Wednesday: Four-team playoff approved; politicians and sports
COLLEGE PRESIDENTS APPROVE A FOUR-TEAM FOOTBALL PLAYOFF starting in the 2014 season. Here’s the story. “It’s a great day for college football,” BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said. “As soon as the commissioners realized they could do this and protect the regular season, the light went on for everybody.” Nice job by Andy doing a little Q&A on what this all means here.
YOU GUYS KNOW I’VE NEVER BEEN A HUGE PLAYOFF PROPONENT, which puts me in line with approximately zero percent of the rest of the nation — particularly my media brethren. But while you’re going to hear a lot about how this isn’t enough, how you need at least eight teams to ensure the Boise States and TCUs get their shots, I actually like the four-team model. I like to see only the fiercest survive.
THAT SAID, NOW THINGS GET INTERESTING. Who’s going to be on this selection committee? How much will will the public get to see of the process? Is it going to be like hoops, where the chairman comes out and speaks in generalities about why people are in or out, or will we get some actual explanations with some strong data to back it up? Guess we’ll see.
A rare exception to my rule: George Bush throwing out the first pitch after 9/11.
Because when you don’t, innocuous comments become silly. Take this episode Monday on the campaign trail in Boston, for instance:
“Boston, I just want to say thank you for Youkilis,” Obama told the audience at Symphony Hall.
The crowd began booing, in a loud but seemingly good-natured, defend-our-team kind of way.
“I’m just saying, he had to change the color of his socks,” Obama said with a chuckle.
A smiling Obama added: “I didn’t think I’d get any boos out of here. I guess I should not have brought up baseball. My mistake.”
Not a big deal, really…until the Romney camp got ahold of it. From the story:
In a daily email blast to reporters on Tuesday, Romney press secretary Andrea Saul led off by accusing Obama of having taunted Red Sox fans. She lumped it in with some of the most gut-wrenching setbacks in Red Sox history.
“Maybe the president should have congratulated the team for winning the World Series in 2004 and 2007,” she wrote. “Instead, he chose to mock them for trading away one of its favorite players at a time when the team is struggling.”
Struggling? Boston had won seven out of 10 — and won again last night.
Like I said, might just want to stay away. Everyone.
GOOD DAY FOR SOME AFTERNOON TV WATCHIN’ IF YOU’VE GOT THE TIME. The sizzling Yankees host Cleveland at 1 p.m. on MLB Network. At 2:30, Portugal and Spain square off in a EURO 2012 semifinal.
FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE
A rollerblading Raptor. Click the pic and enjoy the show.
Click me.
-By the way, if you enjoy these gifs half as much as I do, head on over to the SBNation gif bracket here (warning: salty language). And while you’re there, read everything you can find written by Jon Bois — the guy is hilarious.
NAME THAT TUNE
I remember the stupid things, the mood rings, the bracelets and the beads
Nickels and dimes, yours and mine, did you cash in all your dreams?
You don’t dream for me, no (goodbye, goodbye) you don’t dream for me, no
But I still feel you pulse like sonar from the days in the waves
That girl is like a sunburn
I would like to say
The girl is like a sunburn
I would like to say
She’s like a sunburn
She’s like a sunburn
June 27, 2012 - 8:12 AM
I think it’s great the playoff finally came. That’s 100 years overdue, but I’ll take it over the idiotic BCS system that was put in, and kudos to Andy for the use of “bladerdash” in the blog post. Awesome.
I think Obama was just trying to tease the crowd, but ultimately, it backfired. But, to be fair, he did treat British prime minister, Brown, to a basketball game, and was gracious enough to explain how the game’s play. But, yeah, sports reference shouldn’t be used by politicians during the campaign trials. Also, the Clemens’ steriod trial was a joke, and a complete waste of time.
There was a great column by Pat Forde, who I follow on Twitter, on Janet Evans, a mother of two, 3 times gold medalists swimmer, attempting a comeback at the age of 40. She received a standing O before and after her event. She got smoked by a group of teenagers, but hey, she still goes strong. Awesome stuff.
Hockey? No mention of Oates joining the Hall-thought you might make note of that. I`m ready for the Dodgers to activate Mattingly-at least until Kemp gets back. Also waiting for Magic et al to make a big trade. Speaking of being shutout. Obama seems like he`s kind of drawing an “o for” this week also so his strike out in Mass. fit right in.
