Deseret News | Bowl may come to Salt Lake

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Bowl may come to Salt Lake

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sob | 9:13 a.m. April 18, 2008

the point is they ,being the teams, are the only ones who would come

Anonymous | 9:13 a.m. April 18, 2008

I got hit up over a year ago to have my company sponsor this bowl game. At first I thought it was a joke, but no, they were serious. Sorry I just can't put my company name on a bowl featuring the 5th place teams from the Mountain West and the WAC that are most likely 6-6. Even though a national TV broadcast has the rights to a possible bowl game I can't have the company name and logo on TV showing a snowy Rice-Eccles stadium with maybe 3,000 people inside.

Someone | 9:09 a.m. April 18, 2008

I agree this is a terrible idea. They play the "Top of the Mountain Bowl" at Rice Eccles Stadium every year and the turn out is horrible. Yeah I know the teams that play in the bowl are JC schools but come on people. A Bowl game in SLC in December? No. People want to get a way and travel to a warm environment not spend money on freezing to death. I agree this is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard. If it does happen it will be one and done.

Comments continue below

Re: carter | 9:09 a.m. April 18, 2008

here's the problem. pretty soon all bowls (with the exception of the BCS) will lose all meaning. a bowl used to be a reward for a successful season. now, just about anybody qualifies for some bowl or another. it is ruining college football. look what has happened in the last 20 years. . . the WAC champ usually played a decent opponent in the Holiday Bowl. Now the best a MWC champ can do is a 5th place Pac 10 team. If that's not good for college football I don't know what is. Whoop dee doo.

Ross | 9:16 a.m. April 18, 2008

For the last several years Snow College has played in the Zions Bank Top of the Mountain Bowl at Rice Stadium in Salt Lake on the first Saturday in December, and it is the dead of winter, ice, snow, cold. This is not what you typically think of as good bowl weather. If the weather is nice the crowds will pack the place and make a good return on ticket sales, after all the main purpose of bowl games is to make more money.

Black Out | 9:18 a.m. April 18, 2008

They'll probably be stupid enough to black out the game to the home markets. Nobody will come and nobody will be watching at home.

We need a playoff to stop the bowl insanity.

Utah Cougar | 9:15 a.m. April 18, 2008

All you little high school girls stop texting LOL. This is a sports blog not a discussion on Orlando Bloom. With that said, this bowl idea is stupid, there are already too many bowls out there. All this does is make going to a bowl game less prestigious. Now if we were switching to a play-off system and one of the first round games was in SL, then I would be all for it and even go, unlike some of you other panzies who don't want to go out when it's cold. It's called dedication! Anytime, any place your team is playing, you show up and cheer. No wonder we'll never get a pro team in SL, we're all to scared to go out in the cold and cheer. But I am still against this "Bowl", and against bowls in general. GIVE ME A PLAY-OFF!

Football | 9:18 a.m. April 18, 2008

I've read most of these comments and everyone who has made a comment about not wanting to go to a game on a cold day in December. What a joke. I'm guessing that most of you don't go to any games no matter when the weather might be. Who cares if its cold. I've been to plenty of UofU games in freezing cold snow storms. Suck it up. If you are true football fans of whatever team you support you'll be at the game even if its -10 outside. Put on something warm and go enjoy a great game of football. Again, what a joke, complaining about cold weather in December. Most of you wouldn't go to San Diego to watch a game in December when its warm. So why not enjoy the opportunity to go to another game. If you really enjoyed football you wouldn't crying about a cold game in December. Any other arguments about a new Bowl Game may very well be valid points. But leave the weather out of it. Rice Eccles and the stadium down south are still full on snowy days in October. Snow in Octber is no different than snow in December.

Everybodymustbeondrugs | 9:20 a.m. April 18, 2008

I'm speechless. Well, not totally. But I should be. This is ridiculous. As if there weren't enough meaningless bowl games already. There are only 120 teams in major college football and 30 bowl games (approx). Given that, you don't have to be a math major to figure out that half of all teams go to a bowl game. Utterly pointless.

Perhaps the goal is to have enough bowl games so that all teams get to go. No matter how mediocre they may be.

My. Who says political correctness is a bad thing?

