Interesting concept. Landon Donovan returning to Redlands for an episode of an ESPN series entitled “Homecoming with Rick Reilly.”

Turns out you don’t just go home … you go home with Rick Reilly, the former Sports Illustrated columnist who is now the “other guy” columnist at espn.com. The other guy to Bill Simmons, that is.

When I first heard of this event, a few hours ago, I thought, “Hey, that sounds kinda sweet.”

But after looking around a bit, and thinking about it … I’m not quite as sure.

Something about this makes me uncomfortable. And after watching this preview clip of an episode of “Homecoming” this season, with the Homecomer being Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, I felt even queasier. (And I apologize for the inevitable commercial from espn.com before the clip actually begins.)

What could be a potentially warm-and-fuzzy concept almost instantly feels exploitative and artificial.

Look at the body language. Hands stuffed in pockets. Defensive postures. Awkwardness.

Look at the audience, at the Mauer “homecoming.” It apparently is hand-picked and vetted. The sense of “fawning” is almost overwhelming. And this is from a tiny fraction of the show — which apparently is at least as much about Rick Reilly, in whom I have no real interest,  interacting with Joe Mauer. Can we look forward to Landon kicking a soccer ball around with Rick Reilly — “Mr. 800 Words” who is now violating the cardinal tenet of print journalism — which is, hey, it isn’t about you.

Some Landon Donovan-specific concepts.

He has done this before. Had days back in Redlands. Lots of them. It isn’t as if he went off to the German club team Bayer Leverkusen before he was finished with his junior year at Redlands East Valley High School … and was never seen again in Redlands.

His mother, stepdad and siblings continued to live in north Redlands … and still do, to my knowledge. Landon has been back to open soccer fields and be feted. But on a smaller, simpler scale. A human scale. Without ESPN producers arranging things.

He has been home numerous times without it being any kind of fuss.  Which might be the best sort of homecoming of all.

I have talked, by phone, to Landon when he said he was laying on the couch at the family home, playing video games. One of his favorite pastimes, a refuge from the cold (literally) world that he dealt with during his early seasons in Germany, when he was a homesick kid struggling with the short, dark days of the German winter. I recall him sitting on that very couch one afternoon when I drove over and interviewed him there.

What any homecoming should be about are informal occasions. Where you look up at Stater Bros. or Uncle Howie’s and think, “Hey, that’s Landon,” and go over and chat with him for 30 seconds while he picks out some cereal. Tell him who you are, wish him well, shake his hand, treat him like a regular person and then leave him alone — like a regular person.

Have a look at the logistical planning for the event in this story from the Redlands Daily Facts and see how much of this feels as if it will generate anything resembling spontaneous interaction.

Well, yeah … just about none of it. Certainly not the “crowd” scenes. Apparently, you get to be in the crowd only if the show’s producers choose you, as this form you fill out makes clear.  Invited guests only? A Homecoming, but only if we let you?

From the perspective of Redlands East Valley, well, you’ve got to do this.  You don’t turn down a request pertaining to the most famous former student in the school’s brief history. You don’t turn down the exposure. And you probably are genuinely excited for both Landon and the school.

But knowing that “Homecoming with Rick Reilly” has, since last year, gone through the same formula a dozen times already … at some point doesn’t it become less about the athlete and genuine and real interaction with People Who Knew Him Way Back When … and something rather more like made-for-TV bonhomie starring the ESPN host?

And how genuine can that ever be?

I know why Landon is doing this. Well, I believe I do. He is genuinely fond of his hometown. He was born in Ontario, and that city appears in some of his reference material. But if you ask him where he is from he will say “Redlands.” Not “Manhattan Beach” (where he lived once he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy, in 2005). Not “Los Angeles” because it sounds big-city. No. He will say “Redlands.”

He went to Moore for junior high (where administrator Pat Hafley saw him smoke the field in the “Moore Mile” circa, what, 1996?), Redlands High School as a freshman (1996-97) and then over to REV for its first year of existence (1997-98) and for part of his junior year (1998-99). And even though he became something of an instant citizen of the world when he signed that professional contract with Leverkusen … yes, it was always to his mom’s couch in north Redlands that he returned.

And the other reason Landon is doing this, I’m sure, is to help promote the World Cup. The show will be taped on Monday but it is scheduled to air on June 10 — one day before the World Cup begins in South Africa  and two days before the U.S. plays England in a group stage match. Landon wants to advance his sport in the United States. He has been doing that his whole career.

I hope this turns out well. Landon is good in front of crowds; he has had a lot of practice. He is very good at working a room, smiling and making eye contact, saying “how are you doing?”, signing autographs while he carries on a conversation with someone else. He is quite gracious. I know he won’t be one of those guys who rushes out of a room.

But is it going to be weird to have Rick Reilly (who is beginning to look almost freakily like Ray Romano)  hanging around as if he is one of Landon’s nearest and dearest friends … with klieg lights and nervous Regular Folks in the gym and security guards outside it?

Hmm.

Good luck with this. And not that TV people ever take the advice of “civilians” … but please don’t let this get too weird. Landon and REV and the city of Redlands will thank you.