November 11, 2013

MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK: Playoff blowouts around the Bluegrass

 

Aaron Snyder

The Independent

ASHLAND — Want a case for eliminating the opening round of the KHSAA football playoffs?

 

You have 3,032 reasons on your side.

 

Of the 94 postseason games played on Friday and Saturday, winners outscored their opponents by a total margin of 3,032 points, which means games were decided by an average of 32.3 points per contest.

 

Wait, there’s more …

 

Also of those 94 matchups, only nine were decided by single digits. That’s 9.6 percent. Keep an eye on those narrow victors: Somerset, Gallatin, Bardstown, Carroll County, Walton-Verona, Monroe County, Conner, Grayson County and Shelby County.

Link

Maybe we should do away with playoffs all together. I mean I gar inter you there will be victories by a margin greater than 9 points in every single round. We should just vote for the champions each year.

Maybe we should do away with playoffs all together. I mean I garuntee you there will be victories by a margin greater than 9 points in every single round. We should just vote for the champions each year.

Good info. Surprise, surprise - it doesn't bother me that there are mostly blowouts in round one.

 

Get ready for another :deadhorse: thread.

About 1/3rd of the first round games (27 games by my count) were decided by 21 points or less. Just wanted to point out that there were quite a few competitive games in round one. They weren't all blowouts.

Same could be said for the first round district games in BB but no one wants to eliminate the Sweet 16. SK generally pounds Williamstown like they stole from them. The same could be said in many other districts. How many of those teams chose not to play? None. They all 'hoped' they'd get it done.

I cover 9 teams for my weekly notebook - 6 of them were in games with running clocks.

I cover 9 teams for my weekly notebook - 6 of them were in games with running clocks.

 

Atleast they were given a chance to continue playing....

Same could be said for the first round district games in BB but no one wants to eliminate the Sweet 16. SK generally pounds Williamstown like they stole from them. The same could be said in many other districts. How many of those teams chose not to play? None. They all 'hoped' they'd get it done.

 

None:idunno:? Covington Latin!!!! :thumb:

 

Baseball and Basketball: One Tournament, One State Champion

Football: Six different Tournaments, Six different State Champions

 

I honestly wish people would stop trying to say football needs to be treated like Baseball and Basketball when it comes to the State Titles. If you want to be treated like those sports, then have only ONE STATE CHAMPION!

There really isn't much of an argument. You either are in favor of really bad football in large quantities or you are not.

None:idunno:? Covington Latin!!!! :thumb:

 

Baseball and Basketball: One Tournament, One State Champion

Football: Six different Tournaments, Six different State Champions

 

I honestly wish people would stop trying to say football needs to be treated like Baseball and Basketball when it comes to the State Titles. If you want to be treated like those sports, then have only ONE STATE CHAMPION!

 

Surely you can open your perspective and see each class as it's own state tournament. It's not that much of a stretch, is it?

There really isn't much of an argument. You either are in favor of really bad football in large quantities or you are not.

 

Guess I just like the underdog.

None:idunno:? Covington Latin!!!! :thumb:

 

Baseball and Basketball: One Tournament, One State Champion

Football: Six different Tournaments, Six different State Champions

 

I honestly wish people would stop trying to say football needs to be treated like Baseball and Basketball when it comes to the State Titles. If you want to be treated like those sports, then have only ONE STATE CHAMPION!

 

For me, it has nothing to do with titles. It is about teams getting to play in the post season playoffs/tournaments. I don't want the postseason to be an exclusive, select type of tournament. I want as many kids as possible to experience being in that win or go home post season game.

A blowout is a blowout. 2012 Championship games......6A Trinity 61 - PRP 7......4A Highlands 47 - Collins 0.......1A Mayfield 55 - Fairview 8. That is 50% of the championship games decided by 47+ points. That's 50% of games with a running clock, by this years standards a good portion of these games. There are always going to be blowouts. Just play.

I know that the last couple of formal KHSAA surveys on this subject have basically lead to a 'keep it as is' answer. Fair enough and not necessarily unexpected.

 

But the surveys were answered by coaches, ADs and principles. It would interesting if a broad survey was done of parents and players - especially of the teams on the short side of the 'blowouts'. Do players and their parents want to play a post-season game where the odds heavily against them? Would it matter if the trips to these games were shorter? 4 - 6 hours of traveling vs. 2 - 3 hours of travel may impact the responses.

 

Without a doubt KHSAA focuses their attention on the previous survey audience and that audience has been consistent in the last two surveys and thus there nothing really driving a change. Anyone advocating change of almost any type (author included) is probably kicking that dead horse above. But if there was survey of players and parents of losing teams who had to travel a long ways and that survey come back overwhelming against the current system there might be a reason to act. But otherwise, the status quo rules.