Can we stop pretending bowl games matter?

[PIBuckeye]

Looks like 2014 was a big year for new bowl games. This also shows there are 10 more "Proposed" Bowl Games on the books including one in Ireland and one in Dubai!

wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_college_bowl_games

10 Oldest Bowl Games
1. 1902 Rose Bowl
2. 1935 Orange Bowl
2. 1935 Sugar Bowl
2. 1935 Sun Bowl
5. 1937 Cotton Bowl
6. 1945 Taxslayer Bowl
7. 1946 Citrus Bowl
8. 1959 Liberty Bowl
9. 1968 Peach Bowl
10. 1971 Fiesta

10 Newest Bowl Games
1. 2015 Arizona Bowl
1. 2015 Cure Bowl
3. 2014 Quick Lane Bowl
3. 2014 Bahamas Bowl
3. 2014 Boca Raton Bowl
3. 2014 Camelia Bowl
3. 2014 Miami Beach Bowl
8. 2010 Heart of Dallas Bowl
8. 2010 Pinstripe Bowl
10. 2008 St. Petersberg Bowl

What was the original name of the sun and taxslayer bowls? those were not them.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

See, this is F-ing ridiculous. Looks to me like there is more like 1,500 in the stands.......

with tickets not being sold and no one watching the bowl, how the hell can they justify doing these lower tier bowls.

People are clearly watching on tv, or espn wouldn't pay to air it.

 

[PIBuckeye]

People are clearly watching on tv, or espn wouldn't pay to air it.

yea? how many? I would bet not very many.....

 

[Lance Armstrong]

yea? how many? I would bet not very many.....

I'm not sure, but if it didn't make a profit then nobody would pay for it. We love football on tv during the holidays, that's why ESPN buys these bowl games up. They actually own and operate a few of these crap games, because it makes money.

 

[PIBuckeye]

I'm not sure, but if it didn't make a profit then nobody would pay for it. We love football on tv during the holidays, that's why ESPN buys these bowl games up. They actually own and operate a few of these crap games, because it makes money.

didn't know that. but I'm fairly certain, you can gauge TV viewership by using an extrapolation ratio based on how many actually show up in person.

I'd like to know just how little of viewership are they prepared to accept.

 

[NU_FTW]

Bowl games are awesome. The importance isnt the pre season rankings, but the extra weeks of practice with players, extra confidence going into the spring. Bowls now matter the same as bowls during the BCS era... Every team wants to play when the most eyes are on such as New Years bowls.. I would be fine with the CFP sucking in all the original BCS bowls and expanding the playoff too.

 

[wazzu31]

Bowls games do matter to 99.9% of everyone involved, I can understand a player not wanting to play but damn, I can't imagine he will have many friends left on his current team for not having their backs and will most likely be a target on his NFL team.

 

[Deep Creek]

What was the original name of the sun and taxslayer bowls? those were not them.

The Sun Bowl has always been the Sun Bowl but the corporate "tag" changes all the time. I believe the Taxslayer was/is the Gator Bowl.

 

[osubuckeye89]

The best bowl sponsor ever is still The Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl

 

[Mike30142]

They haven't mattered for a while now, the best players aren't even partaking in them(can't blame them after what happened to Jaylon Smith last year) and while the perception is that it will help you going into next year, the fact is with a CFP committee, it doesn't matter where you're ranked to start the following year.

It's basically CFP or bust these days. Even sponsors are backing out left and right these days.

We tried telling you that after the Bama/Oklahoma game in 2014.

 

[gobigred]

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

How many football players in the entire history of college football have entirely ended their careers in the bowl game just before their draft day? I don't mean had a setback and lost a year, but career ending.

Those kids that played with you and helped get you there very much need you to return the favor. I said nothing about doing it for the school or their cash grab. It's about the other kids on your team and the fans. You are entirely shitting all over there. Period.

Bunch of fucking selfish pussies.

I've been reading your comments regarding this subject and I gotta say, WizardHawk, they and you have surprised me. You're displaying a set of stones that I did not think you had.

