Is Newer Really Better?

1st College Football Playoff rankings are here: 1. Mississippi State 2. Florida State 3. Auburn 4. Ole Miss pic.twitter.com/82bbyx9fNJ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 28, 2014

This past week, the very first College Football Playoff poll was released. If you do not follow college football or are unfamiliar with the College Football Playoff, allow me to explain what it is. The College Football Playoff is a single elimination tournament to determine the national champion of all the football teams that compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Four teams will be chosen at the end of the college football season to participate in the College Football Playoff, with the winner being crowned as the national champion.

How are these four teams chosen?  A special committee consisting of 13 members that range from former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to former college football coach Tyrone Willingham will choose which four teams will compete for the national title at the end of the season. This new system of determining who will play for the national championship is supposed to be better and less controversial than the Bowl Championship Series that was in place from 1998-2013.

Personally, I think that this system is not much better than the BCS system that was in place for the last 15 years. I understand that the BCS system generated a ton of controversy, but a four-team playoff in which the teams are picked by a committee? This too is going to produce a large amount of debate. For example, if the committee picks a team that has one loss over a team that is undefeated as the fourth and final team in the College Football Playoff because that one loss team is in what is perceived as a stronger conference, the undefeated team that is left on the outside looking in is going to cry foul.

The only difference I really see between the Bowl Championship Series and the College Football Playoff is the number of teams that get to compete for the national title grows from two to four, and the anger associated with a team not being selected will be shifted from the computers that were used to determine the two teams that played for the BCS National Championship to the 13 members of the selection committee that choose who competes for the College Football Playoff National Championship. In other words, it increases the number of competing teams from two to four and gives angry college football fans a new target to blame and criticize.

If I were running the show, I would have a 16-team tournament. There are currently 10 conferences in Division I FBS, and under my system, every conference champion gets an automatic bid to the playoffs. There would then be six open spots for wildcard teams or teams that are considered Division I FBS Independents, such as Notre Dame. The wildcard teams that get the six remaining spots can be determined by a selection committee much like March Madness is. Should the sponsors want to keep the big bowls alive, then the “Elite Eight” of this tournament will play in four of the six current College Football Playoff bowls. The “Final Four” would then play in the two remaining bowl games with the winners advancing to the national championship final.

My system is not perfect, but I think it is much better than the one in play now, and since everything comes down to the almighty dollar, I also think it could be more lucrative with more teams having the chance to play for the national title. It also gives the schools in “non-power” conferences a chance to shine in the national spotlight and take on some of the best teams in the country.

However, the current College Football Playoff might actually work. According to its website, all ten conferences and Notre Dame are involved with it, so there is the possibility that this system could be the answer. I doubt it, but it’s possible.

Ickey Shuffle Champ!

Click the link in the tweet below to see yours truly compete in the Ickey Shuffle Competition at Beyond the Stripes with Ickey Woods featured as a judge!

VIDEO: Former #Bengals RB Ickey Woods judges Ickey Shuffle contest during #BeyondTheStripes http://t.co/0rb8Lh04F7 #ColdCuts @GlennHartong
— Enquirer Sports (@ENQSports) October 29, 2014

Updated Photo Page

UPDATED PIC PAGE FROM #BeyondTheStripes Featuring @THE_Ickster and @NKUmenshoops at http://t.co/urHRpUV00z #bengals pic.twitter.com/ujKaCbmMf4
— Cincy Fan Zone (@cincyfanzone) October 29, 2014

WWE Hell in a Cell 2014 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Hell in a Cell 2014.

I was on the WWE App!

As I was watching WWE Hell in a Cell 2014, I was also tweeting out the match results as well as my opinions. During the WWE United States Championship match between the Miz and the United States Champ Sheamus, I composed this tweet:

Somebody get mizdow an oscar for this performance #wwe #ustitle #hiac #wwehiac
— Cincy Fan Zone (@cincyfanzone) October 27, 2014

A little while later, it popped up on the WWE App! Needless to say I was excited! Obviously WWE liked what I was tweeting. Maybe you will like what I tweet too, so you should follow me on twitter @cincyfanzone!

Sporting News Galore in Cincinnati

It was a huge week for fans of Cincinnati sports teams. The Bearcats, the Reds, the Cyclones, and the Bengals all made news this week.

Let’s start with the Bearcats. On Friday, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats played host to the Bulls of South Florida. After cruising to a 20-3 lead in the first half, quarterback Gunner Kiel left the game with what appeared to be a rib injury. Prior to leaving the game, Kiel was having an excellent performance as he not only threw for 196 yards and a touchdown, but he also ran one in himself. Backup quarterback Munchie Legaux came in and closed out the game as the Bearcats defeated the Bulls 34-17.

The Cincinnati Cyclones are the next topic of discussion as they played their home opener on Saturday night against the Kalamazoo Wings. After grabbing a 2-1 lead, the Cyclones collapsed as the Wings scored seven unanswered goals in route to an 8-2 shellacking of the Queen City hockey team. Curtis Valk led the Winds with three points. Wade Megan and Andrew Yogan netted the only two goals for the Cyclones. The team looks to bounce back as they take on the Quad City Mallards next weekend.

