Interesting article in USA Today. Perhaps there is an opening after all for a possible BE bowl in Tampa?


USA Today: Sadistic ESPN says it could beef up bowl schedule Reply

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Sadistic ESPN says it could beef up bowl schedule

Posted 12/12/2006 11:06 PM ET

The long march begins Dec. 19 with the provocatively titled San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on ESPN2. What's new about the buffet of college football's record 32 bowl games:

Bowl games make the holiday season even more fun. People obviously like to watch them and it almost does not matter who is playing. There are lots of parties or just family visits and it gives people more games to watch.

Yes, let's have more bowl games. We can finally get to see Temple and Buffalo go to a bowl game if we create enough bowls.

I think there is room for one or two more bowl games, including Tampa, but not beyond that. ESPN better be careful. Every 6-6 major conference team is not entitled to a bowl game. I would even say that most of them do not deserve a bowl game at all. Talking about 40 bowl games is ridiculous.

Going to a bowl used to mean something. Now it has become a celebration of mediocrity thanks to ESPN. It is completely ludicrous that a bunch of teams will lose bowl games and finish the season with 6-7 records. Is that supposed to be an accomplishment or something worth being celebrated?

I say let the market decide....a bowl in Tampa/St Pete is key for the Big East

TexanMark Wrote:I say let the market decide....a bowl in Tampa/St Pete is key for the Big East

CUSA vs the Big East in tampa would be a solid bowl. BB mentioed going into tampa when he was here in Houston for the CUSA Title game. BB and MT must be working together again as they did during realignment.

TopCoog Wrote:

TexanMark Wrote:I say let the market decide....a bowl in Tampa/St Pete is key for the Big East

CUSA vs the Big East in tampa would be a solid bowl. BB mentioed going into tampa when he was here in Houston for the CUSA Title game. BB and MT must be working together again as they did during realignment.

The Big East vs. Army and Navy in alternating years would be a much better Tampa-SP scenario. We already play CUSA in Birmingham. That is more than enough. CUSA can take our spot in the Texas Bowl. We need to diversify our bowl opponents.

I have suggested the following line-up, through 2009, to the Commissioner ...

1) BCS
2) Gator/Sun (vs. ACC/Pac-10)
3) Meineke Car Care (vs. ACC)
4) Tampa-SP (vs. Army/Navy)
5) International (vs. MAC)
6) Papa John's (vs. CUSA)

Tampa-SP will hopefully be ready for 2008 and 2009. CUSA is not on his radar.

It is already bad enough facing the ACC in two, occasionally three, bowls. We do not need to also face CUSA in a second bowl. Your leaders will have to look elsewhere. Taking over the Texas spot in 2008 and 2009 would give y'all six bowls as it is.

There are too many bowl games. I don't think we need to reward teams for having a .500 record. That would be like inviting the team that lost the championship to the White House for dinner with the President. Screw that.

Start up a playoff. If you want to reward the fans of the teams left out, put all of them in some stupid bowl game that has no bearing on the national championship picture. But as long as the national championship is being decided in bowl games by the BS, I mean BCS, then let's forget about all the mediocre bowl games.

They really should have a bowl game for the two worst programs in the nation each year. It allows one of them to go out with a win, setting a positive tone for the next season. lmfao It could be the Toilet Bowl, Suckfest Bowl, Ugly Bowl, Hoover Vacuum Bowl, Fiber One/Eclaxs Bowl, etc....

I'd imagine this year it would have been Duke vs. Temple.

army56mike Wrote:They really should have a bowl game for the two worst programs in the nation each year. It allows one of them to go out with a win, setting a positive tone for the next season. lmfao It could be the Toilet Bowl, Suckfest Bowl, Ugly Bowl, Hoover Vacuum Bowl, Fiber One/Eclaxs Bowl, etc....

I'd imagine this year it would have been Duke vs. Temple.

