Indy Cornrows gives us an update on the NBA All Star game entitled J.O. Survives Lopsided All-Star Game.

As far as the Pacers are concerned, the All-Star Game was a huge success. Sure I wanted to see a close, thrill-filled game worthy of the Vegas hype. But my priority for the game revolved around NOT seeing Jermaine O’Neal in a heap on the floor, clutching his knee. So, from that perspective, mission accomplished. J.O. finished with 8 points and 7 rebounds. He also added to the bizarre sloppiness of the game by accidentally tipping in a rebound attempt for a West basket shortly after he entered the game.

I mention this not so much because I have any interest in the All Star game. I don’t. I just wanted to mention that there is a Pacers blog out there.

Because I don’t feel like enough of a Hoosier rabble rouser by bringing up Daylight Saving Time frequently, let’s venture into the subject of class basketball. Steve Warden, writing for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has an article entitled Hoops mystique traded for parity. (H/t Paul O’Malley for the heads up). It has been 10 years since the advent of the abomination known as class basketball. (Nope, I’m not even going to pretend objectivity on this subject.) In 1997, Bloomington North won the last real boys high school basketball title. Since then, the tournament has been converted from one, state-wide tournament, into four tournaments based on school size. (As Mr. Warden put it, it was like grinding a fine fillet into hamburger.) Revenues and attendance from the tournament have plummeted. About the only thing proponents can point to that is positive is that more schools have won championships. If that’s the goal, I have an idea. Just hand out a trophy to everybody before the games even start. Heck, you could just skip the games altogether lest any team have to endure a self-esteem bruising loss.

I’m biased. I went to Richmond High School. With a student body of about 2,500 and a gym that sat about 8,500, we were one of the biggest in the state. That didn’t mean we had a bunch of titles. In fact, we had only one state championship. Growing up, I’d even been warned of the “Hinkle Hex” — meaning that when Richmond went to Hinkle Fieldhouse for the semi-state, we would surely lose. We broke out of that in the 80s — only to get mowed down by the Marion Giants in the finals 2 out of their 3 consecutive championship years. Woody Austin broke the hex and earned himself a Mr. Basketball title, but never the State title. It took his little brother Chad to finally get us to the top. And just in time, too. That must have been ’91 or ’92. Five years later, and we would’ve lost our chance.

But, even if state titles were thin on the ground, sectional titles were not. Pretty much an entire wall of the Tiernan Center was wall-papered with sectional plaques. I guess I can understand if players at schools like Centerville who we routinely rolled over on our way to more interesting Regional games were itching for class basketball. But, my understanding is that this was not the case. The players wanted their shot at being the next Milan. Even if they didn’t win the state championship (and, really, how many schools ever won? — Muncie Central and Marion got more than their fair share, but even a giant like Richmond only got one), they had a shot at taking out an area powerhouse. And, if they did that, people would be talking about it for a decade, if not longer. No, my understanding is that this was pushed by Athletic Directors and coaches, not by players, and certainly not by fans.

At least we got 4.5 billion for the toll road. We gave up the basketball tournament, the crown jewel of high school sports (in my not so objective opinion) for nothing. Ten years later, it still hurts.