Playoff Systems Really Work

March Madness is creeping closer, and it only serves as a reminder about the wonderful nature of tournament brackets. One need only watch the BCS system to realize that all the polls and formulas in the world won't silence the critics.  Anything that leaves an ounce of doubt simply doesn't work. That's why the NCAA Tournament captures the nation each March. 65 teams are whittled down to one champion. No debate, no formula and no questions. But the bracket system works on any level, in just about any sport. Prep basketball has its district, regional and state tournaments to decide who wears the crown.  Baseball does as well. In football, it's an absolute must. The gridiron is a battlefield, and nothing should ever be decided by a formula or a poll at the very end. The only debate we had in Arkansas this past season was whether or not to expand the 7A playoffs. The state's largest classification is made up of the 16 largest schools in terms of enrollment. Half of them made the postseason, which meant just 3 wins were needed to claim the title. The problem was the 7A playoffs were ending a week earlier than the other classifications, and it was around Thanksgiving, hampering attendance numbers on a busy weekend for fans. So the AAA voted to expand the playoffs to 12 teams, thus raising an interesting question: Is it watering down the 7A to let that many teams make the postseason? I've talked to a bunch of 7A West coaches about the topic, and the general consensus is that the expansion is a good thing.  Now keep in mind, had we gone to 12 teams last year, Rogers would have made the cut (Fayetteville edged them out despite both having 4-3 conference records). In what was a brutally tough division, who is to say it would have been watered down to allow the Mounties to get in?  Consider the last two seasons, the state champions were both No. 4 seeds that made dramatic, surprising runs through the bracket (Fayetteville, Southside). The essence of bracket play means no matter how many teams wiggle their way in, they have to earn the title. Let us not forget the real winners of an expanded playoff are the kids — the student athletes working hard in the classroom and on the playing field. Hard work and dedication should be rewarded as often as possible, even if they are one and done in the postseason. At least they made it, had some fun and are reminded why they bust their tails year round.  Remind you of anything?   None of us think the 15 seed in the NCAA Tournament will win it all. But they had a good season and were rewarded with a trip to the Big Dance. Sometimes that's enough in life. So enjoy the brackets everyone, no matter how far you advance.-