College Football

[sediment]

Originally Posted by Radiobarry

Of course it goes without saying that what we need is a playoff - and not the current "BS" system.

There's a playoff to determine every NCAA champion except in Division One college football. And you can't convince me that they couldn't find a way to make it work.

How about via reverse logic: playoffs don't exist for Div1 (or whatever it's called these days) because there was no way to make it work.
There is a lot of money made (and dispersed, including to charities) in the large bowl games. Taking that away is nearly impossible.
Also, playoffs do not determine the best team every time. Just who is crowned the champion of that year.
I've tried to come up with a way to make all extremely interested parties both happy and money.
No other sport had to deal with dismantling bowls.

[Radiobarry]

Originally Posted by sediment

I've tried to come up with a way to make all extremely interested parties both happy and money.
No other sport had to deal with dismantling bowls.

I never have suggested dismantling the bowls...you make the major bowl games a part of the playoff system.

As for the money, the TV money alone they'd get for a playoff would be huge.

And as for the best team winning, does the best team win every year in March Madness? No. But all the best teams are at least given a shot.

[Radiobarry]

I think I can safely speak for all of us in extending thoughts and prayers to USC's Stafon Johnson, and his family.

From espn.com....

USC Trojans running back Stafon Johnson injured his throat in a weightlifting accident Monday and required emergency surgery. Johnson was bench pressing when the bar slipped from his hand and fell on his throat, according to a release from the school. "It hit him with a lot of force, and it hurt him," coach Pete Carroll said after the Trojans' brief practice Monday night. "No broken bones as far as I understand, but he's got some damage in there somewhere, and they're working it out, trying to figure out what it is. ... It is serious. He did get hurt, so we don't know exactly what it is, and they're not going to know until they go through the surgery." Immediately after the accident, Johnson was coughing up blood, a source close to the USC football program told ESPN's Shelley Smith.

On the 10PM TV news, they said that doctors were wrapping up seven hours of surgery.

There's concern about his ability to speak.

Of far less importance, of course, is the fact that it looks like he's done with football, at least for this season.

Again thoughts and prayers to Johnson, his family, and the USC family.

[astrologic]

Jayhawk representative popping in to say KU is currently 4-0.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by Radiobarry

I think I can safely speak for all of us in extending thoughts and prayers to USC's Stafon Johnson, and his family.

From espn.com....

[URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/clubhouse?teamId=30"]

On the 10PM TV news, they said that doctors were wrapping up seven hours of surgery.

There's concern about his ability to speak.

Of far less importance, of course, is the fact that it looks like he's done with football, at least for this season.

Again thoughts and prayers to Johnson, his family, and the USC family.

Wow! That's pretty tragic.
I think everyone will be using spotters for a while.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by astrologic

Jayhawk representative popping in to say KU is currently 4-0.

Mmm, cupcakes are tasty!

[sediment]

Originally Posted by Radiobarry

I never have suggested dismantling the bowls...you make the major bowl games a part of the playoff system.

As for the money, the TV money alone they'd get for a playoff would be huge.

And as for the best team winning, does the best team win every year in March Madness? No. But all the best teams are at least given a shot.

The Bowl event is more than football. There is a lot of planning and parades and such. And converting them into a commodity diminishes the bowls' uniqueness.
They already get plenty of money. Again, if there were a better way to make all parties happy, it would have been implemented. Not only that, but any playoff system would be met with, "Oh yeah? Here's our proposal: one game, 10 million dollars for each team we invite."
One game > three or more games, for attending fans' sake, for logistics' sake, for team safety, etc.

[steamboatpete]

Originally Posted by sediment

Wow! That's pretty tragic.
I think everyone will be using spotters for a while.

He had a spotter. It just slipped. If you aren't struggling, and it just slips, a spotter might not prevent the drop. As it is, with this kind of drop, without the spotter there, he'd probably have died on the spot.

Originally Posted by sediment

One game > three or more games, for attending fans' sake, for logistics' sake, for team safety, etc.

Fans, logistics and team safety are all just fine for the College World Series, the Final Four, the Super Bowl, etc., etc., etc.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by steamboatpete

He had a spotter. It just slipped. If you aren't struggling, and it just slips, a spotter might not prevent the drop. As it is, with this kind of drop, without the spotter there, he'd probably have died on the spot.

Just an accident, then. I feel slightly better that there is no one to blame. Glad he's recovering well.

Originally Posted by steamboatpete

Fans, logistics and team safety are all just fine for the College World Series, the Final Four, the Super Bowl, etc., etc., etc.

