Immediate response from Press Pros readership over the OHSAA’s recent decision to expand the high school football playoffs. One called it…another sign of our times.
Our April 24 and 25 commentaries on the OHSAA’s decision to expand the football playoff for 2021 (to 16 teams per region) drew a brisk response from across central and southwest Ohio, our principal markets.
Some were very succinct and direct in their opinions. Others went into more detail.
“This is a awful idea.” … Jeanne McKinney (Via Facebook)
“Another sign of the times. Ignore the local advice of those who know what’s best for their school, their kids, and their community.” … Harvey Butcher, Jr.
“No honesty. If you’re broke and need money just tell us. We’re doing this because we need money.” … Ken Marko
“The OHSAA has a problem. It’s obvious that finances has clouded their priorities, and appreciation for people like Jerry Snodgrass who actually had a trusted relationship with coaches and administrators.” … Adam Hubbard
“I’m trying to understand. If the schools have no money, and the OHSAA can’t afford to pay schools for travel and staffing for playoff games, how are more games a good thing for more schools?” … James Vanderwaal
“I saw many mismatches in my 20-plus years of coaching high school football in Ohio. But nothing will come close to what we will be seeing under this format. Maybe giving a #16 seed the option of not competing vs a #1.” … Keith Brooks (Via Twitter)
“All people want from the OHSAA is a good state tournament. Really, how does this help?” … Phil Hieronemus (Via Facebook)
“Any guess on what the relationship is like now between the Ohio High School Football Coaches Assoc. and the OHSAA?” … Tim Murphy (Via Twitter)
“Can’t be an easy decision for the OHSAA. Tough position for people to appreciate.” … George Lange
“More football means more attention and time spent on football, and less time for family. Perhaps the OHSAA could do something to expand that, too.” … Terri Leppla
“You seem to be the only ones to question online, or in print. Why is that?” … Larry Ellerman
(Ed. Note: Larry, frankly we don’t know…except opinions are risky in this day, especially when amateur sports is involved, another vestige of accepting what comes down the line and without questioning. By all means, don’t question. In our case, we highlighted some frequently heard issues about which many are afraid to ask for themselves. Two, to illustrate issue number one, we reached out to some coaching contacts, past and present, and asked them to share their opinion. Some did, while others did not. Most requested to be quoted off the record because they expected some kind of consequence. And for the record, over the years no daily entity has been more supportive of the OHSAA in terms of public expectation and their excellence in maintaining it. No one does a better state tournament than the OHSAA! It’s just that on some matters…we ask questions.)
“I would like to ask how you choose a game to cover, or in many cases why you choose not to cover certain leagues, games or teams. While I think your site is wonderful, there are so many kids and schools that would benefit from just a bit of positive attention. Thanks, if you choose to answer.” … Jackie DeLong
(Ed. Note. Love to. Number one issue is staffing. You can’t be everywhere on a given night. Number two…location, location, and location. We originated in west-central Ohio on the I-75 corridor and that’s still our principal market. Three, the factor of reader support, and some leagues are just more supportive through readership. It’s not a hobby, and we try to cover the most compelling stories possible because those generate the biggest online audience. As an example, our coverage of Midwest Athletic Conference football draws huge annual appeal locally and in other areas of the state because of its championship tradition in all sports. I think you’ll find this to be the case with a lot of other publications.)
“I notice that the ‘Hal Answers’ page is no longer on Press Pros. I enjoyed it, and wonder why he no longer answers reader questions?” … David Waller
(Ed. Note: David, with appreciation for your years of support and correspondence with us (and Hal), we don’t have as many people send in questions following last season and no fans allowed. Two, many that do write are tired of the narrative and routinely rough on Reds management, which gets to be like a broken record. Face it, there are a lot of things wrong with MLB, and a lot of disinterested people over the Reds’ record in recent years. That said, we do miss the weekly emails from Dave (in Miamisburg, Beavercreek, and Centerville), but you can’t do an entire page of Dave. Hang in there, though, because I would expect to see more people write if the Reds prove to be contenders.)
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