Torn between the enormous interest in college football and the casual, non-competitive nature of such games these days, we're debating the worth of spring games in collegiate football. Sports writers Kelly Beaton and Sean Hylton clash on the subject:

-

As my sparring partner, Sean Hylton, regaled younger co-workers this week with tales of when gas cost 77 cents, it hit me: This guy's as old-school as Timothy Leary.

And when he talks, it's time to tune out.

Yours truly likes to live in the now. Thus, I realize it's time to pull the plug on spring football games.

As much as I'm bored by Kirk Ferentz's less-than-enthralling annual "open practice" in Iowa City, I understand that the reward of spring games isn't worth the risk.

Case in point: In a recent NCAA study published by the Journal of Athletic Training, college athletic programs were observed over a 16-year period. Upon completion, the study showed that spring football had the highest injury rate of all collegiate athletic endeavors, with 9.6 injuries per 1,000 participants. The next highest injury rates came from women's gymnastics (6.1 injuries per 1,000 participants) and men's wrestling (5.7).

It makes sense; In spring drills, reserves are often giving 100-percent effort, while many starters simply have a goal of avoiding injury. Also, after nearly three months of vegetating in their dorm rooms playing video games, college gridders are all of a sudden subjected to hours of wind sprints and the occasional contact drill. Even if players have conditioned themselves in the offseason, actual football action requires short, explosive bursts (executed with 20 pounds of pads on) that can't otherwise be simulated.

The result? Pulled hamstrings, stingers and a torn ACL or two.

Is this all really necessary? NFL teams have largely done away with offseason contact, and they seem to put a pretty entertaining product on the field each fall.

How truly pointless are spring practices and games? Ask UCLA. Bruin players made a mockery of April sessions Tuesday, when the entire group opted for an impromptu "Ditch Day," causing a mass exodus that baffled both potential recruits and coaches.

The answer to keeping all parties happy is simple: Keep the practices light and end the spring with a fan-friendly meet-and-greet session.

The writing's on the wall: The all-out spring football game has gone the way of an affordable gallon of gas.