Bowl Retirement
The Peach Bowl will be my official Bowl Retirement...It will be the last Bowl game I attend..Why? First a little context..Over the decades Ive been to them all..Multiple Rose Bowls, Sugar Bowl, Orange and Fiesta even the 1981 Bluebonnet Bowl In Houston along with the multiple Citrus, Outback and Gator Bowls and all the others. In fact Id hazard a guess that Ive attended more bowl games than probably anyone on this board.
I used to watch every single bowl but the last 10 yrs or so I only watched the major games because the rest were just crappy and meaningless
Back then Bowls MEANT something..Players didnt sit them out and nobody left early..A bowl game was SPECIAL there werent that many and the stadiums were packed.
I spent alot of money on tickets travel food etc etc etc but it was worth every penny..Not any more.The bowls have become completely meaningless played in 3/4 empty stadiums and nobody really cares anymore.
The Bowl games just dont justify the expenses anymore especially when the team on the field isnt the team on the field during the regular season..Oh yeah i know the argument about more practice time etc etc..Making a Bowl game used to be a accomplishment but not anymore so The Peach Bowl will be my last..Just not worth it anymore.
For those who think the CFP is a good thing, well it isnt..its still a Mythical title when the Conference Champions of one of the top 2 leagues in the country doesnt even qualify and not just once but 3 times..its a sham a scam and this system is desinged to favor the SEC...the SEC got 4 teams in the big Bowl games FOUR! This system just continues to perpetuate the SEC Myth and will continue to do so until a true playoff is instituted
So I will go to the Peach Bowl..but now Im not all that excited about as I once was . I will cheer for the Wolverines but win or lose its going to be ho hum one way or the other..The Bowl system is DEAD
December 27th, 2018 at 1:15 PM ^
I agree, which is why I think the CFP "ruining" other bowl games doesn't make sense. If anything, the CFP added a "meaningful" game for 2 more teams than under the BCS.
I am torn on how I feel about players sitting the bowl game. My first thought is Jaylen Smith (sure bet first round pick with no injury history) and to a lesser extent Jake Butt (long injury history). On the other hand, the team, the team, the team.
I wonder if it would be possible for the university to have an insurance pool for athletes and could pay the injured athlete after he/she leaves. Obviously there's some actuarial calculation to determine how much compensation an athlete should receive for the injury, but I think fewer players would sit if they knew the university had their backs.
One insurance complication is that many athletes may be more high risk than the average insurance pool, but I'm sure the university could figure out how to make it work.
December 27th, 2018 at 3:14 PM ^
No idea if it’s related, but the NFL has also had players sit out in recent years. I don’t follow the NFL closely, but isn’t Laveon Bell pulling the NFL-equivalent of skipping a bowl game to get paid? And I think there were some DBs that did similar moves, I think it was a dude in Seattle who broke his leg and then didn’t get paid or something
December 27th, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
I might be in the minority, but I’m actually looking forward to seeing some underclassmen get valuable playing time.
The only dude sitting out that I truly wanted to play is Bush. And he fully intended to play until he was injured.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:36 AM ^
In a losing cause?
December 27th, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
It's a generational thing. The Bluebonnet team had a much different youth sports experience than this year's Peach Bowl players. Also, the early enrollment most college coaches are pushing basically cements the idea that the "next step" is more important than graduating with your senior HS class. So why wouldn't the NFL "next step" be more important than playing an exhibition game with your team?
December 27th, 2018 at 11:25 AM ^
The self-loathing in this OP is palpable - oh, woe-is me!! The thing I grew up with is gone, so it's all crap now!
Not that I disagree, I miss the old bowl system, too. The one that made the Rose Bowl so traditionally awesome. The CFP, in its current form, is horrid - not enough teams and selection criteria that is too open to valid criticisms. A minimum 8 team playoff needs to be instituted immediately, and preferably a 16 team playoff should be the end goal.
