[Alsfastball] power pools

[Al Doran]

Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2005 02:10:23 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: power pools
From: zakkflash at greenbaynet.com
To: fastball at pmihrm.com




I've read some of the comments of the fans of the game and I must attest I
did my own little poll and there were some simalarities in answers and
some disagreements.   I have come to know  a pretty nice base of fans over
the last couple of years traveling with the CT team.  We've gone to some
big name tournaments with all the big boys and have gotten to know some of
the fans who go to these tournaments.  Not just the ones who show up at
the "big show" i.e. the WT.  The fans that show up on the circuit I'm
talking about.  I talked to many many people and asked them what they
thought about the new set up.  Whether they new I was with a "power pool"
team or not I don't know.  When I asked what they thought about the new
style, 90% of them said we need a double knock out to determine a true
champ.  I couldn't agree more but I know the ISC's thinking on why we
can't go back to that but without a doubt that is the best format.
I talked to, in my opinion, the best fastpitch fan in North America, a lot
in Eau Claire on his thoughts of the format.  I won't release his name
simply because I didn't ask if I could quote him but my feelings are
exactly the same as his.
I asked how he liked the new format.  First words were, we need to go back
to the double knockout.  This is a guy who's associated with no team, just
a fan of the game and is at all the big tourney's.  He also says and I
totally agree, this set up is made to maybe see the two best teams not in
the final.  "I traveled many miles to see the best two teams in the final
and that is what I want to see."  I got this quote on Wednesday night
before the bracket was released.  It just so happened that the best two
teams, Farm and County were in the final.  I'm with CT and I'll say that
they were the best two teams this year.  It just so happend that the #1
and #2 team were in the final but with this format I don't think that is
going to happen every year.  With all due respect that may not happen in
any format.
With the current format we saw 5 top 10 teams bow out in the first two
rounds.  I personally think that is because of the insane amount of energy
we put forth in the round robin portion of the tournament.  I'm talking
both physically and mentally.  We were in a power pool and I'll tell ya it
was grueling.  There was no relaxing and the pressure was on, to both win
and put on a good show for the fans.  I found myself sitting in the stands
pulling for teams in the power pools to win simply because I know what we
had to go through in the round robin.
A bye to one of the other pool winners, although well deserved, makes
little sense to me.  You play the "power pool" schedule and then have to
play an extra game to get to the sweet sixteen is brutal.  I'll speak for
our own team.  We saw Team Rainey in the first round and an extremely hot
Rick Smith and had our backs to the wall.  We manage to get by that game
and then see a pool winner in Innerkip which is an outsanding team.
Granted we got our automatic bid to the "tourney" going 2-2 but where is
the advantage?  The NCAA basketball tournament doesn't say, OK Duke and
Kansas, you guys play on the opening night so we see a good game and then
win or lose you go to the sweet sixteen.
this is my 2 cents worth and it may not mean much but I don't like the
current format.  I speak for myself only and whether my teammates and
sponsor agree with me I'm not sure.  But I am a fan as well as  member of
an incredible team.

thanks

Zakk
CT Fastpitch
zakkflash at greenbaynet.com

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