Further dilute the brand | 9:22 a.m. April 18, 2008

Yes, this is just what college football needs, more bowls for mediocre teams to play a post season (donï¿½t want these 6-6 teams to feel left out or anything). But what about the feelings of those teams with losing records, maybe we can add more bowls for them too? That would be a good idea, then they arenï¿½t left out either. (Yes, I know it is really about money, but I am hearing this angle too)

Seriously, the whole bowl game thing has become a complete joke. They just keep making an already ridicules system worse. As a Ute fan I love seeing them play but I wont watch them in a pity bowl, these games are supposed to be a reward for a good season. Breaking even is should never be considered a ï¿½goodï¿½ season. It is mediocre at best.

Dumb | 9:38 a.m. April 18, 2008

Any smart BYU or Utah fan will agree that this bowl is a dumb idea. You need to look outside the little conference rivalries and look at the bigger picture. This bowl is clearly designed to draw MWC teams away from bigger bowls. The BCS is seeing that there are teams (Boise State, Utah, Hawaii, and probably BYU) who are becoming talented enough to break down their system. So they're coming up with other ways to draw our teams away, by coming up with dumb bowl ideas like this one.

zoobs can't spell | 9:38 a.m. April 18, 2008

to re: zoobs can't spell. If BYU fans were only confident, which they have every right to be, they wouldn't feel the need to rag on Utah every chance they get. That is not confidence, it's arrogance.

I do not troll articles about BYU and slam zoobs, but when some arrogant zoob like "coug fan 7:49" sees an article that has anything to do with the U (the bowl is proposed for RES) and starts talking smack and insulting, I have to respond. His infantile comments were not confidence, there were arrogance.

Of course, not every zoob fan is arrogant and self righteous, but there are enough of them that are that they inspire hatred for the rest of their brethren. When I attended the U the largest student-body organization as LDSSA, so we Utes, Elder Wirthlin included, are not ashamed of our affiliate with both the U and the LDS church. 53-34-4.

Matt | 9:43 a.m. April 18, 2008

I think it would be cool to have a bowl game in SLC. I love the idea of brewing a rivalry with the WAC and MWC. The only two teams to bust the BCS from a non-BCS conference come from these two conferences. Anything to start a rivalry between these conferences is a positive thing. I would have liked to see the best team from the MWC play the best team from the WAC last year. BYU-Hawai'i would have been a great matchup. There are good teams from both conferences, even if they are just barely bowl eligible.

The Streak | 9:49 a.m. April 18, 2008

This will guarantee that Utah will keep their amazing bowl winning streak going forever.

Utah vs. [mediocre WAC team] 2008-2099.

They can show replays on KUED during pledge week -- for a pledge of $500 U'll get this VHS tape of the game and one of these, uh, souvenir T-shirts.

SJ Bobkins | 9:51 a.m. April 18, 2008

We don't need more bowls and there is no reason that BYU should take it's yearly MWC trophy to Rice-Eccles depriving 1/2 of the ticket holders a chance to see their team in the down sized crib. Make the bowl a guaranteed BCS bid for the winner, regardless of poll numbers, have it played the same weekend as the other conference play-offs, and you're on to something good.
Conferences with 12 or more members can play a championship game, as BYU did playing Wyoming and AFA while in the WAC. Petition the NCAA to allow the two conferences who are getting screwed out of yearly BCS trips, a chance to combine solely for the championship game, with the winner heading for the BCS and the loser going to the Las Vegas Bowl.
I proposed this 2 years ago to Dick Harmon, I know he would support the idea.

Roger | 9:53 a.m. April 18, 2008

When are BYU fans going to seperate church and football? It is a blessing to go to any university not just BYU.

Yewts & Zoobs | 10:12 a.m. April 18, 2008

There are arrogant, bitter, self-righteous, haters from both fan bases who troll every article about the opposition. Lighten up and stop acting like punks.

SoCalCougFan | 10:12 a.m. April 18, 2008

Let's be real and look right through this. The bowl is meant for Wyoming, who has been snubbed from bowls time and again as they come from a very, very small media market. The bowl is for about any WAC team other than about their top 1 or 2 teams, who are the only ones that are decent. Maybe USU can get their act together and go bowling 2 hrs down the road! Even at that, bad idea.

No Bowl game | 10:17 a.m. April 18, 2008

Don't put a bowl game in SLC...Put the MWC basketball tournament!!

Gus | 10:24 a.m. April 18, 2008

Weren't we all complaining about playing a #5 from the Pac 10 this past season? Weren't we all saying that we needed to be playing a better opponent in our bowl instead of some poor #5?

We don't need a new venue! What we need is a venue that will pit us against a tougher opponent, like a #3 from the Pac 10. Thompson needs to focus on the specific need that the MWC has and stop working on fluff.

