Iowa's Private Matter: A look at private schools in high school athletics.

Iowa’s Private Matter-A look at private schools in high school athletics

The CAM Cougars baseball team knew its’ season was over. They trotted back to the dugout trying to keep their heads high.

The many fans from the communities of Cumberland, Anita and Massena applauded them as they left the field at Principal Park

The schools’ first ever trip to the Iowa High School State Baseball Tournament. Before the game, they were taking in every moment, sight and sound.

Now it was all over.

A small public school had just ran into a powerhouse private school

Dreams of a state championship dashed, forever wondering what could have been while taking in the emotions of a wonderful season.

“We were happy to be there, the support we had behind us being the first team in school history to make the state tournament was awesome,” head coach Dan Daugherty said, “I just wished it could have played out a little different,”

The scoreboard read, Newman Catholic, Mason City 10 CAM 2.

While CAM made the hour-bus ride home wondering what-if, and then watched the rest the tournament on television, Newman Catholic preceded to cruise to its third state championship in five years.

The players from Newman Catholic’s championship team paid roughly $5,000 apiece for the state title

“I personally feel that private schools should have to play up a class,” Daugherty said.

Newman Catholics athletic success, along with that of many other private schools have been a topic of conversation in the Hawkeye State and has raised an important and heated question.

Do private schools have an unfair competitive advantage in high school athletics?

Private schools do not receive government funding which means they are responsible for all of their own funding. This also means that the state or federal government has minimal involvement. The schools are tasked with creating their own rules and regulations.

Unlike public schools, private schools have the right to choose students.

Private schools, unlike public schools are legally allowed to “recruit” students because that is how they get students to come to their school.

“One advantage of being a private school is that we have the right choose our students,” Bishop Heelan Catholic Athletic Director Jason Pratt said, “If we accept a student and he is disruptive or fails to succeed our expectations, we have the right to tell the student to leave, whereas public schools cannot do that,” 

Private schools do not have school districts meaning students can come from anywhere meaning that a kid, who is a good athlete or student, could end up at a private school rather than the public school district that he resides in.

“The biggest advantage of a private school is that there are no boundaries,” Pratt said.

Although most private schools claim that a majority come from their surrounding area, not all of them do.

“Last year, we had an athlete transfer in from out of the state that wanted to attend our school, it’s the first that has happened in 15 years, but it happens,” Dowling Catholic Athletic Director Tom Wilson said.

Dowling Catholic is not the only private school that has had student-athletes come from out of state.

Bishop Heelan Catholic, located in Sioux City has found itself benefiting from its proximity to South Dakota and Nebraska.

“About 90-percent of our students come from Sioux City, the other 10-percent come are students that come from Nebraska or South Dakota, if they want to go to a private school, we are their only option,” Pratt said.

Since 2008, the football and boys’ basketball teams at Bishop Heelan have combined to win five state championships.

Dowling Catholic recently won its fifth consecutive football state championship in Class 4A, Iowa’s largest class.

Newman Catholics recent baseball championship marked the 13^th time that a private school had won a state baseball championship since 2008.

In the last ten years, a private school has been crowned football state champion 21 of the possible 60 times, 35-percent of the time. In 2013, five of the six state champions were private schools.

In boys’ basketball, 14 of the last 32 state champions have been a private school, meaning that a private school has won the title 44-percent of the time. In 2017, three of the four state champions were private schools.

Private schools dominating high school athletics is not a problem exclusive to Iowa.

In the 2011-12 school year, 36-percent of Alabama’s state championship athletic teams came from private schools.

In California, only 26-percent of the schools are private, but private schools have accounted for 53-percent of the state titles.

These statistics have led many people to lobby for a change in high school athletics.

As of 2014, at least 19 states have no special regulations in regards to private schools in high school athletics.

Private schools compete in their own class in New Jersey, Florida and Maryland.

Indiana determines classification based on recent post-season success. Meaning that a dominant small, private or public school could play larger schools.

Many states have preferred the multiplier system.

The multiplier system adds a pre-determined number to the private schools enrollment. For example, Missouri applies a 1.35 multiplier to private schools.

However, doing so may not guarantee that a private school moves up a class. For example, Newman Catholic has an enrollment of 108, with the multiplier their enrollment would be considered 145, which is small enough that they would likely be small enough to continue to compete in Class 1A baseball, Iowa’s smallest class.

Adding a multiplier would also not affect many large schools such as Dowling Catholic.

“We are in the largest class in Iowa, so whatever changes they made would not affect us,” Wilson said.

A recent poll on social media of nearly 300 people showed that 86-percent of those surveyed believe that private schools should either be in a class of their own or have a multiplier put on their enrollment.

Despite all the statistics, actions of from other states and public outcry, high school sports fans in Iowa should not be expecting a change anytime soon.

“Early in its history, the decision was made by school administrators that the IHSAA should have one membership – regardless of public, private, all male schools, schools where students are placed by the court, etc.  That has continued to be our position,” Iowa High School Athletic Association Executive Director Allen Beste said.

 According to Beste, the IHSAA has a classification committee. The committee consists of superintendents, principals and athletic directors from public and private schools of various sizes.

“The committee believes success is as much a socio-economic issue as it is public vs. nonpublic issue.  Also, factors such as tradition, coaching staff, proximity to urban areas, family values and open enrollment can all contribute to success, as well as student-athlete talent,” Beste said.

Despite all of its advantages, attending a private school does come with one significant disadvantage; price.

Tuition at Dowling Catholic costs just under $10,000 a year, parents of students at Bishop Heelan pay approximately $3,000 if they belong to the diocese.

“The biggest disadvantage when it comes to getting students or athletes is the price, contrary to popular belief Dowling does not offer scholarships to athletes,” Wilson said. “I get calls every year from kids that are interested in coming, but once the realization of the price sets in, they are not willing to make it work,”

Schools such as Dowling Catholic or Bishop Heelan Catholic have the advantage of being in metropolitan areas and decent size enrollments. Not all private schools have that luxury.

Don-Bosco, a private Roman-Catholic high school located in the small town of Gilbertville, is one of the smallest private schools in the state. With an enrollment of just 83-students, the Dons play football at the eight-man level.

The numbers game has failed to stop the Dons from being successful, this past fall its football team picked up its’ third state title in five years. The wrestling program has also seen success amassing six state championships since 2006.

People of Gilbertville attribute their recent success to something other than being a private school.

