SDS RATINGS


How can SDS coaches help get the ratings back?

First, let's recap what's happened up to this point: the initial problem is that the SDS section office devised a worst-of-it's-kind (nationally) playoff system which takes the "everyone gets a trophy" notion to an absurd extreme, allowing 64 of 79 teams into the playoffs.  Yes, there are other playoff systems in CA and other states where close to half the teams make the playoffs, and those aren't to be commended either, of course.  But to allow over EIGHT-ONE percent of the teams in the playoffs is simply a joke; there isn't a nicer word for it, unfortunately.  But none of that is our business.  If a state association (section association in this case) wants to create a bad playoff system, that's their right to do so.  What isn't their right is to blame someone else for a terrible system.  From the outset of the creation of this laughable playoff system, it was SDS's intention to attack the vague entity of "the computer" once playoff time arrived, to distract attention from the deplorable money grab of essentially letting all teams into the playoffs for gate purposes.  To avoid being peppered with (understandable) "why even bother to play the regular season if everyone is in the playoffs" type questions from constituents, section head Joe Heinz and UnionTrib "writer" John Maffei co-authored the article they had planned since prior to the season about how it was the faulty computer that created this horrible system rather than SDS.  Heinz and Maffei continually attacked our system for letting too many teams with losing records into the playoffs.  It's pretty simple math, for anyone paying attention.  When there are only 36 teams with winning records and 64 teams make the playoffs, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that 28 teams without winning records are going to make the playoffs.  But obviously it's not our fault, but rather the creation of a bad system that lets everyone in that's to blame.  Those 36 teams with winning records got in.  So we literally let as many teams with winning records in as we could, working around the confines of a horribly designed playoff system.

SDS has the right to put out whatever awful playoff system they like, but they're not going to get away with blaming someone else for a bad system twice.  We've learned our lesson and will not be associated with the SDS tire fire, and will do WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO to ensure our ratings are not used for seeding and selection of SDS teams again.  At present, we've taken down the separate SDS ratings pages, to make it a little harder for them to use the ratings, but after they appeared to have doubled down by posting in April that they're planning to use the same system as last year, we're left with no choice but to also remove SDS teams from California and National ratings pages, as well as league pages and other pages ratings appear on, to ensure the ratings aren't misused again this season.

This is obviously not what's best for anyone, and to be clear, we haven't done that yet.  This is where we could use some help.  We've heard from dozens of SDS coaches who would really like to be able to see the ratings.  But we need to protect ourselves from another unprovoked attack by the section office, and not allowing them to do so is our only path forward unless/until the section office announces a different playoff plan that doesn't involve our site.

Coaches: here's where you come in...please let the section office know that you'd like SDS ratings to be visible, like the whole rest of the country.  Encourage them to publicly announce the new playoff plan that doesn't involve us, so that we can restore the ratings for San Diego.



Thank you coaches for your time,
Ned Freeman
hsratings.com