HCWolverines06

The Lexington Herald-Leader's Mike Fields' Friday notebook (see a few paragraphs near the bottom) http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/sports/columnists/mike_fields/13948836.htm

O.P. McCubbins First-year heavyweight from a first-year program (Nelson County) and medals. Either that's: A) Pretty dang impressive, or The heavyweight class sucks so bad that it is actually possible for someone to pull that off. I vote for A.

For the people getting tired of me on this topic, I will shut up about it on the following conditions: 1) You can come up with a list of valid, viable reasons (I would settle for 2, but the more the merrier) of why the 32-man bracket cannot be changed in any way, shape or form. 2) In your reasons, you must state why it is difficult to make it to state since some of you are getting tired of me yapping about why it is not. Again, this is not a physical argument comparing it to cross country (if that was the case, I don't see how you can compare 6 minutes of wrestling to 26.2 miles of marathon running or to those freaks who compete in the ironman triathlon). This is talking about the TOURNAMENT ITSELF AND ITS QUALIFICATION PROCESS/SETUP and not how great a sport wrestling is or how difficult it is or how hard the kids try. In HALF of the regions in this state, a wrestler only had to win ONE (1) match in region to advance to state if he received a first-round bye. And you can't say, "Well, tennis is tougher because each school allows two kids". Even if tennis allowed only one kid per school, it would still be tougher because of the sheer number of schools that offer tennis. So, to put it simply: Why is qualifying for State more difficult than I think it is? 3) In your reasons, you cannot use "It helps for the growth for the sport" because if the size of the tournament was really that much of a factor in helping the sport grow, then wouldn't it make sense to have a 64-man bracket (allowing more kids to make it to state which means more fans and more money from parking, concessions, clothing/program/memorabilia sales) or even a 128-man bracket (because then, new wrestling programs could send their entire team to state: What an incentive for adding wrestling that would be)? 4) In your reasons, you cannot talk about how it would disappoint kids or would be insulting to kid to change the setup. These kids are supposed to be competing in one of the toughest sports (certainly tougher than cross country or tennis as many of you claim). Are you telling me that "tough" wrestling kids can't handle disappointment, but yet tennis players, cross country runners, girls' softball players or volleyball players or swimmers who miss qualifying by less than 0.1 seconds can handle disappointment better than wrestlers can? Surely that can't possibly be true. Disappointment happens in all sports (even that prissy ice dancing or curling), but it is NOT a reason not to change the state tournament. Take as much time as you need. In the meantime, I'll continue posting links to wrestling stories like I did before I ever jumped in this argument.

All_About_Wrestling, 1) Maybe the statistics are "boring" because you have a hard time admitting the truth. That's OK as long as you can live with yourself. 2) If I am so boring, how come you keep: A) Reading what a boring person writes, and Responding to what a "boring" person writes? Maybe someone needs to check who is really the boring one in this instance?

pioneer_pride, Since you asked... I think when Title IX was invoked, it was a good idea and got a lot of things done. I don't female athletes would have had has many opportunities as they do now without Title IX. However ... Title IX goes way, way too far in some instances - At one Lexington high school (Henry Clay??) the boosters of the baseball team did a ton of fundraising, did a lot of volunteer work and got new dugouts and lights, which were both needed. But because the softball people didn't get off their butts and do something too, the baseball team couldn't play a night game until the softball team had "equal facilities" and had lights, too. I think if you raise the money yourself, you should be able to spend it to help your school if you want to. - Schools getting fined because their girls' basketball teams don't play enough "primetime game" on Fridays or Saturdays or played the second game of a doubleheader. Ask most of the girls (and their coaches) and they don't care what time they play. Also, many ballplayers that I have talked to in my area said it is embarrassing to have the gym fairly full when their game starts (just after the boys' game ends and is still clearing out) and then have it halfway empty when you come out of the locker room at halftime. - Title IX has kept some schools from adding wrestling (a male sport) because there's not really a female equivalent. Field hockey (mostly played in Louisville) or making cheerleading a "sport" instead of a "sporting activity" or adding gymnastics (although all of that equipment is expensive, some states offer it as a winter sport) could cancel that out, though. - Title IX might keep powerlifting (another male sport) from becoming a sport, even though more than 70 schools (which is way above the 15 percent rule the KHSAA requires to offer an official KHSAA state championship) will attend the state meet next month at Central Hardin. And some schools are forming lacrosse teams in the spring (since the football field isn't being used other than for track meets). Both sports would be great additions to the KHSAA lineup, but both look doubtful. - Because of Title IX, bowling (both genders can compete and its relatively cheap because several area schools can compete at one central location as long as enough lanes are reserved) might be considered as a sport in some schools before wrestling (which is becoming more popular and profitable like football or basketball; I doubt bowling would make money, if any at all). Some rule needs to be active to make sure female athletes get a fair chance. At the same point, some parts of Title IX might be in need of some editing/modification/clarification, etc.

