PIAA trying to remain relevant: Its “Hail Mary” pass falls incomplete as superintendents will accept nothing less than their full proposal

… want to disband PIAA and fire Lombardi

The PIAA attempted a fourth-quarter comeback this week, but the organization that presently controls athletes at high schools in Pennsylvania’s used a deflated ball that landed with a thud. The organization is under attack from public school superintendents who want to level the playoff playing field for high school teams.

PIAA Executive Director Bob Lombardi, whom the superintendents want to fire, tried to orchestrate a compromise, but the Hail Mary pass did not even reach the end zone. They did tighten the transfer rules somewhat, and they tried to concoct a “competitive-balance formula that will force the most successful football and basketball teams into a higher classification if that team also received an unusually large number of transfers.”

Those are not the contentious issues

The superintendents will meet next week in what is being billed as a “PIAA Playoff Equity Summit,” one that almost all public schools support. This will take place a few miles away from where the PIAA board sat on Wednesday at the Penn Stater. However, the school administrators have affirmed that they are disgusted by the injustice of the PIAA playoffs, and they will accept nothing less than separate playoffs for the public, boundary schools and private, non-boundary ones.

That is the issue. And Lombardi realizes that this will not make any difference to the public schools that want equity. “I don’t think it will fix (the issues) in everybody’s mind,” Lombardi said, according to the Tribune-Review, “but it’s an attempt to move down the road … I think this is a great move to try to look at perceived imbalance and if there is imbalance, then let’s address it.”

Translated, “it’s an attempt to move down the road,” means, “I want to save my job and try to keep the PIAA from falling apart.” Right now, both are possible since the superintendents have expressed that they will do everything within their power to dismantle the PIAA if separate playoffs are not provided for public and private schools this year.

Legislature should be the ultimate target

The anger is palpable, but the truth is that the problem goes back to the legislature approving and the governor signing an amendment to the public school code in 1972. The targets are the state legislators, and a New Castle man who is serving as an advisor to the group understands this. “In my research, and I’ve done a lot of research, I’m convinced that the PIAA is afraid of any action to be taken by the legislature,” Larry Kelly told the New Castle News in May. “If there is legislative initiative suggesting two tournaments, there will be two tournaments. Unless the legislature acts, the PIAA will not have two tournaments.”

Kelly is working with New Castle School District superintendent John Sarandrea to effectuate some change, and they have been the point people in the WPIAL for this.

However, Kelly is right. The pressure must be exerted on the legislature, not the PIAA, which is essentially impotent. The organization has really run its course, but taking it out will not occur without a fight — unless the legislature becomes involved.

Ultimate path must include plan to pressure legislators up for re-election/election

The July 24 meeting will probably energize the movement, although trying to pass something for this school year may be challenging. Still, the challenge right now is to force the state legislature, with all of the state reps and half of the senators up for election/re-election, to take action. If the reps refuse to take a position, then they have to go to the opponent and support that person.

Since the public school parents and others associated with the schools have tremendous power and leverage, this could work. However, they have to do this immediately.

Conclusion

To read the PIAA’s pathetic proposals that are intended to keep themselves in power, go to any local newspaper. The ones I read were from triblive.com, penlive.com, and the Centre Daily Times. All are similar, though.

I had intended to use part three for my own views on the matter, but these stories keep coming up because of the anger that is out there right now.

Should be an interesting few months.