rlwest40

Your knowledge and insight continues to amaze me.

You're absolutely right. Moving the championships to a more suitable arena would only benefit me, not the wrestlers or other parents/fan/etc. Providing respectable awards to the state medalists would only benefit me, not the wrestlers. I apologize for being so selfish. I officially retract all of my statements. We should not take away from the TSSAA to give to the student athletes, that's not what high school sports is all about.

If he can beat Small again in the 2nd round (I believe he can) then he will have Allen in the semi's. I believe he can beat Allen as well and make the finals against Russo. Taylor pinned Feuerbacher this season and has wins over Small and Russo. Adam Connell is the only TN wrestler to beat Taylor this season. Allen hasn't wrestled Taylor this season or last season so I'm not sure when you're talking about.

3 is plenty for Tn. Big, Small, Private.

Wow, after all of your years in wrestling that you claimed you still don't know seeding criteria order? Granted they can all vary but most are very similar. Current season head-to-head usually trumps the rest.

Ha! Not all season just the past couple of weeks and only in response to other regions' talk on here. Someone asked who the unbalanced brackets benefited the most so I answered with the numbers. It was an unbiased response stating only the facts. Obviously it upset you. I stand behind my predictions from 2 weeks ago that this area will have the most champs. Despite coming from less populated areas with fewer schools and competing in lop-sided brackets. Don't be so tender, no one is whining but you obviously. I simply answered a question with the statistics. Good luck this weekend!!

I emphasized 'random blind draw' over 'seeding'. I remember 160 being one of the most lop-sided brackets last year. Last year's results are a great example of how ranked wrestlers randomly placed into an unbalanced bracket can ultimately determine the outcome. If 95% of the talent is on one side of the bracket then the probable medalists are going to beat each other and eventually put each other out. While on the other side wrestlers have a much easier path and it is possible and even likely that a lowered ranked wrestler or even an unranked wrestler will make the finals.

I agree with a lot of what you said. Usually the kids that are on the radar (ranking) turn out to be the majority of the medalists and for 4 or 5 to be grouped on one side of the bracket leaving only one on the other side is an injustice. Yes there is always a few that seem to come out of nowhere and do well but there are still those ranked wrestlers that we do know about that will most of the time do well. Why group them together? Yes it will be settled on the mat. Yes the winner will rise to the top and beat them in any and every round. Yes it is an individual sport but at the same time team points are calculated. This is what the unbalanced brackets effect the most. Wrestlers that had a very minimal chance of making the finals now have greatly increased chance because the vast majority of the talent is on the other side of the bracket. This manipulates team scores drastically. I don't have to develop a better system. Its already been done. Tournaments have been seeded all over the country for many many years, even in TN.

Leg Work Its one thing to host the tournament and do all of that leg work. Its totally different to do all of the other leg work that is clearly the job of TSSAA officials. Phone calls, crunching numbers, etc, etc.

You ignore the points being made here. Which are spending the additional revenue from increased attendance on a more suitable facility and better awards, thus putting the money back into the sport. Good for you though, you added so much insight to the conversation.

Whats you argument? You want to argue terminology but he has a valid point that you continue to ignore.

With a mind like yours I'd be surprised if it wasn't constantly baffled! Those who fund it should have a vote as to how its spent. Self explanatory. Kids and profit...point is put all of the money back into the sport. BC comment was a joke but there is some truth to it at the same time. I've said many times I don't care where state is held as long as its done right. I feel like a centrally located college wrestling program should he able to host the event, UTC or MTSU. Lighten up!

You've twisted everything I've said. I never mentioned net revenue, I guestimated a rough profit amount due to a completely free venue as compared to paying for one in the past. Stating simply that it is a profit because of the free venue compared to paying an alleged arm and a leg in the past. The $200,000-$300,000 is your number not mine. You've double my number in your argument for some reason and implied that it was mine. I'm not affiliated with the TSSAA so why should I do their job. Don't be so uptight about the BC joke. What are the real numbers then? Are you implying that the TSSAA cannot afford an adequate venue for this sport or appropriate awards for its athletes?

In response to your question, I'll answer with statistics. After a closer review of only the unbalanced brackets with consideration given to the ranked wrestlers on the weaker side of the bracket it appears that several different teams from four different regions benefit. Two from region 4 benefit being the favorite on the weaker side. Two from region 5 benefit being the favorite on the weaker side. Two from region 6 benefit being the favorite on the weaker side. Five from region 7 benefit being the favorite on the weaker side. These are the the top regions in the state. Regions 4, 5, and 6 all seem to get an equal amount of great draws due to the lop-sided brackets so I see this as a wash between these regions. Region 7 seems to benefit the most by getting 3 additional unbalanced draws in their favor.

Bravo!

I don't have a conspiracy theory. I just dislike the randomness that allows the unbalance. I understand that the TSSAA does not provide the rankings but they are fairly accurate and based on current season results. The order may not end up exactly right by the end of the year but the top 6 is usually accurate. I still believe that it would not be that difficult to seed a 32 man bracket using current season head-to-head, previous year's, etc. It might not be 100% accurate but most tournaments that use this standard seeding criteria is usually pretty accurate with seeding the finalists. It would provide a more balanced bracket than the current system. The Soddy Showdown was successful and accurate seeding a 16 man bracket, as was the 32 man McCallie and GP West. Many of these top wrestlers have actually faced each other, if not move on to criteria #2, 3, etc. Examples: Look at this year's 120 lb bracket, 4 of the top 5 ranked wrestlers all on one side with the #4 ranked wrestler all by himself on the other side. 152 is very similar with 5 on the top and the #3 ranked wrestler on the bottom. These two are probably the worse but 106, 126, 145, 170, 182, and 195 are all unbalanced. #1 and #2 are on the same side of the bracket in 120, 152, 195, 220, and 285. The top 3 are grouped on the same side of the bracket in 120, 195, and 285. Again, ranking isn't an exact science but its very accurate and very similar to seeding criteria which I believe would provide much more balance than what we have now. I believe an educated guess would be better than random selection.

He has just like the rest of us. Who the heck do you think has been paying for all of this? The fans/supporters/parents/teams! The venue is now free, so is the admission and parking etc? No, so where does the additional $150,000 profit go? Those who fund it should have a vote as to how its spent. End of story. If the kids can't make a profit then others shouldn't be able to make a profit off of them either. Put the money back into the sport that generated it. I don't care how much the venue cost, if it was affordable before then it should be now with the additional divisions/teams/individuals/fans/parents/etc. The atmosphere of one of our home dual meets puts the state tournament to shame. Same can be said for BC. Maybe the state championship should be held in Bradley County. These two schools seem to know how to host a wrestling event.....and win one!!

At least the top 3 aren't all on the same side of the bracket as some are.

Brackets are a complete joke again this year. I've got a great idea to help the T$$AA make some more cash. How about a live stream of this 'random blind draw'. I'm sure a lot of people would pay to see the process live. Too many uneven lop-sided brackets again this year.

He had been wrestling all year in a different state. Lucky he was able to get certified and approved that quick the week of region.

If you have two different region champs that are both returning state placers then they will be separated on different sides of the bracket. Everyone else is a blind draw even the other region champs and/or any returning state placers that failed to win their region.

There was another wrestler at 220 for his team. Eligible? What's that? Perfect timing, couldn't have planned it better!

Must be a region champ AND returning state placer to be separated in the bracket. Doesn't matter if 10 other wrestlers in that weight class has beat him this year. Everyone else is a random 'blind' draw.

TN does not seed state tournament.

I could see how the attendance might have slightly increased due to the addition of all the new divisions.