tradertwo

Doesn't matter what publics think. Tennessee School Board Association has been actively fighting the vouchers since the inception, and though the progress has been slow, it's now here. Vouchers are touted as giving parents "a choice" for a better education...what vouchers really allow is for privates to cherry pick the public system's best academic students, student athletes, and artistic students while denying enrollment to "average" kids...even with vouchers. Privates restrict their enrollment and select their student body through their application process.

No chance, but I wouldn't argue against your best player comment. Top three at least.

In theory, you are correct. In truth the award is a combination of ad campaign, career stat line, and popularity contest with a progressive bias toward upperclassmen. Not saying that anyone undeserving wins the award, just not always the most deserving. This could very well be his year.

Talent will get you only so far...when it comes the time that talent is equal and composure decides the game, this edition of Camden will have trouble advancing. On the football field or on the hardwood, attitude and desire matter...the desire may be there, but the attitude?

Not trying to be a smart aleck, but yes it is. TSSAA is a non profit (lol, hurt my fingers to type that) organization that charges schools to become members. They are in no way under the umbrella of the Tn. Dept. of Education, or any other government agency, and following whatever rules and guidelines that their board adopts is mandatory to remain a member. Any or all schools are free to opt-out of the agreement at any time providing that they understand that TSSAA sanctioned events are off limits to them for participation. Other obstacles are insurance, officials, etc,,,

Glad that you have him, and also glad that he has you...men of character are scarce enough, and coach is still building young men from boys at Boyd, both from what he strives to teach and from what they will gain from emulating a great man. In turn, coach has purpose. Folks without goals and standards don't seem to age as well as those who do...if that's the case he should live to get to 586 and beyond.

Exactly right! If there were an exception, I'd say forget bidding to host the championship games and simply choose the best location/field for the participating schools and their fans. They should just for one event let go of the money grab and do it up right.

Let me begin by stating that I agree with everything you said, and that win or lose, I'm very proud of our guys that stick with us through thick and thin...now let me say that I'm not shortsighted to the point that I (and our community, I'm sure) wouldn't welcome in any and all who could elevate our program, provided that they show a little pride and attachment to our school and community. We don't go out and use whatever tactics are available to attract players like some apparently do, but if they come willing to be "one of us", they'd be taken in as one of us. To use Tyrone's signature...jus' keepin' it real!

The public owns the school and the field...including the members of the public that choose to pay extra for their kids to attend private schools. Things sound simpler when you eliminate all the fluff and stick to the facts, don't they?

That's your opinion...wasn't your money that was burned up by the barrel full either.

All your post did was show that no matter how far into detail something is explained to them, that they're only going to understand what their mental capacity allows for or what they are willing to accept. If you're simply going to ignore the answer, stop asking the question. It's only as complicated as this one simple truth... it's a shame that it's not the answer that some will accept.

There are some good programs in the west, but they're small. There's a different community dynamic west of Nashville than east of Nashville. Population isn't as dense to begin with, and towns (cities if you like) are more rural and smaller. Outside of the Memphis area, there are very few 4A schools several 3A, hardly any 5A, and zero 6A schools. By far most are 1A and 2A schools. You usually have 2 or maybe 3 in the smaller classifications from the east who have a legit claim to being the best in class, and maybe double that amount in the west. For example, Marion, Westmorland, and ER, were the class of the east while the west had one region with 5-6 teams with a good chance to beat the other on any given night. Biggest cities west of the Tn. River are Jackson, Savannah, Paris, Dyersburg, Martin, Lexington, Covington, Union City, Selmer, Bolivar, and several similar sized as the last few on the list. Paris has a 5A, Jackson has one 4A, one 3A, and some 2A's...Savannah and Lexington have a 4A, and the rest are all smaller. Dyer Co. is the rare large rural school without a large town to draw from. Middle and east have several small areas with numerous 5A and 6A schools in close proximity...nowhere in the west even resembles that outside the Memphis area.

I've always said that the same attributes that make a good coach make a great administrator. More often than not, solid coaching does not equate to a better understanding of the nuances of the sport but reflects a better understanding of human nature and shows not only the ability to get people's absolute best effort, but the talent for gauging what their people are capable of and not asking more of them than they can deliver. That may be a little deep for a sports message board, but you hit a topic that I preach often.

Not that it matters in this discussion but ask someone on the inside about that lawsuit...TSSAA came precariously close to bankruptcy litigating that single case. I get that you see the evident "unlevel" playing field as a problem, but that's not in TSSSAA's power to adjust, even if they (I'm guessing they wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole) had the incitive. Whomever you see as being restricted...they have the unbridled authority to remedy it immediately if they choose to, just as you have the authority to attend a meeting of the board, and as for it to be addressed publicly.

