Remember when there were bowl games that people actually attended?

[StinkStankStunk]

And for those saying there are two many bowls, lets not forget there are kids busting their butts at the non-P5 conferences that should get awarded. Akron and Georgia State both won their first bowl games this year.

Who cares? Seriously.

Yes, maybe for an hour or two they "hoot and holler" and feel good.....but faced with a couple weeks of practice, travelling over the holidays - as opposed to a couple weeks at home, and holidays with family and friends.....is it even worth it?

Maybe a couple hundred bucks worth of swag is enough...IDK.


And the ONLY folks who make any money off of these deals are the folks at Disney/ABC. The schools and their athletic programs surely don't show a profit....and have to travel pretty cheap just to try to not lose too much.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

A lot of division 2&3 athletes bust their butts. Should they also be awarded with bowl games?

They have a better reward....an legitimate post-season playoff.

 

[Art]

They have a better reward....an legitimate post-season playoff.

Some reward. Preliminary games are played on the home fields of the higher seeds. The DIII Championship is played in beautiful Salem, Va. The DII Championship was until recently played in scenic Florence, Al. Venue was upgraded a couple of years ago to Kansas City, KS.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

Some reward. Preliminary games are played on the home fields of the higher seeds. The DIII Championship is played in beautiful Salem, Va. The DII Championship was until recently played in scenic Florence, Al. Venue was upgraded a couple of years ago to Kansas City, KS.

Having the ability to control your own destiny and advance in a true playoff with a win is a far better reward than getting to play in a meaningless game in front of an empty stadium.

 

[Art]

Having the ability to control your own destiny and advance in a true playoff with a win is a far better reward than getting to play in a meaningless game in front of an empty stadium.

Sop you get to play a meaningful game in an empty stadium...and get to visit someplace that you never would on your own. As I said, some reward.

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

Attendance of bowls so far-

Bowl. Attendance. (Stadium capacity)

1. Las Vegas Bowl- 42,213 (40,000)
-BYU vs Utah rivalry in Vegas
2. New Mexico Bowl- 30,289 (39,224)
-New Mexico playing at home
3. Camellia Bowl- 21,395 (21,000)
4. Cure Bowl- 18,536 (70,000)
5. New Orleans Bowl- 32,847 (76,468)
-Louisiana Tech in Superdome
6. Miami Beach Bowl- 21,712 (36,742)
7. Boca Raton Bowl- 25,908 (29,419)
8. Potato Bowl- 18,876 (36,387)

9. Poinsettia Bowl- 21,501 (70,561)

10. GoDaddy Bowl- 28,656 (33,471)
11. Bahamas Bowl- 13,123 (15,023)
12. Hawaii Bowl- 22,793 (50,000)
13. St. Peterburg- 14,652 (42,735)
14. Sun Bowl- 41,180 (51,500)
-Using Pitt math apparently
15. Dallas Bowl- 20,229 (92,100)
16. Pinstripe Bowl- 37,218 (54,251)
17. Independence- 31,289 (52,000)
18. Foster Farms- 33,527 (75,000)

Great post. I appreciate your thorough research.

 

[doctornick]

Having the ability to control your own destiny and advance in a true playoff with a win is a far better reward than getting to play in a meaningless game in front of an empty stadium.

"meaningless" is in the eye of the beholder. I'd argue that in the days before people got so obsessed with a "playoff" in college football, that no bowl game (or regular season game for that matter) was "meaningless" in college football as the goal was simply to win as many games as possible.

I hate the emphasis on trying to crown a national champion. What is wrong with just trying to win as many games as possible? Why can't that be "meaning" enough?

 

[dawgduice]

OK, just to make some sense. I'll ask you a question, why can't you pay for cable channels "ala carte"? If you know that answer then you know what the earlier post was about. If you do not then I have this bridge to sell you. (I'm referring to "you" as those that believe the "system" has not been built by ..... the "rule" makers. AND not one on this board is a "rule" maker.

