Gov

1.Location in large cities, More schools to choose from, therefore 1/50 = 4/200. Saying that they have more to draw from is an illusion. Plus most metro areas have open zones just like private. I may agree to a urban vs rural advantage. 2.This is not an advantage, look at Vanderbilt. Good athletes transcend socio-economic situations as well as intellectual ability. Not even arguable. 3. I would think that spending per student is greater at public institutions than at privates. There is no greater way to gain funds than through taxes. I would say that Oak Ridge has a bigger athletic budget than any private school. 4. Some of the best facilities are public school facilities. Cleveland High School overall has some of the best, minus tennis, in the state. This could go either way, for every example you give for privates, there is a public that is just as good. Not that you are wrong, just suggesting that these advantages could be turned to make them seem disadvantages. Its all in the eyes of the beholder. Plus the example you give are not just limited to privates, some publics have lots of advantages over others, (special school districts have the most advantage, Cleveland, Maryville, Oak Ridge are a few examples)

Great points on the issues, Dalton 91, I think most division I privates are contemplating the same scenerios. However, I disagree with the recruiting statement. If CAK doesn't recruit, they may find themselves sacrificing in every sport especially in the "country club catagory"

That's a good question, looks like they are going to take there ball and move to a different playground. Its not football that the bucs have to worry about, it could be difficult to compete in the other sports, I am not sure though, maybe Baldcoach could speculate on the issue of how it will affect the bucs in other sports.

Seems to me that the bucs may be out of the loop on this one, may be that the alphebet league in Nashville may be trying to pull one over on the old Bucs. According to my sources in Nashvegas, these alphebet teams are going to fly the coup, not because of football but because of the other sports. They will look at the regions in basketball and baseball and make a decision together. Let the recruiting begin, if people think it is bad now, it is going to get even uglier later. If CPA and FRA are going to have to compete against BGA and Briarcrest they will have to sweetin there own pot and give financial aid. This will make everyone happy(except those who are affected), the publics get what they want (exodus from the privates), and division II gets what they want. (more teams to compete against) ELA is correct, it all depends on what the division I privates do, it is really to early to speculate on the specifics because there will be lots of teams on the bubble to move up or down. Enrollments will definantly change even in the higher classifications. I would suspect that a Wilson Central or a Walker Valley, realitivly new schools, will move up in classification, along with others that may move down. It is going to be exciting to see what differences it will make in the regions and classifications in all sports.

This is one of the incorrect assumptions that those who don't understand how schools are classified. There really isn't a number for the cut-offs. Schools are divided equally by the number of classifications. Ex. If there are 100 schools in football. then there will be 20 schools in each classification. One has to remember that for every school that moves up in classification there will be a school that moves down. The only move that I am not sure of, is when a school decides to play above there classification, I am not sure that this bump up would bump a school down. So the numbers above mean nothing, the numbers are established after you divide the schools up evenly among the classifications. However it will be interesting to see if they divide the schools first and then use the multiplier or use the multiplier to divide the schools. It will also be interesting to see if any of the affective schools jump to division II, which is probably going to happen to schools in the Nashville area. This will also have an interesting affect on public schools that may move down and the regions they play in. It may move the smallest 4-a schools down to 3-a, just because the number of schools playing D-1 will decrease. Maybe Laz, C'Sense, and Baldy can crunch all the numbers.

Oh, I didn't realize that a haz been church leaguer's opinion was so coveted. I apoligize for not knowing where your expertise come's from. I am sure your are the leading scorer on your intramural team, I regress.

I believe HotSauce has a hidden agenda, he wants more playing time in church league and the only was he is going to get it is if these guys leave and make the high school team. Don't worry hotsauce they have a play at least a quater rule in church league, and they are not aloud to cut, so your safe.

Gov.....I think there is no speculation as to why Bradley does not schedule two of the private schools in Chattanooga. The coach has been pretty clear, at least as to what I know of his reasons.

I believe there is already a split, as for the vote, the results are still out, you may get the split that you want. You can always propose any legislation you want to put up for a vote, all you have to do is type it up and present it. The TSSAA was formed to give you a voice its your job to make sure your voice is heard. Maybe you need to propose to get a new executive director or elect a different board of control. The point is you have a voice, and you can make changes if you can get enough support.

I think the answer is quite simple, McCallie and Baylor are not on their schedule. As to why this is so, it is all speculation. Yes, there are lots of people out there that would love to see this match-up. We would also have liked to see LSU vs USC play in football but that wasn't on the schedule either. All the above teams schedule tough competition with common opponents. Yes, I can see that the above matches would be good for the sport, it would generate lots of excitement in the above communities. But I have come to the conclusion by not having these matches it actually generates more discusion and is just as good for the sport. I also believe that it is good for the chattanooga public schools that wrestle. It gives the wrestler an incentive to stay at a Soddy or Hixon because they will get to wrestle Bradley along with McCallie and Baylor. If they choose to go to McCallie or Baylor they loose the opportunity wrestle against Bradley. There really is no incentive for Bradley to wrestle these two schools, they can and do schedule just as tough or tougher opponents. It would only benefit McCallie and Baylor, with no benefit to Bradley. Would I like to see them wrestle, absolutely, everyone likes to see great programs compete against each other. However, I would have to side with Bradley's stand that it serves no benefit to wrestle these two programs. It would only produce a negative result for public schools that develope and have feeder programs in the area. Yes, I believe that covers it for what its worth.

I am saying that you decided it as a member of the tssaa, along with the other member schools. The member schools are the tssaa. Yes that is what I am saying that we, the tssaa, decided on the number of classifications to divide into. It has changed through the years, but the member schools have decided upon how to divide the schools.