But that doesn't mean its all crap! The bowl games have purpose beyond poll positions. The teams playing, by far, are excited to be there. Maybe there are too many bowl games (there are)? And yeah, they're not well attended (because winning 6 games doesn't make you a good team). Maybe the extra practices should be added to the end of the season for all teams, bowl invites, or not? But when you decide to not follow your team to a bowl game, you've made a decision for you - NOT for the team, or for bowl games, or for playoffs (or against any of those things, either). You've made a decision to deprive yourself of that entertainment. That is all.
If you deem the expense and hassle of travel to be not worth the effort - okay, great! But don't blame the games, or the system, or anything. It's nothing more than a personal choice you've made for your benefit. So stop blaming your choice on something other than your personal opinion. Seriously, you sound like my 7 yr old - it's somebody else's fault, boo-hoo!!!
December 27th, 2018 at 11:26 AM ^
"The bowls have become completely meaningless played in 3/4 empty stadiums and nobody really cares anymore. "
Well, for purposes of the current system, they are not entirely meaningless, at least some of them are not, but then what is the fix? Expanding the playoff makes a few more games meaningful in the sense that you're playing for a shot at the title, and contraction of the totality of bowls - which I doubt TV would let happen - can do that as well potentially. I think what has been revealed in the rapid proliferation of bowl games is that relatively few fanbases travel well, and schools which have teams but perhaps their "fans" are largely fans of the larger institutions around them (commuter schools probably have this issue) just aren't going to garner that much interest, I would say.
December 27th, 2018 at 2:20 PM ^
How about this for a fix. Expand to an 8-team playoff. Rank the rest of the teams using an RPI or NET type ranking, then match them up against like-ranked teams, each playing one more game throughout December. This would kind of be like the B1G-ACC Challenge. Play them on campuses for the lower ranked teams and at traditional bowl sites for some of the higher ranked teams not in the playoffs.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:28 AM ^
I agree the bowl system is not what it once was, but the same can be said for college football in general. Increasingly the only thing that matters is money. Can't blame you for becoming jaded with the whole thing. I still enjoy watching many of the games, but I agree the "feel" they used to have in decades past just isn't there anymore.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
You're right. It's all money now. However, I still love the college game so for now (probably forever) they have my time, my attention, my clicks and my ticket money. Same can't be said for the NFL though, even stopped playing fantasy this year.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:43 AM ^
I love the college game as well. I would choose watching a college game over an NFL game almost every time . . . right, wrong, or indifferent, that's just me.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
I think college football’s problems are far worse than the irrelevant bowl system. One could argue today that Alabama is simply a dominant minor league program. The only thing missing is a primary relationship with one NFL team. 114,000 people don’t fill a stadium to watch the Toledo mud hens. And there are a lot if college fans that don’t like pro football very much. I’m a huge unashamed capitalist but the over the top pursuit of money at the college level is driving it towards business football and away from its storied mystique. Players with established draft positions sitting out games illustrates the point even more. I don’t have an answer for Jim F-ing Delaney but neither does he (other than grab as much cash as he can while he can) and I’m a little less interested every year. I sure as hell won’t adopt the Lions. However, one can see why Europeans think our rabid college fandom is weird.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
Returning the regular season to 11 games is a start.
December 27th, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^
Lions should snap up Alabama. Then I would be interested.
December 27th, 2018 at 1:55 PM ^
One wonders how Nick Saban would fare if he doesn’t have the equivalent of six first round picks every year... One wonders how would Harbaugh do with that kind of athletic talent gap. I bet pretty good. Saban’s recruiting prowess (fill in the obvious comment here...) is bad for college football.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:38 AM ^
I agree with most of what's stated above, and would only add i'd like to see the SEC lose all eight of their bowl games, even though that would mean an annoying UCF claim to a second quasi championship.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:44 AM ^
Most people I know pair a vacation with their bowl game trip, so even if the bowl doesn't mean as much as it used to they still get a vacation out of it.