Truth. Athletes are easy to spot and are a big factor in winning. Results of top notch coaching are also pretty easy to see...either can win some games, and a combination of them can win lot's of games. Admin get's no glory from fans when they get it right, and the coaches and athletes take the blame mostly when they don't, but coaching nor athletes can build a program without support.

The ones that want to win will. This thread is irrelevant anyway...doesn't matter whether you like it and you feel that it will help your team, or if you hate it because you're afraid you'll lose kids. What should be on the minds of those with some influence is how to use the new situation to their advantage rather than gripe about it. Sooner or later everyone will be playing the same game, and some will do it better than others...now is when someone with their ducks in a row stand a chance of improving. Good PR program? Get one. New uni's...helmet graphics...stadium upgrade...anything to become attractive to those who can help, now's the time. In short, admin needs to get on board and do their best to be an asset...if it takes something as simple as what Orangeslide said, then get it done...if you don't someone else will.

He's reading the words Swipes, but the meaning of them ain't entirely sinking in. School boards set the criteria for their own system entirely. They set whether there is tuition, from what line of delineation there is tuition, and how much tuition from "out of zone" is required. The kicker is that there is no percentage of out of zone enrollment if the board doesn't set a zone. TSSAA really doesn't give a rip from where you acquire students...the only issue that they have is whether they follow the transfer policy, and even that is about to drastically change (IMO). TSSAA has no record (again, doesn't care) of whether any student is closer to school A, but chose to enroll at school B, or how far from school B his residence is. If your school has stricter enrollment restrictions than another school that you believe gives that school an advantage over yours, that's not a problem for them, it's an issue that your school board can address to satisfy your concerns. This (IMO) is one of our country's greatest problems...my granddads' generation thought that if someone was ahead of you, that you needed to work harder and be smarter to get to where they were or beyond. My grandkids' generation resents that someone has it easier than them and wants to pull them down to where they are, or that someone should help them (give them something) get to where they want to be.

I can get you the admissions exam from MIT to study, but that doesn't mean that you can pass the test...X's and O's are worthless if you don't have Alcoa's Jimmys and Joes to get it done.

Every school is open enrollment in the eyes of TSSAA, not 95%. Every school is also open enrollment in the eyes of the State of Tennessee Dept. of Education. Every school's policy is dictated by/through their own local Board of Education, and any/all restrictions placed on student enrollment is self imposed and policed. To be technically correct, to be considered "open zoned" is to have zero restrictions at all, and there are very few if any left without some miniscule restrictions for enrollments or transfers.

Psssttt....if you'll lean in close I'll let you in on a secret that I have...EVERYONE WITH A PULSE HAS KNOWN FOR THE LAST TWO DECADES!!! CAK won it with Charlie High a couple of times and one of the last holdout private schools sneaked in the back door and got one, but even they were surprises!!! With only eight practice posts before this you did an admirable job though, keep up the good work!!!

It could happen but usually the Memphis teams build for a few years, have a short run of great talent, then fall off as a different team assembles the current talent from surrounding neighborhoods. Last ten years it's been Trezevant, Fairley, MAHS, Freedom Prep, and MASE. Odds are that soon enough MASE will be replaced with someone else...all the above were 3-4 year flash in the pan then gone.

Sometimes bias doesn't matter. I'm not at all biased in the matter and think that it's shameful to promote this award as "best" or "most valuable" in their classification then use the kids age and eligibility as a metric. If Simpson were a Senior and Smith a Freshman, there wouldn't be a discussion at all because Simpson would have walked away with the honor without much discussion. I even get that upperclassmen have proven over time that they're consistent in their excellence, but sometimes obvious talent level and proficiency should IMO override that. Bottom line is, if you give the committee each kids yearly statistics without names or class...even including opponents' strength of schedule and success rate, Simpson's stand head and shoulders above anyone and everyone else, probably stands true for the past decade or two's past winners as well.

It's pretty sad ST. Bobby Sharp left Lewis Co. and ends up on Milan's staff and along comes 'ol pizz with his hate and discontent dragging along behind him like a toddler with a saggy diaper. Whatever gut punch poor old Bob hit him with all those years ago must have really ruined his life for him to still be following him around crying.🥲

Anybody know the difference between coachT posters and newborn puppies? In about their first week the puppies eyes begin to open, and within a few weeks they mature enough to stop whining constantly.