The 2011 Bowl Game schedule was released last night. I always look forward to learn who gets to play where. Which school got rewarded with a fun trip and which school got stuck playing in Shreveport always makes for entertaining reading.
The University of Houston gets to play Penn State in something called the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas after being unceremoniously blown out by Southern Mississippi in the C-USA Conference Championship game (how does Dallas host 3 different bowl games a year?) . Texas A&M is rewarded with their 6-6 season by getting a trip to Houston to play in the Meineke Bowl and the Texas Longhorns head out west to compete in the Holiday Bowl. (You see the entire bowl schedule here)
After reading down the list, I started to plan my New Year’s day viewing. Sure, they moved all the really big games to later in the week so they don’t go against each other, but there are still plenty of good bowl games left to nurse that New Year’s Eve hangover. Right?
Imagine my shock when, after taking a closer look, I learned that there was not one single game scheduled for January 1st! The traditional New Year’s Day games like the Rose, Sugar and Orange bowl are all scheduled for Monday, January 2nd. Even the early games like the Capitol One, Outback and Gator Bowls are being played on the 2nd. What gives?
It can’t be because they are afraid to play on the Sabbath and offend their Christian fan base can it? (as if the Penn State scandal wasn’t enough to do that) No, the real reason is because the bowls don’t want to go against the NFL. As usual, the all-powerful television networks dictate sports with the all mighty dollar and those of us still clinging to tradition like gum to a shoe are left to remember the good old days when men were men, and girls were still a mystery.
Still, there are 35 bowl games played this season for crying out loud. Could they not move the Go-Daddy Bowl (Arkansas St. vs. Northern Illinois), or the Pinstrip Bowl (Rutgers vs. Iowa St) to New Year’s Day? I’m sure that somebody like the Longhorn Network would broadcast it (on second thought, never mind).
It’s not the first time these games have been moved from the 1st, and it won’t be the last, but put me down in the “I don’t like it” category.