“The main factor is the blue collar work ethic of our students. We are not a wealthy community but we work hard,” Don Bosco Athletic Director Tom Hogan said. “I feel our coaching staffs in both wrestling and football are as good as any in the state. The combination of the two have led to success,”

While potential changes to the classification system would not affect Dowling Catholic or Bishop Heelan, it would certainly have an impact on Don Bosco.

“My answer would be, give me a good reason for doing this beside the fact that we are winning? The first 7 years our football team won very few games. No one was accusing us of recruiting or saying that we should be in another class,” Hogan said.

Hogan also rejects the notion that private schools such as Don Bosco have some sort of competitive advantage.

“I'm not sure how it could be an advantage when students have to pay tuition. No matter how good of an athlete the student may be, they still pay. My son was the 8-man player of the year his senior year that we won our first state title and we had to pay full tuition,” Hogan said.

Some private schools even compete against other private schools for students.

Only 21-miles separate Unity Christian and Western Christian but proximity has not stopped either team from being athletic powerhouses, particularly in volleyball and girls basketball.

“Having another Christian high school close by in my mind is a good thing. I believe competition brings out our best and if we were the only option for parents, we might find ourselves becoming complacent,” Unity Christian Athletic Director Terry Schouten said, “ Now, we have to continually be looking for ways to improve ourselves as a school if we want to be in the market for area students,”.

While the majority of public schools compete against private schools. Some public schools face the challenge of competing against private schools on the field and for students, such as Algona High School, who competes with in-town rival Bishop Garrigan.

“I know through the years, there have been some good athletes from the private school that I wished came to the public school because our teams would have been much more athletic.  I'm sure Bishop Garrigan coaches have thought that a time or two as well,” Algona Athletic Director Shelly TerHark said.

TerHark also believes that having a private school in Algona may benefit their public school when it comes to athletics.

“I would guess that if Bishop Garrigan did not exist, our enrollment may push up to a 4A school, so our travel would be much different for Regional/District games,” TerHark said.

Many other towns could suffer the same problem as Algona if not for private schools. For example, Carroll Community High School is a Class 3A school, Kuemper Catholic, also located in Carroll is a Class 2A school. Without Kuemper Catholic, Carroll High could possibly be forced to play in 4A, which would force them to compete against Des Moines area schools.

Whether the public likes it or not, it is almost certain that private schools are not going anywhere. Given the remarks by Beste it does not appear that the IHSAA is any hurry to make changes to the way private schools are handled by the IHSAA.

Which means that dominant programs such as Dowling Catholic, Bishop Heelan and Newman Catholic are most likely going to continue winning.

While those who reject the idea of private schools competing against public schools will continue to point out every time a private school hoists a state championship trophy.

Takeaways from the Daytona 500.

Wow... for those of you that watched the Daytona 500, you had to be entertained. The 60th running of the Great American Race came right down to the wire. Anyone of the handful of cars remaining had a legitimate shot to win it. The finish of the race will be one that will be talked about for years and will go down as one of the greatest in the history of the race. With that being said, here are some takeaways.

What a Moment

What are the odds that the number three car would return to victory lane in the Daytona 500 20 years to the day after Dale Earnhardt won his only Daytona 500? If this was any other sport, idiots might claim that it was rigged. Clearly, it was not (or at least I don't think it was). I'm not a fan of Austin Dillon (more on him later), but I could not help but appreciate the moment of him winning, or his celebration tribute to Dale. Sr. Dillon's Daytona 500 win is something worthy of a movie. With that being said.

He did not win, he survived.

Obviously, Austin Dillon actually won the race, but let's be honest he did so with a lot of luck. The race turned into a demolition derby and Dillon happened to be at the right place at the right time. Which is part of the race, Trevor Bayne did the same in 2011 as did Kurt Busch last year, a win is a win and you cannot take the away from him, but let's be patient before we go overboard with our thoughts on Austin Dillon. If you think that this win will lead to a championship season, then I think you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

Rather be lucky than good, because he's really not all that good

Back to what I said about Austin Dillon earlier. Austin Dillon has won two races in his Monster Energy Cup career and in both of them, he happened to be in the right place at the right time. He won the Coca-Cola 600 last year because Jimmie Johnson ran out of fuel and this year he won the Daytona 500 because there were barely any cars left and Aric Almirola crashed. Last year, I listed Austin Dillon as the fourth most overrated driver, since then Dale. Jr and Danica Patrick have retired, so Dillon moved up on this list. Some people will say, "But, Trevor he won the Daytona 500", which I'm aware of but I have to see more from him before I change my stance on him. 

Some people put Dillon on the same level as Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, and he's not even close. Elliott had more top fives than Dillon does in his career. Kyle Larson had more second-place finishes last year than Dillon has top-fives in his career and Dillon inherited a better ride than Larson.

With that being said, let's be honest Austin Dillon is where he is because of who he is. His grandfather is car owner Richard Childress so he will have a ride as long as his grandpa is footing the bill.

Oh, so close!

I was pulling for Aric Almirola so hard and was bummed that he crashed. As Almirola took the white flag, I could not help but feel happy for Almirola. He strikes me as truly one of the good guys and winning this race would be major for his career. With that being said, the accident at the end of the race was totally a racing deal. Almirola had to mirror drive to win the race, he did that and got turned. Dillon did what he had to win the race. Did he do it intentionally? No, it was racing. 

Let me cap this section off by saying that despite all this, Aric Almirola handled it extremely professional. He was clearly disappointed (as he should have been), he could have called out Austin Dillon (like a certain driver who drives an M&M's sponsored car would have done), but he did not, instead, he looked ahead to next week and the rest of this season. We can learn something from that.

This kid is for real

Ten years from now, we will look at Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Ryan Blaney in the same way we view Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick. These kids are for real, but you probably already knew that. Elliott might be the most cursed driver in NASCAR, but I think once he wins one, the floodgates will open and he will start reeling them off. Larson is not a great restrictor plate driver and has bad luck at Daytona, but he is strong just about everywhere else.

Ryan Blaney absolutely DOMINATED the Daytona 500. Blaney led 118 laps and was a victim of the late race craziness. Blaney clearly had the best car all race long. I'm sure he wishes he had the last few laps back, but I think Blaney will see at least a handful of wins this year. He's in a much better ride this year and that could pay dividends.

BOLD Prediction: Larson, Elliott, Blaney and Alex Bowman will combine for at least eight wins this year.

I don't wanna hear it

There will be people that will complain about the race being a crashfest, and complain that the sport is dying because the sports' top stars have walked away. Those people are misguided. The race was a crashfest, but I enjoyed it because it made the race unpredictable. The beauty of the Daytona 500 is that just about anybody has an opportunity to win the race, which is why we have to be careful into how much we praise the winner for winning the race.

