slpybear the bullfan
08-02-2004, 10:18 PM
Well folks, last year I had the idea to start posting a poll each week to get some information from this community to gain a better undertanding of football in the Lone Star State. Call it a Texas High School Census if you will. As the weeks went by I really enjoyed seeing how the numbers fell on different questions. Towards the end of the season, I even began posting a weekly game for the 3ADL to pick each week.
I enjoyed it tremendously last year and plan on doing it again this year. Some of the questions will be the same, while others will change from last year. I also will be picking games each week beginning with the first official game.
One important note: I NEED YOUR HELP! Please PM myself and let me know if you have any suggestions for the game of the week or the weekly poll question. I have several questions already planned. However, if the 3ADL has a really hot topic that week I may change the poll to correspond. Same way with the game of the week... if a really charged up game is being talked up, it likely may be that week's pick 'em.
Bottom line? Feel free to PM me with suggestions and enjoy yourselves this year. The Weekly poll should begin next Monday and run each week until the season ends. Polls usually close on Fridays about 6:30 pm.
And without any further adieu... Last year's results... Any comments on any of the questions or results are welcome.
Slpybear
============================
Question 1
How many scrimmages do you plan to attend?
20 responses
None of the scrimmages - 5 people
One of the scrimmages - 8 people
All of my teams scrimmages - 3 people
All of my teams plus others - 4 people
Question 2
What type of offense does your team predominantly use?
15 responses
3 voted for Power Running.
4 voted for Passing, (spread).
2 voted for Option.
6 said they mixed all of the above up.
Question 3
Do you prefer home or away for the season opener...
18 responses
5 said home
4 said away
9 said who cares, just play it
Question 4
How do you stop trash talking on the field?
35 responses
15 folks (43%) Said that the best way to stop trash talking on the field is to AGGRESSIVELY penalize the team with Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties. (15 yds for first offense and each thereafter).
8 folks said to go after the individual players with progressive discipline.
2 folks said to combine both of these approaches.
10 folks (nearly 30%) said to forget it. You cannot stop trash talking.
Question 5
Do you have to play football to really understand it?
25 responses
13 folks (52%) said that Yes, you have to play it to really understand it.
9 folks said, No, I can watch it and do just fine.
3 said, Heck, you won't ever understand it! (The Wife answer, LOL)
Question 6
What kind of predistrict schedule do you like?
30 responses
18 said they wanted it hard and challenging.
1 said they wanted it easy and a confidence builder.
11 said they wanted both... start off easy and work up to hard.
Question 7
Estimate the following
1.) How many players do you have on the Varsity team?
2.) How many players do you have on the JV and Freshmen combined?
3.) What is the enrollment in your High School?
Interesting Results... most teams have the same number of students regardless of enrollment size.
31 responses
How many players on your varsity squad?
0 votes less than 22
10 votes 22 to 30 players
15 votes 31 to 40 players
3 votes 41 to 50 players
3 votes more than 50 players
How many players on your schools JV and Freshmen teams combined?
0 votes less than 22
7 votes 22 to 30 players
3 votes 31 to 40 players
7 votes 41 to 50 players
3 votes 51 to 60 players
4 votes 61 to 70 players
7 votes more than 70 players
How many student s are enrolled in your High School?
6 votes less than 400 students
4 votes 401 to 500 students
4 votes 501 to 600 students
5 votes 601 to 700 students
2 votes 701 to 800 students
3 votes 801 to 900 students
7 votes greater than 900 students
Question 8
What would you do with the scheme to separate Div I and II in class 3A?
53 responses
18 folks said keep the current method of choosing DI and DII by enrollment of the top three finishers.
8 said to formally divide Class 3A into two permanent divisions by enrollment.
27 fans (51%) said scrap DI and DII and three-team playoffs and go to either a one or two team playoff system.
Question 9
Should you allow players to play both offense and defense, or just one way only?
60 responded
45 people said play 'em both ways.
15 said separate them.
Question 10
Does your coach call the plays for offense, defense, both, or neither?
30 responses
11 said their HC calls the offense...
5 said their HC calls the defense...
4 said their HC calls both...
10 said their HC uses the Coordinators to call plays...
Question 11
Is the current 16 week season too long for HS Atheletes?
55 people voted.
5 said it was too long.
5 said it wasn't long enough.
and 45 said it was just right.
Question 12
Do you like the current format of playoff brackets for each region, or would you prefer something different?
29 responses
4 said they would like to see consecutive districts play until one team remains.
16 said they would like to see the bi-district games move around on a rotating basis, i.e. the district pairings rotate each year.
9 said make no changes.
Question 13
Can fans really make any significant impact on the outcome of a 3A Texas High School Football game?
51 responses
43 said they can help their team.
8 said the team has to play the game.
Question 14
How do you think playoff sites should be selected?
55 responses
15 said the UIL should make the selection, by picking a neutral site as close to midway between the two teams as possible.
27 said the two teams should try and work it out... if they can't, flip the coin and winner take all.
14 said the two teams should try and work it out... if the can't the UIL decides.
Picking games
There were 5 games at the end of the season that DownLow members were asked to pick as part of the weekly poll.
