My First Response

I've always enjoyed reading the comments left by readers at the end of ESPN articles and today I made a comment. My first.

Aside from this blog, my comment today was the first time I really put one of my opinions out there, because let's be honest, I probably don't have many readers - yet. Now, I'm anxiously waiting for a response.

Here's what Ivan Maisel wrote today in his 3 point stance:

3. The complainers say that college football is unfair because the national championship stays within the same small group of 20 or so teams. Maybe so. But a playoff won't solve that issue. Name the sport that isn't dominated by a small percentage of teams. Lakers, Yankees, Steelers, FC Barcelona, etc., commit the resources and have the interest to win. Same with the Floridas and USCs.

I wrote:

To address your point, a playoff might not keep the top 20 or so teams from playing for a championship most years, but tournament play offers a chance for participating schools to vie for a championship. Watching the same teams compete each year can become stale, in my opinion. I've listed some examples of teams outside of the top 20 or so that made their respective tournaments fun to watch and added the element of surprise, something many sports fan enjoy.

UVM Catamounts - 2009 Frozen Four
Fresno State Bulldogs - 2008 CWS Champions
Davidson College Wildcats - Regional Finals of the 2008 NCAA Tournament
UMass Minutemen - 2006 Lacrosse National Title runner ups

So yes, most sports are dominated by a few teams, but at least in tournament play fans can hope for a Cinderella. College football cuts underdogs out of the title hunt before the first game of the season.

It feels great to respond to Ivan, who is someone I greatly admire. I'm already looking forward to commenting again.