body of work over head to head? Seems to me like you need to reevaluate your priorities for criteria. Head to head should always be number 1 criteria. If that was their only meeting and they had no common opponents then I am confused as to why Engle got the nod over Haug.

This is to Metro Sports more than anything. I am not really griping at you, I know how difficult it is to know what is going on with some of these kids. In regards to Blaine Hill, I think the factor should have been who his only losses were to the last two years. Nobody around here could have beaten the Reed kid from Wichita Heights and that is the kid who beat him both years. Blaine lost to him in the finals last year and in the semi's this year. It is difficult to know that I realize but, maybe in the future, they might inquire about some of those things from some of the coaches over here. I realize you don't factor in the metro classic but when there is a head to head and it is that lopsided, maybe it should be the insight needed to make a real good decision there. Blaine is very easily the best 170 in this area. Hey it is tough to do a deal like this I know and I want to tell you how much we appreciate your efforts. It is never going to look right to everyone and those kids you picked are worthy of anything they get for sure.

If mr haug was in missouri and the state champ at 152 I dont think mr engle would have been chosen based on his body of work. Nor do I think mr h would be considered on the cusp.

Asinine...

This poll and the KC Star All Metro team are ALWAYS Missouri biased. Just a fact. Does it really matter? I am sure it does to the kids. I don't know how either is chosen but it seems that Oak Park, Blue Springs, and Park Hill are ALWAYS given way more respect than any of the Kansas wrestlers. Clearly defined criteria and representation from coaches who see all of the kids from both MO and KS wrestle would be a much better way to select.

Just out of curiosity I would like to see your break down of the body of work by both Haug and Engle...

I watched the Metro Sports show where they announced the All Metro team. They clearly said several times that the criteria was 1.) won a state championship (I took this to mean this year), 2). Head to head.

I saw Blaine Hill at the Metro. Very, very impressive. Built like a wrestler/swimmer---long and lean equals leverage. But, no state championship or previous head to head with Wissinger--don't know if they had a common opponent.

As for Hood. Difficult to understand why he was not selected--a 3 time state champion (??) and undefeated this year(??). Don't know if he wrestled the competition the All Metro Selectee did.
Stating Louisberg was out of area is a stretch. A rough strait line map measurement from the center of downtown KC to both Odessa and Louisberg is about 28-30 miles--same distance KC to Lawrence.

Will always be disputes over all star team selectees--2 or three different disputes on-going right now on this forum, for example: the Senior Classic Is Definately Rigged!!!!

Nuff said

126 - Austin Hood

170 - Blaine Hill

Both of these guys earned an All-Metro spot. Maybe not a Time Warner Cable spot. Their absence cheapened the entire award.

Always appreciate the feedback and commentary.

A big (and genuine) thank you to all of you in State, not just KC area for all your help this past High School season. Hope to keep giving more and more exposure for this great sport in the next year. (Fingers crossed, some this Summer).

Please, never hesitate to get in touch with us at Metro Sports.

Thanks again!

WillyM, Hood was a Fargo National Champ in one style and a runner up in the other. I think that sort of negates any problem he might have had with the competition factor with any of the Missouri guys. He is now committed to Oklahoma State. They simply blew it on him plain and simple.

I agree. Perhaps they could make up for it some by doing a special story on Austin Hood perhaps to focus on his accomplishments in high school (both local and national) and his decision to go wrestle at national college wrestling powerhouse Oklahoma State University.

He is not a subscriber of Time Warner Cable. That is their policy. His brother Bryce was named All-Metro, but I'm not sure that TW Cable had hijacked the award back then. Either way, the award has been extremely marginalized after adding the requirement that only wrestlers in the cable companies area are eligible. They need to drop the All-Metro label and call it the Cable Company Team.

Lawrence isnt Time- Warner cable, but Metro Sports is carried by the local company.

Folks,

I understand the questioning of the criteria used to pick these awards but I find it somewhat ironic that when other lists/polls get questioned and criticized then some get defensive.

Why do we want to criticize this effort or the fact that it is sponsored by a cable company with certain criteria? We already have enough issues trying to grow our sport that we love and get media attention for it. Now we have a media outlet sponsoring an award and we want to criticize the name and their criteria? I do not understand the logic and suggest we might be cutting off our nose to spite our face.

Nothing personal, don't have a dog in the fight. Just an observation.

Shawn Budke

That's a fair point. I think the fact that the list is named, Metro Sports All-Metro team and that they broadcasted the Metro Classic, led most to believe that two participants in that dual who had clear criteria, should have been recognized. After further disclosure, it was revealed that it was limited to their viewing audience only and that they didn't consider the Metro Classic results in their criteria. That's the only rub.

I do agree that it's a huge positive for Metro Sports to air the dual and publish any list that promotes our sport.

As with any ranking, list or poll, legitimacy is heightened if the publisher provides a basis for their choices. No sense in being defensive. Just state the reason for your decisions.

Chief
I agree and understand the rub. I feel sorry sometimes for folks like you and these guys that do great stuff to promote our sport and then get challenged.

Shawn,

I am going to disagree with you on this. No one who has been critical of this list was trying to knock an organization that broadcasts wrestling events. I am not sure why you would suggest that. Everyone on this forum appreciates wrestling TV coverage and we all appreciate Metro Sports providing that coverage.

However if Metro Sports is going to start a topic on a Kansas high school wrestling forum that lists their All Metro team they need to expect that there will be some potential criticism and questioning of the selections. If you want to avoid questioning of it simply do not put it on a forum and just announce it on the TV station's news announcement of the team. In this case they should have expected that there would be some questioning of the selections on a Kansas high school wrestling forum especially when only four of the fourteen selections come from the Kansas side of the State Line. Also when an obvious choice like Austin Hood is left off this will raise questions and objections from a Kansas crowd.

And I still say if you are going to call a team an All Metro team then you should include the entire Metro in your criteria. I have never really heard before of a criteria of a media's viewing audience for the selection of an Area All Star Team. And I say that and still very much appreciate Metro Sports covering high school wrestling and definitely want them to continue to do so.

Vince,

I understand your point and actually agree with you...especially about the names that were left off. I also understand the asking about the criteria being used. I didn't mean to come across as if people were being hyper critical....I don't think anyonw was doing that (at least not as bad as other subjects on this board).

Shawn

Shawn, thank you for the reply.