The 2010-2011 Bowl Schedule- Is 35 Too Many?

The WWL released the 2010-2011 bowl schedule today and we are staring down the barrel of 35 games over the course of 24 days.

Over at Barking Carnival srr50 already pointed out how this is another example of the WWL ruling the universe. All true. As for the 35 games themselves the issue is a double edged sword for me. I fully realize that this is probably WAY too many bowl games. 70 of 120 teams going bowling is excessive. Will 70 even be bowl eligible? At the same time I am partially to blame for the gluttony as I am one of those guys that will most likely watch every damn one of them. While this doesn’t lead to the same type of self loathing that other addicts have to face it does present me with a moral dilemma. So if we were going to whittle it down which ones can and should be cut? Let’s take a look at the 2010-2011 lineup to see.

18 December

New Mexico Bowl- Wherein Fresno State will lose to a Mountain West team on a high school field despite being favored by four touchdowns.

uDrove Humanitarian- What happened to Roady’s? MAC vs WAC on the Smurf Turf in an ice storm. Okay.

R+L Carriers New Orleans- The cameras will not pan out during this one. If they did you would see a smattering of Coke and peanut vendors sitting in empty seats on the 50 watching the game. More people show up for Friday Night High School games in Texas.

Despite the general suckitude of these first three games I will be fired up to watch all three of them. Not only do they kick off bowl season but I must enjoy taking a commanding lead in my respective bowl pools. That said all three could easily be scratched due to lack of interest. I wouldn’t miss them if they were gone. "Where’d who gooooooo???"

21 December

What was with the two days off? Scared of the NFL? Buy a dog.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg- This thriller is played at Tropicana Field. Two thumbs down. Classic sponsor though. I heard Tim Tebow eats all his meals at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s. When I drive across country this summer I’m going straight down to Florida first just to try it.

22 December

MAACO Las Vegas- In a cruel twist of fate BYU ends up here almost every year then play great against a Pac-10 team with a hangover.

23 December

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia- That name is a mouthful. Regardless I will probably go as free tickets are easy to come by. See part of the problem above.

24 December

Sheraton Hawaii- One more chance to catch a Warrior home game. Also something to curb your frustration while in decal/ assembly hell on Christmas Eve. For me this one evokes memories of heroes like Timmy Chang. It is also magical to hear the chorus of "Mele Kalikimaka" over and over while listening to Andre Ware talk about how exciting it is to see all the people in Hawaiian Shirts and Santa hats at the game. As a side note the 2008 game was one of the more enjoyable games of the Weis era. I can’t believe I just typed that.

26 December

Going toe to toe with the NFL in week two after wussing out in week one. The WWL could have at least picked a better candidate.

Little Caesars- Quite possibly the worst pizza ever and the bowl game is not far behind. Delete.

27 December

AdvoCare V100 Independence- The only game of the day and the best since BYU won the Las Vegas Bowl five days ago. Hence, a must watch. I will be praying for a reenactment of that awesome 2000 TAMU vs. Miss State tilt that was played in a blizzard.

28 December

Champs Sports- Almost into the real games now. This will probably be the first one with two teams from BCS Conferences and better than .500 records.

Insight- ESPN just saved this bad boy from oblivion. After wasting away on the NFL Network the last few years people might actually watch this Big 12 vs. Big Ten tilt. Besides they play it in Sun Devil Stadium. "Show me the money!"

29 December

EagleBank- CUSA will send a team to RFK to whip it on with the last place team in the ACC. Cancel it.

Texas- Big Ten vs. Big 12 in Reliant Stadium. I dig it. The Big 12 team is a lock em’ up pick in this one.

Valero Alamo- From Houston to San Antonio in the same night! That makes the menu easy. The Big 12 rides again this time at the expense of a Pac-10 foe. Overall this makes for a solid Wednesday night and a great excuse to whip up some jam up Mexican groceries.

30 December

Fourteen games will be played over the next three days. I will hole up and watch every single one of them and it will be glorious. This is where real training pays off. It takes stamina to get through the next 72 hours. Wait I have tickets to a couple of these!

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces- Don’t pick against Air Force in this showdown in Fort Worth.

