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A Bowl Full Of Fun

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By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 2, 2008

TAMPA - I had barely formed the word "play..." - didn't even get a chance to add "...off" - before Jim McVay was on the attack.

"We will never do anything to enable a playoff," he said. "How's that for you?"

Well, at least we know where he stands. McVay is the executive director of the Outback Bowl, which just happened to be played Tuesday at Raymond James Stadium. Tennessee beat Wisconsin 21-17 in an entertaining show, and even though there were more than a few empty seats, McVay said they made enough money to pay their bills.

It was fun. It's always fun. But should bowls give way to the greater good of a playoff system? This might not have been the best place to bring that subject up.

"Where else are you going to have something like this?" McVay said, pointing out to the field. "These are just college kids. Let them be college kids. Let them come here for a week, go to the beach, go to Busch Gardens, go to Ybor City, and let them have a good time."

Jim, ever the salesman for his game, was on a roll. He's a hoot when he gets like this, but this is serious stuff to him. A true Division I college football playoff essentially puts him and his bowl game out of business.

But no matter how you feel about the farce that is the BCS and the faux national champion that will be decided next week, let us also acknowledge that McVay has a point - conflict of interest aside.

That's the problem.

Bowls Are Too Important

If there ever was a year for college football's big-boy division to decide its champion with a playoff, we're in it. Ohio State and LSU are fine teams and will no doubt play a spirited game for the BCS title, but are you kiddin' me?

There are at least a half-dozen other teams that could just as legitimately be in that game. Next season there will be more, given the balance that exists in college football. Polls show fans want a playoff.

It keeps coming back to this knotty little problem though - what to do about the bowls? There are 32 of them and most are real "feel good" experiences for the players and their fans. Some of the teams probably shouldn't be rewarded for mediocre seasons with a bowl trip, but that's the system we have and it is not going away.

"The bowls are so important to college football," Vols coach Phil Fulmer said. "We already have a playoff, if people would just look at it that way. From the beginning of the season to the end of the season, there's no other game like ours. You're playing a playoff every week.

"I do think the conference championship games can be an advantage or disadvantage. Maybe if everybody played that it would certainly be more like a playoff. I've been president of the American Football Coaches Association and I've been around a lot of the trustees in those types of meetings and everything. I don't hear commissioners and folks talking about a playoff too much."

We also have a system that is friendly to the players.

Oh. Them.

No Easy Answer

They come to a town, like Tennessee and Wisconsin did, and are treated royally for a week. USF's players raved about the hospitality in El Paso for the Sun Bowl, right up until the moment that Oregon blew them out. But the Bulls had a blast until then. Same thing here.

"It's kind of nice to go for a week somewhere else, have a little fun, but still stay focused for the game," Wisconsin offensive lineman Andy Kemp said. "A playoff would take away a little vacation time. I really don't know if a playoff would be for me or not. Bowls are a great time but you also have in the back of your mind that you're here for a business trip.

"The bowls have been great. The Outback people have been great. You go on a little vacation with your teammates and coaches and get away from the cold weather in Madison."

Is that so wrong? Having a good time at the end of a long season?

People say combine the bowls with a playoff system, but that wouldn't work. Fans wouldn't travel in such large numbers if they knew they might face another expensive trip a week later.

"Maybe a plus-one system would work - a little four-team Super Bowl tournament, something like that," Fulmer said.

Meanwhile, McVay was still going strong.

"If you come up with a workable playoff system, let me know," he said.

Hmmm. I'll have to think a while on that one. Maybe it'll all clear up after another Bloomin' Onion or two. But until it does, hey this was fun. It always is.

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