OHSAA Softball Tournament and process

[Louuuuu]

... but do you have to be so condescending to everyone else to make your point??

I think we've discovered Donald Trump's OFC name.

 

[coachjwb]

If so, I guess that rules out the Mexico venue ...

 

[JoeA1010]

I agree with others that Firestone is not good. I was there recently for a regional game and was surprised at just how bad it is. Seats are literally missing in areas behind home plate. The grass looked terrible. Temporary fences for a state championship? A pro team plays at this place?

If OSU could seat enough, then that would be an obvious solution. I don't know how many people go to the state tournament, so I have no idea if OSU has enough seating. If not, maybe Firestone it has to be.

 

[backstop09]

If OSU could seat enough, then that would be an obvious solution. I don't know how many people go to the state tournament, so I have no idea if OSU has enough seating. If not, maybe Firestone it has to be.

According to the OHSAA web site, attendance records for all semifinal and final games are as follows: 2009 (10,284 - Firestone); 2008 (9,246 - Firestone); 2004 (9,223 - Brookside); 2007 (8,820 - Brookside); and 2012 (8,770 - Firestone). The average attendance in the five highest years is 9,269. For the twelve total semifinal and final games (two semifinal and one final game in each of four divisions), the average attendance would be 772 per game. Firestone seating capacity is 2,500. OSU and Brookside are both 1,500. There is plenty of seating capacity at any of the venues and the argument some would make that it has to be at Firestone because that is the only place with enough seating just isn't supported by the numbers.

 

[JoeA1010]

If seating is not an issue and Ohio State is willing to host, then it seems pretty clear to me that the State should be at OSU. Of course, you have the issue of $6 Cokes and $5 bottles of water, but for the athletes, OSU is a far better venue.

 

[wvanalmsick]

Okay, how about looking at some financial data???

In 2015, the OHSAA was negative for the State-wide Tournament:

Regional softball: - $144.01
State softball: + $6,698.33
Total softball*: - $7,482.80
* - includes all tournament expenses paid by the OHSAA office

They make money on the actual State Tournament (Final Four), lose money on the Regionals, and after all the expenses are paid for the entire tournament (including all Sectional and District games), they are $7,482.80 in the hole. This data is from the Board of Director's October 2015 Meeting Minutes http://ohsaa.org/news/board/minOct222015.pdf

Since Firestone has begun hosting the State Tournament (Final Four, All divisions) in 2008, it has averaged $20,079 profit. In the last four years that Brookside hosted the State Tournament, they averaged $7263 to the positive side. Ok, that one was a no-brainer.

Attendance. I was unable to find attendance data for the State Tournament at Firestone except for the 2009, 2010, and 2012 tournaments. In 2010, it was 10,284 (that is the all-time record) and 2009, it was 9,246, and 2012 it was 8770. That is for a total of 12 games (semi's and finals, all divisions). For 2010, the average game attendance would have been 857. That is well below the stated Firestone capacity and also under the stated 1,500 seat capacity of Buckeye Field at OSU. Again, we do not have any recent attendance data so the average game attendance may have grown, or decreased.

So to me, the overall deciding factor would be the price that Firestone proposed and the price that OSU proposed. Firestone has the tournament through the 2017 season. So, later this year (maybe as soon as this month), OHSAA will be deciding where the tournament will be held for the next contract period. Who knows, we might see a change.

 

[Hilliarddad3]

Firestone Stadium has run its course and the games should be moved regardless.... The place is a catacomb and a piece of crap in what should be a Championship setting and memory.... Yes piece of crap I said it, historic maybe, but you can't put lipstick on a pig.....

 

[daboss]

Keep in mind the OSU stadium is relatively new. Just a few years ago OSU's stadium only held about 500. They made claims of holding more but for anyone that ever attended a game there I think they'll agree it wasn't what they claim. The old stadium didn't match up to some high school stadiums I have seen.

Back in the day, the park at Ashland was used for years and the locals made a big deal out of hosting the final fours. Many would go early and chain lawn chairs to the fencing to reserve a place to watch. Akron was a huge leap forward and was welcomed by many. Perhaps it has run its course but OSU wasn't an option back then. I'm not versed on how the OHSAA does things but I believe locations bid to host the event, then a site is picked with approval of the committee. Perhaps it is the actual softball program itself that would need to approach the OSU A.D. and offer the facility. I don't know. We know other sports have their state finals at OSU facilities. Why not softball? Maybe we'll get an answer soon.

 

[CARDS]

No facility in Columbus can host the OHSAA State Softball Tournament. No facility in Columbus can hold 4,000-5,000 spectators. It is a real simple situation and the exact same arguments came up several years ago when the tournament was moved from Ashland to Akron. No way can OSU host both the State Track & Field and Softball Championships at the same time.

Firestone is an excellent SOFTBALL venue for the kids to play. The RACERS are very organized and well run. As long as the Pro league is still in business the RACERS will be one of the leading teams.......and they are planning some great renovations to the facility.

This was said many times about the football championships in Canton...Softball like football can find venues around Ohio that can handle the press, teams, hotels, fans etc. No reason why venues cannot be found to host these events from around the state.