New Era Pinstripe- Live from the frozen tundra of Yankee Stadium. I assume these teams will have to stand next to each other like they do at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Weird.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City- Too long of a name. Delete.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday- Bridgepoint Education? They dumped Pacific Life for a wannabee University of Phoenix? The whale sacrificed for online degrees? What the hell? I suppose I will have to get over it. This is one of my favorite bowl games every year and I am looking forward to being back in attendance this season.

31 December

I will never attend a New Year’s Eve party that doesn’t have the game on. Never.

Meineke Car Care- Things start to get interesting here. An underdog Big East team will ruin your day.

Brut Sun- Who the hell still uses Brut anything? Is that the crap Tom Brady peddles? Oh wait that’s Stetson. I thought Stetsons were only cowboy hats. My bad. My old man "The Coach" (not to be confused with LB Coach) calls "The Great Pass of the West" home these days and I went to this game with him a few years back. The Sun Bowl is a cool little stadium built into the foothills of the Franklin Mountains with the best concessions I have ever come across. Cinnamon Raisin Tamales and picadillo burittos beat the hell out of any $5 hot dog.

AutoZone Liberty- Check it out a CUSA team is about to get run ruled by an SEC opponent! If you happen to be in Memphis when this one kicks off you are probably better off eating some ribs and touring Graceland. I will take a much needed nap while this one is on to preflight for the evening.

Chick-fil-A- Hotlanta, the Georgia Dome, ACC, SEC this SHOULD be a good game but it hasn’t been the last couple of years. Best Chick-fil-A bowl ever was at the Deer Hunter’s Hokie New Year’s Eve Party in 2006 when Sean Glennon threw like 10 picks. There were a lot of sad folks around there that night him included.

1 January

Dallas Football Classic- a.k.a. the Cotton Bowl replacement at the Cotton Bowl. Nice January 1 slot except that there are three other games on at the same time. WTF? I’ll run three TV’s but four? Seriously? It is at least another Big Ten vs Big 12 matchup which is cool.

Outback- Big Ten vs. SEC with a big ass pirate ship behind one of the goal posts. All over it.

Capital One- The incessant Capital One commercials make this one unwatchable. Get a new sponsor. Roady’s is available. Also Big Ten vs. SEC.

Gator- Hey check it out three Big Ten vs. SEC games on at the same time! Divide your regional audience, that sounds like a great plan!

Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi- Ahhhh Pasadena. I should really go to this one some time. It is on my list. I wish Keith Jackson would come out of retirement for this one. I can’t take Musberger. Oh well.

Tostitos Fiesta- I will be back in my seats this year after a one year hiatus. It just dawned on me that I’m going to have to drive over the hill that morning. Damn, that will require an early start to catch the noon kickoff in Dallas from the tailgate. My logistics need review but the game should be sweet. Nice venue and typically a good matchup. I’m all over it.

3 January

Orange- I will have Sunday to recover before being sucked back in on Monday night. It will hurt but I will have to fight through it. This is the BCS after all and we will all need to watch the ACC flounder here so that we can complain more about how our teams got screwed. Of note FedEx is being replaced as the sponsor. Bummer, that 21 year sponsorship was around so long it was no longer annoying.

4 January

Allstate Sugar- Even my resolve is being tested at this point. Surely the 2^nd place SEC team is going to mop the floor with some at large bid right?

6 January

GMAC- Remember that gap I was bitching about back on December 19^th and 20^th? Either stick this game back in there or cancel it.

7 January

Cotton- Look at the sneaky bastards at Fox, they have the Cotton all dressed up like a BCS game. On a Friday night no less. Jerry Jones has a plan.

8 January

Papajohns.com- Even I will need a break by this point. See GMAC above. Same deal for this titillating contest from Legion Field.

9 January

Kraft Fight Hunger- Is this the artist formerly known as the Diamond Walnut Bowl? Must be. Give this one the GMAC treatment too. Also, figure out a way to get the two teams off the same sideline. It throws my OCD into upheaval.

Tostitos BCS National Championship Game- I will be barreling over the mountain and across the desert to Glendale for the second time in 9 days. Time to rally. I will be in attendance for the national title game for the first time. See you in the Red Lot….

What's your take?