District 4AAA atmosphere

[smokedog]

I understand this to be tournament time in high school basketball. it was more like a funeral at Sevier County High School last night. Two teams playing in a play-in game and both teams from a the same county, and neither from sevier county. Why not play that game at the higher seeds home where it can have a more tournament like atmosphere and the gate would be better, helping the whole district and also helping each team with expenses. I also understand that for a town that has more tourism in the state of TN, the hospitality room is aweful, hot dogs on the opening night and cold pizza the next. If your school wants to host it or it is their turn, at least put enough effort into it to do it right.

[1hoopsfan]

Wouldn't playing the games at the TOURNAMENT SITE give more of a "playoff atmosphere" than playing another home game. Don't blame Sevier Co. because Heritage and William Blount fans wouldn't travel an hour to watch their teams play an elimination tournament game. I hate the home sites in the playoffs, especially first round of Region, fans should go regardless, my guess is they wouldn't have gone no matter where the game was.

[smokedog]

Wouldn't playing the games at the TOURNAMENT SITE give more of a "playoff atmosphere" than playing another home game. Don't blame Sevier Co. because Heritage and William Blount fans wouldn't travel an hour to watch their teams play an elimination tournament game. I hate the home sites in the playoffs, especially first round of Region, fans should go regardless, my guess is they wouldn't have gone no matter where the game was.

 

 

I would agree and disagree with you. First of all, you are correct it is not Sevier Co. fault b/c of the following of the teams, it is the coaches fault for allowing it to happen. There are other districts playing satellite games in east tn. I would however, promise you that there would be more people at the games if they did not have to travel an hour to play, where they could have traveled 10 minutes (I am sure both coaches would have preferred to not travel an hour) and the gate would have been much better. No there is not going to be the following like a Bearden, Farragut, or even Sevier, but it is no fun when schools have to pay instead of recieve money to cover expenses at the end of the tourn. I suppose you have 1st round home games, if you usually have to play it on the road, the higher seed has earned it, and let's remember we (the district) don't want to lose money. I find it interesting you did not address the issue of the hospitality room and the issue of not putting forth the effort to do it right

[1hoopsfan]

I would agree and disagree with you. First of all, you are correct it is not Sevier Co. fault b/c of the following of the teams, it is the coaches fault for allowing it to happen. There are other districts playing satellite games in east tn. I would however, promise you that there would be more people at the games if they did not have to travel an hour to play, where they could have traveled 10 minutes (I am sure both coaches would have preferred to not travel an hour) and the gate would have been much better. No there is not going to be the following like a Bearden, Farragut, or even Sevier, but it is no fun when schools have to pay instead of recieve money to cover expenses at the end of the tourn. I suppose you have 1st round home games, if you usually have to play it on the road, the higher seed has earned it, and let's remember we (the district) don't want to lose money. I find it interesting you did not address the issue of the hospitality room and the issue of not putting forth the effort to do it right

 

 

Not a Sevier Co. fan or follower, and I haven't been to any of the tournament games or the hospitality room, so I cannot judge it. Are you seriously that concerned with the hospitality room though. It's a basketball tournament who cares. The coaches voted on where to have it. I have been to plenty of tournaments that had poor hospitality rooms, sometimes it just depends on when you get there. Are we seriously judging a tournament on pizza and hot dogs. I think it is sad that fans wouldn't travel a "whole hour" to cheer for their teams. Disgust needs to be with them and not with sevier or coaches. What if the game was between Sevier Co. and one of the Blount schools and you did satellite games, you would have the same hour of travel and only one game to watch. Do you only want satellite games if the two teams are close?

[smokedog]

Not a Sevier Co. fan or follower, and I haven't been to any of the tournament games or the hospitality room, so I cannot judge it. Are you seriously that concerned with the hospitality room though. It's a basketball tournament who cares. The coaches voted on where to have it. I have been to plenty of tournaments that had poor hospitality rooms, sometimes it just depends on when you get there. Are we seriously judging a tournament on pizza and hot dogs. I think it is sad that fans wouldn't travel a "whole hour" to cheer for their teams. Disgust needs to be with them and not with sevier or coaches. What if the game was between Sevier Co. and one of the Blount schools and you did satellite games, you would have the same hour of travel and only one game to watch. Do you only want satellite games if the two teams are close?

 

 

Just feel like if you are going to be the "host" then it should be done right, not mediocure. No, your satellite games should be set for the play-in games and maybe even the first round to have a bigger gates. Take your semi-finals, consilation game, and championship games to the sight that it is suppose to be played at. Plus it allows for the higher seed to have an advantage, that is the reason for the seeding right, this is why we play the game, other wise lets just throw names in a hat and let the draw to see who they play. it is not just about fans traveling, it is about using common sense for "ALL" the athletes and "ALL" the schools. Students still have to go to school and schools still have to spend money to travel, just think that it would help the respective schools, plus it would help the district as a whole make more money instead of schools have to pay money to the district in the end.

