faceforradio

Before Scott Meadows came to Alcoa, the Tornadoes had not won a state championship since 1989. Dating back to 2000, they've now won the championship every year but 4.

Hey CoachT friends, starting this Sat (Aug 20) I will be living up to my name by broadcasting from 8-9 AM on ESPN-Radio (1180 AM) a show dedicated to area high school footbal. I will be joined by a well known CoachT poster, as well as local coaches, and you with your call-ins. This week coach David Gregory of William Blount will be our guest, and a good portion of the show will be open topic. please listen in and have some fun with us.

Hey CoachT friends, starting this Sat (Aug 20) I will be living up to my name by broadcasting from 8-9 AM on ESPN-Radio (1180 AM) a show dedicated to area high school footbal. I will be joined by a well known CoachT poster, as well as local coaches, and you with your call-ins. This week coach David Gregory of William Blount will be our guest, and a good portion of the show will be open topic. please listen in and have some fun with us.

Hey CoachT friends, starting this Sat (Aug 20) I will be living up to my name by broadcasting from 8-9 AM on ESPN-Radio (1180 AM) a show dedicated to area high school footbal. I will be joined by a well known CoachT poster, as well as local coaches, and you with your call-ins. This week coach David Gregory of William Blount will be our guest, and a good portion of the show will be open topic. please listen in and have some fun with us.

Perhaps we are debating semantics here but I'll leave it at this. In the DII financial aid model, the student's family pays part of the tuition and part of the tuition is paid for him based on need. Let's say tuition is $10,000 and he receives 75% aid. This student athlete pays $2,500 while regular students not receiving aid pay $10,000. This is simply not the same as the Alcoa model. In the Alcoa model, a low income or needy student athlete pays $500 just the same as a regular student pays $500 to attend. There is no financial aid being given in the Alcoa model. IMO, this is THE critical distinction. Regardless of the fact that we may be correct in believing that $500 is under market value for tuition, Alcoa has set that as their tuition and they charge it equally to both needy and non needy students alike. The TSSAA cannot mandate what a school system deems the value of tuition. Therefore, in the critical issue that separates current DII from current DI schools, Alcoa is not similar.

 

If on the other hand Alcoa charged $500 for tuition to regular students, but allowed needy students to pay a lower rate (which would be $125 to be consistent with the DII example above, 25% of $500) Alcoa would then be doing what the DII schools do. IMHO, regardless of whether one might believe $500 is too little for tuition, as long as they charge that $500 consistently to both needy and non needy student athletes, the TSSAA can't and won't consider them DII.

 

At one time I checked and Oak Ridge charged about $5000 per year to attend as out of zone. Maryville is around $2500. Alcoa is $500. The TSSAA simply has no authority to require schools to be consistent. Schools are free to set a tuition rate where they see fit.

 

Having said all that, it doesn't change the fact that Alcoa setting their tuition rate at the bargain rate of $500 is an obvious plus in being able to attract students and student athletes from OOZ. Again, nothing illegal here! It is playing by the rules and using them to your advantage fair and square. The question is, when (and if) will the TSSAA modify the rules to address the OOZ loophole that provides an obvious POTENTIAL advantage to open zone schools?

 

This is a complicated issue. You, APB and others have made valid points. Alcoa is "the perfect storm" for the OOZ issue. Great academics, diverse environment, great coaching, Bargain Basement tuition rate of $500, Blount county feeder program, Heritage and William Blount poor programs, Maryville virtually full and not taking OOZ student athletes, etc. When APB responds, he will correctly point out that there are a multitude of open zone schools that have not resulted in a dynasty. The difference is that Alcoa has all of the above on top of open zoning.

 

I submit that if it's just too complicated for the TSSAA to address the open zone issue, then do away with the multiplier all together. Perhaps do away with DII and perhaps do away with the size classifications. Why pretend that there is a level playing field and cherry pick some obvious advantages while ignoring another advantage that is just as obvious?

GVK, probably the best post I've seen on this subject. Your summary of the "perfect storm", is only missing an explanation of the economic factors that led to the establishment of the home town base that would win most games anyway. I have actually considered writing a book about it all. Maybe you CAK guys can hook me up with some of your publisher friends. Hope you guys don't disappear from the boards next year.

I'd like to know how many kids playing for Alcoa actually grew up there? I bet it makes the ones that did feel good sitting on the sidelines watching the recruited Knoxville intercity kids win State Championships for them. But as long as they get a ring and the school gets another gold ball that's all that counts. Your TSSAA payment is due at the end of this month this year, they need Christmas money.

I usually jump on here when I can't stand the murder of the language anymore. However, your comment shows an incredible ignorance about the economic and demographic (look it up) history of this little town. Not to mention an ethnic insinuation that belies the color of your neck.

will see next year cause after greeneville pulls out the david versus golitaht and comes down to tornado allyand upset yall the only thing your gonna hide behind is those titles cause your gonna have no more smack to tlk bout the DEVILS and to tell ya the truth i think all you alcoa fans are just HATIN!! cause your not the center of attention cause the cinderella story is blowin up bigger than most people thought!! now come back with a little more fire next time cause your makin me bored

I hope the same people who teach english there don't coach, or you'll be in bigger trouble against Alcoa than some people think!

A coaches version (plays only) with incredibly insightful and occaisionally witty commentary is now available at alcoa.ihigh.com

EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THIS POST IS SO TRUE....GLAD SOMEONE STEPPED UP AND SAID IT!!!!! ALL them Gold Trophies were bought by HR Aluminum...Alcoa should put them trophies in there breakroom.