College World Series: all eight teams playing in one venue.
Final Four/whole tournament: not as many fans going to these games. Also, there are four (sometimes eight) teams' fans filling arenas and stadia. Not just two.
Super Bowl: small percentage of fans of the teams going to it. Other playoff games are held at one team's home stadium.

In short: one game culminating the college football season is what fans, bowl promoters, and BCS schools are currently eating up. As soon as it starts to break down, we'll work to fix it. I've looked at tons of scenarios, from playoffs before Jan 1 (undermines Bowls in place) to playoffs after Jan 1 (bowls become mere preliminaries to subsequent games).
What could cause a breakdown: major bowls start to lose money. The lower bowls should probably just go away anyway.
How do the bowls lose money? When the networks decide not to pay a high enough price.
When would they do that? When people stop watching them.
When will people stop watching them? ???

Shorter: the proposal merely has to sway the Rose Bowl Committee. It has the power to say, "We don't like it, and we're simply going to invite two teams to play on Jan 1."
From what I read and decipher, I don't even think they like this extra game they're getting this year. It is diminishing the game they already put on.

[steamboatpete]

Originally Posted by sediment

Final Four/whole tournament: not as many fans going to these games.

Final Four attendance: up to 78,000.

Final Four Sets All-Time Attendance Record - NCAA.com ? The Official Website of NCAA Championships

Sugar Bowl attendance: 71,852

Orange Bowl attendance for BCS title game: 77,912

[sediment]

Originally Posted by steamboatpete

Final Four attendance: up to 78,000.

Final Four Sets All-Time Attendance Record - NCAA.com ? The Official Website of NCAA Championships

Sugar Bowl attendance: 71,852

Orange Bowl attendance for BCS title game: 77,912

Final Four: Three games played in three days. Economically efficient. And the fans attending are not necessarily the fans that go to the games. Some are set aside, but, again, it's two possible games, so a trip is worthwhile. One football game for possibly three successive each weekend? It's too much.

As soon as that "BCS title game" attendance drops, we'll have a "problem." Seems it's doing alright.

[steamboatpete]

Originally Posted by sediment

Final Four: Three games played in three days. Economically efficient. And the fans attending are not necessarily the fans that go to the games. Some are set aside, but, again, it's two possible games, so a trip is worthwhile. One football game for possibly three successive each weekend? It's too much.

As soon as that "BCS title game" attendance drops, we'll have a "problem." Seems it's doing alright.

Actually, the three games in three days deal is horribly inefficient. They sell the games as 3-game packages. You know you are buying at least one ticket, and maybe two, to see teams you don't care about.

On the other hand, in the NFL playoffs, you have a week (or two) between games, and you often don't know where you'll be next week (If San Diego wins, we're on the road, but if the Colts win, we are at home, e.g.). Yet, the fans show up in droves.

We're only talking about adding two/three more games over the course of one additional week. It would be awesome.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by steamboatpete

Actually, the three games in three days deal is horribly inefficient. They sell the games as 3-game packages. You know you are buying at least one ticket, and maybe two, to see teams you don't care about.

On the other hand, in the NFL playoffs, you have a week (or two) between games, and you often don't know where you'll be next week (If San Diego wins, we're on the road, but if the Colts win, we are at home, e.g.). Yet, the fans show up in droves.

We're only talking about adding two/three more games over the course of one additional week. It would be awesome.

There are a lot of people who buy tickets to those one-time events before even knowing who's playing.
Fans are not traveling in NFL. If college was to be played at home fields, there would be an incredible advantage to that home team that might not be deserved (compared with the NFL), based on the results of the polls, which, according to the assumption supporting playoffs, are not valid methods for determining the better team.
It currently is pretty awesome.

[Radiobarry]

Originally Posted by steamboatpete

We're only talking about adding two/three more games over the course of one additional week. It would be awesome.

Pete, I wish you were king of college football. Or at least a special adviser to Obama on domestic football operations matters.

[startours1]

whats up everyone, I can't believe that Washington was good enough to beat my Trojans and lose to a Notre Dame team whos not as good as USC's(or to me they'er not) College Football is weird sometimes, and thats why they need a playoff system, to give everyone a fair shot. The year we shared the title with LSU I think it was, we were screwed outta that title game after being ranked #1 in the AP Poll and Coaches poll, the BCS is a messed up system... oh and Astrologic, I'm sorry to say but Todd Reising isn't a good a quarterback everyone thinks he is...sorry