You want an argument against a college football playoff? Look at the NBA.

I don't even think the BCS could screw this one up.  Well, maybe.

By Stanley

College football is often ridiculed for its atrocious championship system, known as the Bowl Championship Series.  The BCS could be the most consistently criticized aspect of sports.  Let's get real: it never works.  But right now, in the midst of an extremely crappy NBA playoffs, I would love to see the BCS in professional basketball, just for this year.  

Wouldn't that take all the fun out of the playoffs, you may ask?  Well, it would, if the playoffs in 2009 were any fun.  The two best teams are obviously the Los Angeles Lakers from the Western Conference, and the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Eastern Conference.  There is no way around it.  The Celtics would only be a contender with Kevin Garnett, and he is out for the playoffs.  

Other teams that analysts may point to as being contenders include the Magic and Nuggets.  Sure, the Orlando and Denver racked up a bunch of wins during the season.  But do they have a chance at making it to the Finals?  No way.  Even if they do make it there, do they really deserve it?  Clearly, Denver is not a better team than Los Angeles.  Nobody wants to see a Nuggets-Magic final.  Maybe three people would tune in to that game.  

Seriously, would anyone really care if the NBA just cancelled the playoffs right now, and put the Lakers and Cavs in the Finals?  Well, outside of every other playoff team, of course.  But no team can possibly say that they are better than the Lakers or the Cavs in their respective conferences.  Nobody.  

So NBA fans will have to sit around and watch crappy basketball for a month and a half before they get to see a good matchup.  A team like Detroit should not have been in the playoffs this year.  They had no business being on the court with Cleveland.  At least the NBA should cut the playoffs to four teams or so per conference.  They won't, because that would lose a ton of money for the league and for TV contracts.  But it would mean better basketball all around. 

The NBA could use the main principle of the BCS: that is, putting the two best teams in the championship game.  This way, there are no fluke upsets on the road to the championship, so the public gets to see the best teams.  Would this work for every year?  Of course not.  Actually, a BCS system would be horrible for the league in most seasons.  But this year?  Give me the BCS.

One argument against implementing a college football playoff is that we won't get to see the best matchup.  For example, for the 2008 college football season, say there was an eight team playoff.  If Utah won their first two games (which would probably be a fluke), they would be in the championship.  Nobody wants to see Utah in the championship.  Give me Florida-Oklahoma, or Florida-Texas.  

Although the BCS may not always get the two best teams in the championship, we know for sure that it gets two of the best.  So at least fans get to see a solid matchup of two great teams.  However, if college football eventually gets a playoff, it could result in a terrible matchup, like USC vs. Utah.  Who do you think wins that game last year?  Well, if you want me to state the obvious, USC.  By like 50 points.  

Yeah, I know, the only ones who like the BCS are Ivan Maisel, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and Satan.  Please, don't throw my name in with them, I am in full support of a playoff.  I'm just warning you: if college football somehow gets a playoff, you might get a crappy championship once in awhile.  That is the baggage that comes with a tournament.   

  How many BCS Computers does it take to screw on a lightbulb?

So maybe the BCS isn't that bad.  It at least lets us see great teams battle it out.  In the NBA, we get bad first round matchups, bad second round matchups, pretty good conference championships, and usually a solid finals.  But this year?  It will be atrocious first round matchups, godawful second round matchups, appalling conference championships, and an awesome NBA Finals.  So this year, I would love for the NBA to just cut out the first three rounds, just to eliminate the small chance that we don't get to see the amazing Cavs-Lakers Finals.  

Before you trash the BCS, just think about the fact that it gives us a great matchup every year.  It guarantees that we won't see a subpar team get lucky at the right time to make it to the championship.  And this year, the NBA could use the BCS.

Well, I don't want to drag this out too long.  I know you will all be tuned in to the super exciting Orlando-Philly matchup tonight.  Oh, and I am still angry at the BCS for its injustices over the last eleven years.  Don't get my wrong, I'm livid.  I despise the BCS.  But for the 2009 playoffs, I wish the NBA had a system like that.