Did you contact Butch Cope of the KHSAA (bcope@khsaa.org). If he doesn't have one, he might know someone who does. As of three years ago, theren't wasn't an official videographer at the meet (but that very well could have changed).

Ranger123 and grappler-of-old, I don't think by allowing more than one kid per school to compete per weight at region would be all that hurtful. If you double the amount of kids at region, wouldn't that improve the overall talent of the region's state qualifiers (because you made it a little more difficult). You could still keep the 32-man state bracket, and I would bet the overall talent would be better (possibly by a lot, possibly not by much at all). It has't hurt golf, tennis, swimming and track (all four sports have WAY, WAY more schools involved than wrestling does) to have multiple entires per school. You could mention something about how cross country and track kids are classed, but at the same time, golf and swimming are not. So I don't think that's the reason, either. As far as other schools dropping or not adding, I don't see it that way. There are some schools that have NEVER been to the state tournament in a lot of sports and yet they still compete and still field teams EVERY YEAR. In fact, small schools (Bishop Brossart, Jackson County) are adding football, although it MAY BE YEARS before they even make it to the regional playoffs based on how tough the districts are that they will be put in. IMO, if you drop a sport or fail to pick up a sport simply because "it ain't as easy to get to State as it used to be", then you were in the sport for the wrong reason to begin with. There's got to be some other reasons for schools to drop/not add wrestling in this instance. As far as football, yes each football team has plenty of kids on it. But schools are NOT allowed to field multiple varsity football teams each year. Each school may have some dead weight, but that dead weight isn't going to compete unless that school is up by a lot or getting crushed. Wrestling allows for a variance of the same thing when kids that don't qualify for state still get to attend on Friday. In that instance, you're getting an excused absence from school because of what your teammates (what you brought up with football) did and NOT for what you did (other than you happen to be on the team). ----- pioneer_pride, 1) "It's only harder statistically speaking because 2 kids per school can go." - Wrong. You forget that wrestling is A LOT smaller than tennis. The smallest tennis regions have 13 kids each. You could drop it to 1 kid per school and that's still EXACTLY what the region 1 kids went through this year. In this instance, the BEST odds in tennis are equal to the WORST odds in wrestling. You could drop it to one kid per school for every region and the chances of going to state would still be less than wrestling. Your argument would be better served for cross country, but not tennis. 2) "but that's not what you're trying to suggest...you're whole point on here is that it's too easy to go down state in wrestling and they should make it harder....that doesn't do anything to improve the state tournament or the sport. What you're doing really is insulting kids who barely squeaked in the state tournament or barely missed it.... - Couple of things here. You think the state tournament is actually BETTER because it allows for some bad kids from Podunk to go 0-2 and get mauled in both matches? Wouldn't increasing the OVERALL AVERAGE TALENT at the state tournament IMPROVE it, not hurt it? I really don't think the NCAA tournament in men's basketball would be a whole heck of a lot better because you included the runner-up from tiny, non-competitive Northeast Athletic Conference. In that case, your intention becomes to including players based on LOCATION first, not TALENT (which is why in basketball, the King of the Bluegrass or the girls' tournament at LexCath has more talent than the state tournament does because organizers really don't care if Tiny Tim from Podunk is there ... unless Tiny Tim is a heck of a player). As far as insulting the ones who squeaked in or barely missed, I don't see it that way at all. The kids would have full opportunity to know what exectly they have to do to make it to State. This wouldn't be a sudden, pull the rug-out-from-under-your surprise. This happens in ALL sports (barely missing out on state, that is). Of course, I don't think the boys' and girls' basketball tournament in this state are perfect because they feel they MUST make sure all of the weak regions are included. Some regions (no matter who is representing them) haven't won a first-round game in seven years. Look at a soccer, football, volleyball, baseball or softball team that lost in the region finals and came one win away from going to State. Or even a swimmer who missed qualifying by 0.19 seconds or a golfer that missed qualifying by just one missed putt or a track kid whose jump was just six inches too short or a cross country kid who was just a step or too slow after running up and down hills in the could for more than 15 minutes? Are we "insulting" all of them SOLELY because they weren't good enough to go to state? No, but you have to draw a line somewhere and no matter who you disappoint. There will always be disappointed athletes. It's how you bounce back from those disappointments that shows what type of athlete and how talented an athlete you REALLY are. As far as your Title IX argument, that doesn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense if wrestling is starting to make as much money as some people claim it does (third in revenue behind boys' basketball and football). But in hindsight (and I could be wrong here, and if I am, someone please correct me), I think Julian Tackett was referring to revenue brought in from JUST the state tournament and NOT the whole season. Of course, when wrestling had the 16-man bracket, state wasn't turning much of a profit (if one at all). Imagine how much money state would make if it expanded to a 64-man bracket! ----- All_About_Wrestling, 1) "as for talking down our state tournament saying it could be better. Have you ever been to one?" - Two things here. First, I take it you DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER reading some of my posts in which I said I had been to two of the last four state wrestling tournaments (and yet you feel the need to slam me for my posts somehow, how hypocritical is that?). For a nonwrestler, I think that should be considered pretty good, considering a lot of us probably know tons of people who have NEVER watched the state tournament. Second, look at some of your wrestling cohorts. They are making suggestions about improving the State experience (get a specialty mat for the finals, make it a full week instead of three days, get a professional announcer, have the announcer build up repeat champs or finalists like they do in Indiana or Ohio, other wrestling folks will be glad to get back to the 16-man bracket because then it will mean wrestling has improved as a whole in this state). I'm not "talking down" State, per se. Do I need to start copying-and-paste all the times where I have admitted that state is very good, but could be better? As far as in terms of how easy it is to get to state, that's not "talking down"... that's a fact (not opinion) using sheer statistics. And like I said earlier, good luck arguing otherwise. But football is still easier (although football is about to become even more easier). Even the guy who some people feel did the best rankings said it is too easy to get to state. That should tell you something. By the way, I'm not the only making suggestions here. But if you feel the need to railroad me ONLY because I'm not a wrestler, then go ahead and have your field day, hoss. "I say our finals is the greatest sporting event in the world, bar none. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't continue to be improved to be sure it stays the best." - That DIDN'T come from me. It came from a wrestling person who is very respected on this site.

