Saturday, January 03, 2009

I Agree

Our fellow Gator Orson Swindle at Every Day Should Be Saturday says the Utes deserve at least “a quarter” of the national title.

Orson’s money quote (in regard to Utah’s win), “If you want more from a team, you’re either unreasonable, a total flaming asshole, or both. In lieu of a playoff, we have to resort to fractions, and to be fair: one fraction is just as good as another.”

I agree 100%.

What’s more, I agree with Dr. Saturday’s take on the same subject.

If ever a year begged the (itself twisted) logic of a “split” national championship it is this year. Florida or Oklahoma, Texas (perhaps), USC and most certainly Utah all have equally valid claims to the mythical prize.

In 2006 I wrote a series (posted on the sidebar of this blog) about the ridiculous nature of the so-called “national championship”. At that time, when my Gators were preparing to claim it, I urged that we attempt to break this absurd system. At that time it seemed that it might even be possible, as Florida’s President Machen advanced the prospect of a true college playoff.

Florida claimed the big, fake, fantasy national title in 2006, and the issue of fixing the system went quiet. Since that time I have come to accept that the system, with its highly entrenched interest, isn’t likely to ever change. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

So I’m stating it here – if Florida wins Thursday, I will never refer to the Gators as the 2008 National Champions. BCS champions, yes. And SEC Champions, won on the field, you bet your sweet ass. But “National Champions”? Never in the singular. If I refer to it at all, I will include the likes of at least Utah. Or, I’ll ignore it.

14 comments:

Henry Louis Gomez said...

Agreed Mergz. I don't think either of us have used the expression "national championship" with regards to the Gators. I personally always say BCS Championship. It's not a true national championship.

Anonymous said...

I'd expect nothing less from you guys, this blog has been consistent in it's method of observation and that speaks of integrity. Getting beat in the Swamp by Ole Miss sticks with ya, USC lost once too but on the road in what turns out to be the strongest of conferences. The Oregon Ducks hold the Big 12's leading rusher to 36 yds on 14 carries, enough said. Until we have a playoff system when our SEC teams play a true NC game in some dome up north (like in Minnesota) we'll have to settle for the Gators at the Rose Bowl next year to get even a hint at what might be a fair celebration if we won. Here's to hope against hope that Tebow might return.

Anonymous said...

I admire your honesty and integrity, even as you make the Freudian slip of never once discussing what you'll say about the Sooners should they win that game :)

Mergz said...

If the Sooners win, I'll call them mud.

Kidding.

Trader Rick said...

Would it really tear you guys up to just be a teeny-weeny, itty-bitty, tiny bit biased towards the University of Florida? It seems you bend over backward to show some sort of misplaced fairness.

Do you even cheer wildly at our games? or just politely clap with your fingertips, noses turned up in the air?

Sagacity maybe, but Saurian? Bah!

See you at the game--we'll be the old man and the young guy in full face paint screaming our heads off!

GOGATORS!!

Henry Louis Gomez said...

Why would we consciously be biased toward any team, how does compromising our integrity somehow damage the Gators?

Seriously, what we want is that when the Gators win a championship in College Football that EVERYONE acknowledges it as legitimate, not just us or you or the corporate lords at the BCS.

The system is FUBAR. It's like winning the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. Yeah, it's a gold medal but the Soviets weren't there so it's tainted.

Screw that.

Anonymous said...

@ Gatordone, please don't believe everything ESPN and the media will try and tell you over and over again about anything. Yes, the Pac-10 had the best bowl season among all the conferences, but even with those five wins the conference is only 19-17 in out of conference games. Barely being over .500 does not make you the strongest conference.

Anonymous said...

I understand and respect your sentiments, but with all due respect, give it a rest, fellas! We're playing in the biggest game of 'em all. We win, we're national champs in my view. You can add the BCS, or you can omit it. I don't care. Simply the best.

Anonymous said...

I'm worried once the system gets better we're gonna look back on these times and not care who the National Champ was, because its not legit. We'll say "Gators have 8 National titles but 3 came before 2020, so they don't really count."

Anonymous said...

Anon
LOL, your right about ESPN particularly with the BTN (Big Ten Network) cutting into ESPN's Gameplan revenue, but back to the main point including non-conference match-ups over the past ten years.
Pac-10: 54.5%
SEC: 50.8%
Big10: 50.5%
ACC: 50.0%
Big 12: 48.8%
Big East: 45.9%
No matter what reality ESPN tries to create, the BCS conferences are fairly equal. It all has to do with money and popularity (like the game tonight) Q: why should #10 OSU deserve to be selected for a BCS at-large slot against #3 Texas? A: higher $$ draw
Once shit like this happens, the rest of the Big10 bowl-eligible teams slide up to unfavorable match ups in their B10 affiliated bowls with maybe the exception of a lone relatively even Iowa/SC. Nobody is likely to care about B10 teams consistently getting punk'd every bowl season but like Henry hilariously points out the whole system is a sham. Ironic justice for a conference holding up a playoff system just so more of their teams can spend a few days in a warm bowl venue.

Anonymous said...

Utah as national champions...haha... wow! 33rd in strenght of scheduling, Gators, #2.. How about Wilbon bashin on Tebow for saying he wanted to play a Big 12 defense. This is the most Humble guy in college football. Give him a break... and they said he was 4th in Quarteback ranking behind 3 Big 12 quarterbacks. Come on, do u see the Tech Defense against the Rebels... Be for real they have no Defense...anywho... Hotty Toddy!

Aaron said...

So, Mergz and Gomez,

You've seen bowl season (minus Texas and OSU; which is probably starting as I write).

Have you been able to conclude anything about the Big 12 defenses? I haven't seen anything that convinces me one way or another and I await your analysis because you guys are the as unbiased as any one I've seen or read when it comes to looking at real numbers.

>go gators_/

Anonymous said...

"I admire your honesty and integrity, even as you make the Freudian slip of never once discussing what you'll say about the Sooners should they win that game :)"

Dolfan, talking about what anyone might do should the Sonners win would be comparable to arguing about what you'd buy with your lottery winnings...is it REALLY worth wasting so much time discussing events that have such a negligible chance of occuring?

y-g

Anonymous said...

"Utah as national champions...haha... wow! 33rd in strenght of scheduling, Gators, #2.. How about Wilbon bashin on Tebow for saying he wanted to play a Big 12 defense. This is the most Humble guy in college football. Give him a break... and they said he was 4th in Quarteback ranking behind 3 Big 12 quarterbacks. Come on, do u see the Tech Defense against the Rebels... Be for real they have no Defense...anywho... Hotty Toddy!"

Spoken like a true Ole Piss fan.