5 replies to this topic

[behindthepen]

The MIAA passed this on 10/26, but I'm just now hearing about.  For 2013 and 14 they enacted major changes to the playoff/Super Bowl format, going from 19 Super Bowls to 6 division champions.  They also made it easier for more teams to make the playoffs.  Sounds reasonable, right?

However, in order to determine the participants, they are forcing teams to play all of their LEAGUE games within their first 7 games.  Which for many teams, means they will play their Thanksgiving rival twice each season.  And if you wind up playing your rival in the playoffs, it could be 3 times in one season.  And under all these scenarios, the Thanksgiving Day game "doesn't count", because it can't effect standings and playoffs.

Coming from Ohio, I've always thought the MA football playoffs were a little silly.  But I think the Thanksgiving rivalries are broadly more important than the playoffs, so I think this plan benefits just a few teams to the detriment of football in general in MA.

http://www.valleyhoc...id=224&navid=45 (Mike Lynch op-ed)

http://www.boston.co...mQDJ/story.html

Edited by behindthepen, 06 November 2012 - 11:02 AM.

[mt8thsw9th]

I went to East Bridgewater High School, and back when football was relevant at the school, they had just switched to playing against Norton, but played Middleboro when I was a shorter human. They survived having their rivalry switched. That said, isn't the easy answer to balance the divisions in a way that teams that are playing an in-division rival on Thanksgiving skip that team during the regular season?

[collings94]

I just graduated from Waltham High, where our original rival was Brockton. This worked out in 1990, but not in 2010 because we have the worst AD in Massachusetts. We play Malden Catholic now, who isn't in our division so this doesn't really effect us.

[SoxScout]

People here are pretty pissed because our neighboring town rival is a much bigger school in a higher division and we don't play on Thanksgiving, so now there's fear the rivalry is dead. It'll be sad if they don't come to their senses and end their current matchups and start a new tradition. I'd take that game every year over the possibility of playing some bumfuck WMass school in Foxboro in a Super Bowl.

[I am an Idiot]

Winchester/Woburn have been playing each other on thanksgiving for 110+ years. I hope they don't end up changing that.

[RedOctober3829]

Thanksgiving rivalries are cool and all and it's a major tradition in MA. But, the object of the season is to make the playoffs and try to win the state championship. I think they did a good thing in streamlining the championships and making true state championships instead of the stupid WMass/CMass/EMass titles. More teams in the playoffs is a good thing too. Playing on Tuesday/Saturday was dumb as well so getting rid of that is a checkmark in the column for player safety.

I know it's important to those who are and were involved in the Thanksgiving Day games. It must be disappointing for them to be de facto bowl games that don't mean much, but the memories will still be the same and the tradition will go on.