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Has winning at all costs actually hurt professional sports?
Posted on 10/24/25 at 8:34 am
Posted on 10/24/25 at 8:34 am
My hypothesis is that the focus on winning a championship or bust has actually hurt pro sports watch ability overall.
So many regular season games have become irrelevant, teams tanking a year or two to rebuild is now the norm because it works in the long run, players don’t care about the regular season either.
You also have teams and players that play in an unentertaining way to win, the Eagles tush push and SGA drawing 30 fouls a game being 2 examples.
Basically overall the emphasis on winning a championship has made the regular season games less important and not as fun to watch, college football used to be the savior of this but even its regular season has now been diluted.
So many regular season games have become irrelevant, teams tanking a year or two to rebuild is now the norm because it works in the long run, players don’t care about the regular season either.
You also have teams and players that play in an unentertaining way to win, the Eagles tush push and SGA drawing 30 fouls a game being 2 examples.
Basically overall the emphasis on winning a championship has made the regular season games less important and not as fun to watch, college football used to be the savior of this but even its regular season has now been diluted.
12
Posted on 10/24/25 at 8:36 am to Tiger1242
Its been worse on college sports. You used to be able to find fun and acceptance in going 9-3. Do that two years in a row now you get memed to death and your coach is on the hot seat
Posted on 10/24/25 at 8:41 am to Tiger1242
I remember being excited for a new years day bowl
Now once you hit 3 loses season is over and outback bowl is for losers
Now once you hit 3 loses season is over and outback bowl is for losers
Posted on 10/24/25 at 8:42 am to WestCoastAg
That has definitely been a side effect of the bigger playoff and the de emphasis on the “other” bowl games. An Alamo Bowl or Citrus Bowl could be a big deal for a smaller program having a breakout year, and everyone would play. Now absolutely nobody gives a shite
Posted on 10/24/25 at 9:10 am to Tiger1242
quote:
My hypothesis is that the focus on winning a championship or bust has actually hurt pro sports watch ability overall.
You're not wrong, but the fans and title mentality/barbershop arguments are largely why we got here.
The mid-00s when the Jordan-Kobe (then Kobe-Lebron) and Brady-Manning arguments REALLY took hold in online discourse pushed us here.
Posted on 10/24/25 at 9:55 am to WestCoastAg
quote:
been worse on college sports. You used to be able to find fun and acceptance in going 9-3. Do that two years in a row now you get memed to death and your coach is on the hot seat
Depends on who you root for… 9-3 might be great for Miss State but it sucks for LSU and Alabama
This post was edited on 10/24/25 at 9:56 am
Posted on 10/24/25 at 10:05 am to Tiger1242
Never thought I'd be longing for the BCS era, but I'd take that back in a heartbeat over what we have now.
Bowls still meant something. Conferences were still regional and made geographic sense. Conference schedules were full of opponents you had a long history with, not some schools on the opposite side of the country that you've played 3 times in 100 years. A top 10 team getting upset was a huge deal, especially if your team was trying to move up the BCS standings with title game dreams. No going 5-3 in conference and still arguing that you were worthy of a playoff spot.
Bowls still meant something. Conferences were still regional and made geographic sense. Conference schedules were full of opponents you had a long history with, not some schools on the opposite side of the country that you've played 3 times in 100 years. A top 10 team getting upset was a huge deal, especially if your team was trying to move up the BCS standings with title game dreams. No going 5-3 in conference and still arguing that you were worthy of a playoff spot.
Posted on 10/24/25 at 10:45 am to Tiger1242
quote:
Has making profit at all costs actually hurt professional sports?
FIFY
Posted on 10/24/25 at 11:21 am to WestCoastAg
quote:
Its been worse on college sports. You used to be able to find fun and acceptance in going 9-3.
Exactly. Hell, some of the greatest games ever were played in “meaningless” bowls…here’s to you Boise State over Oklahoma.
College football’s uniqueness made it such a great sport. Part of that uniqueness was controversies over championships. Once that became the obsession, and yes, partially fueled by fans, it spiraled out of control in terms of winning at all cost.