As of Thursday night, the following links were still active. You may want to print them or save them as html files (a lot of weekly papers just re-save over old stories each week to save web space): NCHS senior first to medal at state tournament http://www.kystandard.com/articles/2006/02/24/sports/local_sports/sports02.txt OC wrestlers make strong showing at state championships http://www.octimesnews.com/sports.html SOHS takes second at state wrestling meet http://www.oldhamera.com/articles/2006/02/23/sports/sports04.txt Mat Hawks take 3rd at State Wrestling Tourney http://laruecountyherald.com/sports.html Braves finish fourth at State Tournament http://www.ucadvocate.com/articles/stories/public/200602/22/45AA_sports.html Wrestling Thorobreds finish 10th at State http://www.cynthianademocrat.com/articles/2006/02/23/sports/sports01.txt Mat Cardinals place 13th at State competition http://www.wcoutlook.com/story.asp?id=2364 Team finishes 20th; Badgett earns a 7th http://www.pioneernews.net/articles/2006/02/22/sports/sports01.txt Coleman, Walls bring home medals from state tourney http://www.timesleader.net/articles/stories/public/200602/22/49ff_sports.html Scherer wins third state wrestling title http://www.oldhamera.com/articles/2006/02/23/sports/sports01.txt Murton wins title again http://www.dailyindependent.com/articles/2006/02/19/sports/03murton19.prt Scott caps perfect season with title http://www.oldhamera.com/articles/2006/02/23/sports/sports02.txt Mines reaches top after digging deep; Fort Campbell wrestler takes second place at state http://www.fortcampbellcourier.com/articles/2006/02/23/sports/sports1.txt Murner wears down Voth to win state title http://www.oldhamera.com/articles/2006/02/23/sports/sports03.txt Not yet at the top but still very good http://www.theandersonnews.com/articles/2006/02/22/sports/sports01.txt Karsner leaves a legacy of success http://www.theandersonnews.com/articles/2006/02/22/sports/sports02.txt Murton captures third straight state wrestling title (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED) http://www.bigsandynews.com/1subscriptionenterbody.lasso?-token.lpprocess=editorial&-token.story=153341.112112&-token.folder=2006-02-22&-token.respage=1editorialbody.lasso&-nothing REGION: McCreary wrestlers take third http://www.tmcvoice.com/Pages/sports1.html

