We Demand Playoffs

That’s how I’m interpreting his column, anyway. In a nutshell, Maisel argues that the BCS looks bad in the public eye simply because they aren’t trying hard enough. And excuse my sarcasm, but I’m shocked that an ESPN columnist is starting a BCS defense campaign. (ESPN recently won the bid for the next 4 years of BCS game broadcasting rights, in case you weren’t aware.)

So Ivan, the BCS could look good publicly if they only tried harder? Yeah, right.

The truth is that no matter what the BCS does, they CAN’T look good in the public eye. There is no defense that rational, intelligent people can accept. We’ve all heard the common excuses out there, and the few that manage to sway some people are the best they’ve got:

• The season would be too long if there were a playoff (aka “what about academics?”)
• The regular season would be less interesting/meaningful/exciting
• Going to a bowl game is a reward for a great season that everyone loves and would miss dearly (aka “what about tradition?”, aka “what about the uniqueness of college football?”)
• Travel to all the playoff games would be too expensive for the fans

None of these arguments are strong enough to maintain a system of inequality and ambiguity which is overall unsatisfying to most college football fans. Let’s take a quick look.

The season would be too long if there were a playoff (aka “what about academics?”)

Weak, weak and weak! An 8 team playoff would mean a total of 2 extra games for the 2 teams that make the championship. It would be 1 extra game for 2 other teams. And that is only if the current 12 game regular season and optional Conference championship game remain.

The regular season would be less interesting/meaningful/exciting

Prove it. I believe instituting a playoff would have the opposite effect. Teams would actually have MORE riding on the line if they had a real shot at a REAL national championship.

Going to a bowl game is a reward for a great season that everyone loves and would miss dearly (aka “what about tradition?”, aka “what about the uniqueness of college football?”)

And there wouldn’t be any pageantry/tradition/uniqueness in a college football playoff? Of course there would be. Additionally, non-playoff teams could still participate in bowl games. Don’t try and argue that those bowl games would become less meaningful if there were a playoff system in place because they ALREADY ARE MEANINGLESS!!

Travel to all the playoff games would be too expensive for the fans

This one is tricky. If all the playoff games are held at current bowl locations, then yes travel would get spendy (but not moreso than NCAA basketball). I personally would prefer to see top seeds earning home field advantage through the semi-finals. Playing the first two or three rounds at the higher seed’s home field would eliminate this argument, plus provide a lot more revenue to the teams involved.

The bottom line, Maisel, is that your transparent attempt to be a good little “company man” reeks and is boring. And is totally predictable. Not to mention pathetic.

Maisel: Stop picking on the BCS [bullies], they don’t even have their fists up!

Yeah, right. They have thrown their punches and now have no way to defend what they’ve done and continue to do.