When they say 'it's not about the money.'

[Macnarry]

The David Lipscomb coach has a legitimate gripe about moving the DL-Bolivar game to Allen Arena. They met the TSSAA criteria of having enough seating capacity in their gym and still will not play at home.

 

TSSAA executive director Ronnie Carter said the change was not about the money. Please, you know the TSSAA wants to have room for everyone in Hardeman County to come to the game.

 

How much howling would Bolivar be doing, if they had been the home team and the game had been swapped to Oman Arena? You can't count the Brentwood Academy because Bolivar was trying to make more money.

 

Do you think maybe Bolivar principal Fred Kessler's pull with Carter had something to do with this move?

[Dark Man]

The David Lipscomb coach has a legitimate gripe about moving the DL-Bolivar game to Allen Arena. They met the TSSAA criteria of having enough seating capacity in their gym and still will not play at home.

 

TSSAA executive director Ronnie Carter said the change was not about the money. Please, you know the TSSAA wants to have room for everyone in Hardeman County to come to the game.

 

How much howling would Bolivar be doing, if they had been the home team and the game had been swapped to Oman Arena? You can't count the Brentwood Academy because Bolivar was trying to make more money.

 

Do you think maybe Bolivar principal Fred Kessler's pull with Carter had something to do with this move?

If I were Lipscomb I would be bringing out the lawyers for this one. T$$AA always says they are just going by the rules that the members make, but it doesn't seem to matter much about going by the rules if there extra $$$ to be made. Blatant hypocrisy!

[mkhhawk]

I'd say Bolivar's Kessler had a lot to with the decision. He does his best to get every advantage for Bolivar. Ever wonder why Bolivar is even playing a substate game in Nashville? Bolivar is aproximately 50 miles from Memphis yet avoids all the talent laden Memphis schools in its quest for M'boro. Bolivar travels past Jackson Northside and USJ on their way to district foe Camden. (Camden had to drive over 90 miles to get their 70 point whooping during the regular season.) Yet Northside and USJ go westward for their regionals and sectional games. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it sure appears that someone had a lot of influence when the new districts , regions and sectionals were drawn up.

[tomcatfan]

Mkhawk,

 

I said the same thing a while ago when they first moved the districts around. Seems like some funny business doesnt it.

[Prosushi]

I'd say Bolivar's Kessler had a lot to with the decision. He does his best to get every advantage for Bolivar. Ever wonder why Bolivar is even playing a substate game in Nashville? Bolivar is aproximately 50 miles from Memphis yet avoids all the talent laden Memphis schools in its quest for M'boro. Bolivar travels past Jackson Northside and USJ on their way to district foe Camden. (Camden had to drive over 90 miles to get their 70 point whooping during the regular season.) Yet Northside and USJ go westward for their regionals and sectional games. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it sure appears that someone had a lot of influence when the new districts , regions and sectionals were drawn up.

 

But it's not like Bolivar avoids talented schools at all. I can't say one thing or another about the way the districts and regions are, but regardless, you'll play good teams. Bolivar isn't a back-to-back state champ because they had it easy.

[Lions4ever]

I'd say Bolivar's Kessler had a lot to with the decision. He does his best to get every advantage for Bolivar. Ever wonder why Bolivar is even playing a substate game in Nashville? Bolivar is aproximately 50 miles from Memphis yet avoids all the talent laden Memphis schools in its quest for M'boro. Bolivar travels past Jackson Northside and USJ on their way to district foe Camden. (Camden had to drive over 90 miles to get their 70 point whooping during the regular season.) Yet Northside and USJ go westward for their regionals and sectional games. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it sure appears that someone had a lot of influence when the new districts , regions and sectionals were drawn up.

Oh please let's not cry this river again. The only one that got screwed in the whole deal was Camden and they got screwed in football too so don't say Kessler had anything to do with that. When has Bolivar shied away from playing the most talented teams around?...they had THE hardest schedule in AA for the whole season. They didn't shy away from playing Hamilton, BA , County Day or Mitchell in the regular season so what makes you think that Kessler sat down and said "OK let's see if we can arrange a region where we will have to travel the most miles, we might have to play the second most talented team in the state (Liberty) 4 times and risk losing the region championship because of that, and oh yes let's not forget to make it where we have to spend the most amount of money in travel just to get to regional games not to mention sectionals." Oh I'm so sure he planned that out just like that! Get real....don't worry your Memphis teams will get their shot at Bolivar and Liberty...its just that it'll be for all the money now

Edited March 7, 2006 by Lions4ever

[TheBoredGuy]

Lions4Ever remains the man.

