Tonight: Rice vs Troy in the New Orleans Bowl, why?!

[solo]

Was there really any benefit of this game being played?

With 32 bowl games, more than half of all teams now go to a bowl game (64 out of 119 go bowling). So to start the season, your chances of going to a bowl are better than not going to a bowl. Pretty lame in my opinion.

So the next time someone says, "we play 6 bowl teams next year..." in defense of a schedule, think about this game and see if that statement really has much meaning anymore.

 

[rattfink]

Was there really any benefit of this game being played?

Supply and demand. If you don't want to see the game, don't. Maybe some of these games will go away eventually.

I don't mind this game since it is a conference champ (Troy) vs a feel-good story team in Rice. They had to overcome a teammates death and did it swimmingly.

 

[BGIF]

Was there really any benefit of this game being played? ...

Yes, so the Mayor and Police Department can practice for the Sugar Bowl.

Considering their performance in Katrina they need all the practice they can get.

Has the Mayor shipped his family to Houston yet?

 

[sonomairishfan]

Was there really any benefit of this game being played?

With 32 bowl games, more than half of all teams now go to a bowl game (64 out of 119 go bowling). So to start the season, your chances of going to a bowl are better than not going to a bowl. Pretty lame in my opinion.

So the next time someone says, "we play 6 bowl teams next year..." in defense of a schedule, think about this game and see if that statement really has much meaning anymore.

if they just had a tourny it would do away with this jibberish. bowls used to mean something when there were only a select few. now that the corp. sponsors run the system, it has no meaning.

 

[BGIF]

if they just had a tourny it would do away with this jibberish. bowls used to mean something when there were only a select few. now that the corp. sponsors run the system, it has no meaning.

BS! On all counts.

if they just had a tourny it would do away with this jibberish

Different marketing gimmick; same goal - making money.

bowls used to mean something when there were only a select few. now that the corp. sponsors run the system, it has no meaning.

Do have any familiarity with the history of the bowl games?

They were started as Exhibition Games by LOCAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE to bring money into the LOCAL economy. There was no TV market as there weren't any TVs, no networks, no cable, no satellite. It was back in in the Dark Ages. ESPN wasn't a twinkle in an executive's eye.

The idea was to select teams one local to bring the local fans, and one with a good record that fans would pay to see AND that would bring their fans to fill local hotels and restaurants. (Most of the locals were hotel trade). (Ya think it was an accident that the successful bowls have been located in warm weather winter climates?)

It was nice if the local team won but the Bowl Committee (Chamber Members wearing Orange or Mellow Yellow Blazers) could care less about the implications on the National Rankings. Just as long as the TOURISTS came and SPENT $$$$.

The bowls were so irrelevant the polls didn't consider them. They finished polling after the regular season ended.

The AP didn't take a Final Poll that included Bowl Games until 1968. (Ya think that might have had anything to do with ND's return to bowl games ONE year later - after a 45 year absence?)

Don't like the Corporate Sponsors?

You mean like Sugar, Orange, Cotton, or Rose. I'm sure it was just coincidence naming the local bowl for the a regional industry, like the Raisin Bowl, Copper Bowl, Peach, Aloha to name a few.

The Cherry Bowl, Garden State Bowl, and All-American Bowl were really meaningful weren't they?

The Las Vegas Bowl should get the truth in advertising award.

Calling it like it is corporate sponsorship goes back at least to 1990 with the BlockBuster Bowl.

The $mart conferences tied in with a bowl in their region to guarantee one slot stayed in their conference. Do you really think the SEC would want ND and Southern Cal playing in their backyard? Getting the SEC's cut? Funny thing about the Rose Bowl pissing and moaning about the possibility of the no PAC 10 or Big 10 team in one of their games.

All the bowl tie contracts did was bring in the sunshine the smoked filled room deals that have gone on with bowls since they started.

If Gordon Gecko had been around in the 1920's he would have jumped on bowl games. "Greed is good" and back then there was no SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate his financial endeavors nor a Southeastern Conference to take a cut.)


"Meaningful" - that's naive.

