Stonewall

I could type until dawn about my disappointment in the TSSAA's butchering of our playoff system. For brevity's sake, let me just say that now that they've got the revenue from 8 playoff trees, forget it! We'll never reel 'em back in now.

Compusa, with all due respect to you as well, I disagree with your assessment of ETSU's standing. Based on what I gather from my constituents that I call on around the Eastern U.S., ETSU has become basically a community college of irrelevancy. Only those here in extreme east Tennessee even know it exists as a general rule. Once in a while I'll get a "didn't you guys used to have a really good basketball team" or "didn't you guys play football in a dome" type question. However, the loss of the main sport, and the loss of so many future high school football coaches that are no longer produced there has neutered the place. That is Stanton's legacy above all in my judgement.

Oh good grief! This might be the most embarrassing thing I've ever read rolling out of Johnson City and that's saying something. "Science Hill?? Science Hill???" ....talkng any smack about football at all? Really? You've been btch slapped for two decades, you can't keep a Southern Conference college program in your own town, you change coaches like George Michael changes boyfriends, and you even mention football?? Then, the icing on the cake, you challenge us to come over to JC to look at "real gold balls"..........and they're from BASKETBALL!!!!!!! BWWWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I can't even begin to put into words what a tool you look like. You personifie exactly what D-B fans think of when they picture a topper football fan. I'm thinking that a collection of Elton John and Boy George albums aren't far from your bed. Priceless, absolutely priceless!!

Who is Butler?

So who is the new A.D.? Why is this a prospective problem?

I congratulate all the State Champions. Everyone in their classifications had the same chance, and bascially 8 teams were able to play within the given guidelines and win. As an older fan and as a guy who loves Tennessee High School football, I wonder if we're doing the right thing. Maryville will be a threat to win any classification regardless of change; ditto with Alcoa. I'm not sure about the the rest. Case in point....Greeneville. They had a fine football team with great team speed and they put this Championship together over several years of obviously hard work. Still, with the watered down classifications that indicate our state has the population of Florida, which it doesn't, here's who they faced down the stretch of their regular season: South Greene High School * Away 09-24-2010 Tennessee High School Away 10-01-2010 West Greene High School * Home 10-08-2010 Cumberland Gap High School * Home 10-15-2010 Chuckey-Doak High School * Away 10-22-2010 Grainger High School * Away 10-29-2010 Claiborne High School The first three rounds of the playoffs weren't much different. I'm not surprised that they smashed the scoring record. Hear me now, this isn't their fault and they simply played who was put in front of them. Still, has our state prostituted our system in the name of making the most money? Greeneville lost a pre-season scrimmage to Dobyns-Bennett who was gone after the 2nd round. If our state had four classes which is truthfully all our population really needs, they would have had to walk through either Maryville or Alcoa. At least one of the A or AA Champions would likely have had to face one another as well. I don't mind what the private schools are doing as they are a separate deal. I'm just an old school guy who would like to see us do things the right way. We had a great playoff system and we've junked that and no one likes the new one. Now we've got 3 more Champions than the state of Georgia and I wonder if any of you are concerned about this as well?

I'm going to say this slowly because I know you will need time to comprehend it all;....."you live in C A R T E R county. You root for Elizabethton. Elizabethton....also known as a blip on our radar for 60 years. While you're out taking 3 quarters to finally put away Chuckey Doak, we're over here playing real football. Our kids lost in overtime to an SEC tailback. You still live in Carter County. Anytime you would like back on the schedule, please, just let us know. Now that's the silence that you are hearing! We took a very average 9-3 team and played the best team you ever had....at your place.....with all of the Rider connections, the Whitten factor, your number 1 ranking, and the whole ball of wax. Listen now, I'm typing slowly....YOU GOT WORKED!! Now keep yourself over there in delusion in Carter County and stop trying to smack talk when you truly have nothing to stand on. Otherwise someone is going to accuse you of lying through your tooth!

Just checking in here, but did you really just say that? "Every time the tackle blocks down the QB keeps it?" Do you watch option football at all? Unless the d-tackle is lined up inside, the tackle ALWAYS blocks down on the option! Keep or give, it's up to the QB. You are apparently suggesting that we only run double option or predetermined FB dives. I can flatly assure you that's not the case. I'm in here late and maybe I missed your earlier remarks, but I know the G man well. We are infact a triple option team.

