Who's Ready for the 6 Class Debate to Heat Up Again?

I know I am as an avid supporter of the 6 Class system. But there will always be those contrary to this issue especially on this side of the state.

I do hate the idea of playing our District Title games at Heinz Field. So I use Heinz Field as a terrible, terrible reason to hold back progress in this state.

There are some other issues that come along with the 6 Class debate, like when to start the season. I prefer the last Friday in August and not the Friday before Labor Day.

Fact of the matter is the only thing everyone can agree on is that the season is too long. Ending the week before Christmas is utterly absurd.

I have an idea that could cut the season by at least 2 weeks. 1 Cut the playoff field in half statewide, 2 (as I stated above) start the season the last Friday in August, like Ohio and other states.

But this is a little deeper than just when the season starts and ends. Lets talk about competition for a minute. On the Eastern side of the state you have most of your larger schools so the smaller 4A schools complain. But on the Western side of the state you have most of the smaller schools in the state.

Class 2A in the WPIAL is extremely large and could easily be fixed if we had more Class's. In 1A in the WPIAL, the level of competition is grossly unfair. Schools like Clairton, Rochester, Canevin, Springdale, Beth Center, and Monessen shouldn't take the field against the smaller uncompetitive teams like Avella, Mapletown, and West Greene. But it happens.

There are ways that the WPIAL can set up the playoffs and still have 4 WPIAL games at Heinz and still send 6 representatives to the PIAA playoffs.

The next Board of Directors meeting is on December 16th. I fully expect this issue to be brought up again and be highly debated this winter into spring and possibly summer.

I just hope the Board of Directors especially the WPIAL does what is the most sensible and goes to a 6 Class format.

Heinz Field- A Flawed Tradition

Last night watching the Steelers game reminded me of how much I hate the WPIAL finals being played at Heinz Field. The playing surface is downright horrendous and for other reasons I'm going to get into right about now.

I understand the average WPIAL's claim to tradition. But what is so bad about "in with the new and out with the old".

The WPIAL requires the Quarterfinals and Semifinals to be played at a neutral field with an artificial surface. What in the world makes the most important game(s) in our area to be different?

Is it really because the Pro's play there or what? Is it because of the FSN money because they refuse to go to more than one site?

Come on folks, this field not only has a terrible playing surface but the game day atmosphere is pathetic. Each game carries 5k to 10k fans in a 65k stadium. Are you kidding me?

Why not play the games at Cal U, or Robert Morris where the stadiums are much smaller, plus you have an artificial surface?

At the end of the day the kids aren't really going to care where the game is played. They're fighting for the right to be named the best team in the WPIAL, in their respective class's.

I think the people that care the most are the fans. Our -insert team- is going to the Ketchup Bowl, or our -insert team- is going to Heinz.

Lets talk about safety for a minute. Do any of you want any of your boys to get hurt in similar fashion that the one Miami Hurricane did in the Champs Bowl last season. He tore his ACL due to the playing surface being up to par.

The tradition is flawed plan and simple. The sooner Western Pa realizes this, the better off we all are.