[NU Sports] Re: LOL

[mlinhardt at netzero.com]

Everything related to college athletics comes down to a single thing -- How does it BENEFIT NORTHWESTERN both academically and athletically?
Nothing else matters.  
I don't see playoffs as something that would every remotely benefit NU.  In our middling years(8 wins or less) we would be left out.  In our good years I doubt we would get a home game so we would be playing on the road(see NIT).  Neutral site games don't provide good attendance on short notice, which means any NU fans would be paying big money to get down to Fayettville, Arkansas to sit in the end zone upper deck.
The bowl system rewards the teams with extra practices for player development and provides the fans with a warm weather vacation along with a bonus football game.
I don't care about polls and who is number 1.  I am concerned aobut how Northwestern does and whether the conference reputation improves or degrades in the post season.  Nothing else!

---------- Original Message ----------
So we're down to "we love arguments" as being the reason against a playoff?

Well, I guess we are making progress then.

It used to be the bowl tradition - but as we've all seen, the only bowl to benefit under the B(C)S has been the Fiesta. The others - sadly even the Rose - have had their tradition greatly diminished.

Then there was the academic argument. That laugher went out the window at Tuesday night football games.

Too long of a season? Gone with the conference championship games.

So now we're making the last stand on arguments. Well, there will be plenty to argue about still, whether it's a 4-team "plus one" model, an 8-team playoff (that will eventually be what they go to, IMO) or a 16-team "Holiday Madness" tourney ... someone will be left out. And yeah, the "hot team" will win (as opposed to the "best" one that always wins now, right?).

But there will be debates galore, all the teams with legit claims will have a shot on the field (the March Madness debates on teams left out are more for fun than for anyone who has a real shot at the title) and the regular season will still be huge because there are so few games that each one will matter ... in fact, it would matter MORE because there's no incentive to schedule tough September foes out of league now, but there would be with some committee looking at a resume to put a team in or not.

And it will be awesome. Because it's college football, but now with a less sucky (though still not perfect) grand finale.

And I'm sure we'll still find plenty to argue about during the bye weeks.:)

GO CATS!!!
-SjT
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