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youngbuck wrote:I think that the numbers show the weakness of District 5, I mean those games have averaged 44-0, it is like getting a week off for Clairton.
That is about as noncompetitive as it could be.

Actually, D5 should be commended for playing D7 and not whining or bitching about it. They are after all playing better competition... and that is the most important thing, right?

On a side note, nothing is more classless than private school guys who turn their back on their hometown, and then turn around and talk smack on small town kids who play for nothing more than pride. You guys have no idea what loyalty or commitment really mean, do you? The point you guys miss is that those D5 kids learn more from those losses than the private school kids learn from beating up on smaller schools. I know kids on each side, and I'll tell you the difference. The D5 kids that have played the Bears will tell you how good Clairton is, and will compliment them on their achievements. They recognize that most of their team is better, and are quick to admit that they just aren't as good. Their heads haven't been filled with delusions of grandeur based upon a few football games. Their parents don't think that because they play football they should get a D1 offer and go to the NFL. Nobody has given them anything, and they are quick to credit their opponents when they have been beaten. They are definitely more grounded and level-headed individuals.

On the flipside, private school kids are accustomed to beating up on the smaller teams - winning by sheer numbers. When they lose, rest assured they will show off the entitled mindset that led them to the private school and blame it on something else, give you an excuse, and remind you how good they were and how their opponent is completely overrated. Apparently, this behavior doesn't change when they "grow up" (sarcasm alert) as guys like youngbuck continue to boost their own ego by highlighting the failures of the small school kids. Wouldn't it be more productive to spend some time trying to help BC get back to the top rather than bash some kids from Berlin or North Star? No matter the outcome, the D5A champ can always say they played the state champions and gave it their all. Not a bunch of woulda, shoulda, coulda. They get on with their life and get over it.

knowitall wrote: Football season is a month too long. Eliminating garbage games like this in the postseason should be a no brainer.

Sorry knowitall, you will have to be more specific than that. Even if you shorten the season, there will still be blowouts. Hmmmm, maybe the NFL should have shortened the season so the Steelers wouldn't have gotten blown out by the Chargers. I bet Goodell won't go for that. So what is your point? Shorten the high school season, ban football, eliminate sports? Wait, are you a BCS fan and you feel the PIAA should match up the top 4 in the state the first weekend in November. No? Please explain.

Play a nine game schedule, have two weeks of district playoffs and call it a year. Eleven games maximum. We don't need to crown a state champ. in fact, you could argue that we don't need to crown a district champ. The season could end after nine games.

Then how would the PIAA be able to make any money. Once playoffs start the PIAA makes a portion of the ticket and other things such as merchandise. Without any money our state would lose all recognition from any other state that plays a sport. What would you like to see every sport not have any playoffs and the student athletes basically have nothing to play for at all? This is literally one of the craziest things I have ever heard. Without a Championships there would be absolutely no income for the PIAA to stay afloat.

The PIAA doesn't need to make money.

Beating your local rivals should be sufficient reason to play the game. It worked that way for many years.

But why? Since you are in the minority on this, you need to give more of a reason why you always infuse every playoff thread with the "end the season after nine games" speech.

Football is the most popular sport, it has the highest attendance, the most interest, etc. Why are you hell-bent on ending it in October? Are there personal ramifications for you? Most kids nowadays don't play all sports so that can't be a valid reason. Nor should it be a reason to increase numbers in other sports. A lot of things aren't the way they used to be, but that isn't a reason to go backward. High school kids didn't used to be able to take college courses while in high school. So, should we eliminate that option, too? Just because CV is out of it by November doesn't justify shortening the season for other schools.

Exactly, football and wrestling run right into each other. I did both sports and in a way I'm glad that we got to play more. It helped me to stay in shape a little. Plus football is one of the biggest sports in PA. In wrestling you have all the dual meets plus tournaments then all of the post season. Once you hit regionals you prolly have wrestled about 45 times. Yea you get tired but still if there were not for championships then what would the kids want to play for. I would not be satisfied with going undefeated, I would wanna see how far I could get in the playoffs, its something to strive for and it should not be taken away.

Football is under fire due to concussions. The NFL is being sued by several hundred ex-players. Does it really make sense to have high school gladiators playing sixteen games in sixteen weeks? Even our paid professionals get a week off and none of them play both ways and few of them play on special teams in addition to starting on offense or defense.

The NFL does not have six weeks of playoffs. While I also think the basketball playoffs last too long could you imagine having to play 19 additional basketball games to determine a state champ? And is being a state champ enough? Should we have a national championship? Should the Class A champ play the AA champ to see who is better?

High school players are getting bigger and bigger. It won't be long until we hear of a lawsuit being filed by a high school player who absorbed one too many knocks to the head.

High schools have been very proactive with concussion testing efforts and other safety measures, etc. The reason is most likely because they don't want a lawsuit. Actually, concussions are much more of an issue at the pee-wee level where brain injuries are much more likely and harmful to the developing brain. Yet, we hear of no one lobbying to eliminate the unregulated pee-wee football in these parts.

As with most issues, money and the majority rule. So if anything, football season will probably increase by a few more weeks in the next few years, and kids will be playing tackle football in third grade. In some areas they already do that.

In a nutshell, despite your protests, the hs football season isn't going to be shortened any sooner than the college bowl system will be decreased.