The Funding Freeze: Rock Bottom's Fight for Football | Students First Always? Right?

Send us a text

Fed up with budget excuses while student athletes suffer? You're not alone. DJ ESG unleashes a no-holds-barred critique of the Council Rock School District's priorities that will have you nodding in agreement or squirming uncomfortably—depending on which side of the budget line you stand.

The district just hit homeowners with a 2.64% tax increase while football programs operate with equipment that belongs in a museum. Players are suiting up in padding that resembles "a couch from the 70s" and practicing on fields that look like they've "hosted a monster truck rally." Meanwhile, the administrative buildings are slated for millions in renovations with not a single mention of athletic facilities in the capital improvement plans.

This isn't just about win-loss records—though Council Rock North's 1-9 season certainly underscores the problem. It's about what message we're sending to young athletes who show up every day, grinding it out with subpar resources. As DJ ESG powerfully puts it, "Football builds community. It teaches discipline, drive and how to show up when you're dead, tired and doubted." Yet the district seems content to let these programs run "on fumes and fundraisers." 

Remember standouts like Brandon McIlvain and Justin Pugh? The district could be developing more exceptional talent with proper investment in coaches, equipment, and facilities. Listen to this raw, unfiltered call for educational leaders to put their money where their values should be. Because as DJ ESG reminds us, "You can't win on game day if the game plan is written in excuses."

• #CouncilRock
• #CRSD (Council Rock School District)
• #BucksCountyPA
• #CouncilRockNorth
• #CRNorthFootball
• #StudentAthletes
• #AthleticFunding
• #SchoolBudget
• #BudgetPriorities
• #HighSchoolFootball
• #UnderfundedSports
• #EducationalLeadership
• #ResourceAllocation
• #TaxIncrease
• #SchoolFacilities
• #FundOurAthletes
• #InvestInKids
• #SupportStudentAthletes
• #DemandBetter
• #WhatsThePriority
• #DJESG (if referencing the source)
• #YouthSports
• #Community
• #EducationMatters
• #SchoolSports

Peace, Love & God Above! :-)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 (00:00):
What's up guys?
Dj ESG and today's episode onthe Rock Bottom Podcast.
Any given budget cut theextended locker room speech
edition.
Welcome back to RBP.
Oh my God, I'm going to shortenit now.
Rbp Sort of sounds like ESG,but a little bit different.
I don't like that at all.
The Rock Bottom Podcast, wherethe only thing colder than the
weight room at Council RockNorth is the district's

(00:22):
willingness to fund it.
That's what I call high qualityh2o.
Quote unquote.
Bobby boucher, you know what'snot high quality?
The equipment our footballteam's using.
See more padding on a couchfrom the 70s.
These kids are suiting up likethey're in a deleted scene from
the longest yard, and not theremake.
I'm talking about the 1974version, where shoulder pads

(00:42):
look like cafeteria trays.
Let's break this down.
The council rock schooldistrict just served up a nice
warm 2.64 tax increase.
That's 166 extraa year for theaverage homeowner.
Some of that money's headedtowards full-day kindergarten,
some to staffing and the rest,who knows?
Maybe another feng shuireconfiguration at the

(01:04):
chancellor center so the energyin the conference room flows
better during all the budgetcuts.
Oh my god, they make it so easyfor me.
We play like a bunch of damnfools.
Quote unquote.
Remember the titans speaking ofenergy flow?
How's the hvac system at thechancellor center?
According to the district,which I found out today, it's on
life support.
We're talking like, like I saidthe other day, $6 to $16

(01:26):
million in repairs, hvac,structural issues, water damage.
In other words, it's like AlBundy's high school dreams
broken and full of mildew.
Peg, bring me a beer.
Okay, honey, I'm right on.
It Slams door.
Let me tell you something aboutfootball.
I scored four touchdowns in onegame, paul Kai.

