A Cardinal on the sidelines

Though it's not as surprising as his license to fly helicopters, thanks to the Daily News' Dana Bartholomew we know something else about the personal side of Cardinal Roger Mahony -- he's a high school football junkie.

"Yes, yess, yesss; Whoa! Goooo, Cubs!" Mahony yelled, shaking his fist as a quarterback leapt over a defensive line to score during a recent Friday night game between two Catholic school rivals. "That's great!"

Not content with the bleachers, the black-robed cardinal has for 20 years been a towering figure on high school home and visitors sidelines -- pacing plays, blessing players, encouraging coaches and losing himself to the clash of the gridiron...

Mahony says he prefers high school football. "(It's) the absolute best, because it's real spirited team football," he says. "The kids have no managers; they don't have any scouts. They're playing their hearts out." ...

Before a recent match between the Crespi High School of Encino and Serra High School of Gardena, Mahony prayed, "And let this be a good game with no injuries -- and if a Catholic team wins, that's good."

The spiritual leader of Los Angeles Roman Catholics, who grew up in North Hollywood, never played ball himself, the story says -- his seminary lacked grass.