8a Would have Been More Competitive...

[Khalfie2]

The 8a bracket would have been more competitive if...

... they would have seeded the teams 1-32?
... they would have got rid of the North and South regions and just let the best teams...
... they would have only 6 classes then...

I'm so tired of the if's and thens... some teams are just better than others. 40 pts better, depending on the day. How many times has the Super Bowl been a dude? Supposed National Championships? Just shut it up!

 

[JCHILLTOPPERS]

The 8a bracket would have been more competitive if...

... they would have seeded the teams 1-32?
... they would have got rid of the North and South regions and just let the best teams...
... they would have only 6 classes then...

I'm so tired of the if's and thens... some teams are just better than others. 40 pts better, depending on the day. How many times has the Super Bowl been a dude? Supposed National Championships? Just shut it up!

who cares about any of that, where the hell have you been?

 

[crusader_of_90]

He's been busy ...

Khalfie

... Coaching

 

[JCHILLTOPPERS]

The 8a bracket would have been more competitive if...

... they would have seeded the teams 1-32?
... they would have got rid of the North and South regions and just let the best teams...
... they would have only 6 classes then...

I'm so tired of the if's and thens... some teams are just better than others. 40 pts better, depending on the day. How many times has the Super Bowl been a dude? Supposed National Championships? Just shut it up!

Well the only one that really matters above is the last one.

The polls were not really 1-32 this year, even though the IHSA said they were - we all fell for it because that is what they called it. Until they actually seed/rank the teams, the numbers before them are irrelevant. We were all excited when they went 1-32 because it meant LA would not have to meet HF in round 3...but...oh...wait...

As to they why I spout off about it: I just enjoy HS football. It's my favorite level of play. I played with my best friends. It's the most unpredictable. For these reasons, I want to do right for the kids. If a kid/team earned the right to play in the playoffs, I think the kid/team deserves to be afforded the opportunity to play as many games as his/its talent dictates...meaning, the kids from HF should have played another game or two...they deserved it...etc etc etc.

 

[Khalfie2]

who cares about any of that, where the hell have you been?

JC...

Just hiding in the cut...

However, I have been coaching one of those Central / Southern teams everyone believes doesn't deserve it as much as the Northern boys. Had one of our better seasons, and based on our record, had earned the right to get 40 pieced by a superior team.

However, until that 40 piece happend, there was no rationale, no amount of guestimation that could warrant any justification for saying we weren't as good a team as our record had displayed.

Hurts my ears to hear knowledgeable football folks guesstimating who the better teams are, based on limited observation, dissimilar competition, styles of play, area bias. Until the state championship, none of the innuendo is validated, until we see the results, and then, and only then, do the I told you so's hold any water. To think any of the two teams in the Championships couldn't win on any given day, is to discredit the work those athletes have accomplished, the professionalism of their coaches, and unpredictability of match ups, schemes and teenagers reactions to exciting environments.

In short, the conversation of lessing these games, so that a forced competitiveness can be contrived, is an insult to the game. Every team that played in the State Championships, 40 pieced or not, deserved to be there. And once 40 pieced, were no less worthy, but even more so, highlighted just how special the final state champions is / was.

It matters not where the 2 best teams play each other, as we have no way of telling who the two best teams are, until its over, however, knowing the best team is the state champion, is more than enough for me. Being that its the best 8 teams, is just bonus football for me.

 

[JCHILLTOPPERS]

JC...

Just hiding in the cut...

However, I have been coaching one of those Central / Southern teams everyone believes doesn't deserve it as much as the Northern boys. Had one of our better seasons, and based on our record, had earned the right to get 40 pieced by a superior team.

However, until that 40 piece happend, there was no rationale, no amount of guestimation that could warrant any justification for saying we weren't as good a team as our record had displayed.

Hurts my ears to hear knowledgeable football folks guesstimating who the better teams are, based on limited observation, dissimilar competition, styles of play, area bias. Until the state championship, none of the innuendo is validated, until we see the results, and then, and only then, do the I told you so's hold any water. To think any of the two teams in the Championships couldn't win on any given day, is to discredit the work those athletes have accomplished, the professionalism of their coaches, and unpredictability of match ups, schemes and teenagers reactions to exciting environments.

In short, the conversation of lessing these games, so that a forced competitiveness can be contrived, is an insult to the game. Every team that played in the State Championships, 40 pieced or not, deserved to be there. And once 40 pieced, were no less worthy, but even more so, highlighted just how special the final state champions is / was.

It matters not where the 2 best teams play each other, as we have no way of telling who the two best teams are, until its over, however, knowing the best team is the state champion, is more than enough for me. Being that its the best 8 teams, is just bonus football for me.

kha -

i actually agree a lot of what you wrote, a lot. I think there is a more subtle point, however. That point is the - at best perception - at worst actuality - that the IHSA does all it can to help "level" the playing field for central/southern schools (wait, i know what you are thinking here, give me a chance to explain it below). In fact, the IHSA has stated, with the titles it is geographical representation that mattered most to them (nice to see them go 1-32 in 7/8a this year though - even thouth it was not really 1-32).

The fact of the matter is, there are simply more schools in the north than south. As a result, there are simply more better teams in the north. It has nothing to do with effort, ability, coaching, desire, luck, gift from god, inshallah...just ratio.

All the hustle and noise you hear is not directed at the schools (except MW who has a very particular and well presented argument against one specific). It's at the IHSA.

No one is arguing that a 6-3 team from near paducha deserves a playoff spot. It's where that team should be seeded, and where other, similarly sized schools should compete by class.