Even though the baseball season is in its final week, the Cincinnati Reds are still making some noise as three players were named as gold glove finalists. Center fielder Billy Hamilton, shortstop Zack Cozart, and second baseman Brandon Phillips are all in the running to win gold glove awards.

Hamilton was simply incredible in center field as he made many phenomenal plays all year. The most recent one that comes to my mind is the homerun robbing catch he had against the Milwaukee Brewers. You can see that play here. Cozart routinely dazzled at the shortstop position as he flashed the leather on a daily basis for the Reds this past season, and despite injuring his thumb just before the All-Star break, Phillips did what Phillips does best and that is make incredible defense look ridiculously easy all year. Should these three players win Gold Gloves, it will be the first for Hamilton and Cozart and the fifth for Phillips.

The Cincinnati Bengals will conclude this post. On Sunday, the Bengals played host to the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore was one of the hottest teams in the NFL and entered the game with a 5-2 record. After the Bengals were shutout the week before by the Indianapolis Colts, you would have thought the sky was falling in Cincinnati; however, the Bengals rewarded those who remained faithful to Who-Dey Nation with a monumental win over the Ravens.

The game was a thriller as these two rivals went toe to toe with first place in the division on the line. The Bengals grabbed the lead early and held it until late in the game when the Ravens capitalized on two turnovers and snatched a 24-20 lead. As the cameras showed people heading to the exits of Paul Brown Stadium, the Bengal believers who remained were treated to one of the most thrilling endings to a game this season.

After starting the drive with two incompletions, the Bengals offense got hot as key catches by mighty Mo Sanu and Greg Little put the Bengals in prime position to reclaim the lead. Quarterback Andy Dalton took it in for the score from 1.5 yards out on fourth and goal with 57 seconds remaining in the game to make it 27-24 in favor of the Bengals. After an 80-yard touchdown bomb was wiped off the scoreboard due to offensive pass interference when Ravens reciever Steve Smith pushed off against Bengals safety George Iloka, the Ravens were faced with a fourth and 20. The defense then stood tall and sealed the deal as the Bengals beat the Ravens 27-24 and reclaimed the top spot in the AFC North. You can watch the game highlights here.

It was a big week for Cincinnati sports as the Bearcats beat the Bulls of South Florida, the Cyclones had their home opener, three members of the Redlegs were named Gold Glove finalists, and the Bengals regained first place in the division. I love being a Cincinnati sports fan!

Go Bearcats, go Cyclones, go Redlegs, and Who-Dey!

My Favorite Team Favorited My Tweet

This made my day. Even though it does not seem like a big deal, as diehard fan of the Redlegs, I was thrilled when I was notified they favorited my tweet. Hopefully it is a sign that the Reds will indeed give out a Devin Mesoraco bobblehead next season! You should favorite this tweet too, and while you're at it, give it a retweet and follow me on twitter @cincyfanzone!

Tony Perez Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews the 2005 Cincinnati Reds SGA Tony Perez bobblehead.

3-0 Forever Ago

If you are a member of Who-Dey Nation, then you know the feeling of glum and disparity that has been hanging over the Queen City for the last few weeks, especially after the Bengals were blanked by the Indianapolis Colts in a 27-0 loss that really should have been much worse.

The last time the Bengals recorded a win was during week three of the NFL season when they cruised to a 33-7 win over the Tennessee Titans. This was the last time the Bengals looked phenomenal in all phases of the game. They dominated the Titans on the field, and they even pulled the starters out of the game towards the end of it. They were 3-0 and sitting atop the tough AFC North Division. The Bengals could not have gone into the bye week on a higher note.

That was four weeks ago, and to Bengals fans all around the world, it almost seems like an eternity ago. Following the bye week, the Bengals were crushed by the New England Patriots in a 43-17 bloodbath that saw the Cincinnati football squad once again suffer a meltdown in a primetime game.

The following week, the Bengals played host to the NFC South leading Carolina Panthers. This was a huge opportunity for the Bengals to not only extend their regular season home winning streak, but also rebound from the pummeling they suffered at the hands of the Patriots by defeating a quality team. If you read my “Terrible Ties” post, then you know this was not the case as the game ended in a 37-37 tie when Bengals kicker Mike Nugent missed a very makeable field goal as time expired in overtime.

This brings us to this past Sunday when the Bengals took on the AFC South leading Indianapolis Colts. Not only were they shutout, but the defense allowed the Colts to amass over 500 yards, and the offense had so many three and outs that I lost count. Had the Colts not turned the ball over twice, this game would have been a massacre.

Why are the Bengals playing like a peewee team? I realize that they have suffered numerous injuries to key players like A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert, and Rey Maualuga among others, but this is not the only reason as to why they have played so poor. Ever since the bye week, the defense has struggled mightily as they have allowed opposing offenses to score 107 points in three games. Mike Nugent has missed six field goals in six games. The offensive production has been spotty, as it looked great against the Panthers but awful against the Colts and the Patriots.

