Bernard Childress is interviewed in today's Daily News Journal

[davidlimbaugh]

What do you think about the football post-season?

[davidlimbaugh]

Bump - thank you for voting!

[slimshady]

[Indian]

Five classes spreads out some regions way too far. Three-the old system-doesn't get as many playoff teams in as many want, plus has a fairly wide range of enrollments in each classification-at least compared to what we've gotten used to since 93. Go to four classes, send all the private schools to Division II, divide by football-playing schools, not by all schools as is done now. This isn't perfect either, 16 districts would be needed, eight regions wouldn't be enough and 12 would result in the same type of playoff mess. Since more than two teams from a district need to make the playoffs (think the Murfreesboro AAA district), end Week 0 and add an extra week of playoffs. 64 out of around 95 make it. Non-district games don't affect playoffs, just 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3 in the first round.

[Old Warhorse]

Five classes spreads out some regions way too far. Three-the old system-doesn't get as many playoff teams in as many want, plus has a fairly wide range of enrollments in each classification-at least compared to what we've gotten used to since 93. Go to four classes, send all the private schools to Division II, divide by football-playing schools, not by all schools as is done now. This isn't perfect either, 16 districts would be needed, eight regions wouldn't be enough and 12 would result in the same type of playoff mess. Since more than two teams from a district need to make the playoffs (think the Murfreesboro AAA district), end Week 0 and add an extra week of playoffs. 64 out of around 95 make it. Non-district games don't affect playoffs, just 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3 in the first round.

I like 5 Classifications....Total public-private split......What is going to done with tuition playing publics?.......I would be in favor of some cross-seeding in the play-offs kind of like it was originally in 93......

[Indian]

Five classes has its benefits but the drawback would some some of the regions like the one that stretched from Grundy to Sequoyah. Tuition students at publics is an advantage but it's a big difference at the Division I private schools with no zone at all.

[Lost Old Dad]

Now if you can just get the T$$AA to read it and 'maybe' pay attention to it instead of just the playoff income!

[davidlimbaugh]

I shake my head at people who believe non-district games should count for determining post-season teams and seeding.  They may be great football fans but IMHO do not understand high school sports too well.

 

In the NFL, even though there are some great teams, good teams, so-so teams and bad teams, they are on a somewhat level playing field.  All pro players.  Same roster size for each.  A salary cap.  A draft.  A waiver system.

 

In college football, each division is on a somewhat even playing field.  There are arguments over SEC vs Pac-12, Big 10/11 vs Big 12, etc...  and it is recognized that the AQ conferences are usually stronger than the MAC, Sunbelt and others...

 

In High School, there is such a diversity in enrollment, economic and social demographics, local commitment and involvement, and a complete laundry list of factors.

 

I commented on this forum years ago that the current system then and now does not give much of a incintive to schedule strong opponents and definetly does not discourage schools from schedule weaker opponents.

 

If they had agreed to play us, Riverdale could have scheduled say Coffee County, MTCS, Cannon County and Mt. Juliet Christian Academy much like Ohio State scheduled Florida A&M, Buffalo and San Diego St or my Tide scheduled Georgia State and Chattanooga.   To get wins.   How is that even remotely fair?    NCAA Conference championships are determined by their conference games for that very reason.   If Riverdale (or a number of other schools around the state) could schedule 4 'cupcakes') to make sure they get 6 or 7 wins, how is that fair to the other schools trying to get 6 or 7 wins?

 

People lament how a 4-6 team could make the playoffs.  I lament that we have a system that drives ADs and coaches to create schedules to make sure they get to 6-4 or 7-3.  The goal should be to win as many district games as you can, because in high school sports that is the closest thing to fair and equal that we have.   Our current system does not even do that right.  Is it fair to say 7AAA or another AA or A district that has all of their teams at the highest (6A, 4A, 2A) classification to have to compete for overall wins with districts that may have 0 or 1 6A, 4A or 2A members but a lot of 5A, 3A or 1A members?   How is that even close to being fair?  

Edited October 29, 2013 by davidlimbaugh