Did the TSSAA do the right thing in disqualify Riverdale and Smyrna from

[formerbobcat]

I would have hoped if I was one of the players, that I would have confronted the coach before the game and said we ain't doing this. But I probably would not have. It would make for a great ESPN 30 for 30. Interview the coaches, refs, principals, the upset momma's and daddy's. Whoever has connections get that ball rolling. Oh yea, did anyone from Riverdale or Smyrna make the all district trny team?

[bballmom3]

It funny… as I read these comments, most of you’ve seen a short clip or read the papers, but hardly none of you was actually at the game.

As a Riverdale parent I will say repeatedly the girls didn’t know! I can’t vouch for Smyrna, but Riverdale girls didn't have a clue they were going to be coached not to win. Riverdale starters had 4 3’s the first quarter! There were steal attempts and everything. When Smyrna cleared its bench at the beginning of the second quarter, Riverdale followed suit. That’s where it all went downhill. Middleton wants to lie and save face by telling the news he only cleared his bench because Riverdale wasn’t scoring. The score was 21-22!

The girls should not have been punished. They were simply obeying their coach’s orders. I know if my daughter was told that (to lose) out right she would’ve had an issue with it……but they didn’t know. Anyone on here who blames the girls or states that they should have done something is unrealistic that girls were going to come together and overrule the coach in the middle of a game situation.

The girls have bared the brunt of this punishment, especially the seniors. If T$$AA can judge these girls so harshly and swiftly, I want to see what they do to fix the situation. YES THIS HAPPEN EVERY YEAR! If you say it don’t you lie!

Is the T$$AA responsible? Yes, because they know it’s been going on for years

Are the coaches, AD, and principals responsible? Yes, because they are the adult we chose to be the administrators over our children and advise them on right and wrong. NO ONE STOPPED THE GAME

Are the girls responsible? No, innocent bystanders. Their season should not have ended. It’s not fair to them.

Btw both teams had two girls each make all district…..Riverdale should’ve had at least three placing second in the regular season. But that’s another coaches integrity issue!

[FridayMainEvent]

It funny… as I read these comments, most of you’ve seen a short clip or read the papers, but hardly none of you was actually at the game.

As a Riverdale parent I will say repeatedly the girls didn’t know! I can’t vouch for Smyrna, but Riverdale girls didn't have a clue they were going to be coached not to win. Riverdale starters had 4 3’s the first quarter! There were steal attempts and everything. When Smyrna cleared its bench at the beginning of the second quarter, Riverdale followed suit. That’s where it all went downhill. Middleton wants to lie and save face by telling the news he only cleared his bench because Riverdale wasn’t scoring. The score was 21-22!

The girls should not have been punished. They were simply obeying their coach’s orders. I know if my daughter was told that (to lose) out right she would’ve had an issue with it……but they didn’t know. Anyone on here who blames the girls or states that they should have done something is unrealistic that girls were going to come together and overrule the coach in the middle of a game situation.

The girls have bared the brunt of this punishment, especially the seniors. If T$$AA can judge these girls so harshly and swiftly, I want to see what they do to fix the situation. YES THIS HAPPEN EVERY YEAR! If you say it don’t you lie!

Is the T$$AA responsible? Yes, because they know it’s been going on for years

Are the coaches, AD, and principals responsible? Yes, because they are the adult we chose to be the administrators over our children and advise them on right and wrong. NO ONE STOPPED THE GAME

Are the girls responsible? No, innocent bystanders. Their season should not have ended. It’s not fair to them.

Btw both teams had two girls each make all district…..Riverdale should’ve had at least three placing second in the regular season. But that’s another coaches integrity issue!

What is your original handle on here?   I see new poster with four posts.  As I said on another thread.   Please don't make excuses for your child.  Not a single kid on that team could honestly tell me they felt what they were doing was right.   Hold your 14-18 year old accountable for their decisions and it'll serve them much better as an adult.

 

Parents who make excuses for their children's mistakes only enable them to set much lower goals and be less successful as an adult.  This may sound harsh, but trust me, it's good advice.

[ksgovols]

I'm sorry to disagree, but the fault is not with the teams. It is the governing body which has set up a tournament where there is every motivation to lose. Too many teams advance. This is far from the first time that teams have contended to lose a 3-4 matchup. Send 4 home, and give 1 a bye. Everyone has a reason to win.

Dollars to donuts 90% of the coaches would agree.

Absolutely!  Why are we rewarding 3rd and 4th place teams in a district with 7 to 8 teams at the most?  For $$$.  Make every post season game an elimination game and this problem goes away.  The post season is strung out over a month only as a source of revenue.

 

Not that I agree with tanking a game.  That violates the integrity of the game.  And I agree with banning the teams from post season.  The girls bought in 100%.  An administrator should have stopped it in it's tracks EARLY.

