Thursday, December 8, 2011

JAW's Raw Topics


I originally was going to write a two page rant on the continued ridiculousness of the BCS but I’m just not mentally prepared to get that fired up right now.  Instead, I will comment on a few topics that have me riled up in general, the BCS just being one of them.


THE BCS
Once again, I think it has come to the point where this system doesn’t work.  It’s not that I think Alabama is undeserving.  They are deserving.  So is Oklahoma State and Stanford.  That these teams don’t get a shot is just stupid.  This is the only sport where the national champion is crowned on opinion and not on the field of play.  If LSU should beat Alabama again (hopefully this time at least one team can score a touchdown), LSU will be crowned champ without them having to play either of the other top teams.  That the BCS should take the coaches’ poll into account in their standings is enough to make their system illegitimate.  Coaches have their own agendas and they are so busy, how can they have the time to make educated decisions on the votes.  It is a stupendously stupid system.

The crazy part is that they could use the BCS bowls as the quarterfinals games.  Each bowl would be guaranteed two premium teams.  The NCAA then could pick a location for the semifinals and final game much like the Final Four.  Think about the money that would pour in for that spectacular event.  It would be gigantic.  One more thing – use the top eight teams.  There will always be those 9th, 10th, etc. teams that are left out and that will lead to great discussions every year, much like the NCAA tournament.  This is a win-win situation.  Plus, these games would take place during the winter break and the players wouldn’t even have to miss school.  No-brainer!


THE HOT STOVE LEAGUE
I love this week in December because it brings baseball back into the limelight, even for just a few days.  What I hate though, is the irresponsible spending from some of these teams.  Some of these contracts are ridiculous.  I understand how good Albert Pujols is.  I get it.  I do not understand how the Angels, or any team, can give a player who is going to be 32 years old by Spring Training a ten year contract.  No matter how good he may be over the first 5 or 6 years, what can they expect as a return for the last few years, especially from a player who has had a few nagging injuries accumulating over the last few seasons.  This doesn’t even touch upon the $254 million involved.  The market, which may have involved 5 teams, dictated this amount but that doesn’t make it any less silly.

It also sucks that mainly just two teams, the Marlins and Angels, have made most of the big splashes this winter.  It just shows how far apart the teams are in baseball.  The new CBA will hurt the small market teams, in my opinion, in the long run and it will make baseball have an even bigger competitive imbalance.


THE NBA WILL RESUME SOON
Does anyone really care?  That’s not fair.  The NBA has lots of fans.  Just don’t count me in their number.  In my opinion, the NBA is the worst evolution of the game of basketball.  The court and lane need to be larger and the rim should be higher.  The players are so much bigger than they were even 20 years ago and the bodies are too big for the space, leading to a brutal style of play I think is unwatchable.

I have an interesting fact.  Since 1980, only 9 teams have won the NBA championship, three of those only won once.  Six teams have won the other 28.  There is no balance in the NBA.  Many perennial losers have only themselves to blame for their woes because year after year they are lottery teams and year after year they draft players with potential and leave the proven and talented players to the already successful franchises.  It has been happening for decades now and it drives me crazy.  The young high schoolers and one-and-done college players that are big impact players are the exceptions, not the rule.  This league needs a huge make over and the new CBA isn’t the answer.  If one sport was in desperate need of contraction, it is the NBA.  I don’t know exactly which teams should go but there are too many teams.


THE QUARTERBACK PROBLEM
If every NFL team has three quarterbacks on its roster, this means there are 96 quarterbacks in the NFL.  If Peyton Manning ever returns, there are 4 elite qbs (Manning, Brady, Rogers, and Brees).  There are about 15 to 16 average or slightly above average qbs and another 12 to 16 or so below average or pedestrian field generals out there.  You do the math.  That leaves around 60 quarterbacks on rosters that really aren’t good enough to play in the NFL.  Yet the teams have little choice.  Quarterback is easily the shallowest position in football.  Now you understand why having a good to great quarterback is essential to continued success in the NFL.  There is no real solution because there just isn’t enough talent to fill the out the rosters.  Teams just have to hope their starters don’t get hurt and if they do, the back up doesn’t kill their chances of winning games.  Players like Tyler Palko and Caleb Hanie are forced into service and their teams have little or no chance of success.  This position, so important to teams’ success, just isn’t deep enough for every team to have one good quarterback, let alone 2 or 3.  Teams just have to get lucky and strike gold here. 

Thanks for reading my rants and letting me vent a little.

Check out my movie and tv review blog at jawsrecliner.blogspot.coma and get twitter updates @jawsrecliner

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