TSSAA FOOTBALL CLASSIFICATIONS

[big red big blue]

Here we go again (and I will bite)...DII is unique and you make that choice by allowing financial aid. You don't need to rehash the whole privates vs. open zone schools for me either, because although there is a case to be made that open zone schools have privileges, it is usually relegated to a tighter geographic spectrum. Here's where I might surprise you...I have no problem with the MBAs, BAs, Ensworth, and other DII programs because they are forthright in playing within the constistutes of divison II (they play other teams that provide assistance)...but I heard an earlier argument about cost in reference to longer road trips...you guys make some valid points at times but don't go down that road in trying to convince the throng that you don't have the money to travel...that is demeaning my intelligence (this was in reference to another poster). Again, I am okay with the whole thing until you say that we are "not trying" because we choose not to play. We have an obligation to our kids to play the competition within our regions, our rivals outside the region, and if there are slots remaining then it makes sense to play a team that you are capable of beating in case of overall record coming into a tiebreaker scenario (and it does happen quite often). I, for one, would place common sense into your earlier statement. It is better to provide your kids the best opportunity to experience a win, rather than get clobbered (which is better than not trying, but I will take option 1 any time I am given it).

 

 

well, like I said--guys like Coach Rector are the exception; guys like you are the rule. Most people in this state just aren't into competition. As you say, they for the most part are much more interested in lining up easy wins than they are seeking top competition. For whatever reason, Coach Rector just isn't that threatened by how much money the parents of the kids he coaches against have or don't have. He's more interested in matching up against the best, which he's done quite well en route to a 5A title and runner-up finish in just 5 short years.

 

Of course we have the money to travel out of state...it just would be a lot more enjoyable to everyone on both sides if we could play some of the 4A and 5A schools in Tennessee which are much larger than we are.

[GWAVE1]

Well count me in as not liking this system either. I really liked the old system of "win and your in" and not this hokus pokus wildcard mayhem. Personally I think that this state is too small for all of the playoff teams that will now get in. If we are gonna do this lets just be like Indiana and let everybody in the playoffs.

 

Lost Old Dad you are absolutely right...follow the money. ELA, you are not the only one who have been thinking about this "Wildcard TV Show". Wave88 has been saying this for the past 4 years when it was defeated the first time. It is all about sponsors and what they can bring to the table. Wave88 was right on the money, he told me that Ronnie Carter wanted it and it was gonna happen...well it has. Funny how most of the state except the Eastern areas were against it. The one guy from West Tenneessee tipped the scales in favor for this plan. If travel was the real issue then the ficticious lines that seperate East, West, and Middle could have been done away with in favor for 10 regions in each class with 3 autos and 2 wildcards comparable to what 2-a looked like this past year. Even though, some of the Goodpasture administration hated this setup. Like was stated earlier, nobody is gonna know who they play until after the show on Saturday which makes for a shorter prep time and tape exchange. What is really gonna throw a wrench in the works is the possibility of having an uneven representation from an area of the state vastly increasing travel during the playoffs.

 

Hopefully after 2 years of this madness, smarter heads will decide that 4 years is too much and the old way was better than this system. (nobody that I have talked to remotely likes this system) But then again this is the TSSAA and this is Ronnie Carter's baby. Common sense decisions are not their forte.

[FBEmeritus]

First of all I don't see what was broken with the current system and before you think it is because I pull for Maryville because of my view, that is not the case. Can anyone tell us what was wrong with the present system? Travel does cost money and is a good reason to make some adjustments, but this new plan will cause more confusion for the coaches and be harder for AD's to manage in my opinion. I think ELA is right on when he noted a money issue could be in play. The T$$AA's main concern is making money and maybe somehow this new system will be more profitable for them, I really don't know, but if the system was not broken why change it?

 

How will this benefit the kids? It won??™t like most T$$AA actions. I see no benefit here in this new system and this board needs to change. King Ronnie Carter should be replaced and is not worth the 150K a year he draws in my opinion.

[bellgo]

First of all I don't see what was broken with the current system and before you think it is because I pull for Maryville because of my view, that is not the case. Can anyone tell us what was wrong with the present system? Travel does cost money and is a good reason to make some adjustments, but this new plan will cause more confusion for the coaches and be harder for AD's to manage in my opinion. I think ELA is right on when he noted a money issue could be in play. The T$$AA's main concern is making money and maybe somehow this new system will be more profitable for them, I really don't know, but if the system was not broken why change it?

 

How will this benefit the kids? It won??™t like most T$$AA actions. I see no benefit here in this new system and this board needs to change. King Ronnie Carter should be replaced and is not worth the 150K a year he draws in my opinion.

 

 

I agree. I didn't see anything wrong with the old system either. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[rappy]

This is not the case. The team with the best district record between Dickson County and Rossiew would be the automatic qualifier. If Dickson County beat Rossview, but Rossview ends up with a better district record, Rossview gets the playoff slot.

 

Think of the SEC EAST/WEST -- Tennessee can beat Florida, but Florida wins the division because of an overall best record because Tennessee may have lost to two teams from the west.

 

What you said is true except Dickson County should dominate over the Montgomery County teams (including Rossview) in this district. Clarksville will be the better challenge and should win Class 5 in this district.

[Coach]

First of all I don't see what was broken with the current system and before you think it is because I pull for Maryville because of my view, that is not the case. Can anyone tell us what was wrong with the present system? Travel does cost money and is a good reason to make some adjustments, but this new plan will cause more confusion for the coaches and be harder for AD's to manage in my opinion. I think ELA is right on when he noted a money issue could be in play. The T$$AA's main concern is making money and maybe somehow this new system will be more profitable for them, I really don't know, but if the system was not broken why change it?

