Through the Eyes of Those Who Count
Feb. 12, 2010 @ 1:59 a.m. by JimThe phone call came six years ago. It was from a guy who sounded like the parent of a high school football player.
“Why,” he asked, “did the state move the football championships out of Lawrence and into Goddard and Topeka?”
So I told him that Goddard and Topeka had new, fancy stadiums that were just the right size to hold state championships.
Then he got mad.
The caller wasn’t upset about the new, fancy stadiums part. He was mad because I said that they were the “right size” to hold championships.
“Why do you say that?” he asked.
“Well,” I said, “I’ve been to a bunch of championship games and I don’t like them at KU or K-State or even Wichita State because the crowd of 5,000 looks like nothing in a big stadium.”
And that’s when the caller said something I will never forget.
“You,” he told me, “are looking at this through the eyes of an adult.”
* * * * *
To most, a state championship is a very special thing. It is the pinnacle of their athletic lives. It is a day they will never forget and will rehash time and time again. I know because I have one in my past.
It was 1978 and the game was played in a driving rainstorm in Augusta.
Yeah, Augusta.
Douglass beat Hoxie for the 3A title. I didn’t make a tackle or gain a yard, but I received my first front page byline for my game story in the Augusta Daily Gazette. I was 16 years old and a junior at Douglass High School.
So I rank that somewhere among my career thrills.
Would it have been more thrilling had the game been held at KU or K-State? Certainly it would have at the time. I have been fortunate enough to cover many games in major stadiums, but no Douglass player (or Hoxie player, I’m sure) went on to play major college football. It would have been something they still cherish.
(Augusta, by the way, has a terrific football facility. I visited it two years ago for the first time since that 1978 game and found it to be as nice as I remembered).
* * * * *
Currently, two Kansas state legislators, House Majority Leader Ray Merrick from Stilwell and Lance Kinzer from Olathe, have proposed a resolution to take a statewide survey of interest of moving state championship football games back to KU, K-State and Wichita State.
Games were last held at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence in 2003; at Cessna Stadium in Wichita in 1999; and at what is now known as Bill Snyder Family Stadium in 1997.
My first reaction? Don’t Mr. Merrick and Mr. Kinzer have bigger issues that should be occupying their time…say like the budget and education?
There I go again, looking at this through the eyes of an adult.
* * * * *
The Kansas legislature should not deal with this issue, but the Kansas High School Activities Association should.
No doubt, money is a factor. Isn’t it always?
But if it’s not cost prohibitive, I would love to see games return to the major college stadiums…and major college arenas. Our state has one of America’s great basketball’s cathedrals. Imagine a young man or young lady from Beloit or Ark City or Scott City playing a state championship game at Allen Fieldhouse. Imagine them telling their friends that they played where Danny Manning and Kirk Hinrich and Sherron Collins played.
Imagine young men from Smith Center or Baxter Springs or Plainville roaring out the entrance where Bill Snyder led the likes of Darren Sproles and Terence Newman and Jordy Nelson. Imagine the feeling of those captains walking across the Powercat on the 50-yard line for the coin toss.
* * * * *
Imagine.
That’s what the KSHSAA ought to do.
In other words, stop looking at this through the eyes of an adult.
Hovpen says:
February 12th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Good idea, think of the kids.
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Swim Mom says:
February 12th, 2010 at 10:22 am
Interesting perspective!
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Tim McGonagle says:
February 12th, 2010 at 10:49 am
The focus should always be on the players. We should have more high school games during the playoffs at neutral sites such as Ft Hays, Emporia, Salina, Wichita, Goddard, Garden City etc. The final championship games should be played at KU and K-State.
