All-in format has parents up in arms

Perfect example is the 2009 Indiana HS football playoffs. First-round game pitted 2 top 10 schools against each other (Pioneer and Lafayette Central Catholic) and CC cruised the whole postseason, outscoring opponents a combined 266-32 in six games, including a 52-0 state title win.
The toughest game of the six was the 20-0 win over Pioneer in the first round.
Then again, I could go off about how the Catholic schools should have their own class...but that's another can of worms.

 

Another Ohio writer: The football system is good, but I don't care for the everyone in with the other sports. A team should be required to have a winning record to qualify or they don't get in. I especially love when the basketball tournament comes and we have sectionals or games just called tournament games depending on the district you are in. In our district, they are called sectionals and you have to win one or two or in a few cases three to qualify for the district tournament. For those who need three, they are the real crappy teams and it's basically a sectional No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed for the right to be killed by the top-seed.

I was at one of these games with three-win Podunk Shitheads and the two-win Dumfock Rat tails. Both teams, which are separated by 30 minutes, instead have to drive 40-50 each to get to the tournament site. And the tourney manager is surprised only a 100 folks show up to watch this "classic".

 

How do you know?

Seriously, does this really happen that often? I covered preps for 15 years and never had a parent curse at me, and I've never heard of a parent curse at any of the other guys in our department. I find it difficult to believe it happens very often, and I suspect this is just another case of miserable, bitter prep writers trying desperately to find yet another thing to whine about.

How do you know? Are they all reading the paper in the library?

 

A couple clairifications...

1) yes, the insults were from the irate parent NOT from my publisher or editor.

2) The term regional play-in is accurate...I've been searching for the best way to describe this new stage of the postseason and that's going to be the term

3) I'm not going to worry about complaining about irate parents who basically barge in and kick the door down..."lazy and disinterested" were the kinder of the adjectives used in his e-mail. I take a step back and politely explain our decision-making process whenever confronted by a situation such as this, and have in fact apologized on the few occasions where I felt I really missed the mark on something.

Parents and coaches get a lot farther with me when they can politely frame their request or concern.

4) No one should be called to cover teams all season, then pile on the hours for free just because it's playoffs. I'm sure most of us on here bust our butt to get to as many events as staffing will allow, but you still have to set your priorities...I'd ask what's the point in driving two hours to watch a team lose by five goals...surely there's something more competitive closer by?

5) Finally, yes, we send out e-mails to each coach prior to the season and often send reminders before the playoffs about calling in results from matches...from volleyball this year, I heard sometimes from one of our single-A coaches....none of the big-school coaches sent results at all and it's been that way for years.

 

Wish I had a nickel for every time I heard, "I don't get the paper, but ... "

In my first year of covering preps full time I had a parent curse at me in the lobby of a crowded gym during halftime of a game and I had a voicemail that needed to be sent to the police.

Yeah, it happens. Consider yourself lucky it hasn't happened to you.

I've also had a number of wonderful things happen, but that's not what we're discussing on this thread.

 

Yes to say someone has never had a prep parent go on the warpath seems silly. My editor had a drunk football dad come to her desk one night after a game...yes, he somehow got into the office and made a bunch of demands...ughh

 

The No. 1 thing I did about my current gig. Publisher and managing editor always got my back.