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Big 12 Commish Bob Bowlsby vs the SEC and Alabama
Posted on 2/25/21 at 10:59 am
Posted on 2/25/21 at 10:59 am
Alabama Football: There are good ideas about needed changes for CFB and one incredibly bad idea from Big 12 Commissioner, Bob Bowlsby.
If there is an award for the worst CFB idea for 2021, no one involved with Alabama Football has any chance of winning it. Big 12 Commissioner, Bob Bowlsby has the award locked down. His suggestion of a major change in college football recruiting is so outlandish, it has no chance of gaining traction.
It is tempting to ignore such nonsense. In this case, Alabama football fans might want to give it some notice. Though Bowlsby’s proposed change will never occur, the motivation behind it is real and growing.
That motivation is the rest of college football cannot abide being ruled by one program. The one program is the Alabama Football Giant built by Nick Saban.
Many college football voices have been raised to bemoan how one (or even a few) dominating programs damages college football. In this line of thinking, excellence diminishes value unless many teams have a chance to excel.
The argument is not new and it is often fueled by self-serving individuals who believe claiming a championship is equal to actually winning one. Tennessee AD, formerly UCF AD, Danny White is a mouthpiece for such delusion.
The new buzzword is that college football needs ‘parity.’ Parity is not served by the last 24 National Championships being won by only 11 schools. The 24 goes back to the start of the BCS period and includes one season of shared Champions in 2003.
Thirteen of the 24 Championships have been won by SEC teams. The other conferences’ teams, coaches and fans hate the SEC’s dominance. What makes them bat-crap crazy is the fact Alabama Football has won six in the last 12 seasons.
The parity argument is couched in a broader claim clouding the jealousy of Alabama Football.
The nuanced argument is ‘brands’ suffer when a team like the Crimson Tide dominates. The brands are the other college football programs and a bigger brand; the CFB game itself.
That is where Bowlsby jumps in. To protect the ‘CFB Brand’ the Big 12 Commish has a solution.
If you win the Super Bowl, you have a low draft choice. So maybe in the college environment you have fewer than 25 to distribute the talent, so the rich aren’t rich all the time and the poor have a chance to build their programs up. It’s time to think differently about how the enterprise is managed.
The keyword used by Bowlsby is ‘enterprise.’ As in, forced parity would lead to higher market value for more teams.
College football at most of the Power Fives is ‘big business.’ The Power Five conferences and Notre Dame are highly valued through media deals. The money is massive.
Enforcing parity has worked in professional sports. The values of professional teams are gigantic. If college football programs were actual businesses, decisions would be made on the basis of maximizing revenue.
But college sports programs are not businesses. If they were, a majority of them would be insolvent. The most significant result in increasing ‘value’ through parity would be to make it harder for Alabama Football to dominate. Other programs and other conferences should channel that jealousy into trying to match the Crimson Tide’s level of achievement.
Some in the Pac 12 see Bowlsby as a good replacement for Larry Scott. His ‘competition-shackling’ parity plan should appeal to the Pac’s ADs.
LINK
If there is an award for the worst CFB idea for 2021, no one involved with Alabama Football has any chance of winning it. Big 12 Commissioner, Bob Bowlsby has the award locked down. His suggestion of a major change in college football recruiting is so outlandish, it has no chance of gaining traction.
It is tempting to ignore such nonsense. In this case, Alabama football fans might want to give it some notice. Though Bowlsby’s proposed change will never occur, the motivation behind it is real and growing.
That motivation is the rest of college football cannot abide being ruled by one program. The one program is the Alabama Football Giant built by Nick Saban.
Many college football voices have been raised to bemoan how one (or even a few) dominating programs damages college football. In this line of thinking, excellence diminishes value unless many teams have a chance to excel.
The argument is not new and it is often fueled by self-serving individuals who believe claiming a championship is equal to actually winning one. Tennessee AD, formerly UCF AD, Danny White is a mouthpiece for such delusion.
The new buzzword is that college football needs ‘parity.’ Parity is not served by the last 24 National Championships being won by only 11 schools. The 24 goes back to the start of the BCS period and includes one season of shared Champions in 2003.
