California schemin': This is a story about recruiting at a Stockton, Calif., high school. And where might this high school be recruiting? From not so nearby American Samoa, that's where. Our good friends at The Associated Press report that an investigation by California sports authorities discovered that an assistant football coach improperly recruited more than a dozen players since 2004 while helping to turn the team into a consistent winner. Among other bizarre twists to this bizarre story, the kids' parents were sent fake utility bills as part of the scheme to establish and support their sons' residency. Equally bizarre is this: Some Stockton Unified School District officials, including superintendent Jack McLaughlin, weren't buying the criticism, claiming the charges were ethnically motivated. "We viewed this in the beginning as kind of an attack on a culture," McLaughlin said. We can't make these things up.

Officially speaking: In case you wondered, The Los Angeles Times reports that NFL game officials -- part-timers all -- will earn, depending on their experience, between $2,750 and $8,150 per regular-season game this year, $5,000 per playoff game, and $10,000 for a Super Bowl, plus potential bonuses. They also fly first class to and from all games. We are left to wonder who gets the frequent-flier miles -- the officials or the NFL?