As for the people who complain or have complained about the recent departure of star drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt. Jr., STOP IT! This is the cycle. In the early 1990's NASCAR lost Richard Petty, Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison, this led to the meteoric rise of Jeff Gordon. Dale Earnhardt passed in 2001, but then NASCAR was resurged by young-guns like Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Kurt Busch.

Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Erik Jones and William Byron are the future of the Monster Energy Cup Series and I'm alright with that; not to mention up and comers in the Xfinity and Truck Series like Tyler Reddick, Cole Custer, and John Hunter Nemechek. The future of the sport will be fine. 

What you need to know about the 2018 Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament.

My bags are packed and I'm ready to be Des Moines bound, too bad I have those pesky college classes to get through first. The Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament is the high school equivalent to the Masters because it is an "event unlike any other". The Wells Fargo Arena will be jam-packed all week. Name another high school sporting event that does that? I'll wait. Now don't get me wrong, the quality of wrestling in Iowa is second to none and that certainly helps. There are great matches everywhere throughout the tournament. The three-day event is non-stop and action-filled which makes me excited. I will be there all week covering 111 wrestlers from these respective conferences; The Bluegrass, Hawkeye 10, Missouri Rivers, Pride of Iowa, Rolling Valley and Western Iowa.

Now let's take a look at the annual Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament

LETS DUAL

I'm not old enough to remember when State Duals were held the week after the individual tournament, and held in Cedar Rapids. Maybe someone who was can tell me whether they were a fan of it or not. State Duals usually comprises of the usual suspects and this year is not much different.

In Class 1A, Lisbon is the defending state champion and has the horses to repeat with eight ranked wrestlers, but they will have to get by Don Bosco in the finals. The Don's are stacked as well, with nine ranked wrestlers. Also, don't count out Denver who brings eight ranked wrestlers on Wednesday or a Missouri Valley squad that might be wrestling with a little extra motivation this week.

In Class 2A, New Hampton/Turkey Valley is the reigning champion and they are ranked number one in Class 2A. The Chickasaws have become a mainstay in Des Moines lately. They bring seven ranked wrestlers to Des Moines, but their first-round opponent, Webster City brings six ranked wrestlers with them. Is it crazy to say that dual could decide who makes the final?

In Class 3A, Fort Dodge is pretty darn loaded if you haven't heard. The Dodgers have 13 state qualifiers and could have at least four state finalists, however, they will have to dethrone the reigning state champs, Southeast Polk. The Rams will match up with the Dodgers in the semi-finals with the winner likely to face a Valley squad that has three top-ranked wrestlers. This one could be a ton of fun.

INTERESTING EARLY MATCHUPS.

The state tournament is not seeded, the match-ups are derived from a pre-determined formula, this leads to some really interesting early matchups.

In the first round of Class 1A 220 pounds, Nicholas Gaes (Alta-Aurelia) is 47-0 this year and ranked fourth, he will face Chaz Clark (Pleasantville), who is a defending state-runner up and ranked third. Clark lost to second-ranked Kaleb Reeves (Sigourney-Keota) in his district final.

The most intriguing first-round match in Class 2A comes at 106 where second-ranked Matthew Lewis (Centerville) will face third-ranked Keaton Zeimet (DeWitt-Central)

In Class 3A, I think the most interesting first round-match comes at 220 pounds, between third-ranked Isaac Bales (Glenwood) and fifth-ranked Beau Lombardi (Valley), Bales got pinned last week while leading his match and could come out angry, however Lombardi will be no easy task. All three of his losses have occurred courtesy of second-ranked Greg Hagan (Dowling Catholic).

On a side note, there is also a chance that two area wrestlers who are ranked second in their respective classes could meet the top-ranked wrestler in the second round. In Class 2A at 285 pounds, second-ranked John McConkey (Atlantic-CAM) could face top-ranked Cooper Lawson (Webster City) and in Class 3A at 182 pounds, second-ranked Anthony Sherry (Glenwood) could face Joel Shapiro (Valley), I'm not sure that it is a great recipe for the state to have its championship caliber matches take place on Friday afternoon rather than Saturday night, but it is what is.

THE FOUR-TIME CLUB

Two wrestlers have the opportunity to join rare air and they will do it in the same weight class and potentially do it in a matter of seconds from each other; Brody Teske (Fort Dodge) and Alex Thomsen (Underwood) look to become the 26th and 27th four-time state champions in state history. If Teske wins the title, he'll finish his career with a record of 174-1, if Thomsen wins his career will finish with a record of 190-1. Those two losses you might ask? They were to each other in matches that were epic. I was there for the Teske win, it was epic. Believe me. It's safe to say we've been pretty spoiled getting to watch two of the best in the country for the last four years.

THE THREE-TIME CLUB

Three wrestlers will have the opportunity to take home their third state championship and their last name's all start with the letter b, unfortunately, they are all seniors, so we won't see a four-time champion next year. Kyle Biscogglia (Waukee, 120), Michael Blockhus (New Hampton/Turkey Valley, 138) and Nelson Brands (Iowa City, West, 160) could become three-time champions at 120, 138 and 160 respectively. Assuming Thomsen and Teske claim their fourth title, Biscogglia, Blockhus, and Brands would become the 81st, 82nd and 83rd wrestlers to win three-state titles and the fourth, fifth and sixth to do it whose last names start with the letter b, but I digress.

THE TWO-TIME CLUB

17 wrestlers have the opportunity to claim their second championship, three wrestlers won it as a freshman and have a chance to win four state titles; Cullan Schriever (Mason City, 106), Adam Allard (West Sioux, 113) and Cael Happel (Lisbon.120). Four wrestlers still have the opportunity to become a three-time state champion; Aiden Reeves (Albia, 120), Julien Broderson (Davenport Assumption, 182), Kaleb Krall (Wapsie Valley, 152) and John Henrich (Akron-Westfield, 160). 11 wrestlers hope to finish off their high school wrestling career with a second state championship; Joel Shapiro (Valley, 182), Grayson Kesterson (Williamsburg, 113), Matt Robertson (Davenport Assumption,132), Bryce Esmoil (West Liberty, 195), Jordan Baumler (North Fayette Valley, 220), Chance Throndson (Riceville, 145), Grant Stotts (Valley, 152), Donny Schmit (Wapsie Valley, 132) and Tanner Sloan (Alburnett, 195).

THE ONE-TIME CLUB

MATH ALERT-There is 672 wrestlers competing this week, two can become four-time champs, three can become three-time champs and 17 can become two-time champs. That means that 650 wrestlers have the opportunity to claim their first state title, I would love to name all of them, but unfortunately, I don't have time to do that.