Thirteen of the 24 Championships have been won by SEC teams. The other conferences’ teams, coaches and fans hate the SEC’s dominance. What makes them bat-crap crazy is the fact Alabama Football has won six in the last 12 seasons.
The parity argument is couched in a broader claim clouding the jealousy of Alabama Football.
The nuanced argument is ‘brands’ suffer when a team like the Crimson Tide dominates. The brands are the other college football programs and a bigger brand; the CFB game itself.
That is where Bowlsby jumps in. To protect the ‘CFB Brand’ the Big 12 Commish has a solution.
If you win the Super Bowl, you have a low draft choice. So maybe in the college environment you have fewer than 25 to distribute the talent, so the rich aren’t rich all the time and the poor have a chance to build their programs up. It’s time to think differently about how the enterprise is managed.
The keyword used by Bowlsby is ‘enterprise.’ As in, forced parity would lead to higher market value for more teams.
College football at most of the Power Fives is ‘big business.’ The Power Five conferences and Notre Dame are highly valued through media deals. The money is massive.
Enforcing parity has worked in professional sports. The values of professional teams are gigantic. If college football programs were actual businesses, decisions would be made on the basis of maximizing revenue.
But college sports programs are not businesses. If they were, a majority of them would be insolvent. The most significant result in increasing ‘value’ through parity would be to make it harder for Alabama Football to dominate. Other programs and other conferences should channel that jealousy into trying to match the Crimson Tide’s level of achievement.
Some in the Pac 12 see Bowlsby as a good replacement for Larry Scott. His ‘competition-shackling’ parity plan should appeal to the Pac’s ADs.
LINK
This post was edited on 2/25/21 at 11:08 am
11
Posted on 2/25/21 at 11:04 am to Taskrj
It seems like this type of thinking is being perpetrated and supported throughout the country in virtually anything and everything that involves even the HINT of competition.
Posted on 2/25/21 at 11:10 am to Taskrj
Maybe the Big 12 shouldnt have been so far in Texas' pocket that it went from elite conference in the 2000s, to being on the verge of total collapse in 2010
The SEC could probably be its own self-sustaining entity if it had to be. Id prefer going All-SEC schedule permanently before we install some parity system so that the conferences that shite the bed could catch up
The SEC could probably be its own self-sustaining entity if it had to be. Id prefer going All-SEC schedule permanently before we install some parity system so that the conferences that shite the bed could catch up
This post was edited on 2/25/21 at 11:21 am
Posted on 2/25/21 at 11:10 am to Taskrj
So, lets encourage a 9-2 team to lose its rivalry game to a 4-7 team to get more scholarships.
Posted on 2/25/21 at 11:13 am to Taskrj
quote:
Apparently, Bob Bowelsby is also an idiot.This post was edited on 2/26/21 at 8:28 am
Posted on 2/25/21 at 11:21 am to Taskrj
So his solution is to effectively build in sanctions that are automatically triggered if you win too many games? That may be the dumbest fricking idea in history. At least most of the people bitching about parity just want to reduce scholarships across the board, which is awful and only hurts kids who are fringe FBS players but it doesn't punish anyone for winning. The inherent flaw in the comparison to Super Bowl winners getting the last pick in each draft round is that player retention does not have a mandated cutoff in the NFL. Kansas City does not automatically lose Patrick Mahomes this offseason because he has been in the NFL for 4 years.
Posted on 2/25/21 at 11:25 am to Taskrj
That is truly absurd
Posted on 2/25/21 at 12:02 pm to Taskrj
I say we start with women's gymnastics. Chokelahoma has won 3 of the last 4 titles, which is better than us and football 
Posted on 2/25/21 at 12:16 pm to Taskrj
So, "everyone gets a trophy" again.
Fine, we can just play in the NFC South next season. You talk about high TV ratings.
Game of the Week on FOX for Sunday, September 19, 2021
Alabama vs New Orleans Saints in Bryant Denny.
Fine, we can just play in the NFC South next season. You talk about high TV ratings.
Game of the Week on FOX for Sunday, September 19, 2021
Alabama vs New Orleans Saints in Bryant Denny.
