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Some members of the news media don't understand a fundamental concept of the state basketball tournament.
Nobody cares what the media think.
Oh, there were side issues over the last few weeks. The Illinois High School Association and the media squabbled over the rights to photographs of championship events. The media were peeved that the IHSA stopped providing free food at the state finals. And the crowds for the boys tournament might have been squeezed into old Huff Gym.
But the last time I checked nobody from Flanagan, Warsaw, Whitney Young, St. Anne, North Lawndale, Marshall or Richards was complaining. The IHSA's new four-class format allows for more trophies to be presented and more towns and schools to celebrate. So what's wrong with that?
So you think the people in Warsaw, on the Mississippi River, care what people in Chicago think about the tournament? Do they think it is watered down, that the quality of competition isn't what it was in the 1960s, that they had an easy route to Peoria?
The Peoria Journal Star complained there were no "rock stars" in the Class 4A final until Dwyane Wade showed up. The hometown paper couldn't get over that Peoria Manual was drubbed in the Class 2A final and Washington, with star Matt Roth, had to settle for fourth place in Class 3A.
They also noted that Peoria bars and restaurants complained about lack of business and hotels cited fewer bookings than usual. Hey, you wanted the tournament in the first place. So deal with it.
Sure, it's nice to have big crowds and stars like Derrick Rose, Jon Scheyer, Shaun Livingston, Darius Miles and Eddy Curry. But can old-timers say the Class 4A final between Richards and Zion-Benton didn't rank among the most exciting games they have seen?
I, for one, enjoyed all four weeks of the girls and boys tournaments. It was obvious the kids were having fun, regardless of what some adults felt. For the most part, it was highly competitive. And it's all about the kids, isn't it?
I stopped going to the state finals a few years, after having attended every one since 1959. Peoria has done a wonderful job of hosting the event. No complaint there. Jim's Steakhouse, in my view, is the best place to eat between Chicago and St. Louis.
But Carver Arena isn't Assembly Hall in Champaign. It's a gym, not an architectural masterpiece, not a place to showcase the state's premier sports event. I said that when the tournament was moved to Peoria and I'm still saying it. It isn't the same. And I can't get over it.
But who cares what the media think?
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Comments
Allow me to skip over the subject-verb disagreement in the headline of this blog and comment only on Mr. Bell's assertions about the Journal Star (no hyphen).
Our paper didn't "complain" there were no rock stars. We quoted someone saying that in making the point that the four-class system wasn't solely to blame for smaller crowds this past weekend.
Nothing whatsoever in our coverage connotes not being able "to get over" North Lawndale's solid, convincing win over Manual or Washington's fourth-place finish.
I indeed cited the lack of downtown "buzz" as what I felt was a germane observation in any year, particularly the first year of a structure change. The "you wanted it ... deal with it" conclusion is Mr. Bell's prerogative, but let's at least note that Peoria wanted the tournament as it was known to be: Class A one week, Class AA the next.
Whether Peoria civic leaders will continue to want the tournament under its adjusted format will be revealed during future bidding processes.
I agree with my esteemed colleague that Richards vs. Zion-Benton was an exciting title game.
Bill Liesse
Sports Editor
Peoria Journal Star
Posted by: Bill Liesse | March 17, 2008 10:25 AM
The four class basketball system was a BIG Laugh. Chicago teams can now go into the sectional system rather then one school from the Chicago area. Just look at all the teams that could not get out of the regionals. Years passed these teams would have won their regionals and gone onto the sectionals and super-sectionals.
But who cares? We all know that the IHSA does not. Yes, one game was exciting to watch, but how many people came to Peoria to watch the game? No one is saying how many people came. But they all say it was good for basketball! Who says that the ISHA! What do the coaches say??? Well the answer to that lays with the ISHA! Funny how this group comes up all the time IHSA. What about the fans of basketball (high school) or thats right they the fans did not count. Maybe, in time someone will ask the question why four classes?
But we all know the ISHA will never do that!!!
Basketball fan of the game Not the ISHA
Posted by: robert govenat | March 24, 2008 03:26 PM