 

Now we're talking about band aid fixes because a couple of jugheads played into the trap game that the T$$AA set up.  Instead we should be asking ourselves 'how did this happen'?   It happened because the governing body set it up to happen.

 

Wait until baseball post season and the Wednesday regional 'seed game'.  There'll be a bunch more coaches tanking games and throwing off to avoid somebody's #1 stud.  Bank on it.  It's a system designed to fail.

[ksgovols]

While I do agree that only 3 teams should advance from the Districts, you blaming the TSSAA is complete hogwash. Using your backward logic, its ok for my neighbor to rob my house and then turn around and blame ME because I didn't lock my door in the first place.

 

While I don not condone it, it is one thing to to pull back the reigns and play vanilla and secretly hope the other team beats you. Its a completely other thing to order your kids to intentionally throw the ball away for a turnover and intentionally score in the other teams basket.

 

It does suck for the girls (even they knew exactly what they were doing, too) but the TSSAA had to throw the hammer down, and for once, they made the right call.

One is no better than the other.  Pulling back, playing JV players that normally don't play, not trying your best, is every bit as deceitful and makes the game a travesty.  Flip a freakin coin if you're going to do that and decide seeding that way.

 

The better solution is a single elimination tournament and the top 2 seeds move on.  Do away with the substate and have a 4 team super regional that is single elimination.  Move on to state, draw out of a hat and have a single elimination tournament.  Easy.  This is not rocket science.  The post season is extended to include half the dang schools in the state for the gate money that TSSAA will get.  It's a fundraiser.

Edited February 24, 2015 by ksgovols

[summit]

Do not tell me that the girls were in the dark . My girl would't play for either coach . This is a sick deal .

[oldblazedad69]

Riverdale is already loaded for years to come plus a huge feeder program in Christiana Middle with plenty of talent.  Blackman loses 4 DI athletes this year.  Blackman does not sub much and most have little to no experience outside of Dangerfield and Bond for next year.  Ditto with Oakland outside of Gibson and Eubank.  Out of these teams, Riverdale is setting the best and more than likely the 7-AAA favorite and beyond for 15-16, 16-17 and 17-18

Warrior Fan that is the stupidest comment I have ever read on here. Blackman Middle has had a great team over the last several years and they feed Blackman High. Riverdale's coaches and players need to realize what they have done to the county and the game of basketball. The players knew what they were doing and enjoyed it. I was at the game and I demanded my money back and was told a game is a game. From the football booster program to the basketball team, I think Rutherford County need to look deeper into this school. The principal needs to be held accountable, he has been there long enough to know the rules.

[dmm88]

This is a major black eye for Tennessee high school basketball. When ESPN and SI are making this front page headlines its a serious matter. Both coaches should be banned from coaching high school basketball in Tennessee and the schools should be on a 2-year probation. No tourney play at all. All games on the road. And no summer practice.

[dmm88]

And its time for the TSSAA to tear down the region playoff format and make it like Kentucky. 1 through 16 seeds. 64 teams. Lose and you are finished.

[bigchief]

What is your original handle on here?   I see new poster with four posts.  As I said on another thread.   Please don't make excuses for your child.  Not a single kid on that team could honestly tell me they felt what they were doing was right.   Hold your 14-18 year old accountable for their decisions and it'll serve them much better as an adult.

 

Parents who make excuses for their children's mistakes only enable them to set much lower goals and be less successful as an adult.  This may sound harsh, but trust me, it's good advice.

Original handle? C'mon FreeAgent, you know the Hayes family by now.

[patsprez]

Not at all. Make the 3-4 game an elimination game, and give the 1's a bye in the region. All you lose is revenue from meaningless 1-4 games. Teams that belong in the state are capable of finishing better than 4th in the district. Even in the good districts.

it's simpler than that.  Currently the 1-seed and 3-seed are sent to one side of the bracket and the 2-seed and 4-seed to the other side of the bracket.

Just send the winner of the 3-seed vs 4-seed to the opposite side of the bracket from the number 1 seed, and then both teams are motivated to win.

 

keep in mind though,that in the regional tournament, the 2/4 seeds are matched up against 1/3 seeds from the other district, and vice-versa.  In every instance, in order to advance, you still have to beat a 1-seed and/or a 2-seed from one of the two districts represented in the region.

 

In reference to it happening before, a boys team out of Chattanooga was accused of losing intentionally, although not nearly so blatently.  As region runner-up, they came to Murfreesboro and beat a pretty good Oakland team, and advanced to the state tournament.

[QSouth89]

Obviously you all have not seen the video of the game. Pitiful. Should've been hammered.

I saw the video on ESPN and the TSSAA made the right call. The kids went along with the coaches decision.