By Kim J. Harmon

W

hen I heard that the National Hockey League was thinking of expanding its playoffs I said to myself, “Whoa, stop the madness!” It wasn’t too long ago that the NHL had just 21 teams and all but five qualified for the playoffs every year.

Now that the league has 30 teams, it wants more of ‘em in the playoffs.

Where does it end?

The National Football League expanded its playoffs and I’m not so sure that’s a good thing because a lot of bad teams are making it into the playoffs. Major League baseball expanded its playoffs and I think it’s great.

See, it can be hit or miss.

This year the South-West Conference has expanded its soccer playoffs from four to eight teams and it is unquestionably a good thing. Besides the fact that the expansion may keep the Newtown boys from missing the playoffs this year, it will also keep a lot of good teams from missing the playoffs every year.

Last year, the Newtown girls were 10-4-1 at the end of the season and somehow missed out on the playoffs. Well, that’s because Masuk, Bethel, Lauralton Hall and Brookfield got the four top seeds and left Newtown, Bunnell, Weston and Joel Barlow (all with winning records) out in the cold.

That needed to be changed.

If the season ended today, it appears as if Lauralton Hall, Newtown, Masuk and Bunnell would get the top four seeds (maybe not in that order, though). That would still leave Bethel, Foran, Joel Barlow and Brookfield (all with winning records) with nothing to do but wait for the CIAC state tournament.

Pretty much, if you are good enough to qualify for the state tournament you ought to be good enough to qualify for your own conference tournament.

It’s that simple.

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Sometimes I really have to wonder why simple geometry doesn’t apply to sports.

In geometry, if A is greater than B and B is greater than C, then A is greater than C, right (if it isn’t, then that will explain why I only averaged a 60 in the course)?

Well, if the Pomperaug can beat Newtown 10-0 in field hockey and New Milford can beat Pomperaug, 2-1, then shouldn’t it figure that the Green Wave would be an even tougher foe for the Nighthawks?

But it just doesn’t work that way.

The ‘Hawks are 0-1-1 in two games against the Green Wave and the goal differential is just one. Newtown and New Milford tied 1-1 last month and then, Tuesday night, Newtown fell to New Milford 2-1 in a tough, exciting game.

So I guess if A (New Milford) is greater than B (Pomperaug) and B is greater than C (Newtown), then A is not always greater than C. I mean, I knew back 22 years ago when I was trying to prove triangles (I never did figure out what the heck that meant) that it was all a crock.

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Speaking of the field hockey team, those girls are starting to give me a complex. Through 13 games this season, the ‘Hawks are 5-5-3 and, maddeningly, I have not once been on the field when they have held a lead in a game.

Not once.

Five wins, three ties, and not once have I been able to see these girls leading a game.

I remember back last month, down in New Milford, one of the girls jokingly remarked that I might be a bad luck charm – a jinx. She said she was kidding, everybody laughed, but now I’m not so sure.