I was so hoping the presidents would shoot this down.
1. Although I think there are too many, I’m a bowl proponent for tradition reasons. I don’t mean Beef O’Brady’s or whatever. I mean Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Orange, Peach, etc. Bowls that have been around since at least the 60s or 70s.
2. How is this any different than +1? Having participated in a number of tournaments, four teams is barely a playoff. Eight would have been nice, but it really should be sixteen.
Why sixteen?
To the best of my knowledge, every other NCAA Division I tournament includes the champions of each conference – except the I-AA football playoffs due to the Ivy League and SWAC choosing not to participate. The NFL includes the champions of each of the eight divisions, even if the division champion finished 8-8 or 7-9 (hello, NFC West!). Why would you exclude the Sun Belt, MAC, WAC, Mountain West, Big East, and Conference-USA champions on what will likely be a very consistent basis in football but include them in basketball?
3. I’d like for the championship game, under THIS format, to be finished by January 1. Along with every other bowl game. All the talk of wanting this to be a one semester sport, and yet most universities will be starting their second semester sometime between January 12 and January 19th in 2014.
In my ideal (16 team) playoff, the first round would be played two weeks after “Championship Week” – December 20 for the 2014 season. Quarterfinals on the 27th. Semi-finals on the 3rd. Finals on Monday January 12th. That gives two weeks to prepare for the first round and lets most schools get through exams and winter graduation.
4. The bowls should not be hosting the semi-finals. You want this to be fan friendly? How many of your “average” fans are going to be able to attend a bowl game semi-final one week, then go to the Jerry Dome the next to watch the championship game? I don’t care how small Wake Forest is, play every round but the finals at the site of the higher seed. This will keep travel costs within reason for most fans, plus they can more easily pick and choose which games they can or cannot attend.
You don’t want to travel to Winston-Salem, Huntington, or Boise? Then win your conference. ;P
Yesterday the BCS committee reminded me of my grandad the day he finally cashed in the bunny ears and tin foil a satellite dish. He drugs his heals on this for over a decade, but then found himself completely entranced by the fact he could now watch obscure west coast college games until 3 a.m. Just think of all those great Hawaii and Gonzaga games he missed out on because he didn’t want to admit there was a better way to watch TV.
I don’t know where you found that video of Chris Bosh blading, but that’s hilarious.
The biggest flap of the whole President taunting Red Sox fans was Carney trying to cover it up by suggesting they were saying “Youk.” **facepalm** Too bad Youk’s nickname was Moose like ole Randy Milligan. That would’ve made more sense. Not a single Youk coming from that crowd.
Does anyone else think NASCAR is broken? Matt Kenseth is leaving Roush at the end of the season mostly due to being without a sponsor for much of the season. This despite being a champion and leading the points this year. Being a great driver and winning races is not enough in today’s NASCAR you have to be marketable too. Some people would say Kenseth is bland and maybe he is but isn’t racing about being the best DRIVER? It makes me wonder if Dale Earnhardt were alive today a young up and coming driver if he would be able to find a sponsor. So you have all these young guys that are mostly image and low on talent. Yes they can make a car go fast but the cars are so much easier to drive these days. Case in point a few years ago the governor of North Carolina took some laps at Charlotte in Jimmy Johnson’s car. He turned laps within 2 MPH of Jimmy. He wrecked the car they actually got another one out for him and he then turned faster laps with the back up car! Sorry I can’t remember the exact date but it is out there to Google. Love NASCAR but these guys today are mostly about marketing and can not come close to the talent of the drivers of the past.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say the BCS is dead and we actually have a playoff.
What we have is a BCS like system with no computers involved, and a plus 1 setup, it is simply that the extra game is played by the winners of two specific games.
When the BCS +1 format was discussed, it would have just meant “seeding” the top 2 teams AFTER the BCS games would have been played. There is very little difference between that and this.
This is not much different than the current system. Teams have to earn their way into the final game, by winning a “semi-final” game, but this will still be tilted toward playing weak OOC teams and by the power teams to protect the overall record, hope they can finish 11-1, not play in their conference championship game, let alone win it, and still get in the ‘final four.’
