Bernie Fratto

Speaking
of
Sports 

by
Bernie 
Fratto

You Can’t Go
Home Again

11/1/03
As Yogi Berra would say, “they have different similarities.”  Both teams are 10-0. Both defeated Chelsea, a common opponent. Both were successful in the MHSAA playoffs last year before falling on the road to the eventual state champion in their respective Divisions. Both teams accumulated well over 100 playoff points during the regular season.

And when the playoff pairings were announced on October 26th, these two teams, both ranked in Tom Markowski’s State Super 10, will square off in Round 2 in a game for all the marbles. Someone please explain to me how this happens? It’s easy to play armchair quarterback when the MHSAA does the best they can but I can’t help but throw a flag on this one.

Now and then, I get a little homesick, and this is one of those times. I always felt the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) had it down right. The playoff system out there made the regular season significant. If you won your league, there was no way you’d play playing another league champion in Round 2. If you were undefeated, there’s no way you’d play another undefeated team until Round 3 or 4. And, if you went undefeated during the regular season, you would get 2 home games. Some upstart 6-3 team would have to travel to play you. That was your reward for going unblemished. The regular season mattered!

I know, I know, the Playoff gurus are allegedly taking geography into account. Then why did both Farmington schools travel great distances on Friday, when Novi is right around the corner?  In fact, why did Taylor-Kennedy have to travel to Novi, when Southgate Anderson was just across the street? Oh, and by the way, the next District over from Adrian/Novi doesn’t have a team that accumulated more than 83 points. In addition there are three 6-3 teams in that other District, while our District had two 8-1 teams and two 9-0 teams. Does that make sense?

Pragmatic thinkers will rationalize that these two powers, Novi and Adrian would probably have to meet sometime so what does it matter? Point taken. But, both are good enough to get the Dome, so how about they just meet there?

I know you can’t go home again but this is one time I wish I could. Under the CIF system, the winner of Friday’s game would be heading to the Silverdome, and that’s the way it should be.

Of course, that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong…

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Bernie Fratto's column appears right here each week. Bernie is a member of the Minor League Baseball Alumni Association and in his former life, he spent time in the Cincinnati Reds Farm System. He is an accomplished Freelance writer, and sought after keynote speaker, appearing often at Award Ceremonies, Athletic Banquets, and Company functions. He is passionate about sports and the life-lessons they teach. "Behind every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real human beings," Fratto said..."And these athletic endeavors often serve as a metaphor for the game we call life."

Bernie is also the voice of Novi Wildcat Hockey and host of Wildcat Face-off, a local radio program dedicated to youth sports in Novi.