Posted on 10/24/25 at 11:33 am to Tiger Prawn
Tulane/USF/Memphis/Boise/UNLV are at the "playoffs or bust" point right now.
It's not just power programs thinking like this. Tulane went 9-5 last year and the feeling was "mehhh".
It's not just power programs thinking like this. Tulane went 9-5 last year and the feeling was "mehhh".
This post was edited on 10/24/25 at 11:36 am
Posted on 10/24/25 at 4:22 pm to Tiger Prawn
quote:Not really. There were 5 bowls that were if real interest, maybe. Now there are 11 games with real interest. And, with 12 teams it means the regular season and championship chase isn't over for 130 of 136 teams like it would have been at this point during the BCS. 20-25 teams still have dreams of a natty.
Bowls still meant something
Posted on 10/24/25 at 4:27 pm to TexasTiger08
quote:And people hated it. Too many forget and always want what they dont have. The playoffs are vastly superior to some jackholes in NYC, Chicago, L.A. and Boston who dont watch all the games choosing the champions.
Part of that uniqueness was controversies over championships
Posted on 10/24/25 at 4:43 pm to Tiger1242
Winning at all costs = money.
This is ALL about money.
This is ALL about money.
Posted on 10/24/25 at 4:57 pm to Tiger1242
I miss the bowl system. I used to watch them all. And the players cared.
Now its all about opt outs and transfer portal and they have become absolutely meaningless.
Now its all about opt outs and transfer portal and they have become absolutely meaningless.
Posted on 10/24/25 at 5:17 pm to WestCoastAg
quote:
You used to be able to find fun and acceptance in going 9-3. Do that two years in a row now you get memed to death and your coach is on the hot seat
Well its a good thing A&M knows very little about going 9-3
Posted on 10/24/25 at 7:35 pm to Tiger1242
A couple of the worse ways sports has been hurt or damaged quite a bit has been by the accepted, routine disrespect for opponents and lack of proper sportsmanship.
Posted on 10/24/25 at 7:47 pm to Tiger1242
One of the reasons why I’ve become such a fan of soccer in Europe. Yeah I know soccer board blah blah.
Compared to our sports there is more of a sense of the present to me, and success is more a cumulative effect of the season as opposed to the season simply getting you to the tournament where you can have success. As I get older I like that slow burn.
For the smaller and medium size clubs it doesn’t have to be about winning a title, and just beating your rival makes it a hell of a month.
Compared to our sports there is more of a sense of the present to me, and success is more a cumulative effect of the season as opposed to the season simply getting you to the tournament where you can have success. As I get older I like that slow burn.
For the smaller and medium size clubs it doesn’t have to be about winning a title, and just beating your rival makes it a hell of a month.
This post was edited on 10/24/25 at 7:48 pm
Posted on 10/24/25 at 8:20 pm to Tiger1242
Lack of integrity has killed sports, imo. Even in kids games, the adults will look the other way to win, instead of standing for what is correct. In fact, I can't think of the last time I've watched any game at any level where a coach or player has shown integrity at the expense of it hurting their own team.
Posted on 10/24/25 at 10:39 pm to St Augustine
quote:
Compared to our sports there is more of a sense of the present to me, and success is more a cumulative effect of the season as opposed to the season simply getting you to the tournament where you can have success.
Every time you watch your team, it matters. The way it’s supposed to be IMHO.
I think I’ve enjoyed F1 for the same reason.
Posted on 10/24/25 at 11:12 pm to Cliff Booth
quote:
Every time you watch your team, it matters. The way it’s supposed to be IMHO.
I’m also a soccer homo like St Aug, and I think the difference is the definition of “matters”. obviously every game matters no matter the context, but if your club is middle of the pack regardless of the sport, it’s not unreasonable to be happy about finishing middle of the pack
you can have aspiration, and occasionally be rewarded for it. but the title or burn everything to the ground is really only manifested in closed leagues like almost all american sports
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