ASA Gold Nationals Brackets now posted

[jmo]

4 teams left. Texas Impact Gold playing Team North Florida in losers bracket now. Team Florida plays East Cobb Bullets in winners bracket final. No disrespect to California but it is pretty impressive to see 3 southeast teams left.

It was expected. I had TNF, Birmingham Vipers, East Cobb Bullets, Impact Gold, Georgia Elite and Gold Coast Hurricanes all in my top 10. Without the best teams from the West, who did you think would be there?

[jmo]

Bracket for the 2010 ASA Gold Nationals in Marrietta, Georgia are now posted.

http://gold.asasoftball.com/

Getting interesting. Can Team North Florida make a run through the losers bracket? It's a long way but if anyone can, it might be them.

Nice run by TNF. They are presently beating Impact Gold and should finish Top 3. Figured if anyone could do it, it was TNF. Courtney Radke has been throwing quite a bit and very well for them. Traina has had plenty of rest and has not had to carry the load. Would not be surprised for them to win 5 today, although that is a very big challenge.

East Cobb Bullets and Team Florida still undefeated. Spingola will need to be very good against Team Florida.

[TexasYellowBall]

4 teams left. Texas Impact Gold playing Team North Florida in losers bracket now. Team Florida plays East Cobb Bullets in winners bracket final. No disrespect to California but it is pretty impressive to see 3 southeast teams left.

I am from Texas, and just got home from Georgia, I have seen Cali. teams since my daughter first competed at 10U ASA nationals, and every following year to the present 18 Gold ASA nationals. The cali teams in Georgia are not the norm .........please go re-read JMO's last post, he made lots of valid points. Premier has changed softball. Every tournament is special in its own way, but the national Championship at the gold level with be played in Huntington beach.

[ssarge]

I am from Texas, and just got home from Georgia, I have seen Cali. teams since my daughter first competed at 10U ASA nationals, and every following year to the present 18 Gold ASA nationals. The cali teams in Georgia are not the norm .........please go re-read JMO's last post, he made lots of valid points. Premier has changed softball. Every tournament is special in its own way, but the national Championship at the gold level with be played in Huntington beach.

It's true. The exclusion of most of the teams attending Premier and the exclusion of college players has dramatically changed the face of ASA 18Gold.

And if Premier is successful this year - and it has a very good chance to be successful - the face of ASA 16A could change next year as well.

I have a lot of thoughts about that, and most of them are not particularly flattering to ASA. I'm going to hold the thoughts in abeyance, however. I just don't think this is the time.

The girls competing at Gold Nationals are still playing against 1,000 of their peers who almost entirely WILL be playing in college. The majority probably will be playing in D-1. So it is never insignificant to do well in this tournament, including this year. And the girls deserve accolades and recognition for their accomplishments. I'd like to offer those here. Further, I think history will turn a blind eye to the particulars of this season. A Gold National champion is a Gold National champion.

Best regards,

Scott

[Daddylawman]

I posted previously with a clear comment that it was with respect to the California teams. I am certainly no ASA apologist, but ASA Gold is still the recognized national championship. True, the quality at Premier is impressive, but the game is played on the field and if you don't come and play you don't get to play the "we would've won" game. You either come and prove it on the field, or you don't.

I understand there are many issues which Premier was formed to address. I do not discount the things they are doing, or the teams playing there. I offer them full respect. I simply believe it doesn't mean winning ASA makes you any less a champion.

[jmo]

I posted previously with a clear comment that it was with respect to the California teams. I am certainly no ASA apologist, but ASA Gold is still the recognized national championship. True, the quality at Premier is impressive, but the game is played on the field and if you don't come and play you don't get to play the "we would've won" game. You either come and prove it on the field, or you don't.

I understand there are many issues which Premier was formed to address. I do not discount the things they are doing, or the teams playing there. I offer them full respect. I simply believe it doesn't mean winning ASA makes you any less a champion.

I am disappointed that there will be that "who is better" thinking. I have no doubt that the top teams at ASA 18U Gold Nationals would have been at or near the top in Premier. But unfortunately, we will never know. East Cobb Bullets and the Gold Coast Hurricanes both committed to Premier when it started and did not pull out till a week or two ago. Unfortunately it is what it is. Teams have choices - ASA Gold or Premier. I guess your "either come and prove it on the field, or you don't" can work both ways. I have never discounted the ASA 18 Gold Championship. Whoever wins it, earned the title of ASA National Champion. And the winner of ESPN/Premier National Championship will be the Premier National Champion. Congratulations to all the girls who are participating in either National Championship.

[TReck]

The change in the quality of Gold has VERY LITTLE to do with some teams not being there. To say that is to ASSume they would have qualified, and you can not assume that. They knew without the college players that they didn't want to go through the qualifiers and take the chance. The change has to do with the lack of college freshmen and not the teams that are or are not there. The players are what makes it what it is. A team is just a uniform.

