Football Playoffs and the BCS

2005-11-27 Posted at 06:41:38 PM

Just watched the  University of New Hampshire (UNH)
 football team, my Alma Mater win the opening round of the Division I-AA Football Championship against  Colgate University  in their quest to be National Champion.  If the system was the same as it is for Division I-A, there wouldn't be a playoff.  UNH would be declared Division I-AA Champion based on the season final poll. They wouldn't continue to play and the arguments could start as to whether they were really better than Hampton, Richmond, Appalachian State or any number of teams.

I'm sure that all the UNH players and the players from any other team that was ranked first at the end of the season would want to  prove it on the field.  That why it makes so much sense to have  a playoff to determine the champion.   Division I-A Football decides National  Champion by a poll.  As far as I know all other sports are decided by direct competition.  Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Lacrosse, Swimming, Track and Field decide championships in head to head competition.  Imagine a National Track and Field
Championship where the put all the performance times, heights and distances in a computor along with two polls to decide the National Champion.  That is how the do it for football.

Division I-A  determines the National Champion  the BCS System.  The BCS system was developed to
 determine the National Champion.  A complicated formula involving six computer rankings and two polls ranks the teams.   Then the top two teams play in a bowl game to determine the National Champion.  Unfortunately,  every year a deserving team is left out of the game.  Last year Auburn University had an unbeaten team in a very tough conference but were denied the opportunity to prove they were the best

According to the web site the  BCS System
"..was designed to determine the national champion for college football while maintaining and enhancing the bowl system that's nearly 100 years old."   The key part of the statement is "maintaining and enhancing the bowl system.."   The bowls are huge money makers.  The fear is   playoffs would distract from the minor bowls.  The assumption is that the major bowls would host the  playoffs.  

 The bowls generate huge amount of money.  I counted 26 Football Bowls which would mean 52 College  teams have another pay day.   If they went to a 16 team playoff for the top 16 teams and played the games at the major bowl sites it would diminish the appeal of the other bowls.  A 16-team playoff would
take a total of only15 games. With a Championship series being the big thing the minor bowls would lose their appeal and disappear.  A 16-team playoff would be the maximum that would seem feasible.  An 8-team playoff would be more realistic.  An 8-team play off would mean only 7 more games.  A workable number that would determine a true champion on the field.  

Meanwhile Division I-AA, II and III will continue to find out who is truly National Champion on the field of play not at the ballot box.   The "best team" doesn't always win.  There are always upsets, crazy bounces of the ball,
off-day but the Champ is the one who actually wins on the field.

I'll be rooting for my team, UNH to win three more games that would make
them the true Division I-AA National Champions.   As nice as it is to be ranked number one at the end of the regular season and even if they lose the next game and are knocked out of the playoffs,  I'm sure that without a doubt all the UNH players would agree that the way to become National Champion is on the field not the ballot box .


Wally McRae


******************************************************************************************************************

All the News that's NOT fit to print about Iraqi

2005-11-26 Posted at 12:32:43 PM

Reading the local and national papers and reading the weekly news magazines it appears that the only thing that is news worthy about Iraq has to be bad news.   This is  not surprising since most news sources feature bad news.  Bad news sells or as  Lewis Lapham, Editor of Harper's Magazine says "The good news is the advertising. That's what it's about, and the bad news--the dead guys and the crime--is to get the suckers into the tent."

With the suicide bombers and over 2000 of US Soldiers dead and the reporting that we are in a  quagmire since we invaded Afghanistan in 2001,  one would understand that there would be a lot of bad news to report.  I wouldn't expect to see glowing reports but there must be something positive.  Some progress in a country that has been under the dictatorship of  Saddam Hussein for over 25 years.  Surely there must be some encouraging news.

Searching  Google  you can find some interesting and encouraging information.  Every Iraqi isn't trying to kill our soldiers and there is much to be encouraged about.  One important and revealing thing is that dozens of  Iraqi Newspapers sprung up.  Probably most of them are critical of the Iraqi Government
and the United States... just like the press does in every free country .  It is remarkable that after more than 25 years of complete censorship under Saddam the Iraqi people can speak their mind

An interesting blog is from a Grandmother of 15 who is working in Iraq and writes of her experiences Grandma's Blog 

Another blog is from Michael Yon, an embedded reporter in Iraq who has some very poignant photos in his blog  Michael Yon Blog

Some signs of progress:

 Water Plant Opens in Owja

Najaf Electricity Project Targets Distribution

Hospital Opening Furthers Iraqi Progress

Even the stock exchange is open Baghdad Stock Exchange

HSBC Bank   has been licensed to start operations in Iraq.

Tourism is up.  How can that be?  It must be where suicide bombers go to relax.
 Iraqi Tourist Mecca,

There is even an article on where Iraqis go to relax and vacation

There is some encouraging news in Iraq but one has to dig deep to find it.

**********************************************************************************************************
The Good News in Internet Marketing - All  You Need for Internet Marketing

BlackHoleSeries

***********************************************************************************************************target="_blank"target="_blank"target="_blank"

Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

2005-11-22 Posted at 02:48:24 PM

We have all heard the term "Don't judge a book by it's cover." Of course that means don't judge people, things or ideas on superficial things. Most of us believe that but we don't always apply it. Whether in business or personal relationships we are too quick to make judgments. It seems to be human nature to make quick easy evaluations.

A Rescue Mission Volunteer, Helena Rivette in Syracuse, New York decided to do a little test on her judgment. While collecting blankets and monetary donations at a local mall for the poor she decided to try and judge who would give an who wouldn't. She was surprised to find that the well-dressed well-groomed would be the least likely to contribute. The ones who gave were the teenagers. The teen agers we criticize. The ones with the boys with pants nearly down to their ankles and the girls showing too much skin were the ones who dug deep and nudged their buddies to contribute. She was embarrassed to say that the most generous were the ones she wouldn't want her kids to hang out with.

We can all learn form this. How may times have we made a quick judgment of a person or and idea and found out latter that we were completely wrong. Human nature being what it is I don't think we can stop making quick superficial judgments. However, we should stop and dig a little deeper to get a true evaluation.

**************************************************************

BlackHoleSeries a comprehensive alternative of Internet Marketing Success Strategies for SOHO, DIRECT, MLM and NETWORK Entrepreneurs. We offer the BEST Hosting and Marketing package online, an accumulation of 8 years of Successful Online Experience!

Have the TOP Search Engines promoting your products or services FREE"
Join for $39.00 per month and we will Teach you how. MONEY back Guaranteed.
BlackholeSeries

No Newer Entries No Older Entries

Page content is Copyright ©2005-2007 Wally McRae