 

[buckeyebacker]

These bowls are good for those programs that are up and coming, Rice, which had a wonderful year, is getting a chance to get more practices with their players, giving the seniors another shot at another game, and its also a chance to market the program, having local recruits see you on television in a Bowl game (small or big) does do a lot in terms of bringing in athletes to your school. If you think these two schools tonite, and all the other "pre-new years day" games are meaningless then dont watch them, but I can assure you that people from both communities, players, coaches, and fans are delighted that they get to play another game

 

[IrishDon103]

Troy looks pretty decent, actually. Could be a surprise top 25 team in a few years....I really like their QB a lot.

 

[dankus]

Troy looks pretty decent, actually. Could be a surprise top 25 team in a few years....I really like their QB a lot.

Rice has shown significant improvement from last year.

New coach, new offensive system. They were running the wishbone and now they run the spread. From 1-10 to 7-5 is a pretty solid improvement.

 

[Fighting_Irish9]

if they just had a tourny it would do away with this jibberish. bowls used to mean something when there were only a select few. now that the corp. sponsors run the system, it has no meaning.

Yes if we just went to a playoff, teams like Rice and Troy wouldn't have anything to play for ever as they aren't going to ever make any playoff...

Yea great idea....lets ruin college football so we can make the last 3 weeks exciting

 

[Junkhead]

I don't know who Troy is, but he must've played pretty well!

 

[GREENJERSEYS'07]

I don't know who Troy is, but he must've played pretty well!

http://boifromtroy.com/


troy

 

[solo]

BS! On all counts.



Different marketing gimmick; same goal - making money.



Do have any familiarity with the history of the bowl games?

They were started as Exhibition Games by LOCAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE to bring money into the LOCAL economy. There was no TV market as there weren't any TVs, no networks, no cable, no satellite. It was back in in the Dark Ages. ESPN wasn't a twinkle in an executive's eye.

The idea was to select teams one local to bring the local fans, and one with a good record that fans would pay to see AND that would bring their fans to fill local hotels and restaurants. (Most of the locals were hotel trade). (Ya think it was an accident that the successful bowls have been located in warm weather winter climates?)

It was nice if the local team won but the Bowl Committee (Chamber Members wearing Orange or Mellow Yellow Blazers) could care less about the implications on the National Rankings. Just as long as the TOURISTS came and SPENT $$$$.

The bowls were so irrelevant the polls didn't consider them. They finished polling after the regular season ended.

The AP didn't take a Final Poll that included Bowl Games until 1968. (Ya think that might have had anything to do with ND's return to bowl games ONE year later - after a 45 year absence?)

Don't like the Corporate Sponsors?

You mean like Sugar, Orange, Cotton, or Rose. I'm sure it was just coincidence naming the local bowl for the a regional industry, like the Raisin Bowl, Copper Bowl, Peach, Aloha to name a few.

The Cherry Bowl, Garden State Bowl, and All-American Bowl were really meaningful weren't they?

The Las Vegas Bowl should get the truth in advertising award.

Calling it like it is corporate sponsorship goes back at least to 1990 with the BlockBuster Bowl.

The $mart conferences tied in with a bowl in their region to guarantee one slot stayed in their conference. Do you really think the SEC would want ND and Southern Cal playing in their backyard? Getting the SEC's cut? Funny thing about the Rose Bowl pissing and moaning about the possibility of the no PAC 10 or Big 10 team in one of their games.

All the bowl tie contracts did was bring in the sunshine the smoked filled room deals that have gone on with bowls since they started.

If Gordon Gecko had been around in the 1920's he would have jumped on bowl games. "Greed is good" and back then there was no SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate his financial endeavors nor a Southeastern Conference to take a cut.)


"Meaningful" - that's naive.

This is a very interesting and informative post. But in my opinion, slightly misguided. It really doesn't matter what the bowls started out as. Though that is interesting. Somewhere along the line, they morphed into a post season for college football and became meaningful (as in, the bowl game started impacting the polls, deciding the champion, etc). College football fans have long referred to the number of bowl teams on their schedule as an indication of how hard the schedule is. And the bowls themselves have been viewed as a reward for the teams that had good seasons. So even though they didn't start out with this intention, this is what they have become.

Of course, the bowls have always been a way to make money. That part has never changed. But the quality of these games has certainly diminished as the market has become saturated with them.

By the way, very nice history listen. I didn't know much of what you posted.