Bobref

In your zeal to make sure the IHSAA captures the all-important walkup market for its upper level tournament games, you’ve failed to address a central issue. At that level of the tournament, since we don’t have seeding, why should one team have home field advantage?

The tournament selection process is outlined here: https://myihsaa-prod-ams.azurewebsites.net/api/resource-library/categories/ae986c23-f281-4845-0927-08d5f70ac583/documents/8301415b-a9e9-4fd9-73bc-08d5f70b225e/file But that won’t tell you much about “why.” Has your crew been observed recently?

A duck walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender puts it down in front of him and says “that’ll be $2.” The duck says .... “put it on my bill.”

The “real prize” of course, is a state championship. Poll the Cathedral & CG players and coaches. Not one of them will say their top goal is to “put Indiana football on the map.” If that happens, all well and good. But that’s not where their ultimate focus is ... nor should it be.

And yet, many other states have used neutral sites in the upper levels of their playoffs, and somehow manage to draw big crowds outdoors in November. I guess Hoosiers are just different. What works other places cannot work here. We’re our own little world, I guess.

🤮

Your guarantees notwithstanding, and putting aside the whole issue of the advantage for the home team and whether that is fair or unfair, your entire case is built on the proposition that neutral site games attract fewer, not more, fans. Other than your sincerely held belief, do you have any support for that proposition? Because the prevalence of neutral site games in other states seems to suggest otherwise.

Oh yes. In my memory Nixon’s nominations of Harold Carswell and Clement Haynsworth, and Reagan’s nomination of Robert Bork, all received less than “well-qualified” recommendations from the ABA. None were confirmed. The history of the relationship between the ABA committee that does this, the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch, is really interesting. https://fedsoc-cms-public.s3.amazonaws.com/update/pdf/xcAhFnS5JIWziowTf4xXLdBt3dn82UcgJxcrN33x.pdf

The ABA has given ACB their highest recommendation: “Well qualified.”

Let me be clear. I’m not talking about effort. I have no doubt everyone on both teams will give it all they’ve got Friday. I’m talking about things like play calling, formations, defenses, tricks, etc. Most teams play it close to the vest going into the tournament, and I expect both of these teams to have their eye on the real prize.

Q: How do ye turn a pirate furious? A: Take away the “p.”

So, you think neutral sites designed to roughly equalize travel for both teams will result in lower attendance? I daresay there is a responsible opposing viewpoint. Schools that host tournament games are reimbursed their expenses even if their team is playing in the game. That’s no barrier.

Intolerance is the order of the day in America now. There is no such thing as disagreeing without being disagreeable.

You’re a southpaw? That explains so much ...

I certainly understand that point of view. But in my opinion, there is far too much thinking like that controlling how things work in Indiana high school sports. Your point of view is centered on what’s best for your particular school, because that’s the only way North Judson could ever have one of those games. If everyone is thinking that way, who is looking out for the big picture, the overall good for high school football in Indiana? Not enough people, and not the right people, in my opinion. Sure, the IHSAA makes policy. But in the end, it is just an instrument of the membership, most of whom probably feel like you do. It stifles progress.

Illinois originally enacted a districts plan, then repealed it before it ever went into effect. https://www.pjstar.com/news/20191217/as-ihsa-schools-reject-football-districts-coaches-react

Where did you go to school?

One hand is illegal motion, two hands is illegal shift.

Yes

Without having to earn your way into the playoffs, you still have up to a 9 game exhibition season. You’ve just changed the order.

From another mother.

Frankly, the direction in which the conference model seems to be headed - increasingly “closed” conferences with fewer and fewer non-conference scheduling opportunities - is detrimental to high school football. I would simply do away with the conference format and go to districts by class... with opportunities for some out of district/class games.

The next Boomer Esiason?

The decision whether to devote resources to provide those sorts of experiences for student athletes should be made at the local level, not in Indianapolis.

If that’s true, it’s puzzling, since they both have byes next week.