How much does history matter?

[just1np]

There is a debate among some of us in regards to "trends" and "history" and how it affects football games.

 

My opinion is this-

 

It doesn't matter at all. None.

 

There are too many instances in any realm of sports (especially high school) to indicate that what a team/school has produced (or failed to produce) in the past has any bearing on the outcome of an individual game or the course of a season.

 

A few examples:

 

Ravenwood-defending 5A champs:

 

Only been around a few years. Only a few playoff wins in their "history".

 

Oak Ridge Wildcats:

 

Claim, I believe, four or more state titles, including a trip to the title game last

year. They are backing into the playoffs this year- if at all.

 

Montgomery Bell Academy:

 

The only team outside of Gallatin that I "root for". One of the most respected

and successful programs in this state or any other. This year, however, they

have struggled mightily, for various reasons.

 

Mt. Juliet:

 

Have had a horrendous last couple of years. This year- might finish second in

their region.

 

And just to cap off my point-

 

The Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox.

[jamjay]

There is a debate among some of us in regards to "trends" and "history" and how it affects football games.

 

My opinion is this-

 

It doesn't matter at all. None.

 

There are too many instances in any realm of sports (especially high school) to indicate that what a team/school has produced (or failed to produce) in the past has any bearing on the outcome of an individual game or the course of a season.

 

A few examples:

 

Ravenwood-defending 5A champs:

 

Only been around a few years. Only a few playoff wins in their "history".

 

Oak Ridge Wildcats:

 

Claim, I believe, four or more state titles, including a trip to the title game last

year. They are backing into the playoffs this year- if at all.

 

Montgomery Bell Academy:

 

The only team outside of Gallatin that I "root for". One of the most respected

and successful programs in this state or any other. This year, however, they

have struggled mightily, for various reasons.

 

Mt. Juliet:

 

Have had a horrendous last couple of years. This year- might finish second in

their region.

 

And just to cap off my point-

 

The Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox.

 

Correction:

 

Oak Ridge: 8 State Titles & 1 National Championship.

[just1np]

Correction:

 

Oak Ridge: 8 State Titles & 1 National Championship.

I think TSSAA only gives them credit for 3 or 4, but I realize many of those go back to the 50s. Thanks for the reply though.

[TG24]

I think TSSAA only gives them credit for 3 or 4, but I realize many of those go back to the 50s. Thanks for the reply though.

 

Technically, they have 4

[just1np]

Technically, they have 4

4 or 8, does is matter?

 

That is kind of the point of the thread. OR finishes 5-5, and out of the playoffs. Both 'ancient' and 'recent' history were on their side. But the results in 2006 speak for themselves.

 

None of that is intended to get the Oak Ridge folks all wriled up, but this makes a good example.

[riverdaleman]

I think history does matter ...yes these teams might be down this year but i think this is the first time in how many years that OR doesnt make the playoffs you can not tell me that their history won them some games over the corse of those games...Riverdale hasnt lost a region game in like 76 or 77 games and you cant tell me that all those years that riverdale was always the best team but when they see the name riverdale with our history it gives us a 7-0 advantage before the game starts so in my opion HISTORY DOES MATTER

[just1np]

Are you saying that the TSSAA gives Riverdale a seven spot prior to each game just because they are Riverdale?

 

And to the best of my memory there have been far more years in which Riverdale has NOT won the title versus actually winning it.

 

I know the point you are trying to make, but if that logic where correct, then in whose favor did it work versus Oak Ridge last year? Did they win because their history goes back so much further? Or was it simply because on that night they were the better team?

[jabbo]

I really don't think history matters at all, beyond how the coaches, players, and community come together to create a football program. There are some football dynasties in this state, but they're not built on what has happened in the past, they stand only on the present. There is definitely an intimidation factor that kicks in when a team faces a Riverdale or a Maryville, but that is based on what the Riverdale/Maryville coaches, players, and community have produced each year, along with the failure of the team to ignore it. There's nothing mystical about it. As long as the big three factors keep working for those programs they'll continue to be dynasties - until another program raises up and consistently beats them - that's one piece of history that you can bank on.

[riverdaleman]

Are you saying that the TSSAA gives Riverdale a seven spot prior to each game just because they are Riverdale?

 

And to the best of my memory there have been far more years in which Riverdale has NOT won the title versus actually winning it.

 

I know the point you are trying to make, but if that logic where correct, then in whose favor did it work versus Oak Ridge last year? Did they win because their history goes back so much further? Or was it simply because on that night they were the better team?

i was referring to the opponenets head....and OR won because they were the better team there have been several times that we have played OR and DB and they were the better team but we still won last year was the first time we lost to the east TN teams so OVERALL history holds up

you can pull out case by case on where history doesnt hold up but in an overall picture history does matter

[WaCoJaCo]

I've never heard of history ever scoring a single point.

[just1np]

i was referring to the opponenets head....and OR won because they were the better team there have been several times that we have played OR and DB and they were the better team but we still won last year was the first time we lost to the east TN teams so OVERALL history holds up

you can pull out case by case on where history doesnt hold up but in an overall picture history does matter

Then with your logic the same teams win every year, right?

[fromthetop2]

History is expectations, it is pressure to keep it on your side or to break it if you're on the other.

History can be a mental hurdle to overcome. It can create pressure to overprepare, overthink, overanalyze when you are trying to overcome it. It can become a weight.

It may cause the opposite reaction when you think it's on your side. It can be a reassurance when you start to doubt yourself.

History can create expectations on both sides.

 

It can be dismissed by those who are on the wrong side of it, but it cannot be ignored.

 

History is a teacher.

 

Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.