04/23/24
March 01, 2004
The BCS adds a fifth bowl game.: Tulane University president Scott Cowen's crusade on behalf of the mid-majors has led the Bowl Championship Series to fold an extra contest to the mix. Of course, not everyone is thrilled about the decision, and of course the big scramble will be to see which current bowl gets upped to BCS standing.
tradition? hahahahaha. You mean, 'the one that has the best attendance and biggest TV contract already.'
"This agreement is a significant victory for college sports and higher education," NCAA President Myles Brand said. You know, I really hoped that the man who had the balls to fire Bob Knight would have the balls to reform the NCAA. Shame that isn't the case. This has absolutely zero to do with higher education and everything to do with keeping the pretense that the Big East is a major conference in football. Oh, and money. Duh.
posted by tieguy at 06:53 PM on March 01, 2004
But at least we are talking about this and not the fact the BCS gave us a the split National Championship it was supposed to eradicate. At least we are talking about which small confrence school has a chance to get to a bowl game and which nothing bowl will be promoted into the money stream instead of which bowls will be in the playoff system. That and the money is what Myles will be most happy with.
posted by pivo at 07:43 PM on March 01, 2004
As an alumnus of the pride of the mighty Sun Belt Conference, the North Texas Mean Green, I'm glad that the BCS has finally done something to enable all Division I-A schools to have a chance at a BCS bowl. It's probably not enough -- the last thing the BCS schools want is to level the playing field -- but it's better than nothing. I still wish they'd scrap the whole thing and find a way to do a playoff. An on-the-field national championship in college football would be one of the biggest sporting events in the world along with the Super Bowl and World Cup final. How can they not make that happen?
posted by rcade at 10:36 AM on March 02, 2004
Fans have criticized it as not only flawed but confusing and favor crowning a champion through an NFL-style playoff. Broadcast executives relish a playoff system, too. But playoff advocates will have to wait. The topic didn't come up yesterday. And if college presidents hold sway, Frohnmayer indicated, it never will. "There is not sentiment of any significance for a national playoff based upon the academic reasons and the welfare of student-athletes," Frohnmayer said. There's your reason, rcade. Apparently the sentiment that counts is not that of the fans or those paying the bills, but university presidents who couldn't tell a football from an ostrich egg.
posted by wfrazerjr at 12:00 PM on March 02, 2004
I don't know how they can say that "welfare of student athletes" bit without laughing out loud. Who are they fucking kidding?
posted by rcade at 12:44 PM on March 02, 2004
Themselves, rcade. Themselves.
posted by wfrazerjr at 01:09 PM on March 02, 2004
I'm not registered and I sure as heck ain't gonna get registered for the privilege of reading a wapo article (who do they think they are, the Journal? the Times?) but ... ... what are they calling the bowl? (and who's the sponsor?) C'mon this is the best part of having an extra bowl game! Kohl's Bowl Kohler Toilet Bowl Campbell's Soup Bowl Dole's (Pineapple) Bowl Doritos Nacho Bowl (or Dat's Nacho Bowl!) Kellogg's Cornflakes Bowl Orville Redenbacher Popcorn Bowl Olive Garden All-You-Can-Eat Salad Bowl Red Lobster Bowl Ed's 9-Lane Bowl Aunt Barbara's Pottery Class Ceramic Bowl Dust Bowl Weevil, Bowl (entomologist joke!)
posted by worldcup2002 at 01:43 PM on March 02, 2004
It'll be an existing game like the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. My favorite bowl game name was the Salad Bowl, with the Pecan Bowl a close second.
posted by rcade at 02:04 PM on March 02, 2004
Thanks for the links, rcade. Looks like in the old days (Salad Bowl 1948-52, Pecan Bowl 1964-68) -- before big corpo and sponsorships took over? -- they actually had a sense of humor. Citrus Bowl, yeah. How about a Dole's Fruit Bowl? Tropicana Orange Bowl? (has that already been done?) Ben & Jerry's (UniLever) Chubby Hubby Ice Cream Bowl? Uncle Ben's Rice Bowl? Campbell's Chicken Noodle Bowl? Tyson's Frozen Turkey Bowl? (oh, wait, that's something completely different. Also, some Turkey Bowls that actually involve football.)
posted by worldcup2002 at 03:43 PM on March 02, 2004
certainly not the Holiday Bowl, as that article seems to suggest. What's the biggest non BCS bowl with the most tradition? The Cotton Bowl?