You all know I hate the five playoff games in order to win a state title. It is simply too many games. Think about this, it is a NFL regular season. If a high school school year is 36 weeks then in order to win a state championship or even make the state championship game football takes up 44% of a school year. Simply too much.
The weather has played a major factor in the way this season played out. A week before the start of conference play every team in eastern North Carolina has to shut down because of Hurricane Matthew. Rocky Mount played for a month after the week down unlike the team they were before. They were able to find it again in the late part of the first round game.
There should have been no way what so ever any team was allowed to play three games in eight days. The world we live in now the word is safety for the players and yet how can anyone say it is safe to play three games in eight days.
I want to go back to a ten game schedule and only four playoff games. I want the football championships to end in November the way it use to be. I know there were years where two playoff games won a state title then it went to three and that wasn't enough to four and now five with nearly 30% of the teams with losing records.
Saturday seven state championships games were played at three different locations. Games were played at 11,3 and 7:30. If I remember Tarboro had one of the 11 o'clock games one year but this is my first experience of really paying attention to these 11 am games. Let's don't even consider how bad the weather was because it could have pour down rain as no one has control of the weather.
The attendance was announced at less than three. Weather was the biggest factor of course. Rocky Mount fans had to leave around seven to get to the game on time. What time did every team who played the early one leave to get to their game?
My question today is why three sites with three games at some sites. Why not four sites and play two at each site. I see playing the first game at 2pm and the second at 6pm on Saturday giving every person who would love to follow their team time to get there. Saturday many fans got up wanting to go but the road conditions scared them to stay home because it's either go now and or not get there by kickoff.
I know I have no idea how the major venues used in the state championship games are procured. If you can get three you ought to be able to get four. ECU, State, Carolina, Duke, Wake all hold over 30,000. I know each would love to host because it is a recruiting tool to get a player into your facility without using a recruiting visit.
Through the years the NCHSAA has thought about money over the safety of the players and even the convenience of the fans whole attend the games and help put more money in ticket sales. It's time to think about the education of the players over how much money can be made.
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4 comments:
I agree with you 100% !!!! It's all about greed !!!!
Winston salem 11:00 a.m. in a 31,000 seat stadium with 90% vacancy was not a championship environment. Crowd was thin and lethargic. Many people told me they did not travel this year due to distance, weather and early start time. There were wrecks up and down I40, 540, 64 and 421 that morning.
3,000 people would have looked good in Rocky Mount stadium. In fact, I predict there would have been 7,000+ if the game was held at Rocky Mount stadium. That would have been a tremendous benefit for city. 3,000 in Winston Salem was very little benefit to WS economically. If I had a choice to play in front of 7,000 in my high school stadium on a Friday night at 7:30 p.m.versus a 90% empty college football stadium I would choose the earlier. Nothing like playing for a state championship in your high school stadium in front of a standing room only crowd.
News and Observer stated RMT - SP 16-7 game was second best game behind Wake Forest drubbing of Page 29-0. All other games were blowouts with a few running clocks in 4th. 2nd best? How about the best since it was still in doubt with 2 minutes remaining? I think the N&O was sentimental to Wake Forest based on coverage area.
Word from some RMT players and people on WFU sidelines was artificial turf with black pellets was extremely slick. Like playing on ice.
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