slingshot

This whole issue/argument has no purpose. The idea and obsession with letting one wrestler proclaim "I AM the TRUE State Champion" also demands that another proven young man must proclaim,"I am NOT the TRUE State Champion", if only in his own mind. This is what troubles me about this whole thing. The ones who want to continue to compete certainly will, but they shouldn't be bullied or shamed into it because "the fans" demand it.

Exactly!

"defeated ALL comers". So basically, anyone with less than an Olympic or World Gold medal isn't a "TRUE winner"? Because, face it, everyone can keep going to tougher, next level tournaments to "defeat all comers", especially if they are a TRUE winner! "Even if I get beat in that match, it doesn't take away from my public school State Championship." Yes sir, I'd be willing to bet that it would eat their guts out because they're competitors. And if it didn't, you can be sure that every message board jockey, has been and never was would be quick to point it out that they weren't the "TRUE winner", just lucky to be in the other division. "I'm not going to feel any worse than if I had lost any other match" This statement alone makes me question why I'm even responding to you. In fact, our thinking is so far apart on this that I'm not even going to waste my time. Go somewhere and take on and defeat ALL comers, Mr. Gable. Or is it J. Smith, or T. Brands? Obviously you are a world class athlete and not JUST some TN. State Champion.

Tex, you're not sure how that takes away from their accomplishment? Are you kidding me? After a kid has worked his butt off for years to accomplish this goal of STATE CHAMPION, you want him to then put it on the line and go out with a loss? You're right, these kids are competitiors and they just competed their way to a TSSAA Individual State Championship. If they choose to still compete or prove themselves, there are tons of opportunities out there to face great competition. To be forced to do it (or called cowardly) by casual fans who would like to see it is just selfishness. You seem to have insight into the mind of these State Champions. Tell me, what year did you win your title?

A True State Championship team? So neither Father Ryan or Bradley (or Hixson) are True State Champions? Do you want the addresses of these schools so that you can inform them? While you're at it, go ahead and contact the AAA Football State Champions and inform them of their farce also. After all, did they play the AAAA State Champions? The AA State Champions? Did they play the DII State Champions? Buy yourself a book of stamps and just bulk mail it out to every sport in Tennessee, Ga, etc that they are not actually State Champions. Hurry before they begin too much celebration and having too much pride in what they thought was a great accomplishment! Hurry and knock them back to reality! Pretenders! Fakers!

Hey Bayou, if you get his name, maybe you could pass it on to Coach Logsdon. I'm sure he's like to know who has been trashing him and brandishing all of this anonymous slander against him. /popcorneater.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":popcorneater:" border="0" alt="popcorneater.gif" />

purple and gold, I've no doubt that you have dazzled 2@140 with your intellect. Shoot, I've got cold chills myself just taking in your obvious skills! Before you continue to gush about yourself and impress the old boy, keep this in mind. His oldest son (a State Champion, 2 time State finalist and 3 time State placewinner) attended and graduated from Duke University. The day he graduated, 2@140 and his wife had to hustle back and forth between North Carolina and Bradley High School. The reason is that his other son, (a 2 time State Champion, 3 time State finalist and 4 time State placewinner) was preparing to give his Valedictorian's address to his graduating class. He is now at Columbia University (heard of it?) wrestling and still making A's. I doubt he's quite as tingly as me about your greatness. My only point? Be careful trying to honk your own horn so loudly to impress folks. Others have some pretty strong reasons to be proud also. They just don't have the need to beat their chests quite so hard. I think its called true confidence, modesty and style.

But just like the rest of the "opinionated" posters, you're NOT the coach of the #2 team, are you? The difference is, he won't come to your job and tell you how he thinks you should do it ! Get yourself a teaching certificate, find yourself a job, get hired as the schools wrestling coach, build your feeder, middle and high school program, then you can make any wrestling decision for YOUR team that you feel is best.

Somewhere, Steve Nabi is sad.

Bayou, that's some funny stuff ! Almost wet my pants laughing. Thanks for the comic relief! /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

Trust me on this. Alan Jones has absolutely no "say" in any decision associated with BCHS Wrestling!