What he should be doing is finding a way to get the best teams from the MWC and WAC into the same conference and then playing a #3 Pac 10 team.

Re: The Streak | 10:29 a.m. April 18, 2008

Yea, and this will also "guarantee" that BYU won't need to worry about losing again in a bowl game to the likes of Indiana or Marshall.

And, that they can continue to play tapes of the SMU bowl game (oh, and the Danny Ainge/Norte Dame basketball game) in the Wilkinson Center forever.

Re: Roger | 10:36 a.m. April 18, 2008

Probably about the same time that Utah fans stop making religious slurs about the LDS church.

I'm a diehard BYU fan, but I graduated from, gasp, the U.

One year while I was a student at the U, I attended a BYU-Utah football game at Rice-Eccles, dressed in blue and sitting in the Utah student section.

Before the game, Utah students passed out a Utah student newspaper that contained several articles slamming, criticizing, and poking fun at the LDS church.

BYU and Utah fans are both guilty of inappropriately mixing religion and football.

CougarBlue | 10:37 a.m. April 18, 2008

I guess if Boise can have a December game on their Smurf Field Utah should be able to have one on their field.

Even saying this is a bad idea is an under statement!

Could I be proven wrong, maybe, but doubt it.

Scoobie | 10:39 a.m. April 18, 2008

Even though I'm not fond of Las Vegas, you've got to be joking???........ Salt Lake...in December....brrrrrr...what a chill....No Thanks
Where does this guy come up with his ideas????...and I thought WAC Commisioner Benson was a fruitcake!!!

Future | 11:34 a.m. April 18, 2008

Welcome to the future of Utah football; having your very own post-season bowl invitational.

No worries. If you can't find any bowl eligible teams willing to accept an invite, there must be teams in places like Snowville, UT, Snowflake, AZ, and Frostbite Falls, MN that would feel right at home playing in Rice-Eccles in December.

CedarAg | 11:59 a.m. April 18, 2008

I think is a great idea, we can call it the snowbowl, where real men play in December!

DanO | 12:06 p.m. April 18, 2008

Oh.. get Jell-O to sponsor and make it the Jell-O Bowl.

Hating the Y and the U | 12:06 p.m. April 18, 2008

This should be another GREAT idea for the stellar MWC! When will the MWC wake up and start thinking about playing real football? Postseason football against a WAC team is NOT playing football! The MWC should concentrate more on trying to improve the worthless teams it has within its conference before it takes on the task of trying to get every conference team a bowl bid; i.e., teams like UNLV, San Diego St., Colorado State, Air Force, and New Mexico need to concentrate more on having a semi-good football program. When was the last time any of those teams actually contended for a conference championship for more than one year? Wake up MWC and get some good teams!

Really? | 12:09 p.m. April 18, 2008

Forest Gump had it right "Stupid is as stupid does!"

to jimi | 12:17 p.m. April 18, 2008

"LOL look at all the BYU fans try and make fun of are stadium." At least OUR fans can spell. What happens if BYU breaks into the BCS this year, then what? 6 teams? That will end the bowl real quick. Even more motivation to go perfect this year.

A joke, right? | 12:21 p.m. April 18, 2008

A team that is 6-6 shouldn't be bowl eligible. What we need to do is get rid of some of the exsisting bowls.

don't do it | 12:47 p.m. April 18, 2008

I think someone needs to be arrested for assaulting Craig Thompson with a stupid stick.

Re: Hating | 1:06 p.m. April 18, 2008

One of the dumbest posts on this blog. The conclusions are completely inacurate and the proposed solutions are worthless.

Badger Fan | 1:32 p.m. April 18, 2008

Snow college played this year for the National Championship in the Top of the Mountains Bowl at Rice Eccles. The weather was a blizzard and most of the seats were empty, but the fans that were there enjoyed some December football in SLC. Bring it on, real football fans will be there, not like you wimps that need sun and warm beer to enjoy a game.

CrimsonUte | 1:38 p.m. April 18, 2008

1. No need for another bowl. There are too many as it is.

2. Having lived in both Boise and Salt Lake, I'd like to note that Boise weather in December is much more mild than Salt Lake. The Humanitarian Bowl is well-attended, pretty much filling the 30,000-seat capacity most years. The main draw is the WAC matchup with an ACC or other BCS team, and a lot of locals go to the game. MWC vs WAC in Salt Lake in December is not comparable.

