The Mitchell ReportI’ve heard that the NFL is a copycat league several times. One team sees something that works and every other team begins to do the same thing.
But that’s not true for just the NFL, but rather the entire sporting world. Heck, even sports writers tend to copy one another. When something works, or when something appears to work (remember the resurgence of the wildcat that didn’t work), everybody else wants to do the same thing to obtain that success and, most importantly, the money.
That’s what the NCAA did when it added the “play-in” game to the men’s national basketball tournament. Then they added three more “play-in” games.
Apparently, the MHSAA thought that was a good idea. So good in fact, they took the first round of the baseball and softball playoffs and made those play-in rounds.
Play-in to what?
Are these teams playing this weekend in the playoffs or not? If so, then I’m not sure what they’re playing in too. If not, then the MHSAA pulled off a quick one by eliminating a round of the playoffs.
Is it for intrigue? No, because the first round (good luck getting me to call it a play-in round) is still a three-game series. Maybe it’d be more intriguing if it was just a single game played, but that’s a stupid idea that would require a column by itself. Well, if it’s not to add excitement then it must be about the money. Wrong again. Nobody will make extra money because it’s not like there has been an extra round added to the playoffs. You’ll still get the same amount of people coming to games as there were a year ago (unless the weather keeps staying wet).
So, why call the real first round of the playoffs the “play-in round”?
To me, a simple sports writer in Yazoo City, the answer to that question is that somebody saw the term “play-in”, thought it would add some extra drama/intrigue to the playoffs and next thing you know we have the play-in round.
It’s stupid.
| 
| 
Sports