I beleive that the usa today pole has to do with what the team has done the last few years, along with what they have done this year. Looking at what they have done in the past, I would have to say they are deserving of their ranking.

I think that I have but I will again, It is because the members of the TSSAA decided to divide it that way. Doesn't mean that it is good or bad, fair or unfair, thats the way it is. Do I think there are too many classes, yes in football, not enough in the other sports. I think everyone should be back in with some type of multiplier, One for financial aid, one for urban, one for non-financial aid, one for open zones, It could become complicated but it could be worked out. Between you, laz, baldman, VG, and a few others locked in a room there could be a compromise that works for everyone. Yes there are classifications, but it still doesn't make everything equal. Is it fair for the smallest 4-A team to compete with the largest 4-A team. It really doesn't matter cause that is where you are, so you better figure out a way to compete with them.

And for the millionth time we hear you, but for the millionth time not wanting to play someone because they have an unfair advantage is not a plausable reason for not playing someone. If that were the case I am sure there are alot of teams that feel that Smith Co. has an unfair advantage and they shouldn't have to compete against them in the play-offs. I am sure that there are a lot of 4-A teams that feel that Maryville has an unfair advantage over them, does this mean they shouldn't have to play them in the play-offs. Unfair advantage is an opinion that is held by many programs in many different sports. Do you not see the madness behind trying to make everything fair for everyone. It may be fair to you but not fair to me. Maybe Smith Co. needs to become more progressive in the education process, and make changes that are consistant with other surrounding school systems, in order to become more competitive. Don't tell me I can't stay out late just because your parents don't let you. This is what I feel that you are complaining about, your system won't let you accept students that don't live in your county so no one else can. Just because someone can do something that you can't doesn't make it unfair.

I was refering to this quote. As well as others you have mentioned, educational as well as athletically over Jackson Co. With all the above being true and the basketball facilities being the same as you mentioned, I have to ask why would this girl transfer from your school to Jackson Co. Could it be that the coach is associated with an AAU team, and can give her more opportunities to recieve a college scholarship. The reason you gave about her dad working in Jackson Co. is a legitament reason. If a parent lives in Lenior City and works in Knoxville, is it reasonable that he may send his sibling to Knox Webb, on there way to work. I am not trying to be a comedian, I am just trying to get you to see the forest in spite of the trees. The same reasons that this girl has transferred or moved to Jackson Co. may be the same reasons that apply to urban, private, or in this case one rural school to another. I just can't buy into your Rural can't and doesn't want to compete with private or urban schools. Obviously, in girls basketball your small rural schools must have some advantage over the private-urban schools because of the success of the schools in your region, or could it be that basketball is a priority in these communities.

Antwan, having admitted that you have a facilities advantage over Jackson Co. do you think that it is fair for you to be in their region. Tyner Academy is a magnet school with in a community school. There are several examples of this. I believe that Pearl Cohn out of nashville is another example of this. They have a small zone in which they are able to draw regular students that are not apart of the magnet school and offer them a regular curriculum. I also think that these schools have to meet certain racial percentages so its not just first come first serve. If the school doesn't have enough qualified applicants in a certain racial make-up they have to take someone who is a partial qualifier. So there is some room for selective students. I have heard that MLK in nashville is notorious for getting the good basketball player admitted into there school.

Is it an unfair advantage that these types of players may be drawn to these type programs in your area. Does Jackson Co. have an advantage over the other small rural schools in your area?

Oh, I apoligize I thought all this was about winning not participation. Sounds like Soddy should just play intramural basketball if thats the case, then everyone is happy. Maybe all you guys on here that think you know so much more than your former coach, can form your own team, coach them, and compete against each other plus have lots of fun. The next thing you will be claiming is that if we could just get the kids out who play flag fooball at the local YMCA, we will win the region in football. Getting the kids out doesn't equate to victories. It takes hard work, dedication, and sacrifice, are these kids willing to do that. They didn't before, what's going to change it, especially if they still don't win. Its great to have excitement about changes in your program, but its going to take more than a great coach and a bunch of stars in church league to turn Soddy's basketball problems around, but your are correct that its a start in the right direction.

Yes, these are silly comments, but these are also the same ones making comments about the coach, are these silly too. Its waters down the credibility of the first comments about how bad the coach is, when you comeback and say something ludicrous about church league being able to lead the team to the promise land. I can just here Coach Baker from Ooltewah saying, "Man if Soddy get's those kids from church league, we may not be able to compete with them. Maybe I will need to go up to the YMCA in Cleveland and recruit." Yes go out and get the kids in the hall but don't give me their stats in church league to prove to me that they can play. Hey I used to average 30 pts a game playing intramurals in college, does that mean I could have started on the college team. If someone is going to challenge a coaches ability then they need to be able show me they know what they are talking about in order to give it credibility. There have been very few posts on here that have credibility. Telling me about all this talent in church league is laughable. Tell me how they did in AAU if any played on a team, this is a better venue to evaluate ability, not church league.

Antwan, do you think the ability to attract such players is an advantage.

I have heard of losing on purpose before, but this one is one of the tops. All coaches need to put this one in there pocket and save it. What were they working on during their other non-district loses. And to think everyone thought Walker Valley was trying to beat Bradley and Cleveland, only to find out they were working on things to beat McMinn Central. What a concept.

See, everyone can come to some type of compromise, isn't it great when everyone gets along.

Tough to beat Central at Central, Great crowd and atmosphere. Have to go with the home team.

My point exactly, when these kids play and you have a great coach and you still may loose, what's going to keep them from quiting and returning to their Church League heroics. All I am saying is you got your wish but you may not be any more successful in the win department. Its a tough region and banking on someone who stars in the church league isn't going to garantee success.