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Date Posted: 17:33:29 08/28/03 Thu
Author: Gary "Bullcorn" Brooks
Subject: One point about proving one's mettle
In reply to: Dr. Drennan 's message, "Consumer Math Expo" on 16:11:39 08/28/03 Thu

Unfortunately, I must break character here. We all like to think our players are out there giving their all in order for us to gain RhitTaker glory. Alas, they are not. In fact, I suspect a reasonable number of NFL players do not even know of the existence of RhitTaker. So, weeks 15 and 16, are not special to them, as they are to us. In the NFL, coaches prepare their teams for playoff games, knowing that their players are aware of the repercussions of their performances. The greats of our era, such as the John Elways and Scott Cases, have dug down deep for that extra bit of courage and firepower in key situations. The players know these games are more meaningful, thus it makes sense to attach more meaning to those performances.

In RhitTaker, however, this sort of situation does not exist. We cannot extract extra effort from our players in the serious moments. It would be great to be able to tell our quarterbacks to not run 10 yards backwards before kneeling on the ball, if that would cause a loss. But it just doesn't work like that. So, we cannot attach the same sort of meaning to RhitTaker post-season action as is attached to the NFL playoffs. This is why we need to look at the season as a whole to a greater degree. So, we need to keep the playoffs small. The Regular Season Champion of RhitTaker deserves a substantial advantage in the playoffs.

I would have absolutely no problem with abolishing the playoffs entirely. Play 16 weeks, and the team with the most rhits win. But, I suspect I would be in the minority. Obviously, the entertainment and excitement levels would drop, and the RhitTaker Bowl is a both a historical classic and modern marvel.

Certainly, either scenario is fair. Fairness and setting up a scenario to identify the best team are often confused. Golfers frequently complain about the US Open set-up and say it is "unfair". Well, it's completely fair, because everyone plays the same course, but it's often not set up in a way to identify the best player that week. The extreme rough conditions and ridiculously narrow fairways make luck a larger factor than, say, Augusta National or St. Andrews. Anyway, I think we would have a better opportunity to identify the season's best team with the 3-team scenario, than the 4-team scenario, without giving up the grandeur and tradition of the RhitTaker Bowl.

But, like I said earlier, the fate of the playoffs rests in Lurh's hands. So, speak up, Lurh.

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