[mkhhawk]

I didn't say Bolivar was avoiding playing good competition. They have an excellent team and have improved themselves by playing the best competition around. Their win-loss record shows that. Several losses during the regular season is immaterial to the goal of winning a state championship. The point I was trying to make is that their road to M'boro is much easier by taking on the rural schools (new District 11) and avoiding closer geographical schools like the Memphis schools in the district, regional and sectional tournaments. Money is not an issue for Bolivar (their gate receipts are probably near the tops in the state), reaching the state tournament is. Locate the schools on the map, study it, and you will realize the practice af gerrymandering is alive and well within the TSSAA. And I am sure Kessler had a voice in how this was achieved.

I do agree that Camden seemed to get the worst of it.

Edited March 7, 2006 by mkhhawk

[M-Town Baller]

I didn't say Bolivar was avoiding playing good competition. They have an excellent team and have improved themselves by playing the best competition around. Their win-loss record shows that. Several losses during the regular season is immaterial to the goal of winning a state championship. The point I was trying to make is that their road to M'boro is much easier by taking on the rural schools (new District 11) and avoiding closer geographical schools like the Memphis schools in the district, regional and sectional tournaments. Money is not an issue for Bolivar (their gate receipts are probably near the tops in the state), reaching the state tournament is. Locate the schools on the map, study it, and you will realize the practice af gerrymandering is alive and well within the TSSAA. And I am sure Kessler had a voice in how this was achieved.

I do agree that Camden seemed to get the worst of it.

I agree Kessler will do what is good for Bolivar and Only Bolivar. He could have helped Middleton but he didn't. Middleton gets to play in the Memphis district. No one supports the Memphis programs. So they bring no money to the school in attendance. But Mr.Kessler made sure his Bolivar Tigers did not get in that Memphis District. He is all about the money. They are the only high school in TN (that I know of) that charges $6.00 for every home game. MONEY HUNGRY!

[eridbro1]

Money or no money, in this country, as well as every other country on this earth one statement always reigns true; "It's not what you know, it's who you know."

[jsills]

I didn't say Bolivar was avoiding playing good competition. They have an excellent team and have improved themselves by playing the best competition around. Their win-loss record shows that. Several losses during the regular season is immaterial to the goal of winning a state championship. The point I was trying to make is that their road to M'boro is much easier by taking on the rural schools (new District 11) and avoiding closer geographical schools like the Memphis schools in the district, regional and sectional tournaments. Money is not an issue for Bolivar (their gate receipts are probably near the tops in the state), reaching the state tournament is. Locate the schools on the map, study it, and you will realize the practice af gerrymandering is alive and well within the TSSAA. And I am sure Kessler had a voice in how this was achieved.

I do agree that Camden seemed to get the worst of it.

 

There is always going to be gerrymandering no matter what field anything is in... thats just life. I say it works against Bolivar in the long run to travel so far, and I do agree that it would make much more sense for them to play in regionals with Memphis teams. However it really does not make that much of a difference at this point-or furthermore at any point- during the season. I agree that there was probably something going on behind the scenes with the drawing of these districts, but you also need to keep in mind that Northside and USJ, the two cited examples, are already in a district with Covington, Ripley, Fayette-Ware, and Haywood. It's not like there was much room for Bolivar in the mix too...they had to go somewhere. Although that would be one crazy district.

[westtnbballer]

I agree Kessler will do what is good for Bolivar and Only Bolivar. He could have helped Middleton but he didn't. Middleton gets to play in the Memphis district. No one supports the Memphis programs. So they bring no money to the school in attendance. But Mr.Kessler made sure his Bolivar Tigers did not get in that Memphis District. He is all about the money. They are the only high school in TN (that I know of) that charges $6.00 for every home game. MONEY HUNGRY!

 

Shelby County Schools (not Memphis City) charge $7, and there are no Shelby County schools that can compare to Bolivar's team the last few years.