Charlie Morgan Indeed!! What a job by the best coach in Upper East Tennessee! What does that make now, about 4 trips to the State Tournament by a guy who has high-average talent?! I know the haters are coming to say we'll get killed, etc., but what a job!! The Indians have taken over the "going to state" discussion in the tri-cities. Great, great, great job by the Tribe tonight! You made us proud!!

Meanwhile Robert Norris just sits over at North quietly winning 8 or 9 games per year. I wonder how his program might benefit from this Sullivan County exodus?

This is a discussion because the talent level has dropped dramatically at D-B. I don't mean to offend parents or friends, but it's true. When D-B had those semi-final teams from 1998-2002, no one in this area has had anything that could play with them.....ever. Coach Clark did a great job of getting the minority kids out and they were loaded. If D-B were still at that level it wouldn't matter what anyone else had. Shoot, they have managed to convincingly beat South regardless, and South has had the best teams in the history of their program. Even the guys who found trouble and ulitmately had to leave the team were phenominal while they were there. (IE- Sentell Brice, Tylee Henry, Jermaine Carpenter, etc.) D-B looks far more like a county team now and that's why they have played like one. It will be interesting to see if the general appearance of the team changes anytime soon.

Anyone who thinks that the right "hire" is the key might be mistaken. Talking with two very respected coaches from our area recently, I asked them about the Science Hill job. They said that the place had been a sleeping giant for probably close to 20 years. However, they said it would never awaken unless the changes over there went far more to the top than just the football coach. They said the kids are soft because the community is soft. They said that no matter who the coach was, as soon as the first parent was offended and showed up at the door of a board member, it was on. They said that until the school learned to speak with one voice and say "we're going to be good in football and we support our coach", they would always be a 6 and 4, one and done type outfit. I thought it was interesting that one of them quoted a former coaching colleague of theirs who said, "Remember, this is the town that sat idly by and let college football die in the town." Interesting thoughts to add at least.

Trainer Posts: 154 Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:04 am Re: Alcoa @ Elizabethton--Semifinal by Stonewall » Fri Nov 27, 2009 1:10 am "I would like to make it over to Elizabethton for this one. None of us know what will really happen, but here's my guess. Betsy hangs around for a while and gives what will be a capacity crowd reason to cheer a few times. However, deep genetics and deep, deep tradition decides the day. This is a big game for Betsy. Alcoa has played in bigger for 6 straight years and won virtually every time. No one in East Tennessee can prepare us for the collegiate-like material that we are going to see. Alcoa's speed will be the talk of the locals when this one's done and the Tornado's will pull away in big fashion. If I'm wrong I'll be on here quick to provide the Cyclones props. Losing isn't always a failure of coaches or kids. Sometimes battles just get lost because other people are better." Lee Corso eat your heart out.

I would like to make it over to Elizabethton for this one. None of us know what will really happen, but here's my guess. Betsy hangs around for a while and gives what will be a capacity crowd reason to cheer a few times. However, deep genetics and deep, deep tradition decides the day. This is a big game for Betsy. Alcoa has played in bigger for 6 straight years and won virtually every time. No one in East Tennessee can prepare us for the collegiate-like material that we are going to see. Alcoa's speed will be the talk of the locals when this one's done and the Tornado's will pull away in big fashion. If I'm wrong I'll be on here quick to provide the Cyclones props. Losing isn't always a failure of coaches or kids. Sometimes battles just get lost because other people are better.

"I think they're pretty happy with being an academic superpower. You know...academics get people jobs...jobs are hard to find right now...thank god they have the right priorities." Ummm, O.K. Obama couldn't have said it better. Remember those "right" priorities next fall when you are enjoying an entertaining evening watching a barn burner between Greeneville and Cocke County. Things will be more to your liking then; competition equalized, everyone more alike, no faculty offended because the football program is getting more than anyone else, and exiting in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Yep, what could I have been thinking? I'm sure everyone disappointed in the loss and the football program that got worse will get in their cars and say, "at least we are a Blue Ribbon winner!"

The 800 pound elephant in the room is when you have to start sentences with "she" in reference to someone overseeing the football program, you're dead. Take a tour of the power programs in the southeast and you won't find women running them. That will offend some of the liberals out there but it's a fact. Football has always been the super power at schools with great High School athletic programs. I've seen very few where a woman headed it up and could resist letting football be the "straw that stirs the drink." It always comes down to gender equity and not wanting to offend the rest of the faculty. I hate it for Greeneville. You might as well post a giant billboard that reads, "we want to be good, but we don't want to be a super power." People that really understand HS football success know that when the football program is steam rolling, the money is the rising tide that lifts all boats. What a shame.