eville dad, To field a full tennis team, you must have seven players (three for singles and four to make up two doubles teams). At the regional tournament, each school is allowed two entries in each of the four divisions (boys' singles, boys' doubles, girls' singles and four doubles). As far as the four entries to state, that's total (could be four different schools or just two if both players from School A and both players from School B advance to the semifinals). All of the other individual sports (swimming, cross country, golf and track and field) allow multiple kids from schools to advance to state (2 each per event in swimming, tennis and track, up to five in golf and up to 7 or 9 in cross country). Maybe this is a route to be looked at. Keep the 32 man bracket if you wish, but allow each school the opportunity to put two wrestlers in each weight class insted of one. Place them on opposite sides so they can't meet until the finals (would allow for a pair of twins to wrestle for the region title if they wanted to stay in the same weight class. That would be neat to see). Of course, I don't know how many states - if any at all - allow a setup like that. ----- pioneer_pride, I never said it was tennis was the toughest sport to qualify for state in. That honor would go to boys' basketball (since like 280+ schools have it and only 16 go to State). But in terms of who advances on to state, yes tennis is tougher than wrestling. I'm not being argumentative because I hate wrestling. I don't. I went two state tournaments in the past four years and had a blast both times I went. The setup for the finals (with the lighting, blaring music and slides/powerpoint above the media people) kicks the crap out of anything ever done for tennis or cross country (plus tennis is done in the blazing heat with no shade at UK, water fountains that don't work and drink machines/concessions stands that are sold out shortly after lunch and you have to park about a mile away and play Frogger across a major roadway). To tell you the truth, state cross country sucks too. You've got to pay 8 bucks to park in the mud, soggy grass or hay. There is limited to no shelter from the cold, wind or rain. Only bathrooms are port-a-pots. Almost impossible to leave and go eat (food prices are like that of a ballpark and you would have to pay the $8 to re-park). Wrestling has a lot of things going for it. It's growing. It's making money. It's fun to watch (for those who take the time to watch it). Colleges in our state are starting to pick up on it. Girls (well, at least one anyway) are making history through it. With that said, even good things need to be tweaked once in a while. The NCAA's men's basketball tournament is probably the most televised and most popular tournament in the world, but even it has been tweaked in the last few years (added the unpopular play-in game for champions of the two sorriest conferences, made sure the top four seeds play closer to home to increase fan support, stopped with the consistent East Champ meets West Champ scenario by reseeding the semifinals). Just because something is good doesn't mean it can't be better. And although the state wrestling tournament is very good in the way it is set up and run (although it can make for some very long days), wrestlers (you) and non-wrestlers (me) can probably agree that some changes (but not widespread changes or a sweeping overhaul or anything like that) might be good for the tournament, too. And isn't that what we should be striving for is to make each tournament in every sport in this state the best it can be? You don't have to look very far (boys' basketball tournament at Rupp Arena) to see how REALLY SPECIAL a state tournament can be. If some fools get basketball to go to classes instead of just one state champ, Kentucky will lose one of the best high school tournaments in any sport in any state.

