kissinger1

Politics of postseason? Do tell.

If you remember, when the 32 man bracket first started, the weigh-ins were earlier on thursday, and they did do the first two rounds. Then the school administrators got very upset because what happened was that several teams who have to travel great distances actually missed all or part of WEDNESDAY class just for travel. So it was pushed back to make it to where fewer schools have to miss any time on wednesday. With schools financially accountable for every missed hour a kid is out of school, it comes down to a balancing act. It really comes down to somebody has to change what they were doing. Some teams went to school part day, then wanted to leave early and come to Frankfort and practice / work out. Then others stayed in school all day, worked out, then drove in late that night but complained about bad road conditions in February, etc. It just isn't an easy answer unfortunately. I can see why they have tried several things.

Although you did in fact "choose" the convenience of staying there, I would strongly suggest you contact KHSAA with your concerns. I was told that at the Civic Center events, that KHSAA has some control over the concessions and therefore, some control over pricing. I would definitely contact them with specific concerns and items that you thought were overpriced. I wonder why, since they kept announcing for wrestlers to keep their passes visible, etc., that they couldnt give the wrestlers and coaches a discount over the fans, since they do have to be there so long?

I don't understand you saying you were held hostage. We were able to come and go all day, parking was free (although sometimes, it was more crowded than others), if you chose to stay there all day, you chose to stay there all day.

If a school cannot afford $100 to $125 a year as a one-time fee to eliminate phone calls, emails and worry about whether an official will be there, will show up, is trained, etc., then they shouldn't have the sport.

I think the one thing several of us fail to realize is that the rules have changed since we wrestled. Now, the rules REQUIRE activity, not leg riding, not fleeing, constantly moving back to the middle of the mat, etc. The biggest issue to me as I watch is NOT that they changed this three days. Its that for the other 362 they didn't call it correctly (okay, only 10 weeks of the season, but 362 works for drama). The biggest issue is that many of the schools who had concerns are those who hire their own officials during the year. So during the year, the officials call it the way the person that hires them wants it called. Without doing that, they don't get asked back. So it is natural to see folks call it one way at one school, and one way at another. Not ideal, not good, but natural. The regions where you don't hear many complaints, 2, 3, 4 and 5, are those who have an assigner who sends them their officials. They take whoever is sent. The official can call it by the back without the fear that he won't get rehired. That's why the KHSAA has assigners in football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc., so that the officials are only accountable to the assigner, and are therefore free to call it like it is supposed to be called. If Region 1, 6, 7 and 8 did that, you might see a difference. I heard at the tournament that Region 1 has hired someone, so that is a step in the direction of getting all of the matches all year long, called in the same manner. All in all, this year was probably like most years. How good or bad the officials were may depend on what chair your sitting in, with what color glasses on at the time.

Liza Crap, A girl I went out with in college.

I have talked to all who were offered the chance to work. No one turned it down.

Chris was never listed as a ref for this year's tournament because he didn't officiate this year while finishing his masters. And one of the West Virginia guys who does a heck of a job had already said he had Air Force duties that weekend, but he supposedly told KHSAA that information early in the school year. I do have the good fortune of talking to all of the referees who are worth a dime and no one that I talked to turned it down.

The other side of this, is that after three days, some of the kids were barely moving in the finals, etc. With things crammed into 2 days, with 1 to 2 more matches per day, is that fair to the kids? They are some of the finest conditioned athletes in all of high school sports, but I wonder if it is fair to expect them to cram all of the competition of a 32 man bracket into 2 days. For now, I say leave it alone.

Coach, that isn't accurate so don't perpetuate lies and crap. Having talked to most of the officials in the state, I haven't found a single one who has turned down the request to work when the state called. Not a single one. Now are some not officiating AT ALL during the season due to conflicts, probably so. But to imply that there are better officials who somehow turned down the state because of work, just isn't true.

We will miss you leaning over the rail when he wrestled :-)