Here's the problem...we are putting everyone that "isn't supposed to win" in the same category as an "underdog". There is a huge difference between and underdog and someone that has no chance of winning.

 

An underdog actually has a chance at an upset. They believe if things go well and they play as good as the possibly can and give a little extra for one night, they can pull off an upset and be a great story. This is the underdog story you guys are talking about.

 

However, several of these teams would have to pull off "MIRACLES". And they don't happen very often! 1980 may have been the last one! My guess is that the comments attached are from teams faced with that chore. Not a team that has a chance to "pull off an upset". Kids and athletes aren't stupid. They don't just give up if they actually think they have a chance. But many of the teams that advance are put up against obstacles that they understand would take a "miracle" to win...not an upset.

 

So when I hear about all these "great stories" that happen, they are actually few and far between and usually with teams that at least had a shot at the upset. Maybe a small shot, but a shot. None of the upset stories I have heard recently would be considered "miracles". We all know that there are several games that are played in the playoffs where the underdog has absolutely no chance of winning. What incentive does a kid have to play in that game? Don't blame them for having the same attitide what we'd all have in that same game. The problem is like Ram stated is that most of us have probably never been put in a situation where we "HAD NO CHANCE". I've been beaten bad, but never thought I didn't have a chance to win. Mostly because I knew if I was in a certain situtaion, I earned my way there. If they beat me bad, it usually wasn't because I was overmatched, it was because the other team was on fire and had a great night. But in these cases, bad teams are advancing. They know they are bad and shouldn't be there. It's clear in their statements. And I bet there are MANY more that we don't hear.

Heard a story once, from the mother of a kid whose team suffered a (predictable) blowout in round one. I don't want to say which team or year this was.

 

She said that the team actually tried to lose their last district game, because A. they couldn't afford to make the long road trip and B. the kids didn't want to go all that way just to get clobbered on the field as much as the scoreboard.

Who determines the 6 classes? Is it all about the revenue?

I don't think every team should make it. In the past when you earned your way into the playoffs it did feel special to get to experience the playoffs even if you get killed in the first round because it was an accomplishment to get there. Now with basically every team making it, there is no feeling of accomplishmentiit's just another game for them to lose to a lot of the schools.

 

They need to either go back down in classes or have it to where only two or at most three teams make it from each district.

I don't think every team should make it. In the past when you earned your way into the playoffs it did feel special to get to experience the playoffs even if you get killed in the first round because it was an accomplishment to get there. Now with basically every team making it, there is no feeling of accomplishmentiit's just another game for them to lose to a lot of the schools.

Yeah, it just doesn't seem right that a team can't just end it's season with a win -- or at least on a positive note -- instead of the anti-climax of getting destroyed on the field in their last game.

The issue we had before was that there was no balance in district numbers some districts had 8 teams while the other had 3 or 4. You still had teams that "didn't deserve" to be there making it over teams that did, but weren't top 4 in the district. You still had a TON of 1st round blow outs just like every other sport in this state. Going back to 4 classes doesn't fix that problem...IMO.

 

Miracles?? Not sure we have the same interpretation of miracle. Jesus raising Lazarus, miracle...bad football team beating good football team, upset. Anytime 16-18 year old boys are playing a game...it's an upset, not a miracle. In high school I played on a 4-6 team and we got beat in the 1st round by a 9-1 team. We lost by 6 points-wouldn't trade a dog fight like that for anything...just don't buy the miracle bit, it would have been an upset. Wasn't long ago a 4 seed Ft. Knox knocked off a 1 seed Glasgow. If we decide who is "worthy" of the playoffs how do we decide this??? You can't go off record, because again, a losing Trinity team could win a state title, keeping them out would have been a joke. Wasn't too long ago Owensboro Cath made it to the finals, but their regular season record would indicate they weren't "worthy". I guess my dilema is where do we draw the line? Top 2 from each district even though someone's 3 seed could beat the cross district 1 seed?? The thing is, it always works out in the championship game...why are we making such a big deal over the 1st round??? Could do like Indiana, play 9 games, 10th week every one is in and blind draw who plays who?? Just not sure if we are chasing our tails over something that really doesn't need tail chasing.

Just for clarity's sake, Trinity finished second in their district. Would have made the playoffs even under a two team system.

The issue we had before was that there was no balance in district numbers some districts had 8 teams while the other had 3 or 4. You still had teams that "didn't deserve" to be there making it over teams that did, but weren't top 4 in the district. You still had a TON of 1st round blow outs just like every other sport in this state. Going back to 4 classes doesn't fix that problem...IMO.

 

Miracles?? Not sure we have the same interpretation of miracle. Jesus raising Lazarus, miracle...bad football team beating good football team, upset. Anytime 16-18 year old boys are playing a game...it's an upset, not a miracle. In high school I played on a 4-6 team and we got beat in the 1st round by a 9-1 team. We lost by 6 points-wouldn't trade a dog fight like that for anything...just don't buy the miracle bit, it would have been an upset. Wasn't long ago a 4 seed Ft. Knox knocked off a 1 seed Glasgow. If we decide who is "worthy" of the playoffs how do we decide this??? You can't go off record, because again, a losing Trinity team could win a state title, keeping them out would have been a joke. Wasn't too long ago Owensboro Cath made it to the finals, but their regular season record would indicate they weren't "worthy". I guess my dilema is where do we draw the line? Top 2 from each district even though someone's 3 seed could beat the cross district 1 seed?? The thing is, it always works out in the championship game...why are we making such a big deal over the 1st round??? Could do like Indiana, play 9 games, 10th week every one is in and blind draw who plays who?? Just not sure if we are chasing our tails over something that really doesn't need tail chasing.

