More pigskin pique

 

 

The state insurgency against Louisville's big-time high school football programs continues.

 

The stated reason for changing next year's playoff schedule is to cut expenses and boost attendance for the early games in the five-round post-season playoff. And no doubt, that's part of what was on the minds of various Kentucky High School Athletic Association officials. ...

 

Seems like the CJ stands behind what they have reported. Read the rest at http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060531/OPINION01/605310399/1055/OPINION

The X AD must not understand how the playoff system has worked in the past. He says you want the best 2 teams in the finals. When has the system ever been set up to accomplish that?

The X AD must not understand how the playoff system has worked in the past. He says you want the best 2 teams in the finals. When has the system ever been set up to accomplish that?

I agree that the system shouldn't be altered to have the two best meet in the final, likewise it shouldn't be changed to keep it from happening as well. Pick a dividing line and let the chips fall where they may.

The X AD must not understand how the playoff system has worked in the past. He says you want the best 2 teams in the finals. When has the system ever been set up to accomplish that?

 

 

Actually, the only part of the paragraph in quotation marks is that he said "That's a shame". The rest of the paragraph is not in quotation marks, and I presume it's a statement by the writer.

Actually, the only part of the paragraph in quotation marks is that he said "That's a shame". The rest of the paragraph is not in quotation marks, and I presume it's a statement by the writer.

 

Duly noted.

When will people stop with the tired old refrain of "We should have the 2 best teams in the finals"

 

Whenever you set up a playoff bracket designed soley on geographic districts/regions the odds are AGAINST having the 2 best teams in the finals EVER !

 

Who out there STILL does not understand this very SIMPLE concept?

.....CJ writers ?? ...........Athletic Directors?? .......anyone??

 

PLEASE stop with this mantra of a 6 year old mentality !

 

 

And the CJ editorial - further evidence of weak investigative and reporting skills, not to mention supporting the egocentric 4A mentality, and of course by default Lou. itself.

 

"But the KHSAA board of control's decision(s) .... to use a draw for pairings in the remainder of the playoffs will spread joy among those who resent seeing St. Xavier, Trinity and/or Male in the 4-A championship every year."

Go on ....., and ...... ???

I guess the 3 other classes and hundreds of schools dont factor into the KHSAA actions at all - huh?

And when any of us suggests a Louisville center-of-the-world mentality we are knocked as attacking Louisville??? OK if you say so.:lol:

 

Cheers, Woody Jr

 

And the CJ editorial - further evidence of weak investigative and reporting skills, not to mention supporting the egocentric 4A mentality, and of course by default Lou. itself.

 

"But the KHSAA board of control's decision(s) .... to use a draw for pairings in the remainder of the playoffs will spread joy among those who resent seeing St. Xavier, Trinity and/or Male in the 4-A championship every year."

Go on ....., and ...... ???

I guess the 3 other classes and hundreds of schools dont factor into the KHSAA actions at all - huh?

And when any of us suggests a Louisville center-of-the-world mentality we are knocked as attacking Louisville??? OK if you say so.:lol:

 

Cheers, Woody Jr

 

Woody, I feel were it not for Trinity's and X's success, there would have been no change to the playoff format made. Conspiracy or not, it is convenient for teams with state championship aspirations that the Louisville districts with X and Trinity can now meet before the finals. And that is what happened.

Woody, I feel were it not for Trinity's and X's success, there would have been no change to the playoff format made. Conspiracy or not, it is convenient for teams with state championship aspirations that the Louisville districts with X and Trinity can now meet before the finals. And that is what happened.

 

If not for their success perhaps no public/private talk:thumb:

It's very fair to feel that perhaps this change was made to slow/stop/delay the split talk. BUT as leatherneck has pointed out elsewhere repeatedly, coaches had talked about? requested? or been informed? that a rotation plan was coming? possible? worked on? [your choice of words for each - but it was NOT an unknown idea from what Ive seen/heard]

The rotation is not just about 4A & T/X it's about the whole state of KY HS football. Thats what I was attempting to get at with my comment about the CJ editorial - they wrote it up in a way that to "me" only adds to the conspiracy mania in Louisville; not as a complete story of what it is about.