Gainesville vs. Celina
37 picked winners & 23 picked losers = 61.6% average
Diboll vs. Kirbyville
Tie game, so all 30 voters picked winners = 100% average
Burnet vs. Liberty Hill
45 picked Winners & 10 picked losers = 90% average
Marlin vs. Newton
30 picked winners & 21 picked losers = 58.8% average
Gainesville vs. Forney
23 picked winners & 32 picked losers = 41.8% average
Cumulative results
Total selections Correct 165
Total selections Wrong 86
Overall Average = 65.7%
I enjoyed it tremendously last year and plan on doing it again this year. Some of the questions will be the same, while others will change from last year. I also will be picking games each week beginning with the first official game.
One important note: I NEED YOUR HELP! Please PM myself and let me know if you have any suggestions for the game of the week or the weekly poll question. I have several questions already planned. However, if the 3ADL has a really hot topic that week I may change the poll to correspond. Same way with the game of the week... if a really charged up game is being talked up, it likely may be that week's pick 'em.
Bottom line? Feel free to PM me with suggestions and enjoy yourselves this year. The Weekly poll should begin next Monday and run each week until the season ends. Polls usually close on Fridays about 6:30 pm.
And without any further adieu... Last year's results... Any comments on any of the questions or results are welcome.
Slpybear
============================
Question 1
How many scrimmages do you plan to attend?
20 responses
None of the scrimmages - 5 people
One of the scrimmages - 8 people
All of my teams scrimmages - 3 people
All of my teams plus others - 4 people
Question 2
What type of offense does your team predominantly use?
15 responses
3 voted for Power Running.
4 voted for Passing, (spread).
2 voted for Option.
6 said they mixed all of the above up.
Question 3
Do you prefer home or away for the season opener...
18 responses
5 said home
4 said away
9 said who cares, just play it
Question 4
How do you stop trash talking on the field?
35 responses
15 folks (43%) Said that the best way to stop trash talking on the field is to AGGRESSIVELY penalize the team with Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties. (15 yds for first offense and each thereafter).
8 folks said to go after the individual players with progressive discipline.
2 folks said to combine both of these approaches.
10 folks (nearly 30%) said to forget it. You cannot stop trash talking.
Question 5
Do you have to play football to really understand it?
25 responses
13 folks (52%) said that Yes, you have to play it to really understand it.
9 folks said, No, I can watch it and do just fine.
3 said, Heck, you won't ever understand it! (The Wife answer, LOL)
Question 6
What kind of predistrict schedule do you like?
30 responses
18 said they wanted it hard and challenging.
1 said they wanted it easy and a confidence builder.
11 said they wanted both... start off easy and work up to hard.
Question 7
Estimate the following
1.) How many players do you have on the Varsity team?
2.) How many players do you have on the JV and Freshmen combined?
3.) What is the enrollment in your High School?
Interesting Results... most teams have the same number of students regardless of enrollment size.
31 responses
How many players on your varsity squad?
0 votes less than 22
10 votes 22 to 30 players
15 votes 31 to 40 players
3 votes 41 to 50 players
3 votes more than 50 players
How many players on your schools JV and Freshmen teams combined?
0 votes less than 22
7 votes 22 to 30 players
3 votes 31 to 40 players
7 votes 41 to 50 players
3 votes 51 to 60 players
4 votes 61 to 70 players
7 votes more than 70 players
How many student s are enrolled in your High School?
6 votes less than 400 students
4 votes 401 to 500 students
4 votes 501 to 600 students
5 votes 601 to 700 students
2 votes 701 to 800 students
3 votes 801 to 900 students
7 votes greater than 900 students
Question 8
What would you do with the scheme to separate Div I and II in class 3A?
53 responses
18 folks said keep the current method of choosing DI and DII by enrollment of the top three finishers.
8 said to formally divide Class 3A into two permanent divisions by enrollment.
27 fans (51%) said scrap DI and DII and three-team playoffs and go to either a one or two team playoff system.
Question 9
Should you allow players to play both offense and defense, or just one way only?
60 responded
45 people said play 'em both ways.
15 said separate them.
Question 10
Does your coach call the plays for offense, defense, both, or neither?
30 responses
11 said their HC calls the offense...
5 said their HC calls the defense...
4 said their HC calls both...
10 said their HC uses the Coordinators to call plays...
Question 11
Is the current 16 week season too long for HS Atheletes?
55 people voted.
5 said it was too long.
5 said it wasn't long enough.
and 45 said it was just right.
Question 12
Do you like the current format of playoff brackets for each region, or would you prefer something different?
29 responses
4 said they would like to see consecutive districts play until one team remains.
16 said they would like to see the bi-district games move around on a rotating basis, i.e. the district pairings rotate each year.
9 said make no changes.
Question 13
Can fans really make any significant impact on the outcome of a 3A Texas High School Football game?
51 responses
43 said they can help their team.
8 said the team has to play the game.
Question 14
How do you think playoff sites should be selected?
55 responses
15 said the UIL should make the selection, by picking a neutral site as close to midway between the two teams as possible.
27 said the two teams should try and work it out... if they can't, flip the coin and winner take all.
14 said the two teams should try and work it out... if the can't the UIL decides.
Picking games
There were 5 games at the end of the season that DownLow members were asked to pick as part of the weekly poll.
Gainesville vs. Celina
37 picked winners & 23 picked losers = 61.6% average
Diboll vs. Kirbyville
Tie game, so all 30 voters picked winners = 100% average
Burnet vs. Liberty Hill
45 picked Winners & 10 picked losers = 90% average
Marlin vs. Newton
30 picked winners & 21 picked losers = 58.8% average
Gainesville vs. Forney
23 picked winners & 32 picked losers = 41.8% average
Cumulative results
Total selections Correct 165
Total selections Wrong 86
Overall Average = 65.7%