Sullivan South/Cleveland Playoff issue

[voice]

What did they know and when did they know it? I suspect that attempts to reach the TSSAA were made within minutes of the announcment of quad 1 of the 5A bracket. If that is the case BC should have said it seems that there is a problem with the 5A bracket and we will not publish it now.Lack of leadership. In the press release which has not made the sunday paper nor has it been placed on the TSSAA web page, there is no attempt to admit responsibility for the error. Instead we get, errors have been made in the past, not the staffer responsable has tendered his resignation (and I hope the board of control doesn't ask for mine)..

[Indian]

It probably depends on the school system. Still, having one team with excessive travel shouldn't be that huge on an issue. They didn't think they'd made the playoffs so I'm sure they're excited, and their expenses are being paid apparently. Those that can't attend weren't going to get to go anyway had the change not been made.

 

Another partial solution, stop the four year class periods. Go two years at a time and if any major changes (such as totally scrapping this format) need to be made it would be easier. It was two year periods for decades and it's still that way in many states.

[THSFather]

Word from a Big 8 coach. "south is in quad two. Done deal"

[1266]

1266, what should they have done, reseed and have all the coaches that already had swapped film go back out on the road?

Do you seriously think that coaches are "going on the road" to swap film in 2012???!!! Only if they are Computer illiterate. In that case, ask one your young assistant coaches to show you how it's done.

The issue is acountabilty, following the rules and guidelines that TSSAA wrote themselves and having enough integrity to set things right.

The right choice is not always the most convient.

[King-of-Sport]

TSSAA are shameful role models for our kids !

[crawdad]

I think , after looking at the brackets, it's pretty obvious why TSSAA did not want to do the right thing and adjust the brackets to the way they should have been had Cleveland not been included instead of South. The current brackets for Quad 1 have 4 dream match-ups for cross town and interconference rivals. Tn Hi vs Boone, Mo-West vs Cherokee ,Powell vs Central , and West vs. South Doyle. Very little travel involved for those games means big crowds. Seeding South 8th in this quadrant where they belonged would have busted up every one these big gates. T$$AA do like dem bills.

 

This is truth IMO. These 4 games will make them much more money than any other Quad 1 combination and they know it. There was no way they were giving it up. The cost of paying South's travel expenses to Columbia was peanuts compared to giving up these 4 block busters.

Edited October 29, 2012 by crawdad

[WesVLT]

The coaches are already angry enough they have to wait until the regular season has ended to know their opponent for certain, there would have been major uproar if that had been done.

There's a major uproar now.

 

The problem starts with the fact that the TSSAA is more concerned with avoiding an uproar than it is with getting the problem fixed appropriately. It's too late now to re-seed the brackets. It wasn't too late yesterday. The TSSAA made a major error -- we're all human, and that happens. But the real shame is that the TSSAA refused to accept accountability for that error, instead punishing Sullivan South unnecessarily for the organization's error.

 

Here's how it should have been handled:

 

1) Upon learning of the mistake, the TSSAA should have immediately assured South it would take every necessary step to fix the problem.

 

2) Next, the league should have called Cleveland, apologized profusely, and offered them the equivalent of the funds they would have received if they had played a first-round game -- assuming away playoff teams get a cut of the gate receipts. If such funding was impossible, the league should have offered to help Cleveland host a bowl game, if the Blue Raiders were interested in that option.

 

3) The TSSAA should have re-seeded the 5A playoffs. While it's far from ideal to change the matchups in Quad 1 and part of Quad 2, only a few hours had elapsed since the bracket show, and it would have been a minor inconvenience for most of the coaching staffs impacted.

 

4) The TSSAA should have released a public statement taking full accountability for its mistake, outlining its corrective action and announcing steps to avoid such confusion in the future.

 

5) The TSSAA should (and still can) invite every school to a public forum, with the aim of airing concerns about the playoff format and fixing its shortcomings. While the board of control has already approved the same format for the next five years, it should reopen discussion and hold a full-member vote -- not just the legislative council or board of control -- to determine how the format might be fixed.

 

Mistakes like these are inexcusable for an organization charged with promoting the welfare of student-athletes and their member institutions. The TSSAA needs to do better. They have a big chance to turn their gaffe into a vehicle of progress.

Edited October 29, 2012 by WesVLT

[HTV]

1266, what should they have done, reseed and have all the coaches that already had swapped film go back out on the road?

 

That's exactly what should have been done, because it would have been the right thing to do. All of the schools - no matter what their seed - should be playing in the quad they are located in. Not only was that the right thing to do for Sullivan South, but for everybody else, too.

 

We all make mistakes, but not fixing the mistake the right way just compounds the mistake.

Edited October 29, 2012 by HTV

[clevelandblueraiderfan]

Just a sad situation. Cleveland should have taken care of business. We collapsed the last 2 weeks of the season. Very disappointing season, didn't deserve the playoffs. I just wish our seniors had a different ending to their high school careers. What's done is done, time to move on. Good luck to South.

[crawdad]

rhetorical question on this matter: the TSSAA has stated their position on this mistake is to replace the mis-seeded team (Cleveland) with the correct qualifier (South) so as not to disrupt all the other bracket pairings. If the 32nd team seeded had been a Memphis team from Quad 4 (name goes here) , would South have been sent all the way to Memphis for a 1st round game following this same flawed , greed driven, irresponsible logic? And 470 miles again the following week if they won?

 

The TSSAA official said they had not considered the financial committment for the South travel the following week should they win at Columbia. I wonder what that means. Who pays the officials?

[crawdad]

And WesVLT, all your points in post #103 are appropriately perfect in this case. They are thought out well on your part although in principle almost every concept is just sound business ethics.

Edited October 29, 2012 by crawdad

[WesVLT]

And WesLVT, all your points in post #103 are appropriately perfect in this case. They are thought out well on your part although in principle almost every concept is just sound business ethics.

Thanks. I have zero loyalty to Sullivan South or any 5A schools, but an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere. You're right -- this isn't rocket science, it's about doing the right thing. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened.

 

I'll be rooting for the Rebels Friday night.