OT: Frank Deford's take on a playoff
I heard Frank Deford's commentary on NPR this morning, and thought I'd share the link. I know it is nothing new, but hearing arguments from Deford always sound more compelling than from the likes of Stewart Mandel or Dennis Dodd.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113765726
It also got me thinking--what's the surest way for a playoff to happen? It is all about economics. I know this is a longshot, but if people were to boycott all the bowls (except the national championship game, of course, because there is no way I could see people boycotting that game), and networks were broadcasting games with half-empty stadiums and the bowls were losing money, I guarantee you would see a quick attitude adjustment from ADs across the country about a playoff. I know it is a very unlikely scenario, but one can dream.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:36 PM ^
People already "boycott" a number of bowls. Watch the Christmas time bowls this year and you'll see swathes of empty seats.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:53 PM ^
Is to wait about 20 years.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:05 PM ^
>>I know this is a longshot, but if people were to boycott all the bowls...
This reminds me of Steve Martin's bit, "How to make a million dollars and not pay any taxes."
"First, you get a million dollars..."
October 14th, 2009 at 3:00 PM ^
If this is off topic, then I don't wanna be on topic.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:11 PM ^
What really pisses me off is that they could do a partial playoff in November and December, determine a true #1 vs #2 for the championship game, and leave the bowl system exactly the way it is now, with the exception of a few minor bowls that don't deserve to exist anyway going under:
Round of eight on Thanksgiving weekend.
Round of four the next weekend.
Title game Jan 8.
And if they wanted to make it twelve or sixteen teams, they could use the conference championship games and fill it out with at-large invitations.
Kids still get to study for their finals, the bowls still get their teams, and we get a real National Champion. But that would be too fucking easy.
October 14th, 2009 at 8:43 PM ^
That would mean we wouldn't have the Papa Johns, Insight.com, or Pizza! Pizza! Bowls to kick around anymore ....
October 14th, 2009 at 5:09 PM ^
You're not going to get a meaningful number of people to boycott the bowls, so forget about that.
Some kind of playoff will happen once the right people figure out that they can make more money that way.