M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[Hannibal]

The absolute contrast is Patrick/Smythe/Norris/Adams NHL. Meaty regular season then 4 teams out 5/6 make the playoffs for a best of 5 then best of 7. Silliness.

That did pretty much suck. Expansion was really good for hockey in this regard.

[iam416]

To address both points:

Hack -- it's all about manageable units. It's easy for the B10 to have its teams play a divisional round-robin then put the winners in the CCG. There's nothing inherent about the sport stopping that. Now, they add extra conference games which invariably tip the scales in favor of someone (always against OSU-M so long as they are cross divisional). But it's damn close to fair.

Hanni -- CFB could easily say every conference champ gets in. That's 11, I think. The top 5 get a bye, the bottom 6 play in the first round to get down to 8.

It's remarkably possible to determine a division winner, pit the division winners against one another in a CG, then send that team to a tournament. Or, if you don't have 12, play a round robin of 9 (I think the B12 is doing this).

The fact that it won't happen -- and it won't -- doesn't mean there's not a remarkably straight-forward approach to sorting through a champion for a sport with 120 teams. I mean, CBB manages to do it for 300+. They have a system/method that crowns a champion that is perfectly valid and widely accepted. The fact that it isn't necessarily the "best" team is of no consequence.

[Hannibal]

To address both points:

Hack -- it's all about manageable units. It's easy for the B10 to have its teams play a divisional round-robin then put the winners in the CCG. There's nothing inherent about the sport stopping that. Now, they add extra conference games which invariably tip the scales in favor of someone (always against OSU-M so long as they are cross divisional). But it's damn close to fair.

Hanni -- CFB could easily say every conference champ gets in. That's 11, I think. The top 5 get a bye, the bottom 6 play in the first round to get down to 8.

It's remarkably possible to determine a division winner, pit the division winners against one another in a CG, then send that team to a tournament. Or, if you don't have 12, play a round robin of 9 (I think the B12 is doing this).

The fact that it won't happen -- and it won't -- doesn't mean there's not a remarkably straight-forward approach to sorting through a champion for a sport with 120 teams. I mean, CBB manages to do it for 300+. They have a system/method that crowns a champion that is perfectly valid and widely accepted. The fact that it isn't necessarily the "best" team is of no consequence.

CBB only can do this because they have 64 teams, so nobody cares when an autobid team takes a spot away from a bubble team. That bubble team didn't deserve to be in the conversation anyways. If CBB only had 16 teams (which is a pretty hard ceiling for a football tournament), the selection process would be much more controversial. This is why I scoff at the magical perception of the selection committee as being some kind of superior alternative to the polls. They are nothing but a smaller poll.

So I guess it's feasible for there to be a system that doesn't involve style points, but it would be such an awful system that I don't see it is being a legitimate choice. Sht programs, which comprise about half of the sport, would be comically overrepresented, and college football would become the only post season that I know of where absolutely nobody besides conference champions has a legitimate post season. (FWIW you would still be stuck with style points in the seeding).

[Optimus Prime]

Sport is about entertainment and making money, the tribal warfare aspect has long since left.

Regular seasons are ridiculously long not because it's imperative everyone gets to play each other but rather an opportunity to each owner to sop up as much cash from their fanbase as possible.

[iam416]

the selection process would be much more controversial.

Yeah, that's why I say only conference champs. No controversy.

The NCAA tourney used to be that until NCS-Maryland in 1974. It's completely doable.

And, of course, it will never happen. All I said was CFB has a perfectly viable route to crown a champion w/o style points.

[hack]

Teams are still playing for various Euro spots and to avoid relegation, but the champion has been determined. And I'm fine with that.

Yeah. I mean, different approaches and all, but the point is to crown a champion. Some of those secondary goals serve purposes but the all muddle the clarity of the whole concept when you have this situation.

And, the World Cup is not a small tournament! It is arguably the world's biggest sporting event. So get out there and effing play because every game is a potential gem. Don't debase them by letting those secondary goals create those play-for-the-tie/style points situations.

For me the goal of eliminating style points overrides all. Style points = figure skating.

[iam416]

And, the World Cup is not a small tournament!

LOL. Yes. I meant mostly in terms of duration. It's only a month, which is a short period to sort out 32 teams.

And there's no doubt that the last matches of group play can be real dogs. I'm not sure there's a better way around it when you factor in TV and such. I don't have a problem with playing for a draw to advance. I don't like GD, though. If you tie on points, I think there should be a playoff. That's the only tweak I would make.

With the UCL, it's a 4 team group, but they play a home-home round robin and GD isn't the first tiebreaker (I think it's head-to-head). So, I'm fine with that.

[hack]

I mean, I guess you choose your priorities. Mine is the essence of it. What makes sports great, in a very broad sense, is the irrelevance of style points. And once you have secondary goals, you get that mission creep into silliness. (Hence why I hate Michigan's AD and administration -- another example of secondary goals muddling the primary one, i.e.)

[Mike]

Not surprising to see a lot of soccer talk in this thread.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Talent = Gay = Soccer

[hack]

OP = Florida = gay = he'll be here shortly no doubt.

[THE_WIZARD_]

heh

[madootra]

Good evening. Tonight is indeed a unique occasion in the history of television. We are very privileged, and deeply honoured to have with us in the studio, Karl Marx, founder of modern socialism, and author of the 'Communist Manifesto'. (Karl Marx is sitting at a desk; he nods) Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov, better known to the world as Lenin, leader of the Russian Revolution, writer, statesman, and father of modern communism. (shot of Lenin also at desk; he nods) Che Guevara, the Cuban guerrilla leader. (shot of Guevara) And Mao Tse-tung, leader of the Chinese Communist Party since 1949. (shot of Mao; the presenter picks up a card) And the first question is for you, Karl Marx. The Hammers - the Hammers is the nickname of what English football team? 'the Hammers? (shot of Karl Marx furrowing his brow- obviously he hasn't a clue) No? Well bad luck there, Karl. So we'll go onto you Che. Che Guevara - Coventry City last won the FA Cup in what year? (cut to Che looking equally dumbfounded) No? I'll throw it open. Coventry City last won the FA Cup in what year? (they all look blank) No? Well, I'm not surprised you didn't get that. It was in fact a trick question. Coventry City have never won the FA Cup.

[hack]

Sing rittle birdie?

[Rob F]

LOL Madootra!