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| LSU and Jacob Hester will face Ohio State in Monday's BCS National Championship Game. (Photo courtesy lsusports.net) |
"It's unique."
Those are the words that FOX hopes will coax disgruntled fans into tuning in for the BCS Championship Game this Monday night.
They are Chicago Tribune writer Teddy Greenstein's words, and they can be found on the official Bowl Championship Series website.
"It's unique."
The BCS system is nothing like the World Cup or the NCAA Basketball Tournament, so in that regard, it is unique...I'll give them that.
But is that really the goal, to be unique? Is that really what we were looking for back in 1997...uniqueness?
I'd like to introduce the BCS computer nerds to a fad that has blown up recently—online poker. It's a phenomenon that actually resembles the BCS system quite closely.
It's very simple—you just download the software, make a screen name, enter free tournaments, and compete for cash.
Within minutes, you're playing real poker...just like the pros on TV, right?
Wrong.
The computer version isn't much of a substitute for the pure version of the game—kind of like the BCS.
I signed up thinking the style of play would be like real-life poker, but boy, was I wrong.
The online version isn't even close.
| "Who's to say that the regular season can't be an unpredictable two-hour thrill ride with the good guy getting the girl at the very end, too?" |
Today's Must Reads
Recently, I won a whopping $20 bucks playing online poker. But, you know what? I Kansas-ed and Hawaii-ed my way to the money: I hesitated to play good cards in fear of losing my chips too early.
Don't be so quick to blame me, though—I had to adjust my style of play in order to survive. If I wanted to land the big payday, I had to change it up a bit. I was just doing what I had to do to secure my spot at the final table.
The game is different, so I had to change my strategy.
And that's exactly what the BCS is doing to college football—by rewarding schools with huge paychecks for merely surviving a season.
What kind of competition is that?
We've learned from the BCS that a weak schedule can land your school a big payday.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to take anything away from Hawaii or Kansas—they both accomplished great things.
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| Kansas players celebrate their 24-21 Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech by eating oranges. (Marc Serota/Getty Images) |
In fact, with Kansas' victory over No. 3 Virginia Tech, I'm sure they now want a shot at the national title. What true competitor wouldn't?
As an online poker winner, I know how it is—I wish I had the opportunity to play the best of the best. I want to know if I'm actually good, or if I was just more prudent in hesitating to play certain cards.
So why no change?
That's right—I forgot that the ratings are up, and that the BCS somehow brought out all of the parity this year.
But just because people keep signing up for online poker doesn't make the game pure. Similarly, just because the BCS is on everyone's mind doesn't make it a sound system.
I'll tell you what—if nothing else, playing online poker really is unique. One could call it wildly entertaining, even—watching all of those chips fly around left and right.
And as we all know from BCS lovers, entertainment trumps competition any day.
Along with calling the BCS unique, Greenstein also says college football under the BCS has "never been wilder," and "never been more popular." He then compares the 2007 regular season to an entertaining movie, saying it was "an unpredictable two-hour thrill ride."
I have to say, Greenstein is correct again—the '07 regular season was pretty entertaining. But who's to say that the regular season can't be an unpredictable two-hour thrill ride with the good guy getting the girl at the very end, too?
Why do we have to settle for just entertainment? Can't we incorporate passion and competition along with it?
A change needs to be made, because "unique" isn't getting it done—not for me anyways.
Robert H. Spain is an Alabama-based columnist for BleacherReport.com. His entire archive can be found here.
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8 months ago
I got no complaints with the current system. Geaux Tigers. See ya on bourbon street.
from 8 months ago
No complaints? Is that a joke?
Whether or not you think the BCS is favorable to a playoff, to pretend like there is nothing wrong with the current system is simply ludicrous. A system based purely on voting, which allows no more than a handful of teams to square off for a championship is going to have flaws by nature.
I understand you're stoked that LSU is in the championship game. I am too as a matter of fact. They are ridiculously fun to watch and were one of the best teams in the game this year.
That said, it's interesting that your allegiance to your team would dictate how you feel about the game in general. How do you know that the Tigers won't get screwed out of their chance to play for the championship next year?
from 8 months ago
Z. You're sorta right. I'm stoked on LSU, but it really wouldn't matter much if they didn't get to play next year. two trips to the championship in 4 years is really all anyone could hope for in one's lifetime. Thanks for the comment about them being fun to watch They are! Les Miles is crazy. Can't wait to see what he pulls on Monday night. Geaux Tigers. I'm about to head over to Louisiana now. Can't wait. See ya on Bourbon Street. I'll be the one with the LSU shirt on.
from 8 months ago
I hear ya Joe—LSU does have a ton to be proud of even if they were to get screwed out of the championship in a future year. Programs like Kansas however might only get one shot—for smaller schools, the BCS can really leave you wondering what could have been...
