Metro

STATE COLLEGE — The shot clock passed the first hurdle in becoming official in Pennsylvania when the PIAA approved it in high school boys and girls basketball on a first-reading basis on Wednesday at the Nittany Lion Inn.

While plenty of people debate the positives and the negatives of a shot clock, it was obvious that most of the reason the 22-9 vote wasn’t closer to unanimous was tied to finances.

“I think that played a role in it,” PIAA Executive Director Robert Lombardi said. “There were people that used the phrase unfunded mandate — those types of things. You also heard representatives of the principals and superintendents weigh in that if they had a systematic progression of a timeline that they could look at it budgetarily and see how they can fit it into their school to make it more acceptable to do it.”

In addition to the initial cost of a shot clock — estimates from the PIAA vary from $3,000 to $15,000 per clock — a school must also decide how much it will pay a shot clock operator, who many nights will be responsible for both a junior varsity and varsity game.

Another consideration is when junior varsity games are held at the same time as varsity games in different gyms and the need for both gyms to have a shot clock and an operator. Other instances where this could be a factor is a school like Tyrone Area in which the boys have been playing in one gym and the girls have been using a different one the last few years.

Making all those numbers fit into a school budget in a time where budgets seem to be harder and harder to balance has always been the biggest hurdle for a shot clock. And not surprisingly,

There are arguments — somehow — that the game is better without one. And even Lombardi said he’s torn about it because holding the ball is a coaching tactic the PIAA would be taking away.

“We wouldn’t be having this conversation if people didn’t hold the ball,” Lombardi said. “When that happens, it riles the fans up. They want to see something happen.”

Just ask any Bellwood-Antis girls basketball fan who watched their games against Blairsville during their first PIAA championship run or someone who watches a lot of Ridgway boys basketball games.

But while there is a loud minority that doesn’t want a shot clock in the game, the prevailing feeling among both the PIAA and fans of high school basketball, is that if a team is up five points with two minutes to play, it will be a lot more interesting in the future than it is now when a team is forced to foul — and gift the team with the lead two free throws (after that rule was changed a couple years ago).

It was surprising to see officials support the change, however. That surprise was shared by some members of the PIAA and played a role in the voting on Wednesday.

“I was actually surprised by the number of officials that voted for it,” said Associate Executive Director Patrick Gebhart, who oversees the officials program for the PIAA. “I would suggest 75 percent or more of our officials have never officiated a game with a shot clock, I think that they are unaware of the potential ramifications of their responsibilities when they have to do a game with a shot clock. It was surprising to me. I sometimes feel it gives folks another thing to chat with officials about. It’s another rule that can be misapplied at no fault of their own, and they are going to bear the brunt of that from the bench. That’s the way I look at it.”

WSOP Main Event

The World Series of Poker Main Event recently wrapped up with Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi taking home the championship bracelet and $10 million prize.

Mizrachi is an incredible player and has now won eight WSOP bracelets and is one of the most well-known players to win the Main Event, but his victory also showed how luck plays just as much of a role in poker as skill.

Mizrachi was heads up against Altoona native Dillon Ott a few days before the final table. Ott put all of his chips into the pot with a pocket hand of ace, king suited. Mizrachi called him with a pair of queens.

This type of hand is called a race in poker and is considered almost a coinflip, because Ott’s two cards would beat Mizrachi’s queens if either pairs, and no one knows what the five community cards will be prior to the flop.

Mizrachi won the race by dodging an ace or king and eliminated Ott in 69th place.

Two days later, Mizrachi found himself in a similar spot as Ott with all his chips at risk against chip leader John Wasnock. Mizrachi had a pocket hand of ace, king and was in even worse shape than Ott, because Wasnock had pocket kings, eliminating several of Mizrachi’s possible outs and meaning an ace, flush or straight were really his only realistic chances of survival.

Mizrachi got an ace on the river — the last card issued to the community cards — and doubled his chip total through Wasnock and eventually went on to win it all.

The same move Ott used against Mizrachi that ended his tournament basically helped Mizrachi win $10 million.

Perhaps Mizrachi left a better tip for Lady Luck.

Blitz magazine

The Altoona Mirror’s 13th annual Blitz magazine is now on many newsstands and is available at the Altoona Mirror office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

A lot of work goes into this magazine by both our editorial and advertising staff, and it’s a wonderful product that gives area high school football players the same treatment college and NFL players receive in several glossy magazines previewing their seasons.

Please continue to support this magazine so that the Mirror can continue to recognize these outstanding student athletes for years to come.

Michael Boytim can be reached at mboytim@altoonamirror.com or 814-946-7521. Follow him on X @BoytimMichael