3. You know who doesn't mix religion with football? LDS Ute fans. There are a lot of us, and frankly, we wish both Utah and BYU fans would drop the religious-based bickering. When Ute fans are bigotted and rude, it reflects poorly on our school, and when BYU fans are bigotted and rude, it reflects poorly on our church.

Bob | 1:44 p.m. April 18, 2008

We're not arrogant, we're just better then U---

Bowl game in Sh-- Lake Salty in December, Bad idea!!

Utah Cougar | 1:46 p.m. April 18, 2008

Dirk, I think it is apparent that there is no support for this bowl. Please let commissioner Thompson know our feelings and have him cancel the bowl game.

Utah Cougar | 1:50 p.m. April 18, 2008

Way to go Bob, great representation! Just do us a favor and stop typing.

Re: Utah Cougar | 2:17 p.m. April 18, 2008

I agree with Utah Cougar at 9:15 a.m. We need playoffs. Enough with this bowl nonsense. Do it like they do in basketball and we can find out who the best teams really are.

BYU Fan (Original) | 2:34 p.m. April 18, 2008

Another Bowl game involving MWC teams? Just a crock of an idea. Why don't we just divide the number of teams around the country by two, and create a bowl for every team? Another idea: just eliminate all the other sports, and let us have football year round. Who is the crackpot who wrote this article?

Sam | 2:49 p.m. April 18, 2008

Since it is so cold in December in SLC they invite the LAST place teams, and make them play in the "Toilet Bowl" for coming in at the bottom of their conferences. This could be a real bone crusher--imagine taking a hit when it is below zero. On second thought--the "Toilet Bowl" should be played in Laramie on New Years Day--it is much colder there.

Foot in the door or mouth? | 2:55 p.m. April 18, 2008

The only possible reason may be to secure a REGIONAL bowl site for the FUTURE playoff system? Based on that wishful logic a game played the SLC in early December might make since, but LES holds alot more fans.

And... | 3:01 p.m. April 18, 2008

Only 7 bowl eligible teams DIDN'T go to a bowl last season. Add 3 more bowls, and, assuming that we have at least that many bowl eligible teams next year, only ONE team that is bowl eligible won't be going bowling.

It's getting VERY CLOSE to the point where they might as well just add another game to the schedule and let ALL of the teams scramble to find a dancing partner in December.

Hey Duke, you haven't been bowling in a while. Why not take a holiday break from hoops and come over to our place for a little football. We'll call it the ??? bowl and charge our loyal fans triple the regular season price for tickets.

TJ | 2:59 p.m. April 18, 2008

this is a great idea cause when the stadium sells out and everyone shows up then they will all go skiing or snowboardig and then we can raise the taxes for non locals to finish paying for the soccer stadium and then......

Ok I take it all back. This is a bad idea. No one is going to want to buy tickets to a game of 2 mediocre(at best) teams in the freezing cold. It wouldn't be that bad if the champions from the WAC and the MWC played but that will not happen and even then it wouldn't be a big money maker and they should just drop this idea before it gets out of hand and wastes people's time and money.

Anonymous | 3:24 p.m. April 18, 2008

With all of this bantering between the Y and the U about the possibility of adding another meaningless bowl game; to some already meaningless bowl games; it all comes down to "cold" cash in December; if you know what I mean.

chris | 3:27 p.m. April 18, 2008

Down with the BCS - let's move to a play-off series and actually enjoy the post-season! This is a bad idea. ALL of our efforts should be to destroying the BCS hierarchy and bringing a play-off series together.

Larry from Lehi | 3:30 p.m. April 18, 2008

byu will begin a new bowl-game losing streak. That is all.

What's Next????? | 3:31 p.m. April 18, 2008

This has nothing to do with being anti-Ute. I think a bowl game played at LES in Dec. would be a bad idea. It just doesn't make sense. Why does football end in November for college football played in Utah? It's just too cold later on. Anyone that's played football knows it's more fun to play in warm weather vs. ice cold conditions. Sorry BSU Bronco fans, I think the Humanitarian Bowl is a poor idea as well. If money talks, so be it, but I won't be in attendance in December. Try June.

Anonymous | 3:37 p.m. April 18, 2008

who cares. There are too many bowl games as it is. If it does come, how about inviting the worst teams to have the opportunity to play in the cold and snow...

Anonymous | 3:38 p.m. April 18, 2008

Maybe the die-hard Utes and Cougs could have a snowball fight if the "meaningless" football game got too boring.

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