(02-24-2015 07:47 AM)Rocket Pirate Wrote: This is awful sportsmanship, but why the heck do they have a double-elimination state playoff system??? Looking more into this, the rounds until regional are double-elimination. Why even give teams an incentive to lose? Yeah, I think both coaches and the players are in the wrong here, but when a system gives teams an advantage by losing, you open yourself up to situations like this.
Being originally from Tennessee, I can explain "some" of the system. Not the trying to lose part.
In Tennessee High School sports, unlike Ohio or Michigan, your District IS your league. The state association divides schools into the various classes AAA, AA, & A. So the eight AAA schools in the Eastern most part of Tenn. is District 1AAA. You then play everyone else in the district during the regular season as well as a few nonconference game to fill the schedule. However, only games against district opponents count for seeding for the district postseason. You are not penalize for playing a tough nonconference schedule. (like being a AA school playing 3 AAA schools, or a team from another district, those loses don't hurt you)
The top 4 teams of the District Tournament then move on to play the top 4 teams of a neighboring district. In this case, District 1AAA plays the teams from District 2AAA. #1 1AAA vs. #4 2AAA, #2 1AAA vs. #3 2AAA, etc.... Then the top 2 schools from the Regional (District 1AAA and 2AAA) move on to the State Tournament. (there are 8 districts in each class in Tenn.)
This allows for better odds of the best teams to making it to the State tournament. How many times has the City of Toledo had 2 top 10 teams but one of them loses to the other in the first round of sectionals because of a blind draw and were faced to play each other. Wouldn't it have been great to see them both in the State Title game. Under the Tennessee system those 2 teams could continue on and possibly face off 5 or 6 times having epic battles.
The NCAA Tournament gets away from this by placing teams from the conference (ex. ACC) by setting them in fake regionals around the country.
btw, Tennessee uses this for all sports, including football.......