May 21, 2008 · 8:57 AM

Behind the numbers

Sometimes, Tony Barnhart is a brave man.

6 Comments

Filed under BCS/Playoffs, Media Punditry/Foibles

6 responses to “Behind the numbers”

  1. kckd
    May 21, 2008 at 12:16 PM

    Yes, the brave men always say the people in power are right. Supporting the minority opinion is not brave if those are the guys holding the off/on switches.

    I’m not saying you should go along with the majority just because it’s the majority, but I see nothing “brave” about his statement.

    Like

  2. Senator Blutarsky
    May 21, 2008 at 12:31 PM

    What kind of reaction do you suppose this will provoke from his readers, kckd?

    BTW, I don’t interpret what he’s written as blessing the powers that be and their decision to stick with the BCS. He’s just spelling out the reasons behind their position.

    Like

  3. Xon
    May 21, 2008 at 12:40 PM

    Basic economics are at play here, too. Supply and demand and all that. Apparently, college football is continuing to draw people and money, and moreso every year, and it will even continue to do so no matter what we do to the postseason (acc. to playoff advocates who are unmoved by the Senator’s “mission creep” arguments b/c hey, we’re still going to care about all the games b/c people are just crazy for college football and that won’t change no matter what). So, then, the demand is through the roof, which means that the “price” can go up in a way that pleases the “seller.” College football can raise its “price” to its fans by taking care of other things it thinks are important (whether the players, or just $) for itself, and it’s not going to go out of business b/c college football is the coolest toy and everyone wants one. We fans can complain, but we still jones for it and pay for it and go to games and live it and breathe it, even WITH our hysterical complaints about the current system. The economic analysis therefore has to say that we don’t care about the current system THAT much.

    This is why a boycott is at least a consistent and intelligent suggestion from the playoff advocates, but also a hopelessly unrealistic one and they know it. They couldn’t even carry it out themselves. B/c even for the most diehard know-nothing playoff advocate, BCS college football is better than NO college football.

    That said, public pressure can have an effect over time, and we probably will get some sort of playoffish something eventually.

    Like

  4. Senator Blutarsky
    May 21, 2008 at 12:44 PM

    That said, public pressure can have an effect over time, and we probably will get some sort of playoffish something eventually.

    Which is why TB concludes his post by saying,

    … (w)hile controversial, this post-season model, with all of its flaws, is working for the commissioners and their schools. When this model no longer works, only then will they change.

    Like

  5. kckd
    May 22, 2008 at 7:58 AM

    Yes, we all know that writers who write things that their readers will be angry about are in short supply. You hardly see them anywhere. Geeze Senator. You like what Tony has to say? That’s great. He makes some good points. But stop the grandiose “Tony vs. the world” stuff. If anything, if you follow any of the other AJC sports writers, he’s made his job more secure.

    Like

  6. Senator Blutarsky
    May 22, 2008 at 8:04 AM

    I wasn’t aware his job was in jeopardy.

    Like