[1hoopsfan]

Just feel like if you are going to be the "host" then it should be done right, not mediocure. No, your satellite games should be set for the play-in games and maybe even the first round to have a bigger gates. Take your semi-finals, consilation game, and championship games to the sight that it is suppose to be played at. Plus it allows for the higher seed to have an advantage, that is the reason for the seeding right, this is why we play the game, other wise lets just throw names in a hat and let the draw to see who they play. it is not just about fans traveling, it is about using common sense for "ALL" the athletes and "ALL" the schools. Students still have to go to school and schools still have to spend money to travel, just think that it would help the respective schools, plus it would help the district as a whole make more money instead of schools have to pay money to the district in the end.

 

 

Higher seeds got buys for at least one round. 1 and 2 seeds got buys to semifinals. Seems pretty fair. You still didn't answer my question. What if the teams that match up are not close, what advantage is there to playing at home sites as far as money is concerned. Travel would be just as much and you would only have one game to watch. Also if you give home court until semi's your 1 and 2 seed would never get that advantage, why not play on higher seeds court all the way through. I would not say playing at a tournament location is the same as throwing all names in a hat. I agree in this one case it may have had a bigger gate (I bet not by much), but you can't tell me you could still make that arguement if Sevier had matched up with Blount and Heritage with lets say lenoir city. Same travel as a central location, oh and this is the biggy NO HOSPITALITY ROOM.

[smokedog]

Higher seeds got buys for at least one round. 1 and 2 seeds got buys to semifinals. Seems pretty fair. You still didn't answer my question. What if the teams that match up are not close, what advantage is there to playing at home sites as far as money is concerned. Travel would be just as much and you would only have one game to watch. Also if you give home court until semi's your 1 and 2 seed would never get that advantage, why not play on higher seeds court all the way through. I would not say playing at a tournament location is the same as throwing all names in a hat. I agree in this one case it may have had a bigger gate (I bet not by much), but you can't tell me you could still make that arguement if Sevier had matched up with Blount and Heritage with lets say lenoir city. Same travel as a central location, oh and this is the biggy NO HOSPITALITY ROOM.

 

if one team had to travel (lower seed) and the other team did not (higher seed) then expenses would be cut in half, and would still have a better gate, at least from the home team. When you have two bottom of the barrel teams traveling an hour away, only parents are going to travel along with cheerleaders (another expense). Whereas, if only one team travels, at least the home team will bring a descent crowd. Let's say sevier county traveled to lenoir city, or vice versa, both home teams would have had a bigger crowd than the william blount and heritage crowd combined. Eventually, what you commented on is going to happen, all games being played at the higher seed until the semi's and finals. The hospitality room is a non-factor, but it would sure be nice to be able to feed those coaches that don't really have the time to eat or are out late because of games and the staff members that are having to spend their time at ball games when they could be with their families. IMHO, I think that presentation is everything, you might have college coaches come in and recruit, you might have TSSAA reps in the gym, just thought it would be a nice gesture, and didn't think that it would be that hard with all the restuarants in SC. No worries mate...

[1hoopsfan]

if one team had to travel (lower seed) and the other team did not (higher seed) then expenses would be cut in half, and would still have a better gate, at least from the home team. When you have two bottom of the barrel teams traveling an hour away, only parents are going to travel along with cheerleaders (another expense). Whereas, if only one team travels, at least the home team will bring a descent crowd. Let's say sevier county traveled to lenoir city, or vice versa, both home teams would have had a bigger crowd than the william blount and heritage crowd combined. Eventually, what you commented on is going to happen, all games being played at the higher seed until the semi's and finals. The hospitality room is a non-factor, but it would sure be nice to be able to feed those coaches that don't really have the time to eat or are out late because of games and the staff members that are having to spend their time at ball games when they could be with their families. IMHO, I think that presentation is everything, you might have college coaches come in and recruit, you might have TSSAA reps in the gym, just thought it would be a nice gesture, and didn't think that it would be that hard with all the restuarants in SC. No worries mate...

 

 

No worries here either, I just think it takes away from the "tournament feel" when you play satellite games. I hate it in the first round of Region also. I know money is always and will always be a deciding factor, but I don't think it should be THE deciding factor. Maybe they are saving the good food for the top teams coaches. lol I still think it is a shame that people wouldn't drive an hour to suppport their teams, its really not that far is it.

[smokedog]

No worries here either, I just think it takes away from the "tournament feel" when you play satellite games. I hate it in the first round of Region also. I know money is always and will always be a deciding factor, but I don't think it should be THE deciding factor. Maybe they are saving the good food for the top teams coaches. lol I still think it is a shame that people wouldn't drive an hour to suppport their teams, its really not that far is it.

 

I would agree that it is not really that far, but even if part of the tournament was held at higher seeds, you might have the guru's that just love the game come for the game instead of just parents of players. And that is my whole point, there is no tournament feel.

[patriot04]

I think they should have an area where the games are played every year that is near all schools. I am from henry county and all the schools around us are single A or AA and we are AAA. We have to travel to clarksville for all our district games which is an hour to an hour and a half away. And our district tournament is at springfield which is over 2 hours away. If we make it to region we will have to travel to nashville I believe and that around 2 and a half hours to 3 hours. They can figure out a better way to do this.