money and my money on my mind). "

When I listened to Snoop sing about hoes and G's and weed and gang murders. When every time you saw Snoop it was through a thick cloud of smoke, with him holding on to a joint the size of my thigh, surrounded by semi naked women worshipping him like The God of Sex and Drugs and Money.

I'm pretty sure Snoop has worn his hat backwards a time or two.

It is so easy to stereotype people and so dangerous. We all only know people on the surface. The stuff deep down inside is the very definition of personal.

You never really know anyone and that includes the closest members of your family.

Everybody can learn, everybody can change, everybody can surprise you.

Snoop is doing the most impressive thing any human can do. Positively impacting other peoples' lives. Children's lives.

He deserves enormous respect for that.

You never know, do you?