Eric Rueb talks Super Bowl schedule and picks his winners for this week's semifinal games
Does the Super Bowl schedule make sense to anyone?
I get there’s logistics involved in the RIIL’s decision to play three Super Bowls on Saturday, leaving Sunday for the state championship game, but is there s a better way to do things? Yes.
A rotating schedule.
I’ve long said the RIIL should give championship games a chance to stand on their own and turn them into events. Having three sports play for titles on a Saturday when there’s a Sunday with nothing going on has never, and will never, make sense.
Playing three Super Bowls in one day doesn’t either.
Moving high school football games to Thursday was done mainly out of necessity, but it allowed programs that would have never received coverage to get just that. The Journal staff attended games at 39 of the state’s 43 football-playing school (a new record) this season and helped, along with coverage from WPRI 12 and ABC 6, to highlight programs that would normally get lost in the shuffle of a busy Friday night.
The Super Bowls should be events, not games you have to hustle kids on and off a field. It’s patently unfair that every year Hendricken – and last year La Salle – get to enjoy a full family celebration on the field at Cranston Stadium while teams from Division II, III and IV aren’t given the same opportunity.
Fixing this isn’t hard. Play one Super Bowl on Friday. Play two on Saturday, with one kicking off at noon and the other at 4 p.m. It makes for a long day, but these championships aren’t about the people working them – they're about the players. And keep the Sunday noon kickoff to close the weekend.
Year 1, we start with the schedule as such – Division IV Friday, Division III and II on Saturday, Division I on Sunday. The following year Division I plays Friday, Division IV and III go to Saturday and Division II gets Sunday. You cycle through in perpetuity.
Yes, there’s going to be plenty of griping from the parents from you know which schools about not getting to play on their precious Sunday. Too bad. If you can play at 6 p.m. on a Friday for the semifinals, you can play a Super Bowl at 6 p.m. on a Friday.
I’m sure the RIIL won’t be ecstatic to have to rent Cranston Stadium for the day for the 200 people who show up for a D-IV Super Bowl, but that’s the price of doing business if you’re going to have a Division IV in a state with 43 teams.
This is what’s fair and equitable to all the schools.
It’s also easier to market. Friday nights are events and a Friday Super Bowl would put eyeballs on the sport. Forget broadcasting on the NFHS Network — put the Friday game up to bid and let a local TV station broadcast it (which is what should be happening anyway).
Will this absurd plan ever happen? Absolutely not. It’s outside-the-box thinking and it’s easier to toss out reasons why it wouldn’t work vs. giving it a shot for a decade to see if there's an increase in attendance, merch sales, sponsorships and TV advertising along the way.
Cost effectiveness is the reason the Super Bowl schedule is set the way it is, and it’s too bad.
Because it’s clear that it can work so much better.
Let’s get on to the picks.
THURSDAY SPECIAL
Division IV semifinals
No. 4 Smithfield vs. No. 1 Davies at Max Read Field, 6 p.m.
I thought I was crazy for not making the Patriots my D-IV Super Bowl pick, but after what happened last week I’m wondering if I’m crazy enough to take the Sentinels to earn a shot to defend their title.
THE PICK: Davies
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Division I semifinals
No. 3 North Kingstown at No. 2 La Salle, 6 p.m.
I took a deep dive into the RIIL rulebook and found a little-known rule that if two teams meet in football on Friday and play for the state soccer championship two days later, whichever school wins the football team gets a goal added to their total for the soccer game.
THE PICK: La Salle
No. 4 Central at No. 1 Hendricken, 6:30 p.m.
While picking the Knights in an upset would be fun, I’ve made it a rule that I’m not picking against a team led by a member of the Lynch family in any big game again. Learned my lesson on that one.
THE PICK: Hendricken
Division II semifinals
No. 2-B St. Raphael at No. 1-A Barrington, 6:15 p.m.
The Saints are Division II champs until someone takes the crown from them. The Eagles are built to do just that — but remember that defense wins championships. Oh wait, Barrington’s good at that too.
THE PICK: Barrington
No. 3-A Burrillville at No. 1-B Cumberland, 7 p.m.
Really hoping Cumberland AD Marty Crowley can cover the turf at Tucker Field in mud, chewed up grass and a million gallons of water so we can have a replay of these teams’ regular-season matchup. That was a fun one and I think the sequel is going to be even better.
THE PICK: Cumberland
Division III semifinals
No. 2-B Johnston vs. No. 1-A Middletown at Gaudet Middle School, 6 p.m.
Did I get carried away on WPRI’s Friday Night Blitz when I guaranteed the Islanders were going to win the Super Bowl? Absolutely. Do I believe it? Absolutely.
THE PICK: Middletown
No. 2-A Lincoln at No. 1-B West Warwick, 6:30 p.m.
I’m not an expert with the Xs and Os, but I do know this – if one team is coming off a tough win where they had to scrap to beat a No. 4 seed and the other team is coming off a game where they dropped a 60 spot, I’m going to try my best not to overthink things.
THE PICK: Lincoln
SATURDAY SHOWDOWN
Division IV semifinal
No. 3 North Providence at No. 2 Exeter-West Greenwich, 12 p.m.
I wanted to be at this one, but with the Girls Volleyball State Championship game going off at noon, I couldn’t finagle the schedule and I’m still waiting for Amazon to deliver the machine that allows me to be in two places at once. That overnight delivery guarantee is bogus.
THE PICK: Scarlet Knights
RUEB’S RECORD
Last week: 12-2 (sort of)
This season: 128-48
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Eric Rueb picks his winners for this week's RIIL football semifinals
