Monday, December 5, 2011

Shit like this just makes me happy that spring training is 11ish weeks away

I wanted to post something extensive about the BCS title game mess but sadly I couldn't really find anything worth wholeheartedly attacking. My stance: it's annoying that the game is a rematch, I would rather have seen Oklahoma State, but it's not the greatest injustice in the history of sports. (What is that greatest injustice, you ask? Easy. Jimmy Rollins over Matt Holliday for 2007 NL MVP.)


Anyways, the two closest calls came over at CBSSports, where Dennis Dodd wrote a piece titled "Blame voters -- not SEC -- for having LSU, 'Bama in title game." A bold stance to be certain. What? Voters (and really, you can call the people who organize the computer rankings voters too given how screwed up some of their results are and the fact that they don't have to disclose their formulas if they don't want to) are responsible for the championship game matchup? I was ready to blame greedy Wall Street bankers, illegal immigrants, and the moon. But then the article had some good points; Okie State had the better resume, but the SEC has a lot of street cred and voters are influenced by that. It also pointed out that most SEC fans are insufferable cunts--can't go wrong with that one. (Not you, Biggest Ruckus. You're cool.) So Dennis is off the hook this time.

Troll extraordinaire Gregg Doyel wrote a similar piece about how Okie State got screwed simply because they don't play in the SEC. He wandered all over stupidland to make his points, my favorite part being:

Because Alabama is in the SEC, and the networks love the SEC. They have reason to, given the top-dollar TV contracts given to the SEC, but it's more subtle than that. Familiarity breeds appreciation, which explains the unfathomably bad songs that make it into the Top 40. Why are they there? Because the radio plays them. Why does the radio play them? Because they're in the Top 40. It's a vicious cycle that has resulted in Katy Perry in your eardrums, and Alabama in your favorite bowl game.

LEAVE KATY PERRY ALONE! SHE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS! But like Dodd, Doyel had some points. So yeah, it is what it is. The whole BCS hierarchy continues to be at best fucking worthless and at worst a corrupt money-funneling scheme for big bowl and big conference execs. I bet we have a playoff system of some kind within ten years, because any time the season doesn't end with two and exactly two undefeated teams, there's going to be a shitstorm. But it'll take a while for people (execs of the non-AQ conferences, powerful coaches, NCAA execs who aren't greedy assholes oh wait there probably aren't any) to get angry enough to actually do something about it.

Really, I'm just pissed that LSU won and Houston lost this weekend. Because of one or both of those things didn't happen, man, we'd have really seen some quality (and justified) bitching and moaning today. Sigh. Maybe next year. In the meantime: TEBOW TEBOW RODGERS PACKERS NFC EAST LOGJAM STEELERS RAVENS TEBOW JIM HARBAUGH PEYTON MANNING'S BABYNECK SAINTS TEBOW WILD CARDS GRONKOWSKI BRADY TEBOW TEBOW!!!!! And that, plus a little NHL and NBA regular season ACTION ACTION ACTION have to get us through until mid-February. No, I will not acknowledge regular season college basketball.

8 comments:

Tim N said...

Gregg Doyel rips Katy Perry in a football column. Peter King mocks a birthday greeting to Britney Spears in a football column.

I can't wait for Easterbrook's take on the state of pop music.

Biggus Rickus said...

I got a shout out. These are heady days. I wanted Oklahoma State to get voted in, largely because I hate entitled Alabama fans, but I do think Alabama is the better team. As long as it doesn't come down to a field goal.

Anonymous said...

Jimmy Rollins over Matt Holliday? HAHAHAHAHA!!!

I think you meant Jimmy Rollins over David Wright.


Matt Holliday!

Adam said...

So what's the over/under on the title game, 9.5?

Larry B said...

Anon- Wright had the WAR edge, it's true. However: without Holliday, the Rockies don't get within 5 games on the playoffs. Without Wright, the Mets... oh. Yeah.

Not trying to be a dick about it or dig up painful memories, I'm just saying.

Biggus Rickus said...

It's not really fair to blame Wright for the collapse. He was a beast in September that year.

Larry B said...

Oh absolutely, I'm not blaming him. I'm just saying: one guy carried his team there, the other couldn't quite do it. I think that makes Holliday "more valuable" even if Wright was the statistically better player.

Chris W said...

Look at Larry taking the BBWAA party line. heyman would be proud!