The Christmas Bowl

[TripletDaddy]

How about Tucson. I dislike Arizona fans, but really like Tucson. Great golf courses. Lot's of momo's in Arizona too.

Because there is no reason to go to Arizona over Christmas break. Vegas has gaming and shows. SoCal has Diz, ocean, etc. That would be my guess, anyway.

[byu71]

Because there is no reason to go to Arizona over Christmas break. Vegas has gaming and shows. SoCal has Diz, ocean, etc. That would be my guess, anyway.

You are probably right, everyone doesn't golf. They do have Indian Casino's in Tucson but they don't comp., no matter how much you lose.

Traveling down to Mexico to hang out for a day isn't that appealing anymore either.

[Hot Lunch]

Because there is no reason to go to Arizona over Christmas break. Vegas has gaming and shows. SoCal has Diz, ocean, etc. That would be my guess, anyway.

Bowl games on Christmas just suck for everyone. It sucks for the players that are playing in the game, it sucks for their families. It sucks for the fans. I feel like I am one of the biggest football fans out there and to be honest, I have zero desire to go to a bowl game on Christmas day.

[Surfah]

Bowl games on Christmas just suck for everyone. It sucks for the players that are playing in the game, it sucks for their families. It sucks for the fans. I feel like I am one of the biggest football fans out there and to be honest, I have zero desire to go to a bowl game on Christmas day.

Agreed. Besides, you also miss the Lakers' Christmas game.

[creekster]

Bowl games on Christmas just suck for everyone. It sucks for the players that are playing in the game, it sucks for their families. It sucks for the fans. I feel like I am one of the biggest football fans out there and to be honest, I have zero desire to go to a bowl game on Christmas day.

I agree too. I would like a SoCal bowl, but I would be much less likely to go on christmas day.

[Hot Lunch]

Agreed. Besides, you also miss the Lakers' Christmas game.

LOL. I actually feel bad for the Lakers having to play on Christmas every year. Christmas day is hands down my favorite day of the year. I absolutely love Christmas and everything about it. I don't mind watching some of the sporting events on Christmas but I only tune in if I am not doing something with my family.

[Surfah]

LOL. I actually feel bad for the Lakers having to play on Christmas every year. Christmas day is hands down my favorite day of the year. I absolutely love Christmas and everything about it. I don't mind watching some of the sporting events on Christmas but I only tune in if I am not doing something with my family.

See, I like the games on Christmas because I get a break from family.

[TripletDaddy]

Bowl games on Christmas just suck for everyone. It sucks for the players that are playing in the game, it sucks for their families. It sucks for the fans. I feel like I am one of the biggest football fans out there and to be honest, I have zero desire to go to a bowl game on Christmas day.

If BYU were to do its own bowl, would have t be between Xmas and NYE.

[Goatnapper'96]

IF and it is a big IF, this is true. I am beginning to think this ESPN deal is good for ESPN and money for BYU, but is it really a good deal for the fans. Just as important, is this the way we get put in the upper echelon of college FB.

Please spare me the your negative or you just complain stuff. I got that already on CB. I am just looking for reasons why I shouldn't feel that way.

This is my take:

1.) On the positive this is likely to give us a second chance to beat the Utes! Yay for us!

2.) I think the same caliber of bowl opponent will come from this deal as what BYU usually played in the Vegas Bowl. The reality of BYU's bowl situation is that unless BYU goes undefeated it is likely to get a poor bowl game. That was the way it was when BYU was in the MWC. The only way this will change is if/when BYU is invited to the Big 12. I see no real change in the bowl situation from where BYU was.

3.) The new deal with Independence/ESPN has its pros and cons. As you are aware the pros appear to be more money, more exposure, better road game matchups. The Cons appear to be less exciting home matchups, the loss of a chance to play for something exciting such as a conference championship after the first loss of the year, and the impact to the hoops schedule from moving away from UNM, SDSU and UNLV to St Mary's and Gonzaga.

4.) As far as the fans go, for some this is better for others it is worse. If you live close enough to Provo where you can go to home football and basketball games this new deal will have some negative ramifications. But if you live in places where BYU gets the chance to play some of these neutral/away games you are likely to get the chance to see BYU in person more frequently. Further, for those outside the footprint of easy mtn availability those fans will get to see BYU more frequently on national channels.

Other than the hit to hoops conference foes, I think this is overall better for BYU. It increases exposure and revenue. It would be nice to at least get two or three exciting home matchups each year and I hope the rhetoric/rumor mongering about phones ringing off the hook provide that. Like you I am skeptical about that reality. Methinks that good programs know BYU is over a barrell a bit and my guess is BYU will play some really good neutral/away games each year, two sucky road games each year, one or maybee two decent home games and then 4 sucky home games. Further, I think BYU is going to struggle to get any good home games beyond the month of September. But overall, I still think it is better than where BYU was at.

[Clark Addison]

LOL. I actually feel bad for the Lakers having to play on Christmas every year. Christmas day is hands down my favorite day of the year. I absolutely love Christmas and everything about it. I don't mind watching some of the sporting events on Christmas but I only tune in if I am not doing something with my family.

I completely agree with this. I love Christmas, and I have no desire to spend Christmas day at a football game. Even if I did, my wife would not be happy if I told her I would be out of town from Dec 23 to the 27th.

Play the bowl from December 28th to 31st.

[byu71]

This is my take:

1.) On the positive this is likely to give us a second chance to beat the Utes! Yay for us!