Fanforlife, why in the world are you dragging Bradley into this? You seem to be implying that Bradley finds success because they have "10,000" students. For the record, student population is about 1,500. Granted, it's a fine #, but just about the same as many, many schools across the state. /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

Not exactly right, either. Toby gave 1 million dollars to the wrestling program which includes the $800,000 for the Lake Forest Wrestling building. The other money is an account to be used for the high school program as needed, which it certainly has been.

Bip bop, It isn't so much the fact that you're completely wrong or the fact that the Bradley JV kids did well (as did many of the local JV). It's just the arrogance and enthusiasm with which you post something that is entirely innacurate. I marvel at your ability to declare this type of thing so strongly, yet still have the inability to come back and acknowledge your blunder publically. A simple "I guess I was wrong" would do, but then that would require maturity and self-esteem, so.... Congratulations to all of the JV that competed.

Trueblue, Considering the fact that it's accurate, exactly what about the Bradley JV success gave you such a chuckle? Do you still find it funny? Please share the humor with us so that we all might enjoy it also. /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

I'm pretty close to the situation, so let me just cloud the situation with a few of those pesky facts: 1. Bradley went to the Cleveland duals (just down the road) every year since it's inception. (close to 20 years?) They gave all of these teams "just down the road" ample chance to beat them. 2. Not exactly sure, but I don't remember them ever not wrestling in the championship match, usually vs. collins hill, who Bradley handled just fine for many, many years. There are many Cleveland duals championship trophies in their wrestling room. 3. The Cleveland staff was notified many, many months ago that Bradley was going to try something different this year (for the first time in 20 or so years), and at that time, there were absolutely NO DII schools entered in their tournament. 4. With 15 Team State championships in the last 16 years to their credit and an endless list of state champions and placewinners, I doubt that they need help from the likes of a guy named Turkey bar to help them be successful. But thanks for your obviously unbiased opinion just the same.

pretty good Raider76. You not only managed to congratulate your old coach for his well-earned accomplishment, but took the opportunity to take a couple of jabs at the old cross-town rival as well. All in one short paragraph. It read like this: "the only reason that Bradley has owned Cleveland for over a decade is because they have twice as many students"(actually Bradley has about 1500 to Clevelands 1200) and not only that, but "those Bradley boys are skeered to wrestle the DII boys." I mean, who else could you possibly be referring to? Spoken like a true ex-blue raider and current red raider dad. next time, just congratulate your coach and save your petty jealousy for another thread. By the way, great accomplishment for Coach Miller. Well deserved honor.

mtn, The right for a coach to determine his team's schedule isn't earned ?? How about the part where he decided to devote his life to teaching and coaching, majored in ed. in college, received his degree, landed a head coaching job at a prominent high school, and has spent the last twenty-some years staying late every day, taking kids home, going to JV tournaments that end at 1:00 AM, dealing with some irrational parents, planning practices, dealing with the new weight certification/bodyfat % mess, dealing with classroom problems, dealing with his own aging lower back, knees, etc. each day in practice, handing out discipline, missing his own families activities to help the young men from other families and being continually critiqued by everyone who doesn't agree with him? Yes sir, he's earned it. Red Boy, Good post. Honest, clear and fair. I'm sure that a lot of people hate to see that go, if it indeed does. Different from earlier posts: bhs78 insinuated that Coach Mullin is "padding his record" while he takes a sarcastic jab at Silverdales new program. ND Saint informs us that Coach Mullin would "sell out his hardest working senior if it would make him look better". And even you educated us that there is "NO excuse for them not wrestling Baylor and McCallie". Really? Have you talked to Coach Mullin personally and determined that he is out of his mind or just a coward? I mean, NO excuse doesn't leave much wiggle room. I realize that this is a message board, complete with different opinions. It just seems to get so dang personal sometimes against a man who is just trying to spend his life's work trying to help kids, and doing one heck of a job at it.