 

How will this benefit the kids? It won??™t like most T$$AA actions. I see no benefit here in this new system and this board needs to change. King Ronnie Carter should be replaced and is not worth the 150K a year he draws in my opinion.

 

 

 

I agree with you 100% and really don't think it has anything to do with money though. The director decided 5 years back he would push this plan and leave his legacy. In time he will be remembered for doing one of the dumbest things he has ever done. Great strides were made for football and now with one swing vote going the wrong way it has taken a big hit. One person you can complain to is a person who lives near you. He has been ironclad in his support for this from day one. He along with four others has decided the fate for all schools in Tennessee. All five had something to gain in supporting this plan.

 

I might as well spill the beans and let you decide for yourself. Let's start in the west with one vote where the BOC member owed a big favor for their school being kept out of the Memphis district in basketball. Talking about travel problems, why would a school be scheduled to play in a Middle Tennessee region when they sit beside Memphis? Second is a BOC member who is situated in Middle Tennessee whose school gets beat every time they cross the Davidson County line by a certain school. They feel travel is a problem but the trip to Nashville is mostly 4 lanes. Third is a BOC member who works a 100-day contract but is still able to remain on the BOC. The by-laws say you must be full time, yet they say full time is 100-day min. Every school system in Tennessee would say a person on a 100-day contract is part time but our association says it is full time. Check the Tennessee Code Annotated on this definition. Fourth we move farther east for a BOC member who voted for the plan after our association had a meeting in his area and explained the plan. It just so happens that his district is made up entirely of 3A schools and no 4 A schools. The only thing I can say about the final BOC member is he wanted to stay with schools near him when his school moves up. I wish we all had that choice through the years but we don't. Most of these BOC members were contacted and urged to vote this plan down. Some of these BOC members would not accept calls from anyone. The TSSAA was told about problems in contacting some members and were told that their issues would be listened to.

 

I see schools losing the ability to group schools by enrollment. We will classify football schools with schools that don't even play football; most states have gone away from this. The regular season is very important in that it will decide who goes to the playoffs. All other sports get to go to post season no matter what their record is. The thing that bothers me most in this plan is schools in one class during playoffs will decide the fate of schools that fall in another class during playoffs.

 

Some schools will benefit from this plan and many will not. It will be a nightmare in finding a non-regional schedule for most schools. Travel has become the scapegoat in this plan and we all need to remember we travel only 5 times during the season. Playoff travel may increase for the smallest classes to unbelievable distances.

[Coach]

Enall if you have District 12 in 3A where Whites Creek (5A) and Maplewood (5A) come in 1 and 2 will they still take 2 teams from CaneRidge (6A) , Hunters Lane (6A), Antioch (6A), and McGavock (6A)?

[bellgo]

What you said is true except Dickson County should dominate over the Montgomery County teams (including Rossview) in this district. Clarksville will be the better challenge and should win Class 5 in this district.

 

 

That district is like the old 10-AAA district in football but with more schools and minus Cheatham County. This time, Dickson County will have to contend with Henry County and Clarksville.

[coach1076]

I agree with much of the debate that is going on here. This state does not have enough schools for 8 state champions. I didnt think there was enough for 5, but let us not count D2 in on this & Im not debating the public-private issue. With or without private schools, the way to cut down on travel & get teams closer would have been pretty simple. TSSAA could have dropped 5A & went to a 4 class plan, & Im not talking a rural metro plan Im saying keep the exact way that it is & go to 4 classes.

[ELA]

Boy I can feel the love for the TSSAA BOC in the room today! /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

 

Gentleman, the board has made their decision after years of work by several members and like it or not, we must live with it for the next four years. This will be an experiment and I have no doubt the system will be tweaked along the way. This isn't the scheme I would have voted for but it is what we have so we had better try to understand it and work with it.

[enall]

Enall if you have District 12 in 3A where Whites Creek (5A) and Maplewood (5A) come in 1 and 2 will they still take 2 teams from CaneRidge (6A) , Hunters Lane (6A), Antioch (6A), and McGavock (6A)?

 

 

Yes. If Maplewood and Whites Creek finish 1 and 2 then two schools make playoffs friom the 5A class. That does not affect the 6A schools where the top (2) will be automatic qualifiers. In this case District 12 would send 4 teams to the playoffs (5A-2,6A-2). The teams that were not automatic qualifiers could still get in as a wildcard. A caveat -- there are 9 wildcard teams in 5A, since District 12 gets two in when the formula says one, then that extra slot now takes one wild card away in 5A and leaves 8 to be filled by the rest of the 5A teams in the state.

[Lost Old Dad]

Boy I can feel the love for the TSSAA BOC in the room today! /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

 

Gentleman, the board has made their decision after years of work by several members and like it or not, we must live with it for the next four years. This will be an experiment and I have no doubt the system will be tweaked along the way. This isn't the scheme I would have voted for but it is what we have so we had better try to understand it and work with it.

 

 

Why?

 

As I see it there ARE other options.

 

The TSSAA can be FIRED just like anybody can. It was voluntary getting in it and it can be equally voluntary getting out of it.

 

There is the other option of telling them it is NOT acceptable to the schools and to fix it NOW.

 

As to the 'magic' 9 deciding it after Ronnie Carter told them he is all for it, there are other options also for the future. The MEMBER schools that foot the bills can try and have the board enlarged to more fairly represent ALL the schools as a whole.

 

Also the schools should try and get the rule in that if anything this sweeping should ever come up again it should be VOTED on by every member school having ONE vote.

 

There are only two things in life that HAVE to be done. One is pay taxes and the other is dying. All the rest are negotiable.

 

I have already heard that my expressing my ideas on this subject is making some folks VERY mad and there is some talk of even barring me from watching any football at the HS level. Guess what? I am NOT going to shut up or quit going to watch games, so live with it!