AREA KIDS WHO COULD IMPRESS

The one thing I look for each year is which area wrestlers could take the state by surprise. To me, it would not be surprising, but to the rest of the state, it might be.

In Class 1A, I will be keeping an eye on Mount Ayr's 106-pounder Bryce Shaha, Shaha has just two losses in his freshmen campaign and has two impressive wins over fourth-ranked Connor Atkisson (Tri-Center). I fully expect Shaha to contend for a medal.

Bedford/Lenox will bring six wrestlers to the Wells Fargo Arena, but none have been more impressive than their 182 pounder, Derek Venteicher. If you are unfamiliar with Venteicher's story let me fill you in. The senior had never wrestled at sectionals, yet alone the state tournament. Venteicher was injured as a freshman, in his sophomore year he was disqualified from a  tournament the week before sectionals, so he could not wrestle at sectionals and was injured his junior year. Venteicher has been making up for lost time this season, dominating opponents while having just one loss. That one loss came to top-ranked Logan Schumacher (Martensdale-St. Mary's) who he could face in the semis if he gets there.

Also, keep an eye on 138 pounder Austin Gutknecht (Clarinda), Gutknecht is making his fourth straight appearance in Des Moines but has come up short of medaling the last three years. Gutknecht has switched to a different gear and appears to be wrestling with a purpose. I expect to see him on the medal stand Saturday night.

In Class 2A, 132-pounder Chase McLaren (Atlantic/CAM) has wrestled with a chip on his shoulder and told me last week that he tries to make each match a dogfight and that he expects to win a state title. There's lots of tough talent at the state tournament, but can McLaren's drive and expectation be fulfilled? Also, keep an eye on Shenandoah's Nick Dickerson (182). Dickerson has kicked it into high gear lately and looks to finish his career in style.

In Class 3A, I cannot help but love the story of Glenwood's 195 pounder, Kenny Lampman. The senior had not wrestled varsity until January of this year and now he is a district champion. If Lampman makes the podium, he will probably be the most unlikely of state medalist. I root for underdogs, so I will be a fan of Kenny Lampman this week, as we all should be.


                      SOMETHING SPECIAL IS BREWING
This will not get the state-wide credit it deserves, so I'll do it here. Everybody will talk about Fort Dodge bringing 13 to Des Moines or Denver supplying nine, but the production from Bedford/Lenox, AHSTW, and Red Oak cannot be overlooked.

 All the stars aligned for Bedford/Lenox this year. Everyone stayed relatively healthy, a handful of seniors stepped up and a handful of underclassmen showed their potential and the end result is six wrestlers participating on the state's grandest stage. Bedford/Lenox has had three state-qualifiers in the last three years. This year they have double that. That's awesome.

This season, AHSTW took home their first-ever district champion and will have six wrestlers representing them this week, five of whom will return next year for Coach Evan McCarthy, oh and the Vikings have the top-ranked wrestler at 170 in Gabe Pauley who is looking to become AHSTW's first champion since Heath Lamp in 2003.

As for Red Oak, two years ago they did not have a single state champion, this year Coach Teigan Podliska will rock the awesome orange pants (at least I hope) for five state qualifiers. The most astonishing thing is that none of those state participants will graduate. This year, Red Oak broke the 43-year-old school record for most state qualifiers, this might just be the tip of the iceberg.

                              LET THE FUN BEGIN
How about we just go ahead and roll out the mats now? I'm stoked.

 

 

 

Previewing Class 2A District 4

Wrestlers all across the state will have their goal or dream of wrestling in the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament become a reality on Saturday. Every match matters, but now they matter even more than they have at any other point this season. This week, 672 wrestlers from 24-districts across three classes will punch their ticket to wrestle on the state's grandest stage. Let's take a look at those who have the opportunity to punch their ticket from Class 2A District in Harlan this Saturday.

Teams in attendance; ADM-Adel, Atlantic/CAM, Creston/OM, Greene County, Harlan, Kuemper Catholic, Red Oak, Shenandoah, Southwest Iowa, Winterset, Woodward-Granger.

Now time for the weight classes.

106 Pounds

Qualifiers-Hunter Pierce-Woodward Granger (38-15), Jonathan Erp-Red Oak (38-11), Trey Allen-Winterset (28-6), Benjamin Schmitz-Kuemper Catholic (41-4)

This weight class features two ranked wrestlers, Schmitz (7th) and Allen (9th), but don't count out Erp or Allen. This might be the deepest weight class in Harlan this weekend. Erp was ranked earlier this year and Pierce has been wrestling well as of late. Schmitz has defeated Erp the last two weekends and defeated Pierce earlier this season. Pierce defeated Allen by fall last week. Allen has not wrestled Schmitz nor Erp, Erp and Pierce have not wrestled either. Good luck predicting this one.

113 Pounds

Qualifiers-Andrew Flora-ADM-Adel (41-1), Aybren Moore-Atlantic/CAM (37-17), Kaden Bolton-Creston/OM (32-13) 

No, you did not read that wrong there are only three wrestlers in this weight class. Aybren Moore was the only wrestler in his weight class at 113 pounds, meaning all he had to do was make weight and he was onto districts. This also meant that the opposing district's champion (Flora) receives a bye into the finals. Flora is the second-ranked wrestler in Class 2A  and should be considered the favorite to win the district. Moore and Bolton have met twice this season; Bolton won both of them, but by slim margins. 4-2 and 4-3. 

120 Pounds

Qualifiers-Bryce Hatten-Winterset (35-10), Steele McLaren-Atlantic/CAM (37-18), Ryan Munoz-Woodward-Granger (34-19), Ethan Lemon (35-11).

Bryce Hatten looked pretty darn impressive at John J, but this class is pretty evenly matched. Hatten defeated Munoz last week and defeated McLaren and Lemon earlier this week. Lemon and McLaren have wrestled three times, McLaren won the first meeting, but Lemon has won the last two. 

126 Pounds

Qualifiers-Kolby Hulett-Creston/OM (33-11), Colton Hauschild-Southwest Iowa (24-14), Trenton Cook-Winterset (27-18), Kole Hansen-Atlantic/CAM (40-8).

Kole Hansen has been one of the most impressive wrestlers in the second half of the season. Hansen bounced around weight classes earlier in the season, wrestling as heavy as 138, he's stuck at 126 since then. Kolby Hulett has had a solid freshman season, he's lost to Hansen both times they've wrestled, but he's defeated Cook this season. Hauschild has bounced around between 126 and 132 and has not wrestled any of these three wrestlers. 