I vote for the Toilet Bowl sponsored by Tidy Bowl. That is one game that actually makes a warped kind of sense.

wvucrazed Wrote:"Some 6-6 teams from major conferences didn't make bowls, so we could schedule more," he says. "

The following teams have no business playing in bowl games this year.

Alabama
Florida St
Iowa
Miami
Minnesota
New Mexico
Oklahoma St

All were 6-6 and only New Mexico finished at .500 in conference play.

Additionally, these teams have very little business playing in bowl games this year.

Arizona St
Oregon
South Carolina

These 3 finished at 7-5 with losing records in conference play.

That is 10 teams that should not be playing in bowl games this year. That's 5 bowl games that shouldn't be in existence. What's the solution?

Get rid of 5 bowl games (International, Poinsettia, New Mexico, Birmingham, New Orleans) and require teams to have 7 wins and be .500 or better in conference play in order to make a bowl. Additionally, cut the ties and tier bowl selection based on number of wins (i.e. to play in a $2 million+ game, you need 10 wins, etc.). All of sudden winning games and getting into bowls becomes a whole lot more important.

Krocker Krapp Wrote:

TopCoog Wrote:

TexanMark Wrote:I say let the market decide....a bowl in Tampa/St Pete is key for the Big East

CUSA vs the Big East in tampa would be a solid bowl. BB mentioed going into tampa when he was here in Houston for the CUSA Title game. BB and MT must be working together again as they did during realignment.

The Big East vs. Army and Navy in alternating years would be a much better Tampa-SP scenario. We already play CUSA in Birmingham. That is more than enough. CUSA can take our spot in the Texas Bowl. We need to diversify our bowl opponents.

I have suggested the following line-up, through 2009, to the Commissioner ...

1) BCS
2) Gator/Sun (vs. ACC/Pac-10)
3) Meineke Car Care (vs. ACC)
4) Tampa-SP (vs. Army/Navy)
5) International (vs. MAC)
6) Papa John's (vs. CUSA)

Tampa-SP will hopefully be ready for 2008 and 2009. CUSA is not on his radar.

It is already bad enough facing the ACC in two, occasionally three, bowls. We do not need to also face CUSA in a second bowl. Your leaders will have to look elsewhere. Taking over the Texas spot in 2008 and 2009 would give y'all six bowls as it is.

That would be decent--probably have to sign a backup conference to fill it if Army/Navy are a no go. Does the Poinsetta contract end in 07 or 08? A Big East #4 is most likely 7-5 or 8-4. Not alot of quality out there to be a backup. Probably a backup with CUSA is the best we could get. C-USA East teams all could travel by car.

Metropolis777 Wrote:

wvucrazed Wrote:"Some 6-6 teams from major conferences didn't make bowls, so we could schedule more," he says. "

The following teams have no business playing in bowl games this year.

Alabama
Florida St
Iowa
Miami
Minnesota
New Mexico
Oklahoma St

All were 6-6 and only New Mexico finished at .500 in conference play.

Additionally, these teams have very little business playing in bowl games this year.

Arizona St
Oregon
South Carolina

These 3 finished at 7-5 with losing records in conference play.

That is 10 teams that should not be playing in bowl games this year. That's 5 bowl games that shouldn't be in existence. What's the solution?

Get rid of 5 bowl games (International, Poinsettia, New Mexico, Birmingham, New Orleans) and require teams to have 7 wins and be .500 or better in conference play in order to make a bowl. Additionally, cut the ties and tier bowl selection based on number of wins (i.e. to play in a $2 million+ game, you need 10 wins, etc.). All of sudden winning games and getting into bowls becomes a whole lot more important.

If you do this, there will no longer be ANY decent non-conference games. All we'll see is BCS vs. MAC, Sun Belt, WAC, CUSA, etc in non-league games.