Posted on 2/25/21 at 12:21 pm to DT55Forever1
F the Big 12 and the Pac 12
Posted on 2/25/21 at 12:23 pm to Taskrj
I can't believe someone took the time to write about this.Posted on 2/25/21 at 1:18 pm to Glorious
quote:
The SEC could probably be its own self-sustaining entity if it had to be. Id prefer going All-SEC schedule permanently before we install some parity system so that the conferences that shite the bed could catch up
I think Bob is a bad commissioner and this is a terrible idea.
That said it’s not like the SEC is some bastion of competition. 4 of the past 5 years the conference winner has gone undefeated regular season. That was unheard of in the past.
These past 5 years outside of 2017 have not been exciting, so it’s natural people are gonna talk about it.
Posted on 2/25/21 at 1:25 pm to Robot Santa
quote:
At least most of the people bitching about parity just want to reduce scholarships across the board, which is awful and only hurts kids who are fringe FBS players but it doesn't punish anyone for winning.
The best idea for parity is to tier the scholarship system. That’s not to say I support it, but it doesn’t take away from the players, and it’s certainly better than punishing winning teams.
Posted on 2/25/21 at 2:00 pm to JoseyWalesTheOutlaw
quote:
F the Big 12 and the Pac 12
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Posted on 2/25/21 at 2:20 pm to LATIDER
Even a moment's thought about this shows how ridiculous the idea is.
The team that wins the Super Bowl doesn't lose any draft choices, and doesn't have fewer draft choices than other teams ... they're just automatically moved to the last pick of the first round. Not only that, but they have the ability to trade up to get a higher draft pick in the first round if they choose.
To attempt to conflate that with a college team winning the national championship and losing scholarships as a result is absurd.
The team that wins the Super Bowl doesn't lose any draft choices, and doesn't have fewer draft choices than other teams ... they're just automatically moved to the last pick of the first round. Not only that, but they have the ability to trade up to get a higher draft pick in the first round if they choose.
To attempt to conflate that with a college team winning the national championship and losing scholarships as a result is absurd.
This post was edited on 2/25/21 at 2:20 pm
Posted on 2/25/21 at 5:20 pm to Taskrj
Parity= "Equity"
Leftist ideology ruins everything it infects.
Leftist ideology ruins everything it infects.
Posted on 2/26/21 at 7:02 am to DT55Forever1
quote:
So, "everyone gets a trophy" again.
Yep, it's just a natural progression of that mindset and, going further, the notion that is being espoused by a significant part of our country that success is something to be scorned and punished.
Posted on 2/26/21 at 8:01 am to JustGetItRight
they have to make success the "evil enemy" of "fair". how else would you ease 350 million people into the bondage of "equal outcome".
it wont shock me if old bob's idea get a lil traction. not saying it will be passed. but you can take it to the bank, he's not the only one thinking like this. just wait until the fed gov takes over all college sports, you aint seen nothing yet.
it wont shock me if old bob's idea get a lil traction. not saying it will be passed. but you can take it to the bank, he's not the only one thinking like this. just wait until the fed gov takes over all college sports, you aint seen nothing yet.
Posted on 3/1/21 at 11:26 am to Chad4Bama
quote:
Parity= "Equity"
Leftist ideology ruins everything it infects.
Dude, this has nothing to do with Leftist ideology and everything to do with money.
The Big12 wants more titles to get more money. Having Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech up there in the playoffs will earn them more revenue. They could give a flying rat's arse about any sense of "equality" - they're just mad they're not winning the big one. Hell, if Oklahoma could just win the semifinal game, they'd get a lot more money. That's what they're trying to accomplish.
Alabama has brought in to the SEC 6 semi-final games and 5 final games worth of money. THAT is what he wants.
Oklahoma has been to 4 playoffs, tied for second with Ohio State (or tied for third, behind a tie for first between Alabama and Clemson), but has only managed 4 games. Ohio State has been to 4 as well, but managed 6 games. That's the parity he wants - parity of the cash prize.
Posted on 3/1/21 at 12:22 pm to Taskrj
quote:
Big 12 Commissioner, Bob Bowlsby
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