132 Pounds

Qualifiers-Jack West-Winterset (37-2), Cam Vanderhoof-Red Oak (39-15), Kelby Luther-Creston/OM (25-18), Chase McLaren-Atlantic/CAM (52-4).

The last two years, Chase McLaren has come up short of placing at the state tournament, this year McLaren appears to be determined. He has just four losses on the season, all of which came at the hands of ranked opponents. McLaren wrestled West in the semifinals of John J by a 7-1 decision. West defeated Luther last week but has not wrestled Vanderhoof, Vanderhoof has also defeated Luther three times this season.

138 Pounds

Qualifiers-Kruise Kiburz-Winterset (40-13), Collin Wiederin-Kuemper Catholic (26-20), Cade Vicker-Creston/OM (24-18), Wyatt Obrecht-Harlan (10-9).

Kiburz should be considered the favorite. The Winterset sophomore has been ranked at points this season and boasts a win over Vicker, but has not wrestled Wiederin or Obrecht. Vicker has a major decision win over Wiederin, but has not wrestled Obrecht. Obrecht and Wiederin have wrestled twice with Obrecht winning both.

145 Pounds

Qualifiers-Mitchel Swank-Creston/OM (38-7), Colton Mudd-Atlantic/CAM (20-35), Blake Ryerson-Winterset (27-13), Oscar Olmos-Harlan (37-11).

Swank has gone about his business in a workmanlike fashion this year. Swank should be the favorite to take home the district title, but the other state qualifying spot is definitely up for the takings. Olmos defeated Mudd last week at sectionals, but neither one of them has wrestled Ryerson. 

152 Pounds

Qualifiers-Nolan Harsh-ADM-Adel (21-3), Payton Fewson-Atlantic/CAM (4-17), Justin McCunn-Red Oak (44-7), Austin Scharlau-Woodward Granger (38-16).

Harsh is ranked seventh in Class 2A while McCunn has been ranked at points this season but is currently not, but has been wrestling really well as of late. McCunn and Harsh have not wrestled this season, actually the only two wrestlers in this district that have wrestled this year are Harsh and Scharlau, Harsh won both of them. 

160 Pounds  

Qualifiers-Gabe Yingst-Woodward-Granger (43-9), Zak Hulsing-Kuemper Catholic (45-7), Kolby Tomas-Creston/OM (26-22), Connor Pellett-Atlantic-CAM (40-17).

Pellett recently bumped up from 152 pounds and dominated last week to capture the sectional championship, he told me that his goal is to make the tournament and I think that he's got a realistic shot, however he will have to defeat Hulsing again, which will be no easy task. Yingst was the champion at last week's Winterset sectional, defeating Tomas. So he will face Hulsing in the first round, which should be fun, if not one of the best matches of the day.

170 Pounds

Qualifiers-Carter Maynes-Red Oak (26-8), Kyle Owens-Shenandoah (48-7),                           Beau Barncastle-Creston/OM (26-18) and Brock Wuebker-Greene County (20-8)

Maynes and Owens have wrestled five times this season. Owens won the first two, but Maynes has won three in a row. All three of Maynes' wins have came in the last three weeks. Barncastle has wrestled most of the year at 182, but recently bumped down. He lost to Owens earlier this year, but has not wrestled Maynes. He defeated Wuebker last week at sectionals, Wuebker has not wrestled Maynes or Owens this season.

182 Pounds

Qualifiers-Nick Dickerson-Shenandoah(48-7), Thomas Bentley-Red Oak (37-7), Sam Chapman-Creston/OM (27-18), Charles Craigmile-ADM-Adel (25-21).

Last week Dickerson finally got the best of Bentley after nearly beating him in their two previous meetings. Dickerson has his eyes set on the state tournament and a district championship, while Bentley has his eyes set on revenge. Bentley will face Chapman in the first round, who he beat earlier this year. Dickerson also beat Chapman at the Hawkeye Ten tourney, but neither one of them has faced Craigmile who lost to Chapman at sectionals last week.

195 Pounds

Qualifiers-Nick Foss-Harlan (35-1), Cody Fisher-Woodward Granger (50-1), Cole Nebel-Shenandoah (45-11), Leo Tauke-ADM-Adel (9-5)

Somebody is going to leave Harlan with just their second loss of the season and it's either going to be the second-ranked wrestler in Class 2A (Fisher) or the third-ranked wrestler in Class 2A (Foss). My money would be on that this is the match of the day, but both wrestlers have to get there first. Foss has been a machine this year, picking up many quick victories including a win over Nebel last week. Fisher defeated Tauke at sectionals. 

220 Pounds

Qualifiers-Tyler Courtier-Shenandoah (40-3), Kaden Sutton-ADM-Adel (28-8), Colton Kinnison-Red Oak (35-19), Dillon Fogerty-Woodward Granger (35-18).

Two weeks ago, Courtier missed the Hawkeye Ten tournament due to illness. He made up for it last week with a dominant performance at sectionals. He has wrestled Kinnison three times this year, winning all of them. Neither Kinnison nor Courtier have wrestled Sutton or Fogerty this season.

285 Pounds

Qualifiers-John McConkey-Atlantic/CAM (51-1), Blake Sevier-Creston/OM (35-12), Bradley Tolley-Winterset (37-12), Thomas Wilson-Southwest Iowa (25-4)

John McConkey has been pinning people left and right this year. Last year he came up just short of a state title at the wrath of Tristan Wirfs (who now plays tackle at Iowa). The big question here is who will join McConkey at Des Moines. Sevier pinned Tolley earlier this year at John J and last week at sectionals. Neither Sevier nor Tolley have wrestled Wilson this year. So this one could go to any one of those three.

TEAM RACE 

This is a tougher team race to predict than 1A District 5. Last week Atlantic/CAM dominated its own sectional and Creston dominated Winterset's sectional. Creston/OM has outscored Atlantic/CAM in the last two team tournaments they've been at, but Atlantic/CAM is a lot more top heavy than the Panthers. I also think that Harlan and Red Oak have the ability to score some quality points here, not sure if it will be enough to win it, but you never know. 

 

Preview Class 1A District 5

Wrestlers all across the state will have their goal or dream of wrestling in the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament become a reality on Saturday. Every match matters, but now they matter even more than they have at any other point this season. This week, 672 wrestlers from 24-districts across three classes will punch their ticket to wrestle on the state's grandest stage. Let's take a look at those who have the opportunity to punch their ticket from Class 1A District 5 that will take place at Riverside High School in Oakland.

