School officials react to state-tournament changes

[YakFan]

Check out Friday's package on state basketball format changes -- and how much coaches, ADs, principals and superintendents are for or against them.

Tourneytown.com

 

[statewide]

a big change is usually not a completely smooth change. I have seen too many consolation games at the tacoma dome viewed by only players, coaches, and a few parents. Washington was one of the few states with the 16 team tournament and it is not working out financially. Let's see what happens.
This post was edited on 1/15 7:31 PM by statewide

 

[col-pul]

So why'd they have to go mess up the Bs and 1A (and 2A now that it's back where it belongs)? Tacoma should hold so much as tidly winks semifinal, no host community support at all.

 

[statewide]

it is pretty obvious that no matter what the WIAA did not everyone was going to be happy. I like the Tacoma Dome only because it gives the opportunity to see boys and girls games in one place. But it really is too big for high school and the seating puts everyone way too far from the action. I am going to wait and see before I pass judgement, at least for 3A and 4A. I don't really follow the other divisions and don't know all the problems the new system has created. A note, first girls basketball game I ever saw was a B game in Spokane and it was great.

 

[col-pul]

I've never had any issues watching both at either the Sun Dome or the Spokane Arena. I hate the T-Dome for watching sports. It's more like a convention center than a sports arena; RV shows are great there but basketball not so much. Heck the old UPS Field House was way better.

And what kills you at the T-Dome is concessions are sky high, even for a sports venue, and there's no place close by to get out of there for an hour or so, like the Season Ticket in Spokane. Not only that but the city of Tacoma doesn't really make visitors to these events welcome.

However, I was in favor of the concept the WIAA did but they've kind of clustered it up. It really wasn't that difficult to get right.

 

[statewide]

When they had the tournament for 3A and 4A in the King Dome, it was actually much better than in the Tacoma Dome. They had the seats placed so that you were pretty close to the floor. And unlike Tacoma, there were lots of places to go and eat that were within walking distance. HS sports are just not the big draw that they were in the 40's, 50's, 60's etc. Too much other sports on tv and hs sports take a back seat. As good as basketball has been in Spokane, I have heard that for most games crowds are very small. I am going to assume that smaller towns in Eastern Wa still get pretty good crowds and that hs sports are still a center for the community.

I remember one year at the Tacoma Dome, Prairie and Redmond were playing each other in the Semi-finals. Both teams were undefeated and loaded with girls who ended up playing in college. There was a big crowd for Prairie and for Redmond, only an hour down the road, pretty much nobody showed up. This was a girls game and the girls just don't draw as well as the boys. Prairie thought it was a big game, Redmond students apparently not.
This post was edited on 1/17 4:43 PM by statewide

 

[col-pul]

No even the B tournament is what it once was. Part of that is the split, part as you mentioned TV, Internet, X-Box... to do instead and part is that many of the smaller communities are becoming bedroom communities that lack the community/alumni connection to some of the school playing. It also used to be that you'd walk around and see groups of lettermen's coats from schools not even playing, it was a social event for high schoolers. Add that to Gonzaga becoming a major attraction the B tournament is no longer the biggest show in town. The championship games used to be televised and the Spokesman used to do a whole section on the Bs starting a couple days before the games. Also the Arena looks less full because it's much bigger than the old Barn. I may be one of the few but I actually miss the Barn.

However, the 2B tournament in Spokane is still a heck of an event.

 

[statewide]

Here is an article from The Columbian this morning on the format change:

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jan/19/change-to-save-cash/

 

[HockSports]

It was time for a change. 16-team tournament for 2A? Way too much. I remember in 2009, the Hockinson crowd at Yakima for a consolation game was maybe 30 strong... is that enough to have a huge Dome like that?



No.



Several times I would see maybe two rows filled for a game over there.



8 teams is a brilliant idea that is LONG overdue. Good job, WIAA.
This post was edited on 1/19 7:53 AM by HockSports

 

[statewide]

I wonder if we are going to see more people than there are seats for some of the regional games. It is possible and just means I will have to arrive early. But having big crowds in a smaller venue should make it very entertaining. Just looking for the positives in this year of big changes.