Cheerleaders and Ratings

I’ll update this as the day goes on:

  • Sports announcers are so dumb. I was just watching Michigan-Florida and a Michigan player took a screen pass and, with tacklers all over, turned around, ran backward, then across the field and got 23 yards. The announcers shouted about what a great play it was.

    It was not. It was a stupid play that got lucky. Nine times out of ten he’s dropped for a bigger loss than if he’d just tried to advance the ball. One of the things that drives me crazy is watching running backs and screen receivers trying to dance and reverse field only to lose lots of yardage. It is incredibly stupid and almost always hurts their team. But when it comes up with the occasional big advance, the cheerleaders in the press box jump up and down about what a great play it was.

    He got 23 yards because Michigan blocked well and Florida over-pursued. Against a good defense, he would have been dropped for a ten yard loss.

  • I think Mizzou, by shellacking Arkansas, just showed why they, not Kansas, should have gotten the BCS bid.
  • As I said last year, the Bowl Challenge Cup, which rewards the conference that does the best in the bowls, is incredibly stupid. It basically gives it to the conference that has best winning percentage with three or more bowls. This year, the Mountain West will take it by virtue of winning the Poinsetta, Texas, Las Vegas and New Mexico bowls. Woo-hoo. Last year, I put forward a system that gave each conference 2 points for a bowl 1, -1 points for a bowl loss and 3 points for a BCS bowl win. This is just off the top of my head and is a MUCH better system. I’ll post the standing after tonight’s games.
  • Tim Tebow deserved the Heisman. To win with that terrible defense and O-line is remarkable.
  • One of the things that concerns me with Georgia is bad sportsmanship. They’re up by 31 and still playing hard. But that last personal foul was uncalled for. And going for it on 4th and 5? Mark Richt was smart to give his players more leeway, but he has to strike a better balance of discipline and sportsmanship our this team will sink to Miami levels of nastiness.