 

[Steelers002016]

Actually the geographic center of the contiguous United States is the center of 48 U.S. states. It has been regarded as such by the U.S. National Geodetic Survey (NGS) since the 1912 additions of New Mexico and Arizona to the United States. Its position as located in a 1918 survey is located at 39 50′N 98 35′W, in Kansas about 2.6 miles (4.2 km) northwest of the center of Lebanon, approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of the Kansas-Nebraska border.

Which is only 357 miles from Oklahoma City, OK, so I would say the NCAA has already centered its championship for softball.

I would say that is pretty fair for all teams.

Who gives a rats about College playoff locations. I explained myself already. Yep I bet every hi skrool gets equal access from them there boosters. ERR maybe only them parochial skrools get them rooms and meals paid fer. Yep the condescending treatment works every time. See how many facts and backup I had about Firestone? It wasn't even solicited. If fact the discussion got very interesting when the facts were exposed. OHSAA loses money. imagine that. A state run agency limits access by not moving the playoff locations and still manages to lose money! Not a state agency. Tell me it ain't so Joe. Firestone is losing money. Or is that only for the Softball Tournament?

And nobody seems to care about the mentions of OHSAA and equal access and/or cost to each team? Nobody answered who paid for Hotels. You all went back and forth about crusty old Firestone. Made my point for me. Right back where I started. And the individual I mentioned. He was directing his frustration (20 seconds to deliver a pitch) at a high school kid. Like I said "defenseless". As expected everyone talked about the irrelevant facts on the crusty ol' Firestone. And not about equal access by all and the "winning is everything" attitudes. Everyone kept the subject away from the game itself and the access by fans.

Ranting and Raving lunatic here..... Check your own sanity or I will.

 

[Louuuuu]

Ranting and Raving lunatic here.....

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

 

[Run26]

I do have to admit that the announcers really were saying some idiotic things about the wrist bands. At one point I believe I heard the female say "Is she texting the catcher?". My daughters were not amused by her lack of knowledge.

 

[Steelers002016]

Man the money must flow in Akron between the OHSAA, Umpires and shirt makers. Even the shirts were printed in Akron by Akron bigots. Never does "LaGrange Keystone" come before "Hebron Lakewood" Alphabetically. HE always comes before LA. Unless of course you specifically decide to use specific words in the names like Lagrange and Lakewood. And don't try the home team thing on me. I checked that too. Wheelersburg was Home team but they were on the bottom. It just never stops up there, does it... I also heard Mr. Piazza and his clan were in a tournament and after winning his "Keystone" players wanted to scrap with the other team!!!! The parents were acting horribly. Folks at Keystone better take a look at the OHSAA rules for high school coaches and how many of their own players they can coach during the summer and how many games he can coach. Unless of course someone in Akron has already paid OHSAA officials. In that case, it doesn't matter!

 

[Louuuuu]

Conspiracy Theorists: Unite !!

 

[Steelers002016]

Not conspiracy at all. Just a blatant lack of respect for others. Cant you take in the general theme? Geeze. I guess I need to analyze my own posts for you folks too. You sound like a Liberal, anytime a liberal gets nailed on something.... Name calling like the Trump comments earlier. Use some intelligent responses. Go do some homework....

 

[Louuuuu]

Yes sir. It's the rest of us who don't get it, I guess.

 

[coachjwb]

OK, now wait a second ... I had been following this thread with some interest and a little (I said a little, not a lot of) amusement, but now the amusement is starting to grow. Are you implying that someone actually thought about printing on a shirt Lagrange before Hebron because they were a homer or because they have less respect for one school vs. the other? And are you saying that you actually went so far as to take the time to also research that Lagrange was printed first and that Wheelersburg wasn't despite them apparently both being home teams in their respective games? And are you implying that Lagrange is somehow like a suburb of Akron or something, because they're not very close really. I'd bet that about 99% of the people from Akron have never even been through Lagrange.

Your points about whether Akron and the Firestone Stadium are the best place to have a state championship game are valid ones to consider, but you lose all credibility with me at least when you whine about all of these other silly things ... just my opinion ...

 

[crystlemc]

I agree with you, Jeff.

And as for Piazza violating OHSAA rules, well, most of his starters are on various Outlaws teams. Few, if any of his varsity squad, play summer ball for him.

 

[papi]

I agree with you, Jeff.

And as for Piazza violating OHSAA rules, well, most of his starters are on various Outlaws teams. Few, if any of his varsity squad, play summer ball for him.

Not %100 accurate. While his "stud" players play for either Outlaws or Lasers, all the girls who play for the Sundogs(his org) were on the Varsity squad for the tournament run. Including those who play on his summer team.

 

[Steelers002016]

You have shown by responding the level in which other people can get under your skin. You have shown that you MUST respond. Again you have made my point for me. Perhaps you should read the OHSAA rules for yourself. Instruction of any player in any way is coaching. You are as arrogant as anyone I have pointed out here. As for the games and people starting crap, I have heard both sides. And other Keystone players on other teams have also attempted to start crap with every team they play. So I am going to believe the multiple stories from multiple people against multiple Keystone players. I guess they are all cut from the same mold. None of you have had a single intelligent argument and believe everyone else to be ignorant of your little games. Like shoving bats into players. Mouthing off during games etc... I have seen the Sundogs, Lasers Blue, Outlaws and other teams with Keystone players. They are all the same. It's obvious who has shown them the way. Mr. Piazza.