Wait, so The Cotton Bowl isn't at The Cotton Bowl anymore?

[Rebel Jew]

Apparently, it's now at Jerrah Jones' platinum gentleman's club.

[juliogotay]

Apparently, it's now at Jerrah Jones' platinum gentleman's club.

Correct. Despite millions of $$ the city of Dallas put into it a couple of years ago.

[Alkie]

Fuck that.   Someone explain to me why the Cotton Bowl isn't on Jan 1st.   Why don't we just start playing the title game in May for crisakes.

[HudsonHawk]

Fuck that.   Someone explain to me why the Cotton Bowl isn't on Jan 1st.   Why don't we just start playing the title game in May for crisakes.

Because the Cotton Bowl can't compete with the Trojan Condoms Dean's French Onion Dip Bowl Presented By Outback.  I really do miss the tradition of a grand finale of college football on New Year's Day.

[Alkie]

Because the Cotton Bowl can't compete with the Trojan Condoms Dean's French Onion Dip Bowl Presented By Outback.  I really do miss the tradition of a grand finale of college football on New Year's Day.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic about the second part, but I'm quite serious.

If the 2nd wasn't on a fucking Saturday, I'd be working instead of watching the Cotton Bowl.   Explain to me how that's BETTER for ratings. 

Me
<TV>
=========
No Bowl Game

[Alkie]

AND.   The Texas/Bama game should be tonight.   Not next week.

[HudsonHawk]

I don't know if you're being sarcastic about the second part, but I'm quite serious.

If the 2nd wasn't on a fucking Saturday, I'd be working instead of watching the Cotton Bowl.   Explain to me how that's BETTER for ratings. 

Me
<TV>
=========
No Bowl Game

That's the reason.  Ratings.  Not wanting to compete with as many games. I'm quite serious.  I'm not sure how to answer your hypothetical about what if the 2nd wasn't on a fucking Saturday...it IS on a fucking Saturday.   

[HudsonHawk]

AND.   The Texas/Bama game should be tonight.   Not next week.

I agree 100%.  The college football season should end on New Year's day. 

[Alkie]

Right, THIS year, but it would have been on the 2nd either way.   Wasn't it on the 2nd last year too?

And who decided that three games at the same time was perfectly acceptable, but a fourth, just as important game was "too much"?

[BizidyDizidy]

I'm pretty sure I remember watching it on New Year's last year.

[HudsonHawk]

Right, THIS year, but it would have been on the 2nd either way.   Wasn't it on the 2nd last year too?

Yes it was.  Which was a Friday.  It was also played on January 2nd in 2006, 2004, 1995, 1984,1978, 1961, 1956, 1950 and 1939.  It was played on December 31st in 1966.

And who decided that three games at the same time was perfectly acceptable, but a fourth, just as important game was "too much"?

I suppose the bowls themselves decide when they want to schedule it.

[HudsonHawk]

I'm pretty sure I remember watching it on New Year's last year.

You must have been watching a re-run.  The Cotton Bowl was played January 2, 2009.

[BizidyDizidy]

You must have been watching a re-run.  The Cotton Bowl was played January 2, 2009.

I remembered watching it from home while working - I guess Friday the 2nd makes even more sense.

[HudsonHawk]

I remembered watching it from home while working - I guess Friday the 2nd makes even more sense.

You may have been watching a bowl game last New Year's Day, and it may have even been *a* Cotton Bowl.  But it wasn't the 2009 Cotton Bowl.

[Alkie]

Yes it was.  Which was a Friday.  It was also played on January 2nd in 2006, 2004, 1995, 1984,1978, 1961, 1956, 1950 and 1939.  It was played on December 31st in 1966.

I don't like it.

[BizidyDizidy]

You may have been watching a bowl game last New Year's Day, and it may have even been *a* Cotton Bowl.  But it wasn't the 2009 Cotton Bowl.

I also remember Alabama getting their ass kicked by Utah - does that narrow it down?

[HudsonHawk]

I don't like it.

I don't either.  But of one thing I'm certain...*I'm* not the one who decides the date on which the game is played.

[HudsonHawk]

I also remember Alabama getting their ass kicked by Utah - does that narrow it down?

It would narrow it down to the 2009 Sugar Bowl except for one thing...that also was played on January 2nd.

[BizidyDizidy]

It would narrow it down to the 2009 Sugar Bowl except for one thing...that also was played on January 2nd.

I'm starting to think maybe I had an anuerysm on 1/2/09

[HudsonHawk]

I'm starting to think maybe I had an anuerysm on 1/2/09

Or maybe you were so drunk on New Year's Eve, that you slept right through January 1st and woke up on the 2nd, thinking it was the day before.

[BizidyDizidy]

Or maybe you were so drunk on New Year's Eve, that you slept right through January 1st and woke up on the 2nd, thinking it was the day before.

That still wouldn't account for me thinking Utah-Alabama was the cotton bowl.

