The Republican-sponsored legislative bill that threatens the existence of the N.C. High School Athletic Association seemed to come from way beyond left field last week. Yet, the spark behind the revamped version of House Bill 91 appears to have been a slow burn of nearly two years. It stems from a 2019 football playoff eligibility appeal by an influential Republican senator from Anson County and the denial by the independent nonprofit group. That dispute carried over into tense joint legislative oversight meetings in April and May. Sen. Tom McInnis, R-Anson, and Senate majority whip, applied the gut-and-replacement strategy Tuesday to HB91 to insert language creating the N.C. Interscholastic Athletic Commission that would be overseen by the State Board of Education.