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There are too many bowls…And I’m glad
By admin | December 20, 2008
By Jayson D. Henry
Of course there are too many bowls. 34 post season games are far more than are necessary. There’s no way there are, or will ever be, 68 teams worthy of the reward of going to a bowl game.
And, I along with many, many others wish there was a playoff of some sort in college football but that does not appear to be anywhere on the horizon.
So, with all of that said, I’m glad there are too many bowl games. I love basketball, baseball and racing, but I love college football most of all and I love to watch it. The more games the better as far as I’m concerned.
To me, a game between two mediocre teams is better than nothing. Many people have time off during the holiday season with little else to do. How many times can you watch the same old Christmas movies and television specials? Watching college football is a ‘wonderful life’ for me.
One benefit that comes from this abundance of bowls is that it gives teams more time to get extra work done. With 3-4 weeks of preparation time coaches can not only prepare for the bowl game but can also work toward the next season by getting underclassmen more repetitions in practice. This has no doubt helped many teams have better seasons a year later and has probably resulted in going to a better bowl the next year on more than one occasion.
Another often unintended benefit of some of these games is that it gives new coaches a chance to work with the team they will coach next year. When a team’s previous coach is either let go or has moved on to another program his replacement can sometimes be hired in time to lead his new team through the bowl game. This time together can prove invaluable for both players and coaches.
The excess of bowl games also provides an opportunity for fans to see match ups that would rarely be seen otherwise. Big East vs. SEC, Big 12 vs. ACC and Big East vs. Pac 10 are among the bowl pairings that would not often happen outside of the bowl season. These games can provide the ability to compare the styles of play across the country. And, it can help to settle those conference vs. conference arguments.
Providing something other than worn out movies to watch, giving teams extra practice time and creating intriguing match ups are all worthy benefits of having so many bowls. However, I would be remiss if I did not mention the biggest reason for many fans to take interest in some of these games. That reason is the office pool.
Having a little cash and a whole lot of pride among co-workers on the line will cause people to watch games that even the most avid college football fan might not normally watch and cheer vehemently for teams that those same fans would not normally care for. It’s amazing how much a simple $10 bet can inspire someone to become a one day fanatic for a team whose campus may be 2,000 miles away.
Yes, there are too many bowl games. And yes, they are all about money. But instead of getting all upset about who deserves to be there and who doesn’t, just sit back, have a few Christmas cookies and enjoy hours and hours of free football.
Jayson D. Henry is a guest blogger for RacingWithRich.com.
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