I'd never given much thought to rankings until the early morning hours of silence during a brief bout of insomnia this week. I believed rankings were just something fans talked about, so I never paid much attention to them. When
@Kozak said Flo's rankings were used by coaches to determine bids at the NCAA tournament, then I started looking deeper & realized how big of an effect rankings can have on wrestlers. Maybe that's why a rule was created to prevent certain things from being counted on a wrestler's individual season record?
If the NCAA wanted, or didn't care whether exhibition matches, matches against teammates, or the other specified matches counted on a wrestlers record, then there wouldn't be a rule specifically stating those matches should NOT be counted.
This isn't a PSU issue. These rankings affect every wrestler competing on every team. If Flo's rankings impact anything involving the NCAA tournament, then Flo doesn't have the authority to change or ignore the rules set forth by the NCAA.
Even though some wrestlers don't like wearing headgear, there's a reason it's required & a rule requiring its use. Wrestles can't choose to ignore that rule. Wrestlers comply with the rules or they're disqualified. There is no explanation they can provide to justify why the rules don't apply to them.
The manner in which Flo conducts its rankings is like a wrestler refusing to wear headgear. Explaining their current process doesn't address the fact that they're ignoring the rules set forth by the NCAA. It doesn't matter how logical their explanation is if their actions are illogical. If Flo's rankings deviate from the NCAA Rulesbook, then their rankings should be disqualified from use for anything involving the NCAA wrestling season.
@Kozak I've enjoyed reading your posts on this board & you seem like a sharp guy. A rule was created by the NCAA to prevent what you're doing from happening, but you continue along ignoring it's there. Everyone else involved in the sport has to follow the rules & so should you. There is nothing you can say that will justify operating outside of those rules.
Eliminate the problems within your ranking process & everything else will work itself out. The NCAA created rule 9.6.4 for a reason. When you ignore that rule you also ignore the reason why it was created. That disrespects the wrestlers affected & the administrators who put the time, effort & thought into crafting the rules. That disrespects the fans. Why should anyone respect your rankings when you can't even respect the rules set forth by the NCAA?
The solution to your problem hides in the places you're not looking. If you don't fix the core problems within your ranking process, the complaints will remain & you'll continue being disappointed by fans reactions. If you're in compliance with the rules & there are any complaints about your rankings, then you can simply state, "We don't make the rules, we just follow them, like everyone else. If you have a problem contact the NCAA."
