Winter Storms, Super Bowl Monday And Flipping Seasons
February 5, 2020 at 2:08 a.m.
Winter Storms, Super Bowl Monday And Flipping Seasons
By Roger Grossman-
Like, for example, my social media feeds were filled with lots of angst Monday morning from people who were moaning and groaning that the day after the Super Bowl isn’t already a national holiday and a day off for all of America.
Please, people. There is nothing justifiable about making that day a day to shut down the American workforce. Let’s uncover the truth on this: the people who want this are people who want to drink to the point of being drunk and they don’t want to worry about what condition they will be in when it’s time to go to work the next day.
Enjoy the game and drink whatever you want, but the wants of the few don’t outweigh the needs of the many.
My article last week about what I might change, add or adjust if I was to replace Bobby Cox as commissioner of the IHSAA spurred some of you to reach out with other things you think I should change.
Most of these things I politely rejected under my IHSAA leadership.
Things like “Can you put in a shot clock from high school basketball” — no.
“Would you add a fifth class to the basketball state tournaments?” — no.
“Can we get baseball and softball to switch to be fall sports with girls and boys soccer moving to the spring? — hmmm, ok, let’s talk about that one.
The weather in August and September is better than April and May. That’s a fact. Baseball and softball are sports that require the weather to be better to play, and when you compare the bat-and-ball sports with soccer, the conversation gets interesting.
Here is the question: how many athletes would that affect? How many girls who play soccer also play volleyball? How many baseball players also play soccer? I’m not making an argument here … I really don’t know how many student-athletes would be involved. But that would be THE reason not to do it.
“Can you create a class for just for the private and parochial schools?”— no.
Creating a class strictly for parochial schools would be challenged in court and the schools would win, based on the concept that the IHSAA would be treating schools in a certain way because they are of Christian or Catholic foundations. I’m not a lawyer, but I watch enough “Law & Order” to know that this would be discrimination. The closest solution I have would be this: any school that does not adhere to school corporation boundaries in accepting students for enrollment would be made to participate in the largest class in each sport. Not sure it would fly in a court room, but it’s the best I can come up with. That would include Fort Wayne schools.
I have no stats to back this up either, but I would like to see what the percentage of girls’ basketball sectional weeks include snow and bitter cold. I would guess it’s north of 50%. Hopefully we get everything in on schedule.
I would like for someone to create an independent service that will honestly and accurately give parents and prep athletes a sense of where they stand in the relation to the college level. College basketball and football players have access to people who can give them that kind of advice — should I stay in school or go pro? Why can’t someone provide that same sort of service for high school juniors and seniors?
These would not be AAU coaches or summer league coaches who already seem to have a financial interest in what kids do with their next step. I am talking about former and current coaches who can watch (in person and on film) a player with credibility and say to a young man or young lady “you could make it on a division I roster” or “if an NAIA school offers you money, take it” or “we see you at X level, but if you do this, this and this you could be more valuable to a school at the next level up.”
Right now, we have kids who have a lot of voices whispering in their ears with things that just are not true, and filling those kids and their parents full of hopes that are really fantasies. They need to hear the truth, no matter what that might be.
It would be good if there was an impartial voice in their ears, too.
I know this sounds strange, but I miss ball park food. I locked in the date with the Cubs for our radio station bus trip this year, and when I did I got a whiff of the smells of Wrigley Field in my mind. I know, unhealthy. But it smelled like summer.
It sure looks like another winter without ice fishing for me.
I am SO looking forward to summer —or maybe just a warm spring.
Like, for example, my social media feeds were filled with lots of angst Monday morning from people who were moaning and groaning that the day after the Super Bowl isn’t already a national holiday and a day off for all of America.
Please, people. There is nothing justifiable about making that day a day to shut down the American workforce. Let’s uncover the truth on this: the people who want this are people who want to drink to the point of being drunk and they don’t want to worry about what condition they will be in when it’s time to go to work the next day.
Enjoy the game and drink whatever you want, but the wants of the few don’t outweigh the needs of the many.
My article last week about what I might change, add or adjust if I was to replace Bobby Cox as commissioner of the IHSAA spurred some of you to reach out with other things you think I should change.
Most of these things I politely rejected under my IHSAA leadership.
Things like “Can you put in a shot clock from high school basketball” — no.
“Would you add a fifth class to the basketball state tournaments?” — no.
“Can we get baseball and softball to switch to be fall sports with girls and boys soccer moving to the spring? — hmmm, ok, let’s talk about that one.
The weather in August and September is better than April and May. That’s a fact. Baseball and softball are sports that require the weather to be better to play, and when you compare the bat-and-ball sports with soccer, the conversation gets interesting.
Here is the question: how many athletes would that affect? How many girls who play soccer also play volleyball? How many baseball players also play soccer? I’m not making an argument here … I really don’t know how many student-athletes would be involved. But that would be THE reason not to do it.
“Can you create a class for just for the private and parochial schools?”— no.
Creating a class strictly for parochial schools would be challenged in court and the schools would win, based on the concept that the IHSAA would be treating schools in a certain way because they are of Christian or Catholic foundations. I’m not a lawyer, but I watch enough “Law & Order” to know that this would be discrimination. The closest solution I have would be this: any school that does not adhere to school corporation boundaries in accepting students for enrollment would be made to participate in the largest class in each sport. Not sure it would fly in a court room, but it’s the best I can come up with. That would include Fort Wayne schools.
I have no stats to back this up either, but I would like to see what the percentage of girls’ basketball sectional weeks include snow and bitter cold. I would guess it’s north of 50%. Hopefully we get everything in on schedule.
I would like for someone to create an independent service that will honestly and accurately give parents and prep athletes a sense of where they stand in the relation to the college level. College basketball and football players have access to people who can give them that kind of advice — should I stay in school or go pro? Why can’t someone provide that same sort of service for high school juniors and seniors?
These would not be AAU coaches or summer league coaches who already seem to have a financial interest in what kids do with their next step. I am talking about former and current coaches who can watch (in person and on film) a player with credibility and say to a young man or young lady “you could make it on a division I roster” or “if an NAIA school offers you money, take it” or “we see you at X level, but if you do this, this and this you could be more valuable to a school at the next level up.”
Right now, we have kids who have a lot of voices whispering in their ears with things that just are not true, and filling those kids and their parents full of hopes that are really fantasies. They need to hear the truth, no matter what that might be.
It would be good if there was an impartial voice in their ears, too.
I know this sounds strange, but I miss ball park food. I locked in the date with the Cubs for our radio station bus trip this year, and when I did I got a whiff of the smells of Wrigley Field in my mind. I know, unhealthy. But it smelled like summer.
It sure looks like another winter without ice fishing for me.
I am SO looking forward to summer —or maybe just a warm spring.
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