 

[Art]

OK, just to make some sense. I'll ask you a question, why can't you pay for cable channels "ala carte"? If you know that answer then you know what the earlier post was about. If you do not then I have this bridge to sell you. (I'm referring to "you" as those that believe the "system" has not been built by ..... the "rule" makers. AND not one on this board is a "rule" maker.

Just can't wait to here the answer to this one. Then, we'll finally know for sure where Hoffa is buried.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

"meaningless" is in the eye of the beholder. I'd argue that in the days before people got so obsessed with a "playoff" in college football, that no bowl game (or regular season game for that matter) was "meaningless" in college football as the goal was simply to win as many games as possible.

I hate the emphasis on trying to crown a national champion. What is wrong with just trying to win as many games as possible? Why can't that be "meaning" enough?

Really? I would think the most important "eye" would be the kids putting in all the blood, sweat and tears and it's rather ironic that not a one of them would have the lame viewpoint you do. Laughable to claim that regular season games demonstrate just as much as post-season wins in a REAL PLAYOFF. Take any of the teams in the BCS's 4 Team Invitational Tournament -- none of them have played a remotely similar schedule and all of them have rung up all but a couple of their wins against complete nobodies or teams with at least 5 losses! Yet you sit here and claim that beating 3 or 4 Playoff Worthy opponents in an 8 or 16 team playoff respectively proves less than beating up on average-to-awful teams for 90% of your regular season schedule? Right, no athlete wants to find out who is best on the field of play, but that's why athletes desire just this in every other sport at every other level including the Olympics??? You're so full of $hit, it isn't even funny -- what a fargging moronic post which makes it obvious you've never played a sport in your life. Hey, gee, let's just give everybody participation trophies and then have a "beauty pageant vote" to declare who's best. Good grief, what pablum.

 

[Nitt1300]

And the worst teams had 8 or 9 losses?
And they showed some of the bands performing at halftime?
And fans of other schools actually watched your team play because each game actually meant something?
And Joe Paterno was a young coach, and Bear and Woody were still on the sidelines?
I remember.

yep, sure do

but time marches on, and those days aren't coming back-though I do miss them

 

[Aberguy52]

All about eyeballs on the TV. Until fans stop tuning in there will only be more not less.

Stephen Wiseman‏@stevewisemanNC
Per ESPN, Duke's Pinstripe Bowl over Indiana earned a 2.7 rating. By comparison, the Duke-UNC OT basketball game last Feb drew 2.6.

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

Really? I would think the most important "eye" would be the kids putting in all the blood, sweat and tears and it's rather ironic that not a one of them would have the lame viewpoint you do. Laughable to claim that regular season games demonstrate just as much as post-season wins in a REAL PLAYOFF. Take any of the teams in the BCS's 4 Team Invitational Tournament -- none of them have played a remotely similar schedule and all of them have rung up all but a couple of their wins against complete nobodies or teams with at least 5 losses! Yet you sit here and claim that beating 3 or 4 Playoff Worthy opponents in an 8 or 16 team playoff respectively proves less than beating up on average-to-awful teams for 90% of your regular season schedule? Right, no athlete wants to find out who is best on the field of play, but that's why athletes desire just this in every other sport at every other level including the Olympics??? You're so full of $hit, it isn't even funny -- what a fargging moronic post which makes it obvious you've never played a sport in your life. Hey, gee, let's just give everybody participation trophies and then have a "beauty pageant vote" to declare who's best. Good grief, what pablum.

More vintage Bushwood. Glad to see the asylum lets the patients out for the holiday season.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

And the worst teams had 8 or 9 losses?
And they showed some of the bands performing at halftime?
And fans of other schools actually watched your team play because each game actually meant something?
And Joe Paterno was a young coach, and Bear and Woody were still on the sidelines?
I remember.

Remember when Paterno railed against the "beauty pageant" bowl system in favor of a legitimate playoff (not the farce Invitational Tournament we're being subjected to).... I do. Paterno hated the subjective unfairness of the old system - far from your claim, it routinely rendered UNDEFEATED SEASONS MEANINGLESS!

