Sports Thread #1 for 12/30/08: Another, Albeit Passionate, Pathetic Attempt To Justify Bowl Games
Photo from google.com Add Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated to the list of people not seeing the big picture with why bowl games, in the total whole scheme of things, are antiquated and assisted in the shameless money making corporations of college presidents and the NCAA. Mandel's lets compulsive nostalgia from his Northwestern days fuel his argument of why bowl games matter : In 1995, I was a sophomore at Northwestern when the Wildcats, which hadn't posted a winning record in 25 years, inexplicably rose up to go 10-1 and earn their first Rose Bowl berth in 47 years. Those of you old enough to remember it don't need me to rehash the details. For those of you who weren't, I would describe the shock level as akin to Appalachian State beating Michigan -- if Appalachian State had completely stunk the year before and also gone on to beat Notre Dame, Penn State and Wisconsin. Obviously, the excitement level on our previously apathetic campus soared with each mounting win,...