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Star3987 says:
February 12th, 2010 at 10:49 am
I also think that the basketball venues should be rotated. Should for example 5a always be in Topeka where a lot of 5a Topeka schools are and have the advantage of sleeping in their own beds, eating at home and shooting in their own gym for shoot around. Or should 5a move around so the likes of Salina and Hutchinson or Wichita and Hays have a shot of having it closer to home. I’m from McPherson and we have been lucky to have been at State BBall many years and it is frustrating to have to make that trip to a venue that doesn’t host that many bball games and constantly has problems. To see Shawnee Heights, St. Thomas Aquinas, Highland Park etc. just be minutes away and our school have to pay lots in hotel fees and food year after year. I know this has been brought up at the state and they have said that these towns have “bonded” with the fans of that classification. I think they just don’t want to mess with it. It would be nice for all the classifications to rotate so that every school in the state has a chance to play close to home so that their fans can fill the bleachers.
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TFL says:
February 12th, 2010 at 11:33 am
I like it how it is. I’m sure the Overland Park folks wouldn’t mind having to only drive a half hour though to Lawrence.
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Dirt says:
February 12th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
16 in 1978!?! Wow, you are old!!
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bucocatfan says:
February 12th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
“But if it’s not cost prohibitive,”
Therein lies the rub. What the proponents of moving the games to bigger stadiums don’t want to acknowledge is, there would be significant increases in cost which will be passed along in ticket increases.
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Panther83 says:
February 12th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Complete No Brainer . This idea is past due hopefully it will get some push and get done.
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Jim Cross says:
February 12th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Dirt,
In 1978, I was 29. Now that is getting older. At KU and KSU they might run into some scheduling problems. Their schedules are finalized quite a few years in advance. It can be done and should be done, but probably will not be done because of “money”. The stadiums require rent. The universities do not let the Activities Assoc. use the facilities for free. bucocatfan is right, it will be all passed along to the competing schools and their fans. Many surrounding states do have more than one game at their championship sitses. We do it in Kansas for 8-Man now.
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BobChi says:
February 13th, 2010 at 7:30 am
Jim Cross raises the key ideas – play multiple games at the same site, thus making the rent less cost prohibitive, and rotate sites with attention to the stadium schedules. At least look into it. KSHSAA can be so hidebound, but in fairness, it reflects the desires of the principals and ADs, not the fans or media. So the place to start if you’re a fan is to talk to your principal and AD.
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bucocatfan says:
February 13th, 2010 at 8:27 am
“Jim Cross raises the key ideas – play multiple games at the same site, thus making the rent less cost prohibitive, and rotate sites with attention to the stadium schedules.”
That was the plan of the proponents of using the larger stadiums BUT, then you either have to clear the stadium after each game or lose two to three times the revenue that you would have made by holding the events at different sites. Because KSHSAA can’t afford to lose that revenue they would again have to increase ticket prices even more. You’re looking all told by doing this at about $5.00 per ticket increase. Remember, these football playoffs and championships raise most of the money that KSHSAA uses to fund all of the other sports championships. The other sports, for the most part, are revenue neutral at best.
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Panther83 says:
February 13th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Look this can be and should be done. ALL of these issues can be delt without much trouble its just a matter of leadership and getting it done.If its done correctly it would be great for the kids,fans, and would also make more $$$ than the current system.Just running consessions and merch correctly alone would increase revenue greatly.10 bucks a ticket would be acceptable and clearing stadium after a 2 game session i believe would work without much trouble and your not going to lose fans. In fact i believe you will gain fans if its made into an “event”.You would need to create space for 4 locker room aeras so teams/coachs dont feel rushed which can be done at KU/KSU.(have been in both facilitys and there is plenty of room) Its not a must do but i believe moving the games up a week might increase fan numbers as well. The system needs an overhaul clearly and im not sure i want to address every individual issue on a blog but its 100% possible and needs to be and can be done!
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bucocatfan says:
February 13th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
If there were more money in it KSHSAA would already be doing it!
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Panther83 says:
February 13th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
KSHSAA cant even get out of its own way let alone show vision. Hopefully i will be proven dead wrong but i will believe it when i see it.
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WC says:
February 15th, 2010 at 12:44 am
kshsaa cant even figure out how to seed a football playoff bracket, do we really expect them to be able to do something intelligent?
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Ex WCS Recruit says:
February 15th, 2010 at 11:56 am
HAHA! Somebody from Collegiate complaining about the KSHSAA. Now that’s funny!
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