Indoor Semis and Finals?

[Truce]

In my opinion, The semi Finals should be played indoors like they did it back with the 3 class system, When i played in 96, semis and Finals were played in the dome. This is north Dakota. It is November. Of coarse there is gonna be inclimate weather.

I think the weather had more to do with the outcome of the semifinals games than anything.

Im sure cost is a factor, but shouldent the outcome be determined more by skill than weather?

Dont even try to tell me that the weather had no impact on the games played last saturday.

[point/center]

but didnt both teams have to play on the same field, in the same conditions?

[east5840]

football is suppost to be played outside, deal with the weather. Also it would take away the home field advantage you worked for in the season.

[point/center]

football is suppost to be played outside, deal with the weather. Also it would take away the home field advantage you worked for in the season.

thank you. anyone that thinks football is better indoors needs to reevaluate their morals

[5-time state chump]

I think the weather had more to do with the outcome of the semifinals games than anything.

Oh you're totally right, because only one of the teams playing in each semifinal game had to play in the poor weather conditions.

Take Hazen, Devils Lake, Velva and Napoleon for example. They had to play in cold, wind, rain/snow/wet conditions, while their opponents got to play in dry sunny weather. That's why those teams lost.

[ndsportsnut]

I agree that football is an outdoor sport.... (for the most part). But you have to think of these kids. The Harvery - Velva game started at 6:30 at night and was only like five above. All this does is make it easier for kids to get hurt and takes away the quality of the game. Sure both teams have to play in the same conditions, but I think it is rediculous to have young boys play when it's -20 wind chill ect... Arrangements need to be made to have the semi's and finals played indoors in the event of inclement weather.

Just my thoughts.

[Irish]

I think the weather had more to do with the outcome of the semifinals games than anything.

Oh you're totally right, because only one of the teams playing in each semifinal game had to play in the poor weather conditions.

Take Hazen, Devils Lake, Velva and Napoleon for example. They had to play in cold, wind, rain/snow/wet conditions, while their opponents got to play in dry sunny weather. That's why those teams lost.

Sounds like excuses to me. Harvey played in cold weather, so did hillsboro, and other teams. All the games played where it was cold out. Football should be played outside, always has. I think some are just bitter because their team lost. It is part of the game. One team wins, one loses. Get use to it..

[bus]

we live in North Dakota, its November, and weather changes quickly.....MAN UP and go play!!!!!!

[A-Fanatic]

Unfortunately the weather in ND is an issue when we get into the playoffs. Yeah it would be nice for the fans to watch a game in the comfort of an indoor stadium but football is an outdoor game. Yeah my Aggies got pounded in the semi's and yeah I think part of it had to with the conditions but the fact is Harvey had to play in the same conditions. The teams that won on Saturday were just more determined and came better prepared.

[Football_Wrestling]

football is suppost to be played outside, deal with the weather.

I agree

[larrybird33]

Let's use Harvey/Velva as an example.

Would you rather play that game outdoors in inclement weather in nearby Minot,

or

Would you prefer to have both teams and all their fans driving hundreds of miles on bad roads to get to an indoor facility in Grand Forks or Fargo?

Man up, bundle up, and play the game outdoors where it belongs.

[point/center]

and the other X factor is loss of revenue from concessions for the home team plus someone has to pay the rent for the Alerus/Fargodome too.

[mike thingstad]

playoff game with Harvey at Minot (rent for field) no concessions (would have been Minot State money any how) wasn't a great gate, but not bad.For this game the place should have been packed. A lot of people just listen on the radio. If the football should be played outside shouldn't we play the finals outside too? We had to travel other years on bad roads to get to Fargo to play in the finals. I'm getting a little older now I like to be warm, win or lose. Would it have been nice for the semifinalists that lost that have never played in the dome to get that chance. May never happen for some teams. Tell me the place wouldn't have been packed.

[Wombat]

football is suppost to be played outside, deal with the weather. Also it would take away the home field advantage you worked for in the season.

More often then not the teams in the Semi's are #1 seeds from opposite regions anyway, so the "Home Field Advantage" would be determined by whether it is an even year or odd year... neutral fields would be more fair than making a #1 Seed play at another #1 seed's field. This may not have been the case this year, but I think most years it is.

Let's use Harvey/Velva as an example.

Would you rather play that game outdoors in inclement weather in nearby Minot,

or

Would you prefer to have both teams and all their fans driving hundreds of miles on bad roads to get to an indoor facility in Grand Forks or Fargo?

Man up, bundle up, and play the game outdoors where it belongs.

Entire towns in Minnesota shut down to travel to Minneapolis for the Semi-finals at the Metrodome, I don't think their road conditions are much worse then ours in November... People would make it and the place would be full. It would also be nice for everyone who wished to have the opportunity to see all of the semi-finals games that they wanted to instead of going to 1 game and having to rely on updates over the PA system or reading about the other games in the paper the next day. It would also make it easier for other coaches to scout their potential matchups for the state finals.

Besides, look at the travel going on for Semi-Finals anyway in all of the classes-
According to Yahoo Maps:
Napoleon @ Hillsboro= 209 miles
Devil's Lake @ Watford City= 244 miles
MPCG Lost by only 6 to Lisbon, say they had won that game instead- Linton @ MPCG= 237 Miles
Hazen @ Valley City- 204 Miles
Bismarck Century @ Fargo South- 197 Miles

There is hundreds of miles of driving during the Semi-Final round anyway, so why not drive to a neutral site in a controlled conditions dome and play the game. Sure this is going to cause a little more travel for the scheduled home team, but if I'm not mistaken the schools involved in the playoffs get traveling expenses at least partially paid for by the state (through jacking up prices for playoff games at the gates and no passes being allowed, not that it's a bad thing when the money is going to these teams)

[larrybird33]

The main problem with hosting the ND semifinals indoors is that it puts higher-seeded western teams at a disadvantage.

Let's look at Devils Lake at Watford City. If that game were to be played in Fargo, Devils Lake would travel 166 miles (one way) to the game. They'd save about 80 miles. The bad part is that Watford City would have to travel 377 miles (one way) instead of hosting a home playoff game, which they played a whole season to earn.

From what I hear, Watford City packed their home field for the semifinal playoff game. I bet only half of those folks would make the trip to Fargo (or Grand Forks) for a game at a neutral site.

[A-Fanatic]

The main problem with hosting the ND semifinals indoors is that it puts higher-seeded western teams at a disadvantage.

Let's look at Devils Lake at Watford City. If that game were to be played in Fargo, Devils Lake would travel 166 miles (one way) to the game. They'd save about 80 miles. The bad part is that Watford City would have to travel 377 miles (one way) instead of hosting a home playoff game, which they played a whole season to earn.

From what I hear, Watford City packed their home field for the semifinal playoff game. I bet only half of those folks would make the trip to Fargo (or Grand Forks) for a game at a neutral site.

I disagree with this. Yeah western teams have to travel a little further but it hasn't hurt the west in the finals, just ask Velva, Stanley or Harvey. Yeah football is an outdoor game but I haven't heard any complaints from fans about going to Grand Forks or Fargo to watch football or go shopping. It would be nice if Bismarck or Minot had a domed stadium. Then win or lose there would be no excuses for either team and the best team would win!