December 27th, 2018 at 2:48 PM ^
And I think most people would prefer to go on vacation when and where they want instead of Central Florida at a very expensive time to travel.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:44 AM ^
Get off my lawn!
December 27th, 2018 at 11:48 AM ^
The Rose Bowl isn't meaningless. That place will be full with a national audience of millions.
Same with the Sugar Bowl.
There is a difference between the traditional New Year's day prime time Rose / Sugar / Orange bowls and, say, the Dollar General bowl.
And that's always been true.
If you want the bowl game "meaningfulness" dividing line, it's not CFP and everything else. It's CFP / traditional New Years bowls and everything else.
I wish Michigan were playing in the Rose Bowl. I'd be watching, and I'd care who wins.
Fun fact: Except for the 1997 season, there has not been a single Rose Bowl since the beginning of Bo's era in 1969 where Michigan was "playing for a National Championship".
There was not a single Rose Bowl where Michigan knew if it won it would be the National Champion. Not even the 1971 season where Nebraska would still have been voted ahead of us even it we had won it.
And yet all those Rose Bowls mattered. A lot. To the point where I still have emotional scars over all of the losses.
Two of Michigan's greatest victories ever - the 1988 season Rose Bowl victory over USC, and the 1992 season Rose Bowl victory over Washington - were technically "meaningless". We were not in the National Championship picture, win or lose.
And yet they mattered deeply.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
I am missing something. Wasn't the 1997 team playing for a National Championship in the Rose Bowl?
December 27th, 2018 at 12:02 PM ^
Yes, I had edited it, but you saw it before the edit.
December 27th, 2018 at 4:10 PM ^
Got it. I was totally with you until that.....
December 27th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^
I enjoy watching college football no matter who is playing. Doing so from the comfort of my sofa watching my big screen high def TV is usually preferable from the hassle of going to a stadium and watching the jumbo tron. Besides, I enjoy interacting on Mgoblog during the game.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^
So long as the SEC only plays 8 conference games, plays few non conference Power 5 games on the road, & schedules multiple FCS games effectively creating numerous bye weeks, the 4 team playoff is a disaster. Conference champions should be automatic. If these means 8 teams, so be it. PAC 12, BIG 10, & BIG 12 need to give one finger salute to SEC.
Saying that, bowl games, with the new red shirt rule could become interesting. Basically a preview of next season. This is certainly how I intend to watch the Peach Bowl.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:33 PM ^
Would definitely be good to see a 8-team playoff and every BIG 5 school conference champ guaranteed a spot - period. Like NCAA Hoops. Then limit the other 3 opening such that no conference gets more than a 2nd.
In that scenario, we would have made 2 of the last 3 playoffs.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:51 AM ^
Understand your feelings completely. I began watching the college football bowl games on a console TV with the picture broadcast in black-and-white when the Sugar, Cotton, Orange and Rose Bowls all were played on New Year’s Day. The first college bowl game I ever watched might’ve been the first one ever broadcast on NBC – the 1958 Sugar Bowl in which Ole Miss beat Texas.
The corporate takeover of college football saddens me, but it might be the only way for the game to thrive, especially considering how many more entertainment distractions exist today that we didn’t have back in 1958.
Continuing a pattern that started for me years ago, I’ve yet to watch even one full quarter of play in any of the college football bowl games played this season. But I’ve never been to a college football bowl game, so I’ve still got that among the hundreds of items on my bucket list.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
That's some sweet Triple Option.
December 27th, 2018 at 3:32 PM ^
amazing how slow, small, and not very good at football many of the players look. fun to see the plays though, the alignments, the crazy looking 6-2 defense where the LB's are about 10" off the line of scrimmage.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:52 AM ^
Ok, Andy Rooney.
December 27th, 2018 at 11:56 AM ^
I haven't watched a single down of the bowls so far. I'll probably watch UM unless they look like crap. I'll won't watch Bama. I'll watch the other playoff game. That's about it.