pioneer_pride, High school tennis - just like high school wrestling - has evolved a lot in the last 15 years. My region (the 5th) had 32-man brackets (with no more than four byes in the first round). Most regions were completely filled at the 32-man bracket and had to go to the 64-man bracket (although there were a TON of byes in those instances). The smallest division in our region had 28 players/doubles teams. Only four went to state (14.28 percent). Compare that to wrestling: According to the KHSAA, Region 1 (13 schools) was the largest in any region. 4 out of 13 qualify (30.76 percent). That's the minimum percentage chance any wrestler in any region in any weight class has of going to state. A couple of weight classes in my region only had six kids. 4/6 = 66.7 percent chance of going to state (in a double-elimination event). Of course, the KHSAA lists schools in my region that don't either have wrestling teams or don't bother even sending one kid to regionals (Campbellsville and McLean County "supposedly" have wrestling teams. Only on paper). According to the KHSAA, there are 81 wrestling programs (of which, 71 schools or 87.6 percent qualified had least one kid for state; I doubt there is ANY sport that has that type of representation at State. Track could be). If all 81 programs fill each weight class at the region tournament, that means there are a maximum of 1,134 kids eligible to get to state. 448 kids compete at state, meaning that, at a minimum average, each wrestler competing at the regional meet has a 39.5 percent chance to get to state. Half of the regions (2, 4, 5 and 6) had eight teams or less, meaning each kid has a 50 percent (or better) chance of going to state). Those are great odds for something that some people insist on debating is hard to get in. Boys' basketball, girls' basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball only have 16 teams go to state (must make it through two separate tournaments to get there with only opportunity to lose in district finals). In each of those sports, there are more than 200 participating schools, meaning only 8 percent (at best) go to State. Soccer has at least 128 teams and only 16 make it to state (12.5 percent). Softball is the only sport of those six that allows you to lose once you get to state. 15 kids (2 teams of five players each plus top five individuals not on those teams) from each region make it to state in golf. All golf regions had more than 50 competitors (15/50 = 30 percent maximum chance of going to state). Just less than 40 percent (39.68) of all cross country teams made it to the state meet in Class 3-A in 2005 and were eligible for the state team title. Some other schools qualified 1, 2 or 3 individuals but were NOT eligible for the state team title. Only 26 kids (24 qualifiers and two alternates for illnesses, injuries, disqualifications) make it to State in each swimming event. Only two from each of the 5 regions are guaranteed spots. 14 other berths are given out after the fastest remaining times from all five regions are compiled. Not included in this is diving, which is smaller than wrestling in terms of how many schools offer it. The top two finishers in each region in track advance to state (plus the next four fastest times/distances in the state plus anybody else who meets the qualifying standard i.e. achieving a time/distance seen at the previous year's state meet). Keep in mind that in tennis, swimming, golf and cross country, not only are you competing against other teams, you can get beat out from ONE OF YOUR OWN TEAMMATES for one of the last spots at state. As far as lettering in tennis, that's an entirely separate issue. Each school sets its own lettering requirements (some schools allow you to "letter" in dance team, mat maids, marching band, rifle team, academic team, etc. I know some schools in my area that all you have to do is appear in the postseason, meaning someone who plays two seconds in a 40-point basketball or football blowout letters). As far as showing up on Friday, good call, except NO ONE is eliminated the first day at state wrestling (just sent down to the consolation bracket).

