Every year we hear about how the nation “needs” a true college football national championship and how some type of playoff system is needed to make sure there’s no doubt whose number one at the end of it all. Dump the bowls, they say, and bring on an NFL-style playoff system.Humbug, I say. Humbug!
The great thing about the bowl system is that everyone wins. Get a bowl invite and you’ve done well for the season. Win and it’s even better, but it’s not necessary. It’s a bowl game! Your fans and the other team’s fans will get to travel and party and have fun. Okay, some of the travel is to places like Shreveport (Independence Bowl) but then some is to cool places too (San Francisco’s Emerald Bowl).
They’ve even separated out the “real” championship game, playing it several days after New Year’s Day. Next year it’s a week after Bowl Day, because it’s in the NFL Cardinals’ new home and they need a week to get it ready. (I don’t know why, the Cards aren’t known as a particularly ferocious bunch; the worst damage on NFL game day will be the wear and tear on the backs of their uniforms.) The rest of the bowl world can now play in its own little world, away from the “Who’s Number One?” silliness.
Why do we need a “champion”? This is college, it’s not pro sports. They, and us, can and should be happy with a good clean game played with good sportsmanship. And it is only a game. It really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things how Screwball Tech does against Cornflake U. It doesn’t provide health care to the uninsured, defense against being spied on by our own government or peace in the Mideast. It’s a happy diversion from all these things.
So let’s treat it that way and let the kiddies play, and let them all be happy in whatever bowl they get into. Later, when they’re old and gray and they’re malnourished because the GOP and their corporate allies have cut retirement benefits down to Wal-Mart cat food level, it’ll give the old codgers something to take their minds off the gnawing scurvy. We can at least give them that.
3 comments:
Nicely put. If it's not broken, don't fix it. Even in a bowl tournament situation there will be people all upset their team didn't get picked.
Adding to the number of games also would be bad. Some of those players have enough problems passing "Basket Weaving 101" as it is.
;)
Frank,
The problem with playoffs is that there's always pressure to keep adding and adding, in part, as you say, because someone will always feel slighted.
The Kansas City Chiefs are moaning over the fact that they won 10 games but didn't make the postseason, and are calling for another seed for each conference. That would be 13 out of 32 teams in the postseason.
The NBA already includes more than half the teams. MLB was seriously thinking of adding another wildcard, which would hold a one game playoff against each other.
Heck, why not dispense with seasons entirely and make the whole season a tournament in every sport? We're going to end up there eventually, it seems.
Or just flip a coin, declare someone the champeen and play every game just for the fun and fresh air. It's all about the beer and the tailgating and the playing hooky from the office and family anyway. Just cut to the chase.
Or just make it on a rotational basis. Let's put some real teeth into "Just wait 'til next year!"
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