Has Championship Saturday lost its luster?

[93Bulldog]

Boy, was anyone else disapointed in Saturday's line-up and how the games turned out? Only two games were competitive (Wheelersburg 58, Ironton 52 ... South Webster 60, Fairfield 52).

Two major changes have caused Championship Saturday to not be anywhere close to what it use to be.

(1) Moving the D-II championship game to Friday as opposed to being the first game of the day on Saturday ... Had Warren vs Chillicothe kicked off today's match-ups - it could have made a huge difference.

(2) When the Southeast district began sending three D-III teams to the regionals - it effected the District championship games drastically.

* Here is what the 2011 district championships would have looked like 4 or 5 years ago:

12:00 - Warren vs Chillicothe
2:00 - South Webster vs Fairfield
4:00 - Manchester vs Whiteoak
6:00 - Peebles versus Portsmouth
8:00 - Chesapeake vs Wheelersburg

(I threw Peebles in their because the seeding would have been changed big time if there were only two D-III champions ... I still don't think No. 1 seed Peebles should have played the 'Burg in game 1, while No. 2 seed Portsmouth got to play Northwest - and then Fairland - to reach the regionals.)

Perhaps re-seeding should take place once teams reach the Convo ... it definitly couldn't hurt that's for sure.

[heatfan]

How can you change the seedings once they reach the Convo? There are always going to be upsets, and every game gives a chance of a mismatch. As for the games being competitive, I didn't see any team win by 25. Nor did any team have a 20pt lead for most of there game. Just because every game isn't a 2OT thriller doesn't mean that the game wasn't a good one. I thought that all the games had good and bad parts to it. It's highschool basketball, and I love it. I just wish we could have another 5 games next weekend at OU.

[93Bulldog]

I wasn't saying it was horrible heatfan ... I love a full day of hoops ... But compared to what past championship Saturday's were like - it's not even close.

I think I give the reasons why above ... When you use to have 4 D-III teams fighting it out for 2 slots (as opposed to 6 playing for 3 spots in the regionals) - of course the competition is going to be better.

When you had the big D-II championship game starting out the day - of course its going to make the entire line-up better.

[heatfan]

You are 100% correct, the amount of teams that get out makes for a little less competitive games. DivIII and DivIV both got an extra team out than normal. The one thing I do like about it is that more kids get the opportunity to win a district title.

[91blue14]

the atmosphere friday night was a alot better than anypoint saturday.

[bman]

Like everyone else has basically said. Three D3 spots in regionals water down the title games. Having D2 on Friday also takes some luster away. When D2 gets one to regionals, that is usually a pretty good matchup there as well. Now when D2 had two teams to regionals a couple of years ago you had some clunkers mixed in with a few good ones.

I'd also add the different sectionals also hurt the competition, regardless of how many teams go to regionals. We had a case this year in D3 where Jackson was brutal, Waverly wasn't very good after the top two schools and the Athens wasn't very good at all. This has also happened in the past in other divisions. This is why we need to go to a Central District style draw or at least have one sectional per division and seed the division top to bottom.

[FANOSPORTS]

You are 100% correct, the amount of teams that get out makes for a little less competitive games. DivIII and DivIV both got an extra team out than normal. The one thing I do like about it is that more kids get the opportunity to win a district title.

IMO, the first sentence is correct about the less competitive games. The third sentence is today's mentality that let's give everyone a participation trophy type deal. The OHSAA did this for money, bottom line. As for 93bulldogs original post, I think it has lost some luster for the casual fans who've watched the tournaments over the years evolve into what they are now in basketball. These one game sectionals are what I really dislike. A bad team can beat a terrible team and win the "Sectional" and then lose by 30 or 40 in the "District" tournament their next game but they can still say we made it to district. UUGGGGHHHH !!!!!. Heck in the WV tournament now, if you win your first round game and get beat in the next game, you play the other sectional loser in your Region to see who gets to play another game. You need to lose 2 games before you're out of the tournament. That's crazy !!!!! All for the money, please stand up.

[Grinder]

I think even with three D3 teams they could still have the D2 game on Saturday. If you move the girls game and have all the boy's championship games on Saturday. They wouldn't have to clear the convo and we could watch championship basketball all day but they wouldn't make as much money doing it this way. I don't think you can mess with the seedings. Thats what the regular season determines, if a higher seed gets knocked off in the sectionals, than so be it. I still enjoyed the atmosphere and games yesterday, even if it wasn't like the Greenfield-Chilli game a few years back.

