First and foremost, a sports writer is a sports fan. While it’s hard being one and not the other, this line of work demands we leave the fan at home, mainly for the sake of objectivity. As the fall sports season draws to a close, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how easy our area athletes have made my job. It’s not hard being objective when there’s so much to cheer about. That’s not to say all is right in the world of sport. While the kids continue to shine, the Ohio High School Athletic Association insists on putting the spotlight back on itself, primarily in the form of its officiating and propaganda. During the past few months, not only have I had to put up with subpar judgments concerning rules interpretation but also the inherent desire of referees to lecture and humiliate young people as well as directly affecting the outcome of games. All this with the encouragement of the OHSAA, an organization that sees itself as the first and only standard in prep sports.