Teams in attendance; AHSTW, Bedford/Lenox. Clarinda, East Mills, East Union, Griswold, Mount Ayr, Nodaway Valley, Riverside, Southwest Valley, St. Albert, Treynor, Tri-Center, Underwood.

Now let's look at the weight classes and competitors.

106 Pounds

Qualifiers-Connor Atkisson-Tri Center (43-4), Cole Wimber-East Union (26-14), Mick Schroder-Riverside (29-10), Bryce Shaha-Mount Ayr (36-2)

This weight class features two wrestlers who are ranked by IAWrestle, Shaha (6th) and Atkisson (7th), Atkisson took home a seventh-place medal at last year's tournament while Shaha is only a freshman. Shaha has taken Southwest Iowa by storm this season amassing a record of 36-2. Shaha has defeated all three of the opposing district qualifiers including an impressive pinfall victory over Atkisson in the semi-finals of the John J. Harris Invitational. Atkisson holds wins over both Wimber and Schroder. Schroder defeated Wimber in their lone meeting this year at the Ron Scott Memorial Duals.

113 Pounds 

Qualifiers-Joel Sampson-AHSTW (35-20), Tyler Halloran-Clarinda (30-20), Trae Ehlen-Mount Ayr (31-7), Ian Dinsmore-Treynor (27-16).

Mount Ayr's Trae Ehlen has really impressed me this season. The Raiders have two freshmen (Shaha and Ehlen) that could end up being something really special for coaches Curt Wallace and John Ford.  Ehlen has not wrestled either Dinsmore or Sampson this season, but he did pick up a tech fall win over Halloran at sectionals last week. Sampson has a win over Dinsmore this season. Halloran just recently bumped up from 106 pounds and has not wrestled any of the district qualifiers. 

                                                                        120 Pounds

Qualifiers-Blake Thomsen-Underwood (41-4). Jarryn Stephens-East Union (24-18), Elliott Young (AHSTW), Quentin Gregg-Mount Ayr (15-16).

One would assume that Blake Thomsen is the odds-on favorite to claim the district title. The sophomore took home fifth last year as a freshman and is ranked third by IAWrestle. Thomsen defeated Young by pinfall twice this season but has not wrestler either Stephens or Gregg this season. Young has a win over Stephens this year but has not wrestled Gregg. Stephens and Gregg have met twice. Splitting both matches. Stephens won by fall in sudden-victory (that's rare), and by 10-9 major decision at last week's sectional.

126 Pounds

Qualifiers-Alex Thomsen-Underwood (45-1), Ryan Hull-Nodaway Valley (11-31), Jaden Rasmussen AHSTW (34-14), Teagan Lundquist-Southwest Valley (37-2)

This weight class features two place winners from last year (Thomsen and Lundquist). Thomsen is a three-time state champion who is looking to finish off his high school career with four state titles and only one loss. If you've never watched him wrestle you should, he's a machine. Thomsen has picked up 24 of his wins by tech fall. Lundquist has a very similar wrestling style to Thomsen, both emphasize takedowns and are incredibly methodical in doing so. These two met in the district finals last year, Thomsen won by tech fall. Lundquist will face Rasmussen in the first round, who he pinned earlier this season.

132 Pounds

Qualifiers-Logan James-Underwood (45-2), Dylan Heideman-Bedford/Lenox (26-9), Benjamin Ehlers-AHSTW (31-23), Sherman Hayes-East Union (29-10).

Man, Underwood is STACKED at these lightweights. It's not too far-fetched to say that they could have three state champions. Logan James has been a man on a mission this year. The sophomore is ranked second in Class 1A and has just two losses on the year, both of which were at the CB Classic to Jack Huffman (Millard West) and Drew Bennett (Fort Dodge) who are ranked first and second in their respective classes. The race for the other state-qualifying spot could be wide open, Hayes has defeated Heideman twice this year, but neither of them have wrestled Ehlers.

138 Pounds

Qualifiers-Tanner Owens-Underwood (8-2), Matthew Wittstock-East Union (32-9), Trevor Nelson-Tri-Center (43-13). Austin Gutknecht-Clarinda (37-3).

This weight class is going to be fun. Austin Gutknecht has been on a mission this season and is wrestling his best when it matters the most. The rest of this class could go either way; Wittstock impressed me deeply at the Ron Scott Memorial Duals, going undefeated through the two days, he lost to Gutknecht at sectionals last week and defeated Nelson earlier this year, but he has not wrestled Owens. Owens is the ultimate-wild card, he's only wrestled 10 matches this season, but is 8-2 in those matches including a pinfall victory over Nelson at sectionals.

145 Pounds

Qualifiers-Bryson Freeberg-Tri-Center (35-11), Nate Briggs-Bedford/Lenox (28-7), Kyler Rodenburg-Underwood (32-15), Shawn Swain-Griswold (38-16).

I have no stinkin' clue what to expect in this class. I think all four wrestlers have a legitimate shot at wrestling in Des Moines next week, here is how they've fared against each other this year. Freeburg has pinned Briggs twice and Rodenburg once, but lost to Swain in their only meeting. Swain also beat Rodenburg, but Briggs beat Swain. Briggs and Rodenburg have not wrestled this year. Good luck predicting this one. 

152 Pounds

Qualifiers-Michael Baker-Underwood (21-10), Cole Ridnour-Clarinda (17-22), Gabe Madsen-AHSTW (21-27), Drew Venteicher-Bedford/Lenox (35-4).

Venteicher should be considered the favorite in this class. The sophomore came oh-so-close to making the state tournament last year but came up just short. Baker was a state qualifier last year and has a pinfall victory over Madsen this year but has not wrestled Ridnour.  Madsen and Ridnour have not wrestled each other this year.

160 Pounds

Qualifiers-Marcus Daughton-Mount Ayr (34-3), Brennon Mauer-Treynor (25-10), Dylan Dalton-Southwest Valley (28-12), Jackson Dunning-St. Albert (20-10).

Marcus Daughton has been perhaps one of the most underrated wrestlers this year, and maybe he prefers that. Daughton looked pretty darn impressive en route to a John J. Harris Invitational title three weeks ago. He boasts two wins over Dalton but has not wrestled either Mauer or Dunning. Dalton has been a late bloomer for the Timberwolves who has come a long way since his freshman year and has two wins over Dunning this season but has not wrestled Mauer this season. Mauer and Dunning split their two meetings this season. This could be fun.

170 Pounds

Qualifiers-Gabe Pauley-AHSTW (50-0), Merik Gaule-Southwest Valley (27-18), Mick Clevinger-Riverside (30-16), Jace Morgenstern-Clarinda  (30-24).