[a complaint about KHSAA PR is well founded but doesnt justify a major state paper slanting news like they did IMHO] AGAIN - the rotation plan is a good one worth trying for everyone I feel. It is scheduled to rotate next year so manual et al won't be in the same situation for several years (unless new classes change thingsa all together)

 

Other can say it's "convenient" that X T have been in opposite regions all this time where they can build and prepare for the showdown rather than be forced to play again sooner than they may prefer. So be it - they have been, so thats just the way it's "been" ... as I've debated with a few:D it seems that this recent setup is taken as gospel and the point of fact from which all discussions flow. It's not- IMO, it's just the way it's been for awhile (for whatever reason - Im not getting into the conspiracy stuff).

 

Also, the best 2 teams in the finals is a red herring - it has nothing to do with the argument.

 

Woody Jr

Woody, I feel were it not for Trinity's and X's success, there would have been no change to the playoff format made. Conspiracy or not, it is convenient for teams with state championship aspirations that the Louisville districts with X and Trinity can now meet before the finals. And that is what happened.

 

 

I'm not too sure about the CF. Supers have long complained about always having to beat Beechwood every year to advance to the finals and now complain about having to beat Beechwood AND NewCath. I've heard complaints about always having to beat CovCath and Highlands to make it to the AAA finals. They complain about having to always play Belfry or Mayfield each year to advance. So the desire to mix up the brackets stems from complaints from supers, principals and coaches in all classes who have gotten tired of getting knocked out of the playoffs by the same teams each year. I'm sure some will wonder if that has been the case, why the change this year. Perhaps there is some resentment against X and T behind the move (I'm not totally clueless:banana: ), but the desire to mix up the brackets got support from all levels. If the desire was just to have X and T eliminate one another before the state game, the KHSAA "could" have put X and T in the same district and not come up with the rotating brackets method. In fact putting them in the same district would have permanently prevented them from both making the state game. By using the rotating brackets, it will only prevent it from happening when their brackets match up.

Leatherneck, the rotation of games sounds very good to me and gives all teams a chance every other or at the very least every two years. The change in early playoffs are going to benifit some Louisville teams in 3A because they will not have to play Boyle Co. early like before until the Regional championship. Now last season Bullitt East got them in that game but it had been a while before anyone had knocked them out of the playoffs. We'll see them during season and post season now but they will still be a tough out. I'm sure the same goes for Highland and teams they have put out early as well. But you know the motto is to be the Best you have to beat the Best...................LTW

The KHSAA has changed the playoff bracketing before, so to assume it's because of the success of X and T is just that, an assumption. Had they only changed the bracket play of 4A then the assumption that the X and T success was the primary influence could be probable. However, the KHSAA feels that travel is the biggest issue in our playoff system and this is a way they feel that can be cut back. Regardless of our personal feelings and consipiracy theories, we should atleast try to stick with as many facts as we can...right? Or perhaps I am just a part of the misfit delusional :sssh:

I agree that the system shouldn't be altered to have the two best meet in the final, likewise it shouldn't be changed to keep it from happening as well. Pick a dividing line and let the chips fall where they may.

 

My issue lies with where the East/West line is drawn. How can half of Louisville be in the East part of the state and the other half in the West? Are half of the 4A schools in Kentucky west of Louisville and the other half East of Louisville?

 

Just draw and line somewhere, but don't draw the line to conveniently match up two Louisville programs in the finals.

The KHSAA has changed the playoff bracketing before, so to assume it's because of the success of X and T is just that, an assumption. Had they only changed the bracket play of 4A then the assumption that the X and T success was the primary influence could be probable. However, the KHSAA feels that travel is the biggest issue in our playoff system and this is a way they feel that can be cut back.

If travel was of the utmost concern, wouldn't the KHSAA would have kept the quarterfinals (1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, etc.) exactly as they are now?

My issue lies with where the East/West line is drawn. How can half of Louisville be in the East part of the state and the other half in the West? Are half of the 4A schools in Kentucky west of Louisville and the other half East of Louisville?

 

Just draw and line somewhere, but don't draw the line to conveniently match up two Louisville programs in the finals.

Get out a map and check it out for yourself. Louisville ends up as the split point. ..

Get out a map and check it out for yourself. Louisville ends up as the split point. ..

 

I was going to say this issue has been discuss several times. Doesn't Louisville have almost as many 4A schools as the rest of the state? I'll see if I can find the thread and attach.