I've told you plenty of times that I think you're a talking meatball, so now that I feel so inclined, I'll not be bashful in giving you some props.

Kudos, Mr. Hawk.

Well, WizardHawk, I owe you an apology. While perusing the PF this morning, I realized that I'd made a mistake. It isn't you who I've openly and repeated called a talking meatball, it's your cousin, FlyerHawk. Woops! Not sure how I can explain my gaffe other than to chalk it up to me being a talking meatball.

For all I know, you've got a big set of stones, and I like your take on this particular subject.

Mea culpa.

 

[Gopherfan84]

Is there even 5,000 people at this bowl game today? Hell is there even 3,000 people at this bowl game.

I think the Montreal Expos drew more fans for home games last season than were at that game.

 

[Gopherfan84]

As soon as the playoff was announced I was saying that it would eventually bring about the death of the bowl system. It will take a long time (like the NCAA basketball tournament), but I think where we'll end up is a 32 team playoff and no bowl games.

Sponsors will want maximum exposure, meaning they'll want to be affiliated with the playoff or the major bowls. That and a decline in viewership from over-saturation will start killing off the bottom tier bowls. Eventually enough bowl games will die off that they'll expand the playoff (likely to 8 teams to avoid byes). That cycle will keep repeating until you ultimately get to 32 teams.

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

They haven't mattered for a while now, the best players aren't even partaking in them(can't blame them after what happened to Jaylon Smith last year) and while the perception is that it will help you going into next year, the fact is with a CFP committee, it doesn't matter where you're ranked to start the following year.

It's basically CFP or bust these days. Even sponsors are backing out left and right these days.

I will agree and disagree with your belief system.

Are there too many bowl games? Yes. Way too many. When you allow 6-6 and 5-7 teams, you know your system is broken. Bowls are suppose to be a reward for putting up a productive season, not for being average. 7 wins should be the starting point.

Do they matter? Yes. Any time, you give someone the opportunity win a prize, it matters. The minor bowls serve mostly as a recruiting tool and away of helping out players move up in the draft.

 

[Deep Creek]

As soon as the playoff was announced I was saying that it would eventually bring about the death of the bowl system. It will take a long time (like the NCAA basketball tournament), but I think where we'll end up is a 32 team playoff and no bowl games.

Sponsors will want maximum exposure, meaning they'll want to be affiliated with the playoff or the major bowls. That and a decline in viewership from over-saturation will start killing off the bottom tier bowls. Eventually enough bowl games will die off that they'll expand the playoff (likely to 8 teams to avoid byes). That cycle will keep repeating until you ultimately get to 32 teams.

While I agree there will be a gradual erosion of the bowl system (at least as we know it today) I can't ever see a 32 team playoff. I can't imagine ADs giving up a regular season game much less two which would be needed to handle such a playoff. If they aren't willing to and they keep their CCGs, then the final two teams would play 18 games. I do think the money offered for some additional playoff games may exceed the amount for CCGs which is the only reason those may go away or take up a slot at the end of the regular season. Megaconferences have to have a CCG as currently structured.

I'm not one that has sympathy for the demise of the bowls. I know the players enjoy "SOME" of them, but they could turn those early season neutral site games into the same experience if they so choose. Might even allow some of the northern locations to be more "travel" attractive, i.e. Green Bay like LSU went to early this year.

I also think the Group of 5 should have a playoff like FCS does. Unlike basketball where Butler has a shot, I can never see a Group of 5 team having a real shot until they become a regular member in the top 10 recruiting classes. Hell, I can't even see some of the P5 teams doing so until they also put together a string of 2-3 consecutive top 10 recruiting classes.

JMO.

 

[Edisto_Tiger]

 

[TigerBait1971]

I just watched one of the best games this season.

Fuck you queers that don't like foitball

 

[Edisto_Tiger]

 

[CorpRebel]

I just watched one of the best games this season.

Fuck you queers that don't like foitball

So... WHICH game was that???