Final Four-Nanza

For the second time in a row, The Butler Bulldogs have a shot at a National Championship. And The Buckeyes are pushed out of the tourney by a less impressive SEC team, this time with some officiating help. But I digress, this Final Four guarantees for the first time ever, a traditional powerhouse versus and upstart Mid-Major. Yes Mid-Majors have been in The Final Four before, but not 2 on the same side, this is more absurd than if the Seahawks made The Super Bowl this past winter. Sorry Obama, your bracket is in shambles just as much as everyone who gave this thing a shot in the dark. The RPI of the Final Four this year is a grand total of 97, since the creation of the RPI ranking system the Final Four has never had an RPI total that high. One side contributed 84 of those points. 84.

I know that's not how that data is usually used, but come on, look at that. That is absurd, that doesn't happen. Cinderella doesn't make it out of the Sweet Sixteen. In my opinion these two so called up-starts on the East side of the bracket have seen far worse than UNC and UK. I honestly feel the winner of this cavalcade of nonsense will be a double digit RPI school.

Yes Dick.

It's a MAD house!!!

No number one seeds, three iffy oustings for them all. I'll be back with more on this soon. I'm still recovering from watching the OSU vs UK game. But here is my pick to win it for absurdities sake.

The 5 Stages of Prime-Time

I love DeSean Jackson. I love watching him ruin team’s days with his uncanny ability to play football. This guy makes Devin Hester seem like a walk in the park to defend. And yes he is a bit cocky and well, stupid at times. But its ok, its all part of the process. Give him some time, Andy Reid is, and turns out he knows a thing or two about when players are overstaying their welcome. It hurts my football soul to do that to Donovan, who I’ve been a huge fan of as long as he’s been around, but even I am having trouble understanding all this nonsense out in the capital is in no way some part his doing – sidebar: SERIOUSLY, what is going on there? I know I’m not the only person who before this season felt that Mike Shannahan and Donovan Mcnabb were two of the NFL’s best men. Forget calling Terelle Owens team obliterator, I’m thinking that title should be reserved for Fat Albert, who has about 10 million dollars of The ‘Skins cap locked up so he can play 6 plays a game and break contain on DeSean’s new best friend, Mike Vick.

I can not think of a more electrifying, frightening or riskier duo than Mike Vick and DeSean Jackson. Both of which have an upside that is the ceiling of ability and talent in the NFL, and a downside that is the ugliest, scariest, hardest to clean up in the league. Vick is much less of a risk in all fairness, since he has already made it to stage 5 of “The 5 Stages of Prime-Time”. As for DeSean, he’s only at stage 3, so he’s got a lil’ bit of cooking left to do.

The 5 Stages of Prime-Time

Stage 1: Spending 75-100% of one’s signing bonus on something frivolous

Stage 2: Through celebration, causing or failing to cause a turnover.

Stage 3: Excessive Celebration penalties and fines, repeatedly

Stage 4: Getting caught doing something illegal

Stage 5: Doing work

So America, calm down, Desean will either just sit were he’s at and be harmless other than a penalty here or there, or he’ll graduate from the school of Deion.

Some graduates include: Vick, Romanowski, Ray Lewis, Vincent Jackson, "Prime Time"

Still in School: DeSean, Ocho, T.O.

Dropouts: Plaxico, OJ, T.O.

Let’s go Bowlin’/BCS – Bad, College, STUPID

Sorry about my absence, I’ve been following “John Hamm’s 10 Steps to be More Like Don Draper”. But hey, I’m back aren’t I? Anyways, I’ve been thinking a lot about this BCS system, and I figure there isn’t a better day to bring it up than January 1^st. I’m starting to more and more agree with Carl from “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”. The BCS is obviously far from perfect, but it’s the most modern version of the college insanity that has been going on for years; and sadly, it is probably the best option that has been explored and used by the NCAA. But, it still sucks. I wanted to come up with some clever word-smith-er-y there but I felt the straightforward simplicity of “It sucks” speaks to the point. The other option commonly presented is a March Madness esque, 12-16 team playoff. Which personally, I feel is a bit much. So the most commonly presented options we hear as sports fans are, leave it be, it’s awful but it could get worse, and lets throw a bunch of teams into a pile and see who comes out. I don’t know about you but I played Football a few years in high school, and those seasons took a toll on me at 10 games. These athletes are already playing 13-15 games a season depending on conference championships and bowls. And the solution is to extend that by 1-4 games? Like expanding the NFL schedule, this is a bad idea. Interestingly enough, my solution to both options is well… both options. And that means BCS and playoffs. Yup, playoffs.

But Kenton, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Yes, yes I can. It’s fairly simple and would solve the usual questions that arise during the BCS selections and bowls: Should Boise/TCU play in the National Championship? Who invited anyone from the Big East? Why is Ohio State in the National Championship? Who’s overrated? Who’s underrated? Etc.

BCS Playoff plans:

· BCS is the deciding factor in Bowl Rankings

· No more AQ’s because if a team wins the Big Ten, or Twelve, Pac 10 or SEC, more likely than not, they’ll be top 8

· These top 8 teams go to the BCS bowl games like before, (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange)

· All other Bowl eligible teams get their non – BCS bowls

· The BCS Bowls are the playoff games.

· The top 8 teams are seeded by traditional placing. Meaning if there is a Big Ten and a Pac 10 team present, they will face each other in The Rose Bowl etc

· Every year the first round includes all 4 bowls, but the second and championship rounds rotate. So if the initial year has The Fiesta Bowl as the Championship game, it is not in the second round of playoffs that year, and will not be in the second or championship round the following year

· This means it is possible to be Rose/Fiesta/Sugar/Orange Bowl Champs and National Champs

If a team of a non-automatic qualifying conference like Boise State or TCU can pull off an upset in a BCS game, it remains just that, an upset. But, if a team from a non AQ wins 3 BCS playoff games to win a National Championship, there will be no question, I don't care if it's Ball State somehow. Any top 8 team that outlasts the other 7; regardless of conference or preseason poll, can not be doubted by any one of sane mind that they deserve The Coaches' Trophy. This plan maintains as much tradition as possible while modernizing the game. No longer can the point be brought forward that an undefeated Non AQ would have won the big game if they had the chance. Because under this system, they would have their chance.