I don't have a problem with 6-6 teams going to bowl games. As a football fan, my attitude is the more football the better. Nobody is nailing me to the chair and forcing me to watch New Mexico vs. San Jose State. Do they "deserve" to be in bowl games? No probably not. Certainly not by old standards. But although some of these games are probably kinda silly, I'm fine with them. More football works for me.

I think BE should put a bowl in Giants Stadium. The Big Apple Bowl. You could land get MAC #4 vs BE#6. That would have matched Northern Illinois 7-5 vs Pittsburgh 6-6. TV people get the Chicago, Pittsburgh and NYC folks to watch. Garret Wolfe vs Palko would be good tv.

If we ever got a Big Apple Bowl going, I don't think it'll be a half job where we dump our last place team. Same goes for the end of the line opponent.

CollegeCard Wrote:If we ever got a Big Apple Bowl going, I don't think it'll be a half job where we dump our last place team. Same goes for the end of the line opponent.

It would become one of two things:
A) 5th BCS Bowl with Big East Anchor (Instead of current rotating title game)
B) #2/3 Big East Team vs. #3 Big Ten

You notice how the CUSA and MAC fans keep begging for the Big East to play them in future bowls. They need us so badly but they turn right around and keep insulting our teams and fans. How ironic is that?

I agree with the idea of signing up the Tampa or St. Pete bowl to rotate Army and Navy with the Poinsettia Bowl. Big Ten #8, Big 12 #9, and Pac-10 #7 can be the back-ups in that order. If none are available, just play the best remaining Sun Belt or WAC team. This would be for the Big East #4 team anyway. No need to complain about the opponent too much.

CUSA would have six bowls all to themselves if we give them Texas. No more handouts. Go grow on your own without depending on us. As for the MAC in a Big Apple Bowl, that isn't even worth commenting on.

Another Tampa Bowl would be attractive to another major conference. No need to go the mid-major route. I'd like to see New York also be developed with the Big Ten and have the canada bowl dropped entirely.

Lolly Popp Wrote:You notice how the CUSA and MAC fans keep begging for the Big East to play them in future bowls. They need us so badly but they turn right around and keep insulting our teams and fans. How ironic is that?

I agree with the idea of signing up the Tampa or St. Pete bowl to rotate Army and Navy with the Poinsettia Bowl. Big Ten #8, Big 12 #9, and Pac-10 #7 can be the back-ups in that order. If none are available, just play the best remaining Sun Belt or WAC team. This would be for the Big East #4 team anyway. No need to complain about the opponent too much.

CUSA would have six bowls all to themselves if we give them Texas. No more handouts. Go grow on your own without depending on us. As for the MAC in a Big Apple Bowl, that isn't even worth commenting on.

:youmoron:



We'll be fine sparky.

Like your bball only ass knows anything about a bowl game anyway. lmfao

Bambu Wrote:

Lolly Popp Wrote:You notice how the CUSA and MAC fans keep begging for the Big East to play them in future bowls. They need us so badly but they turn right around and keep insulting our teams and fans. How ironic is that?

I agree with the idea of signing up the Tampa or St. Pete bowl to rotate Army and Navy with the Poinsettia Bowl. Big Ten #8, Big 12 #9, and Pac-10 #7 can be the back-ups in that order. If none are available, just play the best remaining Sun Belt or WAC team. This would be for the Big East #4 team anyway. No need to complain about the opponent too much.

CUSA would have six bowls all to themselves if we give them Texas. No more handouts. Go grow on your own without depending on us. As for the MAC in a Big Apple Bowl, that isn't even worth commenting on.

:youmoron:



We'll be fine sparky.

Like your bball only ass knows anything about a bowl game anyway. lmfao

In expansion scenarios taking the Liberty Bowl would be my #1 choice as I've said 10,000 times along with Memphis. It's a bowl with much history and could have its old prestige restored with a 3 vs. 3/4 match up with another major conference. Tack on Tampa and possibly New York and drop some of the jetsam.