Pauley is number one in the state for a reason, if you've never watched him wrestle, you should. Pauley is such a mauler, his style is so workmanlike that it is one of my favorites. As for the rest of this class, your guess is as good as mine. Morgenstern wrestled at 160 for the first-half of the season before bumping up. He did defeat Clevinger at John J, but has not wrestled Gaule. Gaule and Clevinger have not wrestled each other this season.

182 Pounds

Qualifiers-Derek Venteicher-Bedford/Lenox (41-1), Chris Darnold-East Mills (26-11), Joe Kenkel-AHSTW (45-10), Dylan Steinhoff-East Union (29-14).

There's a very good chance that Venteicher could take the state tournament by storm. Venteicher's one loss this season came to top-ranked Logan Schumacher (Martensdale-St. Mary's), but he has two impressive pinfall victories over seventh-ranked Nick Haynes (Missouri Valley). Venteicher has been plagued by bad luck his first three seasons, but he appears to have shaken it and is wrestling like a state title contender. As for the rest of this class, I've been thoroughly impressed by Kankel this season, he has three wins over Darnold this season but was pinned by Venteicher, Steinhoff has a victory over Darnold this season. Steinhoff and Kankel have not wrestled this season. 

195 Pounds

Qualifiers-Gavyn Fischer-AHSTW (49-8), Crew Howard-Clarinda (24-19), Aaron Anderson, East Mills (19-18), Brenden Christensen-Bedford/Lenox (32-3).

By my count, AHSTW has ten district qualifiers, nine of which are underclassmen. I think its safe to say that coach Evan McCarthy has the program in a good spot. One of those underclassmen is sophomore Gavyn Fischer. Fischer's first round, opponent Crew Howard has had a productive freshman season, Howard has a win this season over Anderson, but lost by decision to Christensen at John J. Speaking of Christensen, he has had a solid senior season and could find himself on the cusp of Des Moines, he has a wins over Anderson and Howard but has not wrestled Fischer his year.

220 Pounds

Qualifiers-Chance Strough-Bedford/Lenox (35-3), Tallen Myers-Southwest Valley (27-18), Isaiah Moore-St. Albert (21-10), Brady Canada-AHSTW (37-10).

Last year, Chance Strough qualified for the state tournament while wrestling at Clarinda. This year Strough is at Bedford/Lenox and has just three losses on the season, two of which came to top-ranked Tom Reif (Missouri Valley). Strough has a pinfall victory over Canada but has not wrestled Moore. Canada is another young AHSTW wrestler that has made his way to districts, he has a pinfall victory over Moore earlier this year. Myers is the ultimate wildcard, having recently moved up from 195 pounds, he has not wrestled any of these wrestlers yet this year.

285 Pounds

Qualifiers-Josh Cox-Mount Ayr (32-8), Leland Barr-AHSTW (6-9), Kyler Christensen-Bedford/Lenox (27-14), Brock Fox (20-6).

This weight class is wide open. Josh Cox is presumably the favorite and has wrestled well this season. He has won all five previous matchups with Christensen but has not wrestled Fox or Barr this season. Fox beat Barr at Sectionals last week. If you aren't familiar with Brock Fox, it's kind of an interesting story, Fox had never wrestled prior to this season and now finds himself 20-6 on the season and battling for a spot in the state tournament.

TEAM RACE

The team championship at districts is solely for bragging rights , but it can also be a good indicator at which teams has a shot at placing high in the state tournament. I feel as if AHSTW. Bedford/Lenox and Underwood are the favorites. I think AHSTW has a realistic possibility of getting at least five of their ten qualifiers to the state tournament. Underwood has three beasts at 120, 126 and 132. Coach Joe Stephens said their goal is to win the district, I think they have a legitimate shot of doing so, but they will need their other wrestlers to step up as well. Bedford/Lenox could very easily have four district champions, throw in Nate Briggs in the wildcard 145 pound class and that could give them five state qualifiers. The wildcard here is Mount Ayr, I think there's a strong possibility that Mount Ayr has four district champions. If they do, will it be enough for them to win the team race?

Guess we will see.

Thoughts on Super Bowl 52

Raise your hand, if in September you thought that Nick Foles would be named Super Bowl MVP.
Now put your hand down, you are obviously lying. Nobody saw this coming, not even Nick Foles himself. This might be the greatest underdog/unlikely hero story in the history of the Super Bowl. Better than a sixth-round pick leading his team to an upset over the "Greatest Show on Turf", better than a former Hy-Vee stockboy leading the "Greatest Show on Turf". Foles had been written of in NFL circles, and perhaps rightfully so until they were proven wrong. Foles looked like Joe Montana last night. If you had never watched football prior to last night, you might assume that the greatest quarterback of all-time played for the Eagles and not the Patriots. Foles is definitely not the greatest of all-time, but his performances in both the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl definitely could be.

Now with that being said, here are some takeaways from the Super Bowl.

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS

Go back and look at each Super Bowl winner in the last ten years, just about all of them have had some sort of adversity; the Patriots trailed 28-3 at halftime of last year's Super Bowl, the 2015 Broncos benched Peyton Manning for Brock Osweiler, in 2014 many people thought Tom Brady had lost it, see what I'm getting at? Perhaps no team faced more adversity than the Eagles. They lost their best offensive tackle (Jason Peters), one of their starting running backs (Darren Sproles), oh and not to mention Carson Wentz was on his way to being named NFL MVP before he tore his ACL in week 14 and the Eagles were the underdog in all three playoff games, two of which were at home. I'm honestly not sure that any Super Bowl champion team has faced more adversity.

DON'T LET THE NUMBERS FOOL YOU

Tom Brady threw for 505 yards in Super Bowl 52, but those numbers are not as impressive as you might think. I know that somebody is reading this right now and probably calling me an idiot, but hear me out. Brady completed 28 passes on Sunday night, but 187 yards (37.2%) came on just five plays. Not to mention most of those completions were to receivers that were so wide open that even I could have hit them. 40 of those passing yards also came on the game's final drive when the Eagles were basically handing them yards by going into a Prevent defense. Also, don't forget the fact that Brady had some bad throws, including some bad underthrows on that final drive and one bad underthrown pass that may have prevented Chris Hogan from scoring on a big play, I don't want to say we saw Tom Brady take a step back, but we might have.

