It was only a matter of time.
That's the way it is when you use hard-to-understand mathematics to determine playoff qualifiers and seeding for an event. Eventually, the numbers don't add up.
The District 3 power ranking system for wrestling has come under fire since it was first used in 2011. In the past, it hasn't passed the eye test of coaches and fans that watched Team A beat Team B and Team B has a higher seed.
But for the most part, it's worked. There were subtle problems — Cumberland Valley meeting Central Dauphin in last year's quarterfinals comes to mind — but you couldn't argue with the teams that won titles and moved on to states.
Until now. And hopefully, it leads to much-needed change.
The first real travesty of this system became official Sunday, when Bermudian Springs was slotted as the fourth seed and on the same side of the bracket as No. 1 seed and three-time defending District 3-AA champion Boiling Springs.
So what's the problem?
District 3 only gets two Class AA entries into states. The Eagles and Bubblers are far and away the best teams in the district and will meet in the semifinals, leaving one of the states best teams sitting at home.
Hamburg and Northern Lebanon are seeded second and third. But with all do respect to the efforts of the Hawks and Vikings, the schedules have been friendly and the Eagles, who lost to Big Spring, Spring Grove, Blair Academy and the Bubblers, are a significant cut above.
This isn't just an opinion based on name recognition. I've see three of the four teams — Hamburg has eluded my travels — and the Eagles are too potent and would run past the teams in the two spots ahead of them by double digits.
And judging by the comments in emails and the phone calls I have received, I'm not alone in that thinking.
“I would ask people this: 'If I gave you four records with no names, 8-1, 15-1, 11-0 and 20-3, how would you seed those teams,'” said Rod Frisco, District 3 webmaster and director of corporate sponsorship. He also tabulates the power rankings.
“Now, there is a companion question: 'If I gave you four names without records, how would you seed those teams?'
“The reason I ask those questions is that it shows the difference between seeding on emotional and an intellectual level and a mathematical level. Those two don't always mesh, and that is what happened in Class AA.”
It's wrong.
I'm not saying the rest of the field hasn't earned the right to knock the Bubblers and Eagles off their lofty perch. Upsets are what make sports great.
The Hawks and Vikings have put together good seasons and should be rewarded. The problem lies in what is trying to be accomplished. If it's to get the best teams to represent District 3 at states, then the power rankings and the district has failed this season in Class AA.
That being said, I like the power rankings and feel they should remain in place. They are a good starting point and give fans and people like me something to follow and talk about throughout the season.
Still, the system can be better.
The power rankings should be used to pick the field for both Class AAA and Class AA. Once that occurs, I believe some sort of human element — a committee — should be used to tweak the seeds based on head-to-head and other factors.
We love what District 3 did with Class AAA this season. There are wrestlebacks from the quarterfinals to determine a true No. 3 and No. 4. Maybe a true No. 2 format should be used for the No. 2 slot in Class AA.
“This year is done,” Frisco said. “The rankings and brackets are official, and we will conduct the Class AA tournament starting Wednesday.
“The district is always open to suggestions and formats as to how to conduct the tournament. That doesn't mean every suggestion is going to be instituted, but it means we will take a serious look at how the entire system impacts the tournament.
“What we won't look at is a given team. We aren't in the business of letting a given school get what it wants.”
Fair enough.
The good news is that there is hope. District 3 is looking at possibly adding a human element in tennis, which could bode well for wrestling.
And it should. Wrestling has subtle nuances that make it unique. For instance, the number of dual meets competed in varies dramatically from team-to-team.
None of that matters at this point. Not for this year. The final tabulations have been made, and the bracket is set.
All we can hope for is that District 3 learns from this and makes the sport better for years to come.