 

[fairgambit]

Remember when Paterno railed against the "beauty pageant" bowl system in favor of a legitimate playoff (not the farce Invitational Tournament we're being subjected to).... I do. Paterno hated the subjective unfairness of the old system - far from your claim, it routinely rendered UNDEFEATED SEASONS MEANINGLESS!

Well, for Penn State at least.

 

[mdking001]

My buddy at work lived in Hawaii in the late 70's early 80's and went to most of the bowls there with his dad during that time. He said they never paid for a ticket as they gave them away. And concessions were dirt cheap. His dad was military and didn't have much money but this was a big event for them. He thought beer was .25 and hot dogs were buy one get one free. Taxis were free to and from the game as well. Even with all that, there were thousands of open seats. Just like the UC SDS game this year.

 

[blion72]

Just to see how things have changed over the years-

At the time of that Aloha Bowl in 1983, there were a grand total of 16 bowl games. 32 teams went to bowls.

This season there are a total of 41games. 80 teams now go to bowls.

1983- 16 bowl games.
1995- 18 bowl games.
2005- 28 bowl games.
2015- 41 bowl games.

glad someone had some data. this was even worse than I thought. Bowls should be for only the most deserving (certainly >8 wins on a 12 game schedule). the bowl size in 1995 was about right. if we want to be fair, let all the non-bowl qualifiers still get their 15 extra practices in, so there is no carryover advantage for the bowl qualifiers.

BTW - not sure why games that have little or no attendance are going to generate much TV interest either. 41 bowls is just stupid and will lead to many teams with losing records getting into games.

 

[psu00]

glad someone had some data. this was even worse than I thought. Bowls should be for only the most deserving (certainly >8 wins on a 12 game schedule). the bowl size in 1995 was about right. if we want to be fair, let all the non-bowl qualifiers still get their 15 extra practices in, so there is no carryover advantage for the bowl qualifiers.

BTW - not sure why games that have little or no attendance are going to generate much TV interest either. 41 bowls is just stupid and will lead to many teams with losing records getting into games.

I agree. Too many games with teams at 6-6 and 5-7 getting in. It waters down the games and decreases the interest. I think around 16- 18 bowls is likely best.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

I agree. Too many games with teams at 6-6 and 5-7 getting in. It waters down the games and decreases the interest. I think around 16- 18 bowls is likely best.

Ummm, not for nothing, but the simplest way to make the games "meaningful" is to go to a playoff format where deserving teams play and you win, you advance. Having teams with slightly better records play each other in meaningless games doesn't make the game any more meaningful.

 

[psu00]

Ummm, not for nothing, but the simplest way to make the games "meaningful" is to go to a playoff format where deserving teams play and you win, you advance. Having teams with slightly better records play each other in meaningless games doesn't make the game any more meaningful.

Never said I was against a playoff. Frankly, I've said before it needs expanded to at least 8 if not 16 teams. In any event, the games would be more meaningful if the best matchups were the goal as opposed to filled predetermined conference quotas and making sure that a Northern Illinois, Toledo, Akron, Georgia Soutgern etc were mandated to be represented as well. The old bowl system started to lose interest when the bowls began to align too strictly with conferences to such an extent that there were often repetitive games every few years.

 

[T J]

Art Model moved the Browns when his crappy team sold out a stadium he leased for a penny a year that held 90,000 people. That is when I knew they no longer cared much about fannies in seats.

One difference with many bowl games is the opportunity to stimulate the local economy from visiting out-of-town fans.

The NFL teams are getting a large percentage of attendance from home area fans, who go home at night and who may spend fewer dollars at local restaurants.

Bowl boards seem to focus on generating out-of-town attendance from fans spending money in the stadium, at hotels, restaurants and local businesses.

No doubt TV money trumps everything. But flooding local businesses with cash from outsiders is still a likely goal from many bowl game boards.