[93Bulldog]

I really don't see why a second tourney draw could not take place for the District tourney ... You have 8 or 9 coaches get together and seed teams for the sectionals - why not do the same for the districts?

This year in D-III: 12 coaches from 12 schools could have come to Athens, had a nice lunch somewhere, and then voted on teams to be seeded 1-through-12. If they could have done that, it would have solved the discrepencies amongst the three sectionals.

Phantom seeding:

1) Chesapeake
2) Peebles
3) Portsmouth
4) Piketon
5) Ironton
6) Wheelersburg
7) Meigs
8. Fairland
9) Alexander
10) Northwest
11) Eastern Brown
12) Wellston

* If that seeding takes place - the tourney becomes somewhat fair and balanced. I mean seriously, nobody sees the huge difference between what Portsmouth had to do and what Wheelersburg endured to reach the regionals? Its like night and day.

* The D-IV had something similar happen with No. 1 seed Eastern Meigs having to play a very good Fairfield team in the semi-finals.

* Just because they write on a line in the pre-built-brackets (Athens No. 1 versus Jackson No. 2) doesn't mean it has to be that way ... Just put (No. 1 seed versus No. 12 seed) ... lol ... it's that simple.

[pfloyd]

... sounds like 93bulldog has gone into "mom 93dog mode" (inside joke) LOL ... can't beat him when he goes there :aaaaa91

[Pol pot]

Not to pee on your tent, but this was two different tournaments, hence two sessions. If you cannot afford that then you should probably rethink your life choices.

[OZZIEOHIO]

... sounds like 93bulldog has gone into "mom 93dog mode" (inside joke) LOL ... can't beat him when he goes there

I think he is just feeling the blues, There was no TVC teams left to play this week and he doesnt have a team to support.

[danicalifornia]

Last year featured 2 of the 3 district title games come down to the last shot.

2009 had one go to OT, the other one was a great game as well.
2008 had 2 games, both blowouts.
2007, 3 games, 2 blowouts, 1 close one.

Championship Saturday has never been about close games, but the last couple years had great games, yesterday didn't.

[earp]

The Convo will probably be called the "Kasich Dome' pretty soon anyway GAHS!And the soft drinks will go from $5 to $10!

[Pol pot]

So I take it you do not go to any State Championship games? I can't believe they make you get out of your seat 3 times each day, when they could easily let you watch all four games, what a sham!

[93Bulldog]

The price to watch the action this year wasn't bad at all gahs4ever (Uh, so Ive been told ... lol) ... But seriously, I believe folks paid $6.00 and got to see ALL the games ... the one time they cleared the Convo was Saturday when you had 2 early games - a break - then 4 more games ... Other than that - it was pay one price - see all the games.

About the concession stand: I absolutly refuse to pay $4.00 for a box of popcorn or anything else they sell ... that is the most ridiculus thing I have ever seen ... Its popcorn right? kernels, popped and thrown into a 2-cent box???? $4.00??? lol ... Crazy.

Just buy a $5.00 foot-long from Subway, put it in a bag with a bottle of water and you have what you need for an all day event at the Convo.

[GlenwoodGURU]

I just think that the talent level is down. There was once a buzz about the players. It will always be the same teams (burg, peake, sw, ironton, ptown, chilli, etc...) but when there is div 1 and big time next level talent champioship sat goes to another level. Maybe only one D1 player at the covo on saturday. Just think who was there a few years ago...

Aldridge - SW
Waginger - Ironton/SW
Gagai - Ironton
Howard - Ironton
Miller - Burg
Spradlin - Burg
Rase - Peake
Hitchens - ZT/Chilli
Jackson - Greenfield
Evans - Logan Elm
Bucheler - Eastern Brown
Thoroughman - Clay
Jenkins - Trimble
Cozart - Eastern Meigs

That is just off the top of my head...the DII switch does hurt, they always brought big crowds that would stay all day.

[fan of GlenwoodGURU]

I think I saw a couple of those guys off the list there on saturday? So there had to be more than one DI player there.