Interesting half right quote. If you really studied the situation, you would understand that the alcoa HR people set this up 90 yrs ago. too late to rag on them.

Hey guys, any good local eateries near the school. If not, how is the food at the game? thanks for any tips

Here's an idea that's off the wall. Have all teams keep week six open, and have some governing authority create match ups of interest in the region. Games could or could not count for play offs. Then Greeneville could take a wack at Alcoa or Maryville. Or Maryville at Powell. What match ups would you guys find interesting? Once again, thanks to the posters on " What if Alcoa were in D11" for keeping this from looking really stupid.

I want to thank the starter of this post, and all who have replied. I have a topic I've considered starting, but it's a little far fetched. However, afer this thread, nothing I do will seem quite so moronic.

APB,

 

Just curious, what Alcoa team, that won a state championship were you a part of?

Better to be silent and thought the fool, than open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Here's the problem most folks have missed. A multiplier for open zoned schools would be like banning the dunk in college basketball because of one unique player. If open zoning were the only issue, then where are the other dominant programs? Alcoas success is the result of a convergence of several factor almost impossible to recreate.

1. The hiring practices of the Aluminum Co 100 yrs ago.

2. The location of the airport and the tax revenue it generates (quality education).

3. Add outside coaching with strong discipline and conditioning programs.

The result is what you get now. My point is, if you put a multiplier on open zone schools, Alcoa (Alcinder) will most likely still dominate, 4A schools will whine, and other open zone schools will whine when they have to move up. The bottom line is, to quote JFK, no one ever said life would be fair.

Tell you what, let's just call it even now. No way I'll stay in the good on that deal especially living under the microscope

Deal, back to footbal.

Just pay me through the gate next time Alcoa is at home. That & a coke & we'll call it even

 

In all seriousness, I'm just hackin on ya there radio face. No need to get all twisted up. You were just sounding a little ho - hum about "having" to watch another "boring" Alcoa blow out so I just busted your chops a little that's all. Alcoa is a phenomenal program now. You as a supporter should enjoy watching every second of it while it lasts. Granted I can't say it will be in the near future but somday the wax wings are gonna melt. That's the down side to rising so far above everyone else. The fall is inevitable & the pain is that much greater. Let me be clear I'm not predicting or wanting to see an Alcoa collapse , but anyone that's watched high school football very long knows it WILL eventually happen. It just sounded like you were getting bored to tears watching your team do so well that's all.

 

BTW there radio, I gotta give you a point for your post. Your ps was witty & cut me to the bone. Glad a grammar lesson goes for cheaper than a broadcast lesson does. I'm still a little to the good on ya. Thanks for YOU'RE help . . . Dang it , that's not right either is it?

Glad to see you caught that D&D, as I didn't relish posting a long reply. Equally glad to see you have a good sense of humor about it all, a trait often lacking on these boards. However, you shouldn't have priced broadcast lessons higher than grammar, since now I'll have to monitor you until we break even.

Wow, D&D, I can't possibly match your rapier wit. So I'll just ask how much I owe you for the broadcasting lesson, and ask that you be reasonable, what with the cost of cucumbers these days. ps, you are contracts to you're.

Such a cross for you to bear. Having to sit through all those boring second halves. Maybe you should give yourself a break. You know, treat yourself (and the good folks of Scott Co.), to a night off & stay home.

 

By the way, didn't go to high school in Tennessee, so Tennessee's first governors name wasn't that high up on the "need to know" list.

My humble presence will be the last thing on the minds of the good folks of Scott County after friday night.BTW, until you've tried to make a 49-0 game interesting, you really don't know how hard it can be,all snideness apart.

Hey down and distance, I always do a little research on opponents towns and environs so I'll have something to talk about in the second half, when "Alcoa scores", gets redundant. So, yes I knew who Scott was before the post, but not by much. However, if you went to school in TN, knowing who the first governor was shouldn't be a stumper.

Keep in mind tuition students have to meet and maintain academic and behavioral standards. Also, if Alcoa had no tuition students( many are not players), they'd be lining up with Cosby in A ball.

Who is Blount? Where did you go to school? Not Alcoa I assume.

General Winfield Scott, served under 13 presidents, decorated hero, supposed to be the inspiration for the phrase Great Scott. speculation is he will be of no help on friday. Also, I believe BC is more like 6-7

Having only followed Alcoa for a mere16 years, I hope I'm not over stepping my bounds, but since the Reid and Rankin eras, do you really miss all the personal fouls, and constant complaints from opposing coaches and officials, and general negative opinion from opposing fans. I don't.

At the risk of being called a lurker(infrequent postings), or ignorant (low total # of posts), let me say that Alcoa got the root here. Do you realize that if Elizabethton wins out, we may actually have to travel for the semi-final game (assumming Alcoa wins out). Only the existence of the Ridgeway BBQ helps mitigate this injustice.

Who does Alcoa think they are fooling by saying the reason they are playing at Tech is because their field is too saturated....NOBODY! We all know that want to get accustomed to the atmosphere at Tech before December. Sounds like they are counting their chickens before they hatch! I have always had lots of respect for alcoa but now hope someone pulls off the upset in the playoffs and they don't make it to cookeville.

I normally don't like to disparage posters, but this is the stupidist thing I have ever read on this message board. It wasn't even Alcoas decision, not to mention the loss of gate, and the band parents concession loses. Next time you want to engage in a battle of wits, don't come unarmed.