90% of the best players from Pa are not playing. Is it early enrollment? Disinterest? They now play the game at Central Dauphin HS. I can remember playing Texas at Hershey when it was hard to get in the stadium.Maybe it is time to just pick a roster for glory sake and not play the game.
What has happened to the Big 33 ?
- Thread starter Evenattheturn
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I've been saying for years this game should be put out of its misery. It has been dying. Many early entrees, this year the pandemic of all things, the drop in talent, and the other big time All Star games right after the season have all contributed to its demise.
The refusal to play the game somewhere other than Hershey contributed to the demise. Too much travel for the Ohio team, so they started to lose interest, and players skipped more and more, and Ohio eventually pulled out.
They should have played it in Pittsburgh. Would draw more fans from both PA and Ohio.
But the game was a PSU lovefest and now is nearly as dead as JoePa.
They should have played it in Pittsburgh. Would draw more fans from both PA and Ohio.
But the game was a PSU lovefest and now is nearly as dead as JoePa.
The thing that killed the game is the NCAA changed their rules. In the early 2000's the NCAA started to allow players to be on scholarship the summer before they enrolled in school full time. Previously they were not allowed to be on scholarship until the fall semester. That when you started seeing the top players opt out as school could now require them to enroll in the summer prior to their freshmen year.
Ohio never sent their best players. The traditional Ohio North/South was always seen as more prestigious and more important to Ohio players therefore Ohio was always sending their B team. Ohio never embraced the game like PA did. Moving the game was not an option as Big 33 is a central PA charity. They had a network of host families to house all the players. The game was just a fundraiser of the charity.
Actually that is not why Ohio pulled out. Ohio realized this game was a PA game for a Central PA charity. Ohio pulled out when the NCAA changed the rules for freshmen to report to campus. That pushed the Big 33 to move their game from late July to mid June. Mid June is when Ohio played their North vs South game.
Having the game in Harrisburg was a mistake in my opinion. The game needs to be played close to the bordering state with a home and home series. Pittsburgh and Canton (Hall of Fame) location could work.
I know the weather would be awful but they should play the game between Christmas and New Year's before the early entrees enroll.
If you think the rejection rate is high now, tell guys they have to practice for this meaningless game on Christmas Eve and see what that gets you.
What's with these "charities" in Central PA attempting to rope the entire state into their bogus causes?
Isn't this what THON is for? Look, I have been saying for years, this game has outlived its usefulness.
Actually, some other states don't have nearly this problem for all star games immediately after the season. When I coached in MD, we didn't have any major issues with the Crab Bowl (best of MD vs DC).
Maryland is different in that you have to basically try out for the Crab Bowl. They have try-outs in the summer before the season starts.
The biggest pro for having a post season all star game is having college coaches coming to practice to evaluate players. Kids never had a problem practicing while seeing Jimmy Franks or Locksley at practice. It's quite different than the Big 33.
Personally now is as good of as a time as any to move it to pre senior season as opposed to post senior year. Chances of getting the better players to participate are better this way, Ohio may also be willing to play again also since now it can be moved back to July.
Doesn't the PIAA and/or WPIAL prohibit participating in all-star games prior to finishing your senior season?
No clue, but it's not set in stone. Change it. It's for the benefit for student athletes to get exposure as opposed to not.
Agreed - the guys who do not sign during the early signing period could benefit from it.
You can't play in a pre-season all star game. It's a a PIAA thing and it might be a NFHS thing too.
On first read, I thought this said "rape" the entire state. Being central PA, I didn't even give second thought to it. Not sure if that is sad because I thought that, or sad because it's partly true.
I guess that's why the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic disappeared.; the rest of the state became less and less enthusiastic about participating in a Pittsburgh charity event.
And two other reasons.
1) The local talent and PA talent overall declined.
2) The growth of national games. At one time, the Roundball was THE national game.
Times and things change, and this includes the Big 33's time has come and gone.
They aren't going to rape the entire state. They want donations from the entire state to do their raping in central PA.
Yeah, but immediately after the season is different than playing the week between Chirstmas and New Years, as SMF is proposing. The Crab Bowl gets played before Christmas, not after.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
There are a couple of local games in Central PA after the season. I always thought they were silly but I guess the kids and coaches are all in. Most of them won't see a college field from anywhere but the bleachers but if they want to play it and there is enough interest, great.
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