In all the hoopla surrounding Saguaro High School football coach John Sanders' recent decision to sit his players against Chaparral, one element seems to have escaped analysis.
Why, oh why, was a rivalry game between two teams that don't play in the same division and don't fight for the same state championship title scheduled so late in the season? The only explanation I've heard to this point is "well, the schedule is computer generated."
If that's the case, the computer needs to be kicked harder than those left to represent the Sabercats were kicked around by the Firebirds.
No one in their right mind, or not sleeping in black and yellow footie pajamas, will condone what Sanders did. But the fact is he should have never been put in a position where he had to decide between playing a rivalry game with no playoff implications that close to the postseason and "resting" his "injured" starters.
It should have never been a controversy, because it should have never happened.
Let's use an example from college football. When Nebraska and Oklahoma were in the same conference, they used to play a pretty big football game - yes, as hard as it is to believe, even bigger than Chaparral-Saguaro - around Thanksgiving. It was usually with the Big 8/Big 12 Conference title on the line and had national championship implications.
Nebraska has since moved to the Big Ten - which has 12 teams, but let's not quibble - while Oklahoma remains, for now, in the Big 12, which currently has 10 teams (now I have a headache).
In any event, Nebraska doesn't play Oklahoma anymore, but if they renew the rivalry as is rumored to be in the cards, the game certainly won't be played around Thanksgiving - a week before the Big 10 and Big 12 championship games. That game will be played in September, with national television on hand and both teams coming off warm-up games against harmless opponents.
And that's when Chaparral-Saguaro should be played - early September, in 100-degree heat when everyone on both sides will play because they have to. No long-term goals in jeopardy. No state championship runs derailed. No reason for one side or the other to take the steam out of the rivalry by keeping their stars off the field.
Now I know this is way too simple to actually be adopted and I know HAL the computer has already deemed that the Firebirds and Sabercats - or at least their duly appointed seconds - will meet again at the same time next year, opening the door to repeat of this embarrassing episode.
Heck, if FOX doesn't want to cover the game nationally next year, maybe TMZ will. Have Charlie Sheen conduct the coin toss and allow the game's MVP to marry a Kardashian for nine weeks.
Is this all a joke? No more than one side keeping its players off the field or the other going for a two-point conversion with your team up by 40 points in the first half. If we're going to throw logic and good sense out the window, let's give it a good hurl.
Quick hitters
• Cardinals 20, Rams 17. What a nightmare for Ken Whisenhunt. The only think that's worst than losing at home to the Rams this Sunday is the prospect of John Skelton coming off the bench and doing just enough to win and ignite the fan base.
A 2-6 team with a quarterback controversy? Ewww.
Of course, the Rams come into town with a glorious one-game winning streak with A.J. Feely at the controls. But no one is talking about a controversy in St. Louis. As soon as Sam Bradford is healthy, he's the man. Kevin Kolb's first seven games as a Cardinal has bought him that kind of comfort zone.
• OK, this NBA lockout stuff is getting good now.
We've got Billy Hunter and Derek Fisher denying a rift among NBAPA management. We've got some players who want to cut a deal now, and others who want to decertify the union and go for broke.
And somewhere in his lair amid the depths of Charlotte, we have Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan urging his fellow fat cats to really stick it to the players - well below a 50-50 split - now that he's squeezed every dime and McDonald's commercial out his playing career.
Forget Robert Sarver, now we've got ourselves a real villain.
A shortened, meaningless regular season will be played in half-empty arenas at some point. But this current drama is as good as the league has been since Michael, Magic and Larry wore short-shorts.
RavenFan posted at 10:42 am on Sun, Nov 6, 2011.
Easy to assess blame to the AIA and scheduling; however, because of the rivalry involved with these two schools, no date would have been satisfactory. Sanders actions violate the basic tenet of interscholastic sports and Ragle allowing his team to attempt 2 pt conversions with a 40-0 is classless and despicable. As for the division reasoning, Saguaro has won the previous 4 games against Chapparal, so I fail to see an imbalance or injustice here. The big problems as I see it are this, coaches with big egos and the climate with open enrollment, recruitment of kids, transfers for non academic reasons, and parental pressure which has created this quagmire! Make no mistake about it, this is exactly what the schools want. Early this year an agreement between Hamilton and Chapparal couldn't be reached as Chapparal was not willing to play Bishop Gorman and Hamilton in consecutive weeks. Perhaps, the AIA should have stepped in and intervened, but if they had a hue and cry would have come from the Chapparal faithful, the likes of which you have never seen. Ultimately, Desert Vista quashed the game as they weren't willing to give up their date against Hamilton.
The schedule is set by the AIA and that's a given and you take the good with the bad. Phoenix Union schools didn't qualify for the playoffs, despite some of these schools going 7-3. They played their schedules as prescribed by the AIA and paid the price in lacking power points. Is this fair, I think not. Yet, I haven't heard one high school sports writer take up their cause. Mr. Brown, your arguments about the schedule are groundless. The real problem is this, in that the tail (schools) wags the dog (AIA), rather than the AIA wags its' tail!!
sss posted at 10:56 am on Sun, Nov 6, 2011.
Thanks JB. I have a thought about how the "Computer" generated this date. AIA Associate Executive Director Chuck Schmidt has a very cozy relationship with Scottsdale Unified School District Athletic Director Cliff McKenzie. Many people do not realize that in the SUSD all gate receipts from sporting events go directly to the district and not to the schools. This sets up a situation where individuals at the district level can make corrupt dollar related decisions. Prior to the scheduling, Cliff imagined that both Saguaro and Chaparral might be undefeated through their respective seasons. Scheduling the game at the end of the season would fill the stands and the SUSD coffers far beyond the normal meaningless end of season games. Build the hype all season about POY candidates going head to head, add a National TV contract and what we have is a very lucrative deal. A few extra key strokes and HAL came up with a dream game. Say what you will but this did not have to happen. I do not buy for one minute that this was a coincidental geography based computer generated happening. The only missing piece was Sanders. Cliff and his AD board that includes Charlie Ragle by the way, are already making plans to discipline Sanders and make sure he does not get in the way of their cash cow next year. Greed and egos caused this to happen. Can I prove this? Of course not. Chuck has the keys and believe me he is not about to let this story get legs.
footballer123 posted at 11:52 pm on Mon, Nov 7, 2011.
Mr. Brown, you have figured it out, you are the smartest writer of them all...
great questions...
it is without a doubt that CLIFF MCKENZIE of the district corruptly scheduled this game for money reasons. Cliff Mckenzie and the district (not the computer system) came to sanders way before the season started and forced the game upon him, when he recommended the game wasn't safe (being that chap was a division higher) and furthermore that timing (being week ten, before the playoffs) was wrong, he told cox communications, and fox sports, not to televise the game that he would not be playing his starters...they were fully aware, cox listened, fox didn't...
Sanders is raved about in his community by his kids and his administration, and most especially by the parents of his kids.
ps. love how az media didn't let anyone know that DJ Foster broke a State Record for TD's scored in a game last Friday (10), and making him saguaro's first ever NATIONAL player of the week...validating his resting his players against Chap.
GENIUS!