Happy hunting on Bourbon street—good luck to you guys tomorrow.
8 months ago
This is probably the stupidest, most retarded article I've yet to read on the BCS. On behalf of anyone who ever visits this site, please never write another column again.
from 8 months ago
Dear anonymous,
I suppose I don't "visit" this site so to speak, but I was one of the four people who created it a few years back. I also happen to spend the majority of my life working to maintain and improve this very site, and actively communicate with its top members on a daily basis.
On behalf of everyone who dedicates their time to Bleacher Report, I'd like to kindly request that you sign up for an account, grow a pair of balls, and write your own article before immaturely criticizing a quality piece of journalism which presents a very well thought out argument about the BCS.
If you disagree with Robert, fine. But at least say why. Anybody can engage in name calling, but it takes a real sports fan to debate the issues that crop up in our favorite games in an intelligent manner.
from 8 months ago
Ditto what Zander said.
8 months ago
I have to agree Anon.
First the writer was playing a "freeroll". (for those who don't know that is a tourney without an entry fee).
Second, changing strategy is part of any game.
Third, football requires more than just downloading a piece of software. It's not free.
Fourth, online poker has "blown up" (as in the rap phrase to mean gone big) Fulltilt hits 40,000 players per night every night, usually more. Pokerstars, hits 100,000 almost every night. Get your facts straight.
Fifth, only a fool assumes that any game that has different rules will be the same as the game with different rules. Oh wait that was your point; and yet you made it so clumsily with an attack upon Poker. No doubt you are upset that you are not any good at "poker".
Oh and football is entertainment.
8 months ago
the only thing a playoff might change is we might have two sec teams playing for the national champion ship instead of just one every year. And the how do you determine who is going to play in them without voting anyway. somebody has to rank the teams in order to get a playoff schedule, you cant go by conf. championships cause that would be even more unfair to teams that didnt win their conference ,but are better than those who did win in other conferences.
8 months ago
fantastic, Zander.
just fantastic.
I not only enjoy debating what writers have put forth for everone to read, I enjoy debating with other people who happen to comment these articles.
Nothing is more confusing than agreeing or disagreeing with someone known as "anonymous."
Like Zander said:
Grow some balls, sign up, put your name (any name) out there so we can begin to recognize you and your posts.
To Tim: I recognize you by your SC flag avatar. Props to you for having some balls and making yourself and your posts recognizable instead of hiding behind a shameful "anonymous" tag.
8 months ago
I think people are missing the point of the article (which I think is a pretty good one)
I believe e's saying that the BCS system, while perhaps being entertaining and/or unique, is not what football is supposed to look like. It's a system the rewards things that most people don't want to be rewarding and normally wouldn't make sense.
That rings pretty true to me.
from 8 months ago
Rings pretty true to me as well. Good stuff Robert
8 months ago
Wow. I just got dumber reading the online poker analogy (if that is possible of course). A "feasible" analogy I am GUESSING (since I know nothing about college football or the BCS) would be BCS computer system is to regular tournament structures as playing football on video games is to playing actual football on a field. Throwing wild plays around and whatever results the game decides is "entertaining" but takes away from the realism and purity of the game? I tried.....
However, the one thing I am absolutely sure about is that the author has absolutely no understanding of poker (live or online). A prime example of people on the internet writing about what they please without bothering to research a basic comprehension. Online poker lacks some of the experience of live play, but is fundamentally the same game as well as moves much faster and there is a game at any level available at all times. It is not rigged, it is not all luck (anyone who even has a slight understanding of the game and/or statistics realizes your anecdote about winning or losing in the short run is insignificant) and unless you are playing a freeroll (game without chips equivalent to real money) then not everyone pushes in their cards whenever. Please, please...try sitting at a table of 2/4 No-limit and up. You will be crushed consistently and you will learn that no luck will save you as the better players who understand the game will win more.
I took a few minutes to read your article and write a response. All I ask is that you take some time to actually research and comprehend the the analogy you are going to base an article on.
Chris
4 months ago
I would recommend not allowing someone to write a comment without creating an account and a user name. SEC fans never cease to amaze me. They win two championships via a stacked deck and suddenly they think there the greatest show on earth. There are four teams in this conference who are elite: Georgia, LSU, Florida and Tennessee. Oregon has a better overall record than Auburn during the BCS era, has a better performance record against teams who have won nine games or more and has competed against more BCS opponents outside of their conference than Auburn has. Oregon State has a better performance record than Arkansas. Alabama is akin to California. What the SEC has is six of the alltime television darlings who gained their identity as television evolved. If you seriously think Georgia was the number two team in the country this year, they lost by 21 points to Tennessee and were beaten by South Carolina and they skipped LSU on the schedule. How does this qualify as a response that these two teams would compete for a national championship. - BCS Busters Inside College Football!
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