NCAA OFFICIALLY CONFIRMS: 'BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP' AN OXYMORONIC MYTH! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Diligent fans may have noticed the NCAA's stealthy re-branding effort this week, changing the names of its two Division I, uh, divisions from Division I-A and Division I-AA to the "Division I Football-Bowl Subdivision" and the "Division I Football-Championship Subdivision."
As ridiculously un-catchy and unlikely to take hold in the lexicon as it could possibly be, maybe. Yet, in it's own clumsy way, perhaps this change is the NCAA's effort to distance itself from the foolishness of the "bowl championship" system so precious to the biggest boys:
(Emphasis SMQ's)
Wait, doesn't the inviolable Bowl Championship Series crown the absolute, final do-not-disturb Division I football champion?
No, it doesn't, nor does the Associated Press poll (or any other poll), because as far as the NCAA's concerned, there is still no "official" football champion among the top division - the "National Champion" is an arbitrary and poll-driven, and hence media-driven, distinction. When the sport's governing body doesn't recognize a champion, and said 'championship' could theoretically be awarded to any random team a pack of writers pleases, it's not a real championship. It is, quite literally, a mythical title.
Meanwhile, the NCAA awards legitimate championships based on completely non-arbitrary factors, such as winning on the actual field of play in a playoff, in every other sport, rightfully dubs these events from start to finish "The NCAA [Insert Sport] Championship" and rings the distinction from the rafters. All it's really done here is attach a suitably ludicrous title to match the ludicrous reality.
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How much football does he watch? Dude's got insights on -everybody-, and by everybody, I mean everybody. Throw in some of the best writing in the blogosphere, and we're talking about a daily must-read.
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Just another hack writer who hasn't done one lick of research...
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