JUST MY TWO CENTS
In the politically-correct world that we live in, I'd thought I'd share a thought on what seems to be the politically-correct CIF playoffs.
The system is the way it is, but does anyone else ever find it amusing that teams that earn top-four seeds have to, more times than not, go on the road to face a lesser opponent in the second, quarterfinal and perhaps even the semifinals?
What does being a No. 1 seed get you? Sometimes a first-round bye, but mostly a cupcake in the first round.
Isn't it about time that teams with better records get rewarded throughout the playoffs?
For example; Muir, a No. 2 seed in the Division I-A girls basketball playoffs, will be playing its second straight road game when it travels to Riverside M.L. King. King's a very good team. If Muir advances and, let's say for fun, Mira Costa gets upset, the Mustangs would be right back on the road.
In girls soccer, Maranatha had to go on the road to play against Torrance, a team with a lesser record. On a field that looked like a tornado ripped through leaving little grass and mostly mud, and with intense coastal winds, the Minutemen got blown out of the postseason.
Some sports, it doesn't matter who the home team is, but I think it's time to reward the top teams and give the teams with either the best record or the best league finish, the home game.
In the meantime, I'll send a postcard from Riverside.
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
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The system is broke. I've been assistant coach in California for several years now and I can't seem to wrap my head around why such procedures are in place.
I grew up in another state with odd rules, but at least when it came to the state play-offs they were reasonable. The team with the better record always had home field advantage until the semifinals and finals which were at a neutral state location. Granted some teams would play “fluff” teams to better their records, but generally speaking it was a good system. The other aspect of this issue was that schools were classified by region and population. So a school of 500 wouldn’t have to play a school of 1500 (generally speaking of course). The only downside to that was the private schools would recruit illegally and could keep themselves in the lower divisions by keeping their populations down. I hear now they were all bumped up anyways.
So we come to the task at hand, the California system. There is a tri-league system in place where I coach. If you do well for two years you move up. If you don’t, you move down. Not a bad idea unless you lose all your seniors the year you move up. Also the top two leagues just happen to be in the same division. So basically there’s a better chance to make it to the playoffs if you’re in the medium range league. The only benefit to being in the top league is the better competition. It’s not a bad idea but why two years? Why not just one? That’s what the English Premier League of Soccer does.
What better way to motivate the team than to tell them that working hard all season lands them in the play-offs but don’t try too hard because it’s actually better to be the 2nd Team in league. The 2nd place team that plays an easy team in the first round away has a very good chance of playing a home game further in the play-offs when it matters. Last year my team was practically undefeated going into the playoffs. We won our first game, easily of course, only to play the next one as an away game. Then we had to play the subsequent one away because of a coin toss. I didn’t complain too much because if we would have won that game the semi-final was guaranteed at home. However, I don’t think teams and coaches should have to think in terms like that. Their focus should be on their play and the present game. I’m glad the fate of my team is destined by chance not merit. Great job, CIF.
Solution: Obviously the team that does well throughout the year should be guaranteed home field advantage and the final determining games (semi-final and final) at the neutral site. This would guarantee the best out of the teams in the final stages. Determining the best teams could easily be done on record, rank (coaches), and league comparison (determined by ruling body). This could all be done on a point system similar to many colleges and international competitions. Teams earn points on the teams they play, how well they do against them, and the leagues they come from. The thing to keep in mind is to reward the teams who earn it, not the teams who just happen to be lucky enough to be in the broke CIF system.
Whoever wrote the long post, please re-post. It got sent to the to-be-approved file and I inadvertantly deleted it. Sorry.