I hate this
Yes, the WPIAL Team Tournament is about to get under way and I can't stand it. It's not the teams that are participating or where the bouts are being held. I hate it because the whole process is a fraud. Those of you who have followed my writings over the decades, er, years, know why I hate it.
For you newcomers, here's the reason. Let's suppose you are participating on, say, Hempfield's team this year. You are in pretty good shape to win the WPIAL Team Title and earn a trip to Hershey for the state event. Suppose, your team wrestles well enough to win the state team title, too. Happy occasion, right? Lots of cheering, celebrating, tears of joy.
Enjoy it because it may not last. One month later, the PIAA will crown another team champion, maybe not your team, at the individual tournament. The process is different because it's based on placement in the individual championships, not a legitimate team competition.
So let's say Easton wins the second title because three of their wrestlers win state titles. Now, who is officially the PIAA team champion – Hempfield, which won the event held a month earlier or Easton, the last team to carry around the trophy in the gym. I had one person associated with the PIAA tell me that Hempfield, if you will, is the team champion of the team tournament and that Easton, if you will, is the team champion of the individual tournament.
Really?
What a complete and total waste of time this is. If the PIAA is going to keep team scores at the individual tournament, why hold this upcoming event? The answer is easy: for the money. Since the end of the of regular season Jan. 24, until the beginning of the individual tournaments Feb. 17, wrestlers not participating in the team tournament have to find something to do.
Some schools schedule dual meets but they don't have the same flavor or meaning because the team season is over. This is an individual sport, and no matter how hard the PIAA tries to make it otherwise, the emphasis should always stay as an individual sport.
As long as the PIAA awards a team trophy at its individual tournament in March, then these next two weeks are nothing more than an exercise in the absurd.
For you newcomers, here's the reason. Let's suppose you are participating on, say, Hempfield's team this year. You are in pretty good shape to win the WPIAL Team Title and earn a trip to Hershey for the state event. Suppose, your team wrestles well enough to win the state team title, too. Happy occasion, right? Lots of cheering, celebrating, tears of joy.
Enjoy it because it may not last. One month later, the PIAA will crown another team champion, maybe not your team, at the individual tournament. The process is different because it's based on placement in the individual championships, not a legitimate team competition.
So let's say Easton wins the second title because three of their wrestlers win state titles. Now, who is officially the PIAA team champion – Hempfield, which won the event held a month earlier or Easton, the last team to carry around the trophy in the gym. I had one person associated with the PIAA tell me that Hempfield, if you will, is the team champion of the team tournament and that Easton, if you will, is the team champion of the individual tournament.
Really?
What a complete and total waste of time this is. If the PIAA is going to keep team scores at the individual tournament, why hold this upcoming event? The answer is easy: for the money. Since the end of the of regular season Jan. 24, until the beginning of the individual tournaments Feb. 17, wrestlers not participating in the team tournament have to find something to do.
Some schools schedule dual meets but they don't have the same flavor or meaning because the team season is over. This is an individual sport, and no matter how hard the PIAA tries to make it otherwise, the emphasis should always stay as an individual sport.
As long as the PIAA awards a team trophy at its individual tournament in March, then these next two weeks are nothing more than an exercise in the absurd.
posted by Joe Tuscano at
12:12 AM
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