BELICHICK GOT OUTCOACHED

I honestly never thought I would write this, but its true. Doug Pederson and the Eagles beat the Patriots at their own game. The Eagles relied on a big receiving game from a running back (Corey Clement, 4 catches, 100 yards and 1 TD), much like we've seen the Patriots do in the past. I've previously said that Doug Marrone is the best NFL coach you don't know about, but I've changed my mind, I think that honor belongs to Doug Pederson. Speaking of him.

"ONIONS" (INSERT BILL RAFTERY VOICE)

Doug Pederson certainly had the onions, coconuts or whatever you want to call them. Bill Parcells once said that you have to gutsy to win the Super Bowl. Pederson must have heard that. Pederson and the Eagles showed their onions, not once, but twice, actually maybe even three times. The biggest play of the game was undoubtedly the fourth and goal the Eagles faced on the one-yard line towards the end of the first half while leading 15-12. Pederson knew that the Patriots would get the ball to start the second half and that they were likely going to score to start the second half. Taking an 18-12 lead into the locker room probably meant that they were going to be down 19-18 the next time they got the ball. Pederson ignored the typical NFL thinking and gambled by going for it on fourth down. If it had not worked and the Eagles lost, he would have been harshly criticized, but it did. The play call itself was also gutsy. On the previous drive, the Patriots ran a gadget-play that saw Tom Brady drop an easy first down, the Eagles ran the same exact play, except Nick Foles caught the pass to extend the Eagles lead. The choice to go for it on fourth down in the fourth quarter was also gutsy, Pederson knew that punting and pinning the Patriots deep would do them no good, because New England was likely to go down the field and score, which would have hurt them more than if they didn't get the fourth down because the Patriots would have been able to chew up almost all the clock. The fourth down worked and as I mentioned, Doug Pederson outgeniused the genius and Nick Foles out Tom Brady'd Tom Brady, speaking of whom.

WHAT TO DO WITH FOLES?

Who would have thought that two of the hottest commodities this off-season would be Nick Foles and Case Keenum? I didn't, but they will be. I've always felt that Foles got a bad wrap and that he wasn't as bad as many think, but not even I saw this coming. Foles signed a five-year contract with the Eagles last off-season. He could become a free-agent after next season, but he is under contract with the Eagles in 2018 for the price of $7 million. Foles could have a really strong market for his services if the Eagles wish to deal him. The Redskins recently gave a 3rd round pick and a Pro-Bowl caliber defensive back for a 34-year-old Alex Smith, who will then receive $94 million from them, $71 million of which is guaranteed. With the exception of this Super Bowl run, you could make an argument that Foles is on the same level of Alex Smith. The Eagles dealt Sam Bradford last year for a first-round pick because they felt Carson Wentz was ready. If a team offers Foles a first-round, they could make the same move, or maybe they've realized the importance of having a quality backup. If Foles, does get dealt he could get a hefty deal. Brock Osweiler was benched on a Super Bowl champion team and he got $72 million from the Texans, I think we can all agree that Foles is better than Brock Lobster.

 WHAT IS A CATCH?

I'm asking for a friend because I have no freaking clue. Nobody knows what a catch is, you don't, I don't and most importantly the NFL doesn't. That been evident throughout the year. Calvin Johnson caught it, Dez Caught it and Jesse James caught it, but Corey Clement probably did not. Let me prefix by saying that I do believe that had it been called incomplete, the call would have stood. Replay reversals require indisputable video evidence that the call on the field was wrong, the term "indisputable" is a subjective term. I'm not sure that there was indisputable evidence that he did not have possession, but I thought the ball moved a lot. The go-ahead score to Zach Ertz was obviously a touchdown given the fact that he caught it and took three steps before going to the ground, however, that play is not that much different than the Dez Bryant play against the Packers in the NFC Divisional Playoff game. Man, I bet Cowboys fans loved watching the Eagles win a Super Bowl on a play that screwed them over three years prior. The thought of their disgust makes me smile.

PATRIOTS FANS (AND SKIP BAYLESS) SAID STUPID STUFF

A friend of mine sent me this tweet today.

And if Nick Foles wouldn't have played quarterback, and if the Patriots wouldn't have won the coin toss because they never win Super Bowls when they win the coin toss, and if Brady wouldn't have fumbled and if the Patriots were playing the Browns in the Super Bowl. This tweet honestly made me laugh. As I previously mentioned, I do think that the first touchdown could have been the wrong call, but isn't it just funny hearing a fan of a team whose run of dominance was started by an obscure rule that had been called before nor since complain about the officials?. Did this person not watch the AFC Championship game where the Patriots were beneficiaries of two-bogus pass-interference calls or the multiple missed holding calls? Because I did and trust me, they happened, well actually in the case of the pass-interferences, they did not happen. Then there's this idiot.

When I saw this, I asked myself why I follow Skip Bayless. But he is the sports world's equivalent of Jerry Springer, he does absolutely nothing worth anything, but is such a train-wreck that you can't help but pay attention. I will give Skip credit and admit that he was at least half right (that might be the first time he's ever been even somewhat right), but really? No surprised the Pats got hosed? Have you watched the NFL this year?. Take your Cowboys fanboy/Eagles hater goggles off Skip.

WHAT THE HELL WAS HE WATCHING?

I've long defended Cris Collinsworth, but last night was tough to defend him. Either Cris enjoyed way too much of whatever fine beer they have in Minneapolis before the game, or maybe he was re-watching the Super Bowl that he played in 30-years ago and not paying attention to the game going on in front of him, but he was not good at his job last night. Actually he was nearly unbearable. He solidified my belief that Tony Romo is the best color commentator in the NFL right now. Many people don't like Tony Romo, but that's just because they still envision him as the Cowboys quarterback. Romo is a very raw talent in the broadcast booth, but he brings a level of energy and enthusiasm that the business lacks. He does not pull any punches and has told it exactly like it is while providing wonderful insight about what goes on in the NFL. If you don't like Tony Romo, that's a you problem.

And lastly.

WHO CARES ABOUT HALFTIME AND COMMERCIALS? (NOT ME)

I was the only person at the Super Bowl party I attended that did not care for the commercials or Justin Timberlake.I like JT, but the halftime show is always bland to me, you can't understand what they are saying anyways and I'm too locked in on the game to care. JT is a great performer, but this was not Katy Perry riding a freakin' lion or left shark doing his thing, therefore I don't care. 

As for the commercials, they are dumb. Well, some of them are, but the fact that you see most of them before the game makes me uninterested. I don't even understand why a company would want to show it's Super Bowl commercial before it's actual spot. If I've already seen the commercial, I don't care to watch it. I'm a 21-year old with basically no advertising experience and even I don't think that is a good business decision.

Dilly Dilly!