Great post and what my belief has been all along. Who is to judge who the best teams are and who deserves to be in?

a 4 seed in 1 district may be the best team in another district.

Not all teams deserve to be in. Entitlement is everywhere else. Competition and learning to lose is not a bad thing. I believe playoffs should have less teams more so than more teams. A kid or team that doesn't make a playoff does not have to define them. What matters in 20 years is the relationships they form and life lessons they experience. They wont remember all the wins and losses, especially a meaningless first round blowout.

 

Our nation and culture is so backward. Not everyone wins! Everyone doesn't deserve everything. Whatever happened to earn your keep!

Who determines the 6 classes? Is it all about the revenue?

 

A wise person once told me, "follow the money".

 

I need someone to refresh my memory. Why is it that the 32 smallest football schools and the 32 largest football schools automatically qualify for the playoffs, but there are 5 and 6-team districts elsewhere? Not everyone​ gets the opportunity to play more than ten games.

Not all teams deserve to be in. Entitlement is everywhere else. Competition and learning to lose is not a bad thing. I believe playoffs should have less teams more so than more teams. A kid or team that doesn't make a playoff does not have to define them. What matters in 20 years is the relationships they form and life lessons they experience. They wont remember all the wins and losses, especially a meaningless first round blowout.

 

Our nation and culture is so backward. Not everyone wins! Everyone doesn't deserve everything. Whatever happened to earn your keep!

 

Well said.

Just for clarity's sake, Trinity finished second in their district. Would have made the playoffs even under a two team system.

 

I know, my point was if we decide record is the determining factor since there are 3 seeds that are better than cross district 2's then they might not have made it in. No slight on T by any stretch, they were just my example.

The issue we had before was that there was no balance in district numbers some districts had 8 teams while the other had 3 or 4. You still had teams that "didn't deserve" to be there making it over teams that did, but weren't top 4 in the district. You still had a TON of 1st round blow outs just like every other sport in this state. Going back to 4 classes doesn't fix that problem...IMO.

 

Miracles?? Not sure we have the same interpretation of miracle. Jesus raising Lazarus, miracle...bad football team beating good football team, upset. Anytime 16-18 year old boys are playing a game...it's an upset, not a miracle. In high school I played on a 4-6 team and we got beat in the 1st round by a 9-1 team. We lost by 6 points-wouldn't trade a dog fight like that for anything...just don't buy the miracle bit, it would have been an upset. Wasn't long ago a 4 seed Ft. Knox knocked off a 1 seed Glasgow. If we decide who is "worthy" of the playoffs how do we decide this??? You can't go off record, because again, a losing Trinity team could win a state title, keeping them out would have been a joke. Wasn't too long ago Owensboro Cath made it to the finals, but their regular season record would indicate they weren't "worthy". I guess my dilema is where do we draw the line? Top 2 from each district even though someone's 3 seed could beat the cross district 1 seed?? The thing is, it always works out in the championship game...why are we making such a big deal over the 1st round??? Could do like Indiana, play 9 games, 10th week every one is in and blind draw who plays who?? Just not sure if we are chasing our tails over something that really doesn't need tail chasing.

 

I would not have considered your scenario of being 4-6 and almost upsetting a 9-1 team a miracle. That would fall exactly into a "had a chance" scenario.

 

Now you tell me that Boone Co (0-10) had a chance. Tell me that Boyd Co. (1-9 with their first win coming in their last game of the season) had a chance. There are SEVERAL more of those scenarios. I'm not talking about "just because there were blowouts". I agree, blowouts can happen in any round against anyone. I'm talking about the secanios where the team didn't have a fighting chance from the coin flip. If we are too naive to see that is going on, then we are worse than I thought. I get all the hero stories and rooting for the underdog. I love it as much as the rest. However, let's define what "underdog" is vs "no chance".

 

Heck, there were 2 4 seeds win thier first game this year. Manual (top 8 in the state) was a 4 seed and won 41-0. Not really an upset.

 

And in the second "upset", Dunbar (5-5, 4 seed) beat Tates Creek (6-4, 1 seed). They also played earlier in the year with TC winning 21-20. So I wouldn't call that game an upset either. That was a push from the beginning.

 

Those were the only 2 4 seeds over 1's. We'll call those exceptions (because there could be a argument that the 4's were better going into the game). There were a couple half-way close games (within two touchdowns), the the rest were complete blowouts. Again, not worried about blowouts, but it is one indication that a team really had no chance from the beginning...which in my mind takes an upset to a miracle.

 

And you're right, a miracle is usually an act of God! That's my point!

Hahaha...not sure God concerns himself with football, but that is for another topic all together. If we don't let those 4 seeds in there can't be an upset, and that validates my point, how would we determine who gets in??

It's just a saying!!! Not saying God worries about football...we all know he likes UK bball better!

 

I don't care if we keep "how" we determine it who gets in. I'm just saying make teams earn their way in. I bet there isn't a 4 seed team in the state (other than Manual) that earned their way in. We let too many teams in. AND there are plenty of opportunities for upsets by 2 and 3 seeds. Would it not be an upset if Ashland beats HHS this week? Or if Bryan Station beats Scott Co? Or if Christian Co beats BG? And so on? There are plenty of places for upsets and underdogs to make a run if there were no 4 seeds in the tournament.