2.) I think the same caliber of bowl opponent will come from this deal as what BYU usually played in the Vegas Bowl. The reality of BYU's bowl situation is that unless BYU goes undefeated it is likely to get a poor bowl game. That was the way it was when BYU was in the MWC. The only way this will change is if/when BYU is invited to the Big 12. I see no real change in the bowl situation from where BYU was.

3.) The new deal with Independence/ESPN has its pros and cons. As you are aware the pros appear to be more money, more exposure, better road game matchups. The Cons appear to be less exciting home matchups, the loss of a chance to play for something exciting such as a conference championship after the first loss of the year, and the impact to the hoops schedule from moving away from UNM, SDSU and UNLV to St Mary's and Gonzaga.

4.) As far as the fans go, for some this is better for others it is worse. If you live close enough to Provo where you can go to home football and basketball games this new deal will have some negative ramifications. But if you live in places where BYU gets the chance to play some of these neutral/away games you are likely to get the chance to see BYU in person more frequently. Further, for those outside the footprint of easy mtn availability those fans will get to see BYU more frequently on national channels.

Other than the hit to hoops conference foes, I think this is overall better for BYU. It increases exposure and revenue. It would be nice to at least get two or three exciting home matchups each year and I hope the rhetoric/rumor mongering about phones ringing off the hook provide that. Like you I am skeptical about that reality. Methinks that good programs know BYU is over a barrell a bit and my guess is BYU will play some really good neutral/away games each year, two sucky road games each year, one or maybee two decent home games and then 4 sucky home games. Further, I think BYU is going to struggle to get any good home games beyond the month of September. But overall, I still think it is better than where BYU was at.

Good take and I am pretty much in agreement. It is better than staying in the Mountain, even for the fans. Whether it is fans taking what Holmoe and Bronco say and running with it and emblishing it or just my very own ongoing wish for upper echelon recogntion in the college football world, the expectation is what appears to be in doubt for me.

As a matter of fact when I move to St. George for the winters, I really won't care much. A home game will be the same as an away game to me. I will be watching it on the big theatre screen over at my brothers house.

I think about keeping the tickets for the kids, but they seem to be losing their enthusiasm for BYU football. They all want to go to Texas and Mississippi and the Utah games, but that is about it.

The good thing is I won't be moving for a few years. By then I will know whether we have good home schedules lined up or they just couldn't pull it off.

[Goatnapper'96]

Good take and I am pretty much in agreement. It is better than staying in the Mountain, even for the fans. Whether it is fans taking what Holmoe and Bronco say and running with it and emblishing it or just my very own ongoing wish for upper echelon recogntion in the college football world, the expectation is what appears to be in doubt for me.

As a matter of fact when I move to St. George for the winters, I really won't care much. A home game will be the same as an away game to me. I will be watching it on the big theatre screen over at my brothers house.

I think about keeping the tickets for the kids, but they seem to be losing their enthusiasm for BYU football. They all want to go to Texas and Mississippi and the Utah games, but that is about it.

The good thing is I won't be moving for a few years. By then I will know whether we have good home schedules lined up or they just couldn't pull it off.

I have stated my bullish opinions on the next 3 years of BYU football. I am not convinced BYU will be able to keep the talent as high as it is going to be the next couple of years. Good talent usually leads to good teams. My worry is that could create an inflated sense of reality. I probably worry about this more than you as I am younger and in your case a good 3 year run might just about take you to the end. I would hate for BYU to make some decisions about its future based upon believing its brand is worth more than it is. I think there is a good chance for BYU to do well but is that brand BYU or a an anomaly created by a storm of a core of good LDS recruits not wanting to serve missions augmented by some real good luck wrt recruiting some solid non-LDS players?

[byu71]

I have stated my bullish opinions on the next 3 years of BYU football. I am not convinced BYU will be able to keep the talent as high as it is going to be the next couple of years. Good talent usually leads to good teams. My worry is that could create an inflated sense of reality. I probably worry about this more than you as I am younger and in your case a good 3 year run might just about take you to the end. I would hate for BYU to make some decisions about its future based upon believing its brand is worth more than it is. I think there is a good chance for BYU to do well but is that brand BYU or a an anomaly created by a storm of a core of good LDS recruits not wanting to serve missions augmented by some real good luck wrt recruiting some solid non-LDS players?

Unless these folks are totally oblivious to reality, they got a great glimpse of what the "brand" needs thanks to the BB team. It ain't hookin up with ESPN, it ain't telling folks about the honor code, it ain't beating up the sisters of the poor in LES and losing to decent teams on the road. I am sure you get my drift.

Like I said, unless they are in the same cloud as some "true blue fans" on CB, they know what it will take, WINNING against very good competition.

Call me naive, but I think the HC is being massaged as we speak. Not so anyone will have it hit them in the face with the change. It will be one of those unspoken things.

[Goatnapper'96]

Unless these folks are totally oblivious to reality, they got a great glimpse of what the "brand" needs thanks to the BB team. It ain't hookin up with ESPN, it ain't telling folks about the honor code, it ain't beating up the sisters of the poor in LES and losing to decent teams on the road. I am sure you get my drift.

Like I said, unless they are in the same cloud as some "true blue fans" on CB, they know what it will take, WINNING against very good competition.

Call me naive, but I think the HC is being massaged as we speak. Not so anyone will have it hit them in the face with the change. It will be one of those unspoken things.

Let's face it, the best massages never include words....Huh...HUH!

[LiveCoug]

I would be fine with a long term contract with this bowl if the terms were stated as such: During a season in which BYU goes 6-6, they will be invited to the Christmas Bowl to play the 8th team from the Big 10.

That would be fine.

As our only bowl option if we don't get a BCS invite (even if we are 11-1)? Shoot me now...