Because of an unexpected scheduling conflict, the FCIAC boys basketball tournament semifinals and final will now be played on consecutive days at the Arena at Harbor Yard, with the Final Four on Monday, Feb. 28, and the final moved up a day to Tuesday, March 1.
The FCIAC was recently contacted by Arena officials that the facility would no longer be available to them on March 2 because of contractual obligations with the MAAC Tournament.
The boys basketball coaches were presented with the choice of keeping the tournament at Harbor Yard and playing back to back, or staying on the original schedule and moving the last two rounds to Fairfield Warde.
The back to back semis/finals schedule shouldn’t pose a problem. Most of these players come from aau programs where playing 3 games in a day and 6 in a weekend is the norm. Time for good use of bench and clock.
Agree with you fully on 18-game schedule.
Well at least the NFL does it right with 6 from each League which is a perfect number. Not to switch gears, (you know I like to) but I am AGAINST changing the regular NFL season to 18 games. Talk about watering down games at the end of the year if they do that. Imagine how many teams will be eliminating and it will be like playing the preseason at the end of the season.
I would like to see the FCIAC expand their playoffs only in boys hoops as a trial for a year or two and get your opine on this subject after that is done.
My SuperBowl prediction is Greenbay 27 Pittsburg 21 in the first ever Overtime Superbowl.
Thanks for your time Dave.
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Even with a strong league, that doesn’t mean you have enough strong teams to warrant 12 teams getting it. And for the record, this is not an FCIAC specific issue for me: I hate the way sports are expanding to let in my opinion too many teams into the playoffs everywhere.
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it!
Dave,
Once you allow all teams in then it becomes youth basketball or little league like you like to say. I don’t think your criticism is personal at all and I enjoy discussing this issue with you.
To be fair Dave, you have often said how “strong” a League the FCIAC is maybe the BEST in the State. You haven’t addressed the fact that if that is the case then how taking teams 9-12 in what you consider the “BEST LEAGUE” in the state how adding the 9 -12 best in the best conference in the State is that big a deal.
We’ll see which way the FCIAC goes but I totally disagree that this is a bad idea. Let’s try it out and then be fair in your assessments when the trial period ends.
As always, I truly look forward to reading about this issue and all other Scholastic Sports from you David. You know how much I respect your knowledge of the area’s sports teams.
Thank you for your time and keep up the Great work!
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I appreciate the letter Basketball Fan, but a lot of these arguments are the same ones that have been made and I don’t buy them:
1. There is just as much interest now for teams battling to get one of the final spots in the tournament. Most years recently there have been a number of schools jockeying for the final spots.
2, 3 and 4. This is the biggest problem I have with the whole thing: I don’t think the league should be giving hope to more schools in what I think is an artificial manner. And you still get your Cinderella chances in the playoffs as is: one of the best games I remember was about six or seven years ago, when New Canaan as the 8th seed very nearly knocked off a strong Trinity Catholic team. I think this waters down the playoffs tremendously. Historically the 8-12 seeds would at best be mediocre teams and several would have losing records. Carl Charles said it best, and Ridgefield is not a school that qualifies for the tournament every year: inspire your players to be one of the eight best rather than having the cushion of a regular season — see the NBA and NHL — that would be greatly diminished by playing 18 league games to weed out seven teams. And you can’t compare the FCIAC to the Big East or other college conferences. Forty percent of their games are non-conference. This is apples to oranges and you are also applying it to qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. FCIAC teams are also trying to earn state tournament bids.
5. I agree that there will be more interest in other towns that now will have a chance to get into the playoffs, but the cost of this is WAY too high. What we are rewarding is participation and not accomplishments.
I think the FCIAC is a terrific league and I love covering it. My criticism is not personal. I have spoken to coaches in other sports, including girls basketball, and almost everyone I have spoken to does not like it. This to me is just one of the worst ideas I have heard in a long time and I hope for the league’s sake it is not passed, but I think it is inevitable. As far as I’m concerned if you are going to go with 12 teams, you might as well let all 19 in.
Thanks for taking the time to write. I’m glad this forum allows for the chance to share opinions, whether you agree with me or not.
OK here goes:
It makes the last week of the regular season MORE interesting for several reasons:
1. Teams that are close to coming in 4th place or higher to get a bye. Seedings become very important and thus jockeying for the best seed makes for some great games that otherwise would be ho – hum.
2. It gives some of the teams that otherwise would not have a chance or a team that gets “hot late” to make a run into the playoffs from a spot like a 9 to 12 spot to then “upset” a 4 or 5 seed and then who knows ? Maybe they knock off a “too rested(which I don’t buy your commentin # 8 that 5 days rest is too much) team that is far superior (read your other remarks about watered down) etc. It gives HOPE to a Cinderella team which as a fan (again I have no vested interest in this) creates interest.
