It appears that the Michigan MEGA league will be dissolved and four new leagues formed.  I’m not sure why the league is dissolving.  It would appear to me that a re-organization might make sense, but why start from scratch.  Having said that, I’m not a big fan of the monster leagues.  It stifles creative scheduling and forces the better programs to schedule weak crossover games instead of going outside the conference to schedule tougher non-league competition.   Just check out the schedules of the better MAC and OAA teams.  One exception is the Ottawa Kent Conference.  They do have some good non-conference games in the first couple weeks of the season.

 Back to the MEGA.  I’m not sure of the other sports, but at least in football, the MEGA has fallen off in recent years.  There have been some isolated successes and, because of the MHSAA playoff format, a number of teams have made the playoffs.  But, there haven’t been any state championships.   Teams that like to think they have elite programs (Allen Park comes to mind) really don’t.  AP has made some effort to expand its scheduling by approaching the CHSL.  But, they scheduled one of the weak sisters of the Central Div.  Fordson did the same–but didn’t schedule one of the powers either.  Inkster impressed me by scheduling Warren (OH) Harding.  Fortunately, they caught Harding in a down year. 

 The proposed new leagues aren’t bad, but I do see a few problems.  I also wonder why the black districts have to be grouped together when it doesn’t make the most geographic sense.  Does that demographic cluster really make sense?  One loser in the new phone ringtones | download free real ringtones for tmobile | free u.s cellular ringtones | cell free phone ringtones verizon | virgin mobile usa ringtones | nextel ringtones | download free verizon ringtones | cell download free phone ringtones | music nextel real ringtones | cell free phone ringtones verizon | 3 free ringtones sidekick | complimentary right ringtones | free ringtones for nextel phone | free samsung ringtones | free new ringtones | make your own mp3 ringtones | free logo nokia ringtones | digi caller ringtones | alltel free phone ringtones | gold mp3 ringtones | league lineup is Allen Park.  They lose traditional rivals like Dearborn and Fordson while moving into a downriver grouping that makes it seem like they have been dragged into the abyss of mediocrity.  The big winner, if the proposed pairings are true, is Monroe.  Moving to the Southeast Conference will be good for Monroe and for the SE Conference.

 If the MEGA will be split into four independent leagues of roughly equal size, there are always going to be some strange geographic pairings.  But, I think there’s a better plan than what has been proposed.  Here’s my suggestion:

 League #1:

Dearborn, Fordson, Allen Park, Melvindale, Lincoln Park, Kennedy, Truman

 League #2:

Belleville, Ypsilanti, Romulus, Inkster, Robichaud, Ecorse, Edsel Ford

League #3:

Carlson, Woodhaven, Trenton, River Rouge, Southgate, Willow Run

League #4:

Thurston, Redford Union, Garden City, Crestwood, Annapolis, Clarenceville, Highland Park

I don’t know why these four leagues couldn’t be the new Red, White, Blue and Gold of a re-organized MEGA.  But, if political considerations are too great to continue the league, I think the four leagues outlined above would be good

One other possibility would be to start with the best possible football division, then move on from there.  A league like that would include:  Dearborn, Fordson, Allen Park, Melvidale, Inkster and Trenton.

Just noticed a new web site for high school football. It’s called Athlete Vault. Check it out at www.athletevault.com

Three Michigan players are on their Top 100 recruits for 2009: William Campbell, 20, Cass Tech (Michigan); Dion Sims, 58, OLSM; Larry Caper, 61, Battle Creek Central (MSU).

The $7.4 million bill for legal fees that was presented to the MHSAA is enough to bring me out of my off-season hibernation.

 I’m generally not a big fan of the MHSAA, but in this case I have fully supported them.  The case never should have seen the light of day and certainly should have had a different outcome, in my opinion.  This group of volleyball moms from Grand Rapids took a narrow, misguided issue and with the stubbornness and ego of a Washington politician and with the help of a bunch of liberal “public-interest” lawyers managed to find a “friendly” judge who probably had his own issues and brought down the MHSAA to the detriment of hundreds of thousands of high school athletes.  For what.  Equity in sports scheduling.  BS.  Any rational judge would have thrown the case out years ago.  Just because the girl’s volleyball and basketball seasons were different in Michigan than in all the other states didn’t make it wrong or inequitable.  There were compelling arguments made that showed it was actually beneficial to the Michigan girl athletes.  Maybe Michigan had it right.  But, since the Grand Rapids girls probably didn’t get their volleyball scholarships someone had to pay.  I don’t recall reading anything about these girls and their volleyball ability.  Were they just run-of-the-mill players who would never have a shot at a scholly regardless of whether they played in the fall or winter.  Or, were they elite athletes who were prevented from being discovered by all the college scouts with bushels full of money.  Why do I think it was the former.

How would you like to married to one of these volleyball moms?  I can’t think of a more unpleasant scenario.  Except maybe to be married to one of the “public-interest” lawyers.  So much for the pro bono work for the cause.  Pro bono in their case is like Geoffrey Feiger’s definition of pro bono.  If they were truly interested in the public interest and wanted to do pro bono work out of a dedication to the cause, why did they even bill for legal fees.

I hope the MHSAA figures out a way to avoid paying a penny of that $7.4 million.  I hope some lawyers with a true “public interest” in mind comes to the aid of the MHSAA to figure out a way.  I don’t know if bankruptcy will do it.   On the surface it sure doesn’t look good for the future of the MHSAA.  As much as I disagreed with them on some of their arcane rules, I can’t see how high school sports could be played without their oversight.  Are there any other states without a high school sports association?  I think there is a national organization.  Could following the rules of the national body suffice?  I don’t know.

These volleyball moms have not had much public visibility.  I’d like to see them interviewed.  I’d like them to answer the question “whether it was all worth it.”  Their little darlings are probably middle-aged by now.  I wonder if they’re all playing professional volleyball and making millions.  I guess not.  Had volleyball been played in the fall where it’s supposed to be, everything would have changed for the darlings and their lives would have been different today.  Give me a break.  The audacity and arrogance of these GR volleyball moms sickens me.  I think we all know that our judicial system is not perfect.  This case certainly helps prove it.

I’m not sure what I would do if I were Jack Roberts.  It’s a legal web.   A mess.  I guess I would disband, liquidate and pay off the lawyers.  Then, hope a new organization would step in and take over.  The first thing the new organization should do is move girls basketball to the fall and volleyball to the winter and hire some new lawyers.