Thankfully, the NFL season consists of 16 games, and the Bengals will have the opportunity to catch the Baltimore Ravens, who now lead the AFC North, when they pay a visit to Paul Brown Stadium next Sunday. They will then host the Jacksonville Jaguars followed by the Cleveland Browns in a Thursday night battle of Ohio. Hopefully the Bengals will get the season sweep of the Ravens and defeat the Jaguars and the Browns to reclaim the top spot in the AFC North. All of these games will be played at home, and usually the Bengals play great football in Paul Brown Stadium.

Keep the faith Who-Dey Nation. While 3-0 seems like a distant memory, the Bengals are still in the thick of things and have a chance to improve their 3-2-1 record to that of 6-2-1. Players will get healthy, adjustments and improvements will be made, and the gloom hanging over Cincinnati will vanish. I still believe they are very capable of bringing home the Lombardi Trophy this year!

Who-Dey!

Jerrell Freeman Follows Me!

I'm pretty stoked that Jerrell Freeman of the Indianapolis Colts follows me on Twitter! You should too! @cincyfanzone

Joe Morgan Bobblehead Review

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone reviews the 2013 Forever Collectibles Legends of the Diamond Cincinnati Reds Joe Morgan bobblehead.

Terrible Ties

The Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers battled it out in one of the best games of the 2014 season. It was an overtime thriller that was building to a very dramatic and heart-stopping finish...or so we thought. The game ended in a 37-37 tie. Lame.

This is the second time in six years in which the Bengals had a game end in a tie. The 2008 Bengals tied with the Eagles when the score was 13-13 at the end of overtime. Both the Panthers and the Bengals had a chance to win the game in overtime, with the Bengals having a golden opportunity toward the end of the game. Bengals kicker Mike Nugent, however, absolutely shanked a very makeable field goal attempt as time expired to end the game in a draw.

Now some people might say at least they did not lose, and while that is true, they did not win either. Nobody won here. The Panthers didn't win. The Bengals didn't win. The fans didn't win. Nobody wins with a tie. It's a very anticlimactic way to end a game in one of the most thrilling sports in the world. It feels as if the game didn't even take place and because of that, the NFL needs to rework its overtime system.

Why not do what college football does? Put the ball on the 25-yard line and keep going until a team does not score. If the game reaches triple overtime, then the teams are only allowed to go for 2 point conversions. It makes perfect sense, and it always works. College games cannot end in a tie. You have a loser and a winner every time. The rules are also easier to understand. 

The NFL’s rules say that the team that received the ball first wins if they get a touchdown, but if they kick a field goal, the other team gets a shot. If the other team scores a touchdown, then they win but if they kick a field goal to tie up the game, then the next team to score wins. However, if the other team's defense gets a safety on the team that received the ball first, then the other team wins. Also, if the team that received the ball first does not score, then the next team to score wins. If the game is still tied at the end of the overtime period, then the game ends in a draw. Pretty confusing, right?

These are the stupidest overtime rules for any sport. They are confusing, and they still allow for a game to end in a tie. That's why I think college football has the right idea. If the NFL wants to be "different," then they should put their own spin on the college football rules such as putting the ball at the 30 yard line or only allowing 2 point conversions following a touchdown. Just make it so the fans are guaranteed a loser and a winner.

The bottom line is this. The NFL needs new overtime rules. Nobody likes a tie. So Commissioner Goodell, please consider changing how overtime works by eradicating the possibility of a draw. It will determine who lost and who won, and it will make everybody a lot happier.

Ties suck!

Reds Recap 2014

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone discusses the 2014 season of the Cincinnati Reds.

Dunn is Done

Following Oakland’s early exit from the postseason, Adam Dunn, a former Cincinnati Red, has called it a career.

Dunn started his career with the Cincinnati Reds in 2001 and bounced around the league after he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008. He went on to play with the Washington Nationals and the Chicago White Sox before ending his career with the Oakland Athletics.

Dunn never played in a postseason game. It looked like he would have his shot in the American League Wild Card Game against the Kansas City Royals, but unfortunately for Dunn, he never got off the bench as the Athletics fell to the Royals in a 9-8, 12 inning thriller.

Even though Dunn did strike out a lot, he had some of his best years with the Reds and hit 270 homers during his time with the team, which is fourth most all time in Reds history. His best moment with the Redlegs was in 2006, when he hit a two out walk-off grand slam to give the Reds a 9-8 victory over the Cleveland Indians. You can relive that moment here.

Dunn was one of the most popular Reds players during my childhood, and was one of my favorites as a kid. In fact, his 2002 Reds nodder was one of the first bobbleheads I had in my collection. I also have a Louisville Riverbats bobblehead of him as well as a limited edition Adam Dunn baseball that was sold by Burger King during a special cross promotion they had with the Reds. Needless to say, I was a big Adam Dunn fan.

Happy retirement Big Donkey, and thanks for the memories.