The NCAA strikes again

Issue: That was a great National Championship game between Auburn and Oregon, right?

Short Answer: It could have been better.

Reasoning: Last night, I, and I'm sure most of you, watched the BCS National Championship game.  And for three quarters (the last three quarters, that is), the game was phenomenal.  The problem being that we had to sit through that first quarter, where it seemed as if two junior varsity high school teams were playing against each other.  Check out how the first quarter went:

• Oregon - 3 plays, 7 yards = punt;
• Auburn - 4 plays, 8 yards = punt;
• Oregon - 5 plays, 22 yards = interception;
• Auburn - 2 plays, 2 yards = interception;
• Oregon - 8 plays, 33 yards = interception;
• Auburn - 5 plays, 12 yards = punt;
• Oregon - 8 plays, 63 yards = end of quarter (Oregon would kick a field goal shortly after the start of the 2nd quarter)
• Final tally - 35 plays, 147 yards, 3 punts, 3 interceptions, 0 points.  Sick.

So, why is this the fault of the NCAA (other than the simple fact that I hate the NCAA and I'm sure global warming is somehow their fault too?)?  How about this: Auburn's last game played before National Championship - December 4, 2010; Oregon's last game played before National Championship - December 4, 2010.  And, just in case you drank too much last night, the National Championship (presented by TOSTITOS (sponsor?)) was played on January 10, 2011.  That's right, more than a full month after each team's last game.  Hence, we get to watch the two best teams in the nation play like a bunch of chumps, all thanks to the money-grubbing NCAA.

The speed of the game is something that no team can reproduce in practice.  It just doesn't happen.  Guys don't go 100% in practice because that isn't what practice is about.  Practice is about making sure of your routes, reads, blocks, protections, and, most of all, not getting yourself, or anyone else, hurt.  After over a month off, the speed of the game still surprises those who play it every day.  Imagine a baseball player, for an entire month, taking only batting practice (basically hitting off pitches travelling no faster than 50 miles per hour) and then stepping into the batter's box against Stephen Strasburg's 100 mile per hour heater.  The hitter would fear for his life and stand no chance of even putting the ball in play.  A 90+ mile per hour fastball is something that a hitter has to get used to (trust me, 70+ scares the hell out of me these days), just like the speed of the two best college football teams in the country (arguably) is something that the players must get used to, all over again.  And, it was obvious that it took the players a full quarter to reacclimate themselves to that speed.

So, why did the NCAA make these two teams wait 37 days to play the National Championship game?  My guess is money, but another, equally possible scenario, is that the NCAA, as an entity, is what we would call a bunch of assh%$#s.  All in all it was a great game and I'm sure the NCAA made themselves quite a bit of money.  It just would have been nice to see a great game for four quarters instead of three.  When they decide to play the National Championship game the week before the Super Bowl next year, we may only get to see one half of a good game.  Too bad.