How many years did Bradley have to listen to this same logic? Back in the early 90's, every antagonist and critic sang of the certain downfall of the Bears because they would not wrestle McCallie and later, Baylor. Yet, since 1994 they were able to reel off 13 or 14 Team State Championships, produce endless individual State Champions, 5 OW's, and 6 or 7 high school All-Americans. This is not to start up this same tired argument, but give the coaching staff at Notre Dame some respect and allow them to schedule as they see fit. They've earned that right.

See thread: "Please, no way!"

C'mon KKW, log on and take it like a man! You didn't just give an opinion about the possible outcome of this match, you were challenging people with bets ! When a casual fan does this, perhaps they can hide behind their screen name, but when a well known coach does it, you have to at least take your medicine and eat a little humble pie. .........Speaking of that, where is our old pal, soms ?? Maybe looking for a big fork for that load of words he has to eat.

KKW, let's not even discuss the call...At this point it doesn't matter. Instead, let's discuss your comment. Danny is indeed a great ref and no one disputes that. However, your comment infers that Danny has never and will never miss a call. Give me a break. Danny Gilbert will be the first guy to tell you that he has missed many calls. He's always the first guy to admit it in later conversations. Don't let your respect for Danny cloud your thoughts. Yes, he's a great guy and a great ref, but he misses calls just like everyone else. It's a tough job. I'm pretty sure that he doesn't want or need you to make irrational statements in his behalf.

aolisbad, Sly has probably gone to bed, so I'll help you out with your question. If you go back and read his post, you'll read where he typed that "until 2000, the event was passed around the state, allowing different schools and areas this same opportunity" (to host the event and reap the many benefits of doing so). That was the design, so it was in Memphis one year, then in Bristol the next, Cleveland the next, Nashville the next and so on. The TSSAA had set it up that way so that it would be more fair. Many coaches complained that it wasn't fair that while the State Traditional tournament was always in Chattanooga, the Duals were passed around, which often meant two long road trips within two weeks of each other for some teams. Very expensive. I don't think that Sly has a problem with the idea of the State Duals being held in a central location such as Nashville since it is true that the Traditional is always in Chattanooga. The problem is that one specific team reaps the rewards of this advantage every year and that too, seems unfair. See, Bradley nor anyone else during the '90's ever claimed ownership of this tournament. They just waited their turn, then busted their tails to do a good job with it for that year. Clarksville has been given unconditional ownership and all of the benefits that comes with it. Hope this answers your question.

Vet, that's a good point. "Home court" advantage has been given year after year to a team that is sometimes in the running for a State title. It's not only an unfair advantage from the competition standpoint, but also from an economic one. All teams scrimp, save and work to provide the necessary money to fund their program. Clarksville is given this great opportunity every year and while they take advantage of it and do a pretty good job overall, it still seems to be a boost to their program that others would welcome. As far as Clarksville's hospitality, there is one area that has concerned me for a few years. I, and many others that I have spoken to can't help but notice the obvious dislike (or jealousy) that they seem to have for Bradley HS. While it's human nature to want to see the big dog fall, Clarksville's fans and wrestlers are the only team who make an organized effort to support Bradley's opponent year after year. It has been obvious vs. Franklin this year and Soddy Daisy in previous years. The coaching staff always has to prepare the team for the "Bradley hate" that they will surely receive from the fine folks at Clarksville. I'm sure that no other coaches have to give their team that same speech. Their tauntings, signs and other displays reak of not only poor sportsmanship, but many years of playing second or third fiddle to BCHS. Why should Bradley be forced to endure this? Because they're usually near the top and because the TSSAA has decided to provide Clarksville with this yearly advantage.

RMC, is your comparison a true representation of the facts? You seem to be passing your accomplishments off as starting from scratch (the first 8 years of the programs existence). Is this in fact what you're saying? Or are you referring to when Meadow Creek simply became Collins Hill after many years of having a successful program? Having an already established team simply get a brand new school (while combining with another school?) and changing their names hardly qualifies it as a new program. If these facts are accurate, you're comparing apples and oranges. True, Collins Hill has gone to a higher level, but it still is not an accurate comparison. Maybe I'm just confused with what you meant. If so, please clarify.