Cougarwrestler, 1) I NEVER said wrestling was an easy sport physically. I have admitted that over and over. In fact, I said it was very tough. 2) What I did say is that STATISTICALLY (again, not physically) it is easier to qualify for State in wrestling than any other KHSAA sport (other than football, that is; and even in football, the first three rounds are against region competition. Only 16 teams overall out of the 200+ teams make it to the state semifinals). In terms of numbers, you can't argue that. It's indisputable. I wish you the best of luck if you want to try to prove otherwise. 3) Don't think it won't change. How many changes has state gone through in the last 20 years? That's been posted on this thead before. Most - if not all - sports have gone through some postseason change in the last five years or so. The KHSAA invokes more change than you think. People also use to think that volleyball was just a private school thing or that LexCath would never get busted for anything bad or that they would never pust Scott County and LexCath in the same region because they are so dominant. All of those things happened to change recently. If wrestling continues to grow, something will have to change. Either by going to 16 regions instead of eight, bringing back the district-region-state scenario or creating classes. If you think it will never change, you are incredibly naive. 4) People have different views about what State is. IMO, state should be for the top talent and only for the top talent. It should be a great honor to make it to state, not a yearly ritual for more than 35 percent of all competitors. It should be tough to accomplish, not expected. If everyone (or most everyone) gets to experience something, that event loses its uniqueness, whether you want to admit it or not. 5) Just because someone hasn't done something doesn't mean they are completely ignorant on the topic or can't voice their opinion. Most of us know jack squat about how government really works, but we still get to vote about who should get to be in the government and run our towns, our state and even our country. Better than 90 percent of all people that attend UK basketball games have never played Division I ball, but they still go to games, listen to it on radio, watch it on TV, comment on it by writing to newspapers or message boards or calling in the radio. All of those people matter. I'm sure UK would agree. If not, how come you rarely - if ever - see a player, coach, school or team ever say "Who cares about our fans? They haven't been in our shoes so they don't know diddly squat and their opinions don't matter at all!" If they did that, they would alienate their fans - their most important allies - incredibly fast. Without fans (whether they know what they're tallking about or not), it is hard to make money (which wrestling is starting to do in this state more and more). Without fans (again, they may know a lot about wrestling or they may know hardly anything), it would be hard for wrestling to grow.

Coach Smith, I have helped the wrestling community by posting links to news stories about wrestling or by posting results. How have you helped The News-Enterprise other than complain (especially when The News-Enterprise's coverage was comparable - or better than - every other daily newspaper in the state)?

pioneer_pride, Oh. Wow. Another genius from the "you don't wrestle, so you don't know nothin" camp. That's "hillarious" to me. Just like qualifying for State wrestling has become easier in the past five or so years, qualifying for State tennis has become harder. Kids no longer get to go to State because their school won the team title. If you don't make it to at least the semifinals (usually a 32-man bracket, at minimum a 16-man bracket) without losing, you have NO CHANCE at going to state. No first-year tennis players qualified for the state tournament in tennis last year. There were some that it was their first year on the team, but not their first year of tennis as a whole. But a first year kid in our local wrestling region (Fort Knox's Anthony Bailey) won the region title and won two matches at state. I know of another kid (although NOT a first-year wrestler) that didn't come out until December (and no, it had nothing to do with an injury) and then won the region title and placed at State. Maybe the 70 kids that don't qualify for State in Cross Country suck. But it is possible that the 4 or so kids per region in wrestling that don't qualify suck too. It could be possible that some kids that qualify for State in wrestling suck too (I don't think if you have a losing record you should be considered good in any sport - basketball, football, wrestling, tennis, badminton, etc., but that's just me). As far as who competes in cross country regionals, only nine kids max per school. Top five count as team scores. I'm not saying tennis or cross country are tougher than wrestling. I never did and never will. Wrestling is one - if not the - toughest physical sport there is. I doubt many - if any - cross country kids could hack it on the mat. However, I doubt many wrestlers can run 3.1 miles on a not-so-flat course in the cold in less than 18 minutes, 32 seconds (that's what it would take to finish in the TOP 50 in the weakest class in cross country at State). Or that many wrestlers can freestyle swim 500 meters in less than 5 minutes, 23 seconds (what it took to qualify for State this year). Or many wrestlers that can shoot an 82 in the wind on a 6,737-yard, par-72 course (what it took to make the cut at boys' state golf this year). But I will stick to my guns and say that under the current setup, it is easier to qualify for State in wrestling than it is in ANY other sport in Kentucky. It may be because wrestling is also the smallest sport (in terms of schools with full teams). In some regions half - or more than half - of the kids qualify for State wrestling. You won't find 50 percent or better odds like that in ANY sport (even cross country or tennis or girls' volleyball). Serious questions: - Unless you're in a stacked region (featuring at least 2 ranked wrestlers), do you really think qualifying for State is that difficult? - Do you really think the media (newspapers, TV stations, possibly radio) will ever show up on the first day of state (as compared to the final day) if a majority of the matches are first-round pins or major decisions or T-falls? - Other than "more kids get to compete", what exactly are the benefits of a 32-man bracket? - With wrestling growing, why would it be bad to go back to a district-region-state format?

