Playoffs

We all prefer an undisputed national champion and most people agree that today's system is flawed. However, the Bowl system has its merits beyond crowning a National Champion, particularly that it adds another exciting game for fans of teams that are not candidates to win it all - such as Michigan most years (fact, don't hate me for it, let's just hope that changes).

The solution to the playoff question is so obvious no one can see it: Play more.

I know that football is and has always been a fall sport. I know that you will read my SN and hate on me for not recognizing American tradition. However, beyond "it's always been that way," please explain to me why football cannot be played for more than 4-5 months every year. Explain why most other sports in the world manage to have seasons that extend for at least 2/3rds of the year, but football can only be played for 1/3rd. Explain why our football hunger has to be starved during the beautiful spring when conditions are perfect for our favorite sport. Explain why stadiums that cost 100s of millions of dollars to build have to be left barren for such a large part of the year.

My dream setup would be a season with a fall schedule, a bowl season, a spring schedule and a playoff. We could play 8-9 games in the fall, teams with a winning record could get selected for Bowl games, those not selected would either get an extra spring game or not. The spring season could go from late February until the beginning of April where teams play 5-6 games, and an 8 or 16 team playoff could be played in late April with the final played in May.

Or it could be done differently, this is just one outline of how more of the year could be utilised. My point is that by playing more, we could get more football, the players would have more time between games to recover from injuries and the athletic departments would get more revenues. Everyone's a winner. Football is a year round sport for these athletes anyways, so the argument that they need to focus on their achademics is a moot point.

I know that football is the toughest sport in the world and demanding on the body, I have played it for 8 years in the US (HS) and abroad and I've been a fan for over 20 years. I am foreign, but I'm not ignorant. I don't buy the "football is so special our season has to be short"-argument. Maybe I'm wrong, but if you're playing that card, please show valid research to back it up.

The only argument I see against this is tradition, which is a very powerful and valid argument. However, I'm a dreamer and I would love to be looking forward to two more months of Denard now. Wouldn't you?

I figured this would be a nice way to ensure that all day dreaming about NCAA FBS Playoffs sit tidily in one thread. If you're wondering "Why are you initiating this pointless discussion? WHY?" It's because I have my own day dream that I wanted to share, and it will be posted as the first comment in this thread. Enjoy, ignore, or hate.

But to keep the board from being cluttered by day dreams of how a playoff should work, or why it won't work, or what your idea is, or why my idea is stupid, etc. I thought we'd keep it to one thread.

Now that the Big 10 has finally sold out, it seems like we've reached the point where an NCAA football playoff is just about the next step in this soul-less progression toward maximizing profit. There's no point pretending that anyone with power cares about tradition. If the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry can be destroyed without even a second glance from the suits, fan input must mean nothing. And soon, the other suits will realize this: that it doesn't matter if fans and coaches like the bowl games despite the mass commercialization; they'll see the indescribable sums of money lying on the table, and a playoff will happen. So the day many of you have wished for seems just on the horizon.

As for me, the pain I feel from Delany's idiocy, his clear betrayal of the Big 10 and college football in general, is just enough to bring me over the edge; at this point, everything is already going to be different-- so bring on the playoff.

Edit: Marked OT

Go Wings.  Keep it rolling.  

Octopus >>> Shark.  Mark it down.

That's it.

Streams:

http://www.myp2pforum.eu/threads/36754-Stanley-Cup-Playoffs-2010-April-29th

http://atdhe.net/

http://www.channelsurfing.net/

So the NBA playoffs are finally here! I actually care because my home team (the Atlanta Hawks) are decent and have made yet another playoff run.

So who do you like to win it all? Conference finals?

Hawks have a relatively easy road, with the Bynum-less Bucks in round 1. Second round, though, is a toughy. No one to match up against Dwight Howard; struggles on the road (although spectacular at home); and haven't proven they can beat the top 2 teams in the east (Magic, Cavs) consistently (only 1 win against each in the regular season and, in the Cavs game yesterday, both teams basically benched all their starters). Ray of hope against the Magic is that the Hawks were winless against Boston in the regular season 2 years ago, but managed to take them to 7 games. Should the Hawks get past Orlando, chances aren't good against the Cavs (sweep last year in the playoffs still hurts). If Boston somehow manages to upset Cleveland (not likely), I like the Hawks chances.

As it is, I'll go out on a limb and say Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals. Cavs over Jazz in the championship.

As you are aware, M hockey takes on Sparty in the 2nd round of the CCHA playoffs. Sparty will be on spring break next week. Even though Munn Ice Arena is already comparable to a library on game days, I feel we can truly outnumber Sparties in their own building all weekend.

That being said, we need a strong Munn invasion to help our chances for a CCHA Semifinal berth.

To get started, here's the link for tickets from MSU's website. Someone else confirm that MGoBlue will be selling our allotment of tickets starting tomorrow, please.

http://ev9.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=H&link...

Buy buy buy my hockey brethren and may we flood the green and white with the maize and blue.