Spending about five and a half hours hanging out on the Veterans Stadium turf wasn't the wisest move if you were in the mood for a lazy, relaxing and cool Southern California Friday afternoon.
But it worked wonders on curing any skepticism you might had about the most hyped high school football player in America.
Granted, watching an 18-year-old quarterback mow through defenses in 7-on-7 competition, with players decked out in cleats, shorts, sleeveless t-shirts and maybe a wrist band or two - and without his life and limb put in jeopardy via defensive tackles or blitzing linebackers - isn't the definitive way to evaluate what kind of success he'll have on the college, and, in all likelihood, the National Football League levels.
But watching Jimmy Clausen throw 15 touchdown passes, sans an interception, while leading his Oaks Christian High teammates to lopsided victories over their counterparts from Poly, Culver City and Edison in the Nike 7-on-7 Passing Championships Friday made a lasting impression on me - the ultimate Mr. Skeptic - and anyone else who hadn't already bought into the hype surrounding the future University of Notre Dame quarterback.
"He's good . . . really good," longtime Poly High assistant coach Don Norford said of Clausen, while watching the team from Westlake Village score touchdowns on its first six possessions, courtesy of the right arm of Clausen and the sure hands and quick feet of receivers such as future USC Trojans Marc Tyler and Marshall Jones during an eventual 41-8 victory over the Jackrabbits.
Clausen & Co. have won 31 consecutive games and three CIF Southern Section Division X titles along the way.
But punching out the likes of Twentynine Palms (70-0), LaSalle (63-0), Nordhoff (35-7) and Grace Brethren of Simi Valley (49-0) - the Lions' victims in their last stroll through the Southern Section playoffs - leaves some of us yawning.
Blistering the man-to-man coverage of Poly and Edison teams that will contend for a Division I title next season gets our attention - and pronto.
"You're looking at a future NFL guy if doesn't get hurt, no ifs, ands or buts about it," Poly coach Raul Lara said of Clausen, after his Jackrabbits were edged by Mission Viejo, 26-24, in a consolation game.
Clausen committed to Notre Dame during a press conference at the College Football Hall of Fame - in South Bend - in April.
If you haven't heard much about Clausen yet, expect to in his senior season (ESPN is going to televise one of his team's games and Fox Sports will no doubt do its share as well).
And he's already being penciled in as the likely replacement for Notre Dame senior Brady Quinn, the favorite to bag the 2006 Heisman Trophy.
Beginning with the 2007 season, it's liable to be "All Clausen, all the time " on NBC, the Notre Dame network.
But Clausen, who stands a shade less than 6-foot-3 and seems to be a sturdy 195 pounds or so, isn't looking much beyond the next several months, when he hopes to lead the Lions to a fourth consecutive Section title and a possible Division III state championship.
Based on his precision and focus Saturday, he probably wasn't looking beyond the task at hand Friday afternoon.
"Our guys are pretty special and they showed that in the way they played today," he said after his team's 24-7 win over Edison for the championship. "I think we showed how good we can be. We were just trying to go out, play hard and get better."
Clausen knows that the expectations, courtesy of the hyperbole that will be unlike that attached to any high school athlete in the country - with the possible exception of Cincinnati-based and possibly USC-bound hoopster O.J. Mayo - in 2006-07, will be considerable.
He'll likely deal with them in the same fashion he dealt with cornerbacks, safeties and linebackers Friday afternoon.
"It comes with the territory," he said, almost shrugging. "I like high expectations. That's what I'm all about - competing at the highest level. And that's what we did today against Long Beach Poly and Edison. I'm not thinking at all yet about playing for Notre Dame - I'm not looking that far ahead. I'm just focused on being a team player and helping us win another championship."
And I might as well drag out the weather puns after watching athletes endure the 90-plus-degree heat Friday:
"The weather?" he said, smiling and clutching the still-boxed Nike football he won with his efforts Friday. "It doesn't matter. We just come out and play, whether it is hot like this or raining."
Yes, that's one cool - and oh-so-slick - high school quarterback.
And worthy of the hype?
Absolutely.