The lack of football knowledge on these boards shouldn't be as remarkable to me as it is, but I guess it frames this as what it is....a "fans" board. (Read-they don't really know the game, they just have opinions). Understand this folks, the play I assume you are talking about is the taking of the safety at the end of the game. It was brilliant and EVERY team in the country that is coached at all has it in their book. The object is to intentionally hold knowing that you are giving up the two points. If you hold well, the play can take between 10 and 20 seconds off of the clock. If the other team is, A.) stupid enough to take the holding penalty, you just do it again and eat more clock....or B.) if the other team retaliates in frustration and gets a personal foul due to the obvious holding, the penalties off-set and you still do it again....eating up even more time. The coaches told me that everyone that they know in coaching does this and has for 30 years. They said you get to use it about once every 3 or 4 years. D-B ate what, 25 or 30 seconds off of the clock? That was exactly what they practiced. You can't account for letting some guy rip off a 75 yard return. If they had tackled him, McMinn would have had 37 seconds to get in field goal range. D-B wins. You all are welcome to your opinions, but please know that educated people in the game are shaking their heads at you.

Without continuing the bomb throwing, here's a perspective from those of us from the South who feel that the best college football in America is played here every year. 1.) "It IS the biggest rivalry in college ball, and arguably all of sports as ranked by ESPN." You mean the same ESPN that is owned by ABC, the Rose Bowl network? The ESPN/ABC alliance that deeply needed a bad Rose Bowl matchup that featured Washington State to seemingly matter? The ESPN/ABC alliance that openly marketed Charles Woodson as the obvious choice to win the Heisman to further hype their game, though that choice looks worse with every passing year? The same alliance that gave us Bob Griese actually crying in the booth because his son was able to rally the supposed best team in America by the #8 team in the country by 5 points? 2.) "How many times has the outcome of the game cost the loser the conference title or a shot at the national championship since the inception of crowning a national champion? No comparison there." No, the "no comparison" is in the fact that the Big 10 doesn't win National Championships. The SEC alone has 9 National Titles in the last 30 years compared to 2 for the Big 10. That doesn't include 9 more won by Southern schools. Other schools from the North?.....3. 3.) "The 2006 game was watched in 57 countries by the largest audience to ever watch a college football game." Right, and ESPN gave us a 500 hour ticker to let us know what a sacred event it was going to be. Then Herbstriet the homer and company told us how ignorant we were if we didn't want a rematch for the National Title. After all, Michigan barely lost in the Horse Shoe! Only Normandy could have been so tough! Flash foward one month. Both of them got embarrassed in Bowl games. (SEC....again). Flash foward one year, now the Buckeyes will get it right....embarrassed! (SEC....again). I'm done now, respond if you wish. Just know this, that's why we down here feel the way we do. Facts are aggravating things. The pro-Big 10 gameday crew will always hype the league, do specials on how awesome the games and traditions are, and treat us like we're nose picking hicks if we don't agree. Then, historically speaking, another Southern team will win the National Title and there will be cricket silence.

As has been stated on television many times, the "play" was fortunate, but it was not illegal. As for your comments on rivalries, you are deeply mistaken......tragically, horribly, irretrievably broken wrong. Ohio State/Michigan is a rivalry game that matters to the 2 universities, particularly around Oct./Nov./Dec. While many rivalries that cross many sporting lines exist, nothing takes the place of Alabama/Auburn....fact. Do your own investigation and see what you come up with. No where in America in any sport do the contestants literally spend one year HATING one another. Video is available of irreconcilable differences in a divorce court because "she's from Auburn, I'm from Alabama." Just 2 years ago a Dad shot his son TWICE over the game. I'm not defending any of that, but it's a fact. No rivalry matches the hate those two have for one another and it goes on year 'round.

