They're At It Again!!!

[crispysdad]

This time over at the PrepNewMexico message board. Already 4 pages of posts advocating moving all football state championship games to University Stadium in Albuquerque, just like they already do with the basketball playoffs.

mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=402&f=1303&t=8398641

I view this as an example of Albuquerque trying to steal something very special from the small football communities across the state. It has always been my opinion that if the people of Albuquerque want to see a state title game so bad, them maybe they should coach their teams up so that an Albuquerque school is in the title game instead to trying to take from others who have worked so hard to obtain that goal. I have already been over there and expressed my opinion 3 times. My first post was a little "questionable" I guess. I tend to get a little emotional whenever this topic comes up. This is a very hot-button issue for me.

There have already been several members of THIS board who have gone over there and expressed their opinions..........myself, Jades, and 27statechampionships. Also, one other member of this board has posted in the thread. He goes by a different name over there but you will know who he is if you read his sig line. He seems to be riding the fence on this issue a little bit, which really surprises me knowing his history with Bulldog football. I still have tons of respect for him though.

Yes, us Artesia guys have been over there fighting this thing, but we are outnumbered. Most of the people pushing this idea seem to be from Albuquerque, or from places that have nothing at stake or nothing to lose. Funny how that always seems to be the case isn't it. Although the guy who started the thread is from Roswell, and that surprises me a little as well.

So get over there and let your thoughts be known! If you are not registered at PrepNewMexico, then get registered! I feel like Jades, 27statechampionships, and myself are fighting a pack of wolves over there. They have us outnumbered and our backs are up against the wall. We can use all the help we can get. This thread won't be the determining factor in whether this happens or not, but every opinion matters in the long run. It may not help to keep this thing from happening, but it sure won't hurt! Just like every single grain of sand on a beach matters, your opinion matters as well. There are many out of town posters on this board and you don't have to be a Bulldog fan to let your opinion be known. It is not just Artesia that has something to loose if this happens, it is every small football community in the state.....Lovington, Santa Rosa, Aztec, and MANY others.

[1 Bulldog Fan]

There are a couple of Artesia posters on NMPreps who think a neutral site is a good idea. This list included coaches and former coaches of Artesia who post there. They all say that they went to the Texas State Championships at Cowboy stadium and loved it. I don't like neutral site championships and never will.

[ahs82]

I would agree that playing in Cowboys stadium is a great venue for a state championship game. The thought of playing a game where you will never have a chance to play in again and that you see on TV and your heroes play in, well, that is just a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, playing in University stadium invokes none of those emotions nor will it create any added incentive to play there. Bulldog Bowl is by far the nicest venue,in my opinion, in the state and playing anywhere else is just a let down. I have lived in Texas for 30 years now and the process of having to find neutral venues for games in crazy!!!! Home and home is the only way to go!

[Agent Orange]

Dec 9, 2011 12:30:46 GMT -7 ahs82 said:

I would agree that playing in Cowboys stadium is a great venue for a state championship game. The thought of playing a game where you will never have a chance to play in again and that you see on TV and your heroes play in, well, that is just a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, playing in University stadium invokes none of those emotions nor will it create any added incentive to play there. Bulldog Bowl is by far the nicest venue,in my opinion, in the state and playing anywhere else is just a let down. I have lived in Texas for 30 years now and the process of having to find neutral venues for games in crazy!!!! Home and home is the only way to go!

I agree, I don't see this happening anytime soon, but with Mr. Phipps NMAA Board Director retiring maybe they think about this in the future, not sure how much pull that position has but you know he would fight anything that takes the game to a neutral site and takes state championship games away from being in Artesia.

They got basketball, baseball, track, volleyball in albq, leave football alone.

[ahs82]

the spectacle in Texas of having all of the games played in the same stadium over two days is a good one. If new mexico could ever figure out a way to do that, then they might would have something, but to have it in a two bit UNM stadium with no history, and no mystique, it just doesn't add up.

[FB Fan]

Moving the state games to alb would give all teams in the area the home field advantage. I would love to have my team sleep in their own beds & eat home cooked meals the night before the biggest game of their life!

[bdogfan]

Home field advantage I think gives the home team momentum and more likely to win. This year if Aztec would have played at Goddard, I would have chose Goddard over Aztec. Aztec is a good team and with home field they wee a little better. Yes, leave it alone please....

[jayster1]

Dec 9, 2011 14:09:58 GMT -7 ahs82 said:

the spectacle in Texas of having all of the games played in the same stadium over two days is a good one. If new mexico could ever figure out a way to do that, then they might would have something, but to have it in a two bit UNM stadium with no history, and no mystique, it just doesn't add up.

First of all, University Stadium is a really nice stadium. It's no JerryWorld but it is not two bit!

Second, we will play anyone, anywhere, anytime. It doesn't matter. The thought of my son winning a state cship at Bulldog Bowl is something I've thought about a long time and I would love for him to have that opportunity. But winning a state title anywhere is also pretty awesome.

[bulldogbooster45]

Im gonna get blasted for this, but i think it is a great idea......I agree with jayster....if your gonna win it, be prepared to win it anywhere, anytime, any conditions. What would it really matter, the 4A state champion would have to travel about 4 hours in the last 4-5 years anyways.....if this were the case. Farmington is just as far from ABQ as we are. Yes, local schools have some advantage, but that will always be present. Just like in texas with the dallas metroplex schools. Dont get me wrong, i think our team has a 7pt advantage over any team at the beginning of the game in bulldog bowl ( some years a 14 pt advantage when people get off thier butts and support the team but that is for another post). Its no different than any other sport situation in NMHS sports. Besides, a bigger statium/bigger venue could help give some of our athletes the exposure they need to continue playing if they wanted.

There are pros and cons to this, but the pros are more prominent to the cons.....Just my 2 cents.

By the way, i did play on the State Title Teams in 97 and 98 and was runner up in 99. We didnt care where we played, we new we had to bring our game no matter what.

[Agent Orange]

Dec 14, 2011 11:02:20 GMT -7 bulldogbooster45 said:

Besides, a bigger statium/bigger venue could help give some of our athletes the exposure they need to continue playing if they wanted.

There are pros and cons to this, but the pros are more prominent to the cons.....Just my 2 cents.

I agree with that part of it, would be more exposure but only for those that make it too state, there is so few prospects in this state anyways.

[BGP]

Well as my brother said, Albuquerque would be a neutral site for state championship games most of the time! LOL