Playoff system flawed?

Wait just a dang minute.........

Why do so many of you regulars want to change the playoff format????
You all seem to say it is because you want the "best team" to win. It sounds to me that you all already know who the best team is! Why even have playoffs if you want the format designed so the best team will win it?
As the Afgan lady said before: "You cannot win them all if you don't win the first one". The hard truth is that the SW4A just did not show up for their first round games. For whatever reasons. Get over it!!

As a poster said earlier: "Mallard Creek beat Hough twice the last week of the season". Well, Hough beat MC in the fourth round. But Hough only beat them once. Should they now play a three game series? Or better yet, let's just vote who is the best team?

I repeat a recent post: "Quit your whining".

 

This isn't what I want to be reading about this week fellas....

It's not like these coaches called in to the observer, begging to let them speak their mind to the public about how awful our playoff system is. I'm sure they we're asked to make some comments and that's what they did. They said what a lot of people on this board have already suggested. I understand the hyperbole but don't you think we've had enough already. I reckon we can all agree that there are some (however few it may be) things we like about the current system, and there are some things we would dislike about any revised system. I have yet to see a system that satisfies everyone, thats just the nature of amateur sports. It's unfortunate that a really good, shoot... a GREAT program, has only won 3 playoff games in the last 4 years. Just the nature of the beast. I don't want to hear any grumbling when the law of averages starts to swing their way and they run off three in a row..... And no I don't have ties to Providence, I don't like Providence, and it hurts me to say nice things about them, but they've taken enough verbal abuse this year.

Now I need some help from you all.... Where do I go to watch a baseball game friday night?? Is is Doak to see Rodon in the NCAA regionals, or do I make my way down to the DBAP to check out this Hough squad??

 

Rodon probadly won't be pitching until Saturday.

 

Here you go:

East
1. Scotland 19-2
2. West Johnson 19-3
3. Richmond 19-4
4. New Bern 19-5
5. Green Hope 18-5
6. Rose 18-5
7. East Chapel Hill 18-5
8. Jordan 18-5

West
1. Providence 22-2
2. TC Roberson 21-2
3. SE Guilford 20-2
4. South Caldwell 19-2
5. Ardrey Kell 21-3
6. SW Guilford 19-4
7. Davie 16-4
8. Olympic 19-5


With the first two rounds being one and done you still don't have a series until the final four.

In your scenario this year, you have one final four team in the playoffs and neither finalist qualified.

While I did not take the time to check the "Rating Percentage Index" of all these teams, seeing the record of the teams that these 16 played, I feel that there may be one or two that could change, but not much (Example I did not include Terry Sanford (19-4) because of a low strength of schedule.

As for "power conferences" here are the regular season non-conference winning percentage of each league this season:

East
1. Mid-East .810
2. SE4A .682
3. Cap 8 .554
3. Tri-9 .554
5. GNR .549
6. PAC 6 .433
7. Mid South .254


West
CPC .762
SW4A .693
Metro .625
Piedmont/Triad .551
I-Meck .404

Split league 4A schools
Mountain Athletic .750
MEGA-7 .705
NW4A .620
Southern Carolina .600

Before the playoffs expanded to 64 teams in 2005 the intensity of the regular conference season was much stronger. It had to be with only a bid or two available per league in conferences that had half dozen teams capable of making a run if they could get in the playoffs. It also put more pressure in the conference tournament as the winner could steal a bid and knock out a couple 20 win teams.

As a spectator, I personally like the intensity of one and done. The purpose of the tournament is not to identify the best team, but a champion. The champion is the best team some years, and in some years they are not, and that is OK. If the format changes to something else, that is fine, but it will still be true that the best team will not win every year.

My league got whacked from the start, which was disappointing, but definitely did not mean it was a bad league. Now I am pulling for Weddington, who I thought from the beginning was one of the best teams in the state, and for Hough, who I liked from the first time I saw them play in the first week of last season but did not equate them with the very best teams in the state. I hope they both win!

 

I hope Weddington and Hough both win. Then Porter Ridge (the sub .500 team a lot have said should not have been in the state playoffs) can say they beat the 3A State Champ and the 4A State Champ (on Weddington and Hough's home field)......probably the only team in NC who can say that. Go Weddington and Go Hough!!!

 

I do believe that South Meck beat both teams on their home field as well..... none the less, a very impressive feat for both teams!

 

Hough was 2 and 5 againest the SW4a with wins ove Myers Park and AK.

 

Doesn't matter....

Doesn't matter what they were against the SW4A! SW4A was 0-5 in the 1st round and Hough is playing for the 4A State Championship. You bring it when it needs to be brought (playoffs)...and Hough did that and the 5 SW4A teams did not!...

 

I do not post often but felt the urge to reply to this post. I happened to be the coach of a team that was "upset" in the first round of the playoffs this year. If you ask me if I would like to see the playoff format change to a 3 game series , my answer is simple 1. If I lose the first game, yes I want a 3 game series and 2. If I win the first game, no thanks, I'll be glad to move on to round 2.
Do I envy the coach that advances and I am going home? Yes , but I am not afraid to say that it is going. To drive me to work harder next year and continue to try and get there. Best of luck to Weddington and Hough, two great teams and great coaches.

 

Hough held East Forsyth to 2 runs total in two games to win the West Regional and has won 3 or 4 one-run games in their playoff run. Gotta give the coaches credit for preparation and game management and the players credit for clutch hitting and shutdown pitching so far.