3. In no way does it water down the playoffs. I have read in your columns over the years and in several years how “great” the FCIAC Basketball is. So you are still eliminating 7 teams from the tournament and taking 12 teams (all of which based on your standards from the past and other articles is how “tough” a league it is) By the way, don’t be surprised if 11 Big East teams make the Big Dance this year and rightfully so …just look what St.Johns did to Duke over the weekend.
4. Gives more players a shot especially Seniors to play in a “tournament” format that otherwise might not ever play in a tournament. Remember you say it’s a “Little League” Mentality. I don’t really think it is because in the end the best teams win right ? The cream rises to the top.
5. It will create MORE interest for MORE towns,cities and communities.
Right now only certain communities are involved so 4 more teams most llikely creates a ton of more interest especially for that ‘HOT” team tthat wins 4 straight League games (how tough it is to win games in the FCIAC remember) to make it in.
All this other talk about “watered down” etc is nonsense. What I think some of the better teams are afraid of is that hot team that maybe pulls off an upset etc. Sports works in mysterious ways, but I predict this new format would be GREAT FOR THE LEAGUE !! GREAT !!
I hope it passes and we have the discussion after a couple of years again. As always, it is a pleasure David to be a part of your blog.
Because the four top teams will now have to sit five days before their first playoff games and get out of their normal rhythms, something several coaches told me they don’t like.
Anxious to hear your points: I haven’t heard one yet that justifies expansion.
Dave,
How does it punish the best teams (top 4) who will rest up and get byes? How does it punish the best ones ?
Please answer that for me and then I will give you several arguments why expanding the playoffs make sense.
Thanks Dave…
Full: first I’m not sure why you would hint at me having a problem covering an extra game, even a bad one 12 teams would provide. If I didn’t like covering games I wouldn’t be doing this job. And I have the utmost respect for Jim. I just don’t agree with him on this one. Carl Charles, whose team is not a perennial fixture in the playoffs, summed it up best. If you want to be a playoff team, earn it. All this does is water down the playoffs and at the same time punish the best ones. I can’t think of ONE argument to support this.
Dave and FCIAC Coach,
Teams are not getting a “trophy” or being talked about because they qualified for the FCIAC playoffs. Rather they are given a shot to win a Tournament. At the end of the day the Final 4, the Final 2 and mostly the Champion gets the trophy!
Again, I think 12 is the perfect number and it makes sense for a lot of reasons but mostly for those 60 kids who get another chance to play a meaningful game that they wouldn’t be playing under the old format.
Not sure why you (Dave) are soooo against this ? It means covering an extra day of games that’s all not much more work.
And like I said down the stretch those games that don’t mean anything will actually have some meaning.
The cream rises to the top and the top teams (top 4) will actually benefit by having a “bye” to the quarterfinals and can rest up for the stretch run.
Love this idea and the fact that it came from Jimmy Moriarty makes even more sense considering his longevity to the FCIAC and I am sure his reasoning is similar to mine above. The PROS far outweigh the CONS…
I guess we can’t agree on everything Dave !
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I agree. I just hate this idea on all fronts.
I think you are right on on this one Dave. 8 teams out of 19 is the perfect set-up. What other people forget about is that the leagues that have 12 team playoff fields have many more teams in their league. If the FCIAC was a 24-32 team league, the proposal would make sense. With 19 teams, it shouild not evenbe considered. (I hate the everybody gets a trophy mentality.) When we were growing up, what now passes for as self esteem, was considered conceit or arrogance.
As far as playing on back to back days, this hurts the teams with weak benches. Staples, for example (not the only one), relies heavily on its core 5. They would be at an extreme disadvantage having to play 3 in 4 days.
I disagree with you on this one. Actually it is something I feel strongly about. There is no reason to let almost two-thirds of your teams into the playoffs. It waters down the quality of the tournament, and in this instance does so at a cost that hurts higher seeds. I just think in society as a whole we have adopted a Little League mentality where you get rewarded just for participating. I’d rather see the reward come from achieving something. I think Carl Charles nailed it in his quote in my column.
Dave,
I think it makes good sense to expand the Playoff Field. The League is one of the best in the state and adding 4 teams would give a shot to some teams that had a rough regular season.
I also don’t think it’s that big a deal as you write about in your commentary. It is not watering it down if anything it makes it more interesting. Certain teams don’t want it because it means winning an extra game as a 5-8 seed.
to Take 12 out of 19 is not that bad a ratio and will make it very interesting down the stretch with more games that will mean something.