Comments on Ed The Sports Fan: A College Football Playoff System Would Never Work...

Good point, JAG. LOL I do take pride in the Bi...

2009-12-30T18:50:52.184-05:00

Good point, JAG. LOL

I do take pride in the Big Ten doing well, and to the fact that I can't find a single Oregon fan in Pasadena. All I see is red:-)

MsB, Ph.D. Maybe you're right. I am having a ...

2009-12-24T14:35:51.612-05:00

MsB, Ph.D.

Maybe you're right. I am having a hard time picturing myself going to Texas for a quarterfinal game, California for the semis and New Orleans for the Championship. Who's got that kind of vacation time? I guess I'm just not dedicated enough (or maybe too much of a cheapskate).

Thanks for the welcome to Pasadena but now you've pushed me into another subject. Once the season's over and the Bowl games start, the Big Ten should come together and root for each other, Dr. Nittany Lion!

Bowl results are an important factor in determining the strength of a conference. Don't you like $300 million TV contracts from ABC and ESPN? Penn State can't do it by themselves. LOL

JAG

I too believe that fans, particularly of the power...

2009-12-23T23:31:11.481-05:00

I too believe that fans, particularly of the powerhouse schools, will travel. Hell, there are enough alumni/fans across the country of big schools such as Texas, Ohio St, and Penn State...I don't think it would be a problem getting folks to fill stadiums for multiple games.

There are valid arguments for and against the BCS, but either way, the current system has to be tweeked...there's definitely room for improvement.

@JAG: As a Pasadena resident, I welcome you to the city. As a Penn State alumni, I hope you guys lose:-) LOL

Rev and Stank - You guys are correct. The lower di...

2009-12-22T17:51:16.121-05:00

Rev and Stank - You guys are correct. The lower divisions (and high schools in every state for that matter) have playoffs. That's because no one is rigging it with automatic bids. You have to earn your way in. Yes, hoops has automatic bids, but since they can have 64 teams, it doesn't really matter.

I agree with the Notre Dame assessment. It's ironic that their special treatment often works against them. They get invited to bowls which they don't deserve and get blown out. They just had a ten bowl losing streak.

Scott - I'm not ready to praise the BCS just yet. I would like to see the "plus one" format where you play the traditional bowls like the old days, then have one extra game between 1 and 2 a couple weeks later. Not the best solution, but the best we can hope for.

;-)

JAG

I'm willing to concede a playoff has been thou...

2009-12-22T13:45:56.812-05:00

I'm willing to concede a playoff has been thought out very well, but uh...neither was the BCS. When ND can negotiate its own terms, HOUSTON we have a PROBLEM.

It's like the BCS is cheating ND...invite their money spending fans to blow their cake in whatever city they are in and then sit back and watch a better team mollywhop their beloved Irish. Sounds kinda bent to me.

Also, this playoff could work with sufficient lead time.

When KU made the Orange Bowl i was inundated with emails about travel packages for hotel, airfare, food, and a car.

I think the big bowls could do the same. If you're team doesn't make it, you sell the packages and make a lil profit. Fans get tix, etc. Bowls get a full stadium, and cities get fans willing to put strippers through college.

Win for everyone.

Every other sport has a playoff. I could still wor...

2009-12-22T13:44:24.278-05:00

Every other sport has a playoff. I could still work, but it won't change because of money. Hell, even lower divisions of COLLEGE FOOTBALL have successful playoffs.

One more thing, B. Lane, I agree in principle wit...

2009-12-22T13:40:37.953-05:00

One more thing, B. Lane,

I agree in principle with your idea of having the quarters at home field sites. But there are some problems.

1. You would upstage the minor bowls, who are in bed with ESPN for vital holiday programming.

2. You would have to deal with cold weather sites like Columbus, Ohio or small, college towns like Fort Worth, Texas that aren't really tourist attractions. If you're right and people would travel, I wonder if Iowa City or Gainesville, Florida could prepare for 40,000 visitors in a week.

It was pretty easy to convince the family to come out to Southern Cal for the Rose Bowl. (They'll drop me off and hit Disneyland and Venice Beach). If I told them we were going to Boise, Idaho or Tuscaloosa, Alabama, I would be getting a bunch of blank stares.

LOL

Great debate.

JAG

@ B. Lane Your points are valid. I don't thin...

2009-12-22T13:26:17.630-05:00

@ B. Lane

Your points are valid. I don't think you can have all four quarterfinal matchups on 12/19. You would have to run them from noon - midnight and the TV execs want prime time hours. They would insist on a Thurs night, Fri night and a sat doubleheader). We agree that Sunday belongs to the NFL and must be kept sacrosanct. lol

You think people can make all those trips? Ok. I'll concede that point. They must have more money and a more understanding spouse than I.

If I told my wife, "sorry, we can't remodel the kitchen, especially since I'll be spending the next three weekends running around after the Buckeyes," I'd better prepare for some couch time!

;-)

JAG

FINALLY! Someone else has seen the light. Long l...

2009-12-22T13:22:29.945-05:00

FINALLY!

Someone else has seen the light. Long live the BCS...

http://www.theklowntimes.net

The main point I agree with- that with the big con...

2009-12-22T12:43:13.625-05:00

The main point I agree with- that with the big conferences in control and the huge amount of money at stake, a playoff system would still create questions of fairness and leave deserving teams out. The big 6 have little to no motivaton to change the status quo when it comes to matters of $$$$.

I don't think the scheduling is that difficult though...just a quick glance at the 2009 bowl schedule and I say you have the group of 8 play on 12/19 (using higher seed home stadium instead of neutral site), then the semis on Jan. 1 or 2 (rotate site among current BCS bowl sites), and final on Jan. 8 (rotate site), (just one day later than it's set for now). No less than 1 week between games, sometimes 2, just as in regular season. Bowls already coordinate hotels, practices, and the preceding week's festivities, keep that tradition going.

I also think fans *will* travel. There will certainly be some that can't afford to make multiple trips to watch their team, but there will also be plenty who will. For example, you think if Alabama beats Ohio State in the semis, that those same Bammer fans won't show up the next week to play Texas in a championship? Doubt it.