The Gold winner can claim that their title was earned and next week's champion will probably not be able to say that since so many are there because of somebody they know or something somebody else did last year or 5 years ago. If you are voted the King of your own party, does it really make you King? I don't think so.

And for the record, due to school starting so early in the East, the best players and teams from the East will not be there next week. So both tournaments are not as good as they could be and from my perspective "everybody loses".

I feel sorry for all those parents on those teams who paid all that money to try and qualify for next weeks event and didn't just so their hard earned money can go to pay for the buddies to come out there for free. At least with ASA they are all there under the same pretense and under the same entry fee.

This has all been bad for softball and the only people it really hurts is the kids.

[Nzane]

Ok, ok. There is only 1 way to solve this!!

Sunday, August 29th

Site - TBD(equal distance from each team)


BEST OF 3
Premier Champion vs ASA Gold Champion

[GoldTBfan]

Congratullations to the East Cobb Bullets - ASA Gold National Champions!

They have been a ver good program the last few years and would have been at or near the top regardless of the competition. The two Florida teams have proven to be very competitive and Impact Gold has consistitently been in the top 10. Congratulations to all the teams.

I wish I could have been there but, Premier is a lot closer for me and you have to work sometimes...

[jmo]

The change in the quality of Gold has VERY LITTLE to do with some teams not being there.
Once again TReck, you obviously have never played in So Cal. Comments like this show ignorance

To say that is to ASSume they would have qualified, and you can not assume that.
I already addressed this comment in your previous post, not worth repeating as we will have to agree to disagree.

They knew without the college players that they didn't want to go through the qualifiers and take the chance.
Who is they?? If you think that the teams out in So Cal did not want to take the chance and try to qualify for ASA, then you really are ignorant to what is going on in Gold ball. Not attempting to qualify for ASA had nothing to do with the removal of college players

The change has to do with the lack of college freshmen and not the teams that are or are not there. The players are what makes it what it is. A team is just a uniform.
So now it is because the college players are not there. Well there were several teams last year that finished in the top 10 and did it without college players! Sorcerers only had 2 college players and they were not pitchers or impact players, Firecrackers did not have any college players, Cruisers had one or two but were not impact kids, etc. And by the way, if you haven't noticed, the players for the Batbusters, Firecrackers, So Cal Athletics, Corona Angels, Cruisers, are all usually many of the best players in the country.

The Gold winner can claim that their title was earned and next week's champion will probably not be able to say that since so many are there because of somebody they know or something somebody else did last year or 5 years ago. If you are voted the King of your own party, does it really make you King? I don't think so.
Pure ignorance - keep trying to put down Premier, it only makes you look more pathetic. The winner of ASA Gold Nationals (East Cobb Bullets) earned their ASA Gold National title and the winner of Premier will earn their National title too - both on the field playing top competition.

And for the record, due to school starting so early in the East, the best players and teams from the East will not be there next week.
Just like the best teams from the west were not at ASA Gold nationals. That is a shame and thus Premier, knowing that the dates are a conflict with school, are moving their dates up next year. ASA would have also been this week but they changed their dates up a week in November but not cause of school starting in the east but because they were worried that all the top teams had committed to Premier and would not be attending ASA

So both tournaments are not as good as they could be and from my perspective "everybody loses".
Agree 100%

I feel sorry for all those parents on those teams who paid all that money to try and qualify for next weeks event and didn't just so their hard earned money can go to pay for the buddies to come out there for free.
You mean that those teams that tried to qualify for ASA and didn't are not out any money? How is it different And since you are big about ASSuming, where did you come up with people coming out to Premier for free. Every team paid their entry fee, just like every team paid to go to ASA Gold Yes some teams did not have to qualify for Premier and received invitations. Obviously this is your big gripe – get over it – your team must not be good enough.

At least with ASA they are all there under the same pretense and under the same entry fee.
Premier is no different than ASA, Teams have choices. Some choose to play their Nationals in Huntington Beach and some chose Marrietta Georgia. Yes many teams were invited and did not have to qualify but they still pay the same entry fee for Premier. As any new adventure, you must get a fan base and invitations were necessary in order to get most of the top teams to come. Others went through the qualifiers. ASA had several teams pull out of Gold Nationals this year and go to Premier only and several teams pulled out of Premier and chose to go to ASA Gold Nationals instead.


This has all been bad for softball and the only people it really hurts is the kids.
Well I won't say it has been bad for softball. ASA needed to listen and they didn't for years. Now teams have an alternative. The only bummer is that we will have this East Coast/West Coast argument. Maybe next year they can all come play Premier and settle it on the field. Oh well, the main thing for running a Gold team is getting your players scholarships, not winning ASA or Premier - although it is nice to finish strong

And in closing - Congratulations to the East Cobb Bullets and to Team North Florida and all the teams at ASA Gold Nationals on a great season and best of luck next year. Watching both ECB and TNF in Boulder, I knew they had the arms to win it all. TNF sure had a great run through the losers bracket. Best of luck to all those players who are off to college!!