(01:46):
Quote something about football.
I scored four touchdowns in onegame, paul kai.
Quote unquote bondy bondy.
Meanwhile, over at council rocknorth, the football team wrapped
up a one in nine season.
The one w came from a 13 to 16squeaker over harry s truman
high.
That ain't rooting material.
But those kids fought theirhearts out.
South, they hit four to six andknocked out north 28 to six,
like it was their replacements.
And conor reeves just calledthe audible for his life run,
baby, run.
Pain heals chicks, dick scars.

(02:08):
Glory lasts forever.
Quote unquote.
But glory doesn't last when thegear you're using is older than
the assistant principal's combover.
These kids are doing deadliftsin a dungeon.
That makes little giantsequipment look state-of-the-art
ice box intimidation.
That's how you win a footballgame.
Quote unquote Rick Moranis youknow what's intimidating?
Trying to tackle someone on afield so beat up.

(02:28):
It looks like it hosted amonster truck rally.
You ever tried to juke on grasspatches with potholes and geese
?
It's not football, it's acommercial for John Deere's new
four-wheel drive.
Put me in, coach.
I'm ready to play Somewherebetween Field unnecessary
roughness with a possibility ofa John Fogerty song.
And don't get me started on thecoaching budget.
These kids need a strength andconditioning staff, a video
analysis team, a nutrition plan,not coach Bob from chemistry

(02:51):
wing with a whistle from Dick'ssporting goods.
It's now called Dick'scom.
We're out here trying to build aprogram in a district like just
go ahead and run Oklahomadrills behind the loading dock.
It might work for Peyton, butit's not working for cr.
Blow the fucking whistle.
My spleen is hanging out.
Now, to be clear, this isn'tabout the kids these athletes
are showing up grinding,representing.
They're giving 110 with 60 ofwhat they need.

(03:15):
This is all about the suits,the folks sipping filtered air
in the chancellor center whiledodging direct eye contact with
the booster clubs.
You want to inspire.
You got to invest in it,because right now these football
programs are running on fumesand fucking fundraisers.
You're not even a has been.
You're a never was.
Let's talk real money.
The district just published acapital improvements RFP for

(03:36):
professional services, design,construction, admin, project
management.
That's architect speak.
For we're about to drop a lotof fucking money on stuff that
ain't helmets, cleats orblocking sleds.
I looked for the words footballor athletics in the document.
You know what I found?
A capital N-O-T-H-I-N-G Nothing.
Football is 80% mental, theother half is physical and we

(03:58):
wonder why we haven't had a D1pipeline since Brandon McIlvain.
That dude had NFL potential.
Let me spell it out.
A decent football program justdoesn't happen.
You need facilities, training,medical support, marketing,
recruiting conditions and alittle damn pride.
Instead we've got a five-yearcapital plan with everything but
turf.
Football is culture.
It builds community.
It teaches discipline, driveand how to show up when you're

(04:19):
dead, tired and doubted.
But the district's acting likewe've just played two-hand touch
at recess.
This ain't no dead poet society, coach, something we wish a kid
would yell at the board.
We're going to play with ourhearts, our souls and maybe a
little duct tape.
Council Rock, if you'relistening, don't tell me there's
no money for football.
Tell me you just don't want tospend it on these kids.

(04:42):
And be real about coach, yourhype man and your budget
watchdog.
Remember you can't win on gameday if the game plan is written
in excuses.
Peace out and, for God's sakes,fund the damn team.
Oh, and one more thing aboutBrandon McIlvain.
That motherfucker was good,real fucking good, but other
than 1995.
And Mike Erlandson, you tell meone other person that was
better.
That's the best guy we've hadin 25 fucking years, the best
fucking dude.

(05:02):
We should have a lot moreBrandon McIlvains out there in
this school district.
I'm telling you we should havemore.
Invest coaches, equipment,fields, get these fucking kids
what they need to succeed.
And for all those people whojust had an aha moment because I
just fucking name-dropped MikeErlandson, I'm gonna name-drop
somebody else for you too.
Remember Justin Pugh.
We should have a lot moreJustin P.