Greg Lee: Let a tie stand as a tie

I’ve never seen anything like it and probably never will.

The Greater Spokane League-opening cross country dual Sept. 16 between three-time defending champ Central Valley, Lewis and Clark and Mt. Spokane at Siemers Farm on picturesque Greenbluff was everything the coaches anticipated and more. None would have predicted, though, what would transpire.

CV’s boys finished in 28-28 ties with Mt. Spokane and LC. Criteria calls for settling ties with the highest-placing sixth finisher between the teams. The top five of a team’s seven runners figure into the team score, except in the unusual occurrence of a tie.

In both cases, CV lost. Mt. Spokane got a sweep by edging LC 27-29.

The teams were expected to take the league’s top three spots. Barring an upset, the order of finish at the top now should be Mt. Spokane, LC and CV.

You can’t fabricate the drama that was present for the meet.

“That’s what cross country is all about,” Mt. Spokane coach Andy Sonneland said.

Sonneland, CV’s Dennis McGuire and LC’s Kevin Swaim exchanged pleasantries after the results were official. All three were equal parts numb and puzzled.

I got to thinking about how sports break ties.

In cross country, I appreciate the tiebreaking procedure including the next-best finisher beyond the first five. I mean, you can’t really have another run off, right? Give the kids a 30-minute break and go again? Make it two out of three?

No, that doesn’t work. In fact, that procedure is much better, in my humble opinion, than what soccer does to ultimately break a tie. Penalty kicks. Nobody has come up with a better option. But putting the goalie on an island and one-on-one against strikers? The team element seems to be lost in that scenario.

And in wrestling duals, there’s a list of tiebreaking criteria that’s so long I don’t have space here to discuss each one.

Perhaps in some sports ties, at least in the regular season, should just stand as ties.

In football, some leagues have a tiebreaker that starts at the 25-yard line and others at the 10. I say if you can’t decide the game in regulation, at least in the regular season, let a tie stand.

In basketball, it’s a little easier to settle a tie. Play an extra 4 minutes. In baseball and softball, play another inning or more.

But, truth is, we – the collective we – want to differentiate between winners and losers.

I know I’m in the minority – likely the vast minority – but let the ties stand until postseason.