[juliogotay]

That still wouldn't account for me thinking Utah-Alabama was the cotton bowl.

Some things can't be accounted for.

Once upon a time, only the cream of the bowl games were played on NY Day and, off course, that was it for the year. The Cotton, Rose, Sugar and Orange Bowls were on NY Day and were considered the glamour bowls. Today, only the Rose and Sugar of those will be played and these formerly second-tier bowls are on out of Florida. Is there a new pecking-order of bowl games or is NY Day less desirable than previously?

[ybbodeus]

Seems like the Sugar went back and forth between NYE and NYD during the 70's and even into the 80's.

Wasn't the Fiesta the first to start crowding in on the NYD action?

You could count on ABC's having the Sugar Bowl, CBS the Cotton and NBC the Rose & /Orange. Does NBC even have a bowl game now? They had the Gator for awhile; do they still?

The Sun, Gator and Peach were almost always the NYE games, I believe, and Aloha was always on Christmas.

The Independence and Liberty usually fought it out for "first bowl game" status. When the NFL expanded the schedule in the latter 70's, it killed the Liberty's prime spot and network affiliation with ABC.

Long lost names of bowls still played? Citrus Bowl. Tangerine Bowl. Copper Bowl.
Aloha Bowl.
Peach??? C'mon, Chik-Fil-A, put Peach in the name.

Then there are bowls that are no more. Games I recall watching in my lifetime:
Bluebonnet Bowl--went to some of those.
Hall of Fame (or shame, per some) Bowl.
Freedom Bowl.
California Bowl.
Cherry Bowl.

[juliogotay]

Seems like the Sugar went back and forth between NYE and NYD during the 70's and even into the 80's.

Wasn't the Fiesta the first to start crowding in on the NYD action?

You could count on ABC's having the Sugar Bowl, CBS the Cotton and NBC the Rose & /Orange. Does NBC even have a bowl game now? They had the Gator for awhile; do they still?

The Sun, Gator and Peach were almost always the NYE games, I believe, and Aloha was always on Christmas.

The Independence and Liberty usually fought it out for "first bowl game" status. When the NFL expanded the schedule in the latter 70's, it killed the Liberty's prime spot and network affiliation with ABC.

Long lost names of bowls still played? Citrus Bowl. Tangerine Bowl. Copper Bowl.
Aloha Bowl.
Peach??? C'mon, Chik-Fil-A, put Peach in the name.

Then there are bowls that are no more. Games I recall watching in my lifetime:
Bluebonnet Bowl--went to some of those.
Hall of Fame (or shame, per some) Bowl.
Freedom Bowl.
California Bowl.
Cherry Bowl.

Good recap. Yes, the Fiesta was the first to butt in on NYD and sometime in the 90's I guess the Cotton Bowl lost NYD status. The Fiesta bought their way in with a really big purse. NBC does not have a bowl game. I kind of liked the Sugar Bowl played on NY Eve. You could always count on the Orange Bowl being a very good game and it was a great way to wrap up NYD. The Orange Bowl has lost something IMHO by moving to the pro stadium. In Corpus we had a bowl game once, The Challenge Bowl. It was really an All-Star game of SWC players vs. college seniors from elsewhere. It had a run of one year because it lost a ton of money. The SWC guys got whipped.

[Bench]

. . . and sometime in the 90's I guess the Cotton Bowl lost NYD status.

The Cotton Bowl was played on New Years Day in 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 and 1996.

[Alkie]

The Cotton Bowl was played on New Years Day in 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 and 1996.

The way Shiva intended.

[juliogotay]

The Cotton Bowl was played on New Years Day in 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 and 1996.

I'll be damned.

[drew corleone]

Good recap. Yes, the Fiesta was the first to butt in on NYD and sometime in the 90's I guess the Cotton Bowl lost NYD status.

It didn't lose NYD status, it was just supplanted by the Fiesta Bowl as one of the "big four." While A&M and Arkansas were taking turns losing in frigid weather on NYD in the late 80s and early 90s, the Fiesta Bowl staged a national title game (87 Miami-Penn State), a de facto title game (89 West Virginia-ND), and had the advantage of picking whoever they wanted for their conference affiliation-free game. The nicer weather certainly helped, too.

[HudsonHawk]

and had the advantage of picking whoever they wanted for their conference affiliation-free game.

They could pick whomever they wanted from the list of independents and non-conference winners.  They won the lottery in '87 when it just so happened that the Nos. 1 and 2 teams were both independents.  They also started the title sponsorship trend, as the '87 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl was the first to have such, something they needed to outbid the Citrus Bowl for the rights to host the matchup.

[Alkie]

Incorrect.

The first bowl to start the title sponsorship bullshit was, in fact, the Sun Bowl.

[HudsonHawk]

Incorrect.

The first bowl to start the title sponsorship bullshit was, in fact, the Sun Bowl.

The Sun Bowl and Fiesta Bowl started the sponsorships the same year.  The Sun Bowl was played first though, I suppose.