Bowl Games

[paul secor]

I watched two bowl games tonight where a 7-5 team was playing a 6-6 team. Why not have a Toilet Bowl, where teams that have won only one or two games (or none) play each other?

 

Bowl games used to mean something.

[GA Russell]

Paul, I bet you remember fifty years ago a young guy had a nationally syndicated "column" called The Bottom Ten, ranking the worst ten college teams.  As I recall, Northwestern was usually up there.

Each week there was a highlighted "Crummy Game of the Week," which featured two conference cellar dwellers battling each other.

[Dan Gould]

8 hours ago, paul secor said:

I watched two bowl games tonight where a 7-5 team was playing a 6-6 team. Why not have a Toilet Bowl, where teams that have won only one or two games (or none) play each other?

 

Bowl games used to mean something.

You're only just noticing now the expansion of bowl games for no particular reason but having a sponsor ready to pay?  At least they do have a requirement that you must win at least six games to be bowl eligible.  Otherwise my appalling Seminoles would have gotten an invite despite falling a game shy, just because there are plenty of FSU grads and fans out there in the southeast.

[paul secor]

I realize that it's all about money and sponsorship - The Cheez-it Bowl? - as is everything these days. I still find the entire bowl thing sad and more that that, disgusting.

[Brad]

22 minutes ago, paul secor said:

I realize that it's all about money and sponsorship - The Cheez-it Bowl? - as is everything these days. I still find the entire bowl thing sad and more that that, disgusting.

Welcome to America, where if a dollar is to be made, we will make it!

[Dan Gould]

What I can't figure out is how they make much of it with gates that are often terrible for so many of the low tier games. 

The money is made by the rights fees I guess but with ESPN revenue plummeting how much longer can they pay for the worst of these games, that can't possibly earn anything from commercial sales given terrible ratings? Maybe the cord cutting movement will have a positive effect and end some of these games?

 

[JSngry]

They only have these games because they figure people will watch them. If they have an audience, they can sell time and get a sponsor to carry the load..If it costs them more to do it than they make on it, they will stop. That's what happened to the now-forgotten Bluebonnet Bowl (which was really just a means to make the Astrodome some money) and almost happened to the venerable Cotton Bowl.

I've stopped watching even the big bowls, just because college athletics no longer interest me. But those little ancillary games that would be on, like a Thursday afternoon and you're home from school and oh, hey, football, let me grab some snacks and a beer, sure, why not? Not even going to do that, let somebody else watch those games, preschoolers, maybe.

 

[GA Russell]

I agree that teams should be at least decent to qualify for a bowl.  Remember, two of those six wins were against early season Div. I-AA teams.

And I agree that naming a bowl game after a corporation is distasteful - even more so when the corporations change every couple of years.  In Charlotte the Belk's Bowl was the Continental Tire Bowl not long ago.

But I like the idea of two evenly matched teams from opposite sides of the country (who would never otherwise play each other) getting together on a beautiful southern afternoon in late December, while the rest of America is taking the week off.  It might be a good game!

[Dan Gould]

The Cheez-It Bowl is never going away then! That orange shitte is nearly as old as I am.

Unless they rotate it among their cracker brands. Anyone for the Toasteds?

[HutchFan]

Triscuit Bowl next year?  

[paul secor]

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

What I can't figure out is how they make much of it with gates that are often terrible for so many of the low tier games. 

The money is made by the rights fees I guess but with ESPN revenue plummeting how much longer can they pay for the worst of these games, that can't possibly earn anything from commercial sales given terrible ratings? Maybe the cord cutting movement will have a positive effect and end some of these games?

 

ESPN is evidently desperate to broadcast anything. ESPN 2 is airing the World Axe Throwing League and Dodgeball tonight.

[JSngry]

Why isn't dodgeball on The Ocho?

[Dan Gould]

50 minutes ago, paul secor said:

ESPN is evidently desperate to broadcast anything. ESPN 2 is airing the World Axe Throwing League and Dodgeball tonight.

Bring back Wrasslin' then !