DMN's Cowlishaw: bowls & BCS

[mr. pony]

There were 19 bowls in '97. Now, 35!
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... f1fd1.html

[Pony_Fan]

Has a shot at SMU at the bottom.

[ponyte]

This is one of the few unregulated areas of free enterprise in college sports. Let the market decide on how many bowl games there are.

[mrydel]

Sure there is a glut of bowl games but 16 more games since 1997 means 32 teams get extra practice instead of it being allowed for only the "haves". Anything that can be done to help level the field is fine with me. They could drop half the bowls as long as they would allow all schools the extra fall practice time.

[mr. pony]

Sure there is a glut of bowl games but 16 more games since 1997 means 32 teams get extra practice instead of it being allowed for only the "haves". Anything that can be done to help level the field is fine with me. They could drop half the bowls as long as they would allow all schools the extra fall practice time.

Having a BCS keeps the have-nots down. Not too few bowl opportunities.

[ponyinNC]

Cowlishaw=bag'a'doutche

[Stallion]

This is one of the few unregulated areas of free enterprise in college sports. Let the market decide on how many bowl games there are.

except the Bowl Market is not a economically competitive market at all. The Secondary Bowl Market is controlled by the same BCS Monopoly that controls the 4 major bowls. Ever wonder why in your day only the 4 major bowls had an affiliation with a conference. Now some conferences have 9 bowl affiliations alone. Almost all of them are BCS v. BCS exclusively(unless one of the BCS Conferences can't fill their quota). This unduly restricts the number and quality of market choices and alternatives availiable to universities and the Bowls themselves. For example Boise St in a free market would likely have a choice of a better bowl than Las Vegas because they offer pretty good TV ratings. If TCU had lost but finished 11-1-then a more local Bowl like the Texas Bowl, Alamo Bowl or even possibily the Cotton Bowl might want a No. 10 team. Someone could match TCU and Ohio St. Who knows but obviously TCU as a university doesn't really fit in the Las Vegas Bowl but would be much more attractive to other bowls in trully competitive free market. SMU certainly would not have been a good fit for the Liberty Bowl either. Of course, the ACC and Big East would definitely not be selected by the BCS. These bowl matchups and affiliations make less sense every year.

[CalallenStang]

Has a shot at SMU at the bottom.

I didn't interpret that as a shot. Sounded to me like a weak way of arguing that bowls simply aren't seen as rewarding as they used to be.

[rich59]

Cowlishaw is full of it, as usual about the BCS. Ultimately a playoff system is the answer with 16 teams and all FBS teams eligible and sharing in the revenue. There could be some of the bowls(15)incorporated into the playoff and the other bowls could continue to exist, just as they do now. One benefit would be that the fifteen bowls in the playoff would all be relevant instead of how they are now. Who really cares if UConn wins the BCS bowl they are in now except UConn supporters?

The bowls not in the playoff would contine to be irrelevant, just like they are now except for the likes of SMU and Army supporters.

I believe we will see a true playoff system. Just hope I am still around for it.

[LVPony]

I'm not certain I would agree that the BCS system actually worked this year since any method would work with these three undefeated teams. I don't disagree with his three points although I'm with ponyte on the first one, let the markets decide, along with minimum qualifications. I agree completely that the title game is too far away from New Year's - a month from the end of the season to too long. The traditional bowls should play New Year's Day - I know, it's all about the money but there is something to be said for the tradition of kicking back on January 1 with a complete day dedicated to one football game after another.

[The PonyGrad]

So, I wonder what he thinks about Texas.