friendofrunningwriter

Sitting here behind DingoBrigade, just interviewed Kayla Miracle for the South Bend Tribune. 
 
She's not happy at all, says she didn't feel like herself all day, felt sluggish even in her wins.
 
You can check out the story in Sunday's South Bend Tribune.  Go to: www.southbendtribune.com
 
Gotta get in a plug to justify my expenses.
 
 

Sitting here behind DingoBrigade, just interviewed Kayla Miracle for the South Bend Tribune. 
 
She's not happy at all, says she didn't feel like herself all day, felt sluggish even in her wins.
 
You can check out the story in Sunday's South Bend Tribune.  Go to: www.southbendtribune.com
 
Gotta get in a plug to justify my expenses.
 
 

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

OK, I know this won't make me popular, but facts are facts.
 
As much as people on this board say they want a dual meet tournament, the fact is that when you had one, only a few schools really supported it.
 
And by that, I mean this:
 
Most years, when the tournament was at Center Grove, the stands were full. The IHSAA liked that. But most years, both Evansville Mater Dei and Bellmont were there, and 2/3 of the crowd was from those two schools.
 
Then a strange year came along. I believe it was 2010. And horror of horrors, neither Bellmont or Mater Dei qualified for the meet.
 
And what did the IHSAA discover when they got there? The bleachers were half-empty.  And it was quiet.
 
So, the IHSAA did some investigating, and what they discovered was -- other than the big two -- most teams only brought a couple hundred fans at most to the meet.
 
Some schools barely brought a hundred. I won't name names, but all you had to do was look around and you knew who they were. 
 
So, a light went off in the heads of the IHSAA bigwigs. All of a sudden, they realized that whether they made a profit or not depended entirely on two teams.
 
If there's one thing the IHSAA isn't going to do, it's lose money. And having your gate reliant on the fans from Mater Dei and Bellmont made them squeamish.
 
Second, this investigation also made them realize something that the rest of us already knew:  It was the same teams qualifying year after year.
 
​Not entirely, of course. But face it, you knew that Mater Dei was going to be there pretty much every year. And Lawrence North. And Mishawaka or Penn. And Portage or Crown Point.  Yadda yadda yadda.  There were exceptions, but for the most part, it rarely changed. 
 
So what was the motivation for everybody else?
 
Heck, whether you realize it or not, one of the reasons the team semistate was dropped was because the same teams were winning every year. In fact, it got to the point that some schools were sending their jayvee teams to the semistate, because they knew they couldn't win. So they just punted it.  Ask the folks at Bellmont what happened at their semistate one year.
 
So, the IHSAA got the sense that other than the top 8 or 10 programs, nobody really cared about team state, because they knew their schools weren't going to be there.
 
AND, they also saw that most teams that lost in the first round at the team state finals would immediately leave.  If the wrestling was so good and the tournament meant so much to everybody, why didn't the fans stick around and watch, just a little bit.
 
Combine this with the fact that the coaches -- who had begged for the team tournament -- continued to hand out their own championship trophy at the individual state finals. That did NOT go over well at the IHSAA.
 
So the IHSAA said to hell with it, and dropped the tourney.
 
My source for most of this, by the way, is somebody very high up at the IHSAA.  Name rhymes with Rocks.
 
As always, just because I report these things does not mean that I agree with them. But, again, facts are facts.
 
So, be mad at the IHSAA all you want. But while you are doing that, take a look in the mirror. It's a very simple question: In the 17 years of the team state finals, where were you?

It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I must report Richard Jay passed away this afternoon.
 
Richard was the publisher of MatBurns magazine, and the organizer of the annual Pick-The-Champions contest at the IHSAA state finals.
 
He was at home, recuperating from a stroke that he suffered earlier this year, a few days after his wife died.
 
Richard, who taught and coached at Hammond Gavit, was a well-known figure at wrestling matches across northwest Indiana, and a longtime fixture in the crow's nest at the Merrillville semistate.
 
There were few, if any, people more knowledgeable about wrestling or Indiana's great wrestling history.
 
Richard was a terrific friend to everyone who knew him, a tremendous supporter of wrestling, and most of all, a Class act.
 
He will be missed. He already is.
 
Funeral details will be released after Christmas.
 
 
 

Saw this movie a few weeks ago in Elkhart.
 
A very dark and painful movie. People need to remember this is based on a true story and it has a very depressing ending.
 
It is extremely well-acted and I can understand why it may get several Oscar nominations. It is a very well-done movie, as far as movies go.
 
But if anybody thinks this is a "feel-good" movie about wrestling, you will be sorely disappointed.
 
I think sometimes we want to see attention given to our sport, so much, that we just see "wrestling" in the description and ignore the context.
 
John DuPont did a lot for USA Wrestling, but he was also insane. That's just the fact. And this movie has a true -- and very tragic -- ending.
 
Parents might actually want to think twice about taking young wrestlers to see this. Don't go if you aren't prepared for what you already know is going to happen.
 

Saw this movie a few weeks ago in Elkhart.
 
A very dark and painful movie. People need to remember this is based on a true story and it has a very depressing ending.
 
It is extremely well-acted and I can understand why it may get several Oscar nominations. It is a very well-done movie, as far as movies go.
 
But if anybody thinks this is a "feel-good" movie about wrestling, you will be sorely disappointed.
 
I think sometimes we want to see attention given to our sport, so much, that we just see "wrestling" in the description and ignore the context.
 
John DuPont did a lot for USA Wrestling, but he was also insane. That's just the fact. And this movie has a true -- and very tragic -- ending.
 
Parents might actually want to think twice about taking young wrestlers to see this. Don't go if you aren't prepared for what you already know is going to happen.
 

Saw this movie a few weeks ago in Elkhart.
 
A very dark and painful movie. People need to remember this is based on a true story and it has a very depressing ending.
 
It is extremely well-acted and I can understand why it may get several Oscar nominations. It is a very well-done movie, as far as movies go.
 
But if anybody thinks this is a "feel-good" movie about wrestling, you will be sorely disappointed.
 
I think sometimes we want to see attention given to our sport, so much, that we just see "wrestling" in the description and ignore the context.
 
John DuPont did a lot for USA Wrestling, but he was also insane. That's just the fact. And this movie has a true -- and very tragic -- ending.
 
Parents might actually want to think twice about taking young wrestlers to see this. Don't go if you aren't prepared for what you already know is going to happen.
 

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI TOPS STATE WRESTLING POLL
 
Evansville Mater Dei has taken sole possession of the No. 1 spot in the bi-weekly state wrestling poll released by the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association (IHSWCA).
 
IHSWCA WRESTLING POLL OF 12-18-2014
(First-place votes in parentheses)
 
1, Evansville Mater Dei (5)            118
2, Perry Meridian                           114
3, Warren Central                            99
4, Portage                                        98
5, Penn (1)                                       96
6, Merrillville                                     87
7, Yorktown                                      85
8, Crown Point                                 77
9, Franklin Community                     64
10, Hamilton Southeastern               57
11, New Palestine                             54
12, Avon                                            52
13, Indianapolis Cathedral                51
14, Bellmont                                      42
15, Lawrence North                           40
16, Brownsburg                                 35
17, Carroll (Fort Wayne)                    29
18, Bloomington South                      18
19, Castle                                            9
20, Elkhart Memorial                           8
 
Also receiving votes: Valparaiso 7, East Noble 6, Hobart 6, Lake Central 3, Harrison (West Lafayette) 2, Pendleton Heights 1, Indianapolis Roncalli 1, Westfield 1.