[More Cowbell]

But again, if you are on the Mountain Classic committee, do you field a mediocre(s) team from the 15th Region for the sake of having 2 or 3 representatives from that region if Paintsville/Shelby Valley turned you down...or do you take the best teams available to fill out the classic, no matter what region they are from?

I don't think that Valley, Pikeville, and Paintsville are the only 15th region teams worthy of going. If you're implying that anybody outside the Big 3 is mediocre, then I have to disagree.

Granted, taking the fourth team from the 14th may make the field a bit stronger than taking somebody from the 15th who may be a notch below the Big 3, but I think that it is even more important that the tournament be an equal cross-section of WYMT's entire viewing area. If that means taking a team from the 15th like a Betsy Layne, who won't win the thing but will give a competitive game and maybe even spring an upset, then I think it is worth it.

JMO...