kdsmith27, "Again an opinion from a non-wrestler" "Unless you are familiar with KY State Wrestling for KHSAA and the coaches that work together to continue to make our sport grow , who are you to assume anything." So because I'm not a wrestler or not involved in the set up of the state tournament, my opinion doesn't matter? You know that's completely and utterly illogical. I doubt you have much - if any - journalism training, but that didn't stop you from getting on THIS very message board from stating your opinion on the job that Chuck and my brother do at the newspaper. So, by using your logic, anything you say about the newspaper should have NO MERIT WHATSOEVER because you have no training, have never done their job and are not directly involved. Look, I ran cross country. It's tough stuff to run 3.1 miles up and down hills in the cold, wind, rain or blinding heat. But just because "I try hard" doesn't mean I am one of the best in the state or I deserve to go to the state tournament. I also played tennis (although I wasn't very good) for three years. Some of my matches could take an hour. That will wear you out running and jumping and hitting like that continuously. But that doesn't mean I deserve to go to State. Unlike wrestling, tennis and cross country are EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to go to State in. Our tennis region had 30 kids in it. Only four go to state. Likewise, my cross country region had over 100 kids. Only about 30 go on (unlike half the region - or more than half in some instances - in wrestling, no matter if the kids are really that good or not). "Trying hard" is NOT a reason for going to the state tournament. Nearly every coach in the state in every sport will have one or two kids that "are the hardest workers you'll find." Before you started coaching at North, four of the five area head coaches went on the record and said that the 32-man bracket cheapened what it meaned to qualify for State. I doubt many opinions have changed, especially when LaRue County sends nearly its entire team every other year. I would agree that many kids would say it is special to go to State. However, I bet many would also agree that it is NOT NEARLY AS HARD to get to State as it was, say, about six years ago. Winning one or two matches isn't nearly as hard as tennis (three without losing) or soccer, baseball, basketball, softball or volleyball (four wins). I'm trying not to make this personal, but people are going to voice their opinions whethere they are directly involved or not. Not many of us have played for UK for are involved in UK's coaching, but how many UK fans go on message boards, attend games, boo, cheer, write in to newspapers or call radio stations? THOUSANDS. Are you saying that UK shouldn't care about any of them because they're not directly involved? The way that State is set up is good, but it could be MUCH better. And just because the KHSAA says "this is the way it is going to be" DOES NOT MEAN the KHSAA is correct or is making the best choice. Take a look at a map where schools are located. Trinity and St. Xavier, at minimum, should be in the same football district. Or at least the same region. But no, they're not even in the SAME bracket when it comes to the football playoffs because the KHSAA knows how much money a St. X-Trinity final will bring in. Is that a good monetary decision? DEFINITELY. But is it fair? DEFINITELY NOT. A few years back, the KHSAA thought it was fair to have Hardin County schools drive clear across Jefferson and Bullitt County (both of which are nearby) to play Oldham County and Shelby County for DISTRICT GAMES. That wasn't fair at all.

grappler-of-old, The State wrestling tournament is ALREADY on the same weekend as the state swimming championship. They've been like that for a couple of years now. And State could still be pushed back a week (for seeding meeting or to bring back the district tournament). Basketball districts aren't until next week (so wrestling could still be pushed back a week and be over and done with before basketball postseason begins). Tennis doesn't have an official place to turn in results, either. All coaches are required to bring in each players' match-by-match records to the conference tournament meeting (no districts in tennis) and the region tournament meeting as well as the state tournament meeting (if they feel they have a player worthy of getting seeding; if you are not seeded, you are in a blind draw).