AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 08 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMad About… mandated co-champs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
He blogs about statewide preps, whether you like it or not.
It has been a few weeks now since the unprecedented occurred — two championship ties in the same Georgia High School Association season. But the pattern remains the same.
First, there are the fans who watch the clock drain away and sit in anticipation for the overtime that never comes. Followed, of course, by the same befuddlement that accompanies a balk call at a major league game. Fans spend all game clamoring for a balk and then when it happens, they say, “What just happened?”
So it is when co-champions are announced to a smattering of boos.
Then, of course, there’s the ceremonial handwringing. The “we’ve-got-to-do-something-about-this” indignation fades into the “well-if-they-couldn’t-settle-it-in-48-minutes” cop out which then fades into some lawmaker thinking, “Hey, here’s an opportunity to score political points,” which ultimately winds up back at the fans’ “When does spring practice begin again?”
And it’s all forgotten until it happens again. What do we need to get real action on this? Five championship ties in the same season?
Why, in what is supposed to be the most important game of the season, in high school sports’ marquee event, is a tie good enough? Five weeks of playoff buildup, including a trip to the Georgia Dome, peters out into let’s-everybody-go-home-happy rhetoric. If everybody going home happy is the goal, why have the playoffs at all? Spread the happiness a little thinner, why don’t we?
The rule dates to 1948, but its use has been so infrequent as to make it seem like it’s stood the test of time for 59 years.
“Just because it was good enough for grandpa in 1948 doesn’t mean it’s good enough for us in 2007,” state Sen. John Douglas told the Rockdale Citizen.
That’s the point. It wasn’t good enough in 1948. Or 1958, when Avondale and Thomasville tied. Or 1978, when Griffin and Valdosta tied.
And it won’t be good enough in 2008, which is when I’m betting the status quo next gets questioned. When does spring practice begin again?
Let the Madness begin! The line for back-and-forth banter with Maxie starts right here. No pushing.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Mad Maxie
Comments
By T. G.
January 8, 2007 01:15 PM | Link to this
You missed one game - Valdosta and Athens High (Later know as Clarke Central) in 1969, Score 26 -26.
By davil
January 9, 2007 06:40 AM | Link to this
The 2006 AAAA Champion was unbeaten, untied and unbelievable! The Northside Eagles were amazing! After following Dublin’s season of running the score as high as possible on everybody, their tie was funnier than a loss. They are still state champs but in a Castor Oil kind of way. That took the luster from that points record.