December 28th, 2018 at 10:16 AM ^
You've missed some good moments in the bowl games so far then. I feel sorry for you. Personally, I plan to enjoy this last spate of college football before the long, dark offseason begins again.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
So when we make the playoffs, I hope you keep your salty ass at home.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:04 PM ^
Is this thread worthy of the "cool story, bro" response?
December 27th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
FFS, it is just an exhibition game designed to line the pockets of the organizers and the host city. You people need to seriously get over it.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:07 PM ^
Yeah, I mean I get it. Change is hard. Seems like there's not much do about it and that its likely the football postseason will continue to evolve. Does anyone think 20 years from now we still have a 4 game playoff? The game and players are changing as well. Hopefully you can find a new way to enjoy another Michigan game the way you might enjoy us playing a fun non-conference opponent to start the season. You're voting with your dollars, which is always a good way to show your concern. I don't think it's likely though that'll change back to something like it was, so hopefully this is a cathartic first step in your coming to terms with that and finding joy in new post-season structures. Sounds like you've got a lot of great memories and are a great fan. Happy New Year, Maize4Life!
December 27th, 2018 at 12:07 PM ^
in case you needed another reason to hate modern bowl games here's one with some Michigan ties (minimal). Turns out the guy in charge of the Outback Bowl makes over a million dollars just for running the Outback Bowl. It is more than double the chief of the Rose Bowl and there's some good old nepotism/cronyism as well since he is part of the football McVay family. Yippee...
December 27th, 2018 at 12:17 PM ^
I was going to post that when I read it yesterday, but it pissed me off and I didn't want to share that feeling with the blog.
December 27th, 2018 at 1:41 PM ^
I just can't bring myself to open that link.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:08 PM ^
Agree that college football needs a true playoff. I’m a proponent of 16 teams. It would be January Madness!
December 27th, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^
Didn't read. toooooooooooo long
December 27th, 2018 at 12:14 PM ^
And I'm sure tooooooo negative.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^
Thanks for taking the time to let everyone know how you feel.
Really changes how everyone else feels. Great use of space here.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:13 PM ^
Personally, I hate the CFP. I preferred the old school bowl tie ins. I wasn't even a fan of the BCS. I know, I sound like a "get off my lawn" old guy. But that's just the way I am.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:15 PM ^
Along these lines, I've started compiling the list of bowls, the stadium capacity, and the attendance so far. Here are the results:
A couple of quick thoughts:
- There are a lot of bowls.
- Some cities have multiple bowls (Orlando, Atlanta, etc.)
- Some of the stadiums are way too large for the teams playing, which means empty seats
- I predict the lowest attendance percent will be the Arizona bowl here in Tucson because nobody here cares about Arkansas State, or Nevada, or football.
I'll keep tracking this and post as a diary when the bowl season is over.
December 27th, 2018 at 12:21 PM ^
Nice work Don!
21% of capacity for Marshall V South Florida. And the game was played in Florida!
I don't understand how anyone is making money with numbers like that.
December 27th, 2018 at 2:02 PM ^
Is the attendance/concession revenue+ TV revenue share for the stadium (smallish?) more than the cost of support? The stadium is sitting empty otherwise (sunk costs, etc). I'm sure the break even point is much lower than 25% capacity for an off day event.
December 27th, 2018 at 1:02 PM ^
I like this. Could you also add the records of the bowl teams?
December 27th, 2018 at 1:48 PM ^
Okay, will do.
I'm also looking for a single number that would help indicate how good or bad a game it was, without going too deep into fancy-stats. I'm thinking total turnovers (both teams) ... the smaller the number the better, the bigger the number the bigger the shit-show. The Cal-TCU game with 9 interceptions comes to mind.
December 27th, 2018 at 2:08 PM ^
What about a score ratio. The closer to 1 the closer the score and presumably the more interesting. A game could be interesting without any turnovers or with five. I bet more people turn off if it's a blowout than say anything else.