A real playoff would put 8 conference champions in, from the 8 strongest conferences and play it out from there, regardless of overall record.
I’m not ready to call this 4-team event a “playoff” yet. It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s not a playoff yet.
To me, you earn your way into a playoff, you’re not voted into a playoff.
I still think it needs to be limited to conference champions. Yes, I know situations happen like last year where the PERCEPTION was that LSU and Alabama were the 2 most deserving, but anyone can quickly show data to prove that Oklahoma State had done more on the field than Alabama during the season. OSU just wasn’t perceived to be as much of a darling pick as Alabama was.
I just don’t think it makes sense for a team to not be capable of winning their conference, but have a chance to call themselves a national champion just because they get voted Prom King.
Name that tune: Band is Third Eye Blind… for the life of me I can’t remember the song title… getting old sucks!!!
Dan nails the artist.
I also prefer that politicians stay out of sports, as sports tend to be politicized too much anyway, and ALL politicians look stupid when pandering to a sports crowd.
The only person who ever made a good ‘first pitch’ was George W, and he made a great one at the most crucial time anybody could ever make one (excepting FDR in April 1942, which he didn’t attempt). Not a lob or a one hopper, it was a Jamie Moyer fastball right across the plate.
NASCAR – why do the team owners (and sponsors) think that an unproven <25 yr old is more desirable as a spokesperson than an articulate and established 30-something?
My pet peeve used to be Ward Burton not getting love, now it is Elliott Sadler not getting love. Who wouldn't like Elliott Sadler? He's as friendly and country as it gets, he loves to hunt and fish, he is as NASCARish as a person could be. He works well on TV and radio. And he's kicked to the curb for the 22 yr old flavor of the month, year after year.
Yeah, Matt Kenseth is as boring as white paper without lines, but he WINS. That doesn't even matter any more. Instead, a 'youngin' is hired who hasn't won at the level Kenseth has proven, and doesn't give evidence of being as good as Kenseth, much less better.
If you can't tell, I'm over 40. COME AT ME!!! I'M A MAN!!! I'M 40(plus)!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3Phh_J4cCg&feature=fvsr&noredirect=1
CR — Might be my favorite sports moment in history. So good.
Count me as one of those who was/is against a playoff. If they wanted to make the selection process more human and less computer, they could have done that with the existing game, which, as I’ve pointed out in numerous arguments with friends, is a two-team playoff.
As far as how it affects me, I guess I’ll have to bump up that trip to Pasadena and see a Rose Bowl before it becomes either a semifinal game in a playoff or whatever it is on the years it’s not included (watered down, unless the Pac-12 and Big Ten champs both missed out in a given year).
As far as those who want eight or 16 teams involved, rank your perceptions of Harvard, UVA, Tech, and Radford, then find the order of selectivity of the four schools. “More accessible” doesn’t always mean better.
If Obama had told me the joke he had planned, I would’ve thought it wasn’t worth the risk, but at least he did better than John Kerry when he visited some place called “Lambert Field” in Green Bay. I love these attempts to appear to be “one of the guys.” It reminds me of Mr. Burns going down to the bar after work, and engaging in small talk with the workers. “Hey, fellas. How about that local sports team?”
Jonathan — Good call. Incredibly Mr. Burns-y.
Wow. Never saw that clip. The Oklahoma State coach really had a Bone To Pick with that reporter.
Allen Iverson’s practice rant is a good one, too.
Ralph the funny part of that episode is that she had a reply where she tried to assert her opinions on the player as being ‘facts’, thus thinking she was justified in what she wrote.
Jonathan, Harvard is I-AA and the Ivy League doesn’t even participate in the I-AA playoff. Radford doesn’t have a football team. And, again, I point you back to the NFL and NCAA basketball tournament taking teams with 50-50 or losing record that have won their division (NFL) or conference tournament (NCAA). Though, in fairness, only one NFL team has ever won their division with a record of 7-9 or worse and only a few times has a team won its division at 8-8. Of the 11 teams that went 8-8 or 7-9, only four have won their division. The rest were wildcards.
That should be 8-8 or 7-9 and made the playoffs.
Donald, the comparison of the schools was referring to academics, not football. I was pointing out that the more selective a school is, the better a reputation it generally enjoys. Meanwhile, people are apparently pushing for an even less selective way of determining a national champion.