I have destroyed this argument so many times that it has grown boring, but you are walking into it, so learn. Bottom line, who was the best football team in January? Nebraska went up 42-7 at the half on Baylor and pulled the dogs off...whatever. Michigan played Colorado at home and got after them good. No rivalry, just an early season home game. Colorado played Nebraska in Boulder on the last Friday of the season in the biggest rivalry game they had in front of a frenzied crowd....quite a difference. Michigan needed some rallies of their own to get by perennial juggernaut Iowa in a come-from-behind thriller. Iowa? As for Michigan's schedule....THEY PLAYED IN THE BIG TEN!!! Think that's just hype? Try the Big 10 being 2 and 5 in Bowl games that year! Try Michigan rushing for all of 43 yards against mighty Ohio State (at Michigan mind you!) and winning by 6 points shortly before Florida State trashed them in the Sugar Bowl. Try Michigan rallying by a mediocre Washington State (Washington State?) team by 5 points in the Rose Bowl. WSU was led by NFL superstar and future Hall of Famer Ryan Leaf. Meanwhile, Nebraska broke open a close game at the half and blasted a loaded Tennessee team 42-17. They ran the ball for 340 yards in the 2nd half alone! Tennessee had Peyton Manning, Jamal Lewis, Al Wilson, Peerless Price, and Al Wilson just to name a few. Michigan never saw an offensive attack like that of the ferocious Cornhuskers. They were there before Michigan, and they were there after. They left bodies on stretchers. The Vegas odds makers had it right when they immediately installed Nebraska as 7.5 favorites if they were to play Michigan. That's why the coaches voted as they did, and that's why the Sears trophy went to Lincoln for the 3rd time in 4 years.

BullDog, Been out of town for a while so I'm late to the party on this one. Since you say you played at Michigan (and I have no reason to doubt you), I'm going to be much more professional to you. However, stay tuned to my rebuttal to the guy I missed from a few days ago. Nebraska cemented Tom Osborne's final National Title the night they trashed a loaded Tennessee team 42-17 in the Orange Bowl. That Tennessee team was more talented than Michigan (don't argue, just check the NFL rosters and record books). In the hoopla that followed.."will Michigan hang on, will Nebraska jump them?"....Las Vegas immediatly installed Nebraska a whopping 7.5 favorite if they were to play the next week. Michigan fans were furious over this as they said that they lost the Crystal football because of CBS citing "gamblers". I could go on, but as I said, I would rather aim my remarks at the other guy. If you played, I give you your due reverance. You SHOULD think that your team was better. I would expect no less. Stay tuned!

I won't respond to the blather about jobs, etc., because you've done a good enough job on your own expressing ignorance. However, since this IS a football board, while you're slamming the South, digest this. The National Championship of college football LIVES in the South. For the last 30 years we have dominated the National Title landscape. 2/3 of the time we win it, and when we don't win it, we almost always at least play for it. Rubbing Ohio State's nose in the manure is a way of life down here (try 9 and 0 all time!). We play for titles, the Big 10 plays in the Capital One Bowl. When the rare opportunity comes for the Big 10 to appear in the title game, they get embarrassed. You won 1/2 a title with Michigan (when Nebraska was clearly better), and you "won" a title with Ohio State when an official threw a flag 4 seconds after the game had ended and the Miami celebration was in full force. So, please, take the nasal twang, take the cynical outlook, take the big 10 stinks and I know it frustration, take the language that routinely drops G#@ D$%n's and F bombs, and drag it back up to whatever yankee h#ll hole you crawled out of. Oh, by the way, M.B.A 24 Cincinnati Moeller 6!!

As a D-B fan of many decades, I would rather lose to anyone on earth than the Toppers. However, the location of this game is a concern for me. History shows that we don't play very well over there unless the talent difference is just huge. We were clearly the better team in '98 (as evidenced by our 44-8 romp in the playoffs over them), but they should have beaten us early in the season. They literally dropped a game winning touchdown with no time left as that game ended. I predict that we will struggle for 3 quarters, then get out with a win that we all wish was bigger. Blowing out the Toppers is a ritual that we all enjoy, but I think we will struggle over there.

The thing about those states is that they have envied us and how well our system works. No computers, no SOS, no one mad at the end of the year, just a straight system. To me, the TSSAA is getting a free pass from everyone on how this is just about money. We only had 3 classes for years. Then we went to 5, then we went to 7 (Private schools). Now they drop us back to 3, but only for the regular season? The old adage goes, "follow the money". This stinks to high heaven and it has very little to do with what's best for the kids.

Fine post but it would be better served if aimed at your Rebel constituency. Incessant broadside attacks will be eventually responded to.