i don't think it's too early for AA teams to start being prepared for 2013. the AA has 18 teams. as of right now, we have 2 teams sitting at 5-0. we have 2 teams sitting at 4-1. one team at 3-1. five teams at 3-2. i'm not saying that the other teams are not contenders but it's going to take at least 4 wins to get into the playoffs. that already eliminates 3 teams and the other 5 would have to win out. either way, i suggest that you ALL start to discuss the potential of winning the championship and moving up to AAA with your players.....NOW! the board is going to be a lot more strict and we CANNOT have anymore AA teams not prepared to "make the jump". let's not look at it as a loss in sponsors, wins, players and/or fans but as a privilege and progression for the ENTIRE LEAGUE.
i don't agree that AAA is for the "best of the best" and who has the bigger set of pineapples but as a chance to keep the parity in the league and make it competitive and "worth it" for everyone. i have no problem with the Gladiators but they basically made it very hard for the other montana teams to stay relevant and afloat in this league. everyone wants a chance to win and to feel like they are a part of progression. i would rather see the Gladiators struggle in their first year in AAA as they "figure it out" and get better as opposed to the entire Montana division folding because they have nothing to offer. I'm not "knocking" on the Gladiators or the Montana division. i got guys i consider friends on all of those teams and that's not my style. BUT i'm sure the Blaze, Phoenix, Bullets, Snow Devils and Bearcats are enjoying a few more "spoils" since the Gladiators left town. i'm just saying, SPREAD THE WEALTH!
after some of the things that i've seen this season, i think there are at least 5 teams that can compete in AAA, right now. top tier? probably not. middle of the pack? probably. but that's where it starts. AA champion AUTOMATICALLY goes up. 2nd place team should SERIOUSLY CONSIDER it. the next 2 or 3 top teams in AA should THINK ABOUT IT! at least for 2013 until we can get a better system in place.
just something to consider. feel free to pick it apart or voice your opinion. i hope it stays positive in regard to moving forward and doesn't turn into a pissing (is that a bad word) contest.
-- Edited by GORILLA20 on Sunday 13th of May 2012 10:20:15 AM
This is a non issue for the Matadors. We have always said that we would move up when we finished in the top two, as per RMFL guidelines. To start considering anything after that this early is really unreasonable. Too many things can happen between now and then. Everyone is well aware that the league is going to be more consistent in enforcing the AA/AAA upgrade policy. No one else has to consider moving up if they don't want to. Period. And me personally, I wouldn't want bend over backwards to help bolster the AAA any way. They show AA no respect except when they need teams to move up just so they can have a schedule.
I dont get why the AA is such a problem for AAA. Remember we are just JV squads to the varsity AAA.. The Blaze were in AAA for 2 years.. we made it to the semi-finals. After traveling so much that year, players said no more and split the Blaze in half to create the Rush and force the Blaze back to the AA.. We loved the competition in the AAA, but when Idaho Falls & a Utah team only showed up to our home games with 11 or 12 players, it became a joke.. We lost fans that thought this league wasn't worth watching and players begin to lose interest. We have regained what we lost over the last 3 years and are stronger than ever before.. But until the league decides on a better format on travel & schedules for the AAA... just leave us JV teams down in the league that only 18 teams care about.. WE ARE DOING FINE & WE ARE HAPPY :) T
Come on Tom, don't lay blame on all the AAA like we are doing something that is unexpected. How can you blame us for wanting teams in our division and wanting a schedule. How do you think all those teams and players in the AA will feel when the league can't field enough teams to complete a AAA division? Guess where that puts all those Rebels, Stealth, Rev, Shock, TVS, Logan etc etc teams? Right into a division where teams like the Matadors, Cobras, Anarchy, Blaze, etc would have no choice but to travel and to play those proclaimed elite teams.
Now I realize if that were to happen, sure you would welcome the challenge, HOWEVER you can severely reduce your chances of walking away with anything more then a .500 season at best in that scenario!
All I am saying is its not like the AAA is strong arming teams into coming up to AAA just so they can bully them around. The AAA division honestly wants teams to get to that caliber in every aspect and compete day in and out with the AAA teams. Its no fun being on either side of a 60 pt landslide... I mean its a little more fun being on the winning side, but its still not as enjoyable as a dog fight to the final whistle..
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Any incorrect grammar, spelling, or inproper use of verbiage, shall be blamed on my iPhone not me!
What I am hearing is "We are happy not having to travel and beating teams 84-0 while trying to run a two minute offense while up 77. If we move up we may lose players because all they want to do is win and not get better. We, as GMs, want this to be easy and we don't want to work to get more players or sponsors so we will fight to stay down because we are lazy."
And yet you did respond, Tom. I almost forgot that you (the "